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The Secret Mystery of your Breath

2

Blog by Satya Larrea

Breathing is free. Breathing has no side effects. Breathing affects us instantly...that is, when we remember to actively participate in our breath.

It's not in our nature to practice something that is already working for us. This is the secret mystery of the breath. It is both a voluntary and an involuntary system in our amazing human bodies.

In a culture where it's ingrained in you to "not fix something that isn't broken", why would you spend your precious time and energy on something that seems to be working just fine? After all...you are breathing...you are alive...you are functioning. But what if you could function better and you could lower your blood pressure and heart rate without side effects. What if you could change your genetic expression when your body endures stress? What if you could control your experience with disease and illness and avoid an emergency before it happened to you? What if you could manage your stress and anxiety levels without side effects and all it took was 5 deep breaths and less than 2 minutes of your time. Would you do it?

Here's how:
Breathe in to a count of 2
hold your breath for a moment
Breathe out to a count of 4

Breathe in to a count of 2 or 3
hold your breath for a moment
Breathe out to a count of 4 or 6

Breathe in to a count of 3 or 4
hold your breath for a moment
Breathe out to a count of 6 or 8

Breath in to a count of 4 or 5
Hold your breath for a moment
Breathe out to a count of 8 or 10

Rest and Repeat if you want to.

The object is to notice your exhale is longer than your inhale and to do so gradually.

Taking this practice to the next level:
Notice the next time your mind is agitated, angry, frustrated, etc. In that moment make your exhale longer than your inhale. You don't have to do the above practice at this point, simply make your exhale longer. See the results for yourself.

Please send in your comments and let us know how you use your breath to help you get through life's challenging moments and how you feel about it now.

 

 

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Satya Larrea is a dedicated Yoga Educator and has owned the Whole Yoga studio in Denver, since 2004. Whole Yoga is where she currently teaches Ahimsa Yoga, a class she designed to promote the concept of Non Violence otherwise defined as compassion for self and others. She first discovered Hatha Yoga and Meditation in Cave Creek, Arizona in 1993. She is eternally grateful for the guidance of her first Yoga Instructor, Sioux Jones of Camp Creek, AZ, who encouraged her to visit Shoshoni Yoga Retreat. Once Satya learned how to overcome her social anxiety with yoga and meditation she became certified to teach Hatha Yoga while participating in a work study program at Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in 1997. In 2001, she moved to Eldorado Mt. Yoga Ashram, Eldorado Springs, CO, and began leading Yoga Teacher Trainings there with her husband, Mike Kohm, co-owner of Whole Yoga.

Satya's greatest influence and inspiration being her spiritual teacher, Sri Shambhavananda.(1997-present day) She is a dedicated student of Hatha Yoga and Meditation and places value on what she learns from time spent on her own mat. She was trained in Hatha Yoga by and an apprentice of Swami Omkari Devananda(1997-2004) Satya has led over 30 Teacher Trainings and has mentored yoga teachers for many years. In 2008, along with her husband Mike Kohm, PT, CYT, she co-wrote a course called Yoga for Healing and it has since been successfully taught in the Shambhava School of Yoga.

Satya's main passion is helping people to overcome sedentary lifestyle using yoga, breath, massage therapy and dialog to help people listen to their deeper wisdom. She helps people overcome depression, anxiety, stress, sitting, overeating, over analyzing, self deprecation, and smoking. In addition to mental/emotional support, Satya offers physical support using yoga to help people who are managing pain from scoliosis, hip and knee replacements, back and neck pain, headaches, recovering from cancer, preparing for surgery, etc. Satya has a private practice she calls 1on1 Yoga and she sees people at the studio, where there are many props that she uses with people, to support them to overcome their difficulties.

"Pranayama(yoga breathing) is the aspect of Yoga that has had the most profound effect on my life. Learning to use my breath properly and breathing as a daily practice has been priceless gift to me. If I can teach you to breath correctly I can teach you how to fish." ~Satya

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