ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Koka and Vikoka

Okay kiddo, Koka and Vikoka are two words that come from Sanskrit, an ancient language from India. Koka means "decrease" and Vikoka means "increase".

Imagine you have a toy box with 10 toys in it. If you take away 2 toys, you have decreased the number of toys in the box. That's like Koka. On the other hand, if you add 2 more toys to the box, you now have increased the number of toys in the box. That's like Vikoka.

Now, let's think about how Koka and Vikoka are used in yoga. In yoga, we use these terms to describe the way we control our breath. When we inhale, we are taking in air and increasing the amount of oxygen in our body. This is like Vikoka. When we exhale, we are letting out air and decreasing the amount of oxygen in our body. This is like Koka.

In yoga, we use different breathing techniques to help us feel calm and focused. Some techniques involve breathing in and out equally (like inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 4 counts), and others involve holding the breath for a little bit. These techniques can help us feel more energized or more relaxed, depending on what we need.

So basically, Koka and Vikoka are fancy words that yoga teachers use to talk about breathing. Koka means breathing out and decreasing, while Vikoka means breathing in and increasing. They are like the opposite of each other, and we use them to control our breath in different yoga techniques.