Bikram explains to us that there are three parts to a TRUE Hatha Yoga Practice:
1.  Maintaining stillness during the postures.
2.  Mindful breathing throughout the practice.
3.  Regular use of Savasana, or Dead Body Pose.
Without all three parts, you may receive some benefit from yoga similar to calisthenics because you are exercising, but you will never receive 100 yoga benefit.  

Practicing Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breath control) go hand in hand.  It takes discipline, concentration, and determination to learn how to breathe normally while maintaining proper form.  There are four different kinds of breathing techniques that we learn in Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class.  

Standing Deep Breathing
This technique begins the class.  As if the arm and head movement, are not confusing enough, you are asked to compress your throat as air passes in and out: you probably never knew that a mindless, repetitive act could be SO complex!  It feels strange at first because your lungs are NOT used to maximum expansion.  It is perfectly normal to feel that you cannot inhale or exhale for 6 counts.  The good news is, your lungs are elastic and each day you will find your breath becomes deeper and fuller.  You learn daily to control the breath and sustain your inhales and exhales rather than gasp.  This breathing exercise stimulates circulation waking up the muscles and getting them ready for action.

Normal Breathing
This is our constant challenge--to learn how to keep our breath continuous, no matter what we are experiencing.  Keep in mind your breathing pattern will be different than the person next to you.  Whatever occurs naturally in your practice is what you should do.  Breathing in and out of the nose while moving in and out of Asanas will create harmony in the body and mind.  

80/20 Breathing
In some Asanas, especially deeper backbends, retaining 80 percent of the breath creates pneumatic pressure inside your lungs.  This internal compression helps to stabilize your torso--specifically the spinal area--as you bend, so that the body does not completely relax.  To do this, before starting the posture, inhale fully--to whatever 100 percent is for you--and as you maintain the posture, you allow only roughly 20 percent of the air to escape as you exhale.  Inhale only that same small percentage of your lung capacity back in to complete the cycle.  When practicing 80/20 breathing you can integrate many things at once: you create internal support for the movement of the body with the deliberate control of your breath.

Kapalibati Breathing
Blowing in Firm Pose is an exhalation breath only.  Each forceful exhale (like you are blowing out a candle in front of you) improves digestion, circulation, and increases lung capacity.  You generate prana (life force) and push out every ounce of carbon dioxide remaining in your lungs, replacing it with life-giving oxygen to fuel you for the rest of your day.  

The more mindful you are of your breath, the more control you have of your mind and body.  Remember your daily yoga practice provides you with a time in your day that you can become more conscious about your patterns, your habits, and how to improve yourself to make you more effective in whatever you do.    

You guys have probably hear me talk about my mom and dad in class.  They both teach Bikram in San Antonio (in their 60s!) and they continue to inspire me every day.  I am so grateful to them for bringing me into this amazing practice (and world!).   

Bikram Yoga + Raw Foods and Fresh Juice = Life Change!