Autumn's Arrival and the Breath in Yoga

Photo via Miss Moss.

Fall is here! It's time to walk fearlessly toward cold weather... knowing, of course, that we've  also got cozy slippers, candle-lit fireplaces, crockpot meals, and a whole lot of cuddling together on the couch headed our way.

As the seasons change, we are refreshed by new, crisp air.

Last night at the end of Bikram class, I was enjoying our rounds of kapalbhati breathing. I love that this practice is built into the end of the series. It is our last chance to invigorate and cleanse the lungs, which in turn move energy throughout the body. Our whole yoga class has been leading up to this, essentially: the movement of the breath.

Photo by me.

Perhaps this is all there is to yoga: stillness and the breath. Stripped bare, this is all that remains. We need nothing else.

Photo via Closet Visit.

The breath: our beginning, our ending. The sounds of pranayama and of blowing in firm unite us, giving shape to our focus. The breath is made visible in a new way.

Photo via Pinterest.