Lektion 1
Introduction To The Art Of Breathing & First Session: Abdominal Breath
This session will introduce the course and give an overview of the effects and power of varieties of breathing. It will explain when to avoid or benefit from certain breathing techniques and aim on creating awareness of anatomy and physiology of breathing for a better understanding of your own body processes. Most importantly: Never force!
As a first practical session, we will determine what breathing type to focus our attention on. We will discover the first breathing technique, abdominal breath or diaphragmatic breathing, also considered the “natural breathing”. This can be done both as energizing and as calming breath.
Lektion 2
Yogic Full Body Breath/ Dirgha Pranayama
This session will introduce 3-step breathing and explain the technique in various steps until we experience various rounds of full breathing. We will focus on the different steps of a full breath and learn how to unite these parts to the breathing flow. We will then learn about the benefits of this kind of breathing, when to do it best, and how we can try out different varieties for different days,
moods, or levels. This can both be practiced as energizing or calming breath.
Lektion 3
Ujjayi Breathing Or Ocean Breath Session
This breathing technique is essential for practicing yoga, especially for asana practice. You will learn the first steps and its benefits. This breathing technique creates a soothing sound resembling an ocean tide, which can be the leading rhythm of the movement impulses in your asana practice.
Lektion 4
Nadi Shodana Or Anulom Vilom/ Alternate Nostril Breathing Session
This breathing technique is done with a finger mudra and is said to connect both hemispheres. It will promote more balance into body and mind and even out hormonal imbalances, as well as those of mind or soul. We will explore different varieties. This is usually done as calming and balancing
sequence.
Lektion 5
Kapalabhati Breath Or Shining Skull Session
This advanced and very intense breathing technique is a great training for the diaphragm and is my favorite technique! We will approach this type of breathing by learning how to do it step by step and how to combine it to benefit the most of its cleansing power. This an intensely energizing practice.
Lektion 6
Bhastrika Breathing Session
After having learned about Kapalabhati Breath, we can go one step further to the “breath of fire”. After learning about the Shining Skull breath we will intensify this technique through adding explosive inhales. This type of breathing can be considered hyperventilation and is not advised for pregnant people. This is an intensely energizing practice.
Lektion 7
Sheetali & Sitkari Breath
These two techniques will be approached in the same session because they have very similar effects and can be used in similar settings and times. Those cooling techniques can have a soothing effect on the body and be a useful tool for heated days or situations. These are calming breathing
techniques.
Lektion 8
Breath Counts
In this session we will learn various breathing forms, in which we will influence the length of the breath in, breath hold, or the breath out through connecting it to a certain silent or loud count. Alternating the breathing length influences other processes in the body and can be helpful to treat sleeplessness or anxiety. This can be both energizing and calming.
Lektion 9
Kumbhaka/ Breath Retention – Antara & Bahya
In this session we will learn how to enhance the natural pauses of the flow of breath and why we would benefit from doing so. The breath holds can introduce stillness in the body and promote stillness in the mind, thus allowing a better and more beneficial meditation practice.
Lektion 10
Bandhas As Energy Locks
Mula Bandha (root lock), Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal lock), and Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock) are energy locks in the body that can be implemented to intensify the benefits of certain breathing techniques and amplified in Mahabandha, which combines all of them together.
Lektion 11
Full Breathing Session
In this bonus session we will combine the techniques we have learned to a beautiful breathing flow that will get us into the right mood for the following Buddhist Metta meditation of loving kindness.
