Yoga Questions

[August]

Hi,

I've finally come to realize it would be good for me to get in some yoga into my routine.

I have only one yoga workout : Basic Yoga for Dummies. It has 12 basic poses, and a 30 minute Sun Salute. I like it but there are some questions I have. I'm quite limber as it is, but I feel like I would like to be more limbo throughout the torso.

These are probably really basic questions...but here goes:

1) Breathing - is that deep breathing coming from within the throat, or is it from the nose (by semi-closing the throat)? For example, the air is coming from my stomach and forced out my nose - like with a deliberate in and out push of air from my stomach?...or am I to consciously breath through my nose with some effort like on the verge of snoring?

2) In Downward Dog, is it better for the hands and feet to be farther away or closer? Or should the body make an even upside down V?

3) In Cobra, should the head go up and be held so that the face looks straight out, or is it okay to look upwards, bending the spine as far as it will comfortably stretch?

Many thanks for any advice!

 

[endorphin_junkie]

Hi August, quick answers for you, hope they help

Yoga breathing is often referred to as 'Ujai'. You do constrict your throat somewhat but after some practise it shouldn't really feel like effort. A slight constriction while breathing with your lower ribs to use the diaphragm. You should feel a lovely swirl of cool air entering your nostrils and down into your throat. The exhale from the belly will feel deliberate until your body re-learns to breathe efficiently (as we did as babies, chest breathing is learned and signals the brain that you are in stress mode, abdominal breathing is efficient and how we are anatomically built to breathe)

Thinking about a neutral spine will help in downdog and cobra. Your arms and legs should be far enough apart so that the heels are just off the mat and your shoulders down, back and broad. Make sure you don't collapse into the shoulder and compress through your cervical spine (neck) gently pull your shoulders away from your ears. It should feel like an 'active rest'. Imagine a great hand gently pressing your torso towards you legs, keep your back long.

Your bang on with cobra, only bend the spine as much as is a comfortable stretch. The cervical vertebrae are delicate and in my opinion it isn't prudent to habitually take them to maximum hyper extension. Others may disagree with me but the c-spine is usually the first part of the spine to degenerate so I prefer to be gentle with it. Cast your eyes upward during cobra and think about keeping the neck long. If your breathing is steady and easy then your doing it perfectly

Namaste
Laurie

 

[August]

Laurie,

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response for me. I'm going to copy paste it into my files so when I practice my yoga again tomorrow I can follow your instruction!

Much appreciation,
August