Bikram Yoga Chadds Ford
Yoga for You
Start, please…
Pranayama Breathing, deep breathing, Good for the lungs and respiratory system…
Sound familiar? I hope so!
Strengthens:
- shoulders and deltoids
Stretches:
- Intercostal muscles,
- Ribcage,
- Shoulder joints,
- Scapulae,
- Ocular nerves.
Stimulates:
- Lungs,
- Nervous system,
- Circulatory system.
Benefits:
- Increases lung capacity.
- Increases lung efficiency.
- Opens the shoulders.
- Wakes up the body and prepares you for your moving meditation.
Pranayama breathing fills your lungs with six times more oxygen than a regular breath. Oxygen is a major source of energy for the body, so it is not unusual to feel dizzy during this exercise. Because you inhale through the throat (by way of the nose), air enters the body at a very high speed, rushing into the lower lobes of the lungs. As you lift your elbows, the ribcage opens, giving you more room for fresh oxygen.
The exhale detoxifies the lungs. When stale air is pushed from the bottom of the lungs, respiratory waste is released. As the eyes stretch back, the ocular nerve is stimulated. As the head tilts back, the cervical spine opens, preparing the body for backward bending. Pranayama breathing energizes the body, stimulates both the circulatory and nervous systems–and gets you ready for the next 90 minutes.
“To get the air where it belongs, you must pull it in steadily through your nose, until the pressure of it forces a snoring sound in the back of your throat.”
Bikram Yoga Chadds Ford 