Yogis and ladies, yoginis and gentlemen.  Happy weekend!  As the temperatures fall, be sure to stay warm and safe, both on the roads and off.  If you're planning on coming to Dhan (and we hope you are!) leave a little extra time for slower, more cautious travel to and from home.  You look your best in one piece, and we'd like you to stay that way. 

Warming pranayama - breathing exercises - are a great way to combat both the temperatures and the notorious colds and flus of the winter season.  If you find yourself chillier or sneezier than usual, find a few minutes to fit some mindful breathing into your day to help your body keep its natural fires burning. 

Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati, "Skull Shining")

This is a great technique to practice if you're feeling chilly or drained by the cold.  It is also useful for relieving stress or anxiety, as it focuses blood flow to the core and floods the brain with oxygen.  When you start to get jittery teeth or a chill in your bones, breathe some fire into your body to warm up.  Fire breath can be done either through the nose or mouth. 

1. Sit straight up, either on the floor in easy pose or on a chair.  Do not lean back against a wall or sofa.
2. Place one hand over the other on the middle of your belly.  
3. Breathe deeply a few times to find your center.  The part where your belly expands the most is the point where you want to place the middle of your palm. 
4. When you're ready, force all the air out of your lungs as firmly as you can.  Feel your diaphragm pushing up into your rib cage, and your belly pulling back toward your spine. 
5. Once you've made that forceful push to clear your lungs of air, your diaphragm will naturally want to fall back down, pulling air in by the force of the vacuum rather than your active breathing.  Allow this to happen. 
6. Start with a count of 15 breaths, and if you feel comfortable progress to 30 with 5-10 long, deep breaths in between.  Do not rest in between breaths while counting, simply continue to rhythmically force the air out and allow it to be sucked back in. 

Sinus Cooling Breath

This is a breathing technique that works well for any stuffed nasal passages or congestion.  It is best to keep a water bottle nearby while practicing, as it can cause a tickling sensation in the throat.  Don't worry, it won't exacerbate any throat or chest conditions, it's just that the rapid cooling effects can be unfamiliar. 

1. Find a place to sit upright, either on the floor or in a chair.  Do not lean back against a wall or a sofa.  (Hero's pose is also a good base for this, as it allows shoulders to rotate back and down and opens up more space in the ribcage.)
2. Take in one deep breath through your nose, hold it for a count of four, and release through your mouth. 
3. When ready, take in two short, quick breaths in a row through your nose. Do not exhale in between - just two inhales, one right after the other. 
4. Immediately after the second inhale, exhale in the same rhythm - two quick puffs of air, out through your mouth. You should sound like "hm-hm, ha-ha".  
5. Do not rest or pause between either the sets of inhales or exhales, or the different breaths themselves.  Breathe this cycle (two quick inhales, two quick exhales) for 30 seconds. 
6. Keep your water handy!  You should feel a cooling and clearing sensation in your sinuses after about the eighth or ninth breath, and don't be afraid to stop if you need to cough.  

Find time to be kind to yourself this weekend, stay warm and namaste.