Why I love slow paced yoga!
I have always enjoyed doing yoga at a slow pace for several reasons:
- It is a more meditative experience
- I have tracheobronchomalacia and VCD which affect my breathing abilities/comfort level
- I get my cardio workout in other ways like cycling
Yesterday I recorded a YouTube video that focuses on relatively simple yoga asanas practiced slowly and combined with breath practice to help anybody with breathing issues to begin to train their body to breathe with yoga movements in a synchronized manner.
Vinyasa is the practice of breathing with movements in yoga but most vinyasa flow classes (even beginner ones) fail to acknowledge that it is very difficult for people with medical conditions that affect their breathing to be able to participate fully in a class.
This sequence is focused on breath! The poses were chosen specifically for their usefulness in teaching breath focused yoga!
Your breath determines the length of time you take moving in to a pose! Length of time performing each pose is based on your breath in and subsequent readiness to exhale!
What seems like an easy concept is made harder when you are in a yoga class with 20 other people breathing and moving at their often faster pace!
This sequence was designed to allow you to practice it daily and when practiced regularly will slowly build your skills as a yoga participant! So check it out and if you know someone with a medical condition that impacts their breathing send them the YouTube link if you think they might enjoy this beginners breath focused asana practice!
Pop to my download webpage to download the printable sequence!
I want to delve deeper in the coming weeks and months into the science behind "somatic movement" this article is a great intro to the concept:
This style of focused movement has benefits way beyond the normal health benefits associated with yoga and exercise generally. And it makes yoga accessible to more people with varied needs.
One of my favorite yoginis is Kristine Weber and she teaches "Subtle Yoga" I love her style and find it fits well into my own interests, I plan to take a course of hers once I finish YTT300 but in the mean time she has tons of great content on YouTube like this:
