A Preliminary Breath Practice (Pranayama) for Non-Practitioners

Originally presented to an Adult Education group

Meredith W. Watts

 

Note: This is the outline of a presentation on breath work to a group of non-yoga practitioners.  Though classic yoga often suggests “perfection of asana” before pranayama, its benefits can be safely modified for use by a more general population.  In this sense, the following presentation was modified pranayama without the elements that require the supervision of a capable instructor (e.g., breath retention, bastrika, viloma with long retention).  It also does not present the muladhara, udiyyana, and jalandara bandas which would be required in an advanced practice.  These notes are meant as a review for participants in the class. 

 

Some Sources for Breath Work

Buddhist tradition (e.g., Thich Nhat Hanh: Breath, You are Alive).

H. David Coulter, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga. Chapter Two, “Breathing”

Yoga tradition (of the eight limbs of classical yoga, Pranayama is the fourth and is

     considered to be the transition from physical practice to meditation

Limbs of yoga

Yamas (moral injunctions)

Niyamas (personal conduct)

Asana (postures)

Pranayama (breath control)

Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal)

Dharana (concentration)

Dhyana (meditation

Samadhi (deepest form of meditation)

In the classical yoga tradition (as described by Patanjali), Pranayama is considered to be the transition from the external to the internal focus of the practice.  However, in an everyday practice the flow may be from concentration (dharana) to stilling of the senses (pratyahara) as preparation for breath control (pranayama).

Prana usually refers to the breath, but it is also a metaphor for many types of energy of the body and mind.  It is the most accessible, and it is often understood to be the observable action that represents deeper energy flow.

With practice, pranayama can produce both immediate and longer-lasting changes

Immediate effects may be:

Emotional (centering and stilling)

Mental (concentration)

Physiological (blood gases, oxygen, heart rate)

Physical (toning of the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, lung tissue)

Longer-term effects (after extended, supervised practice) may be:

Stabilization and continuity of the above, plus…

Opening of the rib cage (intercostal muscles)

Increasing lung capacity

 The practice portion of the class has the goal for each participant to be present – that is,  with the breath and through the breath, in the present moment.

For this class the breath work is done sitting (except where participants prefer a savasana position), but all students will be sitting for the digital pranayama (nadi shodanam, brahmari with san mukha mudra).

The practice portion of this class is done in “noble silence, with questions and discussion later.   The aspiration is to attend only to the breath.

 

Posture

Sitting upright (chair, or on floor support, e.g., bolster or cushion)

Most practical for daily practice or periodic centering

Supine (shoulders, head, chest elevated), or Savasana (lying down)

Most practical for deeper relaxation, insomnia

Specific Breath Practices (for sitting practice)

Preparations

Head/neck /Face/throat (“warm-up” exercises)

Body, (shoulder blades in, shoulder tips back slightly but at a natural height,  ribs lifted, head & spine aligned, chin parallel to floor)

Types of breath (monitor with hands on abdomen and lower ribs)

Abdominal (breathing)/”belly breath” (inhalation and exhalation with abdominal movement)

Diaphragmatic-Thoracic (initiate from abdomen, then stabilize and lift breath into chest, (Coulter: “thoraco-diaphragmatic breathing”) maintain lift of the chest and exhale from the abdomen)

 

Breath Exercises (done in noble silence) [See B.K.S Iyengar, Light on Pranayama, or the Pranayama section of Light on Yoga, for terminology and details; the numbering here is closer to that used by Geeta Iyengar, Yoga in Action: Intermediate Course]

Ujayyi (hero or victory breath)

Ujayyi 1: Observation (without manipulation) of normal in- and out-breath (balancing,

settling)

Ujayyi 2: Normal inhalation, lengthening of the outbreath    (calming, cooling)

Ujayyi 3: Long inhalation, normal outbreath (energizing, warming)

 

Nadi Shodanaman (alternate nostril breathing, concentration, cleansing)

     May be practiced with any of the above breath patterns

Introduction with Ujayyi  I, then mild viloma  (“triple,” or interrupted breath)

Bhrahmari (bumblebee) variations

Regular inhalation, long exhalation (similar to Ujayyi),

Introduction to simplified san mukha mudra

Regular inhalation, long exhalation (with modified san mukha mudra)

Conclude with Savasana (Ujayyi 1 or moderate to shallow breath)

Discussion

Summary: When to use

Emphasis on inhalation (more invigorating, helpful for fatigue)

Emphasis on exhalation (more cooling, helpful for relaxation, nervousness,

sleeplessness)

Eyes closed (cooling)

Eyes open (use if depressed or if having closed eyes creates discomfort)

 Advanced Practices

Longer inhalations/exhalations, interrupted breath, retention on in- or out-breath, etc.  Not for normal daily practice and only with instruction.

Questions:

How often should I practice?

There are no rules, but here are some suggestions:

One goal would be 15-30 minutes of stretching and breath work each morning,

or even twice a day.

Practice “until something happens” (that is, settle into the breath pattern you

have chosen and “rest in the breath” observing changes); if you cannot

settle after a few minutes, try another time

 Selected breath patterns could be called on at any time during the day, particularly when there is a feeling that more relaxation, or alertness, would be helpful.

How long should I practice each sesson?

The actual timing is less important than the concentration and focus.  Thirty distracted minutes are much less useful than 15 focused minutes.  A simple thought is to do the breath work “until you feel something change.”  Sometimes no change will be perceptible, but the effort is in itself a productive practice.

What changes can be expected?  At the outset we noted that there can be immediate changes in relaxation and concentration (and perhaps other changes in settling and centering).  Longer-term continuous practice can bring produce other physical changes (such as increased lung capacity) depending on the individual practitioners.