You're not breathing wrong

Next time you're on your mat, practice repeating this affirmation:

"This breath is my best breath."

It's all too common for my beginner yoga students to say to me, "I know I don't breathe right." It's as if they're expecting me to try to correct them.

The wellness world has its dark side, and we see it when a teacher tries to gain control over a student’s healthy instincts. One way they'll do this is by trying to make you think you're breathing wrong.

But the truth is, you were born knowing how to breathe. You didn't need anyone to teach it to you as an infant, and you don't need anyone to teach you now. Not only are you breathing correctly, but you have the right to fully enjoy your breath.

The breath is one of the simplest human pleasures

Here’s a 1-minute pleasurable breathing exercise.

Lie on your back and get comfortable. Now, simply feel what it’s like to surrender to your instinct to breathe. Whether your breathing feels deep or shallow, you can practice saying to yourself, “This breath is exactly deep enough for me at this moment.”

Whether your breathing is more in your chest or more your belly, say “The shape of this breath is my very own instinctive breath.”

Trust your body. Trust your intuition. You are whole. You're doing it right. 

Continue for 1 to 5 minutes on your back. To take it further, incorporate it into a yoga session using one of my yin yoga class videos.

Here's a 45 minute yin session that explores the breath easefully and will help you connect with your own confidence and pleasure.