Guide to Meditation - Pranayama

[Guest guest]

Pranayama is an important part of meditation. Prana is not the

air we breath in. Respiration is a by- product of Prana entering

the body… Prana nourishes the nadis and air nourishes the body.

Both have to go together.

 

The first and foremost important point in Sadhna is stilling the

Mind. Mind can not be forced to still as it will then recoil with

double force.

 

The incoming Prana activates the mind and the mind with its

activities forces prana to enter/leave the body. This process is

done by the sub-conscious, not by surface conscious mind…. but we

can take control of Prana in our conscious mind.

 

If we slow the mind, the prana will be slowed down and if mind is

stilled, prana will be stilled. But the tail also wags the dog

here. … if we slow the Prana, the mind's activities will be slowed

down and if we still the prana, the mind will be stilled.

 

So Pranayama is controlling the Prana.. bringing them to conscious

mind's activity…. slowing it and finally stilling it. Without

Pranayama, no sadhna actually gives full results.

 

To begin with, we must go with Pranayama so that the mind is cooled,

slowed and stilled. Two such pranayamas are very important here.

These pranayamas are not dangerous for inexperienced sadhaka and

does not need a guru.

 

Nadi Shodhan (or Sum-pranayama).

===================================

Sit in a comfortable posture and close right nostril with thumb

of right hand and slowly inhale through left nostril. You can

mentally count 6 to begin with. When you inhale to the counting of

6, close left nostril with index finger and open right nostril and

exhale the air by counting 6. Now from right nostril inhale to the

count of 6, close right nostril with thumb and exhale from left to

the count of 6. This makes one Pranayama.

 

At least 21 of such pranayama should be done to begin with, during

morning or evening or both. You can also increase the counting by

one number every week. till the count of 24 there is no harm.

 

This pranayama slows the unnecessary thought activities of mind.

Even when you feel mentally disturbed, or tired or not concentrating

you can do this pranayama.

 

At least 3-6 months of regular practice will control the mind and

then you can make the mind peaceful at will.

 

Rhythmic Pranayama ( or Taal pranayam)

=========================================

 

This is a bit difficult and needs some practice before you

master it. But this pranayama gives very fast results.

 

Hold pulse of your right hand with left hand's thumb, while

sitting in a comfortable posture. Close eyes and feel consciously

the pulse for some time. Then inhale slowly while counting 6 pulse

beats….. hold breath inside for 3 beats… Exhale counting the 6

beats…. stop the breath outside for count of 3 beats. This becomes

one pranayama.

 

Every week you can add two counts thus making it 8-4-8-4 and

then 10-5-10-5 and so on. Do not hurry.. the slower you increase,

the better. … even increasing after two weeks is better…or after

one month, as you feel comfortable, as forcing the Prana is

dangerious.

 

this is a wonderful Pranayaama and it brings harmony into our

system. respiration in harmony with heart beats, brings peace,

calmness and slows the prana (also mind).

 

If 5 minutes before sadhna, any of these pranayamas are done,

you will find a qualitative difference in your sadhna.

 

Hari Aum

[Guest guest]

Dear Aum

 

Thankyou for the post on pranayama. I have a question about nadi

shodhan.

 

I have always taken this to a count of 12:12 at the most & have been

advised not to take it further than that. I would guess that it's all

down to the individual at the end of the day & what feels

comfortable. But when someone gets to their maximum inhilation &

exhilation, would you reccommend they then alter to extending the

outward breath, for example to 1:2 (ie inhale to a count of 5 &

exhale to a count of 10.)

What is the effect of extending the outward breath only & how does

this differ from aiming to extend both the inward and outward breaths?

 

Also, with counting... some teachers say to count 1 aum, 2 aum, 3

aum... (which for me would be slower than the second hand on a

clock.) I attended a pranayama workshop recently by a well

established pranayama teacher & he said that the counts should be

faster than the second hand on a clock. I was quite surprised at how

quick he was counting when he gave his example. Or is the speed of

the count not important, but again just an individual thing?

 

Thankyou

 

With love

 

Farah

[Guest guest]

, " janfarah_strongspirit "

> outward breath, for example to 1:2 (ie inhale to a count of 5 &

> exhale to a count of 10.)

Or is the speed of

> the count not important, but again just an individual thing?

 

 

Dear Farahji,

 

In pranayama, the speed of counting is not really important.

The main thing is that the time taken in inhaling should be exactly

equal to time taken in exhaling (in nadi-shodhan). We count to have

an idea of time taken at both points. If your counting is faster,

it will be faster both ways...so time will be same.

 

Second point - In nadi shodhan the inhaling and exhaling must

be equal. We have other pranayamas which have double time to

exhaling than inhaling...but before doing those pranayama, we must

have at least 3 months practice of Nadi shodhan.

 

There is a secret in Pranayama... the secret of Prana's force

while inhaling and while exhaling. This pranyama equilises the

forces. Our exhaling is always forceful and smaller...so first we

have to equilise both inhale and exhale before we go further.

 

Nadi shodhan upto the count of 20 is absolutely safe. I myself

took it upto 26..without any harm. Those pranayama which have

retention of breath, are dangerous and should not be practiced

without guidance.

 

But in Nadi shodhan there is really no such higher limit.

Rather I would say you will see the effect of pranayama when you

reach beyond 16.

 

If we do Nadi -shodhan + Taal pranayama daily...the results are

very fast and soon visible.

 

Hari Aum

[Guest guest]

Dear brothers & sisters

 

On the subject of pranayama, which is the best pranayama for energising

the body? Sometimes I feel so tired & could do with a good boost of

energy. I often feel relaxed after my pranayama, but not exactly

energised. Which pranayama would you reccommend?

 

With love

 

Farah

[Guest guest]

, " janfarah_strongspirit "

<janfarah_strongspirit wrote:

 

Yes farah there is one " Chandra-Bhedi " pranayama, which is very

useful to remove fatigue and neutralise the excess heat from the

body.

 

sit in a comfortable posture close your right nostril and with force

inhale through left nostril... keep breath in lungs for a little

time and then throw the air out through right nostril (by closing

left). Again inhale from left and exhale from right.

 

so in this pranayama, air is always breathed in from left and

thrown out from right. Once you have done this pranayama for a few

days and mastered it, you can remove fatigue immediately by doing 5-

10 pranayama.

 

Opposite to this is " Surya-Bhedi " where inhaling is done through

right nostril and air thrown out from left. this pranayama removes

lazyness and heat up the body for action.

 

Aum