Good day, Steemians!

Stars cannot shine without darkness. -- unknown

When I did ayahuasca, I became acutely aware
of the shit I still held tightly in my being
from unpleasant life experiences.
She quite clearly told me to turn that shit over and plant some flowers in it!

I am most certainly creating super fertile soil these days,
and I am so looking forward to the new life that will spring from it.
In the meantime,
I will enjoy the breakdown of old shit.

Breathing--seriously, deeply, consciously breathing--
changes everything, and will immediately improve even the shittiest shit.

I will share a breathing technique with you today that can conquer all.

Ujjayi means "victorious breathing".

It's also called Darth Vader breathing because it sounds like said Sith lord.

Pranayama ( = breath control) is an entire limb of ashtanga yoga.
Controlling the breath makes an enormous difference on and off the mat,
and there are volumes upon volumes upon volumes of breathing techniques.
Yoga is said to give rise to superpowers (legit--they're called siddhis),
and breathing is a key element for tapping into those incredible abilities.

Ujjayi is the breathing technique to activate and maintain
during a proper ashtanga yoga session.
Engaging the breath gives rhythm to a practice,
and you will find yourself stronger and more capable
of holding poses when you move fluidly with the breath. 

This is a powerful, audible breath sometimes called oceanic breathing
because it sounds like waves crashing.
You can come into ujjayi any time you need to overcome
the dark side, emotions, temperature extremes,
disease, unclarity, poor company--you name it!
It is called "victorious breathing"
for its ability to conquer those things
that make us feel out of control or powerless.

Engaging ujjayi hones concentration.
It relieves stress, regulates blood pressure,
and is said to alleviate insomnia.
It builds internal heat and energy,
and supercharges the body with both oxygen and prana. 

You're already breathing every moment of every day,
so it's always accessible to give it a go and see for yourself. 

How to UJJAYI:

• Consider the "ha" sound you would make if you were breathing on a mirror to fog it up.
• With your mouth closed and throat open, exhale and make this "ha" sound through the nose.
• Inhale deeply through the nose with mouth closed.
• Repeat as many times as you need.
• Try inhaling and exhaling to a count of 8, being mindful of the pauses between inhales and exhales. 

💛 Sara!

>:<>:< Giving thanks for every bit and being in this life today >:<>:<