"What is the obsession with breath about?" asks a friend.

This is from a Facebook post.

Q: What is this obession with breath?

Q: What does it mean to “master your breath?”

As some of you may know, Swami Kripalu's practice centered on praanaayaama. It is about influencing the praana through breath practices, especially long sessions of Anuloma Viloma. In 1988-89, Kripalu asharam residents had a general praanaayaama practice that we did at 4:00 am in the morning. In Kripalu YTT, we taught a healthy generalized practice that is good for all.

Gitanand was a primary guide and teacher for me at that time. Later, Gitanand and I were roommates in India. Slowly over time, he had ("mastered his breath" ) reduced his breath rate to one breath per minute or less.

Why is that desirable? There is now lots of emerging science on getting your breath down to 5 breaths per minute and how it has a synchronizing and revitalizing effect on the heart, mind and organs. Breath is the hot, big frontier in science right now at Butler Hospital, Brown University and RI Hospital where I work. The postures of yoga are great, but the real benefits of yoga are the breath. The biggest health benefits are always about the breath, not the poses. The mind gets very quiet down there at the one or two breaths/minute range and remarkable things start to occur, physiologically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

If you read Kripalu's writings you will find all of this there. Yes, you and anyone can develop some skill with the breath rather than just let it run on autopilot and identify with the thoughts in your mind. The mind gets scared, the breath gets tight. The mind has anxiety, the breath is disrupted, held, broken or jerky. Change the breath, the mind changes. Let breath lead the way and the mind follows.

The yogic path, certainly of Kripalu, was to develop unbroken attention on the breath and especially to work with Anuloma Viloma, which is the ultimate practice in the yoga tradition. And no one gets Anuloma viloma because no one is willing to put the time and effort it takes to understanding it. You have to be patient and persistent. Very few actually take the time, because there are so many difficulties. "It is boring. My arm and shoulder hurt. What is the point?"

My contribution here is to problem solve the obstacles, that we all hit with this practice. I have had some success and I would love for you to take the first steps and develop a significant practice that makes a difference in your life. Most "advanced" vinyaasa yogis can barely do 10 minutes of Anuloma Viloma without giving up and would never even want to to do more, because they don't know, what they don't know. They don’t know what lies ahead, because they haven't been there. This course is a vehicle to slowly, safely develop your breath skills. You can do it, anyone can do it.