Learning The Breath of Fire
Sat Nam, my name is Melissa this is Mind Body Soul yoga. I would like to introduce to you the breath of fire. The breath of fire is the breath we use in Kundalini yoga both in meditation and in the physical exercises in crease. It is powerful breath done very quickly through the nose. The Yogi is saying when you come into your body on earth when you were born, you are given a certain amount of breaths and that is the length of your life. They also say, the breath of fire, when done continuously it counts as one breath. So the breath of fire actually if done often can lengthen your life. So this is how we learn the breath of fire. Please stick your tongue out, like that, and begin to pant like a dog. That looks a little silly and sounds a little silly but this is how we learn. (demo) and keep going. And then when you feel like you have the rhythm, filling with every exhale, your stomach pumping in and releasing on the inhale, close your mouth and begin to do that same breath through the nose. It sounds like this. (demo) Please continue, breaths are short and equal inhalations and exhalations through the nose. There is a pretty and intense pumping motion in the naval. With every exhale the navel comes in and on the inhale, it relaxes again. So to test this motion, put your hand on top of your belly button and feel the motion of pumping as you continue the breath of fire. (demo) Continuing this breath, we do this a lot in Kundalini yoga. So you may find by doing it too quickly to start is a little too much for you. So if this breath is new, start slow and build up the speed as it becomes more second nature to you. If you feel yourself spiraling out of control, spiraling sounds like this (demo) when the breath gets a little shorter, stop the breath, begin again and do it so softly and calmly and slowly and build up. Be patient with yourself. Love yourself and have fun. So finishing this breath of fire that you are doing so beautifully, inhale deeply, hold this beautiful breath in your body and exhale. And you’ve just learned the breath of fire. Sat Nam.