29 January 2008

Surprisingly, I had a very good, solid practice today at the gym! Granted this gym is way nice (the Health and Fitness Center at WCC), there is a large room set aside for yoga and when there isn't a class being held in there (which is hardly ever) anyone can practice in there on their own (hardly anyone ever does). So I used to the room today to enjoy a solid 60 min. practice. When I was almost finished practicing, a woman who used to come to the studio where I used to teach and practice came in and did her quite solid ashtanga practice. It was so nice to be silent with only someone else's ujjayi breathing in the room. It helped my focus, I have to say. It was also nice to connect without speaking in a sense. After yoga I languished in the steam room, which is always such a luxury and makes me feel all noodley. Go WoYoPracMo!

Posted by lauren at 7:32 PM

Labels:yoga

2 comments:

freshtopia said...

'ujjayi' breathing... tell me more. Maybe it's related to the Japanese term kiai (key-eye), for a short, breathy shout accompanying an action? It's used in karate, kendo, aikido, judo, taiko drumming, etc., to focus effect.

Maybe not. Sound familiar at all?

-Oscar

January 30, 2008 8:43 PM
lauren said...

No sillypants, it's like swirling the breath at the back of the throat, KINDA like yawing with your mouth closed...it's a way of using your breath to soothe and warm the body.

Check it mister:
http://yoga.about.com/od/breathing/a/ujjayi.htm

January 30, 2008 9:13 PM

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