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?

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Ø  Long term effects of pranayama…

Ø  Variations in Pranayama

Ø  Pranayama sitting postures

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Ø  Pranayama and patience

Ø  Right time to do pranayama

Ø  Pranayama and its impact on Situational Awareness

Ø  Pranayama & relationships…

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