Written by Cathy Underwood, Creative Director of Yoga4mums
Winner of the Barclays Innovative Business of the Year Award 2009
What is the secret to great health and wellbeing? Simple…you’ve just got to breathe!
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means ‘union’ – the union of the mind and the body. The key to that union is the breath, which the yogis call pranayama. Translated this means correct breathing. For many of us, particularly living in the city, the breath is incorrect and shallow. This puts the body into an anxious state and creates tension that eventually affects us energetically too.
What makes yoga so different to many other forms of exercise is its attention to pranayama. With regular practise the deep breathing techniques help calm the mind of busy thoughts. This has a soothing effect on the nervous system and the body begins to release and open. Our posture improves. We begin to stand taller to allow the breath deep into the lungs and this simple action re aligns the body taking tension away from areas such as the neck, back, hips and knees.
When I come to my yoga mat I step out of my busy self and into a peaceful space. I take a few deep breaths and then using my pranayama techniques I connect with an energy that I believe nurtures and heals me. Focusing deeply on my yogic breathing, I move through the sequence gently releasing energetic blocks and tension held within the physical, mental and emotional aspects of my human self.
At the end of my yoga practice, I sit and enjoy the lightness within and about me, a deep inner peace that is without judgement or expectation of myself or others. This is where the magic happens in yoga and it has a very powerful healing effect.
We are no strangers to modern day stress. Our current financial climate has had a huge demoralising effect on our nation’s workforce and the continual spew of negative media headlines only helps elevate our fears and concerns for the future. Without an outlet for this pressure this affects our home life and our personal health. To cope some of us bury the stress and begin to ignore any physical signs that the body is in overload. Re-occurring headaches, backache, addictions to food and alcohol are just a few examples of the inner self trying to send us warning signs.
Relaxation is an important healing technique but for many the end of the day is in front of the television sitting on the sofa, which only stimulates the senses and agitates the body. Eventually something has to pop physically or emotionally.
My advice…take a deep breath and pull yourself together! Literally close your eyes and fill the lungs with breath, then slowly let the breath out across your lips. Repeat as many times as necessary. On the inhalation imagine that you are coming back to centre, drawing positive energy back into the body and on the exhalation imagine you are letting go of any tension or stress you may have picked up. Repeat until you feel whole again, centred and calm. Then gently breathe and enjoy this healing experience.
Cathy Underwood – Creative Director of Yoga4mums
www.yoga4mums.com
cu@yoga4mums.com
07957 272066
photo by Nicholas Lapite
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