Analemma Breath

6/11/2016

My Breath

My yoga practice is breath based. By that I mean that it is my breathing that is the

common thread which binds my practice together. In the early stages of my yoga

exploration, feeling my breath was a foreign concept. My yoga instructor, Sarah, asked

me when was the last time I took a deep breath? I couldn’t remember! Over time I

discovered my breath and, knowing what it was, searched for it at the beginning of each

practice. It continues to evolve in both breadth and depth.

I would describe my breath as a physical entity. It has palpable dimensions and is warm

and comforting in character. As such, I am able to move my breath around. I have

enjoyed incorporating different breathing patterns into my practice to take advantage of

this blessing. The following is one of those Breaths.

Analemmas

My disease has produced many changes in my life. I have always believed that with

change comes opportunity. This situation put that philosophy to the test. Through yoga I

have found presence. Being present in a moment in time offers insights into the beauty

that surrounds us. I have become much more connected to the environment in which

my physical body exists. The movement of the sun and the movement through the

seasons have taken on new significance. I derive pleasure, comfort and contentment

from my relationship with the sun:) The Analemma Breath arose from this relationship.

I have long been fascinated by analemmas. A Solar Analemma is a visual

representation of the path the sun takes in a year if viewed from the fixed position on

earth at a fixed time of day. It traces a figure 8 and is typically represented on a globe of

the earth. Its shape is different when viewed from different points on the earth’s surface.

The long axis of an analemma is caused by the earth’s axis tilted 23.5 degrees, the

short axis by the earth’s elliptical orbit. The slope of any tangent to the analemma

correlates to the relative rate of change of the length of the daylight. The day’s rate of

change is highest at the equinox and slowest around the solstices.

My Analemma Breath

I imagine a symmetric figure 8. The plane of the analemma is anterior-posterior and

centered left to right. My spine, mid-point of my sternum and umbilicus being in the

plane. The bottom is in my pelvis and the top the apex of my chest. The breath is light in

character. I start the breath in the posterior lower lumbar region and have the inspiration

move down through the pelvis to the supra-pubic area. It then travels tangentially to the

posterior upper thorax. The inspiration slows and as the breath moves from posterior to

anterior, I try to make the transition to expiration imperceptible. The breath, now in

expiratory phase, continues from anterior upper thorax back down to the posterior

pelvis. The transition from expiration to inspiration imperceptible (harder) and the cycle

repeats itself. The breath crosses in my solar plexus.

Sometimes I envision a roller coaster cresting a hill for the pace of the breath. For

variety, I also reverse the path. Like most of yoga, one direction (that described) is

easier than the other! The transitions are also challenging, to inspiration being harder.