I know I am starting to sound like a broken record on the back-body breathing but if you share the same interest in yoga that I do, then eventually you will realize why it is so important.

My interest in yoga is grounded in the benefits of a calm and clear mind, healthy energy and balancing my biology. I have found these in my restorative yoga practice. There are several different reasons that people engage in a yoga practice and you may find that you are not interested in the ideas that I am sharing here. I respect everyone’s choice in how they wish to approach yoga and if you find that what I have been saying does resonate with you, then I invite you to keep watching the videos and follow these posts. I do believe that you will enhance your health by doing so.

Breathing exercises do much more than relax us and as we will discover together, intentional and conscious breathing exercises will bring balance and harmony to your mind, physical body. energy bodies, spirit and your life.

As you are attempting a yoga pose, allow yourself to follow the back-body breath and surrender to the breath. Don’t worry about whether or not you are getting the pose right. If you are able to focus more on the experience of you and your breath and releasing any unnecessary effort, you will come into a flow that happens through your breathing. That flow will move you through the poses, as opposed to “working to strike a pose.”

Unnecessary effort inhibits your ability to fully feel your presence in a pose and to be present in the moment. Allow yourself to just be the unique shape that you are creating within your unique self.

If you have been following my videos you will notice that I have been talking about connecting with the sensations in your body, while releasing into your back-body breathing. This is of utmost importance, because the more in tune we become with those sensations, the more beneficial our yoga practice is going to be.

As you begin to tune into the sensations in your body, allow yourself to feel them and breath into them. You are going to start to feel where you are holding energy blocks, tension and where your body is contracted. This is key.

As you become more familiar with the back-body breathing and the more you practice it, then allow yourself to shift that slow inhalation and breath into the areas that you are feeling tension. Breath into them and release with a slow exhalation – and breath and gently release for as long as you can. Be present to the breath and if your mind wanders, keep bringing it back. Notice any resistance that you may have – notice the holding in your body and notice the letting go.

The experience of slow conscious breathing helps to keep your mind quiet while stimulating your para-sympathetic nervous system. This produces a calming effect that releases the muscular contractions in your body, that you likely haven’t even noticed much until now.

Connecting to the sensations in your body is now on your radar. Keep it there every time you engage with your back-body breathing in your meditation and in your yoga.

It’s just the beginning of an amazing journey!