Strengthen Your Diaphragm

Strengthen Your Diaphragm

Resistance-Band Breath Technique

breathe

STRENGTHEN YOUR DIAPHRAGM

Strengthening your diaphragm. Is that a thing? It absolutely is, just like any other muscle you develop and strengthen in your body. The diaphragm is arguably one of the most important because it is one of the main muscles that helps you breathe. How do you strengthen the diaphragm? One way to work with this muscle is to engage it. This happens naturally when we inhale, of course, because of the natural movement that occurs: The diaphragm moves downward towards the lower vertebrae in order to create space, while the vacuum of pressure pulls air into the lungs. What Matt demonstrates today is not this natural engagement but instead a sustained engagement in order to work on the endurance and strengthening of the diaphragm.

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA

Maintaining the sustained engagement of the diaphragm may sound reasonably simple; however, it may be quite uncomfortable if it’s something you’ve never practiced before. In order to train your body and nervous system for the mechanics of each movement and/or drill ahead, Matt prepares you in his current immersion, Breath of Fire, with a breath technique at the beginning of each class. 

Bhastrika pranayama is the ideal pairing for the resistance-band technique that Matt demonstrates in today’s video. Bhastrika pranayama is referred to as Breath of Fire, or Bellows Breath. This breath technique involves emphasis and effort on both the inhale and the exhale. Practicing a few rounds with multiple repetitions gets the brain on board, particularly with the action of the inhale. The action of pushing your belly out on the inhale provides more force, focus, and movement of your diaphragm.

WATCH THE VIDEO

STRENGTHEN YOUR DIAPHRAGM: RESISTANCE BAND BREATH TECHNIQUE

HOW DOES BHASTRIKA COMPARE TO KAPALABHATI?

So, why not Kapalabhati pranayama as preparation for the resistance-band technique Matt explores today? It’s because the difference between Bhastrika and Kapalabhati is where the emphasis is placed in the breath. With Bhastrika, the inhale is quite active, whereas with Kapalabhati, the inhale is passive. This creates more emphasis on the exhale and the movement “in and up” of the transversus abdominis. Visually, the two breathing practices may appear very similar, but the sensation and experience are quite different.  

Matt advises you to build gradually. For example, you may start with 15 repetitions and then gradually move your way up to 30. The goal is to gradually become more familiar with pushing your belly out, thus moving the diaphragm down in order to train it for strength. What becomes apparent is that you actually affect more than the diaphragm. You tap into connections with other core muscles.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program
  • SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

MORE THAN YOUR ABDOMINALS

Your core is much more than just your abdominal muscles. The exercise Matt breaks down today requires quite a bit of work from your iliopsoas muscles, which are also part of your core. Creating strength in the diaphragm includes exploring sustained engagement outside of isolation, and activating the iliopsoas in conjunction with the diaphragm means that you are incorporating more of your core muscles and therefore creating more integrity within the whole “core system.” The act of pushing your belly down and out on both the inhale and the exhale also supports the connection with the core muscles in your back body (e.g., erector spinae and multifidus).

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
  • SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

RESISTANCE-BAND BREATH TECHNIQUE

First of all, if you’re familiar with the core exercise called Dead Bug, you’ll be familiar with the basic mechanics of this exercise. What may be new for you is the consistent activation of your diaphragm while executing the core work.

What role does a resistance band play with this breath/core technique? Well, as Matt explains it, the band acts somewhat like the transverse abdominis and is there to entice you to pull your belly in and up. What you will actually do is push your belly down and out, into the band.

This action, in addition to the cross action of pressing your opposite hand into your thigh and the thigh into your hand, is what engages your iliopsoas muscles.

This is much harder than it appears. Of course the level of difficulty is increased due to the balance factor, but it’s really the engagement of your diaphragm that multiplies the sensations in this technique.

Expand on this experience in Matt’s current immersion, Breath Of Fire. Delve into deeper knowledge of your core muscles in order to both breathe and move better.

See you on the mat!

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Breath Of Fire Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

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Breathwork & Chapasana

Breathwork and Chapasana

Deep Core Work for Greater Opening

heart opener

BREATHWORK AND CHAPASANA

It’s pretty well understood that the way we utilize our breath in our yoga practice will affect our experience. We also can’t escape the fact that this understanding leads to how we breathe off of our yoga mats. Quite frankly though, it doesn’t mean that it will be an improved experience. There may be an expectation that if we integrate various breathwork practices consistently, then we will see improvement. Even if we do see improvement, there’s always room to grow. We can learn more, and we can even take action, but how much of a deep dive are we willing to take? This is why we are fortunate to have teachers like Matt who go deeper into the mechanics of breath. In today’s video, he demonstrates how to actually strengthen the deepest core layer of our abdominals (the transverse abdominis, or TVA) via breathwork and a pose called Chapasana.

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

WHAT IS BREATHWORK?

First, let’s gain a clearer understanding of breathwork. In simpler terms, breathwork encompasses a variety of breathing techniques that may involve pace, rhythm, and/or specific patterns where the inhales and exhales vary. We may also encounter the word pranayama, which is the Sanskrit term for breathwork. More deeply, pranayama is also one of the 8 limbs of yoga from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Discussions surrounding pranayama may include energy flow and/or energy management for body and mind. As we go deeper, we begin to learn that it’s imperative to spend time on strengthening the muscles that are involved with the mechanics of breath to actualize the positive outcomes we desire. These positive outcomes may include more ease and greater capacity of breath.

WATCH THE VIDEO

BREATHWORK & CHAPASANA: DEEP CORE WORK FOR GREATER OPENING

THE MECHANICS OF BREATH

In a recent live video from Matt’s Instagram page, he thoroughly breaks down the mechanics of breathing. This is what I’m referring to when I say that Matt goes beyond simply teaching a technique. What we actually receive is why and how the mechanics of breath are vital to our yoga practice. Within the context of Chapasana, we not only learn how to strengthen the TVA with a “diaphragmatic breathing” technique, but we also gain insight into how to stretch the more superficial core muscles (rectus abdominis), allowing for increased space for breath capacity and opening within the backbend itself. All of this translates into how it also connects with our extremities (through its impact on the serratus anterior and scapulae) for greater shoulder mobility in the posture. Examining breathwork and Chapasana as a unit helps us grasp the importance of breathwork in any posture.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program
  • SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

CORE CONNECTION THROUGH BREATH

In the video, Matt demonstrates a diaphragmatic breathing technique. The technique lays the foundation for Chapasana in that we need to have the ability to engage the TVA at specific points during the execution of the pose. Engaging the TVA within the context of breathwork means that we are pulling the belly back during a forceful exhale. In the live video I previously mentioned, Matt explains that during the exhalation process, a pressure is created within the torso by the squeezing in of the ribcage, intercostal muscles, and TVA. The air is forced out of the lungs in the process, which involves the diaphragm relaxing, expanding, and returning to its dome-like shape at the base of the ribcage.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
  • SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

CHAPASANA

Practicing the breath technique from today’s video in repetitive rounds is what helps to strengthen the core and muscles involved in respiration.

How is this relevant in Chapasana? Even though there is less focus on the backbend today, it’s almost impossible not to achieve greater opening. First, Matt creates a softening on an inhale for greater expansion in the front body. What’s simply incredible though is that you’ll see that expansion multiplied with the exhale and action of engaging the TVA. He pulls his belly back and up, which drives the ribcage out to the sides and up towards his shoulders. That’s the link to the extremities. This expansion leads to further spreading of the serratus anterior, creating more movement in the scapula and ultimately a better reach to grab the foot. It’s unbelievable to witness the transformation, all from the catalyst of the breath. 

The Breath Of Fire Immersion starts this Friday.  You won’t want to miss this opportunity to deepen your relationship to your core and the impact it has on the rest of your body.

See you on the mat!  

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Strength Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Double Stag Handstand

Double Stag Handstand

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read more
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read more
Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

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Hips and Eka Pada Galavasanaflying pigeonHIPS AND EKA PADA GALAVASANA Depending on where we are in our asana practice journey, arm balances may feel a little overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start. Instead of thinking about the final destination, we...

read more
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read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

deepen your yoga practice

DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE, AND HOW TO DO IT?

DEEPEN 

What Does it Mean to Deepen Your Yoga Practice?

Have you ever seen a yoga event advertising, “This will deepen your practice”? Of course you have. Every teacher training, retreat, and immersion uses this descriptor. I say this about both my 200-hour and 300-hour teacher trainings. The question is, what does that actually mean?

What Is “Your Practice”?

In order for us to discuss what deepening your practice means, we have to define what yoga practice is. This is important. There is debate about this among modern practitioners around the world because most practitioners and teachers are not actually educated on what the purpose behind yoga actually is. So let’s break it down in a way that is easy to comprehend but also maintains accuracy.

According to the lineage of Tantra yoga, we have five layers to our being, and yoga practice is the cleansing or awakening of each of these layers. 

The Five Layers:

  1. Body: all things physical — muscles, bones, fascia, ligaments, organs, etc. 
  2. Life Force or Energy: the energy that animates the body, allowing the heart to beat and air to flow through our lungs 
  3. Mind: our experiential digestive system. Thoughts and emotions that help us process, express, and participate in life through this human body 
  4. Bliss: the deeper knowing that life is a gift, and while it’s filled with pain and challenges, it is still worth waking up each day and participating in it
  5. Awareness/Consciousness: The core of our being, the infinite intelligence that lives within, the observer or witness. The part of us that does not judge right or wrong but simply notices what is 

200 HOUR TEACHER TRAINING

  • DEEPEN YOUR PRACTICE
  • LEARN ANATOMY, BIOMECHANICS, AND TECHNIQUES
  • MEDITATION, BREATHWORK, AND TEACHING TECHNIQUES
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Most humans are very familiar with their own body and mind, or at least they are aware of their existence. However, many of us have never done the practices that connect us to ALL the layers, and as a result, we remain disconnected or unfamiliar with them. 

For example, while we all know we have a body, EVERYONE has body blindspots — muscles that are weak, or joints that we don’t have full control of. Your physical practice of yoga (asana) will help illuminate your blind spots, paving the way for you to physically deepen your yoga practice. 

In the same way, we can become aware of our mind layer by observing our thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns. Through practices of meditation, contemplation, self-inquiry, and guided discussions with a teacher (satsang), it is possible to become more awake to our inner experience and eventually make changes to our mindset and behaviors. This is how to deepen your yoga practice at the mind level. 

The same is true for life force. Through practices of breathwork (pranayama) and other forms of energy observance and deliberate action, we can gain awareness and control over our energetic system. 

By appropriately utilizing these practices of asana, meditation, and pranayama, we naturally peel back the layers that otherwise veil our inner self: Bliss and Awareness. AWARENESS is at the core of our being, and for us to “deepen” our practice,  it’s imperative that all practices are infused with becoming more aware — more aware of body, breath, mind, bliss, and awareness of awareness. 

BE DELIBERATE

It is not enough to practice routinely; we must be deliberate with our practice. You walk every single day, but when was the last time you really got any better or more aware of the way you walk? Unless you have spent time deliberately assessing your strengths, weaknesses, and walking patterns, you likely have not deepened your walking practice. The same is true on all levels of yoga practice. To deepen it, you cannot expect that just showing up for the same yoga practice every day will get you anywhere. YES, the initial year or two of doing so will bring about rapid change, but you will plateau if your practice isn’t asking you to seek out your blind spots physically, mentally or emotionally.

Do You Want to Deepen Your Practice?

If the answer is yes, then I have three ways you can do so: 

  1. Monthly Immersions: Join one of the monthly immersions focusing on an area of your practice that challenges you. 
  2. 200 Hour Teacher Training: This is designed to transform your physical practice and kickstart your breathwork and meditation practices while providing you with the skill set to share that with others. 
  3. 300 Hour Teacher Training: For those already certified to teach and who want to take their practice and teaching to the next level, this will certify you at 500 hours of training. 

Co-written and edited by 300-Hour Chromatic Yoga Teacher, Donna Morin. 

200 HOUR TEACHER TRAINING

  • DEEPEN YOUR PRACTICE
  • LEARN ANATOMY, BIOMECHANICS, AND TECHNIQUES
  • MEDITATION, BREATHWORK, AND TEACHING TECHNIQUES
  • GET CERTIFIED TO TEACH YOGA

Continue Learning

Double Stag Handstand

Double Stag Handstand

Double Stag HandstandbalanceDOUBLE STAG HANDSTAND Cultivating confidence is a non-negotiable when it comes to implementing a handstand practice. If handstands seem insurmountable even to consider, don’t fret; there might be an easier option. Easier? Really? Yes!  Ok,...

read more
Accelerated Handstand Development

Accelerated Handstand Development

Accelerated Handstand DevelopmentinversionACCELERATED HANDSTAND DEVELOPMENT Accelerating the process of achieving a goal comes from consistent practice, but it also depends heavily on the information and knowledge we’ve acquired.   Whether a handstand is part of our...

read more
Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

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read more
Lotus Foundations

Lotus Foundations

Lotus FoundationspadmasanaLOTUS FOUNDATIONS Lotus Pose requires a healthy amount of hip flexibility. For some, it comes easy. Reasons for this might be that the person is hypermobile in the hips, knees, and ankles and/or that many months or years of effort have been...

read more
Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasanaflying pigeonHIPS AND EKA PADA GALAVASANA Depending on where we are in our asana practice journey, arm balances may feel a little overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start. Instead of thinking about the final destination, we...

read more
Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

Hip Flexor Health for Better MovementstretchHIP FLEXOR HEALTH FOR BETTER MOVEMENT Healthy hip flexor muscles are associated with both stretch and strength. Although we’re going to focus more heavily on strength in this article, always note that both strength and...

read more

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  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Still Have Questions? Email Matt Directly

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find your seat

3 BEST SEATED MEDITATION POSTURES

Find Your Seat: 3 Ways to Sit without Knee, Hip or Back Pain!

Find Your Seat

Let’s go over the 3 best seated meditation postures and find out which one is right for you. The deep benefits of seated meditation are well known to have been experienced by many. On the other hand, people around the world find the practice to be inaccessible because they can’t sit comfortably for more than a minute. This is true for me, even to this day! No matter how open my hips are, or how strong my core and back are, if I try and sit on the ground for an extended period of time one of my legs will fall asleep or I will at the least just be uncomfortable. If you have the same experience, you will find these particular postures to be very supportive!

THE CHALLENGES

Why is it challenging to sit? There are a host of reasons why we might find it difficult to sit on the ground – perhaps primarily because we just don’t do it. Sitting in a chair does not allow our hips to go through their full range of motion each day and as a result, our back and hip flexors don’t develop the strength needed to keep us upright. Yoga can serve as an amazing practice to redevelop the capacity to sit more efficiently although it won’t happen overnight – which is why it’s necessary to check out the 3 postures in the video and photos below, so you can sit comfortably on the ground while you are working on the long term hip-opening journey.

Trying to re-pattern our body takes repetitive practice. As with any other skill, you can only learn from doing it. That is why I created a 12 class immersion to help you feel better, sit better, and establish a meditation practice. MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE helps you increase flexibility of the hips, strengthen your back muscles for better posture, teach you breathwork techniques, and gives you the tools for mental and emotional clarity and freedom. Meditation requires guidance just like yoga, and I guide you in all 12 classes so you feel safe, confident, and inspired with each practice.

MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE

12 Class Package for Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation

  • Breathe better with pranayama “breathwork” exercises
  • Release Hip Tension with asana practice
  • Increase Flexibility & Strength
  • Increase Focus and Clarity
  • Decrease Stress
  • Unwind physical & Emotional Tension
  • Move more freely
  • Release low back tension through hip opening
  • 12 All Levels Live Asana Classes
  • Lifetime Unlimited Access to All  

Is Meditation Calming?

When Most people begin a meditation practice they expect it to have the results that everyone preaches; calm mind, relaxing, stress reducing. While some people do experience these results right away, others may experience the opposite. In weight lifting you must build a foundation of strength before you can move on to heavy compound movements, and establishing this foundation can at times be challenging and discouraging. Meditation is very much the same, the practice of it might feel like you are lifting heavy weights for your mind and as a result, you might initially only experience the challenge of it. With repetition, your mind will get stronger. You will be able to focus longer and the results will come faster!

On top of it, if you are physically uncomfortable when practicing meditation you are not likely to magically walk away feeling calmer. This is why it’s important to find a seat by selecting from one of the 3 best seated meditation postures.

VIDEO TO FIND YOUR SEAT

CHOOSE FROM THE 3 BEST SEATED MEDITATION POSTURES

Assess your hips

Each of us has our own movement patterns which cause some muscles to be stronger, some weaker, some are tight, some are not, etc. We also have different bone structures that will make some positions easier than others. Finding a comfortable seat is one of the most important aspects of a seated meditation posture. If you are uncomfortable, it is very hard to move the mind beyond the discomfort of the body. This is why I have provided three options for seated meditation postures. Go through each and ask yourself which one is most sustainable. Keep in mind there is no perfect seated posture for meditation, there is only the best one for you and that is the one you feel most comfortable in and that also allows you to stay awake and present.

“3 Best Seated Meditation Postures” Detailed Break Down

best seated meditation posture

Option 1 - Bhadrasana (Hero's Pose)

My personal favorite seated posture for those who have tighter outer hips and inner thighs as it requires little flexibility in these areas. It presents a challenge for those with tight quads and shin muscles. Using blankets and blocks can help alleviate these challenges. I would suggest warming up and stretching the thighs and ankles prior to working on this posture. In the above video, I go over a twisted thigh stretch and a seated posture on heels. If these postures prove to be too challenging after a warm-up, then this posture is likely to cause discomfort during a seated meditation.

best cross legged seated meditation posture

Option 2: Cross Legged

Sukhasana, the so-called “easy seat” – an ironic title, as it can be incredibly misleading. For those with open inner thighs, hip flexors, and outer hips this can be an easy posture indeed, but if that is not the case for you then you’ll definitely want to use props. Using the right amount of blankets and block support can make this posture easier and more accessible.

seated meditation posture on chair with props

Option 3: On Chair with Blocks

In the video I show a seated option call sidasana, however, I wanted to offer one other one here. Sitting in a chair can seem like cheating, as it can be incredibly easy to get too relaxed in it. Here you will notice how I prepare the chair with blocks and a blanket and I sit on the edge of the seat so that I still used my back and hip flexors to keep me upright. Some level of muscle engagement is important to stay awake and present when meditating.

MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE

12 Class Package for Yoga, Pranayama, and Meditation

  • Breathe better with pranayama “breathwork” exercises
  • Release Hip Tension with asana practice
  • Increase Flexibility & Strength
  • Increase Focus and Clarity
  • Decrease Stress
  • Unwind physical & Emotional Tension
  • Move more freely
  • Release low back tension through hip opening
  • 12 All Levels Live Asana Classes
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How to Start Meditation

The best way to practice meditation, like anything else, is to have guidance. When I was younger, I struggled for years to meditate without the support of a teacher and mostly I became frustrated and lost in my thoughts. When I stumbled upon my teacher “Rudrani” she helped provide me with the tools and guidance to make meditation accessible and enjoyable. This is why I created the MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE  to share with you the techniques that produce the intended results that so many talk about; peace of mind, inner freedom, focus, mental clarity, joy, equanimity, balance, etc.

From Body to Mind

One thing I noticed early on in my meditation practice was the discomfort of my body. I couldn’t focus my mind on anything when I was seated because I was distracted by my back, my knee, my neck, and so on. This realization led me to the physical practice of yoga. Through the yoga practice, I gained a heightened sense of awareness of my body. At first, this was almost a curse because I could feel everything – including my discomfort! Over time and practice, I gained a bit of mastery in my body, in that I could feel the discomfort and choose postures to better accommodate myself and release it. I suggest you choose from one of the 3 best seated meditation postures above and use it for now as your “go-to pose”. I also recommend you get to know the other two poses as well because you will find that on some days your “go-to” is just not the appropriate one for you.

The seated meditation practice became so much more enjoyable for me when I could extend my attention beyond the physical, knowing that I wasn’t causing damage by forcing myself to sit through knee or back pain. While I do believe that some pain in the body can be a result of mental projection, I also know firsthand that placing love and attention on the body can support the health of the mind.  There really isn’t a divide between brain and body – the mind is a collective of all our physical and emotional experiences. For sound mental health to be our primary state of being we must get to know ourselves on all levels and develop our awareness.

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