04: Guided Breathing Practices (starts with 15-minute talk)

The breath is essential for life and at the heart of yoga practice. Yet breathing is often difficult or disturbed, and in yoga it more refined techniques are often said to be dangerous and kept secret unless one is "blessed" to receive the teachings. In this episode, Mark first discusses breathing and pranayama (for about 15 minutes), offering some historical and philosophical perspective. He then gives a guided practice – basically the same daily morning practice he's been doing for the past 18 years.

Tune in here to learn more about breathing in life and yoga.

Episode Highlights:

• A brief talk on breath, prana, and pranayama (breath cultivation practices), scanning the topic form ancient times to the present;
• Preparing for a safe, comfortable, sustainable, and potentially transformational pranayama practice;
• A guided practice practice with several techniques, including ujjayi, sama/visama vriiti, viloma, antara/bahya kumbhaka, kapalabhati, and nadi shodhana (all translated into and presented in plain English);
• References and links to resources for further and deeper exploration.

Sources & Links Mentioned:

• Online 17-Hour Pranayama Course Starts May 5
• Mark's Website
• Mark's Books
• Valerie Roebuck, The Upanishads
• Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (c. 325 CE
• Swami Swatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (early 15th century)

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