Tag Archives: fitness

Don’t forget how to breathe – exploring the full body yoga breath

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I think most of us forget how to breathe. To breathe properly I mean.

In our busy lives, as we rush from one place to another, from home to work, from shops to pub, the act of breathing never crosses our minds. We take it for granted. But sometimes it is worth stopping and simply “noticing” and “feeling” your breath.

full body yoga breath
photo credit: Flavio~ via photopin cc

Most of the time we take very shallow and very short breaths and only use the top part of our lungs. This keeps us alive obviously, but it is not the healthiest way to breathe. Taking time to slow your breath down and experience a deeper breath that fills your lungs completely from bottom to top brings more oxygen into your body. It slows your heart rate, makes you feel calmer and more energised. And it is really good for you.

Yoga offers you the opportunity to explore your breath and synchronise it with exercise. For example in the sun salutation sequence you inhale into one pose before exhaling as you move into the next one.

Breath in when you are working against gravity and breath out when you are working with it. For example inhale when pushing yourself into upward facing dog. If you’re holding a yoga pose, gently stretch a little further on the out breath.

full body yoga breath
photo credit: Flavio~ via photopin cc

The best part of a yoga class for noticing and feeling your breath is in the relaxation sequence at the end – known as savasana. This is where you can explore the full body yoga breath.

Lie down on your yoga mat and relax. Exhale completely and start your next in breath deep down in the bottom of your tummy near your belly button.

Feel your tummy expand and begin to fill your lungs from bottom to top.

Then allow your breath to move to the centre of your abdomen and notice how you expand out sideways.

Finally allow your chest to expand and feel your rib age open as you finish breathing in. This could take a few seconds. On my yoga training we did breathing exercises like this and on one occasion I managed to allow the in breath to take 45 seconds.

Hold your breath for a couple of seconds and then breathe out and feel the opposite sensations. Feel your chest contract. Notice how you sink slightly and allow your exhalation to flow down through the centre of the abdomen and finish deep down near your tummy button.

This is the full body yoga breath. It’s so relaxing and so restorative. Give it a try in your next class or even if you are looking to chill out a bit at home.

Some people are often tempted to cut out the relaxation phase at the end of a yoga class. Why? Because they are busy and have places to rush to and shallow breaths to take as a result. It really is worth spending those last ten minutes exploring the benefits of the full body yoga breath. The health benefits are much more important than the ten minutes you think you save.

Over to you: Do you practice the full body yoga breath? How does it make you feel? Leave a comment by clicking below where is says “leave a reply”. I would love to read your thoughts on this.

First Impressions of Body Balance release 59 after the Edinburgh Quarterly Workshops December 2012

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What a lovely day to go on the training for Body Balance release 59. It was bitterly cold but bright sunlight washed over the Pentland hills as I drove towards Craiglockhart Leisure Centre.

Once there things heated up quickly – I think the air conditioning was stuck on warm because I was sweating like a tap after only five minutes. First up was some education and presenter, Sarah Durnford, took us through some breathing exercises to add depth to Warrior 2, Lunge, and Dancer’s poses. It’s amazing what a difference to the exercise intensity you can bring with a little more breath focus.

Body Balance release 59 Edinburgh Quarterly Workshops
Sarah doing a standing split at the Quarterly Workshop for BB59

Soon it was time to experience the masterclass. I’ve not seen Sarah before but she has a very precise style and eased us all into greater challenges. These are my first impressions of Body Balance release 59.

  • Like last time the music choice is quite upbeat and once again this makes the exercises seem harder
  • I like the cover version of U2’s With or Without You for the sun salutations but I think the original would have been even better
  • In the standing strength the music is very tribal sounding hence some of the tribal inspired changes to the warrior poses
  • Dancer’s pose is back in the Balance track – always a welcome addition
  • For the third release in a row the core abs track is a real tough one. I hope you like hovers. Not sure about the “western – Annie Get Your Gun Music” though
  • There is a standing split on the last track. As you can see from the photo, Sarah is very good at this. I’m not
  • We relax to the beautiful piano sounds of Stanton Lanier – and once again I make a note to myself to buy one of his albums

I had already watched the DVD before the quarterly workshop and I must admit I found the Diana and Jackie Mills double act a little grating. It spoiled my first impression of the class. Therefore I was hoping Sarah would sell the class better.She explained that they filmed it deliberately like that so that Diana used the set up cues and Jackie did follow-up and feel. I get it now.

And Sarah did sell it! Body Balance release 59 continues a long run of very good classes. It’s quirky and some might find the music a little less “balancey” than usual, but the extra tempo motivates you to work harder.

Over to you: Have you tried Body Balance release 59? What do you think of the level of intensity? Go on! Leave a comment. Just click below where it says “Leave a Reply” and share your thoughts.

If you want to watch the video teaser trailer for Body Balance release 59 – please click here.

First Impressions of Body Combat release 54 after the Glasgow Quarterly Workshops November 2012

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It’s time to learn the next set of Les Mills releases – and it looks like they are challenging and exciting.

As I drove towards Broadwood Stadium through torrential rain I was looking forward to an afternoon of Body Balance. When I arrived and looked at the sign in sheet, I realised I’d misread the itinery. It was actually the Glasgow quarterly workshops for Body Combat release 54.

Oh no, I thought. I had yoga style clothes on, and had left my martial arts gloves and my bandana at home. Everyone else was looking great in their almost theatrical outfits. I felt naked. So it was on with the show.

Body Combat release 54 glasgow quarterly workshops
Tanya Walker leading the masterclass for Body Combat release 54.

Tanya Walker, who is head UK trainer for Body Combat delivered the masterclass for Body Combat release 54. This was her first presentation after recently having a baby and she was on top form. Motivational, funny, inspiring and she dealt with the failure of the microphone by just chucking it aside and using her own vocal skills instead.

Here are my first impressions of Body Combat release 54:

  • It felt much more cardio than the last couple of classes – there are no capoeira moves – though we get an amazing leg work out in track two
  • The BPM in the lower body warm up is higher than in track two
  • For a few releases I have felt that track two has been short and a little dull. This one is long, tough and exhausting. And you know you still have 45 minutes to go afterwards
  • Remember how in the last release there was one sequence with endless uppercuts? This time it’s hooks.
  • The Muay Thai track is another piece of thumping techno music and is a huge workout with millions of knee strikes and push front kicks
  • There is a new move in the conditioning track which will be hard to teach at first but it is going to create results
  • Tanya complained that as she had just given birth that this new move “hurt her fanny”. I suspect I’ll not use in my script

For the first time in my experience, Tanya invited instructors up to the front to shadow with her. She picked me, naked and gloveless and bandana-free, and a few others to help with the Muay Thai track. It was a blur of knees and sweat and tears. This was a great way to motivate the instructors.

Watch out Edinburgh, I mean really watch out. Body Combat release 54 is coming your way.

Over to you: Have you tried Body Combat release 54? What do you think of the level of intensity? Did you get to shadow with a master trainer? Go on! Leave a comment. Share your thoughts.

Click here to watch the teaser trailer video for Body Combat release 54.

How can Yoga be a cardio workout? Here’s how.

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Yoga isn’t a cardio workout is it? Holding a pose for ages, breathing deeply or lying on your back isn’t going to make you burn calories or break into a sweat is it? You need spinning, aerobics, Body Attack or Body Combat for that don’t you?

Well you might be surprised. There are so many different styles of yoga. Some are gentle and controlled and do focus more on breathing and relaxation. But if you want sweat, aching arms and legs, and a faster heart rate you can find a yoga class that will deliver that for you.

Getting a cardio work out is important for health and weight-loss goals. So look out for the following types of yoga:

Ashtanga
Bikram
Power

These are much more rigorous styles of yoga and bring much more cardio to the practice than a gentle Hatha yoga class.

How can Yoga be a cardio workout?
photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

The heated room in Bikram yoga will certainly raise your heart rate a bit.

But the real cardio work in a yoga class, especially an Ashtanga or Power yoga class is the Vinyasa.

It’s a little sequence that you perform between each pose. You jump back into a plank position with straight arms and a flat back and immediately lower yourself down into a tricep dip (the pose has a fabulous name – Chaturanga Dandasana – four limbed staff pose in English).

From there you move into upward facing dog pose and then push back into downward facing dog pose.

You are then ready to step into the next set of moves.

In a class you might perform that Vinyasa up to 50 times. That’s 50 planks, 50 tricep low push ups. It’s going to get the heart rate up and it’s going to help you burn calories.

Some people miss out the Vinyasa. But If you want cardio then do them all.

So yoga can be a cardio workout if you want it to be. And it will strengthen and tone your body too.

I’ve delighted in seeing people breathless and sweating in a good intense power yoga class. It works. And it makes you look forward to that relaxation bit at the end.

Over to you: What’s for favourite type of yoga for getting a good cardio workout? What extra steps do you take to increase the intensity? Please share your thoughts. Leave a comment.

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