Lesson 20: Breath is Life

Beach Yoga

Breathing is something we automatically do and take for granted. Yet most of us tend to breathe shallowly. Yoga teaches conscious deep breathing. Breath work is important if you want to have more energy. The Chinese call it Chi, in Hindu it is Prana or "life force". When you practice yoga, you connect breath with movement and as you build heat or Prana, you are a force of life.

Benefits of Breath work or Pranayama:

1. Calmness and peace
2. Create harmony of mind, body and spirit
3. Clears blocked or stuck energy (reduces inflammation)
4. Increases energy, enthusiasm and positivity
5. Brings clarity to the mind and health to the body

Did you know that Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath) can help you calm anxiety, a buzzing mind and reduce stress?

Do you want to detox your body? Then try Kapalbati Pranayama

Feeling fatigued? Then try Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellow Breath)

* It is important to practice these techniques with a yoga teacher in order to experience the full benefits. Experimenting on your own is not advisable.

P.S. When I'm stuck in traffic, I often get impatient and forget to breathe deeply. Did you know that "LA's traffic just hit a new high-let's figure out some solutions!"

We lose 100 hours each year due to traffic, making LA one of the most highly congested cities in the world. The 100 Hours Campaign wants to hear from you-how would you spend those 100 hours and what traffic solutions do you want to see in LA? The project is exploring solutions from around the world to address congestion in the region. Check out the solutions and share your using #100Hours. http://100hoursla.com

Ingrid Cheng
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