Pranayama | Vajrasati Yoga Vajrasati Yoga Home » Teaching resources: theory in practice Pranayama One meaning of the Sanskrit word Pranayama is the expansion, the stretching-out, of life force. In one sense, it refers to breathing generally as a vehicle to understand and experience connectivity (implicit pranayama); and in another, to using specific breathing techniques that increase and distribute energy and harmonise the practitioner with their environment (explicit Pranayama). The Practice of Pranayama, is well known and little understood. There is a lot of information out there that explains the techniques, and so enables you to engage in the mechanics of pranayama, but not so much that describes the art of it. This is of course due in part to the relative ease of explaining mechanics over art. (There are note-worthy exceptions to this such as Iyengar’s exceptional work the ‘Light on Pranayama’, but these are few and far between.) It is possible to ‘learn’ even advanced Pranayama techniques in a few days, or even a few hours. But understanding pranayama is synonymous with understanding Yoga.

In Pranayama we practice ‘relationship’ just as we do when we practice any other form of yoga. After all, the word yoga originates from Yuj, which means yoking or bringing together. All forms of yoga are essentially an act of listening and adaptation. It does not involve reaching a set point that we label completion or finished, but rather it is a practice of coming back to a sense of centre, and exploring how our relationships (in this case with the breath) can deepen that sense of centre. Pranayama is effective on many levels, and as well as its shared traits with other yoga practices, it is particularly potent in regards to its specific effect on the body/mind energy. Yoga and Pranayama - A Yogic Breathing Exercise | The Art Of Living Global What is Pranayama and Yoga? What is pranayama (yogic breathing)? Your body is like the wick of a candle and the mind is like the glow all around it. ‘Prana’ is the vital energy needed by our physical and subtle layers, without which the body would perish. It is the prana or life force in us that nourishes the mind and keeps the body alive.

‘Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘Ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen. Pranayama means working in the dimension of prana. Understanding prana The prana creates an aura around the body. It flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called ‘nadis’ and energy centers called ‘chakras’. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind. If the prana level is high and its flow is continuous, smooth and steady, the mind remains calm, positive and enthusiastic. However, due to lack of knowledge and attention to one’s breath, the nadis and chakras in the average person may be partially or fully blocked leading to jerky and broken flow. As a result, one experiences increased worries, fear, uncertainty, tensions, conflict and other negative qualities. Every problem first generates in the subtle and then surfaces on the physical level. Sickness shows up in your prana (Pranic Body) much before you get sick physically. Benefits of regular practice of pranayama Increases and enhances the quantity and quality of prana Clears blocked nadis and chakras.

Clears the whole energy around you, expands your aura and heightens the spirit Makes one energetic, enthusiastic and positive Brings harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, making one physically, mentally and spiritually strong. It brings clarity to the mind and good health to the body Types of pranayama and their application The ancient sages of India realized some breathing techniques which are simple to practice and brought great relaxation to the body and mind. These breathing techniques can be practiced with ease and at any time of the day on an empty stomach: Is your mind buzzing with activity? Can't stop thinking about what someone said about you? Find a quiet corner and try the Bhramari pranayama (Bee breath) to apply brakes in the buzzing mind. This breathing technique is a boon for those with hypertension. Among the breathing techniques, Kapal Bhati pranayama (Skull Shining breathing technique) is considered the most important and effective for detoxifying the body and clearing the energy channels. Low energy levels? Three rounds of Bhastrika pranayama (Bellow breath) will get your energy levels soaring! Can't concentrate on the task at hand?

Try nine rounds of Nadi Shodhan pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing technique) followed by a short 10-minute meditation. Nadi Shodhan pranayama calms and centers the mind by bringing into harmony the left and right hemispheres of the brain which correlates to the logical and emotional sides of our personality. Note: Since the pranayamas deal with the subtle life force, it is important to practice them as taught in your yoga classes . Experimenting with these techniques is not advisable. Yoga practice helps develop the body and mind bringing a lot of health benefits yet is not a substitute for medicine. It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a trained Sri Sri Yoga teacher. In case of any medical condition, practice yoga postures after consulting a doctor and an Sri Sri Yoga teacher. Find an Sri Sri Yoga course at an Art of Living Center near you. Do you need information on courses or share feedback? Write to us at info@artoflivingyoga.org What is Pranayama? What is Pranayama? Spiritual Vibrations and Aura What is Pranayama?

Pranayama is the perfect control of the life-currents through control of breath, and is the process by which we understand the secret of prana and manipulate it. You can hardly make any spiritual progress without the practice of pranayama. One who has grasped this prana has grasped the very core of cosmic life and activity. Through various exercises and training in pranayama the yogi tries to realize in this little body the whole of cosmic life, and attain perfection. Breath is a physical aspect or external manifestation of prana, the vital force, and thus pranayama begins with the regulation of the breath. Breath, like electricity, is gross prana, while prana itself is subtle. By controlling the breath you can control the prana  just as you can control the other wheels by controlling or stopping the fly wheel of a diesel engine, and just as you can control the hairspring, cog wheels and the main spring of a watch by controlling the minute hand. Control of breath is achieved through manipulation of the lungs and the breathing process. The lungs and the breathing process The organs of respiration consist of two lungs, one on either side of the chest and the air passages that lead to them.

The lungs are located in the upper thoracic cavity of the chest, one on each side of the median line, and are separated from each other by the heart, the greater blood vessels and the larger air tubes. The lungs are spongy, porous, and their tissues are very elastic, containing innumerable air-sacs or alveoli. Each lung consists of an apex and a base. The base is directed towards the diaphragm, the muscular septum, the dividing wall between chest and the abdomen. The air passage consists of the interior of the nose, pharynx or throat, larynx or voice box, trachea or windpipe, right and left bronchi and the smaller bronchial tubes. When we breathe, we draw in the air through the nose and after it has passed through the pharynx and larynx, it passes into the windpipe, thence into the right and left bronchial tubes, which in turn, subdivide into innumerable smaller tubes called bronchioles, which terminate in minute subdivisions in the millions of small air-sacs of the lungs.

When spread out over an unbroken surface, these air-sacs of the lungs would cover an area of 1,40,000 square feet. The air is drawn into the lungs by the action of the diaphragm. When it expands, the size of the chest and the lungs is increased and the outside air rushes into the vacuum thus created. The chest and lungs contract when the diaphragm relaxes and the air is expelled from the lungs. The lungs purify the blood. The blood starts in its arterial journey, bright red and richly laden with life-giving qualities and properties. It returns by the venous route, blue, laden with the waste matter of the system. From the right side of the heart the impure blood goes to the lungs, for purification. It is distributed among the millions of tiny air cells of the lungs. A breath of air is inhaled and the oxygen of the air comes in contact with the impure blood through the thin walls of the hair-like blood vessels of the lungs called pulmonary capillaries. The walls of the capillaries are very thin, like muslin cloth, and thus oxygen easily penetrates through the walls of these thin capillaries.

When the oxygen comes in contact with the tissues, a form of combustion takes place. The blood takes up oxygen and releases carbonic acid gas generated from the waste products and poisonous matter which have been gathered by the blood from all parts of the system. The purified blood passes into the different arteries of the body. It is estimated that in a day 35,000 pints of blood traverse the capillaries of the lungs for purification. By controlling the motion of the lungs or respiratory organs, we can control the prana that is vibrating inside. The mind is fastened to prana, like a bird to a string; therefore, by control of prana, the mind can be easily controlled. Just as the bird that is tied to a post by a string, after flying here and there, finds its resting place on the post, so also this mind-bird after running hither and thither, to various sensual objects, finds its resting place during deep sleep in prana. Beginning pranayama You can take up the practice of pranayama after you have gained steadiness in your asana, seat or sitting posture.

If you can sit for three hours in one asana continuously at one stretch, you have gained mastery over the asana. If you are able to sit from half to one hour even, you can take up the practice of pranayama. An ardent enthusiastic student, with zeal, cheerfulness and tenacity, can acquire siddhi, perfection, within six months; while a happy-go-lucky practitioner with drowsiness and laziness will find no improvement ever after eight or ten years. Plod on. Persevere with patience, faith, confidence, expectation, interest and attention. You are bound to succeed. Nil desperandum  never despair. Inhalation, exhalation and retention Pranayama has three components: the external breath, the internal breath and the steady state in between the two. When the breath is expired, it is rechaka, the first kind of pranayama. When the breath is drawn in, it is the second, termed pooraka. When the breath is suspended, it is the third kind, called kumbhaka, or retention of breath. Kumbhaka increases the life-span of an individual. It augments the inner spiritual force, vigour and vitality.

If you retain the breath for one minute, this one minute is added to your span of life. By taking the breath to the brahmarandhra, the fontanelle at the top of the head (said to be the connecting point between the spirit and the body) and keeping it there, the yogi can defeat the lord of death, Yama, and conquer death. In the practice of pranayama, rechaka, pooraka and kumbhaka, are controlled and regulated by space, time and number. The space of the breath Space refers to whether the breath is inside or outside of the body, the length of the breath, and if the prana is held in some particular part of the body. During both inhalation and exhalation, the distance to which the breath extends inside or outside the body varies. This variation accords with the tattwa which is pervading at the time of practice.

The length of the breath is respectively 12, 16, 4, 8, 0 angulas, finger-breadths, according to whether the tattwa  prithvi, apas, tejas, vayu or akasha (earth, water, fire, air, ether or space) is predominant at that time. The place or space of exhalation lies within 12 angulas of the tip of the nose. This can be measured using a piece of reed or cotton. The place of inhalation ranges from the head down to the soles of the feet and can be felt through a sensation similar to the touch of an ant. The place of kumbhaka consists of the places of both exhalation and inhalation combined, because the breath can be retained at either or both of these places. The time of breath The duration of the inhalation, exhalation or retention is generally counted in matras (approximately a second). But here the time also refers to how long the prana should be fixed in a particular centre or part.

There are three types of pranayama categorized by duration: adhama or inferior, madhyama middle and uttama superior. Vachaspati describes them thus, Measured by 36 matras, is the first attempt, udghata, which is mild. Twice that is the second, which is middling. Thrice that is the third, which is intense. This is the pranayama as measured by number. Adhama pranayama consists of a count of 12 matras, madhyama consists of 24 matras and the uttama occupies a time of 32 matras. This count is for pooraka in each case. The ratio between pooraka, kumbhaka and rechaka is 1:4:2. So, if you inhale for a period of 12 matras you will have to maintain kumbhaka for a period of 48 matras and then the time for rechaka will be 24 matras. This count is for adhama pranayama, but the same rule applies to the other two varieties.

Extending the matra needs to be done gradually, first practise adhama for a month, then madhyama for three months, and finally begin uttama. Number of pranayama Number refers to the number of times the pranayama is performed, and thus is long or short according to the period of time it is practised. Just as water, thrown on a hot pan shrivels upon all sides as it is being dried up, so also air, moving in or out ceases its action by a strong effort of restraint in kumbhaka, and stays within. The yogic student should slowly take the number of pranayamas up to 80 in one sitting. He should have four sittings: in the morning, noon, evening and midnight, and should practise thus 320 pranayamas in all. The fourth stage After gradual mastery over these preliminary three kinds of pranayama, the fourth kind arises, where the breath is restrained by directing it to an external or internal object, Bahyabhyantara vishayakshepi chaturthah (Yoga Sutras 11:50).

This stage involves fixing the prana in the various padmas, lotuses, of the chakras, and taking it slowly, and slowly, step by step, and stage by stage to the last lotus in the head, where perfect samadhi takes place. This is internal. In this fourth variety, one reaches different states of perfection, as it is being performed over time. After one stage is mastered, the next stage is taken up and practised. Six Views on Breathing in Pranayama Google Plus The elegant shapes and impressive contortions of the asanas may be the most eye-catching element of hatha yoga, but yoga masters will tell you they’re hardly the point of practice. According to yoga philosophy , the postures are merely preludes to deeper states of meditation that lead us toward enlightenment, where our minds grow perfectly still and our lives grow infinitely big. But just how do we make the leap from Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) to samadhi ? Ancient yoga texts give us a clear answer: Breathe like a yogi. Pranayama, the formal practice of controlling the breath, lies at the heart of yoga.

It has a mysterious power to soothe and revitalize a tired body, a flagging spirit, or a wild mind. The ancient sages taught that prana, the vital force circulating through us, can be cultivated and channeled through a panoply of breathing exercises. In the process, the mind is calmed, rejuvenated, and uplifted. Pranayama serves as an important bridge between the outward, active practices of yoga—like asana—and the internal, surrendering practices that lead us into deeper states of meditation. “My first American yoga teacher, a guy named Brad Ramsey, used to say that doing an asana practice without a pranayama practice developed what he called the Baby Huey syndrome,” says Ashtanga teacher Tim Miller. “Baby Huey was this big cartoon duck who was very strong but kind of stupid. He wore a diaper. Basically what Brad was trying to say was that asana will develop your body but pranayama will develop your mind.” Like Miller, many accomplished yogis will tell you that minding the breath is central to the practice of yoga. But take a tour of a dozen yoga classes in the West and you’re likely to discover just as many approaches to pranayama.

You may be taught complex techniques with daunting names like Kapalabhati (Skull Shining) and Deergha Swasam (Three-Part Deep Breathing) before you even strike your first pose. You may find breathing practices intermingled with the practice of the postures. Or you may be told that pranayama is so advanced and subtle that you shouldn’t bother with it until you’re well versed in the intricacies of inversions and forward bends. So what’s a yogi to do? Breathe deep into the belly or high up into the chest? Make a sound so loud the walls shake or keep the breath as quiet as a whisper? Practice breathing techniques on your own or weave them throughout your existing asana practice? Dive into pranayama from the get-go or wait until you can touch your toes? To help answer these questions and sample the range of yogic breathing, we asked experts from six yoga traditions to share their approaches to pranayama. Inegral: Connecting Movement with Meditation In the integral yoga tradition propounded by Swami Satchidananda, pranayama is incorporated into every yoga class.

A typical session starts with asana, moves on to pranayama, and ends with seated meditation. “A hatha yoga class in the Integral Yoga system systematically takes the person deeper,” says Swami Karunananda, a senior Integral Yoga teacher. “Asana is meditation on the body, pranayama is meditation on the breath and subtle energy currents within us, and then we work with the mind directly, with the ultimate aim of transcending body and mind and experiencing the higher Self.” While practicing asana, students are advised when to inhale and exhale, but no additional manipulation of the breath is introduced. Within the pranayama portion of the class—which may comprise 15 minutes of a 90-minute session—students sit in a comfortable cross-legged posture with their eyes closed. Three basic pranayama techniques are routinely taught to beginners: Deergha Swasam; Kapalabhati, or rapid diaphragmatic breathing; and Nadi Suddhi, Integral Yoga’s name for alternate nostril breathing.

In Deergha Swasam, students are instructed to breathe slowly and deeply while envisioning that they are filling their lungs from bottom to top—first by expanding the abdomen, then the middle rib cage, and finally the upper chest. When exhaling, students envision the breath emptying in reverse, from top to bottom, pulling in the abdomen slightly at the end to empty the lungs completely. “Three-part deep breathing is the foundation of all the yogic breathing techniques,” Karunananda says. “Studies have shown that you can take in and give out seven times as much air—that means seven times as much oxygen, seven times as much prana—in a three-part deep breath than in a shallow breath.” In the Integral tradition, Kapalabhati consists of multiple rounds of rapid breathing in which the breath is forcefully expelled from the lungs with a strong inward thrust of the abdomen. Students might start out with one round of 15 breaths in quick succession and build up to several hundred breaths in one round. In Nadi Suddhi, the fingers and thumb of the right hand are used to close off first one nostril and then the other.

This pranayama starts with an exhalation and an inhalation through the left nostril, followed by a full breath through the right, with the whole pattern repeated several times. Instruction in the breathing practices is systemized in the Integral system, with each technique practiced for a specific duration or number of rounds in one session. As students progress, they are taught to incorporate specific breathing ratios—inhaling for a count of 10, for example, while exhaling for a count of 20. Students move on to advanced practices only when they meet specific breathing benchmarks along the way, indicating that the nadis, the subtle energy channels of the body, have been sufficiently purified and strengthened. Only at more advanced levels do students learn to incorporate retention, or breath holding, into pranayama. At this point Jalandhara Bandha , the chin lock, is introduced. Retention is said to be important because “it super-injects prana into the system,” says Karunananda, and “builds up tremendous vitality.” Students are also sometimes invited to incorporate healing visualizations into this practice.

“As you inhale you can visualize that you’re drawing into yourself unlimited quantities of prana—pure, healing, cosmic, divine energy,” Karunananda says. “You can picture any form of natural energy that appeals to you. Then on the exhalation, visualize all the toxins, all the impurities, all the problems leaving with the breath.” Kripalu: Cultivating Sensitivity and Awareness Pranayama is also introduced from the very beginning in the Kripalu tradition. Here, however, breathing exercises are just as likely to be offered before asana practice as after. “I always begin my classes with 10 to 15 minutes of pranayama,” says Yoganand Michael Carroll, former director of advanced yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. “I have folks sit down and do pranayama until they’re quiet, they’re sensitive.

If we can feel more when we go into our postures, we’re more likely to be aware of our limits and be respectful of the body.” Pranayama is almost always taught in a seated position in the Kripalu tradition, with eyes closed and with little emphasis on particular bandhas, or energy locks, until intermediate stages of practice. Students are counseled to follow a slow and gentle approach. Teachers may stop and ask students to note sensations, emotions, and thoughts that come up for them, in order to help them taste more subtle aspects of the practice. “In Kripalu Yoga, one of the premises is that through developing sensitivity to the body we can learn a lot more about the unconscious drives,” Yoganand says. “Breathing is a really integral part of that because unconsciously we choose how much we’re going to feel by how much we breathe. When we breathe more deeply, we feel more. So when I’m leading pranayama, I’m primarily encouraging folks to slow down, to release constrictions in breathing and focus on what they feel.” Attention is also paid to the breath during the practice of postures.

In beginning asana classes, students are instructed when to inhale and exhale as they enter and release postures, and to simply pay attention to their breath at other times. In more advanced classes, students are encouraged to observe how different postures change their breathing patterns and what feelings arise with these changes. In addition, seasoned students are encouraged to employ a gentle version of Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath), a practice in which the throat is slightly constricted and the breath made softly audible. In the pranayama portion of the class, beginners usually start with a three-part deep breathing pattern similar to that of Integral Yoga. Beginners are also introduced to the Ujjayi breath during seated pranayama, as well as to Nadi Sodhana, Kripalu’s term for alternate nostril breathing. In addition, Kapalabhati is taught in a particularly slow and steady fashion.

“When I teach this,” says Yoganand, “I usually have folks visualize that they’re blowing out a candle, and then I have them exhale in the same way but through the nose.” Students learn to extend this practice gradually, starting with 30 to 40 breaths and adding repetitions as well as speed as they grow more adept. Only at more advanced levels do students move on to additional pranayama practices, Yoganand says. At this level, students use a centuries-old yoga manual called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as a guide, mastering the subtleties of the eight formal pranayama practices detailed in this text. “The pranayama is to make you more sensitive,” says Yoganand. “As folks become more aware of sensations and feelings, there’s a real possibility for personal growth and integration.” Ashtanga: Unifying Action, Breath, and Attention Join a workshop with students from different yoga traditions and you can pick out Ashtanga practitioners with your eyes closed. They’re the ones who sound like Star Wars’s Darth Vader even when they’re standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

That’s because they’re practicing Ujjayi breathing, which is carried all the way through the vigorous series of postures in this tradition. Ashtanga teachers say the deep and rhythmic breath fuels the inner energetic flames, heating and healing the body. Just as importantly, Ujjayi breathing keeps the mind focused. By returning again and again to the subtle sound of,this breath, the mind is forced to concentrate and become quiet. “Since the Ashtanga practice is very breath-oriented, in a sense you’re doing a kind of pranayama from the moment you begin the practice,” says Tim Miller, who has been teaching this approach to yoga for more than two decades. In the Ashtanga tradition Ujjayi breathing is taught in concert with both Mula Bandha (Root Lock) and Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lock). This means that while breathing, the pelvic floor and the belly are gently drawn inward and upward so that the breath is directed into the upper chest. When inhaling, students are instructed to expand the lower chest first, then the middle rib cage, and finally the upper chest.

Seated pranayama practices are also a part of this tradition, although Miller says that Pattabhi Jois, the father of Ashtanga Yoga, hasn’t taught it to groups since 1992. Today only a handful of teachers regularly teach this series, which is comprised of six different pranayama techniques. These practices are learned progressively, each one building upon the previous, and are practiced in a seated position with the eyes open. Typically, they are only introduced after students have practiced yoga for three to five years, Miller says, and have mastered at least the Primary Series of Ashtanga postures. “As Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutra , one should have reasonable mastery of asana first, which means for sitting pranayama practice you need to have a comfortable seat,” he says. “Not that people necessarily need to be able to sit in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) for 45 minutes, but at least they have to be able to sit in an upright position where they can be relatively still.” In the first technique, students practice Ujjayi breathing while adding a pause at the end of the exhalation, a pattern called Bahya Kumbhaka.

Then they reverse that pattern and pause at the end of the inhalation, a pattern called Antara Kumbhaka. Once mastered, these practices are integrated into a single sequence: three Ujjayi breaths with no breath holding, three Ujjayi breaths with exhalation retention, and then three Ujjayi breaths with inhalation retention. Mula Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha are engaged throughout, and Jalandhara Bandha, the Chin Lock, is added only during the inhalation retention. The second practice in the Ashtanga sequence combines the retentions learned in the first sequence into each breath cycle, so that the breath is held after both the inhalation and the exhalation. The third sequence builds on the second, this time adding alternate nostril breathing, and the fourth incorporates Bhastrika (Bellows Breath), a rapid, forceful, diaphragmatic breathing that’s similar to the practice Integral Yoga calls Kapalabhati. The more advanced practices build upon the first four in ever more complicated and demanding patterns. “I think a lot of people are scared off by , and yet personally I think it’s the most important part of yoga,” Miller says.

“People spend all those years making a ‘good seat’ with asana practice. At some point I hope they’re going to use it.” Iyengar: Developing Precision, Power, and Subtlety Like Ashtanga yoga, the Iyengar tradition takes seriously Patanjali’s counsel that should be introduced only after a student is firmly grounded in asana. In this approach, formal breathing practices are separated from asana and are introduced in a slow and methodical fashion. Mary Dunn, who was a senior teacher in the Iyengar tradition, once said that students are ready to begin when they can practice deep relaxation in Savasana (Corpse Pose) with a calm and attentive mind. “They have to really be able to go inward and not just drop off into sleep,” she said. “And they have to have a refined place where they can stop and simply be—not in an action or in the imagination, but in recognition of their internal state.” Savasana is introduced in a reclining position, with the chest and head supported, so students can focus on the breath without the distraction of needing to maintain proper posture.

Precise directions are offered to ensure that basic aspects of yogic breathing are well understood before students move on to more strenuous practices. True to Iyengar’s “Come watch” approach, it’s not uncommon to see 40 students fervently gazing at their teacher’s rib cage, watching the instructor point to the precise area of the chest that should be engaged in any given phase of the breath. Fundamental breathing awareness is introduced first, with students guided to observe the rhythm and texture of inhalation and exhalation. Ujjayi breathing is then introduced, first extending the breath on the exhalation and then reversing that pattern, lengthening the inhalation while exhaling normally. The belly is kept passive, and the lower ribs are activated first, followed by the middle ribs, and finally the upper chest—as if filling the chest from the bottom to top. Even when exhaling, emphasis is placed on maintaining an expansive quality to the rib cage. The practice of Viloma (Stop-Action Breathing) is also introduced early on. Here, a number of pauses are interspersed into the breath—first during the exhalation, then during the inhalation, and finally during both.

Dunn said this teaches students how to direct the breath into specific areas of the chest, ensuring that the entire rib cage is fully activated while breathing deeply. “Viloma allows you to work on a piece of the breath at a time, and it also allows you to be more subtle in terms of placement, developing steadiness, control, and inwardness.” Once seated is introduced, Iyengar teachers focus on maintaining a balanced posture, starting out with a well-supported Sukhasana, or simple cross-legged posture, with the hips elevated on folded blankets. Specific breathing practices are introduced with the same methodical approach as when students lie down for Savasana, and in a similar sequence. Special emphasis is placed on Jalandhara Bandha, which Dunn said should be maintained throughout practice to protect the heart from strain. At more advanced levels of practice, students incorporate Kumbhaka (Breath Retention) into Ujjayi and Viloma techniques, and are introduced to alternate nostril breathing. Mula Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha aren’t even mentioned until students have reached the most advanced levels of practice.

Outside of practice, Iyengar Yoga has a reputation for focusing more on alignment than breath, and often in a beginning asana class you won’t hear much more than “Breathe!” But Dunn said the system attends carefully to the breath during movement, just in somewhat subtle ways. She pointed to Light on Yoga, the bible for Iyengar students, in which B.K.S. Iyengar offers detailed descriptions about breathing during the practice of specific postures. “There are instructions about the breath all the way through. It’s the linchpin; it’s in every pose,” she said. “Once the shape and actions of the asanas are mature, form and breath merge,” Dunn added. “The breath in all its aspects becomes an integral part of the experience of practice.” Viniyoga: Creating a Personalized Practice In the Viniyoga approach, pioneered by T. Krishnamacharya and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, breathing is the foundation upon which all other practices are built.

“For us, even at the level of asana the focus is on the relationship between the flow of the breath and the movement of the spine,” says Gary Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga Institute. “Even within asana itself our emphasis is to understand very technically, even biomechanically, how to control the flow of the inhalation and the exhalation, and how and when to progressively deepen the flow of the breath.” During asana practice students are instructed to breathe in a way that supports the movement of the spine: usually inhaling during backbending movements, for example, and exhaling during forwardbending and twisting movements. Students are sometimes asked to change the length of the exhalation relative to the inhalation in a particular posture, or even to briefly hold their breath. At other times they are asked to alter their breathing pattern progressively as they repeat a movement. “Let’s say we do an asana six times,” Kraftsow says. “We can make the exhalation four seconds the first two times, six seconds the second two times, and eight seconds the last two times.” Once students are familiar with the quality and control of the breath during asana, they are introduced to formal breathing practices.

It is generally introduced in a comfortable seated position—occasionally even in a chair—and is adapted in a reclining position for those who aren’t able to sit for long periods of time. Long retentions and bandhas aren’t introduced until more advanced stages of practice, Kraftsow says, unless there are therapeutic reasons for incorporating them. In the Viniyoga approach, students are often taught to inhale from the top down, emphasizing an expansion of the upper chest first, then the middle torso, then the lower ribs, and finally the abdomen. “Our view is that chest-to-belly expansion will actually help you deepen the flow of breath,” Kraftsow says. “If I’m trying to expand my chest, chest inhalation is going to facilitate that. If I’m trying to straighten my thoracic spine, chest inhalation is going to facilitate that. But there are many contexts in which chest breathing is contraindicated. If I have asthma, chest breathing might aggravate this condition.” In such cases, he notes, a student would be offered a different breathing pattern, one that eases rather than exacerbates the condition.

True to the Viniyoga approach, which holds that yoga’s practices should be offered in a personalized form that matches the needs of each particular student, Kraftsow says there’s no set sequence of techniques once an essential awareness of the breath has been cultivated. “My first emphasis will be progressively lengthening the flow of the inhalation and the exhalation,” he says. “And then the direction I’ll go depends on your needs or interests. If you find yourself having low energy in the morning, I’d suggest one thing. If you’re overweight or have high blood pressure, I’d suggest a different.” And although Viniyoga focuses on adapting the practice to suit the needs of each person, this doesn’t mean students can approach the breath in a willy-nilly fashion. “One should be careful unless one has been initiated by someone who knows what they’re doing,” Kraftsow says.

“I would encourage students to seek out a well-qualified and highly trained teacher before going deeply into strong practices.” Kundalini: Combining Mudra, Mantra, and Breath In Kundalini yoga, introduced to the West by Yogi Bhajan, breathing practices are integrated into all classes along with asana, chanting, meditation, and other cleansing practices designed to liberate healing flows of energy from the base of the spine. Strong techniques are fundamental to this approach, and breathing is given greater emphasis than precision of movement or technique. “In Kundalini Yoga, breath is as important as asana,” says Kundalini instructor Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. “That’s the root, that’s the structure—breathing into a soul, living within a body. Everything else is frosting on the cake.” Techniques in this tradition are often woven directly into the practice of asana. For example, in a class students might hold a posture like Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) for five minutes or more while breathing rapidly, inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose.

Or one particular movement—standing on your knees and then bowing down into Balasana (Child’s Pose)—may be repeated for 10 minutes or so, while breathing in a particular rhythm and chanting one phrase or mantra, sometimes to music. An important element of Kundalini Yoga is the Breath of Fire, a rapid diaphragmatic breath similar to what’s called Kapalabhati in other traditions. Khalsa doesn’t overwhelm beginning students with detailed techniques; instead, she encourages them to dive into the practice immediately. “Usually I just say, ‘Open your mouth and pant like a dog,’” Khalsa says. “or, ‘Pretend you’re a Saint Bernard in the Mojave Desert.’” Once students get a feel for this fast-paced breath, with the belly swelling on the inhalation and pressing back in toward the spine on the exhalation, Khalsa instructs them to close the mouth and continue this breath through the nose. In a typical class, Breath of Fire might be practiced for several minutes on its own or else performed while moving through a repetitive series of movements, like scissoring the legs back and forth overhead while lying on one’s back.

In addition to Breath of Fire, students are also taught techniques that emphasize long, deep breathing, Khalsa says, as well as alternate nostril breathing. Kriyas (cleansing practices), mantras (sacred sounds), and mudras (hand gestures) are combined together with various breath techniques. Khalsa says the unique combination of these techniques helps turbocharge the breath and foster deeper states of meditation. “Breath alone is just a physical exercise, ” she says. “But when you start adding the other components, that brings change about much quicker than sitting and following your breath alone.” Consideration of the chakras, or energy centers, is also integral to the Kundalini tradition. Khalsa encourages her students to feel the breath originating from the lowest three chakras at the base of the torso. “We have to bring forth the prana, the life force, from the source,” she says. “And the source is really the mother, the Earth.” When they’re not practicing a particular breathing pattern, Khalsa encourages her students to breathe in a very relaxed and easy fashion, with the belly swelling on the inhalation and then releasing back toward the spine on the exhalation.

Sometimes if she notices that a student’s belly isn’t moving with the breath, she’ll place the spine of a book into the belly horizontally and tell the student to press against it with the abdomen on an inhalation and then release the pressure against the book on an exhalation. “So many people do yoga for years and never breathe right,” Khalsa says. “Their breathing is nutty; it’s barely there. Their practice might look really good, but it’s not taking them where they really want to go,” she says. “Most of us inhale way more than we exhale, and we need to reverse that so we give back more than we take. The breath heals more than anything else in the whole wide world.” Finding Your Own Way How can so many experts offer such different approaches to pranayama. In part this variety results from the brevity of the ancient texts upon which our modern practices are based. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, for example, says that lengthening the exhalation can help to reduce disturbances of the mind, but doesn’t offer detailed techniques for doing that.

“Different people come along and interpret these very succinct verses in different ways, and then they practice based on their interpretation,” says Kripalu’s Yoganand. “Yoga is so powerful that people tend to get an effect almost regardless of what they do. So someone says, ‘I did it this way and it worked, so I must be right,’ and someone else says, ‘I did it completely differently, but it worked, so I must be right.’ Since neither can convince the other and since they both have experience to support their beliefs, they go off and generate two schools. It makes perfect sense that no one can agree. Everyone’s experience is different.” In the West you can even find teachers who counsel us to step with caution into traditional practices. When students aren’t well prepared, they say, classical breathing techniques can actually distort natural and organic patterns of breathing, forcing us into rigid and controlled ways of being. “Most people begin yoga with so many pre-existing blocks and holding patterns that to introduce a controlled breathing regime right away further concretizes the blocks,” says Donna Farhi. “I think it’s extremely important to remove the blocks and holding patterns first, to reveal the natural breath that is our birthright.

And then it can be very interesting to explore the subtle movement of prana through formal work. But for the most part this controlled practice is introduced too soon and often only obscures the unconscious forces that drive the breath-holding patterns.” Viewed alongside one another, these varied perspectives offer us the unsettling yet inspiring prospect that there may not be one right way to reap the gifts of . Our teachers offer us skilled instruction, but we need to use our experience and discrimination to discern which approach works best. Each of us must decide for ourselves which method steers us closest to yoga’s ultimate gift: the ease, balance, and inner quiet that help us see into the very heart of life. Pranayama Yoga | What is Pranayama | Yoga Pranayam | Art of Living India What is Pranayama and Yoga? What is pranayama (yogic breathing)? Your body is like the wick of a candle and the mind is like the glow all around it. ‘Prana’ is the vital energy needed by our physical and subtle layers, without which the body would perish. It is the prana or life force in us that nourishes the mind and keeps the body alive.

‘Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘Ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen. Pranayama means working in the dimension of prana. Understanding prana The prana creates an aura around the body. It flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called ‘nadis’ and energy centers called ‘chakras’. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind. If the prana level is high and its flow is continuous, smooth and steady, the mind remains calm, positive and enthusiastic. However, due to lack of knowledge and attention to one’s breath, the nadis and chakras in the average person may be partially or fully blocked leading to jerky and broken flow. As a result, one experiences increased worries, fear, uncertainty, tensions, conflict and other negative qualities. Every problem first generates in the subtle and then surfaces on the physical level. Sickness shows up in your prana (Pranic Body) much before you get sick physically. 4 Benefits of regular practice of pranayama Increases and enhances the quantity and quality of prana Clears blocked nadis and chakras.

Clears the whole energy around you, expands your aura and heightens the spirit Makes one energetic, enthusiastic and positive Brings harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, making one physically, mentally and spiritually strong. It brings clarity to the mind and good health to the body 4 Types of pranayama and their application The ancient sages of India realized some breathing techniques which are simple to practice and brought great relaxation to the body and mind. These breathing techniques can be practiced with ease and at any time of the day on an empty stomach: Is your mind buzzing with activity? Can't stop thinking about what someone said about you? Find a quiet corner and try the Bhramari pranayama (Bee breath) to apply brakes in the buzzing mind. This breathing technique is a boon for those with hypertension. Among the breathing techniques, Kapal Bhati pranayama (Skull Shining breathing technique) is considered the most important and effective for detoxifying the body and clearing the energy channels. Low energy levels? Three rounds of Bhastrika pranayama (Bellow breath) will get your energy levels soaring! Can't concentrate on the task at hand?

Try nine rounds of Nadi Shodhan pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing technique) followed by a short 10-minute meditation. Nadi Shodhan pranayama calms and centers the mind by bringing into harmony the left and right hemispheres of the brain which correlates to the logical and emotional sides of our personality. Note: Since the pranayamas deal with the subtle life force, it is important to practice them as taught in your yoga classes . Experimenting with these techniques is not advisable. Yoga practice helps develop the body and mind bringing a lot of health benefits yet is not a substitute for medicine. It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a trained Sri Sri Yoga teacher. In case of any medical condition, practice yoga postures after consulting a doctor and an Sri Sri Yoga teacher. Find an Sri Sri Yoga course at an Art of Living Center near you. Do you need information on courses or share feedback? Write to us at info@srisriyoga.in Pranayama — SukhaShanti Pranayama The ancient yogis discovered that the breath provides a way of entry into our very being.

The interesting and unique thing about breathing is that it is possible to consciously breath, yet breathing is normally an unconscious act. By controlling the flow of air and focussing awareness on the action of breathing it is possible to access altered states of consciousness. Imagine: Sit yourself down in a quiet place free from outer distractions, place the body carefully to avoid discomfort. Begin to breath in a rythmic and controlled way focussing awareness on the quality of the breath allow your breath to become smooth and effortless. Gradually lengthening the breath and retaining the inhalation as you hold the awareness fixed and contracted in the core of the somatic field. As the breath moves through the right or left nostril feel the change of density in this somatic field as the breath changes. The hands positioned in mudra take on a special kind of stillness, the legs crossed in any of the seated asana totally relax, the face with eyes closed and no outward expression the senses turn inwards in pratyahara. See how the two halves of the body are passified on inhalation and exhalation until only the diaphragm is moving in a smooth rythmic flow up and down.

With retention the awareness moves in the symmetrical midline of sushumna nadi, the pelvic floor gently contracted, the throat seals the dome of the chest with the glottis. Gradually the mind becomes absorbed in the dance and discursive thinking becomes like a vague echo of the outer world. In a state of total immersion the inner sound emerges in the inner space, inner light appears in the centre of the field of vision, the awareness of the physical form gradually becomes light and dissolves into space. These three faculties begin to co-mingle in state of synesthesia as the source of consciousess of the self is revealed.The less you try the more you let go the clearer becomes the sense of inner reality. Beyond this it is difficult to explain in words. "Just As Lions, Elephants And Tigers Are Gradually Controlled So The Prana Is Controlled Through Practice Otherwise The Practitioner Is Destroyed". Hatha Yoga Pradipika Ch. 2 Sutra: 15. Pranyama requires subtlety in the midst of a dynamic stress. To practice poorly is in fact dangerous and can damage mental and physiological health. For this reason it is advisable to have an experienced teacher in the initial stages until the practitioner is firmly established in correct practice.

Although it is simple to say do not be in a hurry and and dont have any expectations Im sure most people admit that our approach to many things in life is impatient bordering even on violent. Pranayama not only produces a deep abiding calmness but requires it. Like many other aspects of yoga the way is the goal as the goal is the way. The sanskrit term pranayama refers to the control (ayama) of the life force (prana) and the method for achieving this feat is by controlling the breath. Generally we think of pranayama as a set of breathing exercises but the aim of these exercise is to enter into an experience of the subtle energy that makes up the very core of our being. So we see that pranayama begins with asana but leads to a special state of mind known as dhyana. In fact it is rumoured that Ramana Maharsi practised only a simple Pranayama technique that brought about his profound samadhi. In the Sadhana Pada (Chapter 2) of Patanjalis' Yoga Sutra he gives the prerequisite in sutra: 49.

"That (Firm Posture) Being Aqcuired, Inhalation And Exhalation Should Be Controlled. This Is Pranayama." The mastery of Asana is said to be firmness in a seated posture for 4 hours yet just 30 minutes is required for initiating pranayama. "As Its Result The Veil Over The Inner Light Is Destroyed." In sutra: 52 he describes the signifyer. "And The Mind Becomes Fit For Concentration (Dharuna)." And in Sutra: 53 the result. The healing capacity of pranayama is perhaps one of the most effective and simplest of the various practices of Hatha Yoga. It is easy to reduce the breath and heart rate and also the speed of the oscillations of the brain with just 10 minutes of practice daily for a few months. By reducing these factors regularly in ones life pranayama can be an aid in healing all those various modern stress related conditions which result in hyperactivity of both nervous and endocrine systems. Pranayama is said to produce a tranquil effect on the mind which lasts ten times longer than from asana alone.

The breathing exercises which prepare the practitioner for the formal practice of pranayama are accessible to all levels. However those more profound practices involving breath retention have a specific prerequisite that one should be able to hold the spine gently erect while sitting unsupported for 30 minutes. The fundamentals tone the muscles of respiration and balance the patterns of breathing. When one has the ability to perform these basic prerequisites formal pranayama using breath retention begins.

Question: Pranayama refers generally to what aspect of yoga?
Answer: Breathing