Yoga at Home with Laura, Self-taught Yogi!

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Yoga Breathing FOR Public Speaking

December 2009 - Spiritual talk in Silver Spring, MD

In July 2010, I wrote a blog post about the similarities between yoga and public speaking.  You can check it out in the archives. And, I was recently reminded about the link between yoga and public speaking by an article in the March 2012 issue of Yoga Journal which discussed the benefits of yoga to overcome anxiety and improve one's comfort with public speaking.

I have practiced yoga since 1970 and I have been practicing and honing my speaking skills since 1980, the year I joined Toastmasters International.  The key to improving and enhancing one's abilities in both yoga and public speaking are consistent practice and having a positive intention. In yoga, one's intention should include enjoying the practice in and of itself, expanding one's comfort zone, and achieving oneness of mind, body, and spirit.   In public speaking, hopefully your purpose is to deliver a meaningful message with comfort and power which in turn creates a connection and therefore oneness with your audience.

But, what if you haven't joined a Toastmasters club (which I highly recommend if you're serious about getting ongoing public speaking practice) and you have an upcoming eulogy or speaking requirement of some kind and you are feeling nervous?  What do you do?

In a pinch, try yoga breathing exercises!  The Alternate Nostril Breath is an excellent technique to practice in the days and the minutes before your speaking engagement.  It is a wonderful, calming tonic!  Try it! See the instructions below.  And, as you do this breathing technique, it is most helpful to focus on serving the audience.  Focusing on others is invaluable for overcoming public speaking fears.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Type of yoga pose:  Breathing technique that can be done seated or lying down 

Body parts targeted:  Lungs and nervous system

How to do the pose:

1. Sit in a comfortable position on your mat or in a chair with your spine erect (or lie down with your entire body flat on your mat).
2. You may choose to close your eyes. Closing your eyes enhances the relaxation and calming effects of this technique.
3. Place your right thumb gently on but not closing your right nostril; place your index finger and middle finger on your forehead in the space between your eyebrows; rest your ring finger and little finger gently on your left nostril without closing it.     
4. Press down upon your right nostril with your right thumb. Lift your ring and little finger from your left nostril and breathe in deeply expanding your abdomen and fill your lungs to the count of 8 (or to whatever count is comfortable for you).
5. Press your ring and little fingers down on your left nostril and hold your breath for a count of 4.
6. Raise your right thumb off your right nostril and exhale all the air in your lungs through your right nostril to the count of 8.
7. Without changing the position of your hand, immediately breathe in through your right nostril for a count of 8.
8. Press your right thumb down on your right nostril so that both nostrils are closed.  Hold your breath for a count of 4.
9. Lift your ring and little fingers from your nostril and exhale through your left nostril for a count of 8.

This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing.

Number of repetitions: 3 rounds or for 5 minutes alternating nostrils. Over time, build up the counts so you are inhaling, holding, and exhaling for a count of 8. Do at any time of the day when you need to relax, clear your mind, or slow down your pace.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1. Increases “prana” – i.e., the “life force” or energy in the body.
2. Helps clear air passages.
3. Relaxes and calms body, mind, and nerves.
4. Clears mind.
5. Balances opposite currents in your body and helps restore equilibrium.
6. Functions as an excellent beginning to your yoga session, as a prelude to meditation or for winding down after doing poses.
7. Quiets the mind and can help in overcoming insomnia.
8. Strengthens the nervous system and improves circulation.
9. Relieves sinus conditions by dissolving obstructions in the nasal passages and can increase immunity to colds.

10.Can alleviate headaches or stomach aches caused by anxiety.

11.Helps develop overall serenity.

12.  Can help you overcome the jitters you may experience with public speaking!!

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

Always inhale and exhale without strain in and out through the nose, not through the mouth.  When you begin this technique, you may notice, as I did, that one nostril is clearer than the other. I had trouble breathing through my right nostril. Don’t worry – over time both nostrils will clear and you will breathe in and out fully from both.

You can use this breathing technique to increase your energy during afternoon lulls or whenever you need to “pep” yourself up. I have used the alternate nostril breath technique to alleviate anxiety or stomach aches caused by stress by doing the breath while focusing on the words, “deep relaxation.”  Within 2-3 minutes, my stomach aches have subsided!

You can also use the alternate nostril breath technique to help you relax at night before sleep. At bedtime, lie down in your bed and do 5 to 7 rounds of the alternate breath technique to release all tensions and to dose off.

 Yours for calming down with yoga breathing,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Yoga at Home: Got Extreme Stress? Try the Alternate Nostril Breath

A few days ago, a volatile personal situation caused me EXTREME stress and totally shattered my nerves. I felt physically depleted. Fortunately, I know that yoga and meditation are the perfect healthy remedies for recovering from extreme stress.  A couple of days of focusing extra attention on the alternate nostril breath, doing a simple meditation practice, listening to quiet classical music and enjoying extra doses of complete silence have helped me to regain emotional and physical equilibrium.

As Dr. Timothy McCall says in his book, Yoga at Medicine, "The ancient yogis discovered that the breath, which is normally automatic, has profound effects on the nervous system if consciously controlled,with the potential either to increase activation or to promote relaxation, depending on the practice.  Through yoga practice, you come to realize how your breath affects how you feel and how you can use it to alter your state of being...Just slowing the breath down and making it more regular begins to lessen feelings of stress within seconds."

So true!  When you have gone through an emotional maelstrom, the best antidote, at least for me, is to sequester and be extra gentle with myself, and to put extra attention on yoga breathing techniques and meditation.  Basking in an atmosphere of stillness and calm while doing yoga breathing and meditation can help restore your mind, body, and spirit in a short time.  

Below are instructions for the alternate breath technique from my book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day. Tomorrow I will provide instructions for the simple meditation technique called the Power Exercise developed by spiritual teacher, Carole Dore.

Alternate Nostril Breath

Type of yoga pose:  Can be done seated or lying down 

Body parts targeted:  Lungs and nervous system

How to do the pose:

1. Sit in a comfortable position on your mat or in a chair with your spine erect (or lie down on your back on a mat or other flat surface).
2. You may choose to close your eyes.  Closing your eyes enhances the relaxation and calming effect of this technique.
3. Place your left thumb on but not closing your left nostril and place your index finger and middle finger on your forehead in the space between your eyebrows.  Exhale deeply from both nostrils.
4. Press down upon your left nostril with your left thumb and breathe in through your right nostril, expanding your abdomen (i.e., using the same body movement of the complete breath) and filling your lungs to the count of 8 or whatever count is most comfortable for you.
5. Press your index and middle fingers down on your right nostril and hold your breath for a count of 4.
6. Raise your left thumb off your left nostril and exhale all the air in your lungs through your left nostril to the count of 8.
7. Without changing the position of your hand, follow by breathing in through your left nostril for a count of 8.
8. Now press your left thumb down on your left nostril so both nostrils are closed.  Hold your breath for a count of 4.
9. Lift your index and middle fingers from your right nostril and exhale through your right nostril for a count of 8.

This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing.  Switch arms for the next found of breathing and go through the same routine starting by exhaling through both nostrils and then inhaling through the right nostril.

Number of repetitions:  3 rounds or do the breathing for five minutes alternating nostrils. With practice, build up the counts so you are inhaling, holding, and exhaling for a count of 8. Do this breathing technique any time of the day when you need to relax, clear your mind, or slow down your pace.

Key benefits from this pose: 

1. Increases “prana” – i.e., the “life force” or energy in the body.
2. Helps clear air passages.
3. Relaxes and calms body, mind, and nerves.
4. Clears mind.
5. Balances opposite currents in your body and helps restore equilibrium.
6. Functions as an excellent way to begin your yoga session, as a prelude to meditation, or for winding down after doing poses.
7. Quiets the mind and can help in overcoming insomnia.
8. Strengthens the nervous system and improves circulation.
9. Relieves sinus conditions by dissolving obstructions in the nasal passages and can increase immunity to colds.
10. Can alleviate headaches (or anxiety stomach aches).
11. Helps develop overall serenity.

 Laura’s special hints and experience with this technique:

Inhale and exhale without strain in and out through the nose, not through the mouth.  When you begin this technique, you may notice, as I did, that one nostril is clearer than the other. I had trouble breathing through my right nostril. Don’t worry—over time both nostrils will clear and you will breathe through each one with no problem. And, some yogis say that our nostrils sometimes take turns being “in charge” throughout the day. 

You can use this breathing technique to increase your energy during afternoon lulls or whenever you need to “pep” yourself up. I have used the alternate nostril breath technique to alleviate occasional anxiety and stomach aches by breathing and focusing on the words, “deep relaxation.”  Within 2 to 3 minutes, the stomach pains subsided. This yoga breath technique can also quiet the body and mind before meditation or sleep. At bedtime, lie down in your bed and do 5 to 7 rounds of the alternate breath technique to relax and release all tension.

One fellow yogi friend from middle school, Ann Kelly Ogle, told me that she was taught that exhalations should be twice as long as inhalations when doing deep breathing exercises.  I believe this varies by teacher. I learned the above breathing process from Yoga for Beauty and Health. However, you may wish to try Ann’s suggestion as well and find your preference. The key is slow and deep breathing!

Yours for overcoming stress with yoga breathing,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Home Yoga Coach

 

Yoga at Home for Beginners: Strengthen Your Immune System with Yoga Breathing

Doesn't this cup of tea look warm and inviting?  As I write today's blog post, I am sipping a toasty cup of Yogi Tea designed to strength one's immune system. (No, I do not represent Yogi Tea or get any kickbacks from the  company for writing this!  Although I did approach the company seeking an affiliate relationship because I LOVE their teas!  But they don't offer that.)

Winter has almost arrived and I had an extremely stressful few days this past week. Yesterday afternoon, my immune system suddenly felt like it was taking a dip.  I immediately began taking Vitamin C and drinking cups and cups of Yogi Tea  specifically formulated for strengthening one's immune system during the winter season.  I continue to do this today.

What I especially love about Yogi Teas are the little sayings that come with each tea bag such as "live for each other" and "develop your intuition" which boost your spirits.  I also appreciate that each box has a panel with a yoga technique or yoga tip on it.  The tips are wonderful!   Today, I am sharing the yoga breathing technique, "Yoga for Immunity and Vitality" that is on the box of Yogi Tea that I bought this morning (Cold Season Sampler).  I am presenting it verbatim and right after I finish writing this post, I am going to do this breathing technique.  The breathing approach differs from the other yoga breathing techniques I do which are all done through the nostrils.  This one is done through the mouth.  I am willing to break with my usual practice to try it out!  Why not test it yourself ad report your results?

Direct quotation from Yogi Tea:

"Yoga for Immunity and Vitality" - Breathing technique

Sit cross-legged or in a chair with spine straight and feet flat.  Stick your tongue all the way out and keep it out as you rapidly breath in and out through your mouth.  Continue your breathing for 1 to 3 minutes. Feel the cleansing and strengthening energy rise in your body."

Yours for strengthening your immune system with yoga breathing and Yogi Tea!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach (for real, regular people)

 

Back to Yoga Basics: Got Anxiety? Do the Alternate Nostril Breath Technique

Am I always as relaxed and serene as I look in this photo?  Aaah - no.  No one with a teenager in the home can remain calm and nonplussed for too long.  But, because I practice yoga, I know how to get myself back on track with a few simple techniques which include the alternate nostril breath.  I don't have a photo of me doing this right now, however, I trust the following instructions will show you exactly what to do.  So the next time you feel anxiety, you won't have to reach for the prozac or whatever prescription drugs people use to calm down.  Just sit down and lie down and do the alternate nostril breath!  I taught this breath the other day in my beginners yoga demo class and my colleague used it when she was having insomnia a few days later.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Type of yoga pose:  Breathing technique that can be done seated or lying down

Body parts targeted:  Lungs and nervous system 

How to do the pose:

1.    Sit in a comfortable position on your mat or in a chair with your spine erect (or lie down with your entire body flat on your mat).

2.    You may choose to close your eyes. Closing your eyes enhances the relaxation and calming effects of this technique.

3.    Place your right thumb gently on but not closing your right nostril; place your index finger and middle finger on your forehead in the space between your eyebrows; rest your ring finger and little finger gently on your left nostril without closing it.

4.    Press down upon your right nostril with your right thumb. Lift your ring and little finger from your left nostril and breathe in deeply expanding your abdomen and fill your lungs to the count of 8 (or to whatever count is comfortable for you).

5.    Press your ring and little fingers down on your left nostril and hold your breath for a count of 4.

6.    Raise your right thumb off your right nostril and exhale all the air in your lungs through your right nostril to the count of 8.

7.    Without changing the position of your hand, immediately breathe in through your right nostril for a count of 8.

8.    Press your right thumb down on your right nostril so that both nostrils are closed.  Hold your breath for a count of 4.

9.    Lift your ring and little fingers from your nostril and exhale through your left nostril for a count of  

This completes one round of alternate nostril breathing.

Number of repetitions: 3 rounds or for 5 minutes alternating nostrils. Over time, build up the counts so you are inhaling, holding, and exhaling for a count of 8. Do at any time of the day when you need to relax, clear your mind, or slow down your pace.

Key benefits from this pose:  

1.    Increases “prana” – i.e., the “life force” or energy in the body.

2.    Helps clear air passages.

3.    Relaxes and calms body, mind, and nerves.

4.    Clears mind.

5.    Balances opposite currents in your body and helps restore equilibrium.

6.    Functions as an excellent beginning to your yoga session, as a prelude to meditation or for winding down after doing poses.

7.    Quiets the mind and can help in overcoming insomnia.

8.    Strengthens the nervous system and improves circulation.

9.    Relieves sinus conditions by dissolving obstructions in the nasal passages and can increase immunity to colds.

10.Can alleviate headaches or stomach aches caused by anxiety.

11.Helps develop overall serenity.

Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:

Always inhale and exhale without strain in and out through the nose, not through the mouth.  When you begin this technique, you may notice, as I did, that one nostril is clearer than the other. I had trouble breathing through my right nostril. Don’t worry – over time both nostrils will clear and you will breathe in and out fully from both.

You can use this breathing technique to increase your energy during afternoon lulls or whenever you need to “pep” yourself up. I have used the alternate nostril breath technique to alleviate anxiety or stomach aches caused by stress by doing the breath while focusing on the words, “deep relaxation.”  Within 2-3 minutes, my stomach aches have subsided! 

You can also use the alternate nostril breath technique to help you relax at night before sleep. At bedtime, lie down in your bed and do 5 to 7 rounds of the alternate breath technique to release all tensions and to dose off.

 Copyright 2010

Yours for achieving serenity naturally,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

Yoga for Beginners: Yoga and Public Speaking?

  

A decade after I began hatha yoga, I began practicing public speaking by joining a Washington, DC area Toastmasters club.  Yoga dates back at least 5,000 years; Toastmasters International is only about 80 years old.

That distinction aside, hatha yoga and public speaking share some important characteristics. Both are disciplines requiring commitment and regular practice to progress and develop mastery.  Each also requires that you stretch beyond your comfort zone and increase your flexibility.

Although I have cautioned you to never push or strain to the point of any pain when performing a yoga pose, you should increase your stretches over time in increments.  By doing so, you will eventually achieve poses that seemed near impossible during your first attempts.

Likewise, speaking dynamically and comfortably before an audience of 100 people when you are a public speaking can be more than you could possibly imagine yourself ever doing. But, ongoing practice and gaining additional speaking skills over time will enable you to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your skills base and establish rapport in front of all types and sizes of audiences.  

Consistent practice of yoga poses leads to oneness of mind, body, and spirit.  Regular practice of public speaking (in Toastmasters or other venues) enables you to enhance your rapport with an audience and your enjoyment of sharing ideas.  Both disciplines also involve focused breathing.  In yoga, you try to link your breath with each movement which results in attentive, controlled breathing. In public speaking, focusing on deep, slow breathing patterns enables you to speak with resonance and modulation and enables you to overcome stage fright. Developing skills in both yoga and public speaking enhances your life all around.

Serenely yours,

Laura V. Rodriguez

Simple Savvy Steps for Yoga Success: Yoga Breathing for Inspiration

Do you every get stuck in the workplace for new ideas, for creative approaches to tackling the problems waiting at your desk?  Of course you do!  Well, I think most people do - at least every so often! Well, the solution to get unblocked is at hand - it's the wonderful alternate nostril breath technique I discussed in a previous post.

Savvy writers who encounter the proverbial "writer's block" use such a similar easy breathing technique that requires little time from their schedule.  Naomi Epel, author of the excellent writer's guide, The Observation Deck, suggests taking just a couple of minutes a few times a day to inhale and exhale slowly and mindfully to jump start one's creativity and to overcome writer's block.

It occurred to me after re-reading her essay on breathing that using the alternate nostril breath would work equally well!  To recap, the alternate nostril breath involves covering one nostril with a finger, breathing in through the opposite nostril for a count of 4 or 8, holding for the same count, and then releasing that nostril and exhaling fully for the same count.  And repeating this sequence for 3 to 5 minutes or as long as one wishes and has time for. 

To enhance the inspiration boosting effects of the breath, as you inhale imagine that you are totally aerating all the cells of your body and invigorating them so that they are humming fully with health and vitality and add that you are also receiving new insights easily and effortlessly.  As you exhale, imagine that you are releasing and dumping all toxins, doubts, fears, and insecurities.  Do this rhythmically for two to five minutes several times a day.  Don't concern yourself if you initially don't receive any insights or the feeling of eureka.   As you practice this technique just get ready for your creativity to surge!

Wisdom of the Day:  "The word inspiration comes from the Latin root, spirare, to breath.  It also contains the root of the word spirit."~ Naomi Epel, The Observation Deck.

Simple Savvy Steps to Yoga Success: Yoga Breath Walking for Energy!

"Prana," the yoga term for life-force, is enhanced and expanded through proper, scientific breathing.  As often stated, we can go without eating for weeks, without water for a few days, but without oxygen for only a few minutes.  The premise behind the yoga approach to breathing is that deep, full inhalations and exhalations help to purify the blood and oxygenate the cells so they can stay vital and healthy.

I have worked with a few staple yoga breath techniques, the complete breath and the alternate nostril breath over the years.  Just two days ago, I learned how to incorporate the Yoga "complete breath" into my 20-minute morning walk to the metro train on on the the first coldest days (20 degrees!) of the approaching winter season.  What an invigorating time!  By the time I arrived at the metro and for the rest of the morning, I felt my brain was fresh and clear, well oxygenated!

Key points of the yoga complete breath technique.  1) Inhale and exhale solely through your nose - not through the mouth.  (By doing so during the brisk walk to the metro, I truly felt all the oxygen circulate throughout my head.)  2)  As you inhale, push out or distend you abdomen.  3) Coordinate your breathing with your walking. For example, "inhale" and step forward one-two-three-four-five - pushing our your abdomen. Pause for a moment or a couple of seconds and exhale vigorously as you continue stepping forward "one-two-three-four-five." 

The original complete breath technique that I found in one of my yoga (Yoga for Beauty and Health) recommends breathing in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 seconds as you walk, holding for 10 seconds, and exhaling for 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 seconds as you walk.  But, I found ten seconds was too long for each phase of the breath while walking briskly.  I found 4-5 steps inhale and exhaling plus just a second to pause in between much more feasible.  "Yoga breath walking," my term for using the complete breath while walking, takes a few rounds of practice to feel comfortable.  But, it's worth the effort.  You feel a definite energy boost!

Wisdom of the Day:  "The more prana a person has, the more fully alive he will be."~Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin, Yoga for Beauty & Health.

Simple Savvy Steps for Yoga Success: Breathing for life

One aspect of yoga that I especially appreciate is that it addresses the core of life - the breath.  How we breathe is so important.  As one yoga teacher stated many decades ago, "Breathing is of utmost importance.  You are to consider oxygen more important than food.  The body can survive without food for 30 days (or more); without oxygen for hardly four minutes."  Haven't you noticed that when you get nervous,  you breath quickly?  People suffering from panic or anxiety attacks often hyperventilate.  Breathing in slowly and deeply is one of the principal ways you can relax and unwind.  I once heard that smokers get addicted to cigarettes not only because of the nicotine, but also because they take in deep breaths and relax when they smoke.  The only problem is their cigarette habit may lead them to r - e - l - a -x   for a   l - o-  n-  g    t - i - m - e - as in permanently and prematurely!  Just think how much those smokers you see shivering outside their office buildings in the cold air to take in a drag would benefit if they did deep yoga breathing instead?  As a beginner yogi, you will learn that proper breathing is essential to your daily practice (notice I said daily).  Here are the most important pointers about effective yoga breathing for beginners:  1) breathe in and out through the nose, don't use the mouth at all;  2) bring the air ALL the way down to your diaphragm, pushing the abdomen OUT with each intake of air; 3) pull your stomach in tightly as you breathe out.  People in our culture have been trained to breathe in reverse.  But, try it and just see if you don't start feeling both calmer, relaxed, and yet energized at once!

Yoga Term of the Day:  Mudra --a position taken by fingers or limbs symbolic of an inner quality or intent, capable of producing vital currents.

Yoga Quote of the Day:  Basketball is an endurance sport, and you have to learn to control your breath; that's the essence of yoga, too.  So, I consciously began using yoga techniques in my practice and playing.  I think yoga helped reduce the number and severity of injuries I suffered.  As preventative medicine, it's unequaled.  ~Kareem Abdul-Jabbar