healthyliving healthyplanet Just Breathe:
Yoga for Every Moment by Jackie Alvarez
Y
oga. The word is foreign and familiar at the same time. By now most of us in the Western world have heard of yoga, are doing yoga or know someone who is. Everyone can experience yoga, whether it is at a yoga class or while on the train commuting to work. There is no excuse to not prac- tice yoga because yoga can be done anywhere, at any time and any place. That’s right. You can do simple breath- ing yoga exercises (known as pranaya- ma) at home, at your desk at work, while driving, on a bus or train; even while you are in line at the supermar- ket. Basically, yoga can be practiced anywhere that you are breathing (which is every moment of your life). Through yoga, you can breathe more deeply and consciously, bring- ing your mind to the present moment, controlling your emotions and calming
If you find that you have an hour to attend a yoga class, the possibilities are endless. Many studios are now offering early morning classes as early as 5:30 a.m. and evening classes as late as 9 p.m. These flexible hours are perfect for those who commute to work or like to get started early or want to enjoy dinner with the family and then head out to relax before bed. A yoga class in the evening will likely help you sleep better.
the body. The Sanskrit word used in yoga for breath is ‘Prana’. In addition to breath, Prana also means life, vitality, energy and strength. You can achieve all of these by stopping and working with the breath a few minutes each day.
Try these simple breathing exercises to feel more centered and relaxed:
1. Expand and contract. Inhale and expand your belly and then exhale and contract your belly. While doing this, keep your awareness on the up and down of the belly.
2. Count as your breathe. Count as you inhale and then count as you exhale, adding one more number making the exhale longer. For example: inhale while counting to five, exhale counting to six. As you practice longer the count will be become longer. Don’t force your breath but follow your breath nor- mally and, with time, you will be able to inhale and exhale for longer periods of time.
In this new year, stop the excuses of not having enough time and begin to breathe more consciously anytime and anywhere and perhaps you even will be able to squeeze in a yoga class at a local studio. As Iyengar states in his book Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing, “Prana is the energy permeating the universe at all levels.” Don’t you want to access that energy?
Jackie Alvarez is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance (RYT). She has traveled to India to study Indian and yoga philosophy and her classes are a mix of spiritual and physical. She owns a Hatha yoga studio in Green- wood Lake. To contact Jackie, go to
YogaOnTheLake.vpweb.com or email
ja@yogaonthelake.vpweb.com.
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Healthy Living, Healthy Planet Networking Event in Goshen Tuesday, February 22
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