How to breathe during yoga practice

I often get asked the question, how am I supposed to breathe when I practice yoga?  

When first learning yoga, the simplest answer is to breathe in through your nose and out through your nose because focusing too much on the breath makes things complicated.

You first have to learn how to get into the pose before you can begin to focus on your breath.  Just remembering to breathe can be a challenge.

As you practice yoga, the breath begins to guide you and makes for a deeper awareness of your body and mind in your practice. 

The important thing to think about when working with the breath is the inhale expands, opens, and feed you. The exhale brings you more depth, strength, and softness.

The inhale will open your chest, expand your rib cage, feed your muscles oxygen, create space for all your organs, expand your mind, and feed your soul. The exhale will allow you to go deeper, stretch more, contract your muscles, become stronger and relax deeply.  It quiets your mind and softens your soul.

As you move through your practice and get into your poses, take a moment to stop and feel the inhale, feel what it does for your body and mind and then the exhale and do the same.

Feel, Breathe, Feel, Breathe and Move.

Tell me a time when your breath really served you in your practice and in your life?  Visit the comment section below and share with us.

Love Shauna