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"Here's what people are saying about John Sahakian..."

John Sahakian is a certified breathing therapist & has trained in stress management. He had his epiphany on breath therapy while listening to a breathing specialist on local SaMo station KCRW . John was originally on track with an acting career, but he started practicing yoga @ Sacred Movement Venice and eventually undertook teacher training with and moved on to assisting SHIVA  REA & SAUL DAVID RAYE. With these MENTOR influences,the RASA of his 6 PM Saturday class @ Exhale Venice is characterized by a vinyasa flow with an emphasis on the movement of the breath via UJJAYI.

John monitors & adjusts the shape of the ASANA and encourages students to breathe into the shape. As mentioned in a previous post , he is my "go to guy" for PRANAYAM , and he has definitely made me conscious of generating the same duration & texture of IN BREATH vs. OUT BREATH. I am starting to visualize the flow of the breath. And like some of my favorite teachers who reference a classical style, he is well versed in Sanskrit terminology.

A lot has been put forward by US yoga instructors & bloggers on the notion that one should not subscribe to a specific ASANA SHAPE. "Just feel the ASANA." The traditional philosophy behind ASANA & Vinyasa is to open the NADHIS & let that PRANA flow, not to "look a certain way", a typical Western mindset. How can a newcomer " feel the ASANA" if they don't know the BASICS of the  asana ? So, teachers like John who are hands-on , i.e. demo  vinyasas & perform ADJUSTMENTS are MAHA resources.

For the list of my classes and schedules click here. Also, you may share your thoughts and questions with me on my blog page:

http://completebreathyoga.wordpress.com/

 

Comments were courtesy of Mahamondo.com

 

What is Breathwork?

BREATHWORK, or BREATH THERAPY is the practice of learning to breathe better,
and using the breath to balance the nervous system, bringing body, mind, and Spirit into alignment.

Homeostasis is the key to longevity, a healthy response to the stress,
and proper immune system function.

Why Breathwork?

My approach to Breathwork focuses on mental, physical, and spiritual equilibrium. Because breathing is the most important aspect of our lives, learning to breathe better and gaining breath awareness is a natural compliment to all other forms of therapy.

• Emotionally -- Our breath is the bridge between the conscious and unconscious mind, thus working with the breath allows us to better manage inner conflicts, which affect our outer lives.
  
  
• Physically -- Breathwork allows us to control our nervous system, balancing oxygen & carbon dioxide levels, increasing blood circulation, lowering blood pressure, enabling better mental focus, creating more energy, eliminating toxins, improving digestion, all the while reducing strain on the heart.
  
  
• Spiritually -- Breath awareness is the primary foundation for meditation, yoga, and connecting  with the Divine, or our deepest Self.

Once you’ve learned how to breathe the way your body was designed to breathe, you have a
simple, no cost, yet powerful tool to improve all areas of your life.

What happens in a Breathwork session?

A Breathwork session generally lasts an hour and twenty-five minutes. During this time you become more familiar with your breathing habits through a series of Breath Awareness exercises. You learn that how you breathe is a direct result of where you are emotionally, physically, and spiritually in your life. You are taught how to flip the switch of your nervous system, decreasing the effects of stress. As I gently guide you into a total state of relaxation, I facilitate the opening of the breathing spaces in your body. There is some light massage, specific musical rhythms, and verbal encouragement used to help you remember how you
breathed when you were a baby. The experience can be very liberating, and extremely calming.

Who am I?

I am a Certified Full Wave Breathing™ Facilitator and TransformBreathing™ Specialist
who enjoys helping you remember what you originally knew, but may have forgotten.
I hold certification in Stress Management and Vinyasa Flow Yoga. 
Additionally, my background includes depth psychology, sports fitness
& nutrition, and Kinesthetic Associative Reprogramming.