Week 1: The Vital Breath
The gentle rhythm of our breathing is our constant companion from the day we are born until the day we die.
Below are two exercises for you to practise at home:
- Observing the Breath
- Deep Abdominal Breathing
As musicians we place ourselves in heightened situations, often triggering the “fight or flight response” but practising various breathing exercises can often positively influence our emotional state, our ability to concentrate and the way energy moves in our bodies…..
In yoga, Pranayama (“breath control”) exercises form a practical link between the mind, the physical body and the subtle body.
Observing the Breath
Before you attempt any of the following exercises, work on this simple breath observation.
Either be seated comfortably or lie down with your legs extended.
Close your eyes and place your hands on your chest and on your tummy button. Keeping the eyes closed, feel the movement of your breath.
Listen to the flow of air into and out of your body, visualizing its path through your nostrils, down your throat, into your lungs, and from your lungs into your blood. As you breath out, visualize this pathway in reverse. Notice how your in-breath feels cool at the upper part of your nostrils and how the out breath may seem warmer.
What is the texture of your breathing? Is it rough or smooth? Fast, slow or uneven?
If your attention wanders, gently bring your focus back to the movement of each breath. Perhaps try mentally saying “in, out” or “inhale, exhale”.
Observe your breath in this way for as long as you feel comfortable, then gradually allow your breathing to become smooth, slow and even. Your out-breath becomes the same length as your in breath.
Try to breathe steadily in this way for a few minutes, and then with more experience, extend the time.
Benefits: This will help calm any anxiety and improve mental focus.
Deep Abdominal Breathing
Either sitting comfortably or lying down with the legs extended, place the right hand on the lower abdomen (on the navel) and the left hand on the chest. After the breath has settled, breathe deeply into the right hand allowing the belly to extend like a big balloon and then gently exhale.
Now inhale through the nose (keeping the mouth closed) and allow the right hand to be pushed outward with the extended belly, and now up into the left hand. (Belly, chest, breath and exhale.)
Once you have established the breath going first into the belly, chest and then released, start to inhale this two-part breath for a count of 4, and exhale for a count of 4. Repeat this 20 times.
Observation: Remember how a baby breathes?
Benefits: Deep abdominal breathing brings air to the lowest and largest part of the lungs. Breathing is slow and deep, and proper use is made of the diaphragm.
Yoga Nidra
Some of you have experienced Yoga Nidra on the Junior course where we all relax in our duvets under soft lighting with meditative music. Why not try listening to this sound file at home and just take 20 minutes to relax……
The term Yoga Nidra means “yogic sleep”.
The Benefits of Yoga Nidra include:
- Relieves the mind and body of chronic tension: The practice reduces the base level of tension in the mind, in order to better deal with daily stress. When we reduce energy that is tied up in the body and the mind, it means we have more energy to invest in other activities.
- Induces inner knowledge: The practice allows access to hidden knowledge in the mind.
- It’s a holiday for the mind: By practising yoga nidra we can suspend the rational thought processes of the mind for the duration of the practice.