Lotus Notes - Volume II

Pranayama and Warmups

There are many different definitions for the Sanskrit word "pranayama", but most often in Yoga it is used to mean "breathing exercises" or "breath control". The word "prana" means "life force", but it also can mean "energy" or "breath". In Sanskrit and in Yoga, life force/energy and breath are very closely connected.

There are many different pranayama breathing exercises, but the two I will be focusing on are Kapalabhati and Anuloma Viloma. I'm assuming you have some experience with Yoga, and have practiced these exercises before, so I won't be going into detailed step-by-step explanation about how to practice these, but rather giving my own personal tips and comments on the various pranayama exercises and asanas. If you do want to learn how to practice anything, there are many excellent sources on the internet and in your local Yoga studio which I'd encourage you to read.

Kapalabhati is a rhythmic expulsion exercise wherein one breathes out forcefully and repeatedly by contracting the abdominal muscles inwards and upwards to push all air out of the lungs. The inhales take care of themselves naturally, and as with most Yoga practices, the breathing should be through the nose. Kapalabhati prepares us for our practice by bringing fresh oxygen, energy, and prana to the head, and to the body. It literally means "shining skull" in Sanskrit. It also cleanses the bronchial system.

To prepare for Kapalabhati, start by sitting in a comfortable position, either cross-legged, or on your knees, with back straight and shoulders relaxed. To get your back straight and chest forward, interlock your hands behind your back and push up and out. Then hold this position and bring your arms straight down in front of your knees, with fingers straight. If you're a beginner sitting cross-legged, it's good to elevate the hips so that they're angled forward and down.

Try to keep your eyes closed whenever possible. This helps to deepen the meditation by focusing your mind inward. Take a few deep inhales and exhales to begin. As you inhale, feel the belly, then the chest, then the shoulders expanding, and feel all sides of the rib cage expand – the sides as well as the front and back. Then as you exhale, completely empty the lungs, pushing out all air.

One thing I find is that the slower the pace of the expulsions, the deeper and more complete one's exhales and inhales become. There is a tendency to want to go fast, but resist that, and slow down your pace, and I think you'll be rewarded with longer kumbaka. (Kumbaka is the retention of breath in between rounds. It is an opportunity for very deep meditation, as nothing is moving, not even your breath. As an added bonus, some say that for every minute we practice of kumbaka, we lengthen our lives by one minute.) You also don't need as many expulsions if you're doing them slower to achieve the same result. Try to aim for around three seconds for a complete exhale and inhale (1.5 seconds each). Practice three rounds of Kapalabhati (pumping and retention) before moving on to Anuloma Viloma. Try to progressively increase the number of pumpings with each round, and progressively increase the length of each retention.

Anuloma Viloma is also known as alternate nostril breathing. Again, I'm not going to be giving explicit instructions on how to practice this, so I'm assuming you already know the basics. But very briefly, you're once again sitting up cross-legged, back straight, shoulders relaxed. The left hand is in "chin moudra" (thumb and forefinger tips touching), and right hand is in "Vishnu moudra" (first two fingers pressed into the palm).

Using the thumb and last two fingers of the right hand to block the right and left nostrils respectively, you inhale, retain, and exhale through alternate nostrils in the ratio of one:four:two. So for example inhale left four seconds, retain sixteen seconds, exhale right eight seconds, and then reverse. It's not necessary to apply too much pressure when blocking the nostrils. If you press just below where the bone on your nose ends, you can block them with very minimal pressure.

Yogis believe this exercise purifies the "nadis" or astral nerves running through the body, as well as bringing a sense of balance to the body and spirit – balancing the left and right, masculine and feminine, creative and analytical, warm and cool, activity and surrender, sun and moon (also known as "ha" and "tha", which is where the term "Hatha" Yoga comes from).

While there may be all these spiritual benefits, A/V also has a purely physical benefit of improving the airflow in both nostrils. Most people favour one nostril over the other. I know I did. But after years of practicing A/V, I can honestly say my breathing has become much more even in both nostrils -- more balanced. Tip: If you are doing A/V and feel one nostril is more blocked than the other, you can use your thumb (right side), or two fingers (left side) to push up on the cheek bone, lifting the flesh there and opening up the airway.

Practice at least three to five rounds of A/V, and continue racking up those valuable kumbaka minutes. They'll come in handy later in life! When you finish your rounds, lower your right hand gently to your knee, and take a few deep breaths with both nostrils, feeling the sense of calm and balance within the body, and then gracefully and with your eyes closed if possible, come back down into savasana.

Namaste

Jim / Siva