My query is regarding Pranayama. Basically I am 26 years old and i recite mantras loudly everyday since past 4 weeks. So i recite a mantra exhaling and inhale deeply to recite the mantra again with the next exhalation of breath. So my mantra japa is similar to pranayam. I do it for 20 minutes daily but i have observed that i get tired and my body feels choked with air and aches too. I have read that doing excessive pranayama can damage the body. So i want to know that was it okay to start with 20 minutes of pranayama or was that too much ? Have i harmed my body and can the damage be repaired ? Please suggest ways to recover any nervous damages or any other damages that could have been incurred due to this.
The pranayama will energize the body and the meditation will cultivate stillness... you know the prana/shakti and the Shiva/stillness aspects of us. Since you have just started out and have not yet settled into any practices, why don't you give AYP a try. Read from here and see if the writings resonate with you http://www.aypsite.org/10.html
Yes I agree with Shanti above. we do pranayama less forcefully and with the attention on prana, and both directions. Also our mantra is not said out loud, and is separated from pranayama. So the way you are doing it can cause unbalance both from speaking out loud and from the resulting emphasis on exhalation. The good news is that if you follow Shanti's advice recovery should be very fast.
As an addition, the damage is no problem for your system. Relax some days and it is fine again.
When it comes to efficient working spiritual practices, the best is always to look after people who have done practices and with what kind of results.
There are some good approaches, AYP being surely one of them. There are also infinite random-style practices created from xy people on the net with exactly so-so results.
Your age is still perfect for the best of practices.
Starting with 20 minute pranayama harmful ?
Posted - Apr 17 2011 : 12:38:27 AM
