Category: Artikler – Medlemmer

Pranayama

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Pranayama is one of the most common aspects of a yogic practice, along with meditation(dhyana) and physical postures(asanas). Pranayama is often defined as ‘Breath Control’, which is not wrong, but there is more to it. Prana means ‘life force’ and ayama means ‘expansion’. So a more correct definition would be ‘Expansion of Life Force’.

Four aspects of Pranayama

A pranayama practice consist of four stages.
1. Pooraka, meaning inhalation
2. Rechaka, meaning exhalation
3. Antar Kumbhaka, meaning internal breath retention
4. Bahir Kumbhaka, meaning external breath retention.

If you experiment you will see that each step has a different effect. A deep inhalation will be a different experience than a deep exhalation, and so will both breath retentions. A practitioner of pranayama will usually start with a focus on the inhalation and exhalation until a certain level of strength in the lungs is achieved as well as balance in the nervous- and pranic system. Gradually the kumbhaka is implemented. The pranayama practice influence the flow of prana in the energy channels(nadis) which purifies, regulate and activate them. The effects of that being physical and mental stability.

The Pranic Body

In yogic tradition, the body consist of not just the physical body, but there are in total five bodies, or five sheats of body. These are:

  1. Annamaya Kosha, meaning the food body, or the physical body.
  2. Manomaya Kosha, meaning the mental body.
  3. Pranamaya Kosha, meaning the energy body.
  4. Vijnanamaya Kosha, meaning the psychic og intuitive body
  5. Anandamaya Kosha, meaning the bliss body.

For now we will only look at the Pranamaya Kosha. The Pranamaya Kosha consist of five different types of prana.

  1. Prana
  2. Apana
  3. Samana
  4. Udana
  5. Vyana

In this context, Prana is not the cosmic energy, but a flow of energy, associated with heart and respiratory organs together with muscles and and nerves that activate them. It is the force which brings the breath in. The Apana provides energy for the large intestine, kidneys, anus and genitals. It has to do with expulsion of waste from the body as well as bringing the breath out. The Samana activates and controls the digestive system: liver, intestines, pancreas and stomach and their secretions. It is responsible for transformation. On a physical level this relates to the assimilation and distribution of nutrients. On an evolutionary level it relates to kundalini and expansion of consciousness. Udana activates all the sensory receptiors. It also harmonises and activates the limbs and all their associated muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints. It is responsible for the erect postures of the body, sensory awareness and the ability ro respond to the outside world. At last we have Vyana which prevades the whole body, regulating and controlling all movement, and coordinating the other pranas. It acts as the reserve force for the other pranas.

Importance of correct breathing

Breathing is the most vital process of the body. It influences the activites of each and every cell and most importantly, is intimately linked with the performance of the brain. Generally, we breath about 15 times per minute, making it 21.600 times every day. Respiration fules the burning of oxygen and glucose, producing energy to power every muscular contraction, glandular secretion and mental process. The breath is intimately linked to all aspects of human experience. Unfortunately, most people breath incorrectly, using only a small part of their lung capacity. Shallow breathing is depriving the body of oxygen and prana which is essential for good health. Rhythmic, deep and slow breathing stimulates and is stimulated by calm, content states of mind. Irregular breathing disrupts the rhythm of the brain and leads to physical, emotional and mental blocks. These, in turn, lead to inner conflict, an unblanaced personality, a disordered lifestyle and disease. Pranayama practice will establish regular breathing patterns and breaking the negative cycle.

Remember this when you practice

  1. Contra indications
    Before starting a pranayama practice, you should know of the contra-indications of the specific breathing technique. A general note is to never practice while being ill. Very simple techniques like breath awareness in shavasana may still be preformed.
  2. Time of practice
    The best time to practice pranayama is at dawn, when the body is fresh and the mind has few impressions. Right after sunset is also a good time to practice, but make sure not to practice energising pranayamas in the evening.
  3. Bath or shower
    Take a bath or showe before the practice. If you can’t do that, then at least washing of face, hands and feet. After the practice you should not take a shower or bath for at least half an hour, after the body temperature has normalised.
  4. Clothes
    Loose, comfortable clothing made of natural fibers is best. You may cover yourself with a sheet or blanket if it is cold.
  5. Empty stomach
    Always practice on an empty stomach. When there is food in the body, it creates pressure on the diaphragm and lungs, making deep respiration difficult. As a general note, wait 4 hours after a big meal and 2 hours after a snack. Also avoid taking stimulants like coffee and tobacco a few hours before the practice.
  6. Place of practice
    Always chose a quiet place where you wont be disturbed. Make sure it is clean and pleasant around you with good, fresh air in comfortable temperature.
  7. Open airways
    If your flow of breath in the nostrils is uneven or blocked, you can remove mucous by the practice of neti or kapalbhati. Padadhirasana can also be used to even out the breath if it’s uneven.
  8. Sequence
    The pranayama practice should be practiced after shatkarma and asanas, before meditation. It is always recommended to start your Pranayama practice with Nadi Shodhana(see instructions here). Nadi Shodhana, or Nadi Shuddi is balancing and purifying the nadis which forms the basis for successful pranayama.
  9. Posture
    Sit in a comfortable posture with erect spine. Siddha or Siddha Yoni asna or Padmasana are great postures for pranayama practice.
  10. Avoid Strain
    With all pranayama practices, its important to remember that the instruction not to strain, not to try to increase your capacity too fast, applies just as it does to asana practice. If one is advised to practice a pranayama technique until mastered, and it can be practiced without any strain or discomfort, it is wise to follow that instruction before moving on to a more advanced practice or ratio. Furthermore, breath retention should only be practiced for as long as is comfortable. The lungs are very delicate organs and any misuse can easily case them injury. Not only the physical body, but also the mental and emotional aspects of the personality need time to adjust. Never strain in any way..!
  11. Side effects
    Various symptoms may manifest in normally healthy people. These are caused be the process of purification and the expulsion of toxins. Sensations of itching, tingling, heat or cold, and feelings of lightness or heaviness may occur. Such experiences are normally temporary, but if the persist, check with a competent teacher. Energy levels may increase of fluctuate; interests may change. If such changes cause difficulty in lifestyle, decrease or stop the practice until a competent teacher or guru gives guidance.

Happy breathing!

Reference: Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha – Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Mudra

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Mudra is a sanskrit word and is translated to ‘gesture’ or ‘attitude’. In the yogic system the body consist of five layers or sheets known as the koshas. One of them is called Pranamaya Kosha which is the energy body. The energy body is made up of energy centers called Chakras and energy channels called Nadis, which connects all the chakras. Even though the energy is flowing through those channels and centers, it is always radiating energy which leaves the body, just like a lightbulb with radiate some heat. The use of mudras is a means of redirecting the energy that normally leaves the body back into the body, just like a mirror would reflect light back in the room. So with a combination of subtle physical movements we can alter mood, attitude and perception, which then deepens awareness and concentration. A mudra can be a combination of asanas, pranayama, bandha and visualisation techniques, or it can be as simple as a certain positioning of the hands.

Some yogic texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and others consider mudras to be a yoganga, meaning an independent branch of yoga which require very subtle awareness. They are higher practices which lead to awakening of the pranas, chakras and kundalini. An advanced practitioner may achieve major siddhis with the practice.

While practicing mudras you establish a direct link between three of the five koshas. The Annamaya kosha(physical body), the Manomaya kosha(mental body) and the Pranamaya Kosha. With practice, you become aware of the pranic flow in your body. Balance between the koshas happen and subtle energy will be redirected to the upper chakras, leading to higher states of consciousness.

five groups of yoga mudras.

  1. Hasta Mudra
    Much prana is radiated from our hands, and hasta mudras are a means of using the hands to redirect the energy back into the body. Normally, the index finger and thumb will join together and create a loop which moves energy between hands and brain. If we bring awareness to this flow of energy it will lead to internalisation and support your meditation. Some examples are:
    – Jnana Mudra
    – Chin Mudra
    – Yoni Mudra
    – Bhairava Mudra
    – Hridaya Mudra
  2. Mana Mudra
    Mana Mudras are head mudras. They are a big part of kundalini yoga and many of them can be considered techniques of meditation by themselves. They use eyes, nose, tongue and lips. Some of them are:
    – Shambhavi Mudra
    – Nasikagra Drishti
    Khechari Mudra
    Kaki Mudra
    Bhujangini Mudra
    Akashu Mudra
    Shanmukhi Mudra
    Unmani Mudra
  3. Kaya Murda
    Kaya mudras use a combination of pranayama(breathing techniques) and Dharana (Concentration). Some of them are:
    – Vipareeta Karani Mudra
    – Pashinee Mudra
    – Prana Mudra
    – Yoga Mudra
    – Manduki Mudra
    – Tadagi Mudra
  4. Bandha Mudra
    Bandha Mudra is a way of using energy locks in the body to redirect the energy. They charge the system with prana and prepare it for kundalini awakening. Some examples are:
    – Maha Mudra
    – Maha Bheda Mudra
    – Maha Vedha Mudra
  5. Adhara Mudra
    These mudras redirect the flow of energy from the lower chakras to the brain. They are used to raise sexual energy into higher frequencies. Two examples are:
    – Ashwini Mudra
    – Vajroli Mudra

The Story of Emotions

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I often talk about trapped emotions, and the importance of releasing them, but what does it mean? Any emotion that has not been felt fully, will remain in our system until it has been. Essentially, it is a trauma. When people speak about trauma they often speak about very serious cases, but truth is, we all have them in different degrees. We all have some trapped emotions. I often refer to them as tension, because fundamentally, it is. The emotion, being a form of energy, wants to flow freely, but for some reason we hold it back, and the energy that we are using to push against it creates tension. Just like a dam functions to hold back water, we put up a dam to hold in energy, or emotion. It goes without saying that it drains our energy.

What I have learned is that when a situation cause more pain than we are willing to feel, we often try to escape it. There is a sub-conscious programming that takes over when we are unable to handle the situation consciously. To avoid the pain, our awareness may instead go into anger, hate, judgement, revenge, self pitty, or it may go into thinking about how things used to be better, or how things should be instead. Everyone does it differently, but we all do it, to some degree. Later, we may become aware of the pain we didn’t feel. We notice how it is still causing trouble in our life, so we want to get rid of it. A common mistake, which I have done so many times, is to try to go back in time, to that moment, and fix it. I replayed the memory over and over, analysing, changing perspectives or such, trying to fix my past. We cannot fix the past, because essentially the past does not exist. When the pain is fresh we brought our awareness out of the moment because we did not accept it, and later on, we realise the pain is still there, so we try to bring our awareness back in time to fix it, because we still do not accept the moment.

Lets say you’re enjoying a nice walk a beautiful summer morning. You listen to the birds, watch the few clouds on the sky and think about how wonderful your life is. Suddenly, some random person calls you stupid as he passes you on the street. You became so shocked by it that you didnt manage to respond in any way. You go on thinking how he was the stupid one. You then may continue thinking about various ways you could have responded. Before you know it, you’ve spent half an hour thinking about it. What you could have said and what you will say if you see him again. Then suddenly you realise, you went from being joyful to miserable, just because of this one word, spoken by someone you don’t even know. You become aware of the fact that you are now miserable, and you want to fix it. You track it back to the word that was uttered, and you may start to analyse the situation. Maybe you misheard him, or maybe he thought you were someone else. Maybe he didn’t actually speak to you, but was on the phone with someone…  In some way you are trying to go back in time and change it, so the present moment wont be such a misery. So much energy and time has been spent trying to avoid feeling the pain. Worst thing is, the pain may not even be that big, its just your sub conscious programming running the show. If too much tension like this is being accumulated, it may result in an ‘explosion’, and often with the people you feel most safe around, because with them you can let your guard down. You will let your guard down, and look for any reason for you to have a reaction, and you will most likely take advantage of the first opportunity you find. Your parents came five minutes late. Perfect anger release. BOOM! Your partner forgot to kiss you good-bye as he left for work. Perfect sadness release! BOOM! The smallest of things can blow out of proportions because of all the energy you have stored uses the situation as a catalyst to find expression. Although it is not a good way of releasing tension, it is at least being released, but this is not always the case. Sometimes it is getting stored for a long time, and with time it will start to manifest as physical ailments.


When there is pain in our life, either fresh or stored, it is only available in the present moment. The only way to release it, is to become fully present with it. Thats not to say, thinking about a memory is of no use. You can use your memory to trigger your emotions, but then, as soon as you bring up your memory you need to bring some of your awareness into bodily sensations. For example, you may feel some contraction in your belly, or the feeling of swelling in your throat. Then be with the sensation fully, without any resistance until it subside and you feel lighter and freer. You will notice that if you make any judgements about the sensations, or start having thoughts about it or anything else, it means you are not fully with it, and the feeling may subside but without the feeling of liberation after. It means you got distracted and did not manage to release it properly.


You may have already noticed how it’s almost as if stored emotions have a will of their own, and they are trying to find a way to be released. They will push you into similar situations, to try to trigger you into feeling them. If you pay enough attention, you will see just how much of your life is being run by them trying to get you into similar situations, and also how much of your life you spend trying to avoid them. They are screaming for our attention, yet we keep running.

If you start practicing being present in the moment and accept all thoughts and emotions as they appear in you, you will naturally start to heal and you will no longer accumulate more tension in your system. Whenever you feel triggered, take a breath and be with the emotions you are experiencing. As soon as you become aware of the fact that you have been triggered, a great freedom has reached you already, and from that place, you will be able to handle the situation a lot better, because you moved from compulsive behaviour to conscious presence.
 
Pain in life is inevitable, and there is no way of escaping it. You may keep it with you, or you may let it flow through you. We perceive pain as something bad, because it is unpleasant, but not a single pain in your life has come without a valuable lesson. 

Yoga Nidra

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What is it?

Yoga Nidra is an extremely effective method of relaxing. Most of us live with chronic tensions that are the cause of all the agony we experience in modern life. Yogic philosophy, along with modern psychology, refers to three basic types of tensions. These are physical, emotional and mental tensions. Even in deep sleep, we carry these tensions.

The physical tensions are related to the body itself, the nervous system and endocrine imbalances. With Yoga Nidra, these tensions are easy to remove.

The emotional tensions come from various dualities such as love / hate, win / loss, success / defeat, happy / unhappy and so on, and these are more difficult to remove. This is because we are not able to express our feelings freely and openly. We sometimes refuse to acknowledge them, and rather suppress them. As a result, tensions take deeper and deeper roots and become more difficult to release. Even in sleep, it is not possible to relax these tensions. With Yoga Nidra, on the other hand, it is possible to numb our entire emotional structure and release these tensions.

Mental tension is the result of excessive mental activity. Our mind is a soup of fantasies, confusions and fluctuations. Throughout our lives, experiences are registered by our consciousness and accumulated in our mental body. Sometimes we can experience that these tensions explode and we experience anger, sadness, irritation, etc., and it is directed at completely insignificant and superficial things. This is then a result of our accumulated tensions on the mental level. Yoga Nidra is the science of relaxation that enables us to dive into the depths of the subconscious mind and free ourselves from accumulated tensions.

In this way, with Yoga Nidra we can create harmony in all levels of our being.

Yoga Nidra describes the state we’re in more than the practice itself. Yoga Nidra means ‘Sleep Yoga’, but it describes a different type of sleep than what we think of as sleep. In this case, we maintain an awareness while stepping into sleep. With an instructor as a guide, you are guided into deep relaxation while anchoring your consciousness firmly in the voice of the instructor. In this way we can systematically go in and make ‘sleep’ much more efficient. 1 hour in yoga nidra is therefor the same as 4 hours of normal sleep.

What are the benefits?

Yoga Nidra has a wide range of benefits. Through Yoga Nidra we can release traumas and memories that hang over us and affect our lives. We can let go of destructive or unwanted habits and addictions. We can reduce the amount of sleep we need, and therefore get more out of our lives. As we let go of the tensions we carry, we will also experience more energy and vitality. In Yoga Nidra we are also extremely receptive and can therefore reconstruct our personality and manifest the lives we want.

How does it work?

Yoga Nidra has a very scientific and systematic progress. There are several ways to practice depending on how much time you have and what you want to achieve with the practice. We can do a 10 minute practice that works great as a transition from a stressful day at work to time at home with the family. We can also use a similar practice that will quickly make you fall asleep. The more classic practice lasts approx. 60 minutes, but can be reduced to approx. 20 if we do not have more time.

Part 1) Remove distractions
The first thing to do is turn off the TV, radio, telephone or other things that can be distracting. Draw for curtains and make sure the room is dark but not completely dark.

Part 2) Yogasanas
Pain, stiffness and physical tension are major obstacles in yoga nidra practice. Therefore, it is ideal to practice Yoga Nidra after yoga asanas (the physical postures).

Part 3) Preparation
One lies down in the correct position, and mentally prepares to calm down the mind and body.

Part 4) Sankalpa
Sankalpa is Sanskrit, and ‘san’ means ‘to become one’ and ‘kalpa’ means ‘time’, and ‘subconscious mind’. Sankalpa is intention, and is used in advance of Yoga Nidra. This is like a kind of seed that we plant in the subconscious

Part 5) Rotation of consciousness
This part consists of moving our focus throughout the body, up to several times. Each body part is connected to a completely separate point in the brain. Some body parts, such as lips, nose, hands and fingers, have a much larger area in the brain, compared to their size. Together, these parts have almost as large a part in the brain as the rest of the body combined. They are therefore important aspects when we move our attention through the body. The specific position of the body parts in our brain is the reason for the systematic approach with specific order when we move our attention throughout the body. Once we have started with this sequence, it must not be changed as it induces a flow of energy / prana in the neuron circuit of the motor homunculus. This flow carries with it an experience of relaxation as a spontaneous dissociation of consciousness from the sensory and motor occurs. With regular practice, this flow becomes more efficient and happens faster and goes deeper.

Part 6) Breath
After the rotation of consciousness in the body, continues and complete physical relaxation with attention to the breath.

Part 7) Senses
Now we move on to the plane of feelings and emotions. Feelings that are physically or emotionally intense are evoked, experienced fully and completely, and then removed. This is usually done by using contrasts such as heavy / light, cold / hot, pain / pleasure, etc. When these emotions are paired, we harmonize the halves of the brain and create balance in our basic driving forces that normally lie in the subconscious.

Part 8) Visualization
In the last step of Yoga Nidra, work is being done on visualizing various images and symbols. This creates relaxation on the mental level. Because the images and symbols used often have universally important and powerful associations, they bring hidden content from the deep subconscious into the conscious mind. In this practice, the mind is cleansed of disturbing and painful material. Furthermore, this mind leads to dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation), and potentially even Samadhi.

Part 9) Sankalpa
After completing the practice, the intention is repeated

Part 10) Closing
After repeated sankalpa, we slowly return our attention to the body and space, and begin to move gently small muscle groups first before we finally open our eyes again.

Sources: Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Nasal Cleansing – Ayurvedic Practice

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When it comes to nasal cleansing there are two practices: neti and nasya. Neti is a process where you use salt water to cleanse the nasal passages using a neti pot. With nasya you lubricate the nasal cavities with oil.

You might be wondering why you should cleanse your nostrils, but if you think about it, you’re constantly breathing toxins from pollution in the air, fragrances in perfumes, air fresheners, candles and so on. Much of these toxins fills up your nasal passage and cleansing them can prevent and even heal allergies, colds and flus. You also improve your breathing, cure headaches, release tension and overcome sinus infections. Ayurveda also states that nasal cleansing is important because the nose is the direct route to the brain and the doorway to your consciousness.

Neti

When practicing neti, first make sure your neti pot is clean. Then boil one or two cups of water to disinfect and allow the water to cool to a comfortable temperature and pour it into your neti pot. Add 1/2 teason sea salt per cup warm water and stir. Stand over a sink, place the tip of the pot into your nostril and tilt your head sideways without leaning your head forward or backward. The water should enter one nostril and flow out the other. Breathe through your mouth as you work and do half of the water on one side and then the rest on the other.

When you’re done, you can lean forward and practice kapalbhati to get all the water out of your nose. (powerful exhalations through your nose)

If your nose is completely stuffed, you can stand up, reach your arms forward with closed fists and thumbs pointing up, bring your knees all the way up towards your chest as if your running while standing still. Do this for a minute or two and you’ll notice your nasal passage will open up.

The practice kills bacteria and other debris that cause allergies and illness. It is not necessary for every day, but highly recommended during cold, flu and allergy season. If you have sinus infection or allergies, you can practice up to three times a day.

Nasya

Nasya is a practice to lubricate the nasal passages with oil and its best preformed after neti cleansing. The salt water from neti can dry out your nasal passages, which stimulates your body to secrete more mucus to protect the membranes. Its an effective way of preventing a stuffy nose. It is also said to improve the quality of your voice, improve your vision, promote mental clarity, release tension headaches, heal sinus congestion, and release stress. Nasya oil is typically comprised of sesame oil and medicinal herbs, but if you cant get hold of it, you can just use sesame oil.

There are two ways of practicing nasya. You can either put some oil on your pinky finger and insert it into your nostril. You wont get as deep, but it will still have some effect and is a great starting point.

The other way however is more effectice. Lie down on your back, preferably on your bed with your head backward of the edge of the bed or over a pillow so your head is leaning back. With a dropper, release 5-10 drops of room temperature nasya oil in each nostril. Inhale deeply and lie still for a few minutes so the oil can deeply penetrate your nasal passages. It will feel a bit strange in the beginning, but is worth the benefits!