Mastering pranayamas (breathing techniques), is primal to any yoga practice in its integrality. “Without breathing, you are simply doing physical exercise.” I can not emphasize enough on this element.
Here are the 4 main steps that i have observed in my students, through the years:
- Intellectually, we focus and on the breathing and on the postures. At this stage, the experience is still a “working on two separate thing”.
- The breathing is slowly becoming a natural thing. We don’t need to think about it as much. At this stage, participants are starting to also use breathing techniques in different situations through their daily life. The breathing becomes slowly their ally!
- Synergy: there comes a time when the client feels a difference in its practice. “I forgotten who I was…”, ” I did not really feel my body…” I felt like I was floating or felt light…”, “Time flew by!” are often feedbacks encounter on this learning step. They experience ONENESS, everything is ONE.
- And then comes the moment where it goes further than breathing… they feel a subtle energy behind the breathing mechanism: the breath. The breath translates itself as a subtle energy that is close to life.
(Note: few people might experience step 4 before 3).
It is important to not try to reach a level or approach this in a linear way. Let the experience and evolution of your learning process come to you.
Namaste
