Breath of Joy
Life is rhythm and pulse. Breath goes in, breath goes out. We seek joy, but inevitably get caught up in sadness, fear, anger and other hard feelings before we find joy again and again.
One of the things I’ve struggled with in doing yoga as a spiritual practice is all the talk of “the Absolute,” the light that is always within, and how true joy is beneath all the darkness and difficulty. This all might be true, but I can’t just snap my fingers and say, “This sadness/struggle/hard moment isn’t real. Only love and joy are real.”
That doesn’t work for kids, either. We all need to work through the thick and thin.
This week I wanted to share a practice called Breath of Joy. It can be so helpful when you know there is so much to feel joyful about, but you just don’t feel joyful in your body and mind. It is uplifting and calming at the same time, so I’ve found it helpful with times that I need a pick-me-up as well as times that I feel overstimulated, frustrated, or so stressed that I can’t slow down.
So whether you feel your whole being contracting (sadness, fatigue, depression) or expanding (anger, frustration, overstimulation), this breath gives some balance to both! You can do it when you feel joyful, but if you don’t feel it, it can bring a dose of joy, too:)
Bonus: if you have a toddler that likes to climb on you while you practice yoga on your mat, this breathing exercise is wonderfully toddler proof. They might even try to copy along!
Here’s the basic breakdown:
Inhale into the bottom third of your lungs and raise arms up in front of you to shoulder height.
Continue the inhale into the middle (second third) of your lungs as you swing your arms down to your sides then up to a T-position at about shoulder height.
Finally, the last ‘sip’ of your inhale fills the top third of your lungs as arms swing down to your sides and up overhead.
Exhale out the mouth as you bend knees, bend at the waist, and bring the torso and arms down. Allow the arms to swing behind you if that feels comfortable. This exhale can be a forceful sigh or you can even let out a ‘Ha!’ as you breath out.
Repeat as many times as you like, then stand still and just feel the energy and circulation all throughout your body.
It helps to have knees slightly bent throughout, or to have them bent but slightly straighten them each time the arms come up. Feel the strength in your legs and let your body from the waist up be loose! Even just a few rounds can bring you some energy:)
Every Tuesday I’ll share a micropractice that helps busy moms (and dads and kids, and really anyone) to incorporate brief yoga practices into their day. Every Friday I’ll post ideas and inspiration for practicing yoga with kids. Here’s the post to kick off this biweekly series that will last until the end of the year!