Ease-in yoga

Hi! I'm Dana Taft, and I'm a yoga instructor. I have some pointers for you as you ease into yoga.

[MUSIC PLAYING] This is great for anyone who's just starting off.

All beginners, all are welcome. The first thing I want to bring to your attention is that yoga, primarily, is about the breath.

And in our society today, you would be surprised how much our breath can be restricted.

So let me show you how we breathe in a yoga practice. This is a yoga breath we call Ujjayi Pranayama.

And it's a breath that's going to warm up your body from the inside out. A funny way to think of this breath

is like the "Star Wars" character Darth Vader. It's going to sound almost like an ocean

wave, where you're going to breathe in through your nose. And your exhale is also through your nose. But you'll feel the fiery breath come out

from this part of your throat. So lightly lay your hand over your throat.

Breathe in through your nose. Breathe out through your nose.

You notice the sound as you breathe in, and you notice the feeling under your hand as you breathe out.

As you do that breath, also bring your attention to the muscles in your face. You want a relaxed jaw.

Relax around your eyes. And even in your mouth, relax your tongue.

So do that Ujjayi Pranayama breath with me. In through your nose.

Out through your nose. You notice that your nostrils do not need to flare.

Your shoulders do not need to move up and down. And your stomach isn't noticeably moving out and in.

It's all here in the throat. And as you sit and do that yoga breath, you might also notice your body warming up.