Slim Calm Sexy Yoga: 210 Proven Yoga Moves for Mind/Body Bliss

ones on the following page), and take away what works for you. The more you learn, the more you have to choose from.
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Sage Secrets
| LIFE AND BREATH
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    ANCIENT YOGA PHILOSOPHY says that you are allotted a certain number of breaths in your life. You can lengthen or shorten your life by how you take those breaths.
    Short and fast breathing is the result of living a stressful, out-of-balance existence. This leads to disease and a shortened life. Long, deep breathing keeps your body and mind vibrant and healthy, and allows you to live a long, full life.
    Interestingly, animals that breathe slowly, such as the elephant, live for a very long time (up to 80 years, in the pachyderm’s case). Ganesha, a Hindu deity prevalent in statue form in many yoga studios, is the lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. Ganesha has an elephant’s head, trunk, and ears, and a huge, humanlike potbelly full of breath. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth.
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  Deep Breathing
    This basic technique will teach you how to take long, deep breaths through the nose. If you are brand new to yoga, you might want to start moving through the poses and meditations in this book using this breathing technique before moving on to ones that are more complex.

    the
ROUTINE
You can practice deep breathing anytime, including while you are practicing yoga.
    Lie flat on your back in corpse pose: legs straight on the floor in front of you, arms relaxed on the mat by your sides. Take a deep breath. /// Exhale all the air out. Pull your lower belly in and hold the air out for a moment. /// Inhale from your lower belly, then up through your middle chest, then your upper chest. Hold all the air in for a moment. /// Slowly exhale, starting with your upper chest, then your middle chest, and finally your belly. Exhale fully, pull your belly in, and hold the air out for a moment. Repeat for a total of 10 breaths.

  Bellows Breathing
    Bellows breathing is a handy go-to practice that clears the nasal passages and also builds heat in the body, which releases stress, tension, and toxins from the system.
    the
ROUTINE
You can practice deep breathing anytime, including while you are practicing yoga.
    Sit in a chair or on the floor, palms on your thighs. Close your eyes and take 3 deep inhales and exhales through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. /// Gradually increase the speed of your inhales and exhales until your breaths become short and fast. You will feel your stomach pressing in toward your spine on each exhale. Focus on sharp, full exhales. Your inhales will happen automatically between exhales, as you release your stomach. /// Once you are breathing at a very rapid rate try to sustain it for about 1 minute. Then, slowly lengthen your inhales and exhales until they return to long, deep breaths. Continue for another minute.

  Alternate Nostril Breathing
    Alternate nostril breathing is a meditative practice that switches breath between the two nostrils. We naturally alternate breath between each nostril every 2 to 3 hours. Alternate nostril breathing also increases digestive power, soothes and invigorates the nerves, clears the sinuses, alleviates headaches, promotes deep relaxation, and balances wake and sleep cycles.

    the
ROUTINE
This practice produces optimal function of both sides of the brain and calms the mind and nervous system.
    Sit in a comfortable position. Curl the forefinger and middle finger of your right hand into your palm. Place your right hand around your nose so your ring and pinkie fingers are alongside your left nostril. /// Close your left nostril with your ring finger and inhale slowly through your right nostril for 4 counts. Close the right nostril with your right thumb so both nostrils are closed and hold your breath for 4 counts. Release your ring finger and slowly exhale through your left nostril for 4 counts. /// Rest with all the air out of your lungs for 4 counts. /// With your thumb in the same position, inhale through your left nostril for 4 counts. Then close it and hold for 4 counts. /// Release your thumb and exhale through your right nostril for 4 counts. Then inhale through it for 4 counts. /// Hold and repeat the exhale/inhale on the left side. Continue for 5 minutes. If holding your breath for 4 counts is tough, start with 2 and build from there.

  Breath of Fire
    Breath of fire is a technique used in kundalini yoga practices to cleanse and energize the