WHY ARE THEY DOIN’ IT?

Asked my daughter recently after a mysore class as she has seen relaxing people silently

resting on the floor in savasana. She was just sneaked back in before we would have left the studio…

At kindergarden age its totally unclear why to lie on the hard floor on a mat in a dark room by sunlight if it’s not a must…At the age of five a manchild generally trying to get away with it…

Personally I’m commited more and more this two parts of every day yoga practice: meditation and relaxation. Gergő (Gergely Németh, leader and founder of Mandala Yoga Studios and my teacher on advanced level hatha teacher’s training) advised me to begin every day or at least five times a week with pranayama. I’m practicing about 6am immediately after just getting up. Nearly in a month I observed the following: after the first week, a deeper sleeping. After two weeks I’m dealing with a much easier awakening in the morning. Instead of have a coffee after waking up, I deal with pranayama now, caffeinesque habits can wait!

“If breathing is irregular, mind is fluctuating. If breathing is stabile and strong, so is the mind.”

I’m practicing ashtanga weekly twice in the shala (room for yoga), in other days at home in the morning hours after the respiratory practice (pranayama) or late in the afternoon.
I realized that pranayama practice is generally strenghtening the bandhas (energetic locks like muhla and uddhijana) too. I’ve got more concious about it, now its enough to think of these locks and my muscles are getting ready to contract…

My one and only negative experience about pranayama exercise is for now that sometimes during kaphalabhati I feel a stinging pain under my lowest rib of the right ribcage. I try to relieve tension in this bodypart by directing my attention over here. It manifests more rarely but sometimes I still feel it.
In general I feel positiv impacts: I breath much easier, realizing when my breath is uneven or held back. At the same time my mind is more at ease. For instance: earlier I used to feel fear in darkness, but now I feel safe. Recently I just noticed when it comes to that I move around in the house by night so naturally. I think, to this refers one thought of B.K.S. Iyengar perfectly: “If breathing is irregular, mind is fluctuating. If breathing is stabile and strong, so is the mind.”

My pranayama practice for now:

In Vadsrasana (Diamond Pose)

Full yoga breathing 3x

Abdomenal breathing 5-6x

Bhastrika (Bellows breath) 5-6x

Kapalabhati breathing 3×108 breath

Rest in Rock Pose

Vadsrasana (Diamond Pose)

Alternate nostril breathing 11 x

Sukhasana or crossed leg sitting

Meditation

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

Relaxation