Pranayama Practices
Breathing Practices
Yin and Pranayama for Better Sleep
This practice is intended for bed time. I would encourage you to even do this practice in your bed! But turn the blue light filter on to your device and keep the screen as dim as possible to limit your night time exposure to bright light. Throughout practice we will engage in evidence informed strategies for getting a better nights sleep. You will learn about the nervous system’s role in sleep and how to use that information to sleep better every night.Â
Pelvic Floor Breathing in Childs Pose
Working with this breath technique in childs pose adds another layer of difficulty. So it’s a nice practice to progress to for continued improvement of hip, groin, low back and SIJ issues.
Pelvic Floor Breathing in Baddha Konasana
When hip, groin and low back problems happen, this techinique is one of my go to’s. Our pelvic floor is a dynamic and sensitive region that is highly connected to our mental state. Learning to tune in to the sensations and actions of the pelvic floor is often the first step in reducing sensitivity in the tissues arising from this region.
Yin & Somatics for Anxiety
Evidence informed practice doesn’t need to be complicated. This gentle practice makes use of research backed techniques to reduce anxiety during practice, but also to provide daily tools for relief. Simple, repetitive movements, breath awareness, body awareness, novelty. Each of these are very powerful, drug free methods for anxiety relief. We will focus on the hip flexors and adductors (front and insides of your legs). These areas are often very stiff and guarding in those who suffer from anxiety.
Organ Breathing
This is just a super cool pranayama that I learned from Perry Nickelston of Stop Chasing Pain. It is thought to stimulate each of the organs by special phonation.Â
Pelvic Floor Breathing
If you suffer from hip pain, pelvic pain, low back pain, anxiety, chronic stress or all of the above, this needs to be a go to practice for you. Our pelvic floor is intricately tied to our sympatheic nervous system, otherwise known as fight or flight. If your nervous system detects threat, your pelvic floor will likely tighten up and prepare you to fight or flee.
Expand Your Breathing Options
Many of us tend to breathe in a habitual way. While there is nothing wrong with that, expanding and exploring your breathing options can be very therapeutic if you are managing pain or stress and anxiety. This is one of my favorite pranayamas and I hope you learn tons about your breathing anatomy.
Humming Practice for Neck, Face and Shoulder Pain
This is a slightly unusual practice but it is very effective. If you suffer from face, neck or shoulder pain, you likely spend a great deal of time readjusting your posture and position to reduce pain. You have likely found that it doesn’t really work. This practice is designed to enhance awareness and provide compelling evidence of safety to your brain and nervous systems.
Longer, Softer, Smoother
An introductory pranayama to aid in breath awareness and build concious breathing skills. This is a foundational practice of Pain Care Yoga.
See Saw Breath
This practice comes from the Feldenkrais Method®. It’s a very effective practice for calming the mind and nervous systems but it also increases awareness of the thoracic region of the spine and the ribcage. This can be very useful if you are managing back or neck pain.
Three Part Breath
A standard pranayama from the Yoga tradition. The three part breath is a technique that can be calming or activating depending on the sequence of the inhale/exhale and how the breath is released. This particular practice is designed to help you to inhale and exhale fully to cultivate calm awareness.
Nadi Shodana
This is a more meditative take on the traditional alternate nostril breathing. Rather than using a mudra to close one nostril at time, we use the hands for a simple, yet effective mudra to remain attentive. I assign this pranayama to clients who have trouble sleeping as it is a great bedtime meditation. I also assign it for students who suffer from anxiety, stress and racing thoughts.
Nadi Shodana with Mudra
This is a more meditative take on the traditional alternate nostril breathing. Rather than using a mudra to close one nostril at time, we use the hands for a simple, yet effective mudra to remain attentive. I assign this pranayama to clients who have trouble sleeping as it is a great bedtime meditation. I also assign it for students who suffer from anxiety, stress and racing thoughts.
Developing Intuition and Independence in Practice
Develop skills for your home practice as you learn how to attend to your own needs and intuition. This practice is a a minimally guided intuitive Yin practice. Learn how to listen to a pose and to allow the body to guide your choices. Your practice will include the use of a pranayama, three part breath, to cultivate a cohesive practice experience.
Yin & Pranayama: A Universe Conspires
every now and then I have to remind myself of something. The Universe really wants for me to thrive. Not just me but all of us. I’m not a super spiritual person but I do love science, and I feel like science backs me up here. So this practice is about exploration because I don’t want you to take my word for it. I want you to experience this conspiring of the Universe for yourself. Through movement, through breath, through the exquisite felt sense of self.
Wag with Your Whole Body
Wag with your whole body is a simple practice that combines some light neuroscience education with gentle movement and breathing.