Day 19
Pranayama
My elder Joseph Natowhow once told us that, “The creator put us here for one reason… To love one another.” Along with loving one another, this week’s assignment is to connect to the breath. The breath is a most invaluable, powerful tool to control the mind, connect to the present and to connect with the spirit or the divine, basically our link to life.
“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks.
Listen to your heart, it knows.”
Breath is life.
One breath unites all living beings. Svatmarama in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says,
“Breath is the key to ultimate emancipation.”
Krishnamacharya taught pranayama had two meanings:
Prana (Breath) Yama (Control)
2. Prana (Life Force) Ayama (Lengthening)
“…the ancients taught that each individual is allotted 21,600 breaths per day in a life span intended to be one hundred years. We can draw our allotted breaths like a bank account. Through anxiety, short breaths and unnecessary exertion we may overdraw our account – and shorten our lives. Or we may use the breath wisely, with smooth, easy respiration, and store it up: in other words, lengthen our lives…we bring the breath consciously into a daily act of renewal.”
“When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”
THE DIGITAL STUDIO CLASS SCHEDULE
Today, Tuesday, January 19th:
7-8am PST Karma Vinyasa with Kristin Ochitwa
8:30-9:45am PST Weekly Workshop with Ryan Leier
4-5pm PST Vinyasa with Malina Dawn
5:45-6:45pm PST Vinyasa with Nikki Jinks
Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 20th:
8-9am PST Vinyasa with Kiyah Leier-Marshall
4-5pm PST Vinyasa with Vanessa Bourget
6-7:15pm PST Vinyasa with Risto Duggan
Don’t forget you can find Ryan’s 30 minute recorded practice and playlist below:
40 DAYS OF PRACTICE FACEBOOK GROUP
4O DAYS OF PRACTICE DAILY EMAIL COMPILATION