Читать книгу Sit Down, Be Quiet: A modern guide to yoga and mindful living - Michael Wong James, Michael James Wong, Майкл Джеймс Вонг - Страница 13

Ude Okoye

You’re One Breath Away From Calm

Did you know that the average person takes between 12 and 20 breaths a minute? Over the course of a day, that’s 17,000– 30,000 breaths. That’s a lot.

We breathe when we sleep and when we eat. We breathe when we’re on the bus and we breathe more when we’re chasing it. As long as we are alive we are always breathing. But how often are we really thinking about it?

‘ONE DEEP BREATH CAN HELP ALLEVIATE A WHOLE WORLD OF CHAOS’

How often are we giving our breath the attention it deserves?

Breathing is automatic. It just happens. Sure, it’s keeping you alive, but that’s no big deal, right?

The amazing thing about breathing is that when you choose to focus on it and take the time to notice it, you get so much more out of it. So maybe it’s time to start paying more attention to the breath.

We can all relate to times in our lives when things have gotten a bit messy or out of control, and these are the times when the breath is our biggest asset. One deep breath can help alleviate a whole world of chaos.

When I was 18, I was living in Los Angeles and I had asked my friend Brandon to teach me how to drive a manual car. Driving manual wasn’t a common thing in LA when I was growing up, so I wanted to learn. From the moment I got in, it felt like there was way too much going on: three pedals for my feet; one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on the gear stick. I had to look with my eyes, listen with my ears and deal with about a hundred and one other things going on around me on the road. It was complete chaos.

But in one of those first lessons, Brandon simply said, ‘If you put your foot on the brake, no matter what else is happening, the car will slow down and everything will be ok. Then you can decide what’s best from there.’ Fifteen years later and I’ve never forgotten this.

And that’s how the breath works. No matter the chaos that’s around you, just remember that if you stop and take a deep breath, everything will slow down. Then you can decide what’s best from there.

The Breath Is Life. Respect It.

When used with the right approach, the breath has the power to calm our minds, ease our anxiety and appease our anger. The breath is transformational, and the best thing about it is that it’s always there (and it’s free!).

The breath gives us the support to do the things we want to do in our lives and it will never let you down if you give it the respect it deserves.

I’ve been lucky (or unlucky) enough to know the value of the breath since I was very young. I’m asthmatic and I carry around a little blue inhaler that helps relieve my airways when I have an attack. I’ve had trouble breathing since I was very young, and there are times, even today, when I literally can’t get the breath in; a simple inhale and exhale feels like I’m sucking a peanut through a bendy straw. Unless you also suffer with asthma, you’ll never know the fear that comes with simply trying to breathe.

For me, breathing is not something to take lightly. (The sad part here for all the asthmatics reading this is that there isn’t a magic moment coming up where I say, ‘And yoga will cure your asthma!’) However, over the years yoga has gone a long way to helping me control my anxiety around it. The breath is a tool that can physically calm, emotionally ease and spiritually invigorate. You just have to know how to use it.

Remember that breathing is simple: it’s an inhale and an exhale. Approaching each and every breath one at a time reminds us to live in the now. Yogis will say that life only exists within the space of the inhale and exhale, and to ignore this is to ignore true living. So the longer the breath, the more we are putting into living.

Most of us forget to value the breath. It becomes an afterthought and often we don’t honour its purpose. A lack of integrity in the body, much like the breath, will only lessen its benefit to your life and the things you want to do. Don’t wait until it’s compromised to prioritise it.

Jake Paul White

Go Deep, Go Slow

Omar Sultani

‘Take a few deep breaths …’

I bet you’ve heard this phrase once or twice before in your life. Maybe your other half said it to you after someone royally screwed you over. Maybe your colleagues have said it after your manager yelled at you unnecessarily.

Taking a deep breath has immense value. It can be like a warm and comforting hug you didn’t know you needed. It’s the support you want, the space you need and the permission to know that everything is going to be ok (and the world will not end).

In yoga the breath is everything: it’s the first thing we do and the last thing we let go. We lead with the breath in the first pose, the last pose and every pose in between.

How To Take A Deep Breath

Do you actually know how to take a deep breath?

It’s funny how we all have a tendency to say, ‘Of course I do.’

But to be honest, I didn’t until I was taught. The truth was that I’d never really thought that hard about it.

Do I open my mouth or keep it closed?

Do I fill up my belly or my chest?

How slow is ‘slow’ for the inhale and for the exhale?

These are all questions many of us ask when we really think about it.

For me, I believe slow is the way to go. Slowing down the breath gives you time to appreciate the inhale and exhale, the quality of breath and its value to every moment of your day. In yoga, like life, first we breathe, then we do everything else.

Regardless which technique you choose to use, every breath you take has four parts.

The first two are easy.

Part 1: The inhale. The air enters the body through the nose.

Part 2: The exhale. The air exits the body through the nose.

The last two are a little more subtle.

Part 3: The space at the top of the inhale where no more breath enters.

Part 4: The space at the bottom of the exhale where no more breath exits.

The spaces at the top and bottom of the breath are where we find the calm. They’re our escape from the chaos. It’s in these gaps that we’re not distracted by what’s coming and going and we’re in the now. They are the still point. This is how we find quiet, and the breath is the gateway into the silence.

Take a moment and give it a try.

Inhale, pause, exhale, pause, repeat. It was a real mind-blowing, life-changing moment for me when I first learned this. If you’re lucky enough to have learned this already, then keep doing what you’re doing and just breathe.

The Breathing Techniques

There are a few breathing (pranayama) techniques that will help you on and off the yoga mat, and in this book we’ll talk about three specifically. While there are many techniques, each with their own purpose and value, it’s good to learn a few basics that will serve you well in everyday life.

When practising these techniques for the first time, find yourself a comfortable position, cross-legged on the floor, or sitting easily in a chair. Don’t overcomplicate it and just focus on the inhale and exhale, no matter the technique.

These are just a few of many breathing techniques. If you find they are helpful and valuable, then continue to do them as often as you can.

Go slow, be gentle and don’t overthink it.

Just breathe.

The Box Breath

This technique is focused on balance and support. It’s simple and not forced. Breathe in long, slow and deep; breathe out long, slow and deep.

How to do it

• Inhale to the count of four, mouth closed, evenly drawing the breath in through the nose, letting the air wash across the back of the throat, filling the chest and lungs from the front to back (not bottom to top). Imagine blowing up a balloon, rather than filling up a glass of water. This will minimise unneeded movement in the body.

• Pause effortlessly and hold for the count of four.

• Exhale to the count of four, mouth closed, evenly moving the breath out and warming the back of the lips as it exits the nose.

• Pause effortlessly and hold for the count of four.

• Repeat with ease until you feel calm.

The Victorious Breath

Referred to in yoga as the Ujjayi breath, this technique focuses on energising the body, filling you up with an empowering and vibrant life force. This is one of the most commonly taught breathing techniques in a yoga class and is a great tool for courage, motivation and creating some internal heat as you practise.

This breath is strong, warming and uplifting.

How to do it

• Inhale with the mouth closed, deeply and vigorously drawing the breath in through the nose and across the back of the throat, filling up the chest and lungs from the front to back (see the Box Breath).

• When you’re ready to exhale, empty the lungs, with the mouth closed, warming and heating the breath as it escapes, the same way you would fog up a mirror. Retain a slight constriction in the back of the throat.

• Continue and repeat.

The Lion’s Breath

This technique is about letting go – the euphoria of the release. This is an open-mouthed, let-it-all-go type of breath. And it feels pretty damn good. Most people have a tendency to hold on to too much inside – we keep things bottled up and never let them go.

This breath reminds us that, often, it’s better out than in.

How to do it

• Inhale with the mouth closed, deeply and vigorously drawing the breath in through the nose and across the back of the throat, filling up the chest and lungs front to back (see the Box Breath).

• Pause, don’t hold the breath but prepare to release.

• To exhale, open the mouth, stick out the tongue and push the breath out in one strong release.

• Pause and repeat until you feel calmer, lighter and refreshed. You can’t overdose on this technique.

Just Breathe

Now that you have these three techniques, try them out and see which works well for you. You will find that at different times, a different technique serves best. Remember, you take between 12 and 20 breaths in a minute, so you’ve got a lot of opportunities to try them out.

There is one certainty in life: if you don’t breathe, you will die. To live to the fullest is to breathe to the fullest.

So when things go right or things go wrong, just breathe.

When you’re not feeling your best, just breathe.

When things are fast and need to slow down, just breathe.

At the end of the day, no matter the situation, just breathe.

Sjaak Van Tunen