"Just one more breath in this pose,"casually says a yoga teacher while you’re dying in a revolved triangle pose, cursing inside. What feels like a full minute later, the teacher finally lets you out of a torturous pose.
I've been there. Have you? I used to always wonder - why did they have to do this? Hint: it is not to torture you on purpose.
There are several reasons to explain this:
One breath in a yoga class actually means one breath cycle. A breath cycle is a full inhale and exhale. So, I used to think "one breath" means one inhale, but it's a full inhale and exhale cycle. OK, this is now clearer, but why does my breath cycle is 5 seconds, while the yoga teacher cues what seems like 60 seconds?
Because slower breath cycles is encouraged through your yoga practice. This is to calm down your nervous system. Faster pace of breathing activates our "fight or flight" response - sympathetic nervous system. In order to awaken the relaxation response, you need to consciously slow down your breath pace. This lowers your stress level and stimulates parasympathetic nervous system. This is great for seated meditative poses, but why would you breath slower when you're moving a lot or holding a challenging pose?
When you're holding a challenging pose - think half moon or any inversion or balancing pose - your body is going through stress. It's a physical stress - you can feel your heart pounding, right? By making a note of this and making a conscious effort to slow down your inhales and exhales, you will also control your stress level. You will be able to get into a calmer state physically and mentally. The key is that facing stress on your mat, recognizing it, making a note of it and creating a conscious effort to be calm about it will prepare you to face the stress of the daily life in a lot calmer, composed manner off you mat.
Next time you're in a yoga class or taking a class online, pay attention to keeping your breath calm and controlled - no matter what challenges come your way. Thank you for reading!
Check out my video explanation here as well:
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