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Positive Stance Newsletter
 
     
Breathing As a Spinal Massage   News of the Month
Esther Gokhale portrait and link to About Esther on the web site

In the branch of Yoga called Pranayama (Prana = breath, life; Yama = discipline) there is a technique called Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. I learned this technique from my yoga mentors in Bombay and in an ashram in Rajnandagaon in Central India. It’s the best way I know to quiet my mind when I feel agitated. I have taught the technique to many students and patients over the years as a way to address obsessive thoughts, anxiety and blah feelings.

You place the tips of your middle and fore finger of the right hand between your eyebrows and use your thumb and ring finger to open and close your nostrils. Now follow this pattern:
1. Inhale through one nostril for four counts,
2. Hold (with both ring finger and thumb closing the nostrils) for eight counts
3. Exhale through the other nostril for eight counts


Align yourself for optimal breathing by stacksitting on a wedge or the edge of your chair.


Now you try. Inhale left (4), hold (8), exhale right (8), inhale right (4), hold (8), exhale left (8). After a few rounds of this, the inhalations become quite dramatic (especially in a room full of people practicing during the cold season) and the exhalations are harder to slow. I always remind my students that breathing is a priority and that they should do whatever is necessary to get the breath they need. If you have a stuffy nose, for example, this might mean breathing through your mouth.

Since starting to work with primal posture, I realize some new uses for Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. Most of us have shallow breath. With muscle tension in our backs and chests, typically brought on by poor posture, it is difficult for the lungs to fully expand. We end up breathing enough to not die, and that’s about it. Even after we learn to restructure ourselves and melt away unnecessary muscle tensions, this shallow breathing pattern usually remains. Nadi Shodhan Pranayama helps change that. You breathe more deeply than usual doing this technique – and also after. It’s as though you have primed the pump.


Young girl in Otavalo, Ecuador. Her primal breathing pattern results in an expanded chest and increased lung capacity.

You will discover that deeper breathing alongside healthy structure induces the tissues around your torso to move constantly. You have now found your inner massage therapist and an important key to self-healing. Your back muscles get a gentle stretch, your discs rehydrate, and the circulation around your spinal tissues improves simply by breathing more deeply. As you adopt this habit, you will breathe your way to a healthier life.

All the best,
Esther

Image of the Month

Row of Buddha statues. Download free images here.

 

Quote of the Month

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

 

“For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

-Sanskrit Proverb

 
Success Story of the Month

"The Gokhale Method Foundations course was truly worthwhile, beneficial, inspiring and enjoyable. I am quite pleased with the improvement of my posture (standing taller) and notice that I breathe deeper with ease. I know that I will feel and see more benefits from the Gokhale Method Foundations class as I continue to work on strengthening various muscles, especially my glutes with glidewalking. 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back is great and handy as a reference."

-Grace Kozen, Mountain View, CA

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Online Workshops

Palo Alto Workshops

Gokhale Method Foundations course offered in

In the Media (please consider posting comments)

Free Event of the Month:
Yoga and Posture

Learn how to combine the principles of healthy posture with those of traditional yoga while helping spread the word about the Gokhale Method. This free yoga workshop will be featured on Univision (in Spanish) to present our special way of doing yoga.

Discipline your body and mind, stretch and strengthen muscles, improve your breathing pattern, and give yourself a calm and centering respite from everyday life.

When: Tuesday, September 7, from 9:30-10:30 AM
Where: 2439 Birch Street, Palo Alto, CA 94306 (map)

Register here

For the non-locals among you, we will post a link to the Univision program next month.
Online Workshop of the Month:
Stretch & Strengthen

Learn simple exercises that will give your muscles greater length and power, and give you greater ease and freedom of movement. GMF Alumni will appreciate the review of Gokhale Method principles, and those new to the method will get an introduction to healthy posture. Students usually leave the class feeling taller, stronger and more relaxed. Exercises are easily modified to challenge all fitness levels. Ask questions or get a personal analysis via webcam in this interactive workshop.

When: Wednesday, September 15 from 6:30-7:30 PM Pacific Time

Cost: $20

Register here. We will email you a link to join the class.

Contact Us

Esther Gokhale Wellness Center
(650) 324 - 3244
info@egwellness.com
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