yoga with jeff
Based in household yoga practices of more than 40 years, Jeff’s yoga work will include group sessions, and additional content not focused exclusively on posture. That additional content will include 9 Minutes or LESS, and will include THE PRANA PROJECT. Jeff will share therapeutic, maintenance, and training that alternate between the Playful (Lila) and the Heroic (Vira). Look for an occasional Book Review, Interview, Creative Adventure, or Personal Note in realms practical and imaginative.
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Live Streamed on September 5, 2025 8:53 AM ET
Jeffry Farrell / yoga with jeff@jeffryfarrell
September 05, 2025
Samatva Week 4
Today I will not count out loud but will cycle my own breath up to a 40 count inhale, 40 count exhale. Today’s video is not for the first time. The breathing practices can be powerful, potentially disorienting and even damaging. Traditionally, the practice of breath in its many, many variations is taught directly from teacher to student present together. So, for greatest benefit go back on this site to Samatva Week 1, and work your way through.
As always with the Pranayama — do not force the breath. Sit in any way you can be comfortable so you do not fidget. We will build up and then drop down, stair-stepping the breath, counting higher, then dropping back to sometime to one half, until at the end we will drop the count all the way back to ten inhale and ten exhale.
The purpose is not for lung capacity first. That will happen. Our purpose is for diaphragmatic control. It is about how the mind’s attention can pace the presence of breath. Then, one can observe other benefits, both physically and on more subtle levels.
Finally, if i were to notate the breath count we would begin 3:3. We build to 10:10. Drop back to 6:6 and double the next breath to 12:12. We proceed in this step-wise process today until with a 20:20 count we jump to 40:40, back and forth until we return to 10:10 for several breaths. Total number of breaths at least 36, and total time about 12 minutes.
ps. It’s always good to have tissues at hand.
00:12:30
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Picking up hand balances again after years away.
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.
00:00:52
Morning practice, Wake Up With Yoga
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.
00:08:18
Friday Livestream 4th of July
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....
