Integrating Yoga Breathing into a Practice to Feel More Balanced and Centered

Yesterday I had an appointment at my son’s school to discuss a stressful situation we’ve been dealing with involving one of his teachers. The mere thought of it was making me frustrated and anxious. So I did this breath-centered yoga practice (below) to help myself calm down and focus. And what do you know? After the practice, I floated into the director’s office perfectly calm and centered and was able to articulate my concerns without getting agitated. We were able to make some productive decisions.

That is the beauty of Pratiloma Ujjayi (yoga breathing technique). It doesn’t necessarily make you feel serene, but it helps you deepen your breath, even out your energy, find your center and focus your attention. Imagine approaching every important life decision from that place! Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Study Online with YogaUOnline and Marlysa Sullivan – Awaken the Psoas, Free the Breath: Yoga for Balancing the Core, Releasing the Lower Back, and Improving Well-being.

Insightful yoga practice tips in a course by Olga Kabel and YogaUOnline – Yoga for Every Body: How to Adapt Yoga Poses for Different Situations, Conditions, and Purposes.

Reprinted with permission from Sequence Wiz.

Educated as a school teacher, Olga Kabel has been teaching yoga for over 14 years. She completed multiple Yoga Teacher Training Programs but discovered the strongest connection to the Krishnamacharya/ T.K.V. Desikachar lineage. She had studied with Gary Kraftsow and American Viniyoga Institute (2004-2006) and received her Viniyoga Teacher diploma in July 2006 becoming an AVI-certified Yoga Therapist in April 2011. Olga is a founder and managing director of Sequence Wiz- a web-based yoga sequence builder that assists yoga teachers and yoga therapists in creating and organizing yoga practices. It also features simple, informational articles on how to sequence yoga practices for maximum effectiveness. Olga strongly believes in the healing power of this ancient discipline on every level: physical, psychological, and spiritual. She strives to make yoga practices accessible to students of any age, physical ability and medical history specializing in helping her students relieve muscle aches and pains, manage stress and anxiety, and develop mental focus.