There’s power in your hands, more than you might think. I was first exposed to hand mudras during iRest (Yoga Nidra) training with Richard Miller, PhD, decades ago. While I knew our hands are highly enervated, and command lots of real estate in the brain’s body maps, I had no idea how easily different hand positions translated to effects in the rest of the body. In Miller’s training, I learned mudras for pranayama, meditation, and positions intended to “light up” each chakra. However, we didn’t practice Hakini Mudra.

Often called “Brain Power Mudra” or “Mudra for the Mind,” Hakini Mudra is said to enhance brain power. According to the yoga tradition, practicing this mudra improves concentration, memory and focus. I learned Hakini Mudra from yoga teacher Jenny Otto, as a position that can give us access to different areas of our “breathing space.”

Why Expand Your Breathing Space?

According to an article in Massage & Bodywork Magazine, “The Science of Mouth vs. Nose Breathing” by John Douillard, the ribcage becomes a literal cage for our lungs and diaphragm over time. Excessive sitting, shallow breathing and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to this problem. When the ribcage becomes rigid, the diaphragm can no longer fully contract when we inhale. As a result, our breathing becomes shallower.

Here’s how Douillard explains it:

”When the diaphragm contracts, it draws oxygen into the lungs, forcing the ribcage to expand. Over time, as the ribcage becomes more rigicl, the diaphragm weakens and cannot fully contract on inhalation and relax on exhalation. This means the breath pattern becomes shallow. Over the years, we are likely to become shallow breathers, engaging in what is called over breathing.

“During shallow breathing, 75 percent of the oxygen we inhale is exhaled unused. Shallow breathing also forces us to breathe out excessive carbon dioxide. In this shallow breathing state, the oxygen levels in the blood stay high while CO2 levels plummet. This is the perfect storm for anxiety, which is why when folks have a panic attack, they try to boost carbon dioxide levels by breathing into a paper bag. While chronic blood levels of excess oxygen and low-carbon dioxide increase the body’s srress response, rising blood levels of carbon dioxide actually have a sedation effect on the body.“

I highly recommend you read the entire article (linked above). It gives vital information about the importance of diaphragmatic breathing. It’s a must for yoga teachers!

How to Practice Hakini Mudra to Expand the Breath

Hakini Mudra can give us access to the lower, middle and upper breathing spaces, simply by how we contact our fingertips.

1. Begin by finding a comfortable seated position. Make sure you have enough support under your hips so that your spine can rest in its natural curves. Here’s an article with suggestions for determining the best meditation cushion for your body. You can also practice in a chair if sitting on the floor doesn’t work for your body.
2. Place your fingertips together. Touch lightly; make sure your fingers are not pressing hard. At the same time, your fingers should connect solidly—not too hard, not too soft.
3. Take 5 or more deep breaths, adjusting your posture to accommodate deep breathing. Make sure your ribcage and abdomen are expanding outward as you inhale, and contracting inward as you exhale. Inhale fully, but without strain. Exhale completely, without strain.
4. Now press your pinky and ring fingers together slightly more firmly than the other fingers. Continue to breathe, and notice where you feel the “center” of your breath within your torso. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths.
5. Let go of the pinky and ring fingers, touching them lightly again. Then press the middle fingers together slightly more firmly than the others. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths, noticing where you feel the center of your breath.
6. Let go of the middle fingers, touching them lightly again. No press the thumbs and index fingers together a bit more firmly than the others. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths, noticing where you feel the center of the breath.
7. Now contact the fingers evenly, lightly, and take a few more breaths before returning to regular breathing.

While you’re practicing, feel free to switch back and forth between steps 4-6 to help you feel differences in how the finger contact influences your breathing. Practice this any time to help keep your ribcage and diaphragm supple, and your breath free and easy.

For the first time since last fall, I’m sitting next to an open window as I write. The spring air, with its occasional hints of blooming bulbs and trees, is so refreshing. While pranayama (yogic breathing practice) is appropriate during all seasons, the clean spring air seems to invite taking a nice deep breath. There are many pranayama practices that incorporate mudras—hand gestures meant to facilitate the movement of prana (the animating force in our bodies and minds). In particular, I enjoy practicing a simple pranayama mudra called Hasta Mudra.

I don’t claim to be an expert on hand mudras. But I do recognize the power of the few that I’ve practiced regularly. I’ve been amazed at the difference subtle changes in hand position can make. Hasta Mudra, in particular, has been a favorite among my yoga students. It shows how seemingly minor changes in touch can bring about changes in breathing that pretty much anyone can easily feel. The hand position is quite simple. Only the degree to which your fingers touch shifts. Hasta Mudra allows you to focus in on different parts of the body’s “breathing spaces.” I learned this breathing mudra from Jenny Otto of Body Balance Yoga Therapy.

First Things First: Healthy Breathing

In general, I’ve avoided writing about pranayama practice simply because it’s best to learn directly from an experienced teacher. Especially in the case of the more complicated or intense practices, it’s possible to overstimulate the nervous system. This can trigger physical, mental and emotional imbalances. So careful, informed instruction is essential.

The breathing practices I feel comfortable sharing veer toward healthy natural breathing. This means slow, deep, relaxed belly breathing. You breathe deeply, but never to the point of strain. As you inhale, the abdomen should expand; as you exhale, it should contract. Nothing fancy here, just relaxed, nourishing breathing. Maintain relaxed, deep breathing as you move through the various stages of Hasta Mudra.

How to Practice Hasta Mudra

1. Sit in a comfortable position on a Meditation Cushion or a folded Yoga Blanket. If sitting on the floor is not comfortable for you, feel free to sit on a chair instead. What’s important is that your torso is upright and your natural spinal curves are aligned.
2. Settle into your hips and legs and tune into your breathing. As you inhale, allow your abdomen to expand. As you exhale, allow it to contract. Breathe deeply, but in a relaxed way, so there’s no strain.
3. Place your fingertips and thumb tips together. Balance the contact between your fingertips so that it’s both firm and receptive.
4. Now, continuing with deep, relaxed breathing, press the little fingertips and ring fingertips together a little more firmly than the others. Where do you feel the “center” of your breath happening? In other words, if you imagine your breathing space to be your entire torso, where does the breath feel most prominent? Take about five to 10 breaths.
5. Now relax the contact between your ring and pinky fingertips and press your middle fingertips together more firmly than the other fingers. Tune into your torso, and notice where the center of your breath is now. Has it changed? If it’s not clear, go back to pressing your ring and pinky fingertips together more firmly and notice if the center of your breath shifts. Then take five to 10 breaths with your middle fingers pressed a bit more firmly than the others.
6. Let go of pressing your middle fingertips more firmly than the others. Now press your thumb tips and index fingertips more firmly. Where is the center of your breath now? Again, feel free to switch back to the middle fingers or the ring and pinky fingers for a breath or two for contrast. Then return to pressing the thumbs and index fingers a bit more firmly. Take five to 10 breaths in this position.
7. Now press the fingertips together evenly. Take five to 10 deep breaths, noticing how your breath feels now.

Exploring Hasta Mudra

These variations of Hasta Mudra allow you to access different areas of your breathing space. Most people feel the center of the breath in the lower belly in the first (ring and pinky finger) variation, the middle in the second (middle finger) variation, and the chest in the third (thumb and index finger) variation. The fourth variation, with the fingers pressing together evenly, opens up the entire breathing space. However, it’s possible you may experience this exercise differently. If that’s the case, trust your own experience. Your own experience is your most reliable guide.

If you enjoy Hasta Mudra, play with subdividing your breathing space even further. Try pressing the little fingers, ring fingers, middle fingers, index fingers and thumbs together separately. Notice if that gives you access to smaller breathing space areas.

The Buddha said: “There is one thing that, when cultivated and regularly practiced, leads to deep spiritual intention, to peace, to mindfulness, and clear comprehension to vision and knowledge, to a happy life here and now, and to the culmination of wisdom. And what is that one thing? Mindfulness centered on the body.”

Most spiritual systems consider concerns of the body to be subservient to those of the mind and heart. But in the practice of mindfulness, awareness of the body is the most crucial foundation. If you want to be truly present, mindfulness of the body is essential. The body is always in the present. It can’t be otherwise. When we are awake in our bodies, we are truly in the here and now.

In the Satipatthana Sutta, the sutta on the practice of mindfulness, there are considered to be four foundations of mindfulness. I introduced these in a previous post. I consider mindfulness of the body to be the “foundation of the foundations.” This is because everything we experience in this life is experienced as sensation in the body. At any given moment, there are six things we can be aware of: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling or touching, and thinking. All these are experienced as sensations in our bodies.

Breath Awareness: Anchoring Mindfulness of the Body

How do we practice mindfulness of the body? The foundational practice of mindfulness of the body is breath awareness. Humans breathe an average of 23,000 times a day. Our bodies do this all on their own, without our guidance or awareness. However, we can use our breathing as an anchor for our awareness.

Often, when we sit down to practice mindfulness, it can be tempting to resolve to be mindful for the entire period of practice—10, 20, 30 minutes or more. When our minds inevitably slip off into thinking, often within seconds of sitting down to practice, we can feel like giving up. Instead of committing to something that’s likely unattainable, I suggest practicing this simple, and powerful, technique:

At the beginning of each inhalation and exhalation, commit to being aware of just this inhalation, and just this exhalation. That’s it. You simply recommit to being aware of each part of the breath as it arises.

I feel fortunate to have learned this instruction early on in my practice, more than 30 years ago. I still use it, pretty much every day.

How to Practice Mindfulness of the Body and Breath

1. Sit comfortably on a meditation cushion or chair.
2. Close your eyes, or leave them slightly open and look at the ground a foot or two in front of you.
3. Tune into your breathing, feeling it in your body.
4. As you become aware of your breathing, note if there’s an area in the breathing passage where the breath feels most clear for you. This could be your nostrils, chest or abdomen. Settle your awareness there and simply feel the sensations of breathing in that area.
5. Commit to staying aware of just this inhalation, and then just this exhalation.
6. When your mind wanders off, which it most likely will, when you notice it, simply redirect your awareness back to your breath. You may need to do this many, many times in your practice. Each time you notice your mind has become lost, and you bring yourself back to the breath, you are slowly but surely developing a habit of being present. So don’t despair if you find your mind wandering off many times during a practice. In many ways, the practice is about noticing that your mind has become distracted, and continually corralling it back to your breath.

Refining Breath Awareness

There are several other traditional techniques that can help you refine your awareness of the breath. You can add these to your breath awareness as a way of framing your practice:

• Notice whether your inhalations and exhalations are relatively short or relatively long.
• Be aware of the beginning, middle and end of each inhalation and exhalation.
• As you inhale and exhale, make the suggestion to calm the body and calm the mind. For example you can note: inhaling-calm, exhaling-calm.

Mindfulness of the Body: A Big Subject

When I began writing this post, I intended to include all the different ways of practicing mindfulness of the body. But when I got into the weeds of it, I realized that it’s too big a subject for a single post. In future posts, we’ll explore other ways of practicing mindfulness of the body. For now, let the simple breath be your mindfulness anchor.

Our breath is like the flywheel that controls and regulates all our physiological processes. The rhythm of our breath regulates our heartbeat, among other things. This, in turn, affects our nervous system, which governs so many of our physical/mental/emotional processes. Traditionally, pranayama practice has been an equal partner to asana in the practice of hatha yoga. Even so, modern yoga practice generally gives only passing notice to pranayama. Yet, slowing your breathing through pranayama is key to achieving the true purpose of yoga: the setting of the mind into silence.

Pranayama is the fourth of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. It’s situated right after asana (physical postures) and just ahead of pratyahara (turning inward, away from the world of the senses). Pranayama sits right at the intersection of the external and internal limbs of yoga. It is the bridge between our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual worlds.

How Slowing Your Breathing Promotes Physical Health

A 2017 study explored the health benefits of slowing your breathing. It looked at several categories: respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous system.

Among other benefits, the study found that slowing your breathing:

• Increases lung capacity and arterial oxygenation.
• Increases venous return and cardiac output; may decrease blood pressure.
• Augments baroreflex sensitivity.
• Increases vagal tone and shifts toward parasympathetic dominance.

When I studied yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar in India, out of all the things he told us, the one principle that I’ve always remembered is this. I’m paraphrasing here, but this is essentially what he said. “We practice yoga to create a peaceful, calm environment for our minds.”

All the benefits the above study found support the creation of a peaceful, calm environment for our minds. Slowing down your breathing then not only supports physical health. It also points you toward the deeper aim of yoga.

How to Practice Slowing Your Breathing

You can practice slowing your breathing from a supine or seated position. Here’s a post that outlines how to set up for supine pranayama practice. If you prefer seated practice, use a meditation cushion to help you sit in a spine-healthy position. This will enable deep breathing.

1. Begin in a comfortable position—seated or supine—using whatever props enable you to breathe deeply.
2. Breathe in, a little more deeply than normal, and count the length of your inhalation. This is not a competition! Inhale deeply, but not to the point of strain. Keep it slow, steady and comfortable.
3. Now exhale for the same number of counts.
4. Start with 5 to 10 breaths. Each week, you can increase the number of breaths by 3 to 5.
5. When you finish, sit for a few minutes to feel the effects of your practice—on all levels.

Variations and Cautions

• Kumbhaka—inhalation-pause-exhalation: Many practitioners like to pause for an equal count at the top of each inhalation. If you choose to do this, be sure not to “catch” or close off the throat. Instead, simply stop the inhalation and pause there. This can be stimulating to the nervous system, so it can be energizing. If you feel a need for some fresh energy, try this practice, but be aware that it can raise your blood pressure. So if your blood pressure is already on the higher side, you should avoid kumbhaka practice.
• Parasympathetic practice: You can trigger your parasympathetic nervous system by slowing down your exhalation so that it’s a few counts longer than your inhalation. When you inhale, your heart beats faster than when you exhale. So slowing the exhalation down can, over time, slow the heartbeat as well. This process is called “sinus arhythmia.”
• Take breaks: If you find the practice to feel intense or if you feel short of breath, it’s likely that you are pushing the practice too hard. Stop the practice and take a few normal breaths to reset. Then resume, inhaling and exhaling slightly less deeply. Relax your body around your inhalations and exhalations.

There are lots of other variations to this practice, using hand mudras and more elaborate retentions. Pranayama is a powerful practice and in general, it’s best to work with an experienced teacher. However, simple practices such as slowing your breathing using counts, are generally safe to practice on your own. As always, if you feel strain, do less. Slowing your breathing is meant to calm the body/mind. So approach your practice with curiosity and care.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, after the jarring events of the day, I taught my regularly scheduled yoga class. But given the palpable anxiety of my students—even through Zoom—I tossed my class plan. We practiced balancing to calm and center. Then we practiced supine twists and forward bends. I followed this with yoga nidra and a brief metta meditation. The following week, I offered a calming breath awareness practice.

Our own breath is the most powerful tool we have. Ancient yogis knew this. Pranayama (breathing practices) constitute one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The second chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika introduces more than a dozen breathing practices that affect the nervous system, and therefore, affect the mind. Pranayama is the bridge between the more physical, worldly practices and the “heart” of yoga—meditation.

Breathing Meditation

But we don’t have to manipulate the rate or depth of the breath in order to bring about calm. We can use intention and simple breath awareness to bring a sense of ease to the body-mind.

Breath awareness practices are the foundation of mindfulness. Traditionally, breath awareness is taught first, as a practice to help stabilize the mind, because it’s easier to develop stability in the mind when we have something to focus on. When we use the breath to create an anchor, then it’s just a short step to practicing mindfulness of the the entire body, the first of the four foundations of mindfulness. (The four foundations are the heart of mindfulness practice.)

How to Practice Calming Breath Awareness

1. Sit comfortably, on a meditation cushion. If you find that your body is tense, feel free to sit on a chair so that you can rest your back against something.
2. Let your body settle into gravity. Notice if you are leaning forward, even subtly. If so, settle back. Let your eyes release back into their sockets, and relax your brain, allowing it to feel spacious inside your skull.
3. Tune into your breathing. Without trying to change the rate or depth, simply feel your breath. It can be helpful to choose a place in your body where you feel the breath clearly—your nostrils, chest or abdomen.
4. Simply feel each inhalation and each exhalation. Continue for a minute or so.
5. Now, as you inhale, say to yourself “calm” or “inhaling, calm the body” or some other cue using the word “calm.” Then do the same as you exhale. Intentionally calm your body with each inhalation and exhalation.
6. Continue for at least five minutes, but you can go as long as you like.

You may find it easier to calm your body on the exhalation. This is normal. If you find it to be challenging to calm your body on the inhalation, don’t worry about it. This can take time. It’s not helpful to create stress around it.

You can do this practice any time. Try it in your yoga practice, or in quiet moments in your life. Practice while you’re sitting at a stoplight or waiting in line. Use calming breath awareness to take the edge off when you’re lying in bed, unable to sleep. Our breath is the most powerful tool we have to calm our body-mind, and it’s always available, as long as we remember to use it.

Pranayama is a slow build. Unlike asana, where people often feel immediate results, breathing practice integrates more gradually. For this reason, many practitioners lose interest. Plus, it can be very frustrating. It can be harder than you’d think to take a deep, satisfying breath.

Breathing deeply is especially challenging when we’re sitting. That’s why BKS Iyengar devised a way to practice lying down. Using a Pranayama Bolster under the spine expands the chest. An extra blanket under your head creates jalandara bandha (throat lock). Supine pranayama is a great way to regenerate your energy when you’re fatigued.

Here’s How to Set Up:

1. Place a Pranayama Pillow lengthwise on a nonskid yoga mat.
2. Place a folded yoga blanket on the head end of your Pranayama Bolster.
3. Sit in front of the pillow with your gluteal muscles barely touching the end of the pillow.
4. Lie down onto the pillow and adjust the folded blanket so that it supports both your neck and your head.
5. Breathe deeply, lengthening your inhalations and allowing your body to settle on your exhalations.
6. Breathe deeply for five minutes, taking a break when you need to. It’s fine to intersperse your pranayama with normal breathing.

Using a Pranayama Bolster in Your Asana Practice

You can also use Pranayama Bolsters to perform the function of small bolsters in your asana practice. Here are two examples:

Savasana: Sometimes we need just a little bit of support under our knees for a comfortable Savasana. Pranayama Bolsters are much narrower than Standard, Round or Junior Bolsters. While all three of these bolster types can be appropriate as Savasana props, Pranayama Bolsters, placed crosswise under the knees, are great for people who need just a little extra support.

Passive Back Bending: Because of their narrow width and shorter height, Pranayama Bolsters are comfortable for just about anyone in passive back bending. Placed crosswise under the lumbar-thoracic spine while you’re in a supine position, a Pranayama Bolster can create a relaxing lumbar support to ease tension buildup from our mostly forward-bent lives.

Pranayama Pillows come in solids and prints. Like all Hugger Mugger’s bolsters, they are handmade in our Salt Lake City facility. The fabrics are upholstery-grade cotton for durability, and the pillows are filled with 100% cotton batting.

Until the 20th century, pranayama was always practiced in a sitting position. BKS Iyengar discovered that not all his students could sustain this position easily for long periods of time.

Using props, he designed a way for practitioners to practice lying down instead. This allowed students of all body types to practice pranayama with a neutral spine. Placing a pranayama pillow under the spine from the lumbar to the head, and a blanket supporting the head and neck (see the above photo), a practitioner can enjoy an expanded chest and lengthened spine. The blanket supporting the head promotes a gentle form of jalandhara bandha (chin lock) to keep the prana from rushing up into the head and possibly causing a headache.

Lying down pranayama is appropriate for anyone—beginners and experienced practitioners. It’s especially welcome when you come to practice in a state of fatigue. Not having to hold your body up allows you to concentrate solely on the breath.

Other Ways to Enjoy Your Pranayama Pillow

Savasana: Sometimes we need just a little bit of support under our knees for a comfortable Savasana. Pranayama pillows are much narrower than Standard, Round or Junior bolsters. While all three of these bolster types can be appropriate as Savasana props, Pranayama Pillows, placed crosswise under the knees, are great for people who need just a little extra support.

Passive back bending: Because of their narrow width and shorter height, pranayama pillows are comfortable for just about anyone in passive back bending. Placed crosswise under the lumbar-thoracic spine while you’re in a supine position, a pranayama pillow can create a relaxing lumbar support to ease tension buildup from our mostly forward-bent lives.

For more information on ways to incorporate pranayama practice into your life, read this post.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali outline an eight-limbed framework for yoga practice. These limbs, in their written order, include:

• Yama: Ethical precepts, including non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, wise use of sexuality and non-greed
• Niyama: Daily practices, including cleanliness or simplicity, cultivation of contentment, commitment to practice, study of self and sacred texts, dedication of your practice to something bigger than oneself
• Asana: Physical postures
• Pranayama: Refinement of the breath
• Pratyahara: Releasing attachment to the senses
• Dharana: Concentration
• Dhyana: Meditation
• Samadhi

While the limbs are not hierarchical—all of them operate simultaneously to feed into the whole Self—they do build on one another. For example, a commitment to ethical behavior underlies the way we practice all the others. The Yamas are truly the foundation of practice.

The first three practices are based in the physical realm. The last four are concerned with the mind. In the middle, bridging the physical, mental and spiritual, is pranayama.

Why Pranayama?

The breath is the only of our autonomic functions we can control. In other words, while the average human takes between 17,000 and 30,000 breaths per day, largely without being aware we’re doing it, we can, if we choose, control the rate and depth of our breathing. Studies have shown that shallow, fast breathing stimulates our sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response). Slow, deep breathing enables our parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-digest mode). You can read more about this in this comprehensive article: The Science of Breathing.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is our default mode. It is the state we are designed to live in most of the time. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) kicks in when we perceive danger. Our heartbeat and breath rate quicken, our blood pressure rises, our blood vessels constrict, we perspire, get goosebumps and our blood rushes away from the vital organs and into the muscles so that we can run away from the wild beast that’s pursuing us. Our SNS is essential to our survival, but it is not a sustainable place to live.

While we may not need to worry about escaping grizzly bears in our everyday lives, driving on the freeway, hearing loud music, watching scary movies, working long hours with little down time, getting into heated arguments—in person and on social media—and innumerable other daily occurrences can push us into our sympathetic nervous systems. Pranayama practice—especially deep, slow breathing—can shift us out of fight-or-flight and into the more sustainable rest-and-digest mode. In rest-and-digest mode, our minds become more quiet.

Sitting or Lying Down?

Until the 20th century, pranayama was always practiced in a sitting position. Sitting with a free belly and long spine allows for the fullest, deepest inhalations and exhalations. But BKS Iyengar discovered that not all his students could sustain this position easily for long periods of time. Because of various structural restrictions, many students couldn’t sit with their spines straight enough to create the freedom in the torso necessary for them to breathe easily.

Supine Pranayama with Pranayama Pillow and Blanket

Using props, he designed a way for practitioners to practice lying down. Placing a pranayama bolster under the spine from the lumbar to the head, and a blanket supporting the head and neck (see the above photo), a practitioner can enjoy an expanded chest and lengthened spine. The blanket supporting the head promotes a gentle form of jalandhara bandha (chin lock) to keep the prana from rushing up into the head and possibly causing a headache.

Lying down pranayama is appropriate for anyone—beginners and experienced practitioners. It’s especially welcome when you come to practice in a state of fatigue. Not having to hold your body up allows you to concentrate solely on the breath.

In sitting pranayama practice, a meditation cushion can be tremendously helpful. Most bodies, even very flexible ones, need support to sustain a healthy sitting position for any length of time. Remember that the intention is to create a situation where your torso is both energized and mobile. Sitting in a slumped position cuts off your abdomen from the breathing process, which severely limits your capacity.

The Body-Mind Connection

Practicing slow, deep breathing calms the nervous system which of course includes the brain. As the nervous system calms and quiets, our minds become quieter. The last three limbs of yoga—concentration, meditation and Samadhi—become more accessible.

Pranayama is a powerful practice. As such, it’s important to find a knowledgeable teacher, one who maintains a long-term, consistent practice. Your breath has the capacity to change your physical, mental and emotional landscapes. It is important that you embark on formal practice with care and the guidance of someone who’s aware of all the possible pitfalls that might arise. As with asana practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all prescription for practicing pranayama.

Everyday Practice

That said, breathing deeply and slowly—nothing fancy—can change the whole tone of your daily life. Here are a few suggestions:

• When you feel agitated while driving—say you’re in a hurry and seem to be hitting every red light—take the opportunity while you’re stopped at those annoying lights to breathe slowly and deeply.
• When you’re about to spout off and say something you might regret later, stop and take five—deep breaths, that is. Tell the person you’re talking to that you need a time out. Breathe deeply and then decide whether you really need to say what you thought you needed to. Spouting off is one choice; delaying a conversation until you feel clearer is another. This also applies to those mostly futile social media discussions where nobody’s mind ever changes. Back off and breathe.
• When you sit down to meditate, take a few minutes to breathe slowly and deeply. This might help set your mind up for a more focused meditation.
• At any time, if you feel yourself gasping for air while attempting to breathe deeply, you’re trying too hard. Stop, take a few natural breaths and then return to slow, deep breathing. Remember that like asana, breathing is not a competition. At no point should it ever feel stressful. Tune into what your body needs today and keep it easy.

If you want to learn more about the breath and its relationship to yoga practice, Donna Farhi’s The Breathing Book is a classic.

Nadi Shodhana

How Nadi Shodhana Taught Me to Listen

Don’t you hate it when people talk about something that seems like a metaphor but you’re not sure if it is? Like listening to your body? Or trusting your gut?

I sure do.

When I was starting my yoga practice in the late ’90s, I had no idea that the instruction to “listen to your body” was an actual thing. I thought it was a lovely metaphor, something that yoga teacher types liked to say because it sounded good.

So I carried on, trying to wedge myself into poses that my belly was never going to allow—at least not in the way I’d seen on the cover of magazines. And I went ahead and forced myself into Plow, even though I was never sure if I’d make it out alive considering how much my boobs were suffocating me.

Oh, So That’s What You Mean

Over time, though, I began to slowly realize that “listen to your body” was an actual instruction, not just the impressionist painting of yoga classes.

But that didn’t mean I had ANY idea how to do it.

So I set about trying to figure it out.

Peeling Back the Layers

As I did, I realized I needed to drill down, down, down. There was no way I could start with anything subtle. And by subtle I mean things like “What does your foot feel like in this pose?” (Which I’ve come to realize isn’t that subtle at all, but when you’re THAT out of touch with your body, your left foot might as well be another galaxy.)

Things didn’t really begin to click for me until I connected with my breath—in one nostril and out another.

Nadi Shodhana

I really hated the idea of this particular yogic breathing technique, or pranayama, called Nadi Shodhana (or Alternate Nostril Breathing).  It just seemed weird. And it was new to me, and sometimes I’m very resistant to trying new things.

But eventually, because I was in a class that did it all the time, I couldn’t avoid it. So I gave it a try. And after my judging mind quieted down a bit about how ridiculous the whole thing was, something surprising happened.

I dropped in.

Mind you, I don’t think that had ever happened to me—I was just in the moment, breathing. Because my hands had something to do, I was just busy enough to not overly focus on the countdown until we were done.

As I dropped into the breath practice, I felt my breath in my nostrils. I felt my lungs expanding/deflating. I felt my arm growing a bit tired. I felt my hand in contact with my nose. If things became uncomfortable, I shifted. But otherwise, I just soaked it all in.

In other words, I listened to my body.

And there were no fluffy puppies or shooting stars in sight.

Give it a Whirl

I’ve since learned that Nadi Shodhana is awesome on many levels. The reason it can facilitate that sense of dropping in, of listening to the body, is because it creates equilibrium in the body. This is great for things like calming the mind and body, balancing hormones and more because of its effect on the nervous system.

If you want to give this a try, here’s how it goes:

—First, check and see if your nose is stuffy. If it is, you won’t want to try this until it’s not, so try blowing your nose or using a neti pot before you begin.

—When you’re de-stuffed, find somewhere comfortable to sit and set a timer. I think starting with 3 minutes to give it a try is a great idea. You could work up to 10-15 over time if you’d like, but honestly 3 minutes each day might be enough.

—Choose a hand (we’ll use the right for the purposes of this explanation).

—Bring your R thumb outside your R nostril. Gently press your R thumb into your R nostril, closing it.

—Inhale through your L nostril.

—When you’re ready to exhale, bring your R index or pointer finger to your left nostril, closing it. Exhale through your R nostril.

—After your exhale, inhale through your R nostril.

—Close the R nostril and exhale through the L nostril.

—Continue like this for the remainder of your time.

Happy breathing—and listening!

Flexibility is a positive: In late January after I wrote my first post I succumbed to what was likely a tenacious case of the flu. After three flu-free years, this bug was determined to make an impression. I had all the classic symptoms: fever, chills, sore throat, fatigue, and a monumental cough that eventually displaced a rib. As much as I wanted to stick to my daily pranayama practice, deep inhalations brought violent coughing. All I really wanted to do was sleep.

For the first few days I abandoned all practice. Then I eased back into practice with a single, daily restorative Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose). After five days of supported bridge, I could breathe well enough to add some light pranayama and meditation.

As much as I had wanted to remain absolutely consistent, adhering to my daily regimen would have amounted to an act of violence, or at least an expression of disrespect, to my body and my being. My body was busy fighting a virus, and that is where I needed to invest my energy. I’m happy to note that I did not waste precious energy flogging myself for not practicing—a sign that the accumulated decades of meditation practice have indeed borne fruit.

Gradually, day by day, my practice returned. I again look forward to it each morning. That said, since my return to health I’ve chosen to skip practice once—when my alarm awakened me while I was in a deep and vivid dream, my body and spirit so heavy with sleep that rising at that moment felt impossible. That day letting my body continue to sleep would be my practice.

Within the framework of committed daily practice, I’ve learned that I can occasionally let it go without losing momentum. Missing a day here and there neither helps nor hinders. As my teacher Pujari says: “It’s not what you do once in a while, but what you do every day that matters.” I remain open to what each day brings. And that is a practice too.