Essence of life

In the previous article, Qigong practitioner Henry Linnsen introduced the concept of ‘Chi’ as life energy from the Chinese tradition. In the Indian system of yoga and ayurveda, this life energy is known as ‘Prana’. Qigong is literally ‘Life Energy cultivation’ while the yogic practice of pranayama is literally ‘Life Energy expansion’. While many commentators term pranayama as ‘Breath Control’, that is too limited a description of pranayama. Prana + Ayama would literally translate to ‘life force expansion’. Here we explore a little more about pranayama.

—The writer is a yoga teacher, speaker and writer on yoga, wellness and meditation.

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Anulom-VilomPranayama: (alternate nostril breathing)
We humans breathe primarily through one nostril at any point (it’s usually never equal) and a healthy individual will actually spend about 12 hours breathing with a right nostril dominance and 12 hours with a left nostril dominance. When the right nostril is working, ‘Prana Shakti’ is stimulated resulting in physical energy and when the left nostril is working, ‘Mana Shakti’ is stimulated resulting in mental energy. Health is the result of a perfect balance of these two vital energies!

1. Using your right fingers, block your right nostril and breathe in through the left slowly.
2. Close your nostrils with the fingers and retain your breath inside.
3. Then release the right nostril and slowly breathe out through the right.
4. After a small pause post-exhalation, start breathing in through your right nostril, then close both to retain the breath.
5. Finally release the left nostril and exhale through it to complete one cycle of Anulom-Vilom.
6. Train yourself to practice 11 cycles (or more) daily. Your ratio of inhalation: retention: exhalation should be 1:2:2.

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Antar Kumbhak (retention of the breath)
Pranayama is in practical terms, the art of holding one's breath or kumbhak as we call it in yoga. When the breath is held, (no inhalation or exhalation happening), the mind becomes silent and meditative. Before practicing pranayama, the body needs to be fit so breathing can be deep. Take in a deep breath and retain your breath inside. After 10 seconds, slowly exhale. Practice this 11 times while counting down from 11 to 0. If you lose your count while counting and get distracted; re-start from 11.

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Surya BhedaPranayama (Right nostril dominant breathing)
In order to stimulate physical energy and metabolism, we practice all breathing only through the right nostril for a while. It will raise your energy levels in case you are feeling dull. This will raise the body temperature and in fact, yogis use this breathing during winter months. This is the same as in Anulom-vilomPranayama, except that only the right nostril is used. Breathe in through the right nostril, close both nostrils and then after a pause exhale through the right to complete one cycle. Practice 11 (or more) cycles on days when you feel the need for physical energy stimulation. Don’t practice this every day, rather Anulom-Vilom should be practised everyday and Surya Bheda whenever you need it.