This week I have been considering why most Americans love Thanksgiving so much. It’s always the busiest travel time of the year. In fact, this year may very well set a record as nearly 80 million people will be traveling! Most of these travelers are heading home where they can share the holiday with family.

This is so different from the variety of December holidays spread out throughout the month. Not everyone celebrates Christmas or Chanukah or Kwanzaa, but Thanksgiving is a distinctly American holiday where the only disagreement might be cornbread or sourdough stuffing, pumpkin or pecan pie (or both).

In this way, Yoga is very much like Thanksgiving. At its best Yoga welcomes everyone to the table and makes sure there is something for everyone. Hot yoga for those who like to sweat, vinyasa yoga for those who like to flow, therapeutic yoga when we’re injured, and restorative practices to bring equilibrium to body and mind.

Even a typical yoga class covers everything we need to be healthy: breathing for the lungs, movement for the muscles and heart, moving the spine in all directions with forward bends, back bends, side bends and twists, meditation to calm and focus the mind. All the systems of the body are stimulated in Yoga, including circulatory, respiratory, nervous, lymphatic and endocrine.

So this Thanksgiving as you enjoy a day off, time with friends and, of course, a traditional meal, take some time to do a favorite yoga pose or two or three. Be grateful for your body, mind and spirit. I’ll meet you on the yoga mat and see you at the table!

Last weekend I led a Fall Wellness Workshop where we explored the many ways Yoga and Ayurveda inform the transition from Summer to Fall and how we can take meaningful steps to be healthy throughout the Fall and Winter seasons. This week I’m encouraging everyone to practice Humming Breath to 1) reduce anxiety and 2) relieve congestion.

Its Sanskrit name is Bhramari which means “female bumble bee.” And it does sound like a swarm of bees when everyone starts humming as a group! Let me tell you more about these two benefits:

1)    Humming releases nitric oxide (NO) into the bloodstream. NO is a molecule produced by our body when we breathe that has a calming effect on the nervous system. Humming is so effective because it actually releases 15 times more NO than normal breathing!
2)    Humming relieves congestion in the chest, throat and head. It’s a great practice when you’re suffering from allergies or a cold. Start to hum and you’ll notice a vibration that’s able to loosen mucous. If the congestion is in your chest, hum with a low pitch. For congestion in the head, use a high pitch. Otherwise, just use a normal pitch.

Bhramari is quite easy to do. Find a comfortable seat, or practice wherever you are. Take a deep breath in and hum on the exhale. Practice 7-10 times varying the pitch if you like. When you’re done, you should feel more open, free, clear-headed and relaxed.

Guess what! You don’t need to be on a yoga mat or use any special equipment. Your breath is always with you and ready to offer all of these wonderful benefits. Enjoy