🌹Breath of Joy

The Breath of Joy is a rapid, warming breathing practice that coordinates arm, leg and upper body movement with the breath.

Stand with your feet a little wider than hip width. Toes are turned slightly in. Bend and straighten the knees as you inhale through the nose and simultaneously cross and swing your arms overhead. Bend and straighten the legs again as you exhale through the nose to swing your arms back down and then inhale to swing the arms (without crossing) back overhead, legs bending and straightening. Exhale to swing the arms down and slightly behind you as you release your upper body over the legs. Inhale to rise up and repeat the pattern.

Kapha Focus: Dynamic movement and strong breath creates heat and stimulates circulation.

Benefits:  It is uplifting and energizing

You can do The Breath of Joy anywhere and anytime to incite the flow of joyful energies throughout your entire body!  This breath helps energize your body and infuse it with added oxygen. As with all breathing techniques, it can detoxify your body.

Technique:

• Do it either standing or kneeling. If standing, begin with a wide base; i.e. your feet wider than your hips.
• Each arm movement corresponds to the breath. Inhale three times; exhale once.
• Start swinging your arms up in front of you, parallel with the floor as you inhale. Swing your arms out beside you, parallel with the floor as you inhale again. Next inhale, arms come up in front and up overhead. On the exhale; bend the body at the hips, knees slightly bent, arms swing down toward the floor as you say “haaaaa” during the exhale.
• Start with 5 rounds, then work your way up to 20.

This perennial favorite always makes people smile andand feel joyful so share this breathing technique with your family and friends.

Note: Do not try this breathing technique if you have high blood pressure, head injuries, glaucoma, migraine headaches. Do it more slowly if you have low blood pressure.