MANTRA;
The Sita Ram mantra balances the both sides of brain. It harmonizes and vitalizes the whole body, cleansing toxins and impurities, removing blockages and activating our self awareness... shedding light in what were once dark recesses of our body, mind, spirit trinity.
pranayama — “The breath is the key to unlocking your body’s potential.”. clearing your space and letting go of what you must, moving out any stagnant energy on the exhale, and creating space for something new on the inhale. When we’re doing poses without breathing, we could actually create blocks, discomfort, or tension within our bodies. Breath carries the prana, or life force energy, throughout your entire body, and linking breath with movement amplifies the results.. which may sound more complicated than it is — becomes an opportunity to reconnect with the simplicity of the inhale and the exhale, with this moment. Pranayama, simply put, is the witnessing and directing the movement of prana (life-force) through the body on the breath. In the yoga texts, pranayama is listed as the fourth limb of the eight-limbed path. It deals with both the gross body and the subtle body; just when we think we’ve mastered it, we realize there is another layer to dive into or through.
Pranayama Practice with a few different pieces
Introducing and giving a sense of value and experience. Pranayama is next step after asana. It allows us to take what is the benefit of asana to body the best way is to take that - what we get out of asana, now essentially extended beyond to benefit the mind. What pranayama is to the mind, asana is to the body.
Before we begin, there are a lot of different ideas about what the goal of pranayama is. from the yoga sutras- the aim of pranayama is clear- quoted- “ aim of pranayama result, the covering of light is removed. the covering is removed, the light - what is that ? YOU. to remove this covering, which is the real us.
KAPALABAHTI - best way to learn it. Navel back on exhale, emphasizing the exhale, inhale happens on its own.
Abdomen moves back and forces breath out.
hand on belly can be helpful.
feel the lightness. increased sense of clarity. vibration.
PART II
Practice silent Ujjayi breathing- emphasis of breath instead at nose is at throat. more vibrational than auditory. felt vs. heard. Only breath three quarters of your capacity to get the breath as smooth as possible. breath in and out and as slowly as you can.
As you continue to breath this way, begin to sense awareness unfolding. As you breath in this pattern your mind is becoming quieter and your awareness is starting to dawn. Keep your body as still as possible. Cultivate an interior awareness of breath - so that as you inhale see the breath moving down from heart to pelvic bowl. and as you exhale see the breath rising from pelvic bowl and moves towards the heart. Watching a kind of effortless wave of prana moving as you breath.
Descending on inhale, ascending on exhale. Increasingly that wave rising and falling, becomes more and more delightful, peaceful, joyful. As though that wave is endowed with joy and profound ease.
Quality of luminous presence, in the pause before the next breath. Simply a presence of light in the heart.
one step further as you hold the breath out, softly lift the abdomen.
Resting in that light thats been uncovered-
Basic Breath Awareness
This gentle introduction to diaphragmatic breathing teaches you how to breathe more fully and consciously.
Benefits
Quiets and calms the entire nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety and improving self-awareness.
Try It
At least once a day, at any time.
How To
Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-distance apart. Place a palm on your abdomen and breathe comfortably for a few moments, noticing the quality of your breath. Does the breath feel tense? strained? uneven? shallow? Simply observe the breath without any judgment. Then gradually begin to make your breathing as relaxed and smooth as possible, introducing a slight pause after each inbreath and outbreath.
Once the breath feels relaxed and comfortable, notice the movement of the body. As you inhale, the abdomen naturally expands; as you exhale, feel the slight contraction of the abdomen. In a gentle way, try to actively expand the abdomen on the inhale and contract the abdomen on the exhale to support the natural movement of the diaphragm and experience the pleasure of giving yourself a full, relaxed breath. Continue the practice for 6 to 12 breaths.
The Cooling Breath (Sitali/Sitkari Pranayama)
Sitali Pranayama is often translated as “the cooling breath” because the act of drawing the air across the tongue and into the mouth is said to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system. To practice Sitali, you need to be able to curl the sides of your tongue inward so that it looks like a straw. The ability to curl the tongue is a genetic trait. If you can’t, try an alternative technique called Sitkari Pranayama, which offers the same effects.
Benefits
Can improve focus; reduce agitation, anger, and anxiety; and pacify excess heat in the system.
Try It
Twice a day, or as needed during stressful times. Sitali and Sitkari Pranayama are particularly supportive when you’re feeling drowsy in the morning or during an afternoon slump when you need to improve your focus.
How To
Sitali Pranayama
Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor, with your shoulders relaxed and your spine naturally erect. Slightly lower the chin, curl the tongue lengthwise, and project it out of the mouth to a comfortable distance. Inhale gently through the “straw” formed by your curled tongue as you slowly lift your chin toward the ceiling, lifting only as far as the neck is comfortable. At the end of the inhalation, with your chin comfortably raised, retract the tongue and close the mouth. Exhale slowly through the nostrils as you gently lower your chin back to a neutral position. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
Sitkari Pranayama
Open the mouth slightly with your tongue just behind the teeth. Inhale slowly through the space between the upper and lower teeth, letting the air wash over your tongue as you raise your chin toward the ceiling. At the end of the inhalation, close the mouth and exhale through the nostrils as you slowly lower your chin back to neutral. Repeat for 8 to 12 breaths.
The Long Exhale
This 1:2 breathing practice, which involves gradually increasing your exhalation until it is twice the length of your inhalation, relaxes the nervous system.
Benefits
Can reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.
Try It
Before bedtime to help support sleep, in the middle of the night when you’re struggling with insomnia, or at any time of the day to calm stress or anxiety. (In general, it’s best to avoid practicing 1:2 breathing first thing in the morning unless you’re experiencing anxiety. The relaxing effects of the practice tend to make it more difficult to get up and go on with your day.)
How To
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place a palm on the abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling the abdomen expand on the inhalation and gently contract on the exhalation. With your palm on your abdomen, mentally count the length of each inhalation and exhalation for several more breaths. If the inhalation is longer than the exhalation, you can begin to make them the same length over the next few breaths.
Once your inhalation and exhalation are equal, gradually increase the length of your exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds by gently contracting the abdomen. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to gradually increase the exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds once every few breaths. Make sure you experience no strain as the exhalation increases and keep going until your exhalation is up to twice the length of the inhalation, but not beyond. For example, if your inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds.
Keep in mind that even an exhalation that is only slightly longer than the inhalation can induce a calming effect, so take care that you don’t push yourself beyond your capacity. (If you do, you’ll likely activate the sympathetic nervous system, or stress response, and feel agitated rather than calm.)
If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, or if you’re gasping on the next inhalation, back off to a ratio that is more comfortable for 8 to 12 breaths. Then finish your practice with 6 to 8 natural, relaxed breaths.