by S.L. Jordan
Listen. Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life? – Mary Olive
First. Let me just say, I am a lover of words and this quote?!?!? Knocked the breath out of me, just a lil. I am currently reading and consumed with a memoir entitled, "When Breath becomes Air". And, my goodness, I have been obsessing over that title, the word play, how it ties into the story, what it implies, and everything in between.
Seriously. Just sit with that title for a minute and ponder the word choice and placement.
Diction matters.
Carrying on though, this post is not about me being a sapiosexual. It's about PRANAYAMA - DUH! Follow me as I connect the dots, okay? And don't forget to breath.
For non-yogis and those outside of the sphere of Wellness/Health/Mindfulness you may hear people talking about breath and the power of accessing it and think, "there they go with that hippie stuff". If that is you, I can relate. Before I started doing yoga, I was like, but we all breathe every day. It's an automated function for everything on the planet.
Because I do not believe in coincidences, when my friend Jon-Jon invited me to a special Fall Equinox yoga class at the Heights School of Yoga I knew there was something there for me. I'm still consumed with the word play of the memoir I am reading - it's SO rich with lush prose and language. I had just come back from ATL and having taken a Hatha Class that introduced me to a different way to access breath. I purchased this book while at a Crystal Shop in Five Points. The Prana was all around me.
My curiosity was already piqued. Breath abated.
Our teacher was Pam Johnson. She is a DEEP WELL of experience and has been teaching Vinyasa Karma Yoga for over 35 years.
Our capacity to listen starts with the Breath. Become a connoisseur of the art of listening. Begin to notice how the micro circuity of your Breath unravels your nervous system, merges into your attitudes, thoughts and moods, and leads you to the present moment of meditation. - Pam Johnson
I walked into the intimate studio. The space was dimly lit with hushed voices as yogis checked in. A musician was seated up front playing softly as we set up for class. Pam gave a brief explanation to the structure of the class before we began, which I appreciated. As a newbie to the studio, it was nice to know what was expected of me and what I could expect from the class.
The class itself was a mix of Meditation, Sound Bath Healing, Asana, and major Breath work. With Ujjayi breathe, the pattern is a simple 4 count inhale through the nose, slight pause at the bottom, and 4 count exhale through the nose with another pause before restarting the cycle. There is some manipulation to the throat muscles to bring about the "Dragon/Victorious Breath" effect resulting in an audible sound.
We started with a short Sound Bath, sans bowls, he played a tribal instrument. In order to access our breathe, we took a series of deep breaths in a seated meditative pose before moving on to Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing. I've have practiced this pranayama before to bring balance to the left and right sides of my brain.
We did a few rounds of that and linked our breath to movement for a simple asana practice. I won't go much into the physical practice as the "Breath" was the main character. I was introduced to another form of pranayama called, Kumbhaka, as defined by B.K.S. Iyengar it is the "retention or holding the breath, a state where there is no inhalation or exhalation." Listen, when I tell you it was intense. I am NOT playing around.
This was an advanced class, so the count was 8-8-8-8. 8 second inhale, 8 seconds of retention, 8 second exhale, and 8 seconds of retention. THAT 8 SECONDS of retention AFTER the exhale?!?!?! With no air flowing in or out. Complete emptiness?! It was a struggle turning off the automation in my body. The circuity in my body demanded an inhale. Pam referred to the retention of breath as a type of meditation. I found ease in the retention after the inhale and tension after the exhale.
The class opened my eyes to the practice that is pranayama, it IS a practice in itself.
I would like to add this studio is within walking distance of my house, and it has been on my list to try out since I moved. I've been gallivanting around the world celebrating 40th birthdays that I hadn't had a chance to check it out. Thankful for Jon-Jon extending the invite.
As always, I recorded a video in the wild after class to capture my immediate thoughts. I probably could've edited this a bit more but listen - I'm here to give it to you unfiltered and unedited.
Here are some articles about pranayama and the techniques mentioned above.
I had to do it yall - and it's still a BOP.
Meet Me on the Ma'at
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