Yoga Day : Jasmine Trust – Retford : 2nd July
Yoga & the Infinite Potential of Breathing!
with Chris Noon
Breathing is fundamental to health & well-being. It is equally fundamental to the practice of Yoga.
In Yoga we first learn about the mechanics of breathing, making sure the body is breathing as it is designed to. We breathe more than 20,000 times every day so the way the body breathes is important.
Once we develop our awareness & control of breathing we can use it to give a whole new dimension to our Yoga practice and to our lives; the possibilities for the breathing become limitless!
Physiologically, every exhalation is an act of releasing tension – the respiratory muscles relax. In Yoga we take this ‘letting go’ to a much deeper level. We learn to use the breathing to let go of mental as well as physical tension, to let go of worries, limitations, conditioning etc.
This potential for letting go is there in every breath we take and reminding ourselves of it will be part of the workshop.
Breathing is key to Yoga posture work; it is the breathing which makes the postures Yoga practice. In this day we will use breathing to delve deeper into asana. We will use it to maintain awareness, to keep us ‘present’ while we practice.
We will use breathing to enhance the stretching and strengthening of the body. We will use it to make the postures ‘stronger’ – but stronger in a way which works with the body and avoids creating tension or strain.
In Pranayama we use breathing to work directly on the flow of prana / energy. The experience of energy flowing freely is one of lightness, clarity, vibrancy, harmony – it is an experience we all know through our Yoga practice.
The main Pranayama practice for this workshop is a wonderful sequence of techniques which together are gentle and accessible but which have a powerful, uplifting effect.
This sequence can become a sadhana (regular practice) which greatly benefits our lives.
Central to the sequence is Kevala Kumbhaka, the space between the breaths, where there is no need to breathe. In the stillness & silence of this space we might catch a glimpse of the reality which lies beneath the everyday chatter of the mind.
As always there will be relaxation & meditation and there is no better tool for relaxation and meditation than breathing!
Chris Noon first qualified to teach through the British Wheel of Yoga. He then completed an Integration Course with Swami Vedantananda Saraswati and now teaches in the Satyananda tradition.
Chris is an experienced teacher and has taught Yoga to a very wide range of people; this experience has given him a better understanding of the true potential of Yoga and how people can use it practically in daily life.
- Days are 10.00am – 4.00pm
- Cost £30.00
- Venue : Jasmine Trust Yoga Centre, Retford
- Contact Sheffield Yoga School to book a place.
