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brighteyes
USA
7 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 4:38:34 PM
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Hello all,
This is my first post here, but I have been coming to this site for a while and practicing its teachings for just as long. This place is amazing and I thank Yogani and all of you guys for sharing all of this knowledge. Some of the things I have learned here are absolutely priceless, and I can't express how glad I am that this place exists.
Anyways,
My question has to do with breathing. This is by far the most confusing thing for me. What I don't understand is why we practice breathing exercises if the goal is to breath less. It seems that every time I practice breathing, my heart rate speeds up and I become really anxious. It takes a while to recover from this state, and I mostly do this by practicing breath holding exercises where I regain proper co2 levels. I mean, I do see some of the benefits from breathing, like feeling cleansed, but other than that, all they do is seem to cause trouble for me. I understand that respiration is kind of counter intuitive, in where if you breathe more you are actually getting less oxygen, so how do breathing exercises, especially ones like bhastrika benefit us? I feel like I am hyperventilating. In spinal breathing, is imagining the energy traveling up and down the spine without breathing sufficient? |
Edited by - brighteyes on Nov 30 2010 5:27:32 PM |
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bewell
1275 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 6:52:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by brighteyes
...It seems that every time I practice breathing, my heart rate speeds up and I become really anxious. It takes a while to recover from this state, and I mostly do this by practicing breath holding exercises where I regain proper co2 levels.
Brighteyes
Welcome to AYP.
About Spinal Brathing Pranayama
http://www.aypsite.org/41.html
Yogani writes: "Be relaxed and easy about it, breathing as slowly and deeply as possible without discomfort. There is no need to be heroic."
In your situation, I suggest that you let your breathing be natural, and eventually as relaxed like when you are sleeping well. Just notice your natural breath, and do not try to control it. Combine that with the spinal visualization technique. If the breath naturally slows down or even stops a bit, then let the visualization slow down or stop a bit too. In any case, let the visualization follow the breath.
Voluntary breath suspension exercises are options for later; for after you have a stable, comfortable routine of SBP.
Give this a try and let us know how it goes |
Edited by - bewell on Nov 30 2010 7:10:22 PM |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 7:19:20 PM
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Hi brighteyes,
there are many reasons:
Your body needs oxygen, gross and subtle life energy to function which it gets through breathing, eating and sleeping. If the body is purified enough, it can function on a very refined level where it gets everything directly without phyical means. People in breathless and even pulseless samadhi have shown this again and again.
Meanwhile, till this is possible, you can use breathing techniques and purify the system without damaging it.
There were times where I practiced kumbhakka, meaning holding the breath for 30-60 minutes per day. Not in one doing, but as an addition of many kumbhaks. This lead to immense purification and as a consequence also to "whole day" kevala kumbhakkas. Meaning the breath stopped out of itself for longer and longer periods again and again. Good part was "welcome to heaven". Bad part was, my body looked extreme pale, like I am dead and many things did not function the way they should. So overall health, even if it seemed to be feelingly perfect, it was totally the opposite.
Much later I found out that it is possible to cleanse the system and enter the same paradise with a totally healthy body on all levels.
This is one important part. The other has to do with the link of breath - prana - mind - and semen:
If you control one, you control all, cause all are linked intimately. Breath slowly, thougths slow down, semen remains still, pure bliss awareness can pour out inbetween and the body is not forced to states which it can't handle yet.
Also, if you move your attention, mind moves too, which again moves prana and semen.
Knowing this and knowing what hinders you to realize the absolute truth, you can progress step by step with a happy body-mind-complex on the way. Sure some or even many disturbances will happen, but with tested methods all will stay in more or less handlable states.
What you have experienced so far is normal and gets better. When it comes to your kumbhak experience, as the astral states get calm they force the phyical to calm down too. My experience was, it doesn't work healthily for too long. You can try it out and see how it goes.
My body openes up best with a lot of slow SBP and just a little bit of maha-mudra kumbhak. Even yoni-mudra-kumbhak is too much.
Oh and after having done a good sequence of SBP and DM, kevala kumbhak also starts to happen but without unhealthy physical side effects.
To succesfully go the way only with kumbhak, you have to adjust your diet perfectly to nearly liquid fresh food only and best live in nature with a lot of vegetation and sun. I couldn't do this due to my living situation, age (and material dependency) and other cheaty mind reasons =)
A long post, sorry for this. You have to find out some things for yourself. Hope this saves valuable time. It took me 2-3 years to get it =P. Wish you the best :)
Edit: If you practice SP without the B, you move the prana within the body together with the mind within the spinalcord which will purify the sushumna too. The problem is, after some time the breath will stopp without a body being rdy for this over the long term (in the beginning phases). Sure, noone knows your body and current situation of cleansing better then you. And not to forget, breathing in and out means inreasing the amount of prana within the body and that extra prana also follows your attention and helps rubbing out the karmic imprints within the spine. The technique was desined from people or even godly beings who were in ultra high awareness mode and saw every cause and effect on all levels while designing the elements. Trying out is ok, it shows you that the existing methods are already very very good =P One just needs to practice them correctly for some time to see the good results. And one day, when you have godly awareness again, you can try to find out a more efficient and applicable method. |
Edited by - Holy on Nov 30 2010 7:38:25 PM |
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brighteyes
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 10:25:22 PM
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| Wow thanks Holy, awesome response. I know what you are talking about when you feel 'dead' from holding the breath too long. I have experienced that paleness too. I just can't seem to figure out whether it is better to breathe more or to breathe less. There are so many different people saying different things. I suppose I will just have to figure it out for myself. How do you feel about practices like holotropic breathwork or rebirthing? If you don't know what that is it is basically rapid breathing for long periods of time, essentially an induced hyperventilation. |
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bewell
1275 Posts |
Posted - Dec 01 2010 : 10:13:11 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by brighteyes
There are so many different people saying different things. I suppose I will just have to figure it out for myself.
Yup |
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brighteyes
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - Dec 01 2010 : 5:00:59 PM
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yup  hehe |
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Question about breathing
