4 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Yoga

Business and Life

By Cailen Ascher May 7th, 2014 500 Views
Often business adice c!"es in the f!r" !f t!#d!s$ write a bl!% &!st, e"ail !ut "y
newsletter, netw!r' with fell!w y!%a teachers( But s!"eti"es the easiest and "!st
effectie way t! instantly i"&r!e y!ur y!%a business )and y!ur life* is t! st!& d!in%
thin%s that are sa&&in% y!ur ener%y and wastin% y!ur ti"e( +f d!in% less, n!t "!re,
s!unds li'e an a&&ealin% n!ti!n, + hear y!u( As a y!%a entre&reneur, + !ften find "yself
rushin% ar!und, burnin% the candle at b!th ends, and n!t ta'in% the ti"e t! f!cus "y
eff!rts !n the ite"s that actually "atter the "!st(
+,d say it-s ti"e f!r a chan%e( +f y!u-re ready t! feel better and clearer ab!ut y!ur
business, and "!re steady and &resent in y!ur life in %eneral, + want t! share with y!u
f!ur si"&le thin%s t! st!& d!in% t! instantly i"&r!e y!ur w!r' life and &ers!nal life(
1. Stop Rushing
.ushin% is a c!""!n addicti!n in !ur s!ciety( /e-re &r!%ra""ed t! %!, %!, %!0 rarely
thin'in% ab!ut the t!ll it-s ta'in% !n !ur "inds, hearts and b!dies( But, if we eleate !ur
awareness, and n!tice th!se "!"ents when the &ace increases t! an unc!"f!rtable
leel, we can then ste& bac' and see that rushin% is n!t really hel&in% us %et any "!re
d!ne(
+n fact, when we rush, !ur hearts race, !ur stress leels increase, and "!re "ista'es are
"ade( My adice1 2l!w d!wn( .ec!%ni3e y!ur i"&ulse t! rush, and instead &ause
"!"entarily( .e"ind y!urself that rushin% is a ch!ice, n!t a way !f life, and !nce the
ur%e t! sur%e f!rth at brea'nec' s&eed has &assed, c!ntinue "errily !n y!ur way(
2. Stop OverS!heduling
4!es l!!'in% at y!ur daily t!#d! list "a'e y!u want t! crawl bac' int! bed1 5hat,s
li'ely because instead !f a "ana%eable list !f t!& &ri!rities, it c!ntains a s&rawlin%
a%enda !f ite"s that feel li'e they-ll neer %et d!ne( + hae a challen%e f!r y!u( 6!r the
ne7t wee', &ic' 8ust !ne &ri!rity a day )yes, y!u heard ri%ht$ 8ust !ne*( 9!w, that
d!esn-t "ean y!u sh!uldn-t w!r' !n !ther tas's if, and when, y!ur t!& &ri!rity is
c!"&lete, but this is an e7ercise in f!cusin% y!ur attenti!n, ener%y and eff!rt( (((
5ry it !ut f!r a wee', and see h!w y!u feel( /hen y!u hae 8ust !ne i"&!rtant tas' a
day )f!r e7a"&le$ !utline a y!%a w!r'sh!&, s'y&e with a &!ssible c!#h!st f!r a wellness
eent, !r brainst!r" ideas f!r y!ur ne7t e#b!!'* y!u can c!ns!lidate y!ur usually
scattered ener%y and can en8!y a true sense !f acc!"&lish"ent when y!u c!"&lete y!ur
!ne t!#d!( +t-s a win#win(
". Stop #omparing
:s&ecially when we-re 8ust startin% !ut in !ur y!%a careers, it-s easy t! fall int! a &lace
!f c!nstant c!"&aris!n( /hether it-s c!"&arin% class attendance nu"bers, &erceied
teachin% s'ills, !r inc!"e, it-s hard n!t t! l!!' at the successes !f !thers as an
indicati!n that y!u-re n!t d!in% en!u%h( +nstead !f %ettin% d!wn !n y!urself, celebrate
e7actly where y!u are in y!ur y!%a business and life )because y!u-re e7actly where y!u
need t! be*( A&&reciate the sweetness !f this sta%e, and cultiate %ratitude f!r all the a"a3in% thin%s that are %!in% well in y!ur current y!%a business and life$ y!ur
l!in% students, y!ur deel!&in% teachin% !ice, y!ur eer#&resent a"biti!n, y!ur a"a3in%ly su&&!rtie fa"ily, y!ur clear isi!n f!r the future, !r y!ur heartfelt dedicati!n t!
sharin% y!ur 'n!wled%e(
4. Stop and Breathe
;!w !ften d! y!u %ie y!urself a brea' durin% the day1 /ell, if y!u d!n-t currently
%ie y!urself &er"issi!n t! <d! n!thin%= )een f!r 8ust a few "inutes*, it-s ti"e t!
rethin' y!ur strate%y( + can &ers!nally attest t! the fact that the si"&le &ractice !f ta'in%
"ini#brea's will "a'e y!u feel w!rlds#better ab!ut eerythin% in y!ur business and life(
2!, the ne7t ti"e y!u-re rushin%, feelin% stressed, find that y!u,re c!"&arin% y!urself t!
!thers, !r feel s!"e self#d!ubt cree&in% in, st!&( >ust st!&( Cl!se y!ur eyes, and f!cus
!n y!ur breath( 4!n-t y!u feel better already1 As y!%is, we 'n!w first#hand the
i""ense benefit !f breath w!r', but if y!u-re anythin% li'e "e, y!u d!n-t always
&ractice what y!u &reach(
5hr!u%h!ut y!ur w!r'day, %ie y!urself full &er"issi!n t! ta'e a few three t! fie "inute brea's where y!u st!&, chec'#in with y!urself, and &ractice a few r!unds !f u88ayi
breath( 5his will return y!u t! y!ur center s! y!u can e"brace, !nce "!re, what-s true and %!!d in y!ur y!%a business and life(
$he %o&er of Your Breath'
(nderstanding %ranayama
By Car!lyn Anne Bud%ell 4ece"ber 20th, 201? 114@? Views
9!thin% lifts "e u& li'e a s!lid, dee& breath( +t used t! be a %lass !f wine that relieed
"e, !r watchin% h!urs !f 2e7 and the City !r f!rcin% "yself t! ta'e a sweaty &!wer
y!%a class( +-" still %uilty !f all the ab!e but + n!w f!ll!w "y %ut )ahe", "y lun%s*
when l!!'in% f!r &eace rather than the &ersuasi!ns !f "y "ind( +t t!!' f!urteen years !f &racticin% y!%a t!
reach this &!int(
BreathA /hat-s the bi% deal1 +t-s c!""!nly referred t! as$ a life f!rce, &urifier !f t!7ic ener%y, a de#stress!r )!r a s!urce !f an7iety*( Breathin%
is h!w !ur !r%ans receie !7y%en and it is an a%ent f!r hel&in% t! find &auses in ti"e !r &auses bef!re reacti!ns( +t is sy"b!lic in its &!wer as the %ier !f life fr!" the first
breath in as a newb!rn t! the final e7&irati!n at the end !f life( As Be!r% 6euerstein says it makes sense to want our every breath to count and yoga makes this possible."
5his senti"ent is what "a'es a y!%a &ractice s&ecial$ !&enin% t! a dee& a&&reciati!n f!r
!ur inherent ability t! breathe and create cal" in !ur lies( Pranayama )breath
e7&ansi!n !r breath c!ntr!l* techniCues are intenti!nal breathin% e7ercises that are
inc!r&!rated int! y!%a classes( Breathin% is united with &!ses and "!e"ent, &racticed
durin% "editati!n &ractice( D!u c!uld een c!nsci!usly &ractice while wal'in% d!wn
the street( .e%ular pranayama &ractice is a bi% deal because it can alter the state !f any
ner!us syste"(
Slow, deep, rhythmic breathing causes a reflex stimulation of the parasympathetic
nervous systemthe rest, relax and digest part of the nervous systemtherefore reducing
the heart rate, relaxing the muscles, relaxing the mind and normaliing brain function!
# Be!r%ina M!r%an(
"hen you learn the breathing techni#ues it will positively affect your actions and
thoughts. $very thought we have changes the rhythm of our breath. "hen we are
happy, breathing is rhythmic and when we are stressed breathing is irregular and
interrupted. %astering the art of breathing is a crucial step towards self&healing and
survival" # 9ahid A"een(
5!day + dr!&&ed int! a y!%a class in 9ew D!r' City and n! "atter h!w dili%ently the
teacher e"&hasi3ed '((ayi pranayama, the erratic breathin% habits !f y!%is ar!und "e
were &r!n!unced( One &ers!n ne7t t! "e w!uldn-t )!r &erha&s c!uldn-t* st!&(((
her er!tic si%hin%( ;er e"!ti!ns were dri&&in% !ff her( One &ers!n in fr!nt !f "e was
ta'in% such sh!rt breaths, it-s n! w!nder they 'e&t "anically &acin% fr!" the &r!& wall
t! the water f!untain thr!u%h!ut class( + left class sli%htly disheeled and feelin% li'e +
had "is&laced that feelin% !f oneness that !ften lin%ers after &ractice( +t-s these
"!"ents that + re"e"ber we all hae t! start the &r!cess !f chan%in% habits
s!"ewhere(
+ wal'ed !ut int! the dierse cr!wds in the streets !f 9ew D!r' and !bsered all the
&e!&le 3i&&in% &ast "e as indiidual c!ntainers in which ener%y and breath are created
and need t! be harnessed( 9! "atter !ur leel !f e7&erience !r what state !ur "inds are
in, a %r!unded c!nnecti!n t! !urseles and !thers is attained thr!u%h awareness !f
breath( /e "ust all return h!"e t! the in!luntary and natural acti!n !f breath(
.eturnin% h!"e is a sha'y 8!urney that in!les st!&s al!n% the way, %ettin% l!st,
as'in% f!r %uidance and, at best, ta'in% a few ste&s f!rward(
My teacher says that we !nly use ab!ut 70E !f !ur lun% ca&acity, a nu"ber that + share
with students in class t! e7&ress h!w we e7clude a &art !f !urseles in !ur daily
interacti!ns( Our "inds and breaths rarely w!r' in synchr!nicityFn!w that-s a bi% dealG
+n si"&lest ter"s, pranayama is a way t! find c!ntr!l when any illness !r i"balance
ta'es !er( + li'e t! hae c!ntr!l !er "y breath, "y reacti!ns, "y schedule and
basically whateer st!r"s ru"ble "y way( + l!e intr!ducin% pranayama in this way t!
students$ ta'e the &!wer bac'G D!u-re the b!ss !f y!ur life and y!ur breath( 4!n-t let
that water f!untain f!!l y!u( D!u are the b!ss( 5his &ers&ectie w!r's, initially(
9aturally, when learnin% ab!ut breath, we need a h!!' )f!r e7a"&le$ "y e"!ti!ns are
!ut !f c!ntr!l !r + cann!t sit still durin% y!%a class* and a startin% &!int )a style !f
pranayama that will tend t! "y dis#ease* t! enc!ura%e us that we can create chan%e( /e
need t! be c!ninced that it-s w!rthwhile t! H"a'e eery breath c!unt(H
+ str!n%ly beliee that y!%a teaches us awareness and self#c!ntr!l( + used t! &reach
ab!ut the self#e"&!wer"ent + disc!ered thr!u%h breath and "!e"ent but "y tune
chan%ed as "y relati!nshi& with self and breath chan%ed( My drie t! test "y &hysical
li"its and f!cus !n intense pranayama w!r' has(((
differently and at different sta%es in y!ur life( M!re and "!re, y!%a and pranayama
teach us t! let %! !f c!ntr!l and t! trust that the unierse and the breath will fill y!u(
5hey always hae(