Welcome to the first day of our holiday 21-day yoga challenge. Today, I invite you to open you proverbial toolbox and access your most powerful tool: your breath. Through controlled breathing techniques, you can calm your busy mind and relax your nervous system.
The Importance of Supported Sitting: By supported, I mean for you to sit on some height — like two or three folded blankets, a bolster or cushion. Build your support higher than you think you need. The height helps your hips relax which gives you access to be more grounded and sit in a posture in which your spine is in proper alignment. Your legs can cross but if this is not suitable for your knees, take the bottoms of your feet together with the support of a folded blanket under the knees.
The Benefits of Controlled Breathing: Yoga postures create strength in your bones and muscles and adding controlled breathing to your practice of poses will improve your posture and alignment. Controlled breathing practices on their own impact your body by positively calming your nervous system which in turn helps focus your mind while allowing your body to relax.
Today’s simple offering is meant to help you create a tool to carry with you over the next few weeks (and hopefully beyond). From the supported seat, feel your spine grow tall as the crown of your head reaches up. Soften or close your eyes and begin to notice your breath, breathing in and out through your nose. After several rounds follow this sequence:
Inhale. Pause your breath. Exhale.
Repeat for twenty rounds, then return to your soft inhale and exhale.
There are many nuances to yoga postures, especially restorative ones. Your breath is a key component to the success you will have in the poses offered during the coming days.