DECEMBER 2017 / 83 / YOGAJOURNAL.COM
PHOTOS: JEFF NELSON; MODEL: RODNEY YEE; GROOMING: BETH WALKER; WARDROBE: MODEL’S OWN
RUMOR HAS IT THAT when B.K.S. Iyengar’s
daughter Geeta asked him to teach her
pranayama, he said, “Go practice Savasana
(Corpse Pose) for 10 years. Then we’ll begin.”
So, the road to learning pranayama starts
with relaxation. Then you move on to breath
awareness—of assessing what is in the way
of your natural breath. Finally, there are
many pranayama techniques that will keep
you engaged for the rest of your life.
If you practice without a teacher, red
flags that you’ve gone too far are as follows:
tearing of the eyes, ringing in the ears, shakyhandwriting, irritability, and anxiousness.
All of these are signs that you need to do
less—that you might want to consider rest-
ing in Savasana. It is important to be honest
and accept the feedback your body gives you.
It’s necessary to check in periodically with a
proficient teacher who knows you well and
has an extensive pranayama practice of their
own (a daily pranayama practice for at least
10 years). The following sequence will help
you relax, observe obstacles to peace (both
internal and external), and prepare the dia-
phragm for deep breathing.Breathing room
Release
tension with
this restorative
sequence from
Rodney Yee for
encouraging
the flow of
breath and
prana.