“there is no right way to breathe, but there are several wrong ways”
One of the good quotes from the Barbara Benagh workshop yesterday.
First, the health update: I am incredibly stoked to NOT feel sick this morning. Like, dancing around the house in a pink fluffy robe excited simply to be back to normal. (Literally. The pink fluffy robe is for real, & should be a surprise to no one. 
It always amazes me after I’ve been sick or injured or whatever how great it is just to be normal. Must remind self of that on days when I’m p’od about being normal. 
Okay, back to the workshop. Barbara Benagh is a highly intelligent & well-educated yogi in the more classical mode, writes a lot for Yoga Journal & is a big local teacher. She does classes around town & workshops at Back Bay & a few other places. Yesterday’s focus was on the mechanics of the breath, types of breathing & incorporating breath into asana practice.
It was a three hour workshop, but mostly lecture. In the initial 15 minutes we did a few lying down poses with blankets to open up the breath. She used the blanket to create a mini-rolled up mat for a very gentle version of the Forrest lying over the roll to loosen up belly muscles at the start, then did some side lying & reclined work. A single sloooooooooooooow sun salute & wide legged forward bend at the end illustrated some of her points. Was very glad I did a mellowed-out Hip Hop Yoga class with Vanessa (subbing for Lynne) prior to the workshop to get the body moving again.
Barbara provided a relatively good discussion on how breathing actually works but it wasn’t super organized so if I hadn’t walked in with an understanding of it already, can’t say it would have provided a sufficient base. She totally KNOWS the biological mechanics of both cellular respiration & ventilation (that’s the inhale/exhale part), just since it was a lecture format, it could have used a bit more academic-style presentation & preparation. There was a whiteboard & once she began using that it organized her thoughts enormously, but it would have been helped by a very prepared outline & handouts. But I’m Type-A that way.
Barbara did recommend the book “The Science of Breath” published by the Himalayan Institute. I’d also say read the chapter on breathing from Leslie Kaminoff’s Yoga Anatomy. Or one day I’ll do a post on it – since I’m critiquing a master teacher, better put my money where my mouth is.
Most interesting part for me was her typologies of breathing. She organized it into
1) Belly breathing: relaxed, passive breath where diaphragm contracts & flattens at level of xyphoid process causing a slight expansion of belly on inhale. Diaphragm releases back to concave dome shape & belly contracts on exhale. Pelvic floor follows movement of diaphragm. (Personal side note: the diaphragm moves only a little bit, like less than an inch or so, so a big ballooning of belly while breathing is an exaggeration that can be used to emphasize belly breathing or create a particular effect to help access pelvic floor or stretch the abs, but isn’t an automatic manifestation.)
2) Thoracic breathing: more complete breath used during active phases of practice, adds three dimensional expansion of chest (up/down; front/back; side to side) incorporating intercostals. Pelvic floor & deep abs can be engaged & held during thoracic breathing even as diaphragm moves — that’s the bandha action.
3) Clavicular breathing: stress response fight-or-flight breath that goes strongly into the neck & throat; can recognize it because shoulders come up. Good for running away from bears, not needed in yoga class
On ujjayi breath, she was for it as a choice during practice, used quietly & consciously. Did like the line “it’s great to lie down & great to run around, but not if either is the only game in town.”
She also associated particular types & qualities to the exhale/inhale process & those dominated by one or the other.
Exhale: Kapha, parasympathetic nervous system, vagus nerve specifically, lower energy state, can be depressive or relaxed, spinal flexion
Inhale: Vata (can be Pitta, but that’s more irritable , sympathetic nervous system, phrenic nerve specifically, can be overly excitable or energizing, spinal extension
Overall, good three hours. Also the feeling of being in “intellectual yogi/student mode” was interesting — it’s been awhile since I was more focused on understanding yoga with my head than with my body. Frankly, the former is easier for me & I need to get back to the latter today! Peter is subbing the 9:30 Core Vinyasa class, then doing Restorative with Heather. Yay for healthy!!
