Do you remember the last time you were angry? Do you remember how you were breathing? Do you remember your posture or the feeling in your muscles?


More than likely your breath was rather shallow with rapid pace and your muscles were quite tense. You reacted to some event with a simple emotion called anger. It got your breath and muscles involved. This is just a simple, and not very positive, example of the mind, body, breath connection.

Yoga teaches us techniques to evoke a positive and calm connection of body, mind and breath. Breathing techniques are simple examples. There is something to the saying, take deep breaths and count to 10.
If we can learn to tune into our breath and practice deep, slow breaths, our mind and muscles will want to follow along resulting in more relaxed muscles and a calmer, clearer mind. In this state of being, rather than being reactive to events, yoga promotes being proactive and calmly responsible to events. You still address the situation, but you can more objectively see the situation and calmly work toward a solution. In this calm state, you may even dismiss the event as insignificant.

To practice, find a special, peaceful place where you can sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. If you know that “time” will be on your mind, set an alarm for 5 minutes so that you can completely dedicate yourself to the exercise. Perhaps light a candle or play soft, uplifting music to evoke a spirit of calmness. Use pillows if needed to help you adjust to a comfortable sitting position. Then, close your eyes and begin following your breath as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils.

At first, don’t try to change it, just notice it. You may notice the rate or depth; you may notice the temperature of the air. Slowly begin breathing more deeply and more slowly at a steady rate. Each time an outside thought grabs your attention, gently bring your focus back to the breath. When the 5 minutes have passed, sit for just a moment to notice the affect of the exercise. Try this twice each day. Over time the effect may drift into other parts of your day. With practice, you may find that traffic, long lines, and messy rooms even bother you less. This calmer state also translates to better workouts.