Pranayama
Definition
 Commonly thought to be restriction and
control of the breath
 According to Desikachar: attention to
breath and its subtleties; the removal of
obstacles that impede the flow of prana
w/in the body-mind
Etymology
 “Yama” = discipline, control, restraint, constriction
 “Ayama” = to stretch or extend beyond restraint or
constriction
 “Prana” = the life force, that which is infinitely
everywhere, vital energy; carried by the breath but
not identical with it; chi/ki.
 In Sanskrit, when combining a word that begins in an
“a” with a word that ends in an “a,” one “a” is omitted.
. .which may account for the translation of
“Pranayama” as breath control.
Purpose
 Create awareness (as breath goes, so goes mind)
 Increase vitality and concentration
 Cleanse and purify the system; once cleansed of
blockages, the body/mind can retain more prana.
 To focus and eventually quiet the mind--note that
there are 2 definitions of mind:
1. the psycho-emotional complex, which
generates the vrrtis, and
2. the witness, which sees and knows all and is
w/o change/disturbance
Pranayama stills #1 and puts us in touch w/ #2
Focusing Options
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Movement of diaphragm/abdomen
Sensation of breath on upper lip
Place/s in body where we feel breath/energy
Hemispheres of the lungs (sequentially
rotating awareness)
 Sound of the breath
 Drshti (commonly 3rd eye or tip of nose,
navel or tips of fingers)
Types of Prana/Prana Vayus
 Vayu is the god of the wind; thus “vayu”also
signifies movement
 “Prana Vayus” is the name given to the
energy flows in the body
 There are 5
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prana vayu
apana vayu
semana vayu
udana vayu
vyana vayu
Prana Vayu
 up and out breath
 located in upper torso, heart and lungs
 is the energy most often referred to as
“prana” and the most readily
experienced
 nearly synonymous w/inhale
 energizing
Apana Vayu
 “down and out” energy
 located in the lower trunk
 responsible for urination, defecation,
ejaculation
 is a grounding force in that it helps
connect us to the earth through gravity
Samana Vayu
 side to side movement/energy flow
 lives in the center/core of the body
 is experienced as digestive fire and
associated w/ stomach, spleen,
pancreas, liver, gall bladder
 responsible for combustion and
transformation of food
Udana Vayu
 up energy/movement
 located in neck and head
 responsible for/associated with
vocalization and thought
 stimulation of 5th, 6th and 7th chakras
Vyana Vayu
 energy/movement that radiates from
core to extremities
 circulation
 peripheral nervous system
Caveats
 there are 4 parts to each breath: inhale,
pause/retention after inhale, exhale, pause/retention
after exhale
 we cannot control the breath, but we can remove the
obstacles that prevent it from flowing freely and we
can observe the flow
 retention should only be practiced when inhales and
exhales are smooth, even, and easily done
 we can vary ratios and we can vary tempos
 longer exhales afford greater release of toxins (in
body and mind)
 segmented breathing can either calm or tonify
Techniques
 So-hum; ham-sa
 Preliminary/breathing awareness
 For use during asana
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Ujjayi
Segmented
Longer Exhales
Ha breathing
 simple Har breath
 breath of Joy
Classical Pranayamas
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Sitali/Sitkari
Brahmari
Bhastrika
Kapalabhati
Nadi Sodhana
• Nadi Sodhana
• Surya Bedhana
• Chandra Bedhana
So-ham, Ham-sa
 So-ham breath: belly to mouth; inhales
expand upward and exhales contract (draw
in) downward; most commonly taught; image
of filling a pitcher; think--I am That (which is
everywhere around me)
 Ham-sa breath: mouth to belly; inhales move
mouth to belly; inhalations ground us and
exhalations release; image is of filling a
balloon; think--That I am (all that is, is me)
Breathing Awareness Techniques
 Tank Breath: lying on back w/legs bent or not, lift and
lower arms. (this can also be done standing and
seated--arms forward and up or to sides and up)
 Bridge/dvipada pitham/2-footed pose: lying on back
w/knees bent, lift and lower pelvis and arms.
 Apanasana: lying on back, draw knees to chest on
exhale and release on inhale
 Note: allow inhales and exhales to follow smoothly
with the movements and note natural pauses
Ujjayi
 Called whispering, ocean, calming and victorious
 First point of awareness is back of throat
 Breath is drawn into belly through slight constriction
of glottis
 Feels like sipping through a straw but w/mouth closed
 One of the foundations of ashtanga yoga
 The only pranayama that can be done anywhere,
anytime (Iyengar)
 Increases oxygenation, relaxation and heat in body
Ha Breathing
 Basic Ha breath: shrug shoulders on inhale; let
shoulders drop as you exhale and say “Ha!” with
force and conviction; do 4-6 times
 Breath of Joy: 3 part inhale to movement of arms as
follows
• inhale one third as arms swing forward to shoulder
height
• inhale another third as arms swing to sides at
shoulder height
• inhale final third as arms swing back forward and
above head
• exhale w/loud “Ha!” as arms swing down, knees
bend, and torso moves toward thighs
Brahmari, Sitali, Sitkari
 Brahmari: bumblebee, hummingbird breath;
inhale through nose and exhale w/humming
sound; calming; clears head and nasal
passages; can be done w/asana.
 Sitali: inhale through curled tongue, exhale
through nose; calming, cooling, langhana.
 Sitkari: inhale through flattened tongue, tip
at roof of mouth, exhale through nose;
calming, cooling, langhana.
Kapalabhati and Bhastrika
 use lungs as pumps to expel "garbage”:
energy, thoughts and emotions.
 diaphragm is active. breath comes from belly,
not chest, and nasal passages are cleansed.
use caution to prevent becoming lightheaded.
 Bhastrika: both inhale and exhale are
emphasized.
 Kapalabhati: exhale only; inhale occurs by
itself.
 note: kundalini breath of fire resembles
bhastrika.
Nadi Shodhana, Surya and Chandra
Bhedana
 nadi, channel, stream, tube; shodhana, cleansing.
 surya bhedana: inhale right and exhale left to
energize
 chandra bhedana: inhale left and exhale right to
calm
 nadi shodhana (also called alternate nostril
breathing): inhale left, exhale right, inhale right,
exhale left (this is 1 breath) to balance system
 note: traditions vary about how to hold hands and to
close nostrils as well as which nostril to begin with; all
can be done w/or w/o retention and w/ or as samavrtti
or visamavrtti
Ratios, Segmented Breathing
 Samavrtti--equal movements--inhales,
exhales equal (also inhales, pauses and
exhales all equal)
 Visamavrtti--unequal movements--use of
ratios--see Yoga for the Emotional Body or
Light on Yoga
 Segmented/interrupted breathing: useful in
asana as well as seated pranayama;
segmented exhales calm and detoxify;
segmented inhales energize.
Bandhas
 Jalandhara: at the throat; collar bone and chin move
towards each other; useful on retention/kumbhaka
after inhalation to prevent lightheadedness.
 Uddiyana: between pubes and sternum; navel draws
towards spine and diaphragm pulled up towards
heart and lungs; only possible after exhalation
 Mula: at perineum; pelvic floor draws in and up
• used extensively in ashtanga yoga and in pilates
• supported by a modified uddiyana in which TA is
kept taught/toned
Drishtis/Gaze Points
 used most extensively in ashtanga yoga but also
useful in general hatha practice as well as in
meditation and pranayama; can be done w/eyes
opened or closed
 nave (nine) drishtis
• nasagrai--just beyond tip of nose
• ajna chakra--between the eyebrows
• nabi chakra--navel
• hastagrai--hand
• padhayaragrai--toes
• parshva--to the left or right
• angushtha ma dyai--to the thumbs
• urdhva--up to the sky