🌿 Sunday Check‑In Pranayama 5/10/26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6BbOGzo_7c

This week has been an intentional exploration of how I use my time. I’ve been leaning into the law of three — active, passive, and neutral — learning, outputting, and reflective moments. I’ve noticed myself tipping into too much output lately, and I’m working on aligning my days so I have more space for study, as well as the neutral, mindless moments that allow new ideas to drift in… like gardening, tending to the critters, or simply being outside.

I’ve shared before that to receive creative ideas, we need to allow different forms of time to exist. The triangle — 3, 6, 9 — active, passive, and neutral. When I balance my time this way, life moves more gently. Too much output is exhausting. Too much study without application becomes ungrounded. And without neutral time, there’s no space to receive the creative answers I’m seeking.

How does this way of thinking about time land for you? Do you feel balanced, or can you sense one of these taking the lead?

Active time — output, focused work, physical tasks

Passive time — receiving input: study, podcasts, reading

Neutral time — quiet moments: chores, driving, showering, meditation, playing with the kids

🌸 This Week on YouTube

Gentle Yoga to Destress From Work | 25 minutes

🌾 This Week on Patreon

Yoga Tier

A full‑length class with a special emphasis on balance.

Esoteric Tier

Dreamwork for Tier Two — more on lucid dreaming and how it relates to the eight limbs of yoga, plus a corresponding meditation.

This week’s check‑in is formatted a little differently because I’m answering a question from last week that needed more depth than a short reply could hold.

🌬️ Pranayama — The Fourth Limb of Yoga

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describe the Eight Limbs of Yoga — the path toward clarity and awakening. A funny way to remember them is:

Your Neighbor Always Peeks Past Doorways During Savasana

1. Yama — how we relate to the world around us

2. Niyama — how we relate inwardly to ourselves

3. Asana — the physical practice

4. Pranayama — breathwork

5. Pratyahara — withdrawal of the senses

6. Dharana — one‑pointed focus

7. Dhyana — deep connection and understanding

8. Samadhi — unity; merging with the object of focus

Today we’re focusing on pranayama, but I wanted to bring the limbs together because each one builds upon the next. I also found it interesting that in Light on Yoga, asana and pranayama are discussed before the yamas and niyamas. The usual order places the yamas and niyamas first, but he explains that because asana and pranayama are physical practices, they cultivate presence. And when we become more present, our attitudes, actions, and beliefs naturally shift — which aligns with the yamas and niyamas.

That’s how it unfolded for me. I began with asana, and over time my spiritual practice deepened — in who I am and how I relate to the world.

🌬️ The Six Core Pranayama Practices

From the lineage I was taught, rooted in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, there are six core pranayama techniques. At their foundation, pranayama includes four parts: inhale, retention, exhale, and

suspension.

The most common practices are:

• Ujjayi (ocean breath)

• Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing)

• Bhramari (bee’s breath)

• Bellows breath

• Bhastrika

The more advanced practices are:

• Murcha Pranayama (swooning breath)

• Plavini Pranayama (floating breath)

I personally practice mostly Ujjayi and alternate nostril breathing.

🌊 A Closer Look at Ujjayi

Ujjayi is created by gently constricting the back of the throat so a soft oceanic (or Darth Vader‑like) sound is heard on the inhale and exhale. It’s often thought of as a heating breath, but because heat leads to sweat — which cools the body — it can be both warming and cooling depending on the moment.

You can practice Ujjayi simply with the constriction, or you can add:

• a brief hold at the top of the inhale

• a soft suspension after the exhale

• or ratios to deepen breath capacity over time

This addition is characteristic of the other pranayamas as well. There is the core technique, then a myriad of ways to take it to the next level.

When beginning a pranayama practice, we start by noticing the natural breath, then with that awareness, we build on the desired pranayama from a place of ease. The most important thing is to progress naturally and without force. Just like asana, pranayama isn’t about pushing an edge — it’s about focused ease. If discomfort arises, rest and breathe normally.

🌙 Why Pranayama Matters

Pranayama supports concentration, presence, and energetic cleansing. Through asana, we learn to control the body; through pranayama, we learn to guide the mind. You must be present to alter the breath, and in turn, the mind quiets.

This leads naturally into Pratyahara, where the senses withdraw. When you’re counting, holding, releasing, and listening to your breath, the mind chatter softens. From there, we can focus on a single object (Dharana), deepen our understanding (Dhyana), and eventually merge with the truth of what we’re studying (Samadhi).

In everyday life, pranayama is helpful even without going that deep. It interrupts the train of thoughts that cause so much of our pain. It quiets the monkey mind and supports peace, balance, energy, rest, digestion, and relationships. Just as the body improves with consistent asana, the mind improves with consistent breathwork.

🌬️ Let’s Practice

Alternate nostril breathing — without suspension or retention. Practice in the linked video if you want to follow along:)

I love this breath when I feel anxious, when I want to clear my mind, or when I need to feel balanced.