Sandy at Grotty Yachty hope you don’t mind me sharing this!
I always cue students to remember to breathe in a yoga class. Sandy attended one of my Down Under Rally Bundaberg classes last year. Half way through class, this voice yells from the back a bit exasperated “How can you not!” a few giggles from the class. My reply, “Some people hold their breath,” “Oh” she says.
Cueing breath helps students relax muscles in the body and they receive more benefits, more flow of oxygen throughout the body, and more release of carbon dioxide, ultimately more benefits from the poses.
Our inhalations bring oxygen into the lungs, which gets absorbed into the blood and carried throughout the body. The oxygen is used or made into the energy we need to break down food, maintain bodily functions and do all physical activity.
It is a given, we breathe without thinking about it, but when we are exercising or concentrating, or in a stressful situation, for instance, your sailing & the weather changes dramatically, your caught off guard, the body tenses & goes on high alert, the breath changes depending on how you manage the situation, when you are taught to control your breath in Yoga it shows up in these types of situations, allowing you to be calmer and more controlled.
Breath…Mind… Body… Control.
It is important however to remember that our inhalations of oxygen are only as good as our exhalations of carbon dioxide.
Find a space , roll out your mat … Namaste!
extract's from http://www.scq.ubc.ca/ by Aizita Magaña
leayogathoughts 