Learning to Breathe

Discussing his new book, “8 Rules of Love,” in a Podcast interview, Jay Shetty tells a story from when he was living as a Vedic monk in India. One day, he observed an 11-yearold teacher leading a class of young children. When the class ended, he asked the teacher what they were doing. The teacher answered that it was the first day of school. Curious, Jay asked what the children were learning on their first day of school. The young teacher responded with a question: “What did you learn on your first day of school?” “I don’t really remember,” Jay replied. “The

ABC’s maybe, or 123s.” The teacher then answered Jay’s question: “I was teaching those children how to breathe.”

With that, let’s try some alternate nostril breathing. Curl the index and middle fingers of your right hand in toward your palm, leaving your thumb, ring, and pinky fingers extended. Cover your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through your left nostril. Release the right nostril and cover your left nostril with your right ring finger. Exhale out of your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril.

Cover your right nostril, release your left nostril, exhale out of your left nostril. Inhale through your left nostril. Find a rhythm and continue this breathing pattern for a number of rounds. Notice how you feel.

The children in Jay’s story were learning how to breathe on their first day of school because the breath is the only thing that stays with you from the moment you are born until the moment of your death, and it is deeply interconnected to your energy. Your breath naturally changes as a reaction to what you are feeling, thinking, and doing.

Notice your breath when you experience different emotions, for example, excitement versus calm. Similarly, notice your breath when you exert your body physically versus when your body is at rest. On the other side of this coin, you can use your breath as a tool to regulate and change your energetic state in any given moment. In fact, the quickest way to bring your nervous system from a state of stress to one of relaxation is by elongating your exhale.

Pranayama (breathwork) is an integral part of yoga, and it has to do with learning and using different breathing techniques to maintain balance in your body, emotions, and mind. There are breaths to help calm you down, and there are breaths to increase your energy. There are embodiment breaths, and grounding breaths. There are breaths to help open your heart, and breaths to increase your personal power. Jay says that “by learning to navigate the breath, you learn to navigate life,” and I would have to agree.

The aforementioned alternate nostril breath promotes deep relaxation and helps to ease stress and anxiety. It lowers blood pressure and heart rate, while improving brain function. Learning to use breath to manage your energetic state is incredibly empowering, and it helps you to maneuver your life with ease and grace. Just like the children in Jay’s story, your kids can gain these skills early on! Another 6-week session of Children’s Yoga with Alex Venier starts on Thursday, March 3, 4:00-4:50 p.m. Drop in, or contact me (Jen) at 917-318-1168.

Air Fryer Sausage, Peppers and Onions

By Sharon Feldman

Ingredients:

• 1-pound Sweet Italian Sausages (or whole link)

• 2 small onions

• 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 small yellow pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 small orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees. Cut onions in half and slice thin. Slice peppers thin. Combine onions and peppers in a medium bowl and add olive oil and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Transfer the onions and peppers into the air fryer basket and put the sausages on top without touching each other.

Air fry for 15 minutes. Turn sausages over and air fry another 10 minutes.

Great on a crusty roll, over rice or just plate it and eat it alone.

Fight With Your Smile Run

On Saturday, March 4, join this 5K fun run or one-mile walk to help raise money for the Fight with your Smile campaign for LLS. Registration and bib pickup begins at 8 a.m. on the boardwalk on Beach 108th Street. Runs start at 9 a.m. To pre-register, head to RockawayTC.org

Rockaway St. Patrick’s Day Parade

On Saturday, March 4 at 1 p.m., line up along Newport Ave or Rockaway Beach Blvd. for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade from Beach 130th to Beach 101st Street.

Purim at West End Temple

On Monday, March 6, head to West End Temple (147-02 Newport Ave) to kick off the Jewish holiday of Purim with a potluck dinner and hamantaschen at 6 p.m. and a musical Purim Spiel at 7 p.m.

Rockaway Beach Volleyball Registration

On Wednesday, March 8 at 7 p.m., head to Jamesons on Beach 129th to register your team for Rockaway Beach Volleyball League. Bring your signed roster and two checks, one for registration and one for t-shirts.

Morning Moves at RISE

On Mondays at 11 a.m., head to the RISE Center (58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd) to join Ann Fosteris’ Fitness to You class. Masks required inside RISE.

JASA Weekly Yoga

On Mondays at 11 a.m. and Fri- days at 11:30 a.m., adults 60+ are welcome to JASA Rockaway Park

Older Adult Center (106-20 Shore Front Parkway) for weekly Yoga with Cynthia. Open to Adults 60+; To register, please call 718634-3044.

JASA Weekly Arts

On Thursdays at 10 a.m., adults 60+ are welcome to JASA Rockaway Park Older Adult Center (10620 Shore Front Parkway) for weekly painting/ arts and crafts. Let your creativity be free! RSVP and for more details: 718-634-3044.

Core on the Floor

On Mondays from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 a.m., head to the RISE Center (58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) for a free core and lower body class with Ann Fosteris of Fitness to You. All are welcome!

Bring a mat. Masks required inside RISE.

Cardio Punch

On Saturdays at 11 a.m., head to Seaside Library (116-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) to join for a total body, non-contact workout fit for all levels. Punch, hook, and kick to motivating, high-energy music that progress into heart-pumping combinations. Through April 1.

Chair Yoga with Christine

On Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., head to Temple Beth-El (201 Beach 120th Street) for chair yoga led by Christine Walker. Donation based.

Got events? Send an email to katie@rockawaytimes.com with details for consideration to be listed.