The breath is the key factor that’s distinguishes our yoga wake up from an exercise routine.
The breath is that bridge between the mind and the body, the bridge between functions of somatic/voluntary action and autonomic action. The breath’s conscious practice allows many of the benefits.
Allow your breath to enter and exit from the nose. Why? Because we humans have nerve receptor sites at the back of the palate and base of the brain. This site receives information about your breath and signals the brain, the heart, all the internal organs, as well as glands. Your body receives “information” with the breath and coordinates your body’s systems. It regulates the body to the actions demanded of it. When we move in breath, and then find stillness in breath, the body is receptive to “re-regulation,” a type of fundamental re-set.
Ready? Re-set. Go. Three planes, lymphatics, joints, and shoulders/neck.
What is needed for hand balances? How do they build? How do we enter and exit? Where is shtira?
Beginning again means asking familiar questions and looking for the answers in the posture, observing what doesn’t work, and what does. Learning twice, and twice again in Beginners Mind.
I recorded this last night because I must be on the road during our usual time. Here we observe three planes of functional spinal movement with breath. I invite you to recall warm-ups of this past week and to practice from whatever you can recall. If you cannot recall, then reboot yr favorite livestream recording and use that.
This week marks the start of a new endeavor at the SAMURAI INTI Martial Arts Studio in Frisco. I’ll be teaching i a group class there at Sendai Sebastian Mejias ‘ dojo on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Although not a true morning wake up, the song remains the same.
Today’s practice is my first intentional movements with breath. Three planes, lymphatics, joints. That’s the way we address the experience written in our bodies like physical graffiti. Through our intentional breath and movement we recognize our state of being dazed and confused. We can move with grace through good times bad times. We awaken our bodies like houses of the holy. Not to say that our practice is a stairway to heaven, but we cannot hope to get clear and strong if we try to sneak in through the out door.
You don’t need to go down to the seaside, or over the hills and far away, or even to california. Practice wherever you are in the light.
And after practice? It’s a celebration day. Eat a Tangerine, I will listen LOUD to a British rock n roll band who made their fortune in the U.S. of A. I will boogie with Stu and my black dog. These are dancing days. Led Zep is dead, long live Led Zep....