Although performing yoga and chanting “om” might not be your “thing,” you should reconsider. This one word chant represents the union of mind, body, and spirit that is at the heart of yoga. Enthusiasts praise the exercise for its ability to help create calm. It must work because more than 20 million Americans now claim to incorporate aspects of yoga into their lives. Maybe it’s time you do too.
With stress wreaking havoc on our lives, finding a few minutes each day to become “centered” is crucial. This concept is central to yoga, which is comprised of two key elements: Asanas (postures) and Prana (breathing). Yoga practitioners believe that Prana is the vital life energy.
So, how do you harness this energy in your daily routine? Easily, just breathe. Proper breathing techniques enable you to focus on the moment. Breathing correctly can also energize you, giving you a great start to the day.
The practice of “hot” yoga takes the benefits of respiration one step further, because heat improves one’s capacity to inhale deeply and fully. This discipline can easily become part of your daily ritual by turning your bathroom into a yoga sanctuary with the addition of a Mr.Steam® steam shower. Mr.Steam, a leading manufacturer of affordable in-home spa systems, can easily turn most showers into SteamTherapy© retreats. Like the environment of a hot yoga studio, a Mr.Steam steam shower promotes perspiration and may help rid the body of toxins and impurities and improve your capacity to breathe more deeply. Other possible benefits of SteamTherapy© and deep breathing include strengthening one’s immune system, calming the mind, improving focus and releasing stress.
In yoga, breathing is one complete inhale-exhale cycle, performed through the nose. The best way to practice breathing techniques is sitting down with a straight spine while the steam of the shower warms your body. For example, Ujjayi (victorious breathing), is an important aspect of Ashtanga yoga. Place your tongue on the soft palate and breathe slowly in through your nose and exhale slowly through the nose which should create a hissing sound at the back of your throat (think Darth Vader). Ujjayi warms the breath before it enters the lungs and stokes an internal fire that is believed to promote healing.
Another technique is the cleansing and stress releasing Yogic Breath, which uses muscles of the diaphragm to pull breath deep into the body. Continue to inhale, feeling your ribs expand and your chest rise. As you exhale, feel your chest fall and then your ribs contract. Finally, pull your bellybutton in toward your spine and use the muscles of your diaphragm to squeeze the last bit of air from your lungs. Repeat both techniques several times to achieve their respective goals.
Let Mr.Steam help in making total wellness an easy to obtain priority by incorporating these basic hot yoga techniques into your every day life. Maybe chanting “om” isn’t so bad after all?