At its grossest manifestation, breathing involves the movement of muscles to transport air in and out of the body. Even at this level, the effects of how we breath extend to the heart and lungs. Beyond this, breathing occurs at the cellular level, as the functions of the nose, trachea, and lungs act together to transport oxygen from the air we breath in to our cells.

While breathing is an involuntary act, one in which we do not have to think to make happen, it can also be a voluntary act, with specific efforts affecting how we breath. As air enters the body, it eventually flows to the lunges and expands the chest. The diaphram is a muscle that divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Its resting position is like a dome shape, yet when we breath deeply, the dome flattens to create more room in the chest cavity, and thus pushes out the abdominal area. Breathing this way is often called “belly breathing” or “diaphramic breathing” and allows for a deeper, slower breath that brings more oxygen in our body.

In the next part of this series, we will discuss techniques for breath awareness. Please post and comments of questions below, and we’ll try to address it as we go along!

Our first recipe is from Acharya Hersh Khetarpal. It is a simple yet hearty barley and vegetable soup. Enjoy!

Serving size: 6
Prep & cooking time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1/2 of a large onion
1 zuccini
1/4 cauliflower head
1 broccoli head
4 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1/2 inch of ginger
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Chop all the vegetables into large chunky pieces.
1. In a large saucepan or stock pot, fry the onions and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
3. Wash the uncooked barley, and then add it to the saucepan.
4. Add the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic) and salt to taste.
5. Add 6 cups of water, let it boil and then lower heat to simmer until vegetables are tender (30 minutes).

Serve hot with fresh black pepper on top (to taste). Each time Hersh makes it, she uses different vegetables. So this is just a basic recipe and you can alter it however you wish. If you try out this recipe, please drop a line in the comments section to let us know how it turns out!

ॐ यत्प्रज्ञानमुत चेतो धृतिश्च , यत ज्योतिर्न्तर्म्रितम I
यस्मान्न ऋते किंचन कर्म क्रियते , तन्मे मनः शिवसंकल्पमस्तु II

OM YATPRAGYANMUT CHETO DHRITISHCH, YAT JYOTIRNTARMRITAM
YASMAANN RITE KINCHAN KARM KRIYATE, TANME MANAH SHIVSANKALPMASYU

Oh God! The mind is the source of wisdom, consciousness and fortitude in human beings; it is ageless, immortal, in the form of light and no work is possible without it. O Lord, purify such mind of mine, pious thoughts should evolve in it always.

ॐ येन कर्माण्यपसो मनीषिनो,
यज्ञे क्रिन्वंती विदथेशु धीराः I
यद्पूर्व यक्षमन्तः प्रजानां ,
तन्मे मनः शिवसंकल्पमस्तु II

OM YEN KARMANYA-APSO MANEESHINO,
YAJNE KRIN-VANTI VIDTHESHU DHEERA I
YAT-POORVE YAKSH-MANTAH PRAJA-NAAM,
TANME MANAH SHIV-SANKALPAM-ASTU II

Oh God! The mind by which dutiful persevering Yogis always remain devoted to ‘ yajnas’ and auspicious scientific actions: that mind having the highest qualities, nature and actions, dwells in the heart of all humans like a God. O Lord, such mind of mine should be of pure thoughts.

Nothing is more degrading for an aspirant than to keep his or her mind burdened with the many forms of anger, including contempt, intolerance, vengeance, hatred, and rage. All of these emotions darken the mind, dissipate willpower, create illusions, waste mental energy, and lead to various forms of misery.

Anger expresses itself in three ways – physically, verbally, and mentally. Physical expressions of anger needs to be controlled as the first step. Even though anger may linger mentally, and you may utter harsh words, at least let there be no physical expressions of anger in your life.

The second step in controlling anger is to curtail its verbal expression. Whether your anger is rational or irrational does not matter, as an uncontrolled tongue always leads to regret, repentance, and wastage of energy. Therefore, verbal anger must be controlled even if you are still struggling with anger in your mind.

Finally, your ultimate goal is to free yourself of the afflictions of mental anger. Ideally, your mind should be so free of this affliction that there is no effort involved; anger simply does not arise inside of you no matter what occurs externally.

To encourage yourself to reach the highest state of mental purity, remember that whenever you sustain anger in your mind, you are hurting yourself the most. Every time you hold a grudge and hurt another person by your thoughts or actions, you create a negative karma that keeps you bond to that person in the future.

Sattvic foods are more easily digestible and are not fat laden nor protein dense as in animal products; therefore, the sattvic diet is primarily lacto-vegetarian.  This type of diet leads to a greater clarity and equanimity of mind while also being more beneficial to the body.

Sattvic foods include:

• Whole-grain cereals which do not contain sugar and additives
• Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ghee, butter, yogurt, kefir, and cream
• Dried peas and lentils
• Fresh vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables
• Fresh fruits
• Whole Grains
• Legumes (the smaller the bean, the easier to digest)
• Raw Nuts and Seeds
• Herbal teas
• Raw Honey
• Fresh fruit juices
• Fresh vegetable juices
• Sprouts
• Whole grain bread, no sugar or additives
• Oils – Olive, Flax, Coconut, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower
• Mild spices, including ginger and turmeric
• Lightly steamed foods
• Raw foods
• Lightly cooked foods
• Alkaline foods
• Properly combined foods (Certain foods do not digest well when eaten with other foods)

Rajasic and tamasic foods are to be avoided due to their affects on the body and mind. They leave us sluggish and agitated. These foods include:

• Sugar-laden foods
• Foods with preservatives and chemicals
• Spicy foods
• Red hot peppers
• Black pepper
• Garlic
• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Coffee and non-Herbal Tea
• Fish and meat
• Chocolate
• Frozen foods
• Canned foods
• Microwaved foods
• Overcooked foods
• Acidic foods
• Refined foods (such as white flour, white rice, sugar, etc.)
• Improperly combined foods

These lists are not all inclusive, by any means; but are meant to give you a good idea of which foods constitute a sattvic diet and which ones constitute a rajasic and tamasic diet.

Pure sattvic foods need to be chewed carefully and eaten in modest portions.  Overeating is definitely tamasic.  The food should be enjoyed for its inherent taste and quality rather than for the spices and seasonings that are added.  Too much salt and spice has a rajasic effect.  Leftovers are decidedly tamasic.

The more we embrace these sattvic principles, the more helpful they will be in enhancing our practice of yoga, both physical as well as spiritual.

ॐ ये त्रिश्प्तः परियन्ति  विश्वा रूपाणि विभ्र्तः I
वाचस्पतिर्बला तेषाम तन्वो अद्य दधातु मे II

Oh God, you created this creation with twenty one elements*.  By them alone countless forms came into being and by your strength they are existing everywhere in the universe. The same elements constitute our body as well. O Lord! May these elements keep us strong, and their quality should remain intact as it is. Let us strive to keep these pure and do nothing to pollute them in any way.

* 21 Elements:
5 Senses of knowledge: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin.
5 Organs of physical functions: mouth, hands, feet, rectum, genitals.
5 Chief elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether.
5 Objects of senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
1 Soul (Self)

The self-realized person is a dynamic person of action. In order to understand him, and we must understand him as he lives in the world, not as he sits under a tree lost in contemplation. How does he see the world, react to problems and relate himself to others?

Our Guruji established Yog Sadhan Ashram with the purpose of teaching everyday people how to achieve liberation without running away from the world. In this lecture, Acharyaji describes what this looks like and the characteristics we must develop to achieve this goal.

Click play to listen to this 17 minute podcast.

ॐ यज्जाग्रतो दूरमुदैति दैवं, तदु सुप्तस्य तथैवैति .
दूरंगमं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिरेकं, तन्मे मनः शिवसंकल्पमस्तु .

Om Yajjagrato Doormudaiti Daivam , Tadu Suptasya Tathaivaiti.
Doorangamam Jyotishaam Jyotirekam, Tanmay Mna Shiv-Sankalapamastu.

O God! The mind of man flees fast and far away in awakened state. It acts the same way during sleep as well.
It is the chief among all senses; such mind should be of pure thoughts.

So in our asana practice, it’s important to focus not just on what our body is doing, but on how we’re doing it. With this in mind, here are some things to consider in your own asana practice, whether it be at home or in class:

• Gracefully coming into poses and holding them long enough to achieve steadiness and comfort is more valuable than quickly moving through a routine just to finish X number of poses. However, asanas can also be held too long in that you can no longer maintain steadiness and comfort. Over time and with practice your duration will naturally increase, but never push yourself beyond your limit.

• Observe your breath for an indication of the quality of your asanas. It too should be steady, not jerky or uneven. Listening to the gentle flow of your breath can also be calming to the mind and provide focus, creating that steady state that leads into meditation.

• Make sure your body is free from holding any tension in asanas, such as clenched jaws and scrunched toes. While this may be a natural reaction to a challenging position, the goal should be to  achieve relaxation with alertness in your practice.

Remember, the way asanas make you feel is more important than how you look in the mirror or to the person next to you. Yoga is ultimately for ourselves – to bring freedom, peacefulness and happiness to our body and mind.