THE SCIENCE OF BREATH

 

                                   PLAVINI PRANAYAMA

                   PLAVINI IS ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED PRANAYAMA EXERCISES. IN THIS PRACTICE, THE STOMACH IS FIRST FILLED COMPLETELY WITH AIR. THEN, WHILE THE AIR REMAINS IN THE STOMACH, THE LUNGS ARE FILLED COMPLETELY. THE BREATH IS RETAINED, AND THEN FINALLY EXHALED. THIS METHOD OF INHALATION, RETENTION, AND EXHALATION IS REPEATED THE DESIRED NUMBER OF TIMES, AND WHEN THE EXERCISE IS FINISHED, THE AIR IS REGURGITATED THROUGH THE MOUTH.

                    THERE ARE A FEW, MORE RARE, ADVANCED PRANAYAMA EXERCISE WHICH ARE MEANT EXCLUSIVELY FOR ADEPT YOGIS. SUCH EXERCISE ARE TRADITIONALLY IMPARTED TO ADVANCED STUDENTS BY THEIR PRECEPTORS.

                     PATANJALI, THE CONDIFIER OF THE YOGIS SUTRA, WHILE EXPLAINING VARIOUS WAYS OF BRINGING THE MIND UNDER CONTROL, ALSO INCLUDES THE METHOD OF PRANAYAMA. THE WHOLE SECRET OF THE SCIENCE OF BREATH LIES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF SUTRA. HERE PATANJALI USES DIFFERENT WORDS FOR INHALATION, EXHALATION, AND RETENTION. ACCORDING TO HIM, HAVING CONROL OVER TO CONTROL, ELIMINATE, AND EXPAND THE PAUSE IS PRANAYAMA. IN SANSKRIT THE PAUSE IS CALLED KUMBHAKA. HENCE, SUTRA IS AN APHORISM, A BRIEF NOTE WHICH THE COMPETENT TEACHER CAN EXPLAIN TO HIS STUDENTS. ACTUALLY, PRANAYAMA IN PRACTICE MEANS "PAUSE", THOUGH VARIOUS AUTHORS HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT IN OTHER WAYS. ALL THE BREATHING EXERCISE ARE MEANT TO CONTROL, ELIMINATE, AND EXPAND THAT PAUSE.

                       HATHA YOGA MANUALS MENTION EIGHT VARIETIES OF KUMBHAKA. IT IS A PRACTICAL SUBJECT, AND COMPETENT YOGIS ALONE KNOW THE SECRETS OF THE NATURE OF THE PAUSE. THE KUMBHAKAS SHOULD BE PRACTICED CAREFULLY UNDER A COMPETENT GUIDE, NEVER BY READING MANUALS ALONE. NOR SHOULD THEY BE PRACTICED WITHOUT APPLYING THE BANDHAS (LOCKS)

                       BANDHAS AND THEIR APPLICATION

                       ALL ASPIRANTS ARE STRICTLY ADVISED NOT A PRACTICE THE EXERCISE OF KUMBHAS. BANDHAS ARE LOCKS, AND THERE ARE THREE OF THEM, JALANDHARA BANDHA (THE CHIN LOCK) UDDIYANA BANDHA (THE ABDOMINAL LOCK) AND MULA BNDHA (THE ANAL LOCK)

                       BANDHAS AND THEIR APPLICATION

                          ALL ASPIRANTS ARE STICTLY ADVISED NOT TO PRACTICE THE EXERCIES OF KUMBHAKA (RETENTION OF BREATH) WITHOUT APPLYING THE BANDHAS. BANDHAS ARE LOCKS, AND THERE ARE THREE OF THEM. JALANDHARA BANDHA (THE CHIN LOCK) UDDHIYANA BANDHA (THE ABDOMINAL LOCK) AND MULA BANDHA (THE ANAL LOCK).

                     JALANDHARA BANDHA (CHIN LOCK)

                   THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CAROTID ARTEIRIES, WHICH BRING THE BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE BRAIN, LIE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE NECK. WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THESE ARTERIES THROUGH THE CHIN LOCK, THE NERVE IMPULSES TRAVELLING TO THE BRAIN ATTENUATE BODY CONSCIOUSNESS AND BRING ABOUT A TRANCELIKE CONDITION. THIS STIMULATION ALSO SHOWS DOWN THE HEART, AND THE VIJNANI NADI, WHICH CAN BE TRANSLATED AS "CHANNEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS" CAN THUS BE BROUGHT UNDER CONSCIOUS CONTROL. IT IS SAID IN THE SHIVA SAMHITA THAT BY PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE CAROTID SINUS NERVES, A BLISSFUL STATE OF MIND IS EXPERIENCED. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN THE CHIN LOCK IS PRACTICED, BOTH IN EXHALATION AND INHALATION, CONTROL OF THE VIJNANI NADI BECOMES EASY. BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME - SOMETHING YEARS - FOR THE YOGI TO GAIN MASTERY OF THE JALANDHARA BANDHA.

                        WHEN THE CHIN LOCK IS NOT APPLIED AFTER THE RETENTION OF THE BREATH, THE AIR WANTS TO RUSH OUT AFTER DEEP INHALATION, EVEN IF THE GLOTTISIS KEPT CLOSED. SO IT RUSHES THROUGH THE AUDITORY TUBES AND DISTURBS THE INNER EAR, CAUSING VARIOUS DISORDERS. THEREFORE JALANDHARA BANDHA IS APPLIED TO PREVENT SUCH DISORDERS. THE GLOTTIS IS FIRST CLOSED, THEN, BY PROPER APPLICATION OF THE CHIN LOOK, PRACTICING KHUMBHAKA BECOMES EASY.

                       A FEW DOCTORS IN INDIA PUT PRESSURE ON THE CAROTID ARTERIES AND THUS GIVE YOGIC ANESTHESIA TO THE PATIENT. THEY EVEN PERFORM MINOR SURGERY WITH THIS "ANESTHETIC" . THE SAME PRINCIPLE HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY MARTIAL ART EXPERTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SCHOOL OF KUNG FU. CHILDREN OFTEN EXPERIENCE THAT PLEASANT FEELING OF "PASSING OUT" WHEN THEY UNCONSCIOUSLY LEARN TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE CAROTID ARTERY. THROUGH JALANDHARA BANDHA, YOGIS BRING ABOUT CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF THIS PHENOMENON AND THUS ATTAIN A STATE OF JOY BEFORE MEDITATING.

                                        UDDIYANA BANDHA 

                                         (ABDOMINAL LIFT)

                      UDDIYANA IS AN EXERCISE WHICH INVOLVES THE DIAPHRAGM, RIBS, AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, AND IT CAN BE PRACTICED EIHER STANDING OR SITTING IN ONE OF THE MEDITATIVE POSTURES. IN THE STANDING POSITION, PLACE THE FEET APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET APART. KEEP THE SPINE STAIGHT, BEND THE KNEES SLIGHTLY, AND LEAN FORWARD FROM THE WAIST FAR ENOUGH TO PLACE THE PALMS OF THE HANDS JUST ABOVE THE KNEES. EXHALE COMPLETELY, AND PLACE THE CHINE OR THE HOLLOW OF THE THROAT. WITHOUT INHALING, SUCK THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES IN AND UP, PULLING THE NAVEL TOWARD THE SPINE. THIS MOTION PULLS THE DIAPHGRAGM UP CREATES A CAVITY ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE ABDOMEN UNDER THE RIB CAGE, THE BACK WILL CURVE SLIGHTLY. THIS POSITION IS HELD FOR AS LONG AS IT REMAINS COMFORTABLE. THEN SLOWLY INHALE AND RELAX.

                             NEVER FORCE THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES OUTWARD, USE FORCE ONLY IN PULLING THE MUSCLES IN AND UPWARD. DO NOT PRACTICE THIS EXERCISE IF THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIATAL HERNIA, ULCERS, OR HEART DISORDERS. WOMEN SHOULD NOT PRACTICE IT DURING MENSTRUATION OR PRAGNANCY. UDDIYANA IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXERCISE FOR THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS. 

                            MULA BANDHA (ANAL LOCK)

                             MULA BANDHA (THE ANAL LOCK) IS AN EXERCISE IN WHICH THE SPHINCTER MUSCLES ARE CONTRACTED. BOTH THE EXTERNAL AND THE INTERNAL SPHINCTER MUSCLES ARE CONTRACTED AND THEN HELD. THIS BANDHA IS USED DURING PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION.

                               

                                               MUDRAS

                           MUDRA MEANS "SEAL". THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MUDRAS MENTIONED IN THE YOGA TEXTS INCLUDING MAHA MUDRA, KHECARI MUDRA, ASHVINI MUDRA, YOGA MUDRA, VISHNU MUDRA, AND OTHERS.

                           ONE MUDRA USED DURING MEDITATION IS JNANA MUDRA (THE FINGER LOCK). ONE OF STUDENT HAS ARRANGED HIS FEET AND LEGS AND HAS PLACED HIS FEET AND LEGS AND HAS PLACED HIS BODY IN A COMFORTABLE SITTING POSTURE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ARMS, HANDS, AND FINGERS BE ARRANGED ACCORDINGLY SO THAT THEY DO NOT BECOME A SOURCE OF DISTRACTION. JNANA MUDRA IS THEN APPLIED. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS WAYS OF PLACING THE FINGERS, THE SIMPLES IS TO PLACE THE THUMB AND THE FOREFINGER TOGETHER AND REST THE HANDS, PALMS DOWNWARD, ON THE KNEES, VISHNU MUDRA, WHICH USED DURING PRANAYAMA EXERCISES, IS DESCRIBED IN THE NADI SHODHANAM SECTION.