If you have ever taken a yoga class, you will notice that breath is a big part of it. Whether it is Bikram, Ashtanga, Forrest, Anusara, postures are facilitated by breath. There are a lot of different types of yogic breath: kapalbhati, ujjayi, pranayama, and so forth. The amazing part about yogic breath is that it always has a purpose and an intention... if we are flowing vinyasa style, we follow the pattern of one breath one movement, if we are in a Bikram class, we use our ujjayi breathing to build internal heat. The power of breath can completely change your yoga practice. I have a daily practice, something I committed to long ago, and will be the first to say that sometimes I really do not want to be in class. We as people have a lot going on all the time, between our thoughts, our schedules, making time for people, making time for ourselves, you name it... everybody is busy. Some days I cannot help but think about what I have to do next in the day, or a fight I got into with a friend, or sometimes I am just straight up hungry. Regardless of what is going on, be it distractions on my mat (teacher's music being terrible) or general life crap, I know that the only thing I have to do to be more present and effective in that moment is to shift my perspective. That's where breath work comes in. The concept of shifting your perspective takes will power and a severe conscious effort. There are times when I walk into class, I put my mat down, I get into child's pose, where I usually begin, I start breathing, and then the instructor walks in to teach. My assumption in that moment is that I am going to get what I need from the class in order to go forth with my day and essentially solve all my issues. Not always the case. Sometimes the first song on the playlist is something I really can't stand and judgement sets in REAL fast.
"Seriously? This gal likes this crap? Ugh... Ok, Clare, it's not about the music, you are here for a reason." Focus, intention, and breath are powerful tools to use when trying to come into a space of non judgment. The real challenge is staying in this mindset for 60 minutes... it ain't easy.
In Baptiste's book he has a great way of explaining breath. Aside from this breath "releasing your body's potential" he explains breath as raw energy, that "with every inhalation you literally bring new life into your body, with every exhalation you clean house." I understand that these analogies can be VERY cheesy and literal. I get it. However, when you start actually believing that breath can change things, it works.
My part time job is a glorified cubicle job. I answer phone calls. That's it. But you gotta do what you gotta do right? Rent doesn't pay for itself. As irritating as this job can be, I have not only chosen to take this job at my own will, but it is the best way for me to practice breath work. Whether it's some pissed off customer from California or my uptight supervisor, the best way to learn how to not take shit personally is to take a deep breath! It's so much more than just being a bigger person.... it's not really about that, because that really just comes back to ego. I think about it more as choosing your battles. Because at the end of the day we have a choice whether we want to react or not, like I have talked about before. So when I have a coworker snapping at me for something I view as minimal, I can choose to bitch and complain about her attitude, or I can choose to take a deep breath and not make it my own. I'm not saying it isn't fun to powwow about people's crappy attitudes, because it is, but it really doesn't serve anybody, and as fun as it may be, it starts to affect you the moment you decide to prolong the situation.
Bit by bit the moments we choose to deal with things differently, are the moments when personal growth start to actually move.
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