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| I'm pretty new to yoga, having been practicing nearly daily for less than year, and even though I know that the ultimate answer to this question is "practice," I'm hoping others can share some insights that will help me to practice more effectively. Here's the issue:
When moving from downdog into warrior 1, I can't regulate the inhale to last through the completion of the pose. Instead, I end up exhaling when I've reached the pose and so have to take an extra breath before cartwheeling down.
Suggestions? Tips?
Thanks in advance.
ali
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| Hi Ali,
I've roamed into foreign waters here in the Ashtanga forum. And you may get a reply of a different nature from another instructor or practitioner.
I have two thoughts. The first thought is that this thing you mention is a "so what". Not a big deal. Take a breath. There's no great sin to that nor is there incredible gain from it's opposite. And of course work toward it as Surya Namaskar is as it is for reasons.
My second thought is two fold and both folds relate to the breath. If this breath difficulty happens in other portions of your practice than it may simply be a matter of expanding the "breath cavity" or rib cage so that more breath can make its way in. Backbends should help to facilitate such an opening.
If you are not having any other respiration issue then it may simply be that either you are not moving rapidly enough, which will come, or you are delayed in beginning the breath. In the classical SN (which I do not think is the one you are executing) the breath leads the movement. If you are struggling then you might consider breaking this movement down in your home practice and doing it over and over nine times. Do that for 21 days and the body will make it yours.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-07-11 3:07 AM
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| Hi Ali,
What you are currently doing is fine and Purna's advice is excellent.
Traditionally, you begin the inhale as you start to step foward into Warrior 1, raise your hands over your head and gaze at your thumbs. This whole sequence should take one inhalation.
Then exhale as you lower your arms and move into chaturanga dandasana.
Your breath should always define your practise though, not the other way round.
So if you do need to take an extra breath while holding warrior 1 then that is also fine. Ensure that it is a full breath though and gradually work towards the full vinyasa.
Jonathon
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| You're probably taking in the breath too fast. You have to close part of the airway like you are drawing air from a straw. You are not helping yourself by taking an breath. You are breathing too fast. Rather, you are avoiding the breath. This is not part of the practice and you should try harder.
Ujjayi is deliberate controlled breath. Each inhale and exhale is the same duration. In a led class you are to follow the instructors breath.
Suggestions: work harder on the breath, skip the next sun salute if you lost the breath. don't step as far. You might be trying to step the foot between the hands... don't bother...
Tips: practice ujjayi without asanas. You should maintain a steady breath. Do less, breath more. |
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| I appreciate the responses.
i do feel comfortable with the Ujayii breath (even if I'm not sure how to spell it!). And so, while I don't think I'm taking the breath too quickly, Tampa Eric, I will work on trying to regulate it more and will check on the footing too, and I'll report back.
What it feels like, as Purna suggested, is that my lungs fill up more quickly than in other movements. I used to have the problem in updog (and on occassion still do), but probably because I do lots more updogs, I've worked through it (mostly).
Interestingly, part of my breakthrough with updog came with finally "getting" the drishti, so maybe TE's reminder about the drishti for warrior will help too.
I'll keep you all posted.
~ali
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| That's a classic wall in surya b.
Taking an extra breath to star with is a good idea and slowing the breath down as long as you don't stop the breath, is better.
The whole practise is trying to expand lengthen and regulate the breath and that part of the movement is a measure of breath capacity.
The most important thing is don't strain the breath.
Yoga is not a race!
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| Ali,
I don't know if this will help, but I do as suggested by John Scott in his book and keep breathing out from downdog until my foot is between my hands and start the inhale as I bring my hands up and look upwards. It seems to work better for me and it might be worth trying.
Ian |
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| I've done this with John.
Very good advice!  |
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breath and surya namaskara b
