Body & Breathwork
Integrate mind, body, and spirit with practices that anchor you in the present moment and awaken your natural healing abilities.
YOGA
MEDITATION
CONSCIOUS BREATH
Yoga: Mindful Movement as Medicine
Many of us understand the importance of movement and exercise for our health, but the depth of the practice is often underestimated. Movement isn’t just about fitness—it’s a cornerstone of physical and spiritual well-being. Healthy movement clears our minds, strengthens our bodies, and balances our emotions.
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“The practice of yoga induces a primary sense of measure and proportion. Reduced to our own body, our first instrument, we learn to play it, drawing from it maximum resonance and harmony. With unflagging patience, we refine and animate every cell… Unlocking and liberating capacities otherwise condemned to frustration and death.”
— B.K.S Iyengar, The Illustrated Light on Yoga
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Yoga offers an opportunity to move with intention, experiencing the body, mind, and spirit in a new way. The physical postures, or “asanas,” stretch, strengthen, and relax muscles and organs, while the nervous system is refreshed through breath and conscious awareness. As energetic channels clear, amazing sensations arise in the body, emotions become easier to manage, and the mind sharpens. You feel more vibrant and alive, better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
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“It would bring up things that led me to become aware of myself at a profound level. Before yoga, I was always moving too fast and feeling pushed to achieve… Then came yoga, and I was led into a place where breath and movement informed who I became every day. It was not a physical movement that invoked self-judgment and criticism; to the contrary, it was a gentle lover of self. I learned through yoga asana that the body is a map to the soul and that my own body speaks a language that is designed for me to hear and learn from.”
— Mark Stephens, Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques
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At Ananda Ashram Wellness Vibe, we introduce yoga in an accessible yet challenging style, serving as a stepping-stone to a more robust personal practice. Yoga increases awareness of how we move, breathe, think, and feel, allowing us to take better care of ourselves. This awareness helps us tune into how different foods, activities, and people affect us physically and emotionally.
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Combining mindful movement with a healthy lifestyle accelerates personal development. Whether enjoying a relaxing massage or experiencing a deep, meditative state through plant medicine, movement helps us fully absorb these experiences. When our bodies are relaxed and our need for movement is satisfied, we are in an optimal state for healing and spiritual growth.
Research on the Benefits of Yoga
Body and Physical Health:
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An exploratory study demonstrated improvements in biomarkers of cellular aging and longevity after a yoga and meditation-based lifestyle intervention.
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A study of 90 people with chronic low-back pain found significant reductions in disability, pain, and depression after practicing yoga for six months.
Disease and Cancer Treatment:
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A randomized controlled study showed improvements in emotional well-being, anxiety, depression, and levels of confusion in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.
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A trial found yoga highly effective in managing fibromyalgia, positively impacting physical, psychological, and social aspects of the condition.
Mind and Mental Health:
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A randomized controlled trial in the workplace showed marked improvements in feelings of clear-mindedness, composure, elation, energy, confidence, life purpose, and satisfaction.
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A study on schizophrenic patients found that yoga increased their level of functional recovery, suggesting yoga as a complementary method in nursing practice.
Meditation - Turning Your Attention to Now
When we sit and are present with the mind and body, we begin to notice the space between stimulus and our reaction to it. Meditation is a powerful tool that allows us to become familiar with the nature of the mind. By understanding the mind, we come to know the sources of fear, aversion, attachment, and desire. Approaching the present moment with the intention to sit with whatever arises is a courageous act, inviting fearlessness into our lives.
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There are many assumptions about meditation that can make it seem unapproachable, but it is not a magical or mystical event. Meditation doesn’t even need to be spiritual. The goal is not to control the mind and stop all thoughts, but to create a neutral space between the observer and the busy mind. The practice can be as simple as focusing on the breath for a few moments. Although the practice is simple, cultivating a daily routine can be challenging.
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While meditation has been refined for thousands of years, science has only recently begun to quantify and measure its benefits. Studies suggest that daily meditation offers a wide range of physical, emotional, and mental benefits. These include improved sleep, strengthened willpower, boosted immune system, increased compassion and empathy, improved focus, reduced pain sensitivity, decreased age-related brain atrophy, and reduced symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.
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Meditation is an incredible tool, and the radical act of sitting with the present moment can change the world. This practice increases compassion, redefines our relationship with pain, and manifests as loving kindness towards others, spreading peace from the individual to the collective. Avoiding suffering and seeking happiness are natural desires, and meditation teaches us how to achieve these states sustainably. As we observe the world around us, it is clear that a more altruistic society is needed, and meditation is one way to manifest that altruism within.
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At Ananda Ashram Wellness Vibe, we aim to provide an environment that deepens your contemplative practices, whatever they may be. With group meditations scheduled at various times throughout the week, we encourage and facilitate your meditation practice. We highly recommend participating in the morning sunrise meditations on our star deck as the sun rises over the mountains to greet a new day. Quiet solitude can also be found in our meditation garden, designed with secluded spaces for private contemplation.
The Transformative Power of Breathwork
In recent decades, breathwork has evolved and gained recognition for its profound therapeutic benefits. Once known primarily as an Eastern practice involving meditation and prana, breathwork is now utilized worldwide. Many people report that breathwork has led to shifts in consciousness, deeper self-connection, emotional empowerment, and spiritual integration. The link between breath, health, and mental states has been acknowledged for centuries in both medical and meditative traditions.
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So, what is breathwork? Breathwork refers to various therapeutic practices that use breathing exercises to enhance mental, physical, and spiritual health. It involves the focused practice of conscious breathing. Forms of breathwork include clarity, holotropic, integrative, rebirthing, and Zen yoga. By blending Eastern practices like yoga with Western psychotherapy techniques, breathwork has the potential to heal and create lasting transformations in overall health.
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In The Healing Power of the Breath, doctors Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg state, “By changing the patterns of breathing, it is possible to restore balance to the stress response systems, calm an agitated mind, and relieve symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” A few full, relaxed exhales naturally release stress and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and digestion. Breathwork also benefits the lymphatic system, which aids the body in eliminating toxins, waste, and other unwanted materials. Since the lymphatic system relies on bodily movements, including breathing, effective breathwork is essential for maintaining its function.
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Why is this important?
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Lymphatic congestion can lead to inflammation and disease. If lymph fluid does not flow well, cells cannot effectively eliminate waste, resulting in fatigue, swelling, infection, and disease. Breathwork helps to prevent these issues by promoting relaxation and cellular regeneration.
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Breathwork as a body-mind therapy fosters a conscious connection with the body, shifting from restricted chest breathing to full-body abdominal breathing. Emotionally, breathwork can purify and integrate subconscious imbalances, releasing tension and creating higher states of awareness. This empowers individuals by encouraging them to notice their breathing and its effects on the body, mind, and spirit. Research indicates that connected breathing can stimulate brainwave patterns (long wave Alpha, Theta, and Delta) associated with sleep, transcendent, or meditative states of consciousness.
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By consciously focusing on the breath and learning techniques to amplify its therapeutic benefits, breathwork becomes a valuable tool on your journey. We look forward to sharing these practices with you during our pranayama workshops at Ananda Ashram Wellness Vibe!