Breathing Practice? But I Know How to do That Already!

Continuing the series of brief overviews into the eight parts or "limbs"of yoga, this week I'm up to number 4 - Pranayama. 

Prana is your life-force energy and Yama means to regulate or control, so Pranayama is the practice of regulating your breath and therefore your energy.

Breathing is so simple that you probably don't think about it much at all, so why does it play such an important part in yoga?

Pranayama often forms part of a yoga class because of its centering and grounding effect. Counting and directing the breath gives the mind something to focus on, and then the busy thoughts that are almost constantly present can start to quieten down. As you breathe slowly and smoothly you start to notice a feeling of space in the body and the mind - a lovely sense of stillness and harmony.  Once you have "tuned in" to the rhythm of your breath, you can use it to help you with your yoga poses.  Breathing in, you stretch and lengthen the body and breathing out, you soften and relax. The breath becomes a guide - not just in your yoga practice but in the rest of your life too. When you are stressed the breath will shorten and become irregular and when you are comfortable and relaxed the breath is steady and smooth.

As well as leaving you feeling calm yet energised, the practice of Pranayama has many other benefits, including the following: 

• lengthening the exhalation stimulates the para-sympathetic nervous system which encourages relaxation and reduces anxiety,
• it lowers blood pressure,
• it lowers the heart rate,
• it improves asthma,
• it improves circulation and therefore the flow of oxygen around the body,
• it reduces muscular tension.

There are many different types of Pranayama practice, some of which you will come across in your yoga class, including Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Sama Vritti Pranayama (Equal Breath) and Viloma (Three-Part Breath). It is recommended that you learn Pranayama techniques under the guidance of a qualified yoga teacher as some, such as Bhastrika (Bellows Breath), are very powerful and not suitable for those with very high or very low blood pressure, or during pregnancy.

Did you know  that 10,000 litres of air move in and out of your lungs each day? Take a look here at this informative article from the British Lung Foundation about how your lungs work. 

And read this article too from The Huffington Post for more on how good breathing can help you not just in your yoga practice, but in your everyday life too.


This Week I am Visiting... RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

I spent a lovely afternoon in the sunshine on Friday wandering round the Royal Horticultural Society's flagship site at Wisley in Surrey. Spread over 240 acres, the garden has lots to offer whether you're a gardener or not. 

The state-of-the art glasshouse is one of the main attractions at Wisley.  It is home to plants from around the world ranging from tropical plants from the jungle to cacti from the desert. 

There's always something interesting to look at each season: there are wonderful herbaceous borders in the summer, the many varieties of trees are ablaze with colour in the autumn, in winter the structure of the garden is revealed and right now the spring bulbs are in flower. 

There is really good Plant Shop which has a huge range of plants (you can often find more unusual specimens here) and, of course, a gift shop with an extensive book section. There are a number of cafes around the garden but they are a little expensive and the entrance fee to the garden isn't cheap either at £12.20. If you know someone who is a member, go with them as you'll get in free as their guest.  

Visiting Wisley will also inspire you to get out in your own garden and get planting for a colourful summer. For more information about RHS Wisley click here. 


This week I am making... Flourless Banana Pancakes

Oooh, these are good!  Surprisingly so, as I wasn't sure about the "flourless" bit! They are so very simple to make and very healthy too.

These pancakes have just two ingredients - bananas and eggs - making them an ideal breakfast for those on a gluten free diet.  I added a pinch of cinnamon to the mixture for a little extra flavour and served them with some Greek yoghurt, maple syrup and blueberries, which made for a good balance of protein and vitamins.

To make 2 pancakes you will need:

1 ripe banana
2 eggs
A little oil for frying (I used coconut oil)
Optional extra: pinch of cinnamon

Mash the banana with a fork.  In another bowl whisk the eggs. Add the cinnamon to the eggs. Add the mashed banana and mix together. Heat a little oil in a pan. Pour in enough mixture to make a small pancake. Let the mixture set for a couple of minutes. Check underneath to see if it is lightly browned, then flip the pancake over and cook the other side. Serve with your favourite fruit and yoghurt.


This week I am growing... Dahlias

I love dahlias. They fill the garden with their jewel-like colours and flower non-stop from the beginning of July until the first frosts. They make really good cut flowers to bring in to the house as they last for ages in a vase and, if you keep picking them, they will go on producing new flowers for weeks on end.

One of Sarah Raven's dahlia collections

Dahlias need a little TLC to get going as they don't like frost, but from the end of May they are quite easy to maintain. They are available to buy from garden centres now or from my favourite website www.sarahraven.com in the form of tubers. These strange-looking, potato-like things are the roots which, when planted in compost will produce shoots and grow into bushy plants. They cost between £1.99-£3.99 each, depending on the variety.

Here's how to plant up your dahlia tubers:

• Fill a 2 litre pot half full of general purpose compost.
• Place the tuber carefully on top of the compost.  You will see a central stem to which the individual tubers are attached - make sure this is pointing upwards.
• Cover with more compost so that the tubers are just under the surface.
• Water well and label them.
• Place the pot in a frost free place which has good light, such as a greenhouse or by the window in a shed.
• Water regularly to keep the compost moist.
• When they have grown to about 10cms high, pinch out the tips of the shoots.  This sounds harsh but it will encourage the plant to send out side shoots and will make it much stronger and bushier.

The tuber and it's stem

Cover the tuber with compost

After the first frosts of winter, the leaves of the plant will go black and then you will have to make a decision: will you take a chance and leave the tubers in the ground in the hope that they will survive, or will you dig them up and over-winter them inside?  I take the first option as my garden is very free draining. I place an upturned flowerpot filled with compost over the remains of the plant to protect the tubers from the cold and wet, but I always buy some new tubers each spring as an insurance policy. If you decide to dig the tubers up you will need to store them in a dry shed or garage in a tray filled with dry compost, and then plant them up as above next spring. I'll let you know soon if my dahlias have survived our sodden winter - fingers crossed!