Pranayama Techniques 2

Pranayama 1- Bhastrika (Sanskrit = bellows). In this form of pranayama, the practitioner rapidly inhales and exhales using the diaphragm only.

Technique – Sit in padmasana, siddhasana or vajrasana. Keep mouth closed. Let the tongue touch the top of the palate to close the circuit of prana flow. Place hands in chin or chinmaya mudra. Draw the diaphragm down rapidly. The negative pressure created in the lungs draws air in. At the end of inhalation, exhale rapidly, pushing the air our vigorously. Repeat 20 to 50 times to a maximum of 2 sittings.

Benefit – this pranayama strengthens the upper respiratory tract. The mucosa along the track is cleaned out, with waste being discharged, contributing to maintenance of body temperature, hence homeostasis. The rapid movement of air also strengthens the trachea and lungs due to the activation of stagnant alveoli, preventing cold. The rapid movement of air increases volumetric efficiency of the lungs and heart function.

This breathing strengthens the functioning of the thoracic nerves whch control the functioning of the heart and lungs.

Pranayama 2- Kapalabhati – (kapala= skull + bhati = shining) – In this pranayama, the inhalation is passive, but the exhalation is active using the abdominal muscles.

Technique – Sit in padmasana, siddhasana or vajrasana. Keep mouth closed. Let the tongue touch the top of the palate to close the circuit of prana flow. Place hands in chin or chinmaya mudra. Let the abdomen fall naturally; draw the diaphragm down without exertion. At the end of inhalation, exhale rapidly using the abdominal muscles, pushing the air our vigorously. You should experience slight tightening of the anus when breathing out rapidly. You should also feel the shock of the abdominal contraction along the spine to the brain. Do 20 to 50 times to a maximum of 2 sittings.

Benefit – this pranayama strengthens the digestive system and lower respiratory tract. Multiple digestive ailments such as acidity, flatulence, constipation, piles, diabetes and other lung illnesses such as asthma, and emphysema are improved by this exercise. The rapid movement of air increases volumetric efficiency of the lungs and heart function.

The rapid intake of the abdomen acts like a massage of the spine by abdominal organs with shocks transmitted by the autonomous nervous system up to the brain. This energises the central and peripheral nervous system, especially all the spinal nerves. This stabilizes both, the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous functioning. This is especially useful in illness such as diabetes etc.

Since the spinal chord is energised, all the main nadis get energized also.

Pranayama 3 - Ujjeyi – (Ud = root + jaya = victorious) – This is a form of diaphragmatic breathing where the glottis is closed by constricting the throat during inhalation and exhalation.

Technique – this is a pranayama that has 2 parts. Sit in padmasana, siddhasana or vajrasana. Keep mouth closed. Press the tongue to the bottom of the mouth to close the circuit of prana flow, close the glottis and tighten the throat. Place hands in chin or chinmaya mudra.

First is the diaphragmatic breathing. The belly is relaxed and the air drawn in using the diaphragm. When the diaphragm reaches its bottom position, the abdomen is relaxed and the lower abdomen is distended to its maximum capability. The breathing sensation should be experienced at the uterovesical excavation anchor of the peritoneum, behind the pubis and the centre of the svadishtana chakra and at the bottom of the abdomen, between the anus and genitals, and above the perineum called rectovaginal excavation, activating the mooladhara chakra. Exhalation is started until complete evacuation of the lungs is accomplished.

Second is the closed glottis breathing. The glottis is the opening between the vocal chords in the larynx. During this procedure, the throat is restricted in and a “rushing sound” like the sound of the ocean.

Since the requirement is of constricting the throat, the inhalation and exhalation flow should be steady so that the abdominal and diaphragm pressures are close to constant.

Variation: There are multiple variations in this pranayama;

Variation 1 – include kumbaka (holding) in the process.

Variation 2 – include kumbaka and jaladhara bandha in the process.

Variation 3 – include kumbaka, jaladhara bandha and moola bandha.

Benefits;

The direct benefit is on the strengthening of the diaphragm, glottis and epiglottis. This procedure is very useful in overcoming snoring. Also very useful in improving thyroid functioning, though as a support to sarvangasana and vipareetha karani .

Ujjeyi is a variation of the valsalva maneuver. In the valsalva maneuver, the mouth is blocked, the nose is closed and the breath is forced out, releasing pressure in the eustacian tube. Improves cardiac functioning.

Particularly useful in treating psychosomatic stress. In a stress situation, the individual’s breathing becomes shallow and rapid. There is a constriction of the throat resulting in increased pressure within the pharyngeal and aural cavity, leading to increased pressure in the eustachian tube or middle ear. Practice of ujjeyi will result in a equalisation of middle ear pressure with the eustachian tube.

Pranayama 4 - Bhramari – (bramar = bee)

This is a form of diaphragmatic breathing where the fingers are pressed against the sinuses to open the septum and other entry channels of air. During inhalation and exhaling, the epiglottis is used to make a buzzing sound which is a form of simulated snoring and sounds like a bee.

Technique –Sit in padmasana, siddhasana or vajrasana. Keep mouth closed. Press the tongue to the roof of the mouth to close the circuit of prana flow. Place hands in shanmukhi mudra as explained below;

ü  Forefinger – just above the eyebrows, covering the frontal sinus

ü  Middle finger – at the corner of the eye, covering the ethmoid Sinus – Increases efficiency of filteration of air going into the nasal cavity.

ü  Ring finger – side of the nose, next to the bridge, also called nasopharynx – this opens the nasal septum and passageways, improves connectivity to the middle ear.

ü  Little finger – next to the nostril Maxillary Sinus is the largest in the face and keeps the nasal, throat and mouth/ teeth free from infection.

The 4 fingers press a muscle which runs along the length of the nose, called the levator labii muscle which are important for expression of emotions.

ü  Press the thumb on the cartilage covering the ear lightly.

F Do puraka. When inhaling, vibrate the epiglottis to make a buzzing sound. This is also known as bhramar dhwani.

F Do rechaka. When exhaling, make the same vibration should as mentioned above. This is also known as hraamari dhwani.

Try to maintain a constant sound.

Variation 1 – include kumbaka (holding) in the process.

Benefits:

\ Aids in the generation of mucous and lubrication of the air passages.

\ Reduces sinusitis, migraines and other illnesses associated with the sinus.

\ Strengthen the carotid artery,

\ Improves concentration.

Daily practice recommendation:

While there are many pranayama techniques such as Sama-vritti (even breathing), visama-vritti (uneven breathing), shitali (tongue curled between the lips), shitkar (tongue curled between the teeth), udgeeta (pranayama with chanting), a pranayama cycle comprising the following schedule is adequate to meet daily requirements;

Pranayama	Cycles	Benefits
Nadishuddhi with kumbaka	5-20	Overall lung functioning, balancing of left/ right brain, balancing of ida & pingala nadis
Bhastrika	20-50	Increases lung capacity, transfer capacity, activates dead alveoli, increases lung elasticity and strengthens diaphragm.
Kapalbhati	20-50	Increases volumetric efficiency of the lungs, strengthens the trachea and all pulmonary vessels. Strengthens the abdominal walls.
Ujjayi	5-20	Improves the autonomous nervous system, the heart, clears ears and sinuses.
Bramari	5-10	Opens the nasal passages, clears all the sinuses, removes mucous.
Nadishuddhi	5	Close with Nadishiddhi to reset the system

 It is important to practice pranayama on an empty stomach and in a clean room with the windows open. Pranayama, when done after asana, increases the effectiveness of pranayama as the entire body has made optimized.

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Pranayama Techniques 1

The pranayama process: During inhalation, air, pregnant with oxygen goes into the lungs where oxygen is transferred to the blood in return for carbon dioxide and water vapour which is then removed during exhalation.

Breathing is affected by stress. Therefore proper breathing can alleviate stress and increase Situational Awareness. Oxygen is critical for conversion of food into energy; therefore proper breathing can impact all oxidation processes which occur in the body, thereby directly affecting quality of health. Indeed, pranayama is one of the most critical aspects of Raja Yoga.

It is important to understand Nadi’s when practicing pranayama as all psychosomatic outcomes are based on this principle. Nadis are subtle energy channels within the body which act as conduits of prana along with chakras or vortices, affect the physical, emotional and intellectual wellbeing of the practitioner.

Shiva Samhita designates 14 important nadis, and the most important ones are:

Ida (Comfort in Sanskrit – runs to the left of the sushumna nadi). It is pale in colour and associated with the Lunar energy, therefore cold. It courses from the left testicle to the left nostril. In the brain, it is associated with right hemisphere.

Pingala (Orange-brown in Sanskrit – runs to the right of the sushumna nadi). It is light brown in colour, associated with the solar energy, therefore hot. It courses from the right testicle to the right nostril. In the brain, it is associated with left hemisphere.

Sushumna (which runs in the back bone) – is the central nadi, running along the backbone. It comprises 3 subsidiary nadis called vajra, chitrini and brahma which act as the channels through which the kundalini moves upwards from the mooladhara to the sahasrara.

At the mooladhara, the ida, pingala and sushumna nadi are called yukta- triveni (yukta = combines + tri = three + veni = streams). When they meet again at the ajna chakra, they are called mukta-triveni (Mukta=liberated three streams).

Some terminologies;

A – Puraka (Inhalation): A single inhalation is termed puraka. It is a process of drawing in air; it is expected to be smooth and continuous. Breaks in puraka must be eliminated with practice.

B – Abhyantara Kumbhaka (hold after inhaling): Kumbhaka consists of deliberate stoppage of flow of air and retention of the air in the lungs.

C – Rechaka (Exhalation): The third stage, exhalation, is called rechaka. Like inhalation, it too should be smooth and continuous, though often the speed of exhaling is different from that of inhaling.

Normally, when inhaling, the abdominal wall collapses, drawing in the viscera thus stretching it. During kumbaka, breath is held and this exerts a strain on the abdominal wall. During rechaka, the wall is relaxed and collapses inward, pushing the viscera against the diaphragm, emptying the lungs.

D – Bahya kumbhaka (hold after exhaling): The fourth stage, the pause after exhaling, is also called kumbhaka, especially when the stoppage is deliberate or prolonged. The fourth stage completes the cycle which terminates as the pause ends and a new inhalation begins.

There are many types of pranayama, each rendering its own benefits. They are;

1-   Nadishuddhi pranayama or anulom-vilom – is a basic and most widely used form of pranayama. Nadishuddhi means (nadi + shuddhi = cleanser), anulom-vilom means inhalation-exhalation. The process consists of 4 steps:

Technique:

This is a basic pranayama technique. Sit comfortably, preferably in padmasana (lotus pose), siddhasana or vajrasana with back erect. Place the thumb over the right nostril and the ring-finger + little finger over the left nostril, the other 2 fingers turned into the palm. Close right nostril with thumb and inhale through left nostril for 4 counts. Close both nostril for 4 counts & hold breath. Release thumb from over right nostril & exhale to 6 counts, increasing to 8 counts as you become confident. Close both nostrils & hold breath for 4 counts. Repeat using the reverse method. Inhale from right, hold, exhale through left, hold. This is a round of nadi shuddhi.

Repeat to complete 5 rounds. Rest in between if required. Try to increase slowly to 20 rounds. You could also increase the ratio of inhalation, holding and exhalation to your comfort. Just ensure exhalation is close to twice of inhalation so that lung volumetric efficiency is increased. Also, ensure that the breathing is continuous, not erratic and noiseless.

Benefits:

\ This pranayama results in left/ right brain activity equalisation.

\ Since the breathing process is steady, over time, the forced volume capacity of the lung increases. This results in increase evacuation of waste gases, thereby increasing the transfer capacity of the lungs and increased oxygen content in the blood stream, with all the resultant benefits to the body.

2-   Surya bheda (Splitting the sun) pranayama;

This is a variation of nadi shuddhi pranayama. In nadi shuddhi, the inhalation and exhalation is alternated between left and right nostrils. In surya bheda pranayama, all inhalation is only performed using the right nostril while the exhalation is performed using the left nostril.

Technique:

Sit comfortably, preferably in padmasana (lotus pose), siddhasana or vajrasana with back erect. Close left nostril with thumb and inhale through right nostril for 4 counts. Close both nostril for 4 counts & hold breath. Release ring finger from over left nostril & exhale to 6 counts, increasing to 8 counts as you become confident. Close both nostrils & hold breath for 4 counts. This is a round of surya bheda pranayama which activates pingala nadi. Repeat, by starting again with inhalation through the right nostril, hold, exhalation through the left nostril, hold. Repeat 5 rounds. Rest in between if required.

3-   Chandra bheda (Splitting the moon) pranayama;

This is a variation of nadi shuddhi pranayama. In nadi shuddhi, the inhalation and exhalation is alternated between left and right nostrils. In chandra bheda pranayama, all inhalation is only performed using the left nostril while the exhalation is performed using the right nostril. This process is the opposite of surya bheda pranayama.

Technique:

Sit comfortably, preferably in padmasana (lotus pose), siddhasana or vajrasana with back erect. Close right nostril with thumb and inhale through left nostril for 4 counts. Close both nostril for 4 counts & hold breath. Closing ring finger from over left nostril & exhale through the right nostril to 6 counts, increasing to 8 counts as you become confident. Close both nostrils & hold breath for 4 counts. This is a round of Chandra bheda pranayama which activates the ida nadi. Repeat, by starting again with inhalation through the left nostril, hold, exhalation through the right nostril, hold. Repeat 5 rounds. Rest in between if required.

After a round of Surya bheda and Chandra bheda pranayama, perform nadi-shuddhi to re-balance the flow of prana in the body.

Share your opinion & experiences…

Ø  What is pranayama?

Ø  How does pranayama impact stress situations?

Ø  How can we enhance our pranayama capability?

Ø  Pranayama & decision making.

Ø  Long term effects of pranayama…

Ø  Variations in Pranayama

Ø  Pranayama sitting postures

Ø  Pranayama and therapy for illness.

Ø  Pranayama and patience

Ø  Right time to do pranayama

Ø  Pranayama and its impact on Situational Awareness

Ø  Pranayama & relationships…

Ø  Pranayama & diet

Ø  Can pranayama be done at a bus-stop, when waiting at a signal etc. without conventional setting?

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