We live in a very fast world, and the practice of yoga it offers us the possibility to soften the body, to breathe in a controlled way and to slow down thoughts. Well-being is immediate; but the process is therapeutic and long-term. The work is certainly intense and methodical.
“Over the years I have understood how curative the practice is, and how much the well-being it brings is global for the individual – he explains Giuseppe Panarelloteacher of Ashtanga Yoga in Turin – The purification process goes from the outside to the inside and is faced with a step-by-step work, on several levels: the physical one, that of the breath and that of the thought. Then silence ».
The first job is to be done on the bodywith the asana (comfortable positions) to make it strong and flexible. “Through this work we will bring intelligence into the body, awakening and becoming aware of every single muscle, moving slowly and carefully”, continues Giuseppe, who for years has been trying to share this constant research with his students. Asanas have a therapeutic function, so the practice must be identified according to what you need, customizing the positions in case of back pain, sciatica, postural or mobility problems or recovery from injury, for example for athletes . «Each asana has a function; the important thing is to practice them with the right intention ».
The second step concerns the pranayama(“Prana” it means energy, vital breath, while “Ayama” means extension or expansion), the breath control, and works on the nervous system. «When we are agitated and stressed, our breathing is strongly conditioned by our emotional state, it becomes fast and labored. We must activate the reverse process: if our emotions affect the breath, then the opposite is also true; therefore we can control and modify the breath to condition our mood ». By breathing deeply and slowly, we can slow down and calm the mind. We can also move the energy within our body and relieve pain.
“There meditation instead it is the observation phase. We sit in silence listening to the mind, which like a radio on makes a lot of noise and talks a lot. Patañjali, Indian philosopher, considered one of the fathers of yoga, said that by observing the mind in a detached way, she becomes embarrassed and calmed. It’s incredibly true: if you sit and listen to your thoughts, they slowly begin to slow down. “
Yoga consists of three stages, as we have seen, but what to do if we are overwhelmed by emotions and are unable to practice, because maybe we are in the office or among others at a party? We can work on the breath, to learn to control it and thus make sure that emotions do not take over. We deepened with Giuseppe to better understand how to do and “exploit” this awareness of the breath every day, at every emotionally challenging occasion.
It is mistakenly thought that yoga is only when practiced on the mat. Instead, yoga is everything, yoga is the “breath of the world”, right?
“It’s always about intention: if you step on the mat with the wrong intention, everything you do on it becomes pure physical exercise. So, one should start bringing yoga into daily life: the moment I wake up and think about my day, or practice, I’m already doing yoga, because I’m focusing on the discipline. Then slowly we begin to experience yoga in everyday life, it is a slow but inexorable process: the rules that yoga teaches become the rule of life. Behave well, have a peaceful and patient approach, do not react instinctively and impulsively to all the things that happen to us: this causes change to take place in our mind, which then translates it into the concrete, in life. But it takes time to really change ».
He talks about yoga as a therapeutic process, then as a cure: what does yoga “cure”?
«Yoga is a purification process from the outside to the inside: the first thing we do is train the mind in this discipline, as explained above. Working on the body is the first step, because the results on the body are more tangible and with the body we “perceive” the world. We bring him back to a healthy condition, through the asanas. When the body begins to “let go”, here we hear our breath, the bridge between conscious and unconscious. By lengthening the breaths, we bring the attention inwards, rebalancing the nervous system. And since we are also chemistry and not just muscles and bones, as soon as we rearrange the mind, there it is hormonal response it is different, more beneficial: from cortisol, produced under stress, we pass to endorphins and dopamine, therefore the immune system is strengthened, the mind becomes clearer. That’s why yoga heals ”.
Let’s focus on the breath: how many types of breathing are there in yoga?
“There are many forms of pranayama. But perhaps that is true yogic breathing square: inhale, hold the inhale, exhale, hold the exhale. The number of seconds to make these four times last depends on the preparation of each. Practicing this breathing for a certain number of minutes a day, for at least 6 months, allows you to assimilate it, then lower it into daily life “.
By controlling the breath, we can control emotions: in what sense?
«Breathing is an involuntary movement, but if we want, we can decide how to breathe. Emotions affect our breathing: when we are afraid or anxious, our breath becomes short; when we are extremely relaxed, the breath lengthens and becomes full. We can and must trigger the reverse process: by learning to breathe slowly and consciously, we can prevent anxiety states from appearing or prevailing over us. Of course it is not a pill: I do a pranayama and the fear disappears, no. But it is a constant practice. It serves to oxygenate the body, but above all to quiet the mind: it is the mind that generates anxiety. If we silence it, the state of anxiety does not even appear ».
When a state of agitation occurs, can you suggest a technique, a method to calm us down, to calm the mind?
“A very simple thing we can do is double the expiratory act: in the inhalation our heart increases the beat, while it is in the exhalation that the heart slows down. So if I double the exhalation, I stimulate the parasympathetic system to work, so I “lower the turns” of the heart. So, we take a minute and inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 8. The beneficial effect is almost immediate. We can do this sitting or standing, but if we have time, we can also lie down and practice it for five minutes.
After that another method is distract attention from the body, bring the mind out of us: those who feel panic are constantly focused on what is happening to their organism. The trick is to try not to control the situation, but to really lose control. Getting out of ourselves, realizing that the anxiety then passes, that it is the result of dysfunctional thoughts: this helps to get better immediately ».
The therapeutic aspect of yoga then is just that, and it is global. Go through a work on asanas, body care; a breath control method to rebalance the nervous system; and finally seek silence with meditation. “These three things have to be done together, methodically and continuously, but they have to get there gradually, without force or violence. First we put the body in place so that it can sit comfortably and without too much tension. Then we learn to listen and control the breath to calm the mind and prepare it for listening without judgment ».
Yoga also serves as method of evaluating our life: «If a state of anxiety occurs, and it does so often, then it means that something in our life is not working. What makes us dissatisfied? What scares us? What cages us? From the answers – if you have the courage to listen to them, because our body talks to us and sometimes comes to “scream” to be heard – we can start again to change what we don’t like and start a new life. It is clear that to do this, yoga alone is not enough: I always recommend also be followed by a psychotherapist, if the anxiety is not manageable on your own. But yoga is an excellent starting point ».
Yoga thus becomes a cure, as well as «a magnificent metaphor for life. There are moments on the mat when everything flows very easily and others very tiring, perhaps while you are doing a difficult posture for your body. When we perform a challenging posture and try to have a non-challenging approach, then we are able to enjoy the progress that occurs gradually to achieve this posture without forcing the body. We must have the patience to accept to develop resilience. Yoga is a profound research on the body and mind. Each body is different and each of us has a different story. Let’s learn to find “our” practice ».
If you are interested in learning more about the practice of Ashtanga Yoga with Giuseppe Panarello, from 20 to 27 August will hold a retreat “YIS – Yoga In Salento “ in Salento. The program includes guided Mysore Style classes, pranayama lessons and in-depth afternoons on yoga themes. For more information, visit the profile of Giuseppe Panarello.
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Source: Vanity Fair
