02/12/2021
Prāṇāyāma is a wonderful practice. Some unfortunately are taught that it is an advanced and dangerous subject, while others only teach/learn Prāṇāyāma after learning advanced āsanas. This is unfounded when considering what Śrī Krishnamacharya taught and his pupils TKV Desikachar, TK Sribhashyam, Shrishubha, Srivatsa Ramaswami, AG Mohan, Libbie Mathes, etc, in which Prāṇāyāma instruction is not at all linked with advanced āsana achievement. Prāṇāyāma is only dangerous when straining the breath without commonsense in how to approach the Kumbhakas. When approached sensibly and progressively with the help of a teacher, Prāṇāyāma is not at all dangerous, and so more people should practice and enjoy the fruits of such a wonderful practice.
Ramaswami sir explains that traditionally children of 7 years old were taught Nādī Śodhana with Antah Kumbhaka (inhale retention) to recite mentally the Gayatri mantra as part of their Sandhya routine (daily sun routine). And so, such procedures should not be considered "advanced" and linked with any advanced āsana achievement. This seems more sensible. That Prāṇāyāma is not at all a dangerous subject if approached sensibly and adapting to your limits and not straining the breath with Kumbhakas, etc.
To start, maybe 4 seconds inhale and 4 seconds exhale. Maybe begin to try to lengthen the exhale, even if 4:6 is your limit/capacity, or attempting to get to 4:8 or 1:2 ratio. Adapting as necessary. Prāṇāyāma is seen as a superior form of Tapas or purification, and so in lengthening the exhalation is in fully expelling waste products from the lungs. As well, lengthening exhalation is pacifying in nature to the mind.
To be able to fully exhale then allows for a fuller inhale to inhabit the fully emptied lungs, so then one can also develop their inhalation capacity. While working on the exhalation is pacifying, working on the inhalation is invigorating.
And then similarly exploring Kumbhakas as such. Not doing Antah Kumbhaka if the person has hypertension, etc. For healthy people incrementally adding second by second in a similar way to a breath retention, at first not practicing both inhale and exhale retentions together but rather committing to several breath cycles with inhale retention alone, and then separately doing so with just exhale retention, developing capacity as such, etc.
Developing 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 for Antah-Kumbhaka.
And 1:0:1:1 or 1:0:2:1 for Bahya Kumbhaka.
Eventually both Kumbhakas in 1:1:1:1 or 1:1:2:1. Can of course be adapted like 5 second inhale and only 2 seconds Kumbhaka, and 5 seconds exhale, etc, like 5:2:5:2. Or 6:3:6:3, etc. Or 5:5:8:3 which is in approaching 1:1:2:1 (5:5:10:5), etc. But of course, the "ideal" practice is what is appropriate to the individual and not in adhering to any perceived "classic" approach. Developing capacities as are applicable to the individual.
And slowly trying to build up to the classic 1:4:2 ratio, like 5:20:10 in seconds (but again, see above note regarding "ideal" practice being what is appropriate). Ramaswami sir teaches this 1:4:2 ratio with:
Om Bhuh Om Bhuvah Ogm Suvah
Om Mahah Om Janah Om Tapah Ogm Satyam
Om Tatsavitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyonah Pracodayāt
Omapo Jyotiraso
Amritam Brahma
Bhurbhuvasuvarom,
on the Antah-Kumbhaka which incidentally is 64 syllables taking about 20 seconds to recite relating then with what classic texts mention measuring the 1:4:2 ratio in 16:64:32 Matras (or can be replaced with other Mantras repeated to equal the same 64 syllables, like 16 times "Śīva Śīva," or 8 times "Om Namo Nārāyaṇaya," etc).
Prāṇāyāma is not to be done mechanically but in understanding the functions of the procedures and paying attention to how it's impacting different parts of the body, perhaps through Bhāvana (visualization) or internal Driṣti as such. To sense the subtle movements of the air, in the different places where we are controlling the breath and Prāṇa. In fact, all the Prāṇāyāma techniques have their functions one must understand, whether it be Ujjāyī and its variants hybrid with alternate nostril techniques, Sūrya Bhedana or Candra Bhedana, Nādī Śodhana, Śītali, Bhramari, etc, Bandhas have their functions, etc. Then Prāṇāyāma becomes joyful and "clears the veil to our clarity, readying the mind for fitness in Dhāraṇā," the first step of the meditation process known as Saṁyama in the internal practices or Antaraṅga Sādhana.
