A Journey Into Yin Yoga

178 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA

become more powerful. Next, the student moves on to practicing retention

after the inhale. After the first three stages are mastered, the student may

practice the art of holding the breath at the end of the exhale.

This retention at the end of the exhale is the most difficult part for the

average person. It requires letting go. Many people are good at holding on,

and the letting go part can be challenging. Physically, the body becomes

smaller as we breathe out, and then the retention emphasizes that emptiness.

The ego doesn’t like to feel empty, small, and insignificant. Often, the resist-

ance that we feel during exhalation and retention is caused by the ego being

challenged. This part of the breathing practice has the opportunity to become

very transformative. It becomes a practical and visceral way of conquering

the ego, which is one of the great themes of yoga and meditation practice.

Anatomy of Breathing

The lungs and diaphragm are located inside the rib cage (see figure 6.1). The

diaphragm looks like a jellyfish or the top of a mushroom. The word diaphragm

comes from the Greek words for enclose and barricade. The diaphragm acts

as a divider separating the chest and the abdomen. The right half of the dia-

phragm is slightly higher than the left because of the position of the liver. The

Prana Vayus Within Pranayama

If you recall, in chapter 3, Subtle Anatomy of Yoga, we discussed the prana

vayus and that they exist throughout all of nature. They also exist within the four

parts of the breath. In fact, each part of the breath is correlated with a season.

Inhales are connected to Spring. Breath retention after inhales are connected

to Summer. Exhales are connected to Autumn. Retention after exhales are

connected to Winter. In this context, you can feel how the rhythm of breath is

connected to the rhythm of nature. Let’s explore how the prana vayus (page

40) are related to what the chest does during the breathing process:

• Udana vayu: On the inhale, the chest rises.


• Vyana vayu: At the top of the inhale, we hold the breath as the chest
  expands.


• Apana vayu: On the exhale, the chest lowers.


• Samana vayu: At the bottom of the exhale, we hold the breath as the
  chest contracts.


• Prana vayu: The cycle of breath continues and we sustain the circle of
  the breath.