Yoga helped me to develop patience, breath-work and an appreciation for all things gradual. I started yoga many years ago but for some reason resisted attending a class with others. It may have been a lack of understanding about the cost benefits or maybe it was body shame, truth be told it was likely both. Then late in 2019, something changed. I decided to try being in a class with others, I went alone with a $10 yoga mat from Kmart, I knew nobody and I had very little in terms of expectations. I was uncoordinated, hot, sweaty and very unsure about how I would ever get my body to do what I wanted it to do. Looking around at all the beautiful shapes others were able to hold I felt totally out of my depth. At the end of the class we reached Savasana (where you lay in corpse pose and enjoy the energy of the class melt into every muscle) I felt calm, like really calm for the first time, in what felt like years. I was hooked, I didn't know it then but 5 years later I still look to that moment in every class where I lay calmly listening to nothing but my breath to offer me peace and solace in what is always a hectic day. Yoga has brought balance into my life where there was nothing but rushing and striving before. Even the worst days can be neutralised with an hour of Yoga and I’m not sure now how I managed without it.
The breath and running
The breath-work I learned in Yoga gave me control and understanding of breathing that I had never been taught. I know that sounds silly but our bodies do so much for us automatically, and many of us are never shown how to control our breath, to control our bodies. An understanding of the combination and how they work together was never something I was aware of. Using the breath I was able to start running, intermittently and honestly - very slowly but I could stay calm to push myself in a healthy way to run a little longer each time. I had given up on running at least 20 times, being out of breath and at times in an asthmatic state, I thought it was impossible and that my body was incapable. Now, I am never going to be an athlete but I can run, I have successfully added this cardio into my fitness routine and I love it. I can use my breath to push myself gradually as and when I need to.
Long deep breaths
I was told by a trainer to breathe in twice and out once in rhythm with my running, this helped for the first 2 minutes but I was unable to sustain this pace. This technique was telling my body I was in distress. I was told by another trainer to breathe through the nose, it keeps the air warm it is less stressful for the body, and it will avoid any asthmatic response. Both of these techniques did nothing for me. My body wanted to run it was fit and able it was just the lungs that were not interested, I would get quickly puffed and give up, disappointed and disheartened. It sounds like such a simple thing, but to keep failing at something because I didn't understand my body or her limitations was frustrating.
One day I put on a podcast I listened intently to the topic being discussed, my breathing was natural, calm and through the mouth. When I got a little puffed I would take a deep breath and keep going. I did this while I ignored the rhythm of my feet tapping on the treadmill and I let the air move in and out just like I would via the nose in a Yoga class. It is calm and measured and I wasn’t overthinking it. In-out, in-out, in-out it wasn't rocket science it wasn’t overly complicated it was calm and consistent and before I knew it I could beat my previous time. Each week I would try to run for a little longer and eventually, I was able to turn it up and down as I needed. At this point, the confidence in the words ‘I can do this’ took over and the body just went along for the ride, knowing that everything was ok, there was no danger and it was fun to be running for fitness.
Using the breath on and off the mat
Staying calm during exercise, moments of stress and when handling new or surprising scenarios is a skill, and it’s one I feel many of us lack experience in. There is many a situation where breath-work will not be enough, trust me I understand it all seems a little too simple. However, what if a little bit of self-soothing enables you to be a little kinder to yourself, so you can be a little calmer in a stressful situation? My example of running is one thing and I appreciate it has a double benefit, as running, once I’d figured it out helps me to relieve stress and breathing helps me to stay calm while running. I can attest to the breathing having equally positive effects when used solo. Using it in everyday scenarios on and off the mat.
Imagine for a moment that you have someone yelling at you, telling you all their problems, sucking you into the drama of their life. Breathing calmly through your nose as they tell their story, allows you to assure your body that it is ok, it doesn’t need to respond or protect. Your job at this moment is to listen, at least until this person is done venting, yelling or blaming, once they feel heard they will have likely diffused themselves. All while you have soothed yourself - this then allows you to handle the situation in a calm and measured way. It's a far better outcome than any alternative.
It is easier said than done and there is no switch for this mechanism, but with practice, it can be something that helps maintain a healthy balance for the body. Reducing stress responses is good for every cell of our being.
My appreciation for the breath and its power came through yoga to running but now it spills into every day. What part of your life might need a few deep breaths?
Your body, your control
To avoid the body jumping into fight or flight and letting us panic. Learning to use breath to stay calm allowed me to run for the first time in my adult life, to hold poses I could only imagine 5 years prior, it gets me through difficult days, it sees me through anxious moments and most of all it reminds me how important my response is in any given moment. I try hard to look after myself and I do this in many ways but it all starts with breath. How do you look after you?
Examples of simple breathing techniques:
Box breathing:
Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breathe out for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4. Repeat for 4 rounds.
Sigh it out:
Breathe deeply in through the nose for a count of 6 then part the lips and sigh it out, let something go, repeat three times.
There are many types of breathing techniques these are the very basics. Try one see if you like it.
