Teacher said hold here for 5 breaths - What exactly is that?
There are many times when I guided student up to a pose or asana. I would always say : Hold here for 5 breathes without knowing it is actually confusing for the new students.
Hold here means : to be in this position.
For 5 breaths means : breathe in and breathe out, Total 5 times of inhalation and exhalation.
When I saw some students face started to turn red, I knew they are actually not breathing or holding their breath! Always check if they are breathing! Our body will automatically hold the breath when we are straining, means the muscle groups are not strong enough! Always learn to let go, regress and allowing time for our muscles to build up slowly. Is always about the journey.
A yoga class is meant to be enjoyable, not a bootcamp or a chore. As a teacher, we shall make the class more relax and enjoyable. Just like I would always joke : if you fainted because you were holding your breath, I will not perform a CPR on you...They had a good laugh while learning!
Let’s explore why we should not hold our breath when we are holding on the asana.
Oxygen is required to aid muscles in contraction and expansion, If we do not give enough oxygen supply to the muscles, it is difficult to stretch and becoming fatigue.
The yogis believe our breath is our prana - a life force/energy , some said Chi. If we are not breathing smoothly by pausing time to time, the flow of our prana will not be smooth. For more information about prana : http://www.awakeningthroughsynergy.com/2016/01/18/prana-the-life-force-energy/
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