Kuvalayananda, Swami;
PrāNāyāma (Pranayama): Popular Yoga
Popular Prakashan, 1966, 140 pages [Pune 89? Rs.30]
topics: | yoga | health | pranayama | philosophy | india
prANAyAma : prANA = breath; Ayama = pause, break; in later haTha yoga literature, prANa is sometimes used to indicate a subtle psychic force; however in patanjali, it is clearly used as a breath; either together with pracchhardana (expulsion) or vidhAraNa (retention); or shvAsa/prashvAsa, etc. patanjali: originally 4 types of prANAyama; later authors merge types 3 and 4 to reach three types p. 36: - bAhya kumbhaka, (hold or kumbhaka after full exhalation or recaka); - Abhyantara kumbhaka (kumbhaka after inhalation or puraka) - kevala kumbhaka - unclear - pause all at once and with ease (patanjali 3) or pause through many inhalation and exhalations (patanjali 4) svAtmArAma sUri, author of haTha-pradIpikA - 8 types of prANAyAma or kumbhaka; these include ujjAyI, bhastrikA, and 6 others. duration of puraka : kumbhaka : rechaka may be 1:4:2 (most favoured view) or 1:2:2 (more suited for beginners). the mAtra for the kumbhaka should be determined first, based on ability. p.42 Distinction between spiritual practitioner and physical practitioner; former must be sitting in a proper Asana (sitting, padmAsana, svAstikAsana or similar) in a calm place, latter may do it standing, or even walking. closing nostrils: thumb+fingers -general process ujjAyI: ch.VI produces a loud sound, as in a greeting with "jaya". puraka: inhalation thru one nostril (right), w partially closed glottis - produces a sound like sobbing, low and smooth, no jerks kumbhaka: by closing the glottis, and close both nostrils recaka : exhale smoothly and for the entire duration through left nostril; must ensure complete emptying of lung; should never be so prolonged as to make the following inhalation very hurried kapAlabhAti: ch.VII kapAla = skull, bhAti - shine; only breathing, no kumbhaka sudden expulsions of breath follow one another; emphasizes rechaka intended to clear nasal passages in the skull; makes whole body vibrate - increasing with time - hence padmasana, which locks in the legs, is best recaka: must drive out as much air as can be done in a sudden expiration (does not require very deep inhalation or expiration) ribs remain raised throughout while the diaphragm and front abdominal muscles, which are suddenly and vigorously contracted, work to expel breath volume of air inhaled must equal that exhaled in earlier recaka in normal breathing, inhalation is active and exhalation passive; in kbhati, this is opposite. "oxygen value" - retain more oxygen while expelling CO2 [Hmmm?] bhastrikA: kapAlabhAti + kumbhaka ch.VIII word means "bellows" - characterized by quick and incessant expulsions of breath, imitating bellows at village smith rounds of expulsions, followed by kumbhaka shItalI (ch.IX) bhrAmarI (ch.X) mUrcchA (ch.XI) plAvinI (ch.XII) Full course: ASANAS: (abt 1/2 to 1 min each, increasing each week) shIrShAsanam, sarvAngAsana, matsyAsana, halAsana, bhujangAsana, shalabhAsana, dhanurAsana, ardha matsyendrAsana, paschimatAna, mayUrAsana (10s), shavAsana (2-10 min), BANDHA: uDDiyAna bandha - 3 to 7 turns MUDRA: Yoga-mudra: 1 to 3 min KRIYA: nauli: 3 to 7 turns kapAlabhAti: 3 rounds of 11 to 121 expulsions, +11 expulsions / week PRANAYAMA: ujjAyI : 7 to 28 rounds, + 3 rounds / wk bhastrikA : 3 rounds of 11 to 121 explulsions, +11 / wk; every round followed by a suitable kumbhaka