Sanskrit Words For The Complete Breath 1. Inhale Puraka 2. Inhale pause Abhyantara Kumbhaka (Full Pause) 3.

Exhale Rechaka 4. Exhale pause Bahya Kumbhaka (Empty Pause) Pranayama & The Art Of Breathing by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.

YOGIC SADHAN AUM I The proper course of the Sadhan is just the opposite of the thing most people do and you have also done. People begin with the body and the prana, go on to the chitta and the manas, and finish up with the buddhi and the will. The real course is to start with the will and finish with the body. There is no need of Asana, Pranayama, Kumbhaka, Chittasuddhi, or anything else preparatory or preliminary if one starts with the will. That was what Sri Ramakrishna came to show so far as Yoga is concerned. Do the Shakti Upasana first, he said, get Shakti and she will give you Sat. Will and Shakti are the first means necessary to the Yogin. That was why he said always, Remember you are Brahman, and he gave that as a central message to Swami Vivekananda. You are Ishwara. If you choose, you can be shuddha, siddha and everything else, or, if you choose, you can be just the opposite. The first necessity is to believe in yourself, the second in God and the third to believe in Kali; for these things make up the world. Educate the Will first, through the Will educate the Jnanam, through the Jnanam purify the Chitta, control the Prana and calm the Manas. Through all these instruments immortalise the body. That is the real yoga, the Mahapantha, that is the true and only Tantra. The Vedanta starts with Buddhi, the Tantra with Shakti.

Record of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo

But Patanjali speaks of pranayama which goes beyond the sphere of inhalation and exhalation. Through profound observation of the breath an Om yogi becomes aware that there is an internal breath that is the support and stimulus of the bodily breathing. Behind that breath is an even subtler force, and so on back to utter stillness at the core of his being. It is this process that is pranayama. During meditation the physical breath becomes, as Vyasa says, prolonged and light [refined, subtle]. But the breath does not accomplish this on its own. It must be joined to intonations of Om. With Om alone he should breathe. Speech and breath are joined together in the Syllable Om. Because in this manner he joins the breath, the Syllable Om, and all this in its manifoldness therefore this is called Yoga [joining]. The oneness of the breath, the mind, and likewise of the senses [through japa of Om with the breath] and the abandonment of all conditions of existence, this is designated as Yoga. One draws in the pranas by means of the Syllable Om. Many scriptures declare that Om Itself is pranayama, for it is the Pranavathe Breath Word. I am giving quite a number of quotations on this matter because the opposite opinion is commonly held by even those who claim to be qualified teachers of yoga, and I want it to be clear that I am not presenting my own idea or stretching a point. Pranayama is composed of the Pranava, Om. [Therefore] he should repeat the Pranava mentally. This only will be pranayama. Pranayama is accomplished through concentrating the mind on Om. The Pranava alone becomes the pranayama. Pranayama is accomplished through the right realization of the true nature of the sound which is at the extreme end of the pronunciation of the syllable Om, when sushupti [the dreamless sleep state] is rightly cognized [experienced] while conscious. The Pranava is the vital breath of all living beings from Brahma [the Creator] to the immobile beings [such as plants and minerals]. Being the Prana thus, It is called Pranava. Pranayama is accomplished by effortlessly breathing and joining to it the repetition of the sacred Om with the experience of Its meaning, when the consciousness reaches the deep sleep state. In the light of this quotation from the Yoga Vashishtha, we see that by joining the repetition of Om to the breath the Om Yogi causes pranayama to go on perpetually throughout the day as well as in meditation. Om Yoga Its Theory and Practice by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

In the practice of kapalabhati, emphasis in effort is placed on rechaka, or exhalation. That is, rechaka is performed forcefully and quickly through sudden contractions of the abdominal muscles while puraka, inhalation, is done passively. Both rechaka and puraka are done through the nostrils. One exhalation is therefore counted as one kapalabhati. A round of kapalabhati for beginners usually includes twelve expulsions. Beginners are asked to perform three rounds. Through practice, these numbers are increased to one hundred and eight expulsions per round with up to twelve rounds practiced. After one round, the practitioner is asked to perform a full, active puraka and hold the breath as long as it is comfortable to do so. This is called antara kumbhaka, or the retention of breath after full inhalation. Since kapalabhati removes carbon waste from the blood stream, practitioners may find that the breath can be comfortably held for several minutes. During this beginners' "breathless" state, prana naturally retires to the spine and brain, hence the name "kapalabhati," for the skull shines with the influx of prana. The real breathless state of samadhi, of course, requires no forced effort at breath retention. Like most Yogic practices, kapalabhati must be performed on an empty stomach. Pranayama in Theory and Practice by Sankara Saranam

The practice of Pranayama should be commenced in spring and autumn because success is assured. In the beginning you can have two sittings, morning and evening and as you advance in your practices, you can have four: morning, midday, evening and midnight. Your diet should be light and moderate. In the early stages, food of milk and ghee is ordained; also food consisting of wheat, green pulse and red rice is said to favour the progress. Assuming your favourite Asana, practice regulation of breath first for the purification of the nerves (Nadis). Each Pranayama consists of three distinct processes viz., Puraka (inhalation of breath), Kumbhaka (retention of breath) and Rechaka (exhalation of breath). Kumbhaka gives longevity of life. If you can retain the breath for 10 seconds, know for certain that so many seconds have been added to the span of your life. By taking the breath to the crown of the head and keeping it there under his full and firm control, the Yogi defies and conquers death and drinks the Nectar of Immortality. Pranayama is of three kinds according to the strength and capacity of the practitioner. The best one is that wherein Puraka is for 20 seconds,18 Kumbhaka for 80 seconds and Rechaka for 40 seconds. The middling one is that wherein Puraka is for 16 seconds, Kumbhaka for 64 seconds and Rechaka for 32 seconds. The lowest one is that wherein Puraka is for 12 seconds, Kumbhaka for 48 seconds and Rechaka for 24 seconds. You should inhale and exhale very, very slowly, without producing any sound all the while. The ratio between Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka is 1:4:2. Feel that all the divine qualities such as love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy and knowledge enter your system along with the inspired air, and that all the devilish qualities such as lust, greed, anger and Avidya are thrown out along with the expired air. Also repeat mentally OM or SOHAM or any other Sacred Word given by your Guru during Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka. This is the traditional method of doing Pranayama. This is the best method. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the ring and little fingers of the right hand, retain the breath as long as you can comfortably do, and exhale through the right nostril by removing the thumb. Now half the process is over. Drawing again the air through the right nostril, and retaining it as before. exhale it through the left nostril by removing the ring and little fingers. These six processes constitute one Pranayama. Do 20 such Pranayamas in the morning and 20 in the evening to start with and gradually increase the number to 80. If you wish to have time-unit, inhale till you count 1 OM; retain the breath till you count 4 OMs and exhale till you count 2 OMs. Observe the ratio 1:4:2. You may either use the left hand fingers for counting or mentally remember the numbers. In the second week increase the ratio to 2:8:4; in the third to 3:12:6, and so on and so forth until you reach the maximum of 20:80:40. While increasing the ratio, if you find it hard to retain the breath, have the same practice for two or three weeks more until the capacity and strength to increase the ratio further are gained. Let there be no suffocation during the practice.

PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

After energizing yourself, it is advisable to circulate the prana throughout the body. Visualize yourself filled with light or prana and circulate the prana continuously from the back to the front several times, then from the front to the back several times also. PRANIC HEALING by Choa Kok Sui

Bhogar in verse number six gives the first piece of the puzzle in relating his system of pranayama. This system, which applies the sacred Panchakshara mantra to well established Yogic breath manipulations, reinforces the traditional breathing practices by engaging the mind in mental repetition of the Panchakshara syllables. This becomes just difficult enough to demand the mind's full engagement and complete concentration on repeating the mantra in proper sequence with the movement of the breath.One begins this practice by drawing in the breath with the syllable Va. The breath is to be then immediately retained by the mental utterance of Ya. As the mantra is spoken in the mind, one shifts the breath into the lower diaphragm and fixes awareness at the base of the spine. The mind is held steadfast at the root and, before one feels lightheaded (the breath is controlled, but never repressed), one exhales with the mantra Si.Si-Va's name becomes the out and in flowing breath. The syllable A (transformed into Ya through Tamil's grammatical law of sandhi), the first sound to issue from primordial stillness, is the mantra of retention. Release with Si. Invite the breath to come within by mentally repeating the mantra Va (the Tamil word meaning "come"). Using Si-Va's name to concentrate the mind, breath begins to deepen in equal measure. After some time, as one becomes calm and listens to the sound of the breath flowing in and out, one begins to hear the syllables Va & Si being made spontaneously by the movement of breath. Va-Si in Tamil means "breath". Siva is hidden within vasi. Bhogar's "puffing" practice helps to take firm hold of the mind's reigns, giving focus and direction to thought by flooding the brain with oxygen, opening the neural network, and energizing cellular activity in a sudden and dynamic way. The technical term of this practice is Kapala Bhati ("Skull Shining") and as one of the Four Purifications is an ideal way of beginning one's daily Yoga practice. "Kapala Bhati is a series of forced exhalations: Exhale and inhale quickly and lightly through both nostrils. Emphasize the exhale, letting the inhalation come as a natural reflex.. After one series of exhalations, which should last no longer than one minute, rest and breath naturally. Then repeat."Kapala Bhati produces a rather intoxication effect in the practitioner, making the mind (and the eight shaktis) swoon. The flood of oxygen to the cells of the body and the brain is exhilarating. This practice wakes one up, centers awareness, focuses concentration, and is an excellent preliminary to meditation.Another "puffing" practice similar to Kapala Bhati is Bhastrika or "Bellows" which also offers the same "mental cleansing" effect. To practice Bhastrika one must be vigorous, not pausing between in-breath and out-breath. Throughout, both in-breath and out-breath should be of equal duration, so begin by breathing slowly, balancing in-breath and out-breath while fixing awareness at the point where the air first passes into the nostrils, focusing on that sensation. As the in-breath/out-breath duration becomes balanced, one speeds up the breathing process to a point where the intensity of air flow is short and quick with a distinct feeling of impact as breath is drawn in and then pushed out with the contraction of the diaphragm. When this practice reaches a crescendo of speed and intensity (after about 20-25 exhalations), inhale slowly and completely and retain the breath as long as it is comfortable. This practice is the bellows that fans the alchemical fire of the Kundalini. Here Bhogar introduces perhaps the most important pranayama practice of all: Nadi Shodanam or Alternate Nostril Breathing. This practice is centered directly upon balancing the flow in the Ida & Pingala Nadis. This practice has had such a profound effect on its practitioners that its use has spread into Brahminical tradition and is employed by the priest at the beginning of each Hindu rite to focus the mind, unify & direct the flow of prana through the body, and aid in balancing and maximizing air intake for correct recitation of the mantra hymnals.The practitioner uses the thumb and fingers of the right hand to alternate the flow of air through the right & left nostrils. Placing the hand in the form of the Vishnu mudra the left nostril is closed as one breathes in through the right. Through contraction of chest and abdomen, the air is shifted downwards towards Muladhara and retained, as the right nostril is then closed.Then, through intention or visualization, breath is shifted to the left side of the body, allowed to rise, and be expelled through the left nostril. One then breathes in through the left, shifts and retains the breath, and exhales through the right. The practice continues repeating itself in this manner. Before beginning this practice it is good to ascertain in which nostril is the air flow predominant. Bhogar offers a mantra prescription for the imbalanced flow of air in the nostrils. SHAKING THE TREE Kundalini Yoga, Spiritual Alchemy, & the Mysteries of the Breath in Bhogar's 7000 by Layne Little