Mindfulness on the Go

MOVEMENT: SIMPLE YOGA AND BREATHING PRACTICES

Yoga is one of the most important aspects of Ayurveda. In this chapter, you will learn how to move your body, how to connect to yourself, how to use your breath, and simple practices to squeeze in during your busy day to keep your body thriving.

Prana: How to Maximize Your Breath and Breathe Better

I know it seems pretty obvious to say that we need to breathe in order to live, but did you know you can use your breath to maximize your life span, combat stress, and manipulate the energetic flow in your body?

The Sanskrit word prana means both “life-force energy” and “breath;” it doesn’t have a single direct translation or function. When we talk about prana in Ayurveda, we are talking about giving more life to the body, mind, and spirit on a subtle level. Prana is the root source of all the energy in the universe. All forces of nature are manifestations of prana. Think about your breath as a subtle force that not only fills your physical body with life-giving energetic oxygen but also fills your mind and emotional body with energetic vitality. When we inhale deeply and consciously, we breathing oxygen into our lungs as well as taking in the environment and knowledge found in all of life.

Prana is the driving force behind all things. It is prana that keeps things moving in and around us. Without prana, life is gray, dark, cloudy, and full of stagnant energy. With prana, life is bright, creative, open, full, loving, and flowing. Prana can be found in the food we eat, the liquid we drink, the air we breathe, the warmth of the sun, and the people and places around us. This is why relationships feel so good, we are transferring this pranic energy from person to person.

Ayurveda teaches that illness and symptoms of sickness are clear manifestations of obstructed or decreased pranic flow. If you aren’t sure of how to begin healing yourself, a good place to start is by practicing conscious breathing. What does it mean to be conscious of your breath? It means that you are aware of your own inhale/exhale and you can feel the energy of the air flowing in and out of your body.

So, are you getting all of the prana you deserve? Answer the following questions as honestly as possible:

Am I using my breath wisely?
Am I gaining energy from the air I breathe, the food I eat, and the relationships I have?
Do I utilize my full lung capacity?
Am I aware of my surroundings?
Do I gain strength from my breath?
Do I deplete my energy with activities or people?
Am I draining the energy of other people with my own energy?
Is my life stressful and chaotic?
Am I able to redirect negative energy into positive feelings?
Is it hard for me to focus?
Do I waste a lot of time and procrastinate daily?
Are my thoughts, actions, and words overly self-critical and negative?

These questions are intended to help you see where you are on your journey, what areas you can improve upon, and where any imbalances may lie.

Simple Breathing Exercise to Increase Prana and Release Stress

This exercise is called a pranic breath. Start with one pranic breath and work your way up (in your own time) to ten. Do this practice at least once a day.

Sit comfortably, cross-legged on the floor, if possible. You can use a bolster or blankets to prop your legs up or lean against a wall to help you sit up tall. Try to relax your shoulders, allowing your shoulder blades to roll down your back toward your waist. This will help to lift your chest up and create space for your ribcage to move freely.
Place your palms together in front of your heart. Push with pressure against both palms to create an activation of energy between both spheres of the body.
Gently close your lips and focus only on breathing through your nose.
Inhale for the count of ten, breathing in deeply though your nose and drawing your breath down into your lungs. Feel the breath expanding in your ribcage and trickling down into your belly, expanding deeper and wider. Imagine this breath as a golden white light that is pulling in all of Mother Nature’s beautiful invigorating energy and sucking it deep into your body.
Once your lungs and belly are full of this life-giving air, hold your breath for the count of ten (or as long as possible). Focus all of this energy to your third eye (the middle point in between your eyebrows). Imagine this space filling with all the golden white light that is building and swirling with prana.
Exhale for the count of ten. As you slowly exhale, imagine the golden white light showering over your whole body and leaving you energized and with all your senses vital.

Ayurveda and Yoga: How to Move for Your Dosha

Ayurveda is not just about eating for your mind-body type but also heavily incorporates lifestyle practices like movement. Yoga is a sister science to Ayurveda, which is why it is the recommended type of movement for the lifestyle you are building. It’s not necessary for you to get intensely into yoga if it’s not in alignment with what you like; you can apply the ideals of the suggested movements to any other type of movement you like.

Best Yoga Poses for Vata

Since people with a Vata constitution are prone to anxiety, overexhaustion, and fatigue, the best thing to do is combat those symptoms with the opposite energetics. Vatas are highly energetic and erratic in nature, which is why it is recommended that they move their bodies to help calm and ground themselves. The best way to do this is with slow-moving yoga poses that reduce anxiety and stress. Fast-paced yoga flows will aggravate Vata in the long term (if not immediately).

If you are participating in a high-energy activity or style of yoga, I suggest you slow down the movement and take long pauses and breaks to offset what you are doing. Your body will love and thrive with restorative yoga, yin yoga, and extended practice of the Corpse Pose (see right) for about twenty minutes.

IMPORTANT

For all of the following poses, use your prana-enhancing yoga breath: breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.

Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Benefits: Repairs tissues and rejuvenates cells, relaxes muscles, improves breathing, and helps enhance meditation for those with an active mind.

Lie flat on the floor with your back connected to the ground and your arms relaxed by your sides, palms facing up. Your legs can be more than hip-width apart. Let your legs and feet roll out, letting go of any tension. This pose is about relaxation and slowing down.
Focus on your breath and let your thoughts come and go, sending breath and a healing light to each thought.
Slowly relax every muscle and nerve of your body, relaxing and releasing into the floor. Stay here and just breathe.
To come out of the pose, slowly wiggle your fingers and toes and wake up each part of your body before you decide to roll over and sit up.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Benefits: Reduces anxiety and stress while grounding you to your root.

Stand with your arms at your sides. Roll your shoulders down your spine, releasing any tension in your head, neck, or shoulders. Distribute your weight evenly across both feet. Imagine being anchored and grounded by a string that starts at the top of your head and extends through your body, running equally down through both your inner ankles, outer ankles, big toes, and little toes.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose. Stay in Mountain Pose for two minutes.

Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Benefits: Helps to build strength while grounding and rooting you to the earth.

Stand in Mountain Pose (see page 119). Shift your weight onto your left foot and begin to bend your right knee and lift your right foot off the floor. Using your core to keep your balance, reach down and clasp your right inner ankle. Draw your right foot alongside your left inner thigh. If this is too advanced, rest your right foot on the inside of your left calf or just below the knee—do not rest your foot directly on the knee.
Once you have gained your balance, shift your position so the center of your pelvis is directly over your left foot. Adjust your hips so your right hip and left hip are aligned. Rest your hands on your hips or, if you prefer, you can place them in front of your heart, palms pressing against each other in prayer position.
Once you are comfortable, extend your arms above your head with palms and fingers facing each other and then press them together in prayer position. To help you keep your balance, fix your gaze on an unmoving object or spot; this will help you to remain centered and keep the energy connected to the earth. Hold this pose for as long as possible or up to five minutes.
To come out of the pose, guide your ankle and foot back into Mountain Pose. Repeat on the other side.

Additional Practices for Vata

People with a Vata constitution are prone to constipation. Since this is a common issue for most Vatas, poses and movements that include compression of the pelvis are very healing. Simple movements to help encourage the downward flow of energy are Forward Fold (see page 127), which can be done standing or sitting, and Seated Spinal Twist (see page 127). These movements help activate the lower back and thighs, which are major regions of Vata.

Best Yoga Poses for Pitta

People with a Pitta constitution may be drawn to high-intensity sports and activities but this will inevitably throw Pitta out of balance. Pittas should cultivate a calm, relaxing, and non-competitive movement routine. Although you may find it difficult to resist the urge to compete with others in your class or at the gym, be as gentle as possible with yourself. Since you don’t want to add more heat to the already fiery Pitta, it’s best to avoid hot yoga, hot Pilates, boxing, running in hot weather, and any other type of movement that could cause profuse sweating. If you find that even light stretching causes you to start sweating a lot, try to practice before sunrise or after sunset—the cooler times of days. Focus on activities that are calming and cooling to the body such as taking walks barefoot through the grass in cool weather, swimming, surfing, snowboarding, and gentle yoga and use heart- and hip-opening poses to release any trapped heat in the body.

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Benefits: Helps to open up the heart center, releasing any stagnant or trapped heat.

Lie face-down on the floor with your arms relaxed by your sides, palms facing up. Bend your knees and exhale, bringing your heels toward your butt. Focus on sending the heels as close to your butt as possible. Make sure that your knees are hip-width apart (the distance will vary from person to person). Reach back with both hands and clasp your ankles, making sure you are holding onto your ankles and not your feet.
On the inhale, strongly push the energy from your torso up and back, lifting your heels away from your butt and your thighs away from the floor. Your head, neck, torso, and shoulders should be off the floor. You should feel the back bend at this point. Don’t tighten your back muscles.
Softly send the inhale and exhale into your chest, releasing any tension and gently rolling your shoulders down and back to open your heart even more. Breathe into your back as breathing may be slightly difficult with the pressure of your body on your belly. Don’t hold your breath; the breath helps you open and stretch into tight areas of the body to release pain and heat. Try to stay in this pose for twenty seconds.
To come out of the pose, release on the exhale and relax your body, head turned to the left, hands folded under your face. Lie quietly for a minute. Repeat two more times.

Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

Benefits: Strengthens the upper back muscles and stretches the front of the body and hip flexors.

Lie flat on your back with both legs extended straight in front of your body and your arms relaxed by your sides, palms facing down.
Press both forearms and elbows into the floor, lifting your chest upward to the sky and creating a slight arch in your upper back. The goal is to create an arch in your upper back in order to release tension in the chest.
Tilt your head back toward the floor and place the crown of your head on the floor. (If your head does not reach the floor or you need more support, use a yoga block, bolster, or blanket to support the back of your head.) This will draw the energy of your shoulder blades down and back and lift your upper torso off the floor. Use your forearms and hands to stabilize your body and keep the pressure off your head. Press upward through your heels to keep your thighs engaged and active.
Inhale and exhale for ten breaths, holding for five at the top of each breath.
To come out of the pose, press firmly into your forearms, allowing your head to release off the floor. Exhale, bring your torso to the floor and draw your knees up and in toward your chest. Wrap your arms around your knees and give them a hug. Relax and repeat two more times.

Additional Practices for Pitta

People with a Pitta constitution benefit greatly from meditation and earthing. Earthing is the practice of connecting with the earth by walking barefoot across it, which helps to cool and calm the body. Try to do a walking meditation around your yard, block, or somewhere outside your home for at least ten minutes once a day at sun down. You don’t only have to walk across grass to feel the earth, walking on pavement or cement might feel weird at first but this is an effective form of earthing as well. Focus on your breathing, release your thoughts, and connect your body to the earth.

Best Yoga Poses for Kapha

People with a Kapha constitution have the most stamina and strength of the three doshas but they love to be sedentary. They are so grounded that they don’t even want to move, which is the exact reason why Kaphas need to do invigorating, warm, and fast-paced yoga or other activities.

Kaphas who are out of balance experience severe lethargy, weight gain, and depression, which is why movement is their medicine. Exercise not only helps to invigorate a Kapha’s energy but also releases endorphins that combat mood swings and depression. Kickboxing, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), hot Pilates, and warm infrared yoga are all optimal for Kaphas. If you tend to be sluggish in the morning, try to get your movement in between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. as this will help sustain an energized state and keep you motivated throughout the day.

Downward-facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Benefits: Helps to energize the entire body and rev up cardiovascular energy, which will get the heat moving throughout the body.

Kneel on a yoga mat with your knees hip-width apart, your arms straight, and your palms on the floor. Spread your palms wide and stack your shoulders over your wrists. This is Table-top Pose. You will need to keep your knees hip-width apart throughout the entire pose.
When you’re comfortable, curl your toes under and lift your knees off the ground. Raise your body up, lifting from your pelvis, and straighten your legs. Press down to send the energy out of your heels and try to place both heels on the yoga mat. You may need to readjust your arms and walk the palms of your hands out in front of your shoulders slightly.
Imagine a string pulling your belly toward your back, breathe deeply, and hold the inverted V position. Stay in this pose for twenty breaths.
To come out of the pose, bend your knees and fold back into Table-top Pose.

Downward-facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to Plank Position (Kumbhakasana)

Benefits: Builds core and upper body strength (but if you struggle with Plank Position, holding Downward-facing Dog for an extended period will also build your core and upper body strength).

Starting from Downward-facing Dog (see page 123), inhale and draw your torso forward until your arms are perpendicular (at right angles) to the floor and your shoulders are directly over your wrists. Your torso should be parallel to the floor, as if you were doing a push-up. Resist your butt going up toward the ceiling and lengthen your tailbone back toward your heels. Lift your head up and look straight down at the floor, keeping the back of your neck relaxed and your throat soft.
Once you are comfortable in Plank Position, roll back and forth from Plank to Downward-facing Dog, increasing your pace and bringing up your heart rate. Do this for two minutes straight, no break.

Additional Practices for Kapha

Kaphas need and thrive with daily movement. If yoga is not your favorite form of exercise, find a physical hobby that you love and do it daily. Biking, dancing, and running are great alternatives. Even a swift morning walk is enough to get Kapha moving. If you find yourself wanting to be more sedentary for no apparent reason, this is a sign that Kapha is out of balance and you need to up your daily movement.

Self-love and Movement: How to Stay Active Every Day

It’s difficult to stay active and move your body daily when you are busy taking care of kids, working long hours at a desk, spending time with family, or just overall trying to do it all. However, movement is vital for your health (not just your physical health but also your mental health), so instead of looking at movement—whether it be yoga, the gym, sports, dance, classes, etc.—as a chore, try thinking about moving your body as a form of self-love. The more we love ourselves, the more we thrive.

Every day you have an opportunity to honor your body by nourishing it, moving it, and loving it. When you stay active and keep your body moving in an organic way that is a natural complement to the energetics of your body, you will find that life flows with more ease and less stress. Movement is a huge part of longevity and living a balanced life. When you move your body you are treating yourself with the respect you deserve. Your body deserves to be treated right 100 percent of the time.

You may find it difficult to stay motivated when it comes to daily movement but doing at least ten minutes of designated yoga or any other activity will really help your mind-body connection and create more space for healing.

Movement can be done anywhere, at any time; every little bit you do counts! Here are five ways to stay active:

Stretch, dance, jump around, and move as soon as you wake up in the morning: Five minutes is all you need. This not only gets your energy up for the day but also wakes up all your body parts.
Walk or bike to work: Doing some movement before you start work will increase your focus and prolong your energy. If your work is too far away to walk or bike, park your car further away from your place of work and walk the longest distance possible to get there.
Stop, drop, and stretch: Try to take a two-minute break from work every hour to move your body in an organic way. This will help you feel motivated and ready to work again. You don’t only have to stretch, you could do push-ups, crunches, squats, planks, dance, whatever feels right to you.
Take a break: Whether you work from home or elsewhere, you can add movement into your post-lunchtime routine. Light movement, like walking, is helpful for digestion after you have eaten. Either walk to a park to eat your lunch and then walk back or take a walk around the block after you eat. If you live in a very cold climate and work in an office, just take a walk up and down the stairs if you don’t want to go outdoors.
Do activities with friends: It’s much easier to stay motivated when you have a partner to help keep you accountable. Suggest going for a walk instead of meeting for tea to chat. Instead of going out to a bar, go to a salsa or Zumba class and shake your hips. There are plenty of fun activities you can do with others that will keep you connected while moving together.

Daily Routine: Asanas for Anywhere

Here are a few asanas (poses) you can do anywhere, any time. These simple practices can release stress, improve mobility, promote healthy circulation throughout the body, open up energy in the lower spine, massage internal organs, and aid digestion.

Spinal Flex

This pose is great for anyone who does little to no movement during their day, particularly those who are stuck behind a desk all day or who spend all their time driving around in a car. You don’t even have to get up! You may do the Spinal Flex as a five-minute break throughout the day.

Sit in your chair with a straight spine. Place both feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Place your right hand on your right knee and your left hand on your left knee. Your arms should be activated but not stiff.
Begin breathing in and out of your nose, filling your belly with each breath and releasing and pushing your navel to your spine. On the inhale, focus on filling your entire diaphragm. On the exhale, try pushing your breath to the back of your throat and down. (The exhale should sound like a hiss). It’s okay if you don’t get the breath right the first couple of times, with practice, it will come. It is essential to create an internal awareness during yoga, not only to reap the greatest benefits but also to prevent injury to the body.
With each inhale, arch your spine forward, lifting your heart space upward and pulling your shoulders open and back. Keep your head still and shoulders relaxed. With each exhale, focus on pushing the breath out of your body while arching your spine back in the shape of a C. Roll your shoulders forward and tuck your navel toward your spine. Do this five times or as many times as you need to feel relaxed and tension free.

Seated Spinal Twist (Marichyasana III)

Twisting the spine has many benefits. It massages the abdominal muscles and organs, promoting digestion, and keeps the spine healthy. The spine builds up tension between the vertebrae that can cause stagnation and when we twist the spine we release the hidden tension. This is a wonderful pose, especially for Vatas, because it helps move energy downward.

Sit on the floor with your left leg outstretched and your right leg bent at the knee with your right foot on the floor. I lift my butt cheeks and push them to the side so I can really feel my sit bones—this helps to lengthen the spine.
Inhale, raising your arms up to lengthen your spine and twisting to the right toward the bent thigh, compressing your belly against the thigh. Allow your right hand to rest behind you as if it’s a support for keeping your spine straight—you don’t want to hunch over. Press your left elbow into the right thigh to increase the stretch.
If you feel comfortable, turn your neck toward the back of your right shoulder and allow your gaze to follow. Hold for five breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

Every day I see clients who complain of back pain and intense lower back tightness. One of the easiest methods of relief for back pain is a Seated Forward Fold.

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Make sure you can feel your sit bones under you and that you are balanced and sitting up tall.
Inhale, raising your arms up toward the sky and extending them as long as you can.
On the exhale, lift from your chest and fold forward from your hips toward your toes. Keep your chest lifted to protect your spine; don’t collapse. If you can’t reach your toes, that’s okay, touch wherever you can: ankles, knees, thighs. If this is uncomfortable and your hamstrings are too tight, you can practice this pose using a blanket or yoga block under your tailbone. Hold the pose for five breaths and repeat as needed.