In Week 1, we learnt about pranayama, or ‘life force’. A powerful two words. Over the next
couple of weeks, we would learn several active as well as inactive breathing techniques.
The first day we began with 5 minutes of ujjayi breathing, or ‘ocean’s breathe’. Sounded easy,
but I struggled to clear my head and to remain comfortable in an easy, seated position. My only
thoughts were ‘when is this 5 minutes going to end?!’ and ‘what should i eat for lunch?!’.
As the mornings went by, we spent more and more time on pranayama. What surprised me the
most was how fast it took to grow comfortable with the breathing exercises. Even though the
actual duration spent increased every day, I no longer felt that it was that long. I also found the
guided visualizations during the practice helped me significantly. It was also interesting for me to
observe how my classmates also had different experiences with pranayama – easier for some,
and more difficult for others.
Crucially, at the end of pranayama each morning, I observed myself to be able to begin the rest
of the practice in a more conscious state – both in clarity of mind as well as clarity of physical
senses.
Laura
200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
Weekday’22
