Turning Pain Into Purpose - Why I Revamped My Pranayama Training
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Arundhati, host of *Let's Talk Yoga*, shares a deeply personal journey that transformed her relationship with pranayama—breathwork—after the tragic loss of her mother to lung disease. What began as a painful, guilt-ridden avoidance of breathwork became the foundation for her revamped 20-week Pranayama Teacher Training, now reimagined as a mission-driven program called 'Breath Literacy.' She reveals three bold disclaimers: the breath is not a technique, Ujjayi breath is overused and overrated in Western asana classes, and mouth breathing disrupts the brain’s natural intelligence. Her three golden rules—steady breath for a steady mind, nasal breathing only in asana, and honoring the neurological connection between nostrils and brain hemispheres—form the core of her new approach. This episode is not just a course announcement but a spiritual reckoning, turning grief into purpose and breath into a living, sacred practice.
Turn grief into purpose: Arundhati’s pranayama training was born from her mother’s death and her own guilt over breathing freely.
Your breath is not a technique—it’s a living intelligence and spiritual gateway, not just a mechanical cue.
Ujjayi breath is overused in Western asana; it should be used sparingly and not as a default for all practices.
Always breathe in and out through the nose in asana—mouth breathing disrupts the brain’s natural intelligence and communication.
The right nostril connects to the left brain hemisphere, the left to the right—this neurological link is disrupted by mouth breathing.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Launch of a Transformed Pranayama Training
“This training has a very special place in my heart. So I do offer other courses and I do those as part of being a yoga teacher, but there is something special inside of me each time this comes out.”
The Pain That Birthed Purpose: A Mother’s Death and Breath
“I felt so guilty asking my classes to breathe deeply, to breathe freely. In fact, I on my mat having to breathe effortlessly was just something that I felt tremendous guilt about.”
The Turning Point: From Guilt to Mission
“It literally was a reminder that came out of nowhere of turning that entire painful experience into purpose. And to actually remove the guilt, to let go of the guilt.”
Three Disclaimers That Challenge Yoga Norms
Arundhati delivers three bold disclaimers: the breath is not a technique, Ujjayi is overdone in asana, and mouth breathing cuts off the brain’s natural intelligence via the nostrils.
Golden Rules of Breath and Upcoming Opportunities
She shares three golden rules—steady breath for a steady mind, nasal breathing only, and honoring the brain-nostril connection—and details the June 19 launch, early bird pricing, and Italy retreat.
“It literally was a reminder that came out of nowhere of turning that entire painful experience into purpose. And to actually remove the guilt, to let go of the guilt.”
“how guilty I felt asking my classes to breathe deeply, to breathe freely. In fact, I on my mat having to breathe effortlessly was just something that I felt tremendous guilt about.”
“This training has a very special place in my heart. So I do offer other courses and I do those as part of being a yoga teacher, but there is something special inside of me each time this comes out.”
Host
Arundhati
person
Let's Talk Yoga
media
Prana and Presence
other
Aham Yoga
other
Southern Italy
place
Sedona Yoga Festival
other
Bollywood choreographer
other
Seattle
place
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