WHAT IS THE IMPORTANT NOTES OF PRANAYAMA? (BREATHING)

HOW TO DO PRANAYAMA?

OF ALL THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY, BREATHING IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO BREATHE IS TO LIVE AND TO BE ALIVE IS TO BREATHE. MAN CAN SURVIVE FOR WEEKS WITHOUT SOLID FOOD AND SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT WATER BUT WITHOUT AIR HE CANNOT LIVE FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF SECONDS. YOGIS MEASURE LIFE NOT IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF YEARS BUT THE NUMBER OF BREATHS TAKEN. MODERN CIVILISED MAN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO BREATHE. OUR UNNATURAL LIVING CONDITIONS IN MODERN CITY, STUFFY AND SUFFOCATING APARTMENTS, CRAMPED WORKING CONDITIONS IN MODERN CITY, STUFFY AND SUFFOCATING APARTMENT, CRAMPTED WORKING CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES AND OFFICESS, SUFFOCATING APARTMENTS, CRAMPTED WORKING CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES AND OFFICES, OUR FAULTY AND WRONG METHODS OF WAKING STANDING AND SITTING HAVE ROBBED US THE RHYTHM OF LIFE AND OF NATURAL AND CORRECT BREATHING.THE RESULT IS THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AFFECTING SUNKEN CHESTS, NARROW SHOULDERS, ASTHMA AND RESPIRATORY DISORDERS.

MAN'S MENTAL POWER, HAPPINESS, VITALITY, RESISTANCE, SELF-CONTROL CAN BE INCREASED BY THE ART OF BREATHING. THE ACTS OF SPEAKING, SINGING, HUMMING, WHISTLING, LAUGHTER, CRYING, SOBBING, SWIMMING, GOSPING, YAWNING, PANTING, SNIFFING, COUGHING AND SNEEZING REQUIRE ELEMENTRAY FORM OF BREATH CONTROL.

BREATHING

DEEP AND CORRECT BREATHING IS THE BASIC LESSON IN YOGA. IT FEEDS THE BODY'S TISSUES, ORGANS AND GLANDS WITH OXYGEN, REMOVES MUCH OF BODY WASTE AND IMPURITIES. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THE ANCIENT YOGIS DISCOVERED WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EMOTIONS AND BREATHING. WHEN ARE EXCITED OR AGITATED, OUR RATE OF RESPIRATION BECOMES RAPID AND DISORDERED WHEN WE ARE COMPOSED, OUR BREATHING IS SLOW, CALM AND RHYTHMICAL. PRANAYAMA MEANS CONTROL OF THE PRANA.

FORM OF BREATH

PRANA IS MUCH MORE THAN MORE BREATHE.
PRANA IS THE POWER BEHIND AND WITHIN BREATH.
IT IS THE VITAL FORCE IN EVERYTHING.
IT IS COSMIC ENERGY THAT PERVADES THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.
IT IS PRESENT IN ALL FORMS, FROM THE LOWEST TO THE HIGHEST, FROM THE ANT TO THE ELEPHANT.
THE PRANA IN THE AIR PERFORMS A NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS IN THE HUMAN BODY.

PRANA - IT CIRCULATES IN THE AREA AROUND THE HEART AND CONTROLS BREATHING.
APNA - IT CIRCULATES IN THE LOWER REGIONS OF THE ABDOMEN AND CONTROLS EXCRETORY FUNCTIONS (URINE AND FAECES)
SAMANA - IT STIMULATES THE GASTRIC JUICES AND AIDS DIGESTION.
UDANA - IT REMAINS IN THE THORACTIC CAGE, AND CONTROLS THE ABSORPTION OF AIR AND FOOD.
VYANA - IT SPREADS THROUGHOUT THE BODY AND DISTRIBUTES THE ENERGY FROM FOOD AND BREATH.
NAGA - IT RELIEVES ABDOMINAL PRESSURE BY PROVOKING EXCRETION.
KURMA - IT CONTROLS THE EYELIDS TO PREVENT FOREIGN BODIES FROM ENTERING AND DAZZLING LIGHT FROM HARMING THE EYES.
KRKARA - IT PREVENTS CERTAIN SUBSTANCES FROM RISING INTO THE NASAL CAVITIES OR DESCENDING INTO THE THROAT CAUSING SNEEZING AND COUGHING.
DEVADUTTA - IT ENSURES THE ABSORPTION OF EXTRA OXYGEN INTO A TIRED BODY AND CAUSES YAWNING.
DHANANJAYA - IT REMAINS IN THE BODY EVEN AFTER DEATH AND SOMETIMES CAUSES THE CORPSE TO SWELL. BEFORE DEALING WITH VARIOUS.

KEEP IN MIND THESE INSTRUCTION

DURING PRANAYAMA

THE PRANAYAMA MUST BE PRACTICED REGULARLY IN A ROOM THAT IS AIRY. THE PRACTICE CAN BE CARRIED ON WITH BETTER RESULTS BY THE SIDE OF A RIVER, IN A TEMPLE, CHURCH, OR ANY OTHER PLACE OR WORSHIP, A LAKE OR AT THE TOP OF A HILL OR IN A CIRCLE OF A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN OR ANY OTHER CALM AND QUIET PLACE FREE FROM CHIL, MOSQUITOES, BUGS, ANTS, FLIES OR CRAWLING INSECTS.

LOOSE FITTING CLOTHS SHOULD BE WORN AND CONSTRICTING COLLARS, TIES AND TIGHT BELTS AVOIDED. A FOLDED BLANKET OR RUG SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE FLOOR ONE GENERALLY EXPERIENCES LAZINESS AFTER GETTING UP FROM BED, THIS CAN BE DRIVEN OFF BY DOING A FEW KUMBHAKAS. BREATHING SHOULD BE DONE THROUGH NOSE AND NOT THROUGH MOUTH. AVOID BREATHING DIRTY AIR.

HOW TO DO EXERCISE

EXERCISE NO 1

SIT ON THE FLOOR IN SUKHASANA POSTURE (EASY POSTURE) WITH BOTH LEGS STRETCHED BEFORE YOU.
BOW BEND ONE LEG AND PLACE ITS FOOT UNDER THE THIGH OF THE OPPOSITE LEG.
THEN BEND THAT LEG AND PLACE IT UNDER THE OTHER LEG.
THE BODY SHOULD KE KEPT PERFECTLY STEADY WITH HEAD, NECK AND BACK IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL WITH THE RIGHT THUMB AND SLOWLY INHALE THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL AS LONG AS YOU CAN WITH EASE AND COMFORT.
THEN EXHALE THROUGH THE SAME NOSTRIL.
DO THIS AT LEAST TEN TIMES.
THIS WILL CONSTITUTE THE FIRST ROUND.
TO BEGIN WITH TWO ROUNDS IT MUST BE DONE DAILY AND INCREASED UP TO 12 ROUNDS GRADUALLY.

INHALE THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL BY CLOSING THE LEFT NOSTRIL WITH THE LITTLE AND RING FINGER OF THE RIGHT HAND JUST IN THE SAME MANNER AS ONE PREVIOUSLY. THEN EXHALE THROUGH THE SAME NOSTRIL. THIS MUST BE DONE AT LEAST TEN TIMES.

EXERCISE NO 2

IN THE SAME SITTING POSTURE, CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL WITH THE RIGHT THUMB AND INHALE THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.
THEN CLOSE THE LEFT NOSTRIL WITH THE RING AND LITTLE FINGER OF THE RIGHT HAND AND EXHALE THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AFTER REMOVING THE THUMB.
INHALING AGAIN THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND CLOSING IT WITH THE THUMB.
EXHALE THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.
REPEAT IT AT LEAST TEN TIMES.

EXERCISE NO 3

IN THE SAME SITTING POSTURE, INHALE THROUGH BOTH THE NOSTRIL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WITH EASE AND COMFORT AND EXHALE THROUGH BOTH THE NOSTRIL IN THE SAME MANNER.
DO IT ATLEAST TEN TIMES AND REPEAT THE NUMBER GRADUALLY.

EXERCISE NO 4

IN THE SAME SITTING POSTURE, DRAW THE AIR IN THROUGH THE NOSTRIL, REAIN IT AS LONG AS YOU CAN WITH EASE AND COMFORT, THEN EXHALE SLOWLY.
THIS PROCESS MAY BE REPEATED TWELVE TIMES.
THIS WILL CONSTITUTE ONE ROUND AND THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS MAY BE INCREASED GRADUALLY.

EXERCISE NO 5

IN THE SAME SITTING POSTURE CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL WITH THE RIGHT THUMB AND INHALE THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL.
THEN CLOSE THE LEFT NOSTRIL WITH THE RING AND LITTLE FINGER OF THE RIGHT HAND , RETAIN THE BREATH AS LONG AS YOU CAN AND EXHALE THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL BY REMOVING THE THUMB.
DRAW IN THE AIR THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND RETAIN IT AS BEFORE, EXHALE IT THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL BY REMOVING THE RING AND LITTLE FINGERS.
THESE SIX PROCESSESS CONSTITUTE ONE PRANAYAMA WHICH MUST BE DONE AT LEAST 20 TIMES DAILY IN THE MORNING.
IN THIS PRANAYAMA THE IDEAL TECHNIQUE IS THAT WHEREIN PURAKA IS FOR 20 SECONDS, KUMBHAKA FOR 30 SECONDS AND RADHKA FOR 40 SECONDS.
THE PRANAYAMA EXERCISES ARE MOST EFFECTIVE AT SUNRISE OR EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING FACING EAST.