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I know I'm new to all this but I find the breathing bit at the end of my class really borning.

I'd rather lie down and relax () rather than have to do that nostril stuff which I don't find relaxing at all.

Anyone else with me on this?

Hi Juan - I used to agree with what you are saying, I just didn't get yogic breathing at all! But the more I practise, the more I slowly get pranayama. It's where the magic happens! It prepares you for meditation so you can go further and deeper, to find that gorgeous silence and stillness within each one of us.

If you're new to yoga and don't get it, my advice to you would be to try and go with it. Even if you don't appreciate what you're doing emotionally, you're body will be loving you for it!

Hi Juan,

Pranayama is worth persevering on so many levels. Our breath is a powerful tool in our quest for health, harmony and enlightenment. We don't need special equipment we come fully equipped, the genius of our design blows me away.

By breathing with conscious awareness you allow your body to tap into the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) - otherwise known as 'rest and digest'. There are many health benefits to the PNS, the brain waves slow down, heart rate slows down, blood is fed to the major organs which release nutrients into the blood, oxygen levels also rise, it basically de-stresses the body.

When we practice conscious breathing we use the cerebral cortex of the brain which is still evolving (passive breathing is controlled by the medulla oblongatta which is a more primitive part of the brain).

Hope you find the inspiration to give pranayama another go.

Shanti, Om.

Pranayama always attracts very mixed reactions....one of the things that my teacher said was if you havent done the basic breath awareness for a little while , you might not feel anything while doing these techniques! Basic breath awareness like just observing the breath then extending inhale , exhale, applying and playing with retention and suspension in different postures .Once you get to a point where you can observe the breath as an outsider rather than attaching emotions with it.You might start enjoying it too...! do let us know how you find any of that!!!Happy Breathing...

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Peace