Lesson 1 Notes

Sitting

  • Sit on a steady chair (preferably not on wheels) where your feet are comfortably placed on the floor.
  • When your feet are on the floor there should be a 90 degree angle between your thighs and your abdomen.
  • Sit on the edge of the chair, not leaning back, so that you are supporting your spine and not the back of the chair.
  • Sit with a straight spine.

Article about sitting positions

Ujjayi Breathing

  • Lips sealed, breathe through your nostrils on both inhales and exhales.
  • Ujjayi sound comes from a constriction in the throat, not from forceful breathing through the nostrils.
  • Place your attention on the throat where the sound of ujjayi originates.
  • Aspire to a smooth and steady ujjayi sound.

Article about Ujjayi breathing

Counting Breaths

  • Use your left hand to count breaths.
  • Move the thumb at the beginning of every inhale.

Practice

  • Observe natural breathing before a sequence of ujjayi breaths.
  • Observe natural breathing after a sequence of ujjayi breaths.
  • Transition from natural breathing to ujjayi on the exhale.

Practice development:

  1. 3 x 4 breaths
  2. 3 x 6 breaths
  3. 3 x 8 breaths

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