Journey To The Breath

Bastika is known to be a firey breath - hence the name "the bellows". This is quite an active breath which fires up the lungs but also increases the agni, your internal flame. When your agni is alight this can help you in cold climates or even just to help you get through a cold. Your agni is also responsible for your digestion so keeping this lit will help to keep your bowel movements regular. If you have high blood pressure this might not be a breath to practice fully.

Sitali is one of the only breaths in yoga practiced through the mouth. This is a cooling breath that people have used in hot climates but also if one has a fever. This breath has also helped women with menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes (or flashes)

The final day of the course. Today we are knitting together the full range of breaths to bring you a full rounded sequence you can practice regularly. Add in or take out whatever you need and make your practice very personal to you. The more you practice this sequence the greater clarity it can bring to your breath, your mind and your health. Make it your own practice and focuss and consciously sit to practice every time you can. If you don't have time to sit regularly then maybe you can use the individual breaths in your daily life. Ujjayi breath is especially useful to help you calm your mind before sleep. Or even 5 minutes of Nadi Sodhana can be beneficial before a difficult meeting or stressful situation. It really is up to you how you use the breaths abd how often.