Breathe In, Breathe Out...Tied to the Wheel

Machinehead by Bush

Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in

Tied to a wheel, my fingers got to feel
Bleeding through a tourniquet smile
I spin on a whim, I slide to the right
I felt you like electric light
For our love, for our fear
For our rise against the years, and years, and years

Got a machinehead
It's better than the rest
Green to red, machinehead
Got a machinehead
It's better than the rest
Green to red

I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine

Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in

Deaf, dumb and thirty, starting to deserve this
Leaning on my conscience wall
Blood is like wine, unconscious all the time
If I had it all again I'd change it all


Here’s the song of the day, as chosen by my radio suggesting it as I drive along. I heard this not once, but twice* today. Interesting because my yoga training session this weekend focused on Pranayama, you know, the practice of breath.

Apparently, in classic yoga studies, breath work comes only after a good understanding of both social and personal ethics and physical poses. Yes, first Yamas, Niyamas, and Asanas. Then you get to breathe.

My teacher was dead serious when he informed us that the texts warn against doing advanced breathing without adequate preparation. They list the side effects of breath study as sweating, cold flashes, or, death. That’s right, death. He hit that one hard.

So now I’m a bit afraid to breathe or to teach others how to breathe. Maybe we should just figure that everybody gets to be responsible for their own body’s well being.

Or maybe the yogis were having a bit of a joke and pointing out that apana (exhalation, without breath) could lead to death.

Anyway, I like this song and it reminds me to breathe!

Sorry I can’t give you the video. Embedding was disabled by the band’s request. Here’s the link to get to youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er1bwzZCik0




* I also heard DCFC’s I Will Possess Your Heart – which I adore - twice today. It was my day for repeat songs. Hmmm.

Sing a Song of Ujjayi

That's what our teacher trainer S. said during practice yesterday. He said, "Let the breath become a lullaby that sings to everybody in the room." Isn't that a lovely image?

I completed my first full day of yoga teacher training yesterday, and it was awesome!

I'll write more when I have time, as right now I'm on my way to the second session. I'll just say that the energy and dedication in the studio was amazing. I am filled with joy at the opportunity to learn and experience yoga at a different level.

Thankfully, we did much more instruction and listening than poses. I was worried that we would be doing non-stop asanas. The focus was more on developing a philosophy and understanding of yoga and of partner work.