Yoga Stories Episode 11: Pranayama

This week, after a week off, Matt has baked diabetic cookies for Monica. They turn out to be not so bad in the end... 

Our discussion focuses on Pranayama. More than breathing exercises, it's a way to expand and control Prana, the energy that animates not only us, our minds and bodies, but the whole Universe. Matt gets very excited about the reading he's been doing on Prana, from Vivekananda's lecture series. Intensifying, concentrating and controlling Prana are ways to "put more coal in your steam engine" (those lectures are more than 100 years old but quote the cutting edge of Physics at the time). 

Monica guides us through a number of pranayama techniques, simple as well as a little more advanced. As a practice, even longstanding yogis can struggle to make it part of their regular practice. But don't be put off. Yoga is an experiential science. Try it and observe the effects. But do it with some awareness of what you're doing: it's your responsibility to research and when needed, find a teacher. 

Popular culture mentions this week are, of course, "Frozen", but also Star Wars. But it turns out that Monica isn't best placed to chat about the similarities of "The Force" and Prana...

Namaste Folks!