Go For the BREATH
Ujjay pranayama -
The Victorious Breath
Yogis are convinced that everything is prana (energy). The breath links the physical and energetic universe. By applying the correct breathing technique you can open a gateway to unlimited energy. The correct breathing technique for Ashtanga Yoga is Ujjay pranayama.
Go for the GAZE
Drishti, the Sanskrit term for sight, direction or focused gaze, is a tool used in asana practice, traditionally Ashtanga, to bring you closer to dharana (concentration) and pratyahara (sense withdrawal). Practicing drishti teaches you to control your wandering eyes, limit your intake of external stimuli and thus manage your mind instead of allowing it to manage you. These components of the eight limbs of yoga – asana, dharana and pratyahara - along with the others of yamas, niyamas, pranayama, and dhyana support the ultimate yoga goal of attaining enlightenment, or samadhi.
Not only does a fixed gaze limit visual stimuli and distraction, it also enhances your physical practice by preserving and directing your energy, enhancing alignment and even deepens a pose. Think about it. Low Lunge with an upward gaze lifts the chest, lengthens the spine, sinks the hips much more so than if we collapse the chest, hunch shoulders and look down at the toes. Downward Facing Dog’s drishti is the navel, encouraging the lifting up and back of the tailbone instead of rounding the spine to check out your pedicure.
Go for the BANDHAS
Mulabandha is not just for experienced yoga students. It is not an ‘add-on’ to the practice; it is one of the building blocks in establishing sound mind-body movement patterns and is helpful for beginners commencing their journey on the road of a life-long yoga practice.
So what is Mulabandha? How do we use it in yoga practice? What benefits does it?
Mulabandha and other bandhas are part of a larger grouping called mudras, meaning ‘muscle control’, ‘restraint’, ‘seal’ or ‘lock. Bandha means to ‘bind’ or ‘bond’. The word ‘lock’ is particularly relevant because ‘unlocking’ the power of Mulabandha takes patience, practice and clarity of mind but the time and effort will be rewarded as your yoga practice develops over the years.
