Friday Q A Dynamic Poses and the Breathing

Q: I have been enjoying the videos of mini vinyasas that you all have been sharing on Mondays. However, I notice that you give very specific and consistent instructions on how to move with the breath, even though sometimes I’d prefer doing the opposite. Are there any rules or reasons why you recommend them the way you do?

A: This is one of the most common questions I get from students who have never worked with mini vinyasas or dynamic poses before. I was first exposed to these practices when I traveled to India in 2005 to study with TKV Desikachar and his staff of amazing teachers. It was there that I was first exposed—other than doing Cat-Cow pose in my classes back home—dynamic versions of many of the poses I had been holding statically in my Iyengar-style of practice.

In this tradition, in dynamic poses, there is a starting position from which you move into the full pose and then back again, repeating the process six or more times. And there is always a suggested pattern to the breath, which works best with the effect of the pose on the abdomen and the flow of breath. Here is the basic gist:

1. When moving into a backbend, move into the pose on an inhalation and move back to the starting position on an exhalation. For an example, see Dynamic Arms Overhead Pose.   
2. When moving into a forward bend, move into the pose on an exhalation and move back to the starting position on an inhalation. For an example, see Dynamic Downward-Facing Dog Pose.
3. When moving into a twist, move into the pose on an exhalation and move back to the starting position on an inhalation. For an example, see Easy Seated Twist.
4. When moving into side bending poses, do so on an exhalation, moving back to the starting position on an inhalation.  For an  example, see Dynamic Crescent Moon. 
5. When you take your arms up from your sides in dynamic standing poses, usually take your arms out to sides or overhead on an inhalation and lower your arms down an exhalation.
6. When there is a combination of these movements in a longer vinyasa,, you typically combine the five breathing techniques described (although there may be exceptions). For example, in a Dynamic Standing Forward Bend vinyasa, you start in Mountain pose by inhaling as your raise your arms Arms Overhead pose (a slight back bending action), exhale as you come into Standing Forward Bend, inhale as you come back up to Arms Overhead pose, and exhale as you release your arms down to your sides (see Dynamic Standing Forward Bend).

But, why, you may still be asking yourself, do it those ways? The answer is that when your spine moves into a backbend shape, the front of your abdomen opens top to bottom,—allowing your diaphragm to move pretty freely—and the space between the ribs expands a bit, all of which facilitates a good inhalation. When your spine moves into a forward bend or twist, you abdomen is compressed top to bottom—pressing up against the diaphragm—and the space between the ribs narrows a bit, all of which inhibits a good inhalation but assists in good exhalation. Twisting has a similar effect to forward bending. Side bending compresses one side of the abdomen and rib cage a bit, so could also inhibit full inhalation and assist in exhalation. In his book The Heart of YogaDesikachar states it simply:

“The rules of linking breath and movement are basically simple: when we contract the body we exhale and when we expand the body we inhale.”

Now, my students sometimes say they prefer the opposite breathing pattern to the ones being taught, and you can certainly do the movements with the other way of breathing. However, it may not be as easy or efficient for the reasons stated above. You might even try to move into Standing Forward Bend while inhaling deeply to see how that feels. Not so great for me!

I hope these guidelines make your exploration of dynamic poses more enjoyable and make more sense.

—Baxter