Yoga Wisdom

Lately I’ve been reading Liz Lark’s 1,001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom ~ Take your Practice Beyond the Mat. In fact, today as I picked up the book for a burst of inspiration I came across this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”

And as I was reading this in the morning over tea, blackberries, honey and toast, life became miraculously better with another burst of yogi wisdom in my cup of Yogi Tea with a charming quote on the teabag tag reading:

“The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment.”

Indeed we try!

In Lark’s book of wise yogi sayings there is a section I dig called Throughout Your Working Day ~ Establishing Self-Confidence. In this section I also recently discovered a wonderful yogi breathing exercise about energizing the spine (something anyone who sits in front of a computer will benefit from), and felt inspired to share here on FGS:

Krama breathing has the meaning “step” or “stage”. This method is known to enhance your sense of self by peacefully and gradually
filling your body with fresh life-force (known as Prana in Yoga).

This form of krama breathing divides your inhalation
into three parts, allowing for a full breath on the inhale and a soothing exhale:

Sit with your spine upright bringing your focus to your tail-bone and inhale the first third of breath from your tail-bone to the top of your pelvis, hold for a brief moment.
In the second phase of breath, try to feel your breath moving from the top of your pelvis to the space behind your heart, and again hold very lightly.
On the third part of the inhalation, try to sense your breath moving from your heart to the crown of your head, hold once more. Exhale, releasing the breath in a wave from the crown of your head to your tail-bone.

*Please note~Warm up to this centering exercise slowly and if you feel discomfort at any stage do not hold the breath as you inhale.

The above meditation is taught in exercise # 185 from 1,001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom.