The practice of concentration and Pranayama are interdependent. If you practice Pranayama, you will have concentration. Natural Pranayama follows the practice of concentration. A Hatha Yogi practices Pranayama and then controls the mind. He rises from a lower to a higher level; whereas a Raja Yogi practices concentration and thus controls Prana. He comes down from a higher level. They both meet on a common platform in the end. There are different practices for different temperaments. For some the practice of Pranayama is easier to start with, for others the practice of concentration.
There is neither rhythm nor harmony in the breathing of worldly-minded persons. A Yogi practices regulation of breath to establish harmony. When the breath is regulated, when there is harmony, the breath will be moving within the nostrils. The fruit of regulation of breath is Kumbhaka. The breath stops by itself when Kevala Kumbhaka (absolute and pure retention of breath) follows. The mind becomes quite steady. Then Samadhi (superconscious state) supervenes. Regulation of breath and Kumbhaka are of tremendous help in the practice of concentration and meditation.
Dear child! Take sole refuge in Pranayama. Be interested in the practice of Kumbhaka alone, if the mind is solely turned towards Pranayama. The Bhagavad-Gita says: “Pranayama-parayanah—solely absorbed in the control of breathing.” Take due precautions at every step. The practice of Kumbhaka produces tremendous heat in the body and thereby the Kundalini is roused and sent upwards along the Sushumna to the crown of the head.
Before I begin to deal with the various Pranayama exercises, I propose to give some preliminary instructions, which would enable you to practice them without any difficulty and attain quick success in Yoga. The following are the most important:—
(1) All the instructions given in the last lesson hold good here also. You will have to use your common-sense and discretion throughout the practice of Yoga.
(2) The rule of celibacy will ensure quicker and better results. Those who cannot observe this rule very strictly for one reason or another, should be very, very moderate in copulation.
(3) Be regular and systematic in your practices.
(4) A small cup of milk or fruit-juice can be taken with much advantage before the commencement of the practice, and another cup of milk and some light tiffin half an hour after the practice.
(5) Do not miss your practice even a single day except when you are seriously ailing from some disease.
(6) To start with, do mild Pranayama with Puraka and Rechaka only for a month. A rigid Pranayama-practitioner should abstain from all solid food. You can practice Pranayama while walking also. This will suit some busy persons who have not much time to spare.
(7) Practise the various exercises prescribed below one by one, step by step. Never be in a hurry. Never go beyond your capacity. Do not take up the higher exercise before completely mastering the previous one. This is the master-key to achieve success in Pranayama.
(8) There should be a feeling of joy and exhilaration after the Pranayama is over.
(9) Do not twist the facial muscles while doing Kumbhaka.
(10) Do not take bath for at least half an hour after the Pranayama exercises are over.
(11) Avoid as much as you can too much talking, eating, sleeping, mixing with friends and all exertion.
(12) Do not expect fruit after doing Pranayama for 2 or 3 minutes only for a few days. At least you must practice for 15 minutes daily in the beginning for some months.
(13) Success in Pranayama can be gauged by the duration of Kumbhaka. By slow and steady practice you will be able to retain the breath for at least 5 minutes. Real concentration of mind ensues when the breath is suspended.
(14) If you want rapid progress in Pranayama, you must have four sittings daily, at 4 a.m., at midday, at 4 p.m., and at midnight. You must do 4×80=320 Kumbhakas altogether.
(15) As there is always some drowsiness and laziness when you get up from bed, do a few Kumbhakas just to drive off the drowsiness and to make yourself fit for meditation.
In the first stage of Pranayama you will have perspiration of the body. You will experience a tremor of the body in the second stage. In the third stage levitation manifests. In the final stage the Prana goes to the Brahmarandhra (the Hole of Brahma) at the top of the head. Sometimes the practitioner may jump like a frog. When you perspire, do not use a towel to wipe off the perspiration. Rub it well on the body itself with your hands. This will give firmness and lightness to the constitution.
Exercise
I
(a) Sit on your favourite Asana before your Beloved Deity in your meditation room. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and slowly inhale through the left nostril as long as you can do with ease and comfort. Then exhale through the same nostril (Feel that all the divine qualities such as love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy and knowledge enter your system along with the inspired air, and that all the devilish qualities such as lust, greed, anger and Avidya are thrown out along with the expired air. Also repeat mentally OM or SOHAM or any other Sacred Word given by your Guru during Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka. This is the traditional method of doing Pranayama. This is the best method). Do this half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round daily to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12.
(b) Inhale through the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the little and ring fingers of the right hand just in the same manner as you did before. Then exhale through the same nostril. Do this half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round daily to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12.
II
Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the little and ring fingers of the right hand and exhale through the right nostril after removing the thumb. Inhaling again through the right nostril and closing it with the thumb, exhale through the left nostril. Do in this manner half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round in the morning and one in the evening to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12 according to your capacity.
III
Inhale through both the nostrils as much as you can and exhale through both the nostrils in the same manner. Repeat this twelve times. This will constitute one round. Start with one round and increase the number of rounds gradually to six.
IV
Draw the air in through both the nostrils as much as you can, retain it as long as you can, and then exhale as much as you can. Repeat this process twelve times. This will constitute one round. Start with one round and increase the number of rounds to six gradually.
V
Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the ring and little fingers of the right hand, retain the breath as long as you can comfortably do, and exhale through the right nostril by removing the thumb. Now half the process is over. Drawing again the air through the right nostril, and retaining it as before. exhale it through the left nostril by removing the ring and little fingers. These six processes constitute one Pranayama. Do 20 such Pranayamas in the morning and 20 in the evening to start with and gradually increase the number to 80.
If you wish to have time-unit, inhale till you count 1 OM; retain the breath till you count 4 OMs and exhale till you count 2 OMs. Observe the ratio 1:4:2. You may either use the left hand fingers for counting or mentally remember the numbers. In the second week increase the ratio to 2:8:4; in the third to 3:12:6, and so on and so forth until you reach the maximum of 20:80:40. While increasing the ratio, if you find it hard to retain the breath, have the same practice for two or three weeks more until the capacity and strength to increase the ratio further are gained. Let there be no suffocation during the practice.
