Introduction to Pranayama

The part of yoga that covers breathing techniques is called pranayama but more than this, pranayama is about moving the prana. First sit comfortably. Relax. Then bring your awareness to your breath. Watch your belly rise as you inhale and watch it fall as you exhale. If your belly is not moving or is moving in as you inhale and out as you exhale this is a sign of very tense and shallow breathing. Keep your belly soft. Allow it to move with the breath.

Now start to deepen your breath -full yogic breathing. When you inhale, first expand your belly then fill your lungs to capacity. You may hold the breath slightly before the exhale. Then when you exhale, release the air from the lungs, then deepen your belly in. Exhale all the air out of your body completely, emptying yourself. Squeeze your belly in a little bit, drawing your core into the spine. Just when you think you are at the end of your exhale, you probably have two more seconds to exhale. To lengthen the exhale, it is helpful to try and find a pause at the end of the exhale before the beginning of the new inhale. Try and exhale twice as long as the inhale. Then inhale fully into the belly. This is full yogic breathing.

After performing full yogic breathing for at least ten breaths, start the cleansing breath called kapalabhati pranayama.

Exhale forcefully through your nose as you pull your belly in. Exhale in rapid succession. The inhale will come naturally. Just focus on the exhale and the movement of the abdominal muscles inwards towards the spine. The correct force of the exhale gives out an audible sound. Complete about 25 exhalations. Then resume normal belly breathing. Relax your mind and your whole being. Repeat another 25 exhalations of kapalabhati pranayama.

When you are depressed, your breathing is very shallow, the diaphragm is not utilized so you are not getting enough oxygen into your lungs and the rest of your body. When you are fearful, you might hold your breath. When you are angry you might be hyperventilating. Your breath tells you a lot about your state of mind. Just as the mind can affect the breath so can breathing affect the state of mind. Pranayama helps you move stagnant energy.

In the body, just by consciously breathing deeper, you can expel stale carbon dioxide, oxygenize your whole system and expel toxins. In the subtle body, the energy system, you are beginning to consciously move your prana (energy) throughout your body especially in places where the energy can collect and form a blockage. Yoga asana (postures) were especially designed to be used in combination with the breath. to ease out blockages of energy from specific areas of the body.

Another excellent breathing technique is anuloma viloma pranayama or alternate nostril breathing. It is a very soothing and balancing breathing technique. The breath is balanced between the right and left energy channels, giving a chance for the prana or energy winds to flow through the central channel, stabilizing the mind and bringing a sense of peacefulness and clarity.

The practice of anuloma viloma pranayam opens up the ajna chakra or wisdom chakra. At times when the ajna chakra is open, confusion, doubt and mystery give way to a broader knowledge and higher understanding. Preoccupation with the mundane dissolves. Access is gained into the inner world, the inner workings of the mind, the spiritual world. As one continues to purify oneself in body, speech and mind, clarity and brilliance, the true nature of mind is revealed.

Place your right hand in pranayama mudra ("mudra" means hand gesture) with the thumb, ring finger and little finger out and folding the index and tall finger in. Use the thumb to close off the right nostril and breathe through the left nostril. Use the ring finger to close of your left nostril and breathe through the right nostril.

Close your eyes, lightly focusing on the ajna chakra, the wisdom chakra, which is at the level of the center of the forehead between the eyebrows and about two inches into the body. Close off your right nostril with your thumb and exhale slowly and deeply for as long as possible. Inhale gently but deeply through the same nostril. Close off your left nostril and exhale through the right nostril, inhale through the same nostril. This completes one round. Complete about 5 rounds.

As you become more familiar with the practice, try increasing the length of the breath. The ratio is 1:2 - exhale is twice as long as the inhale. As you become more familiar with the practice, try increasing the length of the breath.

As you gain more subtle awareness of your breath you can perform anuloma viloma pranayama without using your fingers to close the nostrils, simply bring your mind to the visualization of the breath entering and leaving alternate nostrils. The energy always follows the mind, so at the beginning you employ imagination then slowly with habituation you will be able to gain more direct experience of the subtle energy body.

Imagine a light at the center of your chest - your heart chakra, the anahata chakra. It is pure white brilliant light. It shines in all directions filing you up with a feeling of peacefulness, contentment and bliss. The light pervades your whole body, entering every cell and every pore. Try and hold this visualization as long as you can and keep it clear.

Take a deep breath out, imagining you are exhaling all your fears, doubt and confusion, all negativities and suffering. As you inhale, imagine you are inhaling pure brilliant light making the light at your heart center stronger.

For meditations such as this which involves imagination to be successful, it is best to have proficiency in stabilizing the mind through mindfulness meditation.

Enjoy your breath. Breathe mindfully.