Practice Point: Dru Star Breath

It’s a busy time of year. Do you need a break?

The Dru Star Breath is a pranayama (breathing) practice that can be practised as a standalone technique or as part of your personal yoga or meditation practice. It can help energise and relax your body, and calm your mind.

I generally guide the Dru Star Breath as a standing or chair practice. But with a bit of imagination and creativity, you can practise it kneeling, seated or lying on the floor! 😆

 

The practice

  1. Start in the Mountain posture, sitting on the chair or standing with the feet a comfortable distance apart.
  2. Step the feet out to about shoulder width apart and raise your hands in front of the chest, palms facing each other, as if you're holding the sides of a ball.

    If you're standing, consider softening the knees. Throughout the practice you might like to soften the knees on each exhalation and straighten them with each inhalation.

  3. Inhale, and take the arms out to the side. Imagine the ball is expanding.

  4. Exhale and bring the hands back in front of the chest.
  5. Repeat steps 3 & 4, taking the arms wide and bring them back in front of the chest.
  6. Inhale. Turn to the right and take the arms wide.

  7. Exhale. Turn back to the front bringing the hands back towards each other.
  8. Inhale. Turn to the left and take the arms wide.
  9. Exhale. Turn back to the front bringing the hands back towards each other.
  10. Inhale and gently raise the hands up in front, taking the ‘ball’ to the sky.

  11. Exhale and bring the hands back in front of the chest.
  12. Inhale. Lengthen through the spine. I like to turn the fingers up as if preparing to push the ‘ball’ down.
  13. Exhale. If you're standing, gently soften the knees and push the ‘ball’ down.

    If you're sitting, gently hinge forward from the hips and push the ‘ball’ down.

  14. Inhale. If you're standing, straighten the legs.

    If you're sitting, come upright.

    At the same time, turn the fingers down and raise the hands in front of the chest as if you're picking up the ‘ball’.

  15. Exhale, and bring the fingers forward or upward as if you're holding the ‘ball’ back in front of your chest.
  16. Repeat steps 12-15 taking the ‘ball’ to the sky and down to the ground.

    Before ending, consider:

    • Pausing in this posture.
      Anchor through the feet and feel the strength and stability in the posture.
    • Doing another round.
      Return to Step 3.
  17. To end, gently bring the hands by the side and return to the Mountain posture.

How might the Dru Star Breath be adapted to a supine position or a seated or kneeling position on the floor?

For a supine position, try doing the arm movements and maybe slide the feet along the floor to bend and straighten the legs. To twist, consider bending the knees and dropping the knees to each side.

For a seated or kneeling position, do similar movements as the chair variation. If you’re kneeling, you could also come into the a ‘high’ kneeling position (where the torso is over the knees) for each inhalation, and bring the buttocks back onto the feet for each exhalation.

  • Calms the mind, which can lead to mental clarity and enhanced creativity

  • Reduces physical stress and tensions

  • Promotes a state of balance and equanimity

  • Enhances respiratory system function, which can help improve oxygen flow to the body

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Personal practiceDeb @ LaiLin Yogaasana, practice, accessibleyoga, pranayama, sequence, breathingComment