Pranayama
In Pranayama practice, we use the front part of our brain to override the automatic nature of breathing. In other words, the consious and unconsious parts of the brain begin to work together.
- The brain stem and medulla oblongata are the 'lizard brain' which controls automatic bodily functions like breathing
- The frontal and parietal lobes are the parts of our brain that control higher-order thinking and conciousness.
- We breath through the nose (not the mouth) in order to stimulate the olfactory nerve
- This nerve is the only one in the body that does not cross hemipheres as it enters the brain
- This is the only nerve that connects with the brain without crossing the blood/brain barrier
- Therefore, this nerve is one of the most direct paths to the brain
- Breathing through the left nostril stimulates the sympathetic nervous system
- Breathing through the right nostril stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Alternate Nostril Breathing helps you balance the amount of air entering each nostril and stimulating the different nervous systems
- Use the segments of your left hand to count to twelve
- Your thumb will touch each segment from top left to bottom right
- Use a metronome:
- slow = 60 bpm
- fast = 120 bpm
- faster = 150 bpm
- fastest = 180 bpm
- Traditional Ratio:
- 1 : 4 : 2
- Inhale, Retain, Exhale
- A way to draw out your inhales and exhales by constricting your throat
- How: whisper, say 'ha', close your mouth
Warm Ups:
- Gentle body stretches
- Belly breathing
- Chest breathing
- half belly, halft chest breathing
Practice:
practice sitting cross-legged
- Kapalabati
- Abdominal Control (optional)
- Uddiyana
- Agni Sara
- Nauli
- Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Start with even counts
- Do with a retention => 4 : 8 : 8
- Do with the traditional ratio => 4 : 12 :8
- Even counted breaths with Ujai (optional)
- Explore the mudras
- Color meditation (optional)
- With breathing or without
- Visualization Practice!