| | Forum: Practical Dharma
hi everyone,
right now I am training in concentration to reach access concentration. before practicing for 30 minutes, I do about 15 minutes of statical asanas, and then about 5 minutes of alternate-nostril breathing before concentrating on the tip of my nose for half an hour.
a short introduction for those unfamiliar with raja yoga: raja-yogis, or people following the classical yogic path of Patanjali, tend to be very systematic, and would "master" the first 5 steps of the eightfold path (not to confuse with the Buddhist noble eightfold path) before engaging in the 6th step, that is concentration. one of the prior steps is pranayama, the control of prana / chi through slow/stopped breathing.
What I know pranayama does: it slows down your mind, even if you can't concentrate well. it stabilizes the mind while holding the breath or suspending it. it generates a feeling of lightness and reduces appetite when done a lot (more than the few minutes I'm doing right now). it is only practiced after you can relax your body in a firm posture (asana) and not forcefully, with an easy feeling.
what pranayama is also supposed to do: cleanses the nerves and nadis / energy channels. balances ida and pingala, especially the alternate nostril breathing. siddhis like generating heat or levitating. |