This month, I have the pleasure of writing this blog while surrounded by an alpine lake and a bird's eye view of the Continental Divide atop one of Colorado's fourteeners, Mount Evans. Modern technology has provided me with a laptop and America's highest paved road to get here, making the mystical journey to this alpine tundra summit a lot more comforting than other mountainous climbs!
As I comb through the Mount Evans Wilderness Guide in search for inspiration, I am reminded that, just like Death Valley or the Saharan Desert, the tundra is also a scarcely hospitable environment for only the toughest of wills. "Only living things with highly specialized adaptations exist," the guide says. In fact, very few creatures have adapted to this environment, and the ones that have – Mountain Goats, Bristlecone Pine, Marmots, Bighorn Sheep, and several other species – are surely an example of tenacity, fearlessness and a highly adaptive nature within a seemingly harsh and unforgiving environment. Up here, every wind gust tries to pull the breath right out of me. The feeling of being both on top of the world and also very far from home is livening, to say the least. The bitter chill in the air is less than pleasant and the intensity of the sun and wind tells me I have either much more meditating or evolutionary adapting to do if I am to enjoy myself in this reticent and frigid environment like that Mountain Goat grazing peacefully across the rocks.
Adapting or meditating. The restless enthusiast in me knows discomfort is a state of mind and, with a little encouragement, is able to coax the native California blood in me into enjoying this bitter sweet mountainous moment. I breathe in the crispy thin air like a rice cracker curbing a day fast. I begin to presence myself with the sweet slowness of my breath and the nourishing air that enters my nostrils, however cold, dry and thin it may be. The sensation of working to mindfully fill my lungs with this air is like pouring water into a glass from 10 feet above. I sense the massive amount of earth beneath my feet and I swear up here I am lighter, like that single raven floating on the mountain top's current at the edge of the world with me. Imagine, the tenacity of that bird, to drift in such a strong breeze and feel so content. Or the mountain goat that hops from one peak to the next, rock by rock, unmoved by the severity of its reality. And here I thought Richard Freeman’s advanced class was tough.
The air here reminds me of when I discovered I had exercise-induced asthma. About 10 years ago, I played on the UC Santa Barbara women’s rugby team. Though this may surprise some of you (I surprise myself with my own stories sometimes too!), this sport is one of the most challenging sports every played or practiced, in my opinion, which is why I enjoyed it so much. I pushed myself hard on the field, often to the point of sheer exhaustion, mostly because of my aversion to being tackled. I hated getting the wind knocked out of me, especially when I was always experiencing a lack of it in the first place. In rugby I always felt so challenged to keep up, like I could never take in enough air for the amount I needed. I thought I was just not as fit or as healthy as other athletes. I remember having my first big asthma attack and feeling so helpless and confused, only to later discover that my ability to survive was in my ability to adapt to the elements.
It wasn’t my doctor, but a yoga class that taught me how to find my breath again. At that time I was still discovering yoga and its health benefits. So, during class I began paying close attention to the breathing exercises and commands and how I could apply deep breathing to intense activity. I soon learned that I had a much greater lung capacity for my breath if I could just slow it down during moments of discomfort. I eventually learned that when an attack came on, 3-Point Yogic Breath was a way out. A few years later, herbalists in New Mexico taught me that cutting dairy from my diet could provide relief to my mucous membranes and histamine responses for the lingering asthmatic moments I was so driven to rid myself from. After trying it for a month, to my amazement, it worked. Now, today, I practice 3-Point Yogic Breath every morning and evening, every time I feel anxious or nervous, and every time I feel discomfort or pain both on and off the mat.
Through my own experience with asthma, I learned that presencing the mind in the breath is by far the best practice for achieving peace and grace during states of discomfort. When I am able to completely center myself in my breath, I truly feel I am touching heaven. Being able to touch heaven is knowing the divine, and knowing the divine is both dying and living in a single breath: letting go of the mind’s attachment to fear, discomfort and helplessness in exchange for the simple bliss of a single living breath. And this state is accessible to us all in any given moment if we should choose to experience it.
Next time you hold a yoga pose, are having a hard time breathing, or are experiencing discomfort, allow yourself to truly arrive in that experience. Show up. Be present. Stand tall. Breathe. If you’re in a yoga class, don’t worry about what your neighbor is doing, if you’re the slowest cat in the room, or if the teacher is instructing faster than you can breathe. Enjoy your moment. Revel in your practice. Catch your mind when it wanders and bring it back to a single breath. Laugh when you stray. Smile when you come back. Find the humor in the humility when you notice the simplicity of such a difficult practice that sounds so easy. Above all, enjoy the experience with gratitude and be open to your connection with the divine.
Practice 3-Point Yogic Breath
*When practicing any breathing exercise, listen to your body. Stop if you feel lightheaded, dizzy or nauseous.
*If you have a medical history of heart disease or high blood pressure, avoid practicing the intermediate and advanced practices described below unless they have been approved by your physician.
Stage 1:
1. Begin lying on your back in Savasana.
2. Place 1 hand on your belly at your navel and the other on your chest.
3. Take a full slow exhale to clear the lungs.
4. On your next full deep inhale, notice where your breath enters. Do you feel your chest moving more? Your belly? Both? Nothing is right or wrong, this is simply a practice of awareness. Exhale fully as needed. Be mindful of the fluidity of your breath. Avoid holding your breath at any time.
Stage 2:
5. On your next inhale, slowly begin to fill the lower lungs first. To fill the lower lungs is to belly breathe, expanding your belly first when air enters the body.
6. Fill the width of your ribcage second. To fill the width of the ribcage is to diaphragm breathe by expanding the circumference of your torso after your belly is full.
7. Fill the upper lungs third. To fill the upper lungs is to chest breathe. Expand your chest after your belly is full and your ribcage is fully expanded.
8. Reverse the breath on your exhale (similar to raising your arms and then bringing them back down at your sides) by releasing the air from your upper lungs (chest) first, your diaphragm (ribcage) second and, finally, your lower lungs (belly) last. Using imagery of the ocean’s tide as it laps onto the shore (inhaling) and back into the ocean (exhaling) is a nice complimentary visual practice.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 two more times for beginners, 4 to 8+ more times if you are an intermediate or advanced practitioner.
Stage 3:
10. Practice 3-Point Yogic Breath sitting up tall, or while in a yoga pose that you generally experience discomfort in. Pigeon pose, Kapotasana is a great asana for this!
11.Take notice of your awareness and your body. Can you feel discomfort in your body dissolving as you stay present with your breath? Do you notice an ability to remain calm and centered in the breath? Are you able to enjoy the simple practice of breathing over and over again without getting ahead of your breath, or falling behind?
12. As you improve in your pace, volume and awareness of breath, practice Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath: Inhale into your upper lungs (chest) first, diaphragm (ribcage) second, and lower lungs (belly) last, then reverse the exhale accordingly (belly first, ribcage second, chest last).
Intermediate and advanced practitioners:
13. Complete 3-Point Yogic Breath for 3 repetitions, followed by Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath for 3 repetitions to create one full round. Practice in rounds of 3, 6, 9 or 12.
14. Complete 1 repetition of 3-Point Yogic Breath followed by 1 repetition of Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath to create 1 set. Practice in sets of 3, 6, 9 or 12.
*Always rest in your normal breath for at least one minute after practicing advanced pranayama exercises before moving on to other activities or asanas.
As I comb through the Mount Evans Wilderness Guide in search for inspiration, I am reminded that, just like Death Valley or the Saharan Desert, the tundra is also a scarcely hospitable environment for only the toughest of wills. "Only living things with highly specialized adaptations exist," the guide says. In fact, very few creatures have adapted to this environment, and the ones that have – Mountain Goats, Bristlecone Pine, Marmots, Bighorn Sheep, and several other species – are surely an example of tenacity, fearlessness and a highly adaptive nature within a seemingly harsh and unforgiving environment. Up here, every wind gust tries to pull the breath right out of me. The feeling of being both on top of the world and also very far from home is livening, to say the least. The bitter chill in the air is less than pleasant and the intensity of the sun and wind tells me I have either much more meditating or evolutionary adapting to do if I am to enjoy myself in this reticent and frigid environment like that Mountain Goat grazing peacefully across the rocks.
Adapting or meditating. The restless enthusiast in me knows discomfort is a state of mind and, with a little encouragement, is able to coax the native California blood in me into enjoying this bitter sweet mountainous moment. I breathe in the crispy thin air like a rice cracker curbing a day fast. I begin to presence myself with the sweet slowness of my breath and the nourishing air that enters my nostrils, however cold, dry and thin it may be. The sensation of working to mindfully fill my lungs with this air is like pouring water into a glass from 10 feet above. I sense the massive amount of earth beneath my feet and I swear up here I am lighter, like that single raven floating on the mountain top's current at the edge of the world with me. Imagine, the tenacity of that bird, to drift in such a strong breeze and feel so content. Or the mountain goat that hops from one peak to the next, rock by rock, unmoved by the severity of its reality. And here I thought Richard Freeman’s advanced class was tough.
The air here reminds me of when I discovered I had exercise-induced asthma. About 10 years ago, I played on the UC Santa Barbara women’s rugby team. Though this may surprise some of you (I surprise myself with my own stories sometimes too!), this sport is one of the most challenging sports every played or practiced, in my opinion, which is why I enjoyed it so much. I pushed myself hard on the field, often to the point of sheer exhaustion, mostly because of my aversion to being tackled. I hated getting the wind knocked out of me, especially when I was always experiencing a lack of it in the first place. In rugby I always felt so challenged to keep up, like I could never take in enough air for the amount I needed. I thought I was just not as fit or as healthy as other athletes. I remember having my first big asthma attack and feeling so helpless and confused, only to later discover that my ability to survive was in my ability to adapt to the elements.
It wasn’t my doctor, but a yoga class that taught me how to find my breath again. At that time I was still discovering yoga and its health benefits. So, during class I began paying close attention to the breathing exercises and commands and how I could apply deep breathing to intense activity. I soon learned that I had a much greater lung capacity for my breath if I could just slow it down during moments of discomfort. I eventually learned that when an attack came on, 3-Point Yogic Breath was a way out. A few years later, herbalists in New Mexico taught me that cutting dairy from my diet could provide relief to my mucous membranes and histamine responses for the lingering asthmatic moments I was so driven to rid myself from. After trying it for a month, to my amazement, it worked. Now, today, I practice 3-Point Yogic Breath every morning and evening, every time I feel anxious or nervous, and every time I feel discomfort or pain both on and off the mat.
Through my own experience with asthma, I learned that presencing the mind in the breath is by far the best practice for achieving peace and grace during states of discomfort. When I am able to completely center myself in my breath, I truly feel I am touching heaven. Being able to touch heaven is knowing the divine, and knowing the divine is both dying and living in a single breath: letting go of the mind’s attachment to fear, discomfort and helplessness in exchange for the simple bliss of a single living breath. And this state is accessible to us all in any given moment if we should choose to experience it.
Next time you hold a yoga pose, are having a hard time breathing, or are experiencing discomfort, allow yourself to truly arrive in that experience. Show up. Be present. Stand tall. Breathe. If you’re in a yoga class, don’t worry about what your neighbor is doing, if you’re the slowest cat in the room, or if the teacher is instructing faster than you can breathe. Enjoy your moment. Revel in your practice. Catch your mind when it wanders and bring it back to a single breath. Laugh when you stray. Smile when you come back. Find the humor in the humility when you notice the simplicity of such a difficult practice that sounds so easy. Above all, enjoy the experience with gratitude and be open to your connection with the divine.
Practice 3-Point Yogic Breath
*When practicing any breathing exercise, listen to your body. Stop if you feel lightheaded, dizzy or nauseous.
*If you have a medical history of heart disease or high blood pressure, avoid practicing the intermediate and advanced practices described below unless they have been approved by your physician.
Stage 1:
1. Begin lying on your back in Savasana.
2. Place 1 hand on your belly at your navel and the other on your chest.
3. Take a full slow exhale to clear the lungs.
4. On your next full deep inhale, notice where your breath enters. Do you feel your chest moving more? Your belly? Both? Nothing is right or wrong, this is simply a practice of awareness. Exhale fully as needed. Be mindful of the fluidity of your breath. Avoid holding your breath at any time.
Stage 2:
5. On your next inhale, slowly begin to fill the lower lungs first. To fill the lower lungs is to belly breathe, expanding your belly first when air enters the body.
6. Fill the width of your ribcage second. To fill the width of the ribcage is to diaphragm breathe by expanding the circumference of your torso after your belly is full.
7. Fill the upper lungs third. To fill the upper lungs is to chest breathe. Expand your chest after your belly is full and your ribcage is fully expanded.
8. Reverse the breath on your exhale (similar to raising your arms and then bringing them back down at your sides) by releasing the air from your upper lungs (chest) first, your diaphragm (ribcage) second and, finally, your lower lungs (belly) last. Using imagery of the ocean’s tide as it laps onto the shore (inhaling) and back into the ocean (exhaling) is a nice complimentary visual practice.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 two more times for beginners, 4 to 8+ more times if you are an intermediate or advanced practitioner.
Stage 3:
10. Practice 3-Point Yogic Breath sitting up tall, or while in a yoga pose that you generally experience discomfort in. Pigeon pose, Kapotasana is a great asana for this!
11.Take notice of your awareness and your body. Can you feel discomfort in your body dissolving as you stay present with your breath? Do you notice an ability to remain calm and centered in the breath? Are you able to enjoy the simple practice of breathing over and over again without getting ahead of your breath, or falling behind?
12. As you improve in your pace, volume and awareness of breath, practice Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath: Inhale into your upper lungs (chest) first, diaphragm (ribcage) second, and lower lungs (belly) last, then reverse the exhale accordingly (belly first, ribcage second, chest last).
Intermediate and advanced practitioners:
13. Complete 3-Point Yogic Breath for 3 repetitions, followed by Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath for 3 repetitions to create one full round. Practice in rounds of 3, 6, 9 or 12.
14. Complete 1 repetition of 3-Point Yogic Breath followed by 1 repetition of Reverse 3-Point Yogic Breath to create 1 set. Practice in sets of 3, 6, 9 or 12.
*Always rest in your normal breath for at least one minute after practicing advanced pranayama exercises before moving on to other activities or asanas.
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