It all begins with the breath....

Most of the time, we barely notice we are breathing. It is so automatic it happens without us being aware of it, yet we couldn't live without it! To embrace the importance of breath, try breathing as a simple meditative practice. Lie down, or sit up so that you are relaxed and simply, BREATHE! Feel the breath as it travels in through the nostrils. Follow it down into the ribcage, lungs, belly. Feel the movement that it causes in your body. Exhale and feel how the air goes back out again. Bring all your awareness, all your focus to the breath. Don't control, just OBSERVE.

Next time you get on your yoga mat, bring this newly found awareness into your asana practice. An essential part of ashtanga is the vinyasa. The breath is in sync with the movement. In fact, the breath is the movement.

Pay attention to how you move in to and out of poses. Each movement should come with an inbreath or an outbreath. You can adjust your breathing according to each individual pose. Some poses require giving in, relaxing. To do this, slow down the breath. To increase your energy and intake of air in a difficult pose, breath more strongly and vigorously. In whatever way you breathe, make it suit how you feel in that particular moment in time. This will enhance your practice and ground you to the each moment as it happens. On or off the mat.