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Sun Breath, Sun Signs & Sun Salutations

Sun Salutations

Sun Salutations are the perfect simple yoga routine to help you move your body and feel energized.

The full set is not for everyone so I created a video to show the variations you can use to add this to your routine.

You can do this when you wake up in the morning, mid-morning, or help beat an afternoon slump.

You technically don’t even need a yoga mat and I just love that.

If you are new to Sun Salutations, then you will probably follow the video for a while and then you will be able to start doing them on your own.

Solar Breath

You can start or finish Sun Salutations with Solar Breath. You can also do this as a stand-alone morning practice.

  • Sit tall
  • Close your left nostril with the first two fingers of your left hand
  • Inhale slowly and deeply through the right nostril
  • Exhale slowly through your right nostril
  • This is one cycle.
  • Repeat 8 to 10 times or for 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Allow your eyes to close.
  • Pause after and take some deep breaths through both nostrils.
  • Notice how you feel.

The right nostril is connected to the Sun and your Pingala Nadi. Your solar (pingala) nadi (channel) is in your subtle energy body.

This breath is warming and energizing. This is also a breath featured in my book, Tend To Your Vibration.

Sun Signs

You might like to dedicate your practice and/or your breath to embody the energy of the current Sun Sign.

Simply figure out which sun sign we are in at the moment by the dates listed below. Then read the description and see where you can benefit from that energy in your life.

Set your intention to embody that energy at the beginning of your Sun Salutation practice and bring your mind back to it at the end.

Then find ways to infuse that energy into your day during this cycle.

Aries – March 21 – April 19 – Fire sign – Keywords: passion, spontaneity, independent, impatience, energetic, generous, foolish.

Taurus – April 20 – May 20 – Earth sign – Keywords: stability, earthly pleasures, stubbornness, routine, deliberate, sensuality, persistence, contented.

Gemini – May 21 – June 20 – Air sign – Keywords: duality, communication, intellectual, versatile, resourceful, curiosity, distracted, charming

Cancer – June 21 – July 22 – Water sign – Keywords: nurturing, sentimental, moodiness, family, home, creativity, emotions, sensitive.

Leo – July 23 – August 22 – Fire sign – Keywords: expressive, loyalty, excited, courage, drama, generosity, arrogance, playfulness.

Virgo – August 23 – September 22 – Earth sign – Keywords: grounded, order, helpfulness, perfectionism, cleanliness, helper, selfless, analytical.

Libra – September 23 – October 22 – Air sign – Keywords: balance, harmony, partnership, commitment, fairness, inconsistent, relationships, cooperation.

Scorpio – October 23 – November 21 – Water sign – Keywords: intensity, magnetic, mysterious, loyal, sexiness, possessive, power, brave.

Sagittarius – November 22 – December 21 – Fire sign – Keywords: adventure, bluntness, playful, inspiration, honesty, fearless, risk, curiosity.

Capricorn – December 22 – January 19 – Earth sign – Keywords: practical, ambitious, career, structure, goals, cynical, productive, boundaries.

Aquarius – January 20 – February 18 – Air sign – Keywords: originality, hopeful, social justice, friendliness, innovative, detached, open-minded, freedom.

Pisces – February 19 – March 20 – Water sign – Keywords: idealistic, artistic, dreamer, imaginative, self-delusion, compassion, healer, family.

I hope you love this! Please share your Sun sign below! I’m an Aries!

Bust Through Blocks With Ego Eradicator Breath

If you are looking to bust through blocks in your life then Ego Eradicator Breath can help. This is a Kundalini Yoga Exercise that is very powerful.

This is a variation of Breath of Fire in my book, Tend To Your Vibration.

What I mean by “blocks” are any mental and emotional patterns that are holding you back from moving forward in the direction you want to go.

Examples of different types of blocks are:

  • Being stuck in a pattern of thinking in which you have a hard time seeing the idea, item, or situation any other way. This can be like not seeing any way to earn more money, or feeling convinced that you will never fall in love (or fall in love again), or thinking that negative things ALWAYS happen to you.
  • Emotional blocks are often ways of acting that keep you repeating a pattern such as sabotaging your own work by being late regularly, or closing yourself off and pushing a partner away every time things get serious, or never planning ahead so that you miss important things in your life and blame it on others.

So often you do these things unconsciously. In your heart, you want more and you want to love differently but your ego is trying to keep you safe. Unchartered territory can seem scary.

When you feel like you are stuck in a rut (these are called samskaras in yoga – ooh, that is a whole other post), you can practice Ego Eradicator to help you get out of the rut and move forward. It works on an energetic level. You will understand what I mean after you practice the breath.

Ego Eradicator Breath

  • Begin sitting comfortably in a chair or on the floor in easy pose (legs crossed).
  • Lift your arms up to a 60-degree angle (see video). Keep your elbows straight and your shoulders relaxed.
  • Your fingertips will curl and rest on to the pads of your palms at the base of your fingers. Thumbs are stretched out.
  • Close your eyes and roll them in and up to focus on your third-eye or above your head.
  • Practice Breath of Fire. Take quick inhales and exhales of equal length. The area above the navel point naturally comes in on the exhale and releases on the inhale. You can watch this video here too.
  • Continue for 1 – 3 minutes. Or a few rounds if you are just starting out.
  • Finish by inhaling deeply and bringing your arms overhead to touch your thumbs together. Then open your fingers, exhale and relax your arms down. 

This breath is not recommended if you are pregnant or menstruating.

This breath is more like a meditation. It helps clear and strengthen your energetic field, your aura.

Ego Eradicator exercise is a great introduction noticing how your breath and body can help you release blocks and patterns that you have been holding onto so you can feel more energized and confident to move forward.

I talked about this breath in this blog post: Spiritual Tips for When a Family Member is in the Hospital.

Ego Eradicator breath helps strengthen your nervous system to respond to stress with greater ease, increases lung capacity, and is both relaxing and energizing.

I do this practice every day. In the morning when I wake up. When I feel stuck or frustrated during the day. At night when I want to get rid of all of the junk, I picked up from other people, news, etc.

Let me know in the comments what you think of this exercise!

Tap Into the Aloha Vibe with this Hawaiian Breath

Can you tell that I just got back from Hawaii? I had the most magical time and wanted to share some of the Aloha energy with you.

While I was there, I woke up early and did my normal breathing exercises to start my day.

A few days in, I realized that I wanted to really embody and project the word Aloha and Mahalo.

I learned that Aloha does not only mean hello and goodbye. It also means:

  • Love, peace, and compassion.
  • A connection with mind, body, spirit.
  • A connection with all other people, living things, and the universe.
  • To be joined with the spirit and the presence of the person you are with or the place you are in. 

So I edited the breath I was doing to use the word Aloha and then I added an evening breath using the word Mahalo, to give thanks for the wonderful day.

After I got back, I discovered that the break down of the word includes breath.

Alo – “to share”
oha – “to show affection or friendship”
ha – “life, breath”

Wow! How perfect!

I am sharing this breathing technique with you today in a short video. (1:44). 

I share this with respect for the Hawaiian culture and gratitude that I was able to experience with my family.

Below are some of my favorite photos from our trip!

3 breathing techniques that will change your life!

Years ago I started using these breathing techniques throughout my day instead of just on my yoga mat and my life truly started to change for the better.

There are tons of benefits to these and I will share them below.

My favorite benefits are mental health benefits!

These breathing techniques help me shift from low energy to high energy, from negative to positive, from my workday to family time, from my day to sleep, and so on.

I used to wait to have time to have a full yoga practice to experience these benefits and now I can get them anytime I want in a short amount of time.

Want to consistently release negative energy and shift to a higher vibration?

Then get started with these 3 breaths!

Releasing Breath

Great in the afternoon for shifting from day to night, work to family time, and at the end of the day. Using the arms is optional.

This breath helps clear your mind, feel more in control of your emotions, and releases negative energy.

Sitting tall, you inhale with 4 sniffs, and then take one long exhale. Repeat for 4 cycles or for 1 to 3 minutes.

Breath of Fire

Great in the morning or anytime for energy.

This breath helps strengthen your nervous system to respond to stress with greater ease, increases lung capacity, energy, and endurance, plus it can help with addictive tendencies.

Sitting tall, take quick inhales and exhales of equal length. The area above the navel point naturally comes in on the exhale and releases on the inhale. Try it for 3 rounds or set a timer for 1 to 3 minutes.

Take a break if you feel dizzy.

Not recommended if you are pregnant or menstruating.

Deep Breathing – Grounding Breath

Simple breath perfect for when you are feeling frazzled, worried, up in your head, focused outside of yourself, etc.

Use anytime you want to feel more grounded.

Reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, releases toxins and tensions, and is calming.

Sit tall, inhale for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4. That is one round.

Try it for 3 rounds or set a timer for longer.

These can all be used as a meditation. You can also try to meditate after doing one of these for a few minutes. It helps to get you out of your head and into your body.

Relax after and notice how you feel.

Breathe In, Breathe Out – Breathing Tips for Holiday Stress

A couple of weeks ago I was flying from Chicago to Phoenix with my 18-month-old to find a house for our upcoming move. The whole morning was going great and we even ended up with an empty seat beside us on the plane. A dream come true for a mama flying with a toddler on her lap. About 10 minutes after boarding we found out that the flight was delayed. It continued to get delayed for a total of three hours. We were not allowed off the plane. The woman in front of me was freaking out and got off the plane with her two children. I realized that this was a perfect opportunity to take some of my own advice that I offer in my yoga classes. Breathe in positivity, breathe out negativity. Breathe in things I can control, breathe out things I cannot control.

I went into the bathroom to change my son’s diaper, looked in the mirror and said the above mantra out loud. Then I made it fit my current situation. I said, “Breathe in what I can control, like my attitude about being delayed, breathe out what I cannot control like when this plane takes off.” I will admit that I smiled and laughed at my reflection but that moment made the rest of the delay, flight, and day so much better and even enjoyable.

It occurred to me later that my situation was similar to what people start to experience during the holiday season. I wanted to share my experience and create a reminder that even though you cannot control your situation you can control your reaction to it. (just click on the above images to print out the cards!)

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and learn to inhale the positive and exhale the negative. For help on some deep breathing be sure to check out these two short videos I made: Deep Breaths + Ujjayi Breath.

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