HL: Breathpower! Intro: Hiren Kumar Bose on the art and science of Pranayam
Ever thought that you could usher wellness to your body just by controlling breath. Possible! Yogis of the past called it pranayam. Pranayam is a medium to control the life force, which we ordinarily know as breath or pran. Explains Yogiraj Jitendra, “Friction is produced when objects strike against each other leading to the creation of energy. The same is true about breath too.” According to yogis, every minute an individual witnesses the emergence of 56 vichar (thoughts), which disappear sooner hardly leaving traces. This continues every living moment of our lives. Mind is responsible for the emergence of our thoughts. Normally we are used to taking shallow breaths, which fail to reach the oxygen inhaled to the billions of cells the body is made of. At best its role remains peripheral or cosmetic. With continuous practice of pranayam or controlled breathing the mind is tamed. Once leashed the number of thoughts begin to shrink leading one to stillness. It's our thought, which makes us different. In fact, it shapes our individualities. Once controlled the mind does the aspirant's bidding. "When one is able to control pran s/he does not let the thought-seed to germinate for the energy created by continuous practice of Pranayam scorches it. As benign thoughts make its appearance, one is slowly freed of ill health and wellness dawns," says Swami Bahutanand Parmahansa, a Himalayan sage who was in the city recently. Purak, Kumbhak and Rechak are the different stages of this breathing technique. Inhaling while closing the left nostril is called Purak; holding the breath known as Kumbhak and exhalation with the right nostril called Rechak. The state of holding the breath (post Purak) is called Abhyantar Kumbhak. The state of releasing the air completely from the lungs and then closing both the nostrils (post Rechak) is called Bahir Kumbhak. Bahir Kumbhak should follow Abyantar Kumbhak. Suggests Swami Bahutanand, “As you inhale feel the energy around you being absorbed into you. Once you inhale feel that you are expelling the toxic thoughts and the toxins accumulated in your body." In the initial stages one looks calm and happy, the eyes begin to sparkle with the new found energy, wellness is experienced at the consciousness level and the speech becomes gracious. Pranayam takes one out of the patterns of the "monkey mind". Swinging from past regrets to future worries. The goal however is not to reach nirvana, but to observe the cacophony in a compassionate way, to accept it as transient. The mind no more battles but one watches, with interest, from the stands. The detachment doesn't lead to passivity, but to new ways of thinking. As harmful thoughts leave and flee the aspirant experiences a change in his/her personality and attitude too. "Importantly the whirr of the thoughts ceases," adds Yogiraj Jitendra, who conducts self-healing workshops using Pranayam in city and suburbs. Additionally one who infuses Pranayam with bhav (feeling) s/he is able to witness and explosion of inner strength (shakti) leading to samadhi. But all these can happen if you are fortunate to learn the techniques from a yogi. According to Dr Richard P Brown, a senior psychiatrist at Columbia University, New York, rapid breathing activates a nerve, Vagus, which connects with the diaphragm and some of the organs, including the heart and the brain. As a result of this stimulation, messages are sent along three different pathways that tell the body to shut off areas of worry while awakening areas that control feelings of happiness in the brain. A pathway is created that leads up to the frontal cortex of the brain and starts shutting down areas controlling excess worries and depressions. Another pathway shuts off anxiety producing parts of the brain stem and a third wakes up the limbic system, which controls positive emotions, explains Brown. Moreover, hormones, which encourage bonding among mammals, are released. One such hormone called the Cuddle hormone is released during sexual activity and also after childbirth. Studies have proved that Pranayam can counteract stress by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and reducing levels of stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine in the blood stream. Pranayam prepares oneself with an experience where one no more carries burden of his/her thoughts. Being at rest the mind is no more muddied with negative feelings like, ego, vengeance, anger, jealousy, lust etc. that is contrary to wellness. For the yogis believe that it is due to imbalance of the mind that illness attacks our body.
Caption This pranayam is called Kanishta Pranayam. Pranayam's are numerous in numbers.
1. Sit straight with folded legs (Padmasana) 2. Close right nostril with the posterior of last two fingers (Kanishta and Anamika). Breathe in from left nostril. 3. Close both nostrils using thumb and hold breath four times of inhalation 4. Close left nostril with posterior right thumb and breathe out 2 times of inhalation from right nostril 5. Again inhale from right nostril. The length of intake, holding and exhalation must be in the proportion of 1:4:2 in a continuous process
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HL: Breathpower!
Intro: Hiren Kumar Bose on the art and science of Pranayam
Ever thought that you could usher wellness to your body just by controlling breath. Possible! Yogis of the past called it pranayam.
Pranayam is a medium to control the life force, which we ordinarily know as breath or pran. Explains Yogiraj Jitendra, “Friction is produced when objects strike against each other leading to the creation of energy. The same is true about breath too.”
According to yogis, every minute an individual witnesses the emergence of 56 vichar (thoughts), which disappear sooner hardly leaving traces. This continues every living moment of our lives. Mind is responsible for the emergence of our thoughts.
Normally we are used to taking shallow breaths, which fail to reach the oxygen inhaled to the billions of cells the body is made of. At best its role remains peripheral or cosmetic.
With continuous practice of pranayam or controlled breathing the mind is tamed. Once leashed the number of thoughts begin to shrink leading one to stillness. It's our thought, which makes us different. In fact, it shapes our individualities.
Once controlled the mind does the aspirant's bidding. "When one is able to control pran s/he does not let the thought-seed to germinate for the energy created by continuous practice of Pranayam scorches it. As benign thoughts make its appearance, one is slowly
freed of ill health and wellness dawns," says Swami Bahutanand Parmahansa, a Himalayan sage who was in the city recently.
Purak, Kumbhak and Rechak are the different stages of this breathing technique. Inhaling while closing the left nostril is called Purak; holding the breath known as Kumbhak and exhalation with the right nostril called Rechak.
The state of holding the breath (post Purak) is called Abhyantar Kumbhak. The state of releasing the air completely from the lungs and then closing both the nostrils (post Rechak) is called Bahir Kumbhak. Bahir Kumbhak should follow Abyantar Kumbhak.
Suggests Swami Bahutanand, “As you inhale feel the energy around you being absorbed into you. Once you inhale feel that you are expelling the toxic thoughts and the toxins accumulated in your body."
In the initial stages one looks calm and happy, the eyes begin to sparkle with the new found energy, wellness is experienced at the consciousness level and the speech becomes gracious.
Pranayam takes one out of the patterns of the "monkey mind". Swinging from past regrets to future worries. The goal however is not to reach nirvana, but to observe the cacophony in a compassionate way, to accept it as transient. The mind no more battles but one watches, with interest, from the stands. The detachment doesn't lead to
passivity, but to new ways of thinking. As harmful thoughts leave and flee the aspirant experiences a change in his/her personality and attitude too. "Importantly the whirr of the thoughts ceases," adds Yogiraj Jitendra, who conducts self-healing workshops using Pranayam in city and suburbs.
Additionally one who infuses Pranayam with bhav (feeling) s/he is able to witness and explosion of inner strength (shakti) leading to samadhi. But all these can happen if you are fortunate to learn the techniques from a yogi.
According to Dr Richard P Brown, a senior psychiatrist at Columbia University, New York, rapid breathing activates a nerve, Vagus, which connects with the diaphragm and some of the organs, including the heart and the brain. As a result of this stimulation, messages are sent along three different pathways that tell the body to shut off areas of worry while awakening areas that control feelings of happiness in the brain.
A pathway is created that leads up to the frontal cortex of the brain and starts shutting down areas controlling excess worries and depressions. Another pathway shuts off anxiety producing parts of the brain stem and a third wakes up the limbic system, which controls positive emotions, explains Brown.
Moreover, hormones, which encourage bonding among mammals, are released. One such hormone called the Cuddle hormone is released during sexual activity and also after childbirth.
Studies have proved that Pranayam can counteract stress by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and reducing levels of stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine in the blood stream.
Pranayam prepares oneself with an experience where one no more carries burden of his/her thoughts. Being at rest the mind is no more muddied with negative feelings like, ego, vengeance, anger, jealousy, lust etc. that is contrary to wellness.
For the yogis believe that it is due to imbalance of the mind that illness attacks our body.
Caption
This pranayam is called Kanishta Pranayam. Pranayam's are numerous in numbers.
1. Sit straight with folded legs (Padmasana)
2. Close right nostril with the posterior of last two fingers (Kanishta and
Anamika). Breathe in from left nostril.
3. Close both nostrils using thumb and hold breath four times of inhalation
4. Close left nostril with posterior right thumb and breathe out 2 times of
inhalation from right nostril
5. Again inhale from right nostril. The length of intake, holding and
exhalation must be in the proportion of 1:4:2 in a continuous process
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