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“Breathe
slowly. What’s your hurry?”
Sayings, by Swami Veda Bharati
Breath awareness
homework:
Before you begin, get a
journal and make a commitment to yourself in writing that you will do
these daily practices for the next six weeks. At the end of each week,
write in your journal on what you learned about yourself during the week.
Week One:
-
Observe your breath
periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils. Work with this non-judgmentally
and make changes within your capacity. If you habitually breathe a
certain way, make a commitment to a gradual transition to diaphragmatic
breathing.
-
Lie in
crocodile pose (on your belly, arms
folded in front of chest) for 5 minutes each day this week. Observe the
breath at the navel area.
Week Two:
- Continue observing
your breath periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils.
-
Observe your breath
in shavasana (lying on your back) for 5 minutes each day this
week. Allow the breath to become smooth, even, silent and without
pauses, jerks or breaks or noise.
Week Three:
- Continue observing
your breath periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils.
- Continue to work with
breath awareness in either crocodile or shavasana for 5 minutes each day
this week. Do some gentle warm ups for an additional 10 minutes
each day. Allow the mind to be focused on the practice and let go of
external thoughts and problems.
Week Four:
- Continue observing
your breath periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils.
- Continue to work with
breath awareness in either crocodile or shavasana for 5 minutes each day
this week. Do some gentle warm ups for an additional 10 minutes each
day. Allow the mind to be focused on the practice and let go of
external thoughts and problems.
- Find a comfortable
position and sit still, with no movement in the body except for
breathing, for 5 minutes each day this week. Observe any connection
between thoughts in the mind and the urge to move the body. Journal
about your experiences each day and review at the end of the week.
Week Five:
- Continue observing
your breath periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils.
- Continue to work with
breath awareness in either crocodile or shavasana for 5 minutes each day
this week. Do some gentle warm ups for an additional 10 minutes each
day. Allow the mind to be focused on the practice and let go of
external thoughts and problems.
- At major transition
points, take 2 minutes to follow the breath in the nostrils. Let
go of external thoughts and allow your concentration to be on the
breath. This could include when you first wake up, before meals, before
beginning something at work, arriving home, before bed, etc.
Week Six:
- Continue observing
your breath periodically during the day, checking if you are breathing
diaphragmatically through the nostrils.
- Continue to work with
breath awareness in either crocodile or shavasana for 5 minutes each day
this week. Do some gentle warm ups for an additional 10 minutes each
day. Allow the mind to be focused on the practice and let go of
external thoughts and problems.
-
Eat one meal
this week without distractions like reading, talking or watching
television. Journal about your observations.
Read
your journal entries from the six weeks. Write your observations and
comments on what you have learned about yourself during this process along
with successes and strengths you have discovered. If you would like to
make a new commitment to daily practice, write this now in your journal.
Above
is excerpted from IHYTA Teacher Training Program homework.
Back to
practice page.
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