Yoga Breath: Kapalabhati

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:00:00 -0700

In yoga, breath is just as important as the postures. Linking your breath with your movement creates complete awareness. These breathing exercises are called Pranayama, which means breath control.

A while back I wrote about two different types of Pranayama. Ujayii (Ocean Breath) is used in Ashtanga Yoga throughout the entire 90 minute practice to keep your movements and your mind calm, steady and strong. The other, Sitali (Tongue Hissing), is a cooling breath used when feeling overheated or stressed.

Kapalabhati (Ka-pa-la-ba-ti) is another kind of pranayama, called the Cleansing Breath. It's a great breath to do if you are feeling foggy in the head, or if you have mucus in your lungs or nose. Kapalabhati gets rid of stagnant air in the body and awakens the senses.

Check out this video to see how it's done.

Want to know how to do it, then read more

I like to do this breath right before or after lying down in Savasana (Corpse pose). Begin in a comfortable seated position.
Breathe normally through your nose for a few breaths, keeping your mouth closed. Then take a normal breath in and begin taking short, rapid exhalations out of your nose (as if you were blowing your nose). This will pump out the breath and your inhales will happen automatically. You'll feel your belly pulling in with each exhalation (you can watch yourself in a mirror to see). Continue pumping out these quick and fast exhalations for as long as you want. I usually do it for 30 seconds or so.
End by exhaling all the air out and then go back to regular calm breathing through your nose. You can repeat this Kapalabhati Pranayama again if you like, but each time you finish a round, make sure to follow it with regular breathing.

Fit's Tips: You can take the exhalations at any speed you want. If you do it too fast, you might get dizzy. If this happens, just slow down the Kapalabhati or go back to regular breathing.

Parker Posey Is a Fan of Ashtanga Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Ashtanga Yoga is one of my favorite types of yoga, and according to People magazine, Parker Posey is a big fan too. She says, "It centers me. I like the community," and I totally agree.

The thing that's so great about Ashtanga is that you can step into any class, and it'll be the same no matter what studio or state you're in. That's because this type of yoga follows a sequence known as Primary Series, that never changes. It includes Sun Salutations (five A's and five B's), standing postures such as Triangle, seated postures such as Butterfly, the entire Closing Sequence, and ends with Savasana. The flow of the postures is guided by ujayii breath, and each posture is linked with a series of movements known as a vinyasa, so you're always moving. Primary Series is mostly about poses that stretch your hamstrings, but Ashtanga has another series (that some think is more advanced) known as Second Series, that involves backbends and arm balancing poses.

If you're a runner, dancer, athlete, or someone who likes to work hard and sweat a lot, you'll love Ashtanga yoga. It will strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility in every area of your body. If you can't make it to a class, check out this DVD.

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