Standing Deep Breathing Pose: Pranayama

Before you begin doing the actual Hatha Yoga poses, start by doing the Standing Deep Breathing pose, also called the Pranayama. This will help you expand your lungs, improve detoxification of the organs, and increase mental relaxation as well as blood flow – all of these will prove very useful during your Hatha Yoga workout.

How to Do:

More detailed instructions

• Make sure to breath slowly as this will facilitate lung expansion.
• Keep your back straight all the time and do not bend backwards. This will be easier to achieve if you suck your belly in so that your rib cage protrudes a bit.
• As you exhale, tilt your head back slightly, while keeping your eyes open.
• Shoulders should be kept in line with hips. Hips should be kept forward (you’ll achieve this by slightly squeezing your buttocks).
• When exhaling, make sure to breath out completely to get rid of every bit of CO2 in your lungs.
• Finally, don’t worry if you feel a little dizzy during this pose or if you feel a slight pinch in the shoulder area – these are completely normal symptoms and indicate that you are doing things right.

Do the above pose for a few minutes, and then move on to the remaining Yoga Poses