Breathwork

Breathing is fundamental to life. Still, most people don’t realize the power of the breath and just how important the breath is. Breathing has an immediate and profound effect on our mind and body that just the simple act of inhaling versus exhaling affects our nervous system differently. With the impact of chronic stress on our daily lives, many of us have become shallow breathers or breathe the wrong way. Over time, this affects our organs and cells, ultimately reducing our energy and stamina. With yoga breathing, however, you can see a shift in your autonomic nervous system, stress response, and mood in just 5-10 minutes.

Pranayama

What is Pranayama?

Pranayam is the practice of conscious breathing. The term ‘Prana’ means the vital force, which energizes the mind, body, and consciousness. Yoga breathing allows us to mindfully slower our breathing and helps to calm our minds within minutes. The stressful and technologically driven worlds we currently live in puts us in a constant state of sympathetic mode, activating the part of the brain which is responsible for the fight or flight mode. When this part of the brain is activated for long periods of time, stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are released for prolonged periods of time. Overtime, these processes interfere with digestion, mood, sleep, weight gain, inflammation, and the overall ability of the body to manage stress. Slow, conscious breathing characteristic of yoga breathing can bring the body from a sympathetic to a parasympathetic mode safely and effectively, and, can reverse the physiology of chronic stress and bring you back to health and wellness. And this is holistic medicine, at its roots.