March 2, 2026 - Dharma: Aliveness in the Body
This week we continued our discussion of the Dharma, again through the lens of yoga. During the previous class we spoke about the Dharma as the an expression of “aliveness” both in the sense of Life itself and the things/forces/processes that affirm and add to the project of Life. To that end, we had a high-sensation asana practice to tune into what aliveness feels like our tissues. This week, we got a little more subtle by emphasizing the breath. We practiced sama vritti pranayama (lit. “equal turning breath practice”) and viloma pranayama (lit. “against the hair/grain breath practice” within the context of a slow asana practice.
We began with a seated breathing practice - sama vritti. Using a refined breath (breathing as if we had a small, downy feather under our nose and trying not to ruffle it), we practiced inhaling and exhaling for an equal count. We came up against the edge of moderate “air hunger,” the feeling of needing to take a breath. This extends our lung capacity and also helps to balance the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.
Continuing our sama vritti breath we:
Went into a slow warm up using: table top spinal movements (cat and cow), dynamic cat/cow/child’s (balasana), finger tip cobras, seated twists, and side bends. We then moved into larger movements, including: downward dog, forward folds, and squatting half forward folds.
Continued with a slow series of low and high lunges. Within these poses, we used arm movements to create a deeper sensation of breathing, marrying movement to the rhythm of respiration.
We closed our asana practice with an old favorite: gate pose (parighasana). Combined with emphasized breathing, we found a great deal of opening and sensation between the ribs as well as the bottom rib and hip crest.
From there, we went into a second seated breathing practice: viloma. This breath is a classic lung building practice meant to increase lung capacity and prepare students for more advanced breathing techniques. This practice involves:
Inhaling and directing the first part of the breath into the belly, paying attention to the movement of the diaphragm.
Inhaling and directing the second phase of breathing into the rib cage, attending to the inflation of the lungs against the ribs.
The third phase is also an inhale, directed into the upper ribs and collarbones, again noting movement and a feeling of reaching the upper limit of the inhale.
The final phase is putting it all together with pauses. We:
Inhale into the belly for four counts and pause.
Continue the inhale into the ribs for four counts and pause.
Finish the inhale into the collarbones/upper ribs and pause. This takes us to the edge of lung “overfill”
Exhale in a controlled manner until the lungs feel empty and air hunger makes itself known.
Begin the cycle again, resisting the urge to gulp air on the inhale.
People reported that this felt both challenging and refreshing.
Then, you guessed it, savasana and a closing.
Thanks, y’all! See you soon. Saprema <3