Pranayama Power.

Nadi Shodhana with Vishnu Mudra variation

Hey there, guess what? I don't practice vigorous asana everyday. *GASP* It's true. I am a yoga teacher, and I don't practice deep backbends, inversions and challenging arm balances every single day. Why? Well, because on certain days (considering the time of month, the season, my massage workload...etc) my body, mind and spirit does not benefit from (or I simply cannot 'do') a vigorous asana practice. But there is something that I always benefit from: taking time to be conscious with my breath. Pranayama is a sanskrit word that means, 'extension of the life force'. It is one of eight limbs that comprise the complete practice of yoga. Along with the extension and movement of  life force/vital energy and all that other fancy stuff, pranayama at it's most basic helps the mind and body to feel good. And by good I mean, less anxious, calm, peaceful...which is enough reason to carve out some time to practice. There are a whole lot of exercises available for us that help to guide the breath and prana (aka life force) into certain energetic regions of the body, as well as the whole body.
         If you are new to pranayama I suggest starting gentle and slow. Start at the beginning. Practice, Sama Vritti aka 'equal parts breath' to experience a deeper connection to the breath as it moves through your body. Sitting comfortably on a chair or cushion with your eyes closed, gently guide your breath, so that your inhales mirror your exhales in texture and length. Using a count is helpful, and I suggest beginning with a steady paced count of four. After you have practiced for a while, and if it feels comfortable you can begin to increase the length of your inhales and exhales. 
           As you continue on your yogic journey you will find many other pranayama practices with different purposes and benefits. In my picture, I am practicing Nadi Shodhana, or, 'alternate nostril breathing'. Nadi Shodhana gives us direct access to the Third Eye, or first chakra-the 'command center'. It harmonizes the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and purifies and balances the nadis, or subtle energy channels in the body. As is a common result with many a pranayama practice, Nadi Shodhana grants a calm and centered mind.
             Keeping the sinuses clear and healthy will definitely allow for a more comfortable pranayama experience. Stay away from foods or environmental triggers that create inflammation in the body and sinuses. Flushing the sinuses daily with a neti pot and using nasya oil will also keep the airways healthy and clear. Here is a video for doing a nasya oil treatment. (Another option not shown in the video is to put a drop of oil on your pinky finger, and apply the oil directly to the inside of the nostrils. I find this the easiest since trying to drip oil into my nostrils generally leads to oil all over my face.) 

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Taking time each day to be conscious of the breath whether that means controlling how you are breathing or simply allowing it to remain gentle and unaltered as you observe it is a pretty awesome gift you can give to yourself every day. Start small, be gentle and be kind. Bring more oxygen into the body, and thus bring in more peace.