Learning to breath in Madras
To my amazement, in my early days of studying in Madras, were I choose to learn in the home of Krishanmacharya instead of staying at any wonderful hotel Madras as plenty of, because this way, my learning became intimate and personal. Even though, I desired to stay in luxury at a Madras hotel, I would’ve missed out on so my subtleties if a follow my desires for comfort. I learned that the purpose of the asana was to enhance and participate in the breath. The asana was not there for its own sake. My teacher taught me that the ancients, the elders, perceived the breath, not the heart pulse, to be the most critical function of the body. What I found to be so magical about what I was learning about breath is that I can intentionally take charge in and develop an underpinning depth of my life. The other critical functions of my bodies system will then become strengthen, which includes my heart and vascular system.
Breath is asana. Breath is my guide to the asana. I was taught to carefully choose a selection of asana movements for myself to ensure that the breath I use strengthens without any struggle whatsoever. The reason for this is the great power of my anatomy will be used to move the breath, it moves easily as I contact my depth, my source. I let my breath be my Guru. I learned forward bends and twists help facilitate the exhalations, and if I arch my back this in-turn helps my inhalations. I was already and advanced asana practitioner when I moved in with my teacher. I learned the structuring of the whole body around my breath will form bandhas, bandhas are the channels of my life force. Asana is hatha yoga. Ha and Tha are sun and moon respectively, strength receiving, which is performed by inhalation and exhalation. This is vital, because strength that isn’t receiving can become destructive to itself and others. So, what I learned the most is in strong asana, I should see that the joints and muscles are soft enought to receive the inhalations.
Ironically, now in the present, I teach hatha yoga, not in my home, but in hotel conference rooms and lobbies. I find that by teaching just the basics to anyone who wants to learn that it’s better to start them in a group situation. Then, and only after they’ve taken one of my basic teachings, can they even consider coming into my home to become a private asana student.
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