Table of Contents
- Pranayama Practice
- Cleansing Your Nasal Passages with Jala Neti
- Book Recommendation
Pranayama Practice
Let's review a couple of pranayama techniques which may or may not be familiar to you. Even if you are a regular practitioner of pranayama, it can be beneficial to take a moment to revisit the techniques, because sometimes we can have additional insights during a review.
Ujjayi Pranayama
This breath is known as the psychic breath as it leads to subtle states of mind. The Sanskrit word means "victorious". The breath is a tranquilizing breath as it soothes the nervous system and calms the mind. It is also a warming breath as it heats the body. This breath is profoundly relaxing and can help to relieve insomnia and aid recovery from a cold.
Sit in Sukhasana (Easy Pose). Relax your whole body and your face. We are going to get a feel for making the audible sound at the back of the throat while doing Ujjayi breath by doing a little exercise we will call the "ha" thing. Take a nice inhale through your nose. Exhale with your mouth open and say "haaaaa" in the back of your throat. This sound is the sound you want to make when you are doing Ujjayi breathing, except you want to make it with your mouth closed.
Now inhale again through your nose. This time exhale through you nose with your mouth closed and make the "haaaaa" sound at the back of your throat. Practice a few times with your mouth open and then closed to get a feel for making the audible noise at the back of the throat. You should hear an audible noise at the back of your throat that my sound a bit like Darth Vader or a soft snore of a baby. The audible breath shouldn't be too loud, but just loud enough for you to hear it or perhaps someone sitting very close to hear it.
** Contraindications ** If you are suffering from heart disease, do not combine this breath with locking your bandhas or with breath retention.
Click Here to Purchase Poses Available in yGuide Yoga Software with Great Yoga Poses II
Kapalabhati Pranayama
Energizes the mind for mental activity. It can remove sleepiness in preparation for meditation. Purifies the Ida and Pin Gala nadis (subtle passage in which the prana moves). The Ida is the nadi that terminates at the left nostril and the Pin Gala terminates at the right nostril. It balances and strengthens the nervous system as well as tones the digestive organs.
The Sanskrit work "Kapal" means cranium or forehead and "bhati" means light, splendor, perception or knowledge. So it is a practice which brings a state of light or clarity to the frontal region of the brain. Be sure to practice on an empty stomach 3-4 hours after meals. You can perform this at any time of day. You can practice it after an asana practice and before meditating.
Sit in Sukhasana (Easy Pose). Keep your spine straight and your hands resting on your knees in Jnana mudra. Relax your whole body and your face. Close your eyes. Exhale and empty your lungs. Take an inhale slowly and deeply through your nostrils filling your belly 3/4's full with air. Exhale with intention by contracting your abdominal muscles and release the air from your belly. Think of it as a "snap" of the belly toward the spine. Don't strain as you do this. You are forcing your exhale and your body will automatically take care of the inhale. Let your inhale happen passively. Your body will naturally respond to the forced exhale with an inhale. Just let it happen. There should be no effort to inhale. It is spontaneous. Repeat as rapid breaths in succession for 10 breaths. This completes 1 round of Kapalbhati Pranayama. Practice 3-5 rounds. Be sure to use your abdomen and not your chest for this breath work. You can increase the number of respirations from 10 to 20 as your abdominal muscles become stronger.
When you have completed your rounds, release the breath and sit comfortably breathing naturally. Become aware of the feelings you are having. You may feel emptiness and calm.
** Contraindications ** Should not be practiced by anyone with high blood pressure, vertigo, heart disease, epilepsy, stroke, hernia or gastric ulcer.
** Note ** If you experience any pain or dizziness, stop the practice and sit quietly for some time. When the sensation of pain or dizziness has passed, you can try the practice again with more awareness and less force. If it continues, you need to consult a yoga teacher for guidance.
Click Here to Purchase Poses Available in yGuide Yoga Software with Great Yoga Poses II
Cleansing your Nasal Passages with Jala Neti
Fall is in full swing and winter season is just around the corner, so as the season changes, we can all be more susceptible to colds, flu and sinus issues. Jala Neti is also recommended for sinus sufferers, allergy sufferers and frequent travelers. Daily practice of cleansing your nasal passages can prevent sinus congestion and reduce your susceptibility to colds and other respiratory infections. Cleansing your nasal passages keeps the little passageways that lead from the sinuses into the nasal cavity from collecting dried mucus. Dried mucus may obstruct the passageways to the sinuses and create an environment conducive to sinus problems.
With jala neti you use a warm, mildly salty solution to help dissolve and wash away mucus, accumulated dirt, pollen, mold spores, bacteria and viruses which helps the mucous membrane to function properly by freeing the sinus passageway openings. The saline solution is poured into one nostril and then it will flow out the other nostril. I know it sounds contrary to everything you were taught about keeping water out of your nose when you learned how to swim, but adding the salt to the water makes the water more dense and compatible with the mucus membrane. It really does flow in one nostril and out the other quite easily. It may feel a bit strange the first time, but after you have finished, you will notice immediate results.
Into the Scented Garden neti pots and aromatic neti salts are designed to provide you with a comfortable, pleasant and effective experience from nasal washing for better health. There is a starter kit which comes with a pot, small salt and detailed instructions (with pictures) for practicing jail neti.
Click Here to Review and Purchase Neti Pots and Aromatic Neti Salts
Book Recommendation - Science of Breath, A Practical Guide by Swami Rama , Rudolph Ballentine, M.D and Alan Humes, M.D.
It is perhaps hard for us in Western cultures to think about a book entirely about breath, but this book is written in a very clear, interesting manner as it presents both the Eastern concepts surrounding breath and the Western medical understanding of how our breath works. If you are curious how some of the yogic breathing practices might actually work, this is a book that can answer your questions.
When you are in a yoga asana class, you probably hear the teacher instruct you to use a certain breathing practice as you do your poses and to pay attention to your breath. Your breath is your barometer which tells you how you are doing in your asana practice and it helps you connect the mind and the body. For instance, if you can’t breathe smoothly while doing your asana practice, like ujjayi breath during an Ashtanga vinyasa class, then it is an indication that you need to rest in child’s pose and regain the flow of your breath.
I enjoyed reading this book and it gave me a deeper understanding about the significance of breath in my yoga practice and in my life. As Swami Rama states, “Controlling the breath, is a prerequisite to controlling the mind and the body. “
Click Here to Purchase Science of Breath on Amazon
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