Pranayama (Andrey Tkachenko, August-September 2024)
- Svetlana Cary
- Jan 23
- 31 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Sukshma Vyayma
Lesson 1
Additional Prana Vyayma:
Kapalabhati combined with volleyball movements of arms (reflecting the ball) and moving body around vertical axis and adding movement up.
Need to learn about Nabhi Kriya: http://www.yogigems.com/nabhi-kriya/ (strengthening of the navel area).
Need to learn more about shatkarma (water vomit: vaman dhauti and kunjal kriya on empty stomach)
Kapalabhati with hands (palms or thumbs) pressing at the navel (. The stomach should resist the hands.
Cleansing bloc
To energize the muscles of alviolas, bronches and get rid of phlegm). Great for people who have stuffed nose, swollen throat due to infection and allergy, and asthma. But not during flu and cold at the sharp period of it: when it is over, but the effects of phlegm are still there.
Chest bhastrika before (or kapalabhati 30 sec, especially for asthma. One can do alternative kapalabhati, with inhale through both and forceful exhale through alternating nostrils)
Calm inhale/exhale
Vibrarion on inhaled retention (fingers, fists and open palms tapping) with the closed vocal chords
Do-vdoh
Nose inhale and singing A (O, U, E) (also with twisting your body) several times on one exhale. A couple of times.
Kaki (forced)
Nose inhale and coughing 2 times. One can twist the body to access lower back ribs.
Nice to do this in pairs with 60/90 legs and twisted body (deer pose) with opening back lower ribs, when one person taps the other. Pay attention to worsening cough (spastic): you probably find aneurism in your lungs with collected fluid.
Cyclic
Samavvritti: 1:1, 1:1:1, 1:1:1:1
Vi Samavritty when these elements are not equal. Classic: 1:2. Recommended progression (in the progressing complexity) for the triangle breathing practice:
1:1
1:2
1:1:1
1:2:1
1:3:1
1:4:1
1:4:2
1:5:2
Box breathing
1:1:1:1
1:2:1:1
1:3:1:1
1:4:1:1
1:4:2:1
1:4:2:2
Homework
Reach 15:15 (in seconds) after prana vyayama 12 cycles
Lesson 2
Prana
Prana: energy
Yam: control
Ayama: control
An: breath, blow
A: pra
Pranayama: a practice related to breath and energy
Yoga Suttra Patandjeli: in asana we practice pranayama as a retention of breath, with concentration on particular parts, using counts and mantras and visualization. 4th kind? 3 kinds (mentioned before suttras): hot, shivering, clarity/concentration. 4th: possibly kevali kumbakha. This kind will remove obstacles to get to light (enlightenment) and readiness of manas to concentration (dharana).
Human: carriage with the master, driver with braids, horse. Master: bodhi (reasoning understanding)braids is yoga (yudge, control, junction); horses are indrya (senses). Manas is the driver. Yoga is a stable contol of indryas (contol of ways to percieve the world, from Katha Upanishad). Bodhi: understanding (while manas is opinion, impression). Ahankara: personality, me-ness. Carriage is body. The whole idea is to go where you need to, not to follow the horses.
Look up: Edgar Laton (Leiton?): Yoga Suttra is a compilation of 5 yogic schools, not a uniform text. For example several types of liberation.
Upanishad: near the feet of the teacher.
Iyengar (20 century): Prana is all kind of energy (vibrational, kinetic, potential, sexual, emotional...). According to Upanishad, there is outside and inside devine. Uniting them happens through the "practice." 5 kinds of prana: prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana.
Five types of prāṇa, collectively known as the five vāyus ("winds"), are described in Hindu texts. Ayurveda, tantra and Tibetan medicine all describe prāṇa vāyu as the basic vāyu from which the other vāyus arise.
Prana is divided into ten main functions: The five Pranas – Prana, Apana, Udana, Vyana and Samana – and the five Upa-Pranas – Naga, Kurma, Devadatta, Krikala and Dhananjaya.
Vāyu | Location | Responsibility[20] |
Prāṇa | Head, lungs, heart | Movement is inward and upward, it is the vital life force. Balanced prāṇa leads to a balanced and calm mind and emotions. |
Apāna | Lower abdomen | Movement is outward and downward, it is related to processes of elimination, reproduction and skeletal health (absorption of nutrients). Balanced apāna leads to a healthy digestive and reproductive system. |
Udāna | Diaphragm, throat | Movement is upward, it is related to the respiratory functions, speech and functioning of the brain. Balanced udāna leads to a healthy respiratory system, clarity of speech, healthy mind, good memory, creativity, etc. |
Samāna | Navel | Movement is spiral, concentrated around the navel, like a churning motion, it is related to digestion on all levels. Balanced samāna leads to a healthy metabolism. |
Vyāna | Originating from the heart, distributed throughout | Movement is outward, like the circulatory process. It is related to circulatory system, nervous system and cardiac system. Balanced vyāna leads to a healthy heart, circulation and balanced nerves. |
New pranavyamas:
Bhastrika with grimace helping to open the nostrils is normal.
Kaki mudra compensates the bouncing kapalabhati: as kapalabhati sends blood to periphery, especially in pelvis, as kaki create lower pressure in chest and pulls it out. Kaki is stronger constriction than Udjayii.
Problematics with Prana Vyaymas: high blood pressure, high eye pressure, blood clots (bhastrika can change the pressure in vessels by 175%), any infections, pregnancy, menstruation, cancer.
Notes on kaki: need to make sure that the cheeks are sucked it too! Negative pressure in the mouth and top of the lungs.
External breathing
Lower and upper breathing systems are strongly connected. Any problem in nose and throat will effect lungs and vice versa: this is to protect from further penetration of viruses and infections.
If the nose is stuffed, any physical activities creates an outflow from there and helps breathing and the sympathetic system activates bronchial system and open everything up. When we cannot breath through the nose, there is swelling of the mucous membrane (not buggers). Kapalabhati, bhastrika, cough, singing etc and just sit ups will help: to the nose and to the lungs.
The main inhaling muscle is the diaphragm. Does 70% of work. Two holes: main vein in front and artery behind. It is like a pump not just for air but also for blood. When diaphragm pushes up (inhale), the pressure is higher in lungs and lower in stomach: pushes the blood. Vice versa on exhale. Other exhale tools: external intercostal muscles (25%) to widen and 5 % from neck muscles pulls ribs up. The cylinder is wider and longer on exhale.
Exhale. Main: all muscles of the stomach and internal intercostal muscles.
Different parts of nerves are related to inhale and exhale. While exhale net is discharging (breaking down) (exhalation is still going), the inhale net starts charging and vice versa.
If we don't breath fully, the breathing center thinks that what we do (say 50% of the possible), that it is actually 100%. One needs to retrain it to make the breathing full. The emotional state is very important before the practice.
Breathing center starts the breaks on 70% of inhale. It is difficult to fully inhale in the chest after you inhale by stomach and to fully exhale if you start from chest.
New cleansing sequence
3 long bramari: thumbs in ears, 4 fingers pressing the eyes and just above the nose things.
Full kaki mudra: closed nose, inhale through tight mouth with hollow cheeks, chin down, mula bandga, press the air into cheeks and ears. Exhale, altenating kapalanhati to blow the nose. Simple kaki and coughing.
Fulll kaki and bhastrika, inhale and sing A.
Simple kaki, coughtand patting, sing A O U E.
Compensation after long sitting
Lie on the floor, legs vertically. Breathing Udjayii or Kaki. Also Udyana combined with massage of legs to push legs blood out. One can also move feet and bend legs.
Full Yogic Breath
Upwards: stomach, chest, upper chest
Downwards: opposite.
Andrey's mixed: all parts at the same time, originating from the center.
Normal is 1:2
Homework
1:2 12 cycles
2:1 12 cycles
Record the maximum.
Train inhale
Kaki
Breath in usual twisted or bent positions
Breath with resistance of a belt
The longest cycle will be 1:1 (the most comfortable), the next one 1:2 and the smallest one is 2:1. The longer is cycle, the smaller is total volume of the breath (not clear why: tired?). When you approach the max hold, the process takes precision of technique and concentration on measurement and reaching the goal.
Lesson 3
Pranayama practice is described well in Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It is combined with Shatkarma there. The goal is to allow concentration of mind (once we concentrate on breath, the mind is stable). Shatkarma is to enable Pranayama. Suggestions to use butter and oil in diet, on skin and through anus. Also notes on infuence of practice: too much Vatta. We become too sensitive. One needs to balance and with the practice it will be better.
Warmup
Udjayii Vyamas
Slow inhale and (1) raise arms in front of you, exhale back; (2) raise arms sideways and exhale back; (3) raise arms in front of you till the shoulder height and next open them horizontally.
The key is to make exhalation long by not forcing air out just relaxing. Like an air mattrrass.
Note: the skier can be done throwing arms on right and left of your body.
Breathing theory
The relaxed "spring" of our breathing when there resistance to inhale and exhale is 1/3 of an inhale or (the same) 2/3 of exhale. This is the starting point of kapalabhati, for example. The whole volume is called total lung capacity is 6 liters. We breathe around this relaxed level. The superficial breathing is 0.5 liters. We can inhale extra 2.5 liters to the max. Max inhale adds 1.5 liters. Lungs always keep the "remaining capacity" of 1.5 liters.
To make cycles longer, prolong the relaxation phases by using Udjayii or Kaki. One need to try 1:2 and 2:1 exercises.
One also can go beyond the 100%: pack more air and squeeze out more as well. One can go beyond by (1) strengthening muscles; (2) mobility of joints and bones particularly in chest; (3) soft and empty, skinny stomach and guts; gastro problems; (4) emotional/body state; (5) technique/ability to control: training of breathing center not to worry (move what is considered 100% for it); (6) control of patterns; (7) state of breathing passages (nose, throat etc).
Diagnosis of problems
Stomach (gut/digestion): fix by stomach manipulations
Just big stomach
Hunched (stooped)
Inability to move it (absence of control)
Chest (ribs) mobility: fix by warmups
Hunched (stooped)
Neck forward
Shoulders up
Scholiosis
Tense/contracted
Age
Emotional: fix relaxing techniques (nadi shothana, asanas, shavasanna)
Worried
Tension
Strength of breathing muscles: fix by kaki, breathing training machines (more below)
Weak invisible silent inhale/exhale (ask to show)
Breathing passages: cleansing module, shatkarma
Stuffed nose
Whizzing
Course voice
Coughing
Cleaning throat/phlegm
Acid reflux
Swallowing
Tense breathing
Technique (wrong pattern, coordination problems, disconnect of brain from muscles, a person is not feeling): fix by prana vyaymas, restricted breathing with a belt/holding ribs or particular pose
Absence of smooth normal movements, sharp movements of stomach, chest
Shorts breaths
Absence of control of needed muscles
CO2 and O2
Two main agents of internal breathing. ATP is the main result for our cells. The mass of ATP produced daily is close to 90% of the body mass!
4.1B-2.6B years ago: only one-cell life existed. 2.5B mitochandria started lives in other cells. The atmosphere/ocean at that time was close to what our cells support inside our body: CO2/salt. A particular level of CO2 and O2 is needed for mitochondria's work.
Hyperventillation: CO2 is washed out. PH becomes higher and blood becomes thicker. O2 is bound tighter, and blood vessels narrow, heart rate is higher (hard to push blood with high pressure and narrow vessels) and generally sympathetic system activates. Bhastrika leads to it. Short bhastrika: O2 is the same, but the blood vessels narrows and pressure raises. This can lead to vertigo. To compensate: breath retention on inhale. But short ones:good training.
For me:hypercapnia and breath retention! No prana vyama or bhastrika.
All PH effects bones (they send or absorb MH, Ca, K etc).
CO2 is also transported by hemaglobin, by the way.
Homework
1:2 12 cycles
2:1 12 cycles
1:2 and 2:1 alternating 2 and 2.
Lesson 4
Hypoventillation
Growth of CO2, lower heart rate (in a trained person), open vessels, acid blood, better transport of O2, heating of the body and tingling (gas), more flexible body.
The breathing center gets used to this new level of CO2. It is difficult to lower O2 but it is very useful: new red blood cells get created and new blood vessels get created. The result is better O2 transport. Need to notice that this will also feed cancer! Also mitochondria training.
Interesting that if you do hyperventillation in a stuffy room (lots of CO2 and lowe O2), one can reach common hypoventillation effects: hypercapnia and hypoxia. Pranayama is often practiced in a cave (stuffy). One can do at high altitude. Hence new types of training.
Practice (new elements): Post Isometric Relaxation (PIR) for breathing
Sequence
Work with rib muscles
Blowing the candle off: kaki: inhale exhale several times intensely
Inhale
Exhale: retention to compensate
Inhale retention: patting upper body
Kaki once
Inhale and cough as long as needed, combined with patting and coughing
Simhasana: lions breath (eyes and tongue out on exhale and bending forward), helps to push out phlegm
Inhale kaki as much as possible and hold on maximum, holding the kaki mouth. Pay attention what feels tired and work using cough and patting
Inhale and exhale
till the end, bend forward as much as possible and push the ribs the hands
Stretch diaphragm
5 stomach bhastrica
Inhale exhale
Exhale and maximum Udyana bandha with movements sideways and possible using the support of arms move the butt all directions.
Work diaphragm (Tadagi mudra, aka Achagari, Udara bandha; Tadagi seems to be different, Andrey showed Achagari, I think). Several times this:
Exhale kaki, hold kaki, holding ribs to stop them and push the stomach, trying to add inhale (keep the tension and keep mula to prevent pelvic floor from dropping)
Exhale, full Udyana (support with arms, pull to the back, moving butt)
Notice parasympathetic activation. Calm volumetric attention
To compensate: Udyana and massage under ribs
Calm cycle
Step Udyana (with micro inhales) to the full full inhale, until we pack air fully, you can sit up by then
Compensate with exhale fully holding ribs
Even if you use jalanghara bandha, the vocal cords should be open. Maybe keep the mouth open. One can do Udara on a bolster.
PIR for neck: hold left collar bone with right hand, left hand to the left side of the face and move head diagonally.
This complex should be accompanied by A and pat, O and pat and singing AOUI.
Homework
In lying position do several times:
Hypeventillate and hold breath on 90% inhale (1min 43)
Rest and hold on inhale without hyperventillation (1min 15)
Hold on exhale (47 sec)
Hold on FULL exhale (47 sec).
Watch the state: full volumetric attention, calm mood.
Lesson 5
Review of effects from external breathing on internal breathing.
Nerves work using thresholds: nothing until it is reached. All unconditional reflexes are controlled by medulla and that is why if one reflex is activated, it effects other. Cough and vomit, cough and tears. Breathing center is connected to other center (temperature, Vamana Dhauiti) and to emotional structures. Every emotion has its own breathing pattern.
Breathing center controls the volume and rate of breathing according on the type of activity and the external conditions. It measures PH, CO2 and O2 in blood and reacts. Also in muscles to see the stage of inhalation and exhalation and prepares to inhale on the 70% of exhale and vice verse. The wider are our activities, the more smart the center is. It often limits our activities (at the beginning).
Often when we do something active, we hyperventillate-> not enough O2 to organs. One should tune the physical stress and the state of the breathing center and blood vessels. So breathing center is the link between the external and internal breathing.
How to train? Repetition, regularity, gradual increase of stress and complexity. One learns simple elements, then combination of elements and new complex elements... (Evolutionary education model).
Breath holding can happen spontaneously (physical stress, attention, cold water etc). It helps to brace yourself. (Yoga is at least 6,000 years old). Training breathing center is the main tool for Pranayama.
Hypercapnic imperative is different from hypoxic imperative (one can be active at 70% O2 in the mountains): one feels very weak... Why do we need hypoxia in yoga? Concious control of attention. Make brain better (and other things, vessels, nerves) and watch it work, self reflection. Meditation and its positive effects and pranayama is one step and is even competition of meditation.
Breath holding
One needs to not fully inhale: 90% (too much effort to keep otherwise). Keep vocal chords open. Otherwise, one gets tired, gets relaxed in chest and this increased the air pressure in the chest which prevents the blood from going down from the head and increase interskull pressure. Danger. So: open throat passage, straight spine and only 90% inhale. One test is one cannot do the post-inhale. Another when you exhale with gas-out sound and tense feeling in head (similar when you hit your head).
Home work
1:1 (6 cycles) growing into 1:1:1 (6-12). Note the patterns leading to failure. The ultimate effect is concentration and calmness.
Lesson 6
Pranayama excites Vatta dosha, possibly leads to disbalance. High to compensate: baths, with candles, good warm neutral buttery food, a lot of butter and oil, deprivation from information and media, good sleep and walks.
Homeostatis
Dynamic stability of our internal parameters. Conditions and physical activity change, body needs to compensate/adapt to the average parameters. On all levels: from cell to the whole body.
If we eat sweets before bed, samatotropine (growth hormone which is produced in the evening 10pm-2am) is suppressed. That is why sleep at 10pm is best. Approximately.
Good training and adaptation happens best when we load the system but the load/stress is tolerable but bigger then normal.
Where do the resources to train/adapt come from? The system has an adaptation resource (extra oxygen, extra nutrients). The adaptation resource grows with the training. One needs time for the adaptation resource to grow.
As a rule of thumb: smaller and regular and frequent trainings are better than rare big ones. A good schedule: two days in a row, then miss one day and do training, then skip two days and do training. Repeat.
PIRs
Next: holding an asana for 1 min, then savassana with full 120% inhale and very long exhale through mouth with Udjaii. Good practice for insomnia.
Kumbhaka
If Green zone jumps to Red, you need to rest (no resource).
Contraindications for Pranayama
Each practice has effects and they can lead to negative results. With pranayama most of problems can be vessels. One can get even a stroke. Also emotional disbalance. One needs to do in moderate temperatures. But one also could use it to get warm. One needs to sleep and eat well.
No: pregrancy and menstruation, cancer.
Any forced practice is not allowed for epilepsy (they can not stop acceleration of mental system). Problems with auterosclerosis but one can do better with hypercapnia and hypoventillation.
Some mental conditions: schizophrenia, bipolar etc: too much attention to inside.
Homework
6 cycles 1:1
6-10 1:2:1 Common problem: no relaxation and no Udjayii on inhale: too fast.
Problem discussed in chat
One person asked why gets so tired after holding the breath in inhale? The answer: she chose the breathing sequence which is too long for her. As a result, the breathing center gets agitated at the exhale and the inhalation happens too fast and too soon, so the remaing space to inhale is too small for the remaining period of time. This leads to tiredness.
Lesson 7
If I react emotionally to Pranayama, this shows that your nervious system is tired (heavy food, sleep and deprivation). Next the body will react in its narrow areas.
Breath holding eventually has effects of relaxation. Especially using bandhas.
Stress: affect phase and cognitive phase. Cognitive: when you know your reactions and you can turn stress to eustress.
Common mistake: full inhale with effort, hard to keep, close throat and raise head pressure.
Holding breath makes the body firm and this allows to do some extra effort. This often happens naturally: hold breath before lifting something, for example. Pranayama is different, though, we do not intend to "leap".
Hypercapnia happens faster on holding breath on exhale. Holding on inhale is energizing, on exhale is relaxing (supposedly and simply). But beginners usually get excited no matter what: as this is new.
Uddiyana (family)
Good to start with Bhastrika.
Experiment with full exhale vs 70% or 50% below between neutral and full exhalation.
One can do Agnisara (alternating Uddyana and the relaxed stomach). Agnisara activates parasympathetic system including visual effects like you are falling asleep.
Uddiyana has a similar effect (it starts at the end of the hold or when you release it). Uddiyana is done performed by exhalation muscles! The difference between the depth of the exhalation depends on the competition of the effort to hold (sympathetic system) and the effect to nervous system (parasympathetic). So the choice of the best exhalation depends on a person. The effect is also accumulative.
Bhastrika and next exhale and under-ribs massage as deep as possible. One can also move ribs and rib cage and bend ribs both directions.
Finally, one moves ribs inside and lets them go. This Uddiyana is usually shorter because this requires additional effort of the muscles (they resist) and this appears to our breathing center that the holding is very long, which overexcites the breathing center. The stronger the muscles, the longer is holding, in general!
When we release Uddiyana, the pressure first increase and next falls down. The first 2 sec of Uddiyana reduces the blood pressure as it gets pulled it. But it soons returns to normal (2 sec or a little bit longer for untrained people). When we release the bandha, the breathing system increases its pressure and the blood system reacts to this for a very short period of time. But soon all returns to normal. They used to think that Uddiyana create low blood pressure during the whole hold, which is not true (2 sec). That is why Agnisara is more effective for pulling blood as it uses impulses.
A bood compensation for Uddiyana set is the cleansing block.
Nadi Shodhana
Nadi Shodhana is a type of Vi Samavriti. It is a triangle. One starts with inhalation through the left (blocking the right one), stop with blocking both nostrils, exhale through right, inhale through right, hold, exhale through left.
Practice: Start with 1:1, then do 1:2, and finally 1:1:2 and 1:2:2. One can visuaize red on inhale, white on hold and blue on exhale. One can move colors along the spine or differently. Visualization and mantras help to tolerate long holds and concentrate only on that.
Lesson 8
Pressure
In general in order to inhave, one needs to make pressure in lungs lower that the outside air pressure. And vice versa when we exhale. This in general pushes the stomach down and increases the pressure in the stomach on inhave and dicreases at exhale. But in general the effect depends on many effects: moving the ribs, using mula...
On Uddiyana, the pressure in chest is very very low to be able to suck the diaphragm up. The inhalation muscles are working and widening the chest. This leads also lower pressure in the stomach.
Chest Pressure | Stomach Pressure | |
Inhale without constriction | _ | + |
Exhale without constriction | + | _ |
Inhale with constriction | _ | - at first and next + |
Exhale with constriction | + | + |
Inhale with stomach bhastrika | _ | + |
Exhale with stomach bhastrika | + | + |
Inhale skier full bhastrika | - | + |
Exhale skier full bhastrika | + | + |
Inhale with arms up bhastrika | _ | + |
Exhale with arms up bhastrika | + | + |
Inhale chest bhastrika | _ | 0 |
Exhale chest bhastrika | + | 0 |
Inhale full bhastrika | _ | + |
Exhale full bhastrika | + | + |
What about blood? All liquids flows to volumes with lower pressure. That is why if you ended up with the bad result in high pressure in head, one needs Uddiyana. If you sit too long, legs will be helped as well.
But constriction (Udjayii and Kaki) on inhale should be slow (like slow syringe), otherwise it will not go or the pressure will be reset by penetrating. Strong constriction makes the pressure difference on inhale bigger and even stomach will have lower pressure. In exhale both volumes will be overpressured and that is why often Udjayii is not recommended on exhale (why do Kaki on exhale then?)
On holding breath: if you do this correct, the pressure is normal
On exhale: the pressure is slightly lower even without jalanhara.
Stomach bhastrika: inhale push diaphragm down so the stomach is + and chest is _. And on exhale we push stomach so bothe chest and stomache are +. The volume of stomach is the same (it is just liquid). It changes shapes and pressure. The changes of pressure happen during action.
Practice "12 circles"
Hyperventillation, holding on exhale and holding on inhale
Kapalabhati (40 times), inhale/exhale, inhale exhale/agnisara, inhale 90% and tapping, kaki, coughing shallow and deep. During kapalabhati: inhale - in chest and 0 in stomach, exhale + in chest and + in stomach, agnisara - in chest and oscillating + and - in stomach; on inhale hold with tapping: neutral in chest and stomach, kaki inhale - in chest 0 in stomach; kaki exhale + in chest and possibly in stomach, on exhale with cough + in chest and maybe + in stomach
Kapalabhati (40 times), inhale/exhale, inhale exhale/deep agnisara, inhale 90% and tapping with twisting, exhale inhale and exhale A, inhale and cough.
Stomach bhastrika (30?), inhale/exhale, naili with Udyana, inhale/exhale, kaki in and out, inhale and simhasana twice
Stomach bhastrika (30?), inhale/exhale, naili with Udyana, inhale/exhale, inhale raise arms locked above, bending back, small inhale, rotations right and left and small inhales inbetween, inhale and O exhale, kaki in and out, nose inhale, short cought, inhale and deep cough
Deep kaki in and out 10 times, inhale/exhale, deep kaki inhale 110% with adding more and more, exhale kaki and compress ribs bending forward, stomach very tight, kaki inhale 110% and more and more, inhale and A on exhale; AOUI and AOUI twice.
Inhale and exhale below neutral (70%), close throat (feel suction between collar bones) and hold in exhale watching green to orange zone. Several times.
Cyclical practice: 1:1 several times, triangle 1:1:1, 1:2:1 and 1:3:1. Possibly 1:3:2.
Lesson 9
New prana vyayma
12 circles (the origin is not clear, maybe in Russia)
Inhale/exhale between all elements! Start with kapabalbhati and move to bhastrikas. Extra inhale/exhale after holding.
Kapalabhati 50, agnisara, 110% inhale and stretches back and forward on holding.
K 50, agnisara deeper, 110% inhale, hold breath on inhale, strong bends sidesways (with arms support behind), backwards and forward.
Stomach bhastrika 12-15, Uddiyana on exhale and massage all ribs (break them), max inhale, lock hands above the head, back and extra air, forwards and extra air, both sides with extra air between.
Chest bhastrika, max Uddiyana stretching it more and more, inhale and tapping with singing A, simhasana twice.
Inhale max, udyianna, jalanhara and piercing the stomach (fist pushed by the opposite palm): maha vedha with jalanhara
Chest bhastrika, Udiyana with stress for under the ribs, inhale and sing O, simhasana, kaki and cough, maha vehda with pressure from the butt to the head, Udiyana and move your head for compenstation.
Full bhastrika, Nauli on exhale holding, 90% inhale, maha vedha with setu bandha.
Full bhastrika, Mula, jala and slower deepining Udiyana. Release in the opposite order (jala, mula, udi).
Deep inhale, mula, backwards and setu (below).
Dives into Hypoxia by Bahir Khubaka
Full bhastrika using kaki (blowing the candle), 80% exhale, hold until the orange zone. One can wait till first contractions. One can reach hypoxia. Some people reached 60%! "Diving into hypoxia." Easier to reach than in cyclic. Repeat several times.
Jalanhara and Setu might block arteries (depends on a human). One can slower
heart rate.
Cyclical practice
Triangle with short 4 element added (Uddiyana). Start 1:1 several and go to 1:4:2 (1). Mine was 10:10 and 4:16:8 (1).
Question discussed.
What if 5:20:10 is too much but 4:16:8 is easy? The answer is to find the working zone: one fills the jar and needs to empty it. One can oscillate between them (this will train up). One can add compensation at the end (holding breath with Uddiyana). One can make the exhale a little bit shorter (5:18:10, for example). Andrey suggest: find your working zone in 1:1 (3 cycles) then do 1:3:2 6 times and return to 1:1 and repeat. The interval method.
Pranayama: art including working with attention and your mental state.
Mitachondria
4.1-3.8B million years ago traces of life in minerals. All started from RNA-like life. 2.5B years: oxygen appeared. Two kinds of bacteria: anerobial and aerobial. They united and mitachondria becomes organellas. Boom of life: organellas are protected and cells have lots of energy. We have many more mitachondria then cells. Mitachondria forms nets and can separate as well. Nets is the healthy state.
Our DNA: 3.5GB info. DNA of metachondria is 16KB only.
Function of M: ATP creation. ATP is energy. Close to the body weight is produced every day and is used right away. Air is used for ATP. Krebs cycle (ATP, CO2 and H2O and free radicals). Free radicals are produced in abundance by damaged M. The worst for M is overeating and too much carbs. Sometimes M gets rid of electric potential into thermal energy. M is a source of our warmth. Participates hormones creation, supports the needed acidity/PH and level of alkaline metals. Supports the conditions of proto Eath for the cell.
If M are damaged: related to many deseases. When M are in nets, they can control their quality: getting rid of bad pieces (making them building blocks or eaten) and uniting in new elements. What helps this control? Hypoxia makes them connect into nets. What and how we eat. Carbs are not helping nets! Bad M have smaller circles of DNA and they reproduce faster! Exercise is good as it produces hypoxia. Best food: fats and no carbs. Intermittent fasting! Workout in the morning before breakfast! Or no carbs. M learns to be more effective. More and better M. Also hypoxia creates extra sources of O and energy in neurons and muscle tissue. Hypoxia combined with mental work (visualization, etc) serves as training as well.
Lesson 10
Bandhas
Mula, Uddiyana, Jalanhara: main kinds.
Effect on breathing system (esp Mula, when we lock everything there). When you do Kapalabhati or Bhastika exhale with pushing the stomach muscles in, the stomach volume is comressed instead of moving up and down due to Mula. This will make breathing more powerful. In general bandhas can contol power and firmness of breathing. Even in chest bhastrika, we can push the stomach in (not what is called classical Uddiyana).
Effects on nervous system. Vagus nerve is responsible for parasympathetic system. Jalanhara is effecting is in the throat area and also compresses the carotid artery (two next to the front of the throat), the pressure on them slows down the heart (higher pressure needs to be regulated not to damage the brain). So Jalanjara is one of the most powerful techniques to slow us down. Uddiyana also compresses and moves parasympathetic nerves. Uddiyana on 70% of exhale is more effective than 100%. Mula is not that strong for parasympathetic system. But Mula Shodhana is interesting for relaxing the system (peeled turmeric pushed into anus and massaging). Great for constipation.
Effects on blood circulation. This is an advanced practice. Jalanjara can compress corotid arteries and the two at the back of the neck (vertebral) arteries. Setu is one kind of Jalanjara (the common is pushing the chin down). One can also do diagonal pressings. Uddiyana: negative pressure in the chest, while Udara bandha decreases the pressure in the stomach and pulls everything there. One can oscillate between them: lots of blood circulation. Agnisara is easier then this combination (ajagari???). Mula helps the firmness and can help as well. Maja Vedha pushes everything into head.
Attention and concentration:mental Bandha. Mula can be a object of meditation.
Effects of bandhas
Bhastrika 25, inhale and hold, mula, jalanhara and maja vedha several times: feel the pressure inside the head is growing
Relax and exhale and do deep Uddiyana several: feel the flow from the head during Uddiyana and the opposite when U is released
Full bhastrika 25 times, inhale/exhale, inhale/exhale and do U without and with mula. Attention to ribs, pelvic floor. U with mula is more difficult, more effective, more firm.
Kaki mudra in and out: feel like the head is filling up (flow in( during exhale and loosing pressure on inhale (flow out).
Exhale, jalanhara, Uddiyana, left head keeping U. Flow out from the head during lifting the head.
Exhale, Uddiyana, and slowely go into Jalanhara. The back of the head: increasing pressure.
7 deep kakis, mula, jala and U. Hold and feel stupor relaxation after.
Goal setting
Health
Strength of breathing
Subtle interaction with yourself during holding breath
Activation (sympathetic)
Relaxation and anti stress (parasympathetic). Ability to switch your mental/emotional state
Energy
Sensitivity/super sensitivity to your dynamics and state
Concentration of attention
Strategy vs tactics
Strategy is a big goal, tactics to address the immediate state of the practionioner.
Lesson 11
Book On Sukshma Vyayama (Prana Vyayamas are from there) from Dhirendra Brahmachari.
Great for developing chest and neck for breathing.
All holding breath!
Shatkarma (shat = 6, karme = action, here)
Vamana Dhauti (Kundjala)
Slightly salty water on empty stomach. For problems related to lower breathing passages and stomach. In the evening: early light dinner. In the morning room temperature water (with or without salt). Salt helps to vomit. One can add lemon. 1.5 liter. Drink fast not without galps. Sitting position. Drink till full. Relax and do not fight the erge. Half kneeling position next to the toilet (45 degrees). Three/four fingers in to stimulate the root of the tounge. All internal volumes open to get rid of things. Including bronchs! So it helps to relax and cleanse your breathing system. Avoid at any problems with gastro system or with high blood pressure. Trains guts and improve breathing system. You can eat 30 min after: something neutral and soft. One can do twice a week to learn. Next do it when you feel like you need to help (allergy, asthma). Combined with Sutra and Jala neti.
Shanprashavana is different (full washing out from the inside). Note that body does not absorb water saltier than blood. That is why shanprashavana uses salty water: the stomach releases water and with it release what is around stomach in the blood vessels.
Great to do the cleansing sequence after Vamana Dhauti. Good to do in general before Pranayama.
Triange and Square Practice
1:5:2 and 1:4:2:2 are classic. Square is easier to get hypoxia but it is more difficult. 1:5:2 is more difficult that 1:2:2:1, so all depends on ratios.
The progress is 1:1:1 to 1:4:2 and 1:5:2. And 1:1:1:1 to 1:4:2:1 and 1:4:2:2.
Triangle is more meditative, Square is more training in general. But 1:5:2 is more training than 1:2:2:1. So relative. Triangle is good for beginning. Nice to periodically add Uddiyana after exhale. So triangle can be as effective as square in Pranayma (hypercapnia and hypoxia). One can easily reach my holding breath on exhale after hyperventillation.
To compensate in square, (1) finish with easy cycles with shorter base (2 after 12-15). This teaches the system to enjoy; (2) one also can do the "heating" methods: (a) nisshesha rechaka pranayama: holding breath on inhale, (b) 1:1 breathing with large base.
Note that in cyclical practice, your lung capacity goes down by 20% after 12 or so cycles. That is why intervals with adding 1:1 are good. But the base should be such that the exhale is larger than holding in the cyclic stage.
Note: in order to make exhale/inhale stronger one needs to train inhale/exhale miscles (a muscle should be strong to be able to extend and stretch).
Coherent breathing
6:6 30 min.
Goal setting again
Client interaction:
Request
Assessment
Vision: what to do now and what one needs to learn?
Smoking (cough, breathing like in kaki, whizzing phlegm),: don't judge, start with the cleansing set, separate kaki from kaki with a cigarette, train exhale, soft prana vyayama for vessels, PIR, neti.
Lesson 12
Novice vs professional
Seeing patterns and many of them, seeing context, results and reasons.
Approach: start defining the problem and zoom out instead of offering an immediate resolution; doubting, investigating and testing.
Taking into account your own state (tired, maybe) and your reaction to the person.
Nervous system
Neuroplasticity
Reflex: reaction without the analysis in the brain (typical stimulus and typical reaction)
Afferent and efferent: from sensory to brain and from brain to muscles and organs.
Interesting: if you eat a lot before going to bed, the gastro activity can be watched by brain and one can have more vivid dreams.
Sympathetic system needs energy, parasympathetic allows to save and restore energy.
Kumbhaka: not always leads to parasympathetic activation. If you do this to the last level (red zone), yes. But if you stay in the green zone, you should relax, especially with correct bandhas.
Forced breathing: acceleration. Slower breathing: slowing down, in general (to the green level). Agnisara and nauil (Artem: activation) but if you do them gently then no activation. The biggest influencer is the heart rate. Tone of skeletal muscles is big too.
Left and right nostrils are not that different as opposed to typical yogic thinking (left is calming, but also depends on belief. The speed of breathing is more infuential.
Practive
Warmup
Dance with free breathing
Several sets of bhastrika followed by Antar Kumbhata with dancing (to orange zone eventually)
12 circles
Typical sequence with cleansing added.
Hypoxia
Bhastrika, 70% exhale and holding. Sitting.
Hypoxia dives: my record on exhale is 75%!
Accelerated full breathing followed by holding in inhale.
Triangle
10:10 several times
4:16:8 several times. Easier to do if the additional inhale is light and small.
Goal setting
Energy
Freshness, cheerfullness, clearness, inspiration, productivity
Creation the resource and distribution its use of energy.
If somebody is asking for energy...
If we see that this person is overloaded, decrease the energy spending. One needs to decrease the speed of life. How to slow this person down? Parasympathetic: savasanah, relaxation, coherent breathing
Effective resting: gentle swinging of the parasympathetic again, deprivation (floating, savasanah with covers, interval savasanah, strong tension with strong slowdown), regular sleep, meditation, full breathing with accent of exhale, yoga nidra, singing.
Train body: hatha, sukshma vyama, pranavyama (best), intervals, shatkarmas (kapalabhati and naili), forced breathing, contrast showers.
Cell metabolism, hyperpnic and hypoxic training. Recheka, cyclical
Address the lack of motivations and goals (weakness of will is the result of weakness of goals). One can change the situation (retreat). Self-reflection. Meta cognition. Talk to him authentically.
Concentration of attention
Stability in holding attention on the subject and on the context. One can use an attempt to hold particular breathing pattern (1:1, triangle etc), with counting etc, cyclical. Try short inhale/exhale, count by 5 cycles with alternating attention to the inhale and exhale.
Homework
1:4:2 with playfulness
Play with scenarios and offer a solution (what you see and where I want him to change, next how).
Lesson 13
Chakras (and practices Chakra Dharana or Chakra Anusandana)
Most of systems: 7 chakras (rainbow) and certain abilities. Many many systems with varations, but there is some confluence and commonalities, and this common line is different from tradiations. Where this is coming from? Arthur Avalon wrote The Serpent Power of Kundalini and started this concepts. Next Carl Yung: archetypes.
The power of the concept: develop sensitivity and connect emotions and to body/subconsiousness. Chakras is a good instrument to work with attention and sensitivity.
Artificial synesthesia: first tactile moving feeings on the body associated with breath, then imagining these feelings and eventually having these feelings while breathing.
The step towards chakra dharana doing triangle: one imagines moving in front of the body from pelvis to the crown of the head holdinng red color, holding white at the top at the pause, exhale along the back of the body top down holding blue color. One feels control and training attention towards several factors, splitting the attention equally. This cames from the tantric tradition.
Chakras are located on the spinal chord and they have projections to the surface of the body. Such projections are called Kshetram ("area", "field", "place", "temple"). Muladhara has only one: going down. Svasthistana: secrum and genetalias; Manipura: navel and the waist; Anahata: center of the chest and the area between shoulder blades, Vishudha: throat and back of the neck, Ajna: Bhrumadhya Drishti and Medulla; Shrahasrara is in Bindu, while its Kshetram is in Bregma.
The next step will be to move attention through chakras going through their spine locations and frontal projections. Each chakra is one cycle: inhale going to the surface and exhale from the surface to the spine. Inside the head: inhale after you get to center, holding on inhale and exhale after Medulla. The movement of attention in the head is more complex and shown on a separatate image. One can simplfy the movement inside the head by avoiding returns to the center of the head. So that one starts with the center (Ajna), goes to Bindu (back of the head), the soft spot, the third eye and to the medulla. Once done with the head return to neck and inhale there moving to the back projection. etc. The tongue is attached to (Chari mudra) to the top of the mouth inside and eye up into the 3d eye.
This is a difficult practice and will work while it is relatively new. But not forever. One will need to eventually add new elements. For example, mantra or Kumbhaka (triangle).
How one adds holding breath? Mild 1:1:1 and go through the front at 1; hold on 1 and return on back on 1. This will be the full Chakra Dharana.
One can choose several chakras, not all.
One can do in Mahamudra position (with stomach pushed by folding, with one or two legs straigh) while holding breath on inhale:
One can do in any Mahas.
Typically Chakra Dharana takes about 40 min.
These Kryas are typically secret, because one can be harmed by them. It is typically given by a teacher.
The main idea is to load elements to watch. Then once you stop (return to regular life), regular attention tasks are much easier.
Applications of this method: concentration of attention (many factors to follow). Due to the amount of information, we deal with each piece for a very short periods: we loose details of everything. This practice allows to stop and increase the volume of information caught by attention. An example is also complex arythmical mantras, Om - So -Ham on 1:1 and 1:1:1 (esier); 1:1:1:1 (harder and mantra moves along the pattern). So the main idea is the cognitve load.
One can challenge yourself by using Om So Ham on each count and at the same time keep complicated (not equal proportions).
Dessociation problems are possible. Absense of contact with reality, who is thinking and who is watching? Vippassana can lead to things falling apart into elements also.
Lesson 14
Sanghi yoga is about Purusha.
Guru yoga: guru is good as goals/magnets/ideals. These ideals stay in your head, they will become new qualities. One can also experience Shakti-pad (direct transfer).
Note on how to include chakra dharana into practice.
Viloma
Loma: hair, Vi: against and extra effort. Types: steps on inhale or exhale, steps on both inhale and exhale. Great for training your breathing center. Good for intermediate levels of practice. 3 steps is easy, 5 is already hard as one should split equally and coordinate efforts.
On exhale one can challenge yourself with Uddyana.
One can play with unequal height and width of the step (longer inhale/exhale and short holding)... Adding steps. Adding more bandhas.
Attention of audience
What for: better digesting content, less tired audience (distractions are expensive), be on time, feedback.
Why they loose attention: tired, too complex, boring, without contact, quality of speech, arrogance, no resource, no enthusiasm, corresponance of the content and the request, teacher is imposing mood and state, bad conditions: hot and staffy, distractions (a cat walked in), audience wants to discuss in the process (mini groups are good).
How: provocations, changes in speed and volume of the speach, special intonation, pauses, gestures, interaction, familiar elements of the space: cosy and stable, jokes, summaries, inspriration and motivation, create a group field, answer questions and discuss common questions even not posed, tell a story, meta levels and categories, self-reflection and improvement, magic wand: like relief breathing to refresh/reset the audience, singling out one person with a question,, self irony, suggestive metaphors, sharp opinion and statement.
Control human's attention with noble goals!
Lesson 15
Practice
If we have people of different levels in the class. One can split into the main and complex practice (prana vyama without or with holding breath).
Typical: joint warmup, prana vyayama, PIRs with stomach manipulations, vibrations and cleanse, neshecha rechake pranayama (dives into hypoxia), cyclical practice and savasana.
Prep for exam
How one makes external breathing better:
Mobility of the rib cage
Mobity of the abdomine, of the diaphragm
Open breathing passages (nose, lungs)
State of the GI
Emotional state
Stronger breathing muscles
Pattern: coordination of breathing.
Full 12 circles practice
Hyperventillation, exhale hold, inhale hold. Udjaii inhale, exhale between all elements, each inhale/exhale hold is followed by exta inhale/exhale, mulanbandha on holds.
Kapalabhati 50; agnisara on exhale hold 20, inhale 90%, hold.
Powerful kapalabhati, 50, agnisara on exhale hold 20, inhale 90%, hold, and move several times in two directions as shown:
Stomach bhastrika 15, powerful exhale and powerful agnisara, inhale 90%, hold arms locked above the head and move in all 4 directions.
Stomach bhastrika 15, inhale 90%, hold and move as shown:
Chest bhastrika, static Uddiyana, inhale 90% hold, Jalanhara, open ribs, mula and push stomach (nadhi mudra): maha vedha.
Chest Bhastrika, intense Uddiyana, inhale 90% and maha vedha.
Full Bhastrika, intense Uddiyana and massage under the ribs, inhale 90% and maha vedha with setu bandha and push navel in again (maybe using hands).
Full Bhastrika, Uddiyana and pull the area around pelvic bone (where the striaght stomach grown in) down and central ribs up:
and maha vedha with setu bandha.
Bhastrika using arms:
and slow Uddiyna, inhale 90%, maha vedha (mula, navel) with setu.
Bhastrika with arms agaian, slow Uddiyana, inahe 90%, same as above.
Kaki mudra:
inhale 90%, maha vedha with setu, exhale and right away full 3 bandhas (mula, Uddi and jalanhara).
Kaki, maha vedha with setu, exhale and right away full 3 bandhas.
Comments