BIKRAM YOGA POSE 1
The first pose that I will begin to master is BIKRAM YOGA POSE 1 ~STANDING DEEP BREATHING!
I LOVE YOGA! I love yoga not for the poses but for the strength and peace I find through focusing on my breath. I close my eyes and I breathe – my practice is a moving meditation!
Most of us breathe shallow breaths through our chests but if you watch a baby sleep you will notice their bellies expanding and contracting! Our natural way of breathing as children is to breathe deeply through our belly button up. We turn into chest breathers as we experience stress and hold our breath!
Breathing from the belly button up has many benefits. Personally, I find pranayama (deep breathing) helps to calm my mind and body, it helps me focus and concentrate on my practice, warms my body from the inside out.
Here are the instructor’s dialogue for STANDING DEEP BREATHING!
Inhale by the nose and exhale by the mouth.
Inhale and exhale should be through the throat.
Breath as much as possible, as long as possible, as slow as possible.
Breath in by the nose, and out the mouth, but all the time through the throat.
Nose and mouth are only a passageway.;
Feet together nicely, toes and heels touching each other.
All ten fingers interlocked nicely under the chin, full grip.
Always your hands touching the chin like glue.
Nice and relaxed shoulders. Swallow a couple of times.
Look in the mirror. Concentrate. Meditate.
Inhale, head down, arms up, start please…
Full lungs.
Exhale, head up.
Push your head back. Way, way, way back.
Bring your elbows forward, elbows touching each other, away from your chest.
Eyes open.
Inhale, head down.
Look in the mirror.
Elbows up to the ceiling as far as possible.
Chest up, spine straight, stomach in, full lungs.
Exhale, head up.
Very slowly. Push your hands on the chin.
Eyes open. Look all the way back, until you see the wall behind you.
Elbows together, touching each other.
Wait for me, please.
Inhale, head down.
1–2–3–4–5–6, hold it.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back.
1–2–3–4–5–6, hold it.
Inhale, head down.
Very slowly. Use your throat.
Suck your stomach in, rib cage visible in the mirror.
Look in the mirror, head down, elbows up, full lungs.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back.
Now, hips a little bit forward. Hips muscles contracting, tightening up.
Eyes open, elbows together, please don’t close your eyes.
Wait for me.
Inhale, head down.
Each time, especially towards the end, try to inhale a little bit more than the last time, more, and more, and more, and more.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back, until your neck hurts a little bit.
Grip tight, ten fingers (including the thumbs) interlocked position.
Inhale, head down.
Look in the mirror. Stomach in, depression of the abdominal wall.
Full lungs.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back.
1–2–3–4–5–6, eyes open.
Inhale, head down.
Don’t close your eyes, you might feel dizzy.
Stomach in, open your rib cage, open your lungs.
Full lungs.
Exhale, head up.
Take your time. The slower you do is better.
Elbows forward more, away from your chest, as far as it goes.
Again inhale, head down.
Use your throat when you’re inhaling.
All the way up.
Full lungs, until you feel dizzy.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back. Way, way, way back.
Elbows forward, elbows touching each other.
Inhale, head down.
Stomach, stomach, stomach, depression of abdominal wall, contraction of the abdominal muscles.
Suck it in, tightening up. Hold it.
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back.
Exhale all the air out, all the way out.
The more you exhale, the more fresh oxygen you inhale next time.
Inhale, head down.
Stomach in, chest up, open your rib cage, open your lungs.
Full lungs, until you feel dizzy.
Exhale, head up.
Push your head back.
Hips forward, hips muscles tight, spine straight.
Ten fingers grip tight, elbows together.
And that’s enough.
Arms down side.
Stand still there, shoulders relaxed, look in the mirror, don’t move.
——————–
Second Set.
Feet together nicely, please.
Again, hands touching the chin.
Swallow a couple of times.
Ready, everybody together, please.
Start, inhale.
Arms and head movement synchronizing, should be exactly together in six seconds.
Exhale, head up.
Push your head back.
Grip tight, cross your thumbs.
Ten fingers interlocked, including your thumbs.
Look back, look back, look back. Elbows touching each other, away from your chest.
[Continue 2nd set. Both sets should be 10 times inhale and exhale].
Inhale, head down.
Very slowly, not so quick.
Take six seconds to bring your head down.
The slower you go, you do better. You use your lungs more.
Keep your weight on the heels.
Only the arms and head move.
Spine perfectly straight. Don’t let your chest collapse. No hunchback.
Stomach in, ribs sticking out, both sides of the chest.
The more you suck your stomach in, you use more of your lungs.
Chest up, elbows up as high as possible, until your shoulders hurt.
Open up your chest and rib cage, stretching the intercostal muscles of the ribs, expanding your lungs to their maximum expansion capacity.
The more your lungs opening, you hold more air in the lungs, improving the elasticity of the lungs.
Elbows up, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up.
Each time, you’ve got to inhale more.
[for last one: Use your extra strength, a very strong one. Full lungs, until you feel dizzy].
Exhale, head up.
Slowly push your head back.
Hips a little bit forward, towards the mirror.
Hips muscles solid, concrete, one piece.
Weight in the heels, spine perfectly straight, don’t let your chest collapse.
No backward bending, only the arms and head move.
Don’t let the knuckles go away from the chin. Grip tight.
Shoulders completely relaxed. Deltoids forward, with scapula, shoulder blades.”
The script is a lot but I find it to be the best way of getting the experience that I would get if I was in an actual Bikram yoga class.
Namaste!
