Preparation for prān. āyāma, the yoga art of breathing
Once you have mastered these preparatory tech-
niques with sufficient awareness you can practice
them without using your hands. Gradually more
and more of these details can be integrated into one
breath.Deep inhalation supine
Start with normal fine, subtle inhalation. Maintain
the softness in your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and
skin of the face; gradually integrate the following
sensations into one breath:
• slight contraction of the anterior lower
abdominal wall, as if you were moving gently
from this abdominal wall through the underlying
muscles and organs towards the lumbar
spine and the diaphragm. This movement
can be seen and felt on the lower abdominal
wall
• expansion of the upper lumbar area and the
area of the floating ribs
• elevation and expansion of the lower ribcage
• elevation and expansion of the middle and
upper ribcage
• gentle stretching sensation of the skin over the
clavicles.
In summary the inhalation goes from the lower
abdomen through all layers of the body to the skin
over the clavicles.Deep exhalation supine
The exhalation is mainly a passive rebound. In
prāāyāma special emphasis is placed on slow and
smooth exhalation to calm the mind. This slow,
controlled exhalation is achieved by keeping the
upper chest lifted at the start of exhalation, only
slowly releasing the intercostal muscles in this area.
To slow down the recoil of the floating ribs, control
the lumbar area. At the end of exhalation let the
lower abdomen be relaxed to finish the exhalation
smoothly and prepare for the movement starting at
the lower abdomen with the beginning of inhalation.
Even if you are not able to keep the upper chest
lifted while breathing out, just feeling the area soft
and listening to the inner sound of breath helps to
slow down exhalation.In summary the exhalation can be felt from the
upper chest to the lower abdomen through all layers
of the body.Deep inhalation sitting
Sit as explained above for the correct sitting pos-
ture. Slightly lift yourself from the lower abdo-
men or from your center of gravity deep inside
the pelvis. Start inhalation by widening the lumbar
area and the costal arches, then lift the lower and
middle ribs, the sternum, the upper ribs, and the
clavicles. Move your shoulder blades apart slightly.
An important source for lifting the sternum is the
slight back-bending of the thoracic spine. The dis-
tance between the thoracic spine and the sternum
is increased.
As an alternative to bending the head towards the
throat, it can be kept upright. A subtle adjustment
of the head on the cervical spine, slightly lengthen-
ing the head away from the neck, keeping the chin
on the same level, helps to correct the posture if
the head is kept upright. This adjustment frees the
area of the medulla oblongata where the center for
respiratory control is located. Furthermore this head
movement supports the lifting of the sternum and
upper chest, so it is a useful correction at the end of
inhalation and the beginning of exhalation.
Integrating these fine adjustments and sensations
into normal quiet breathing leads towards deeper
inhalation. Practice for 5–10 minutes. If this causes
any irritation, just continue normal breathing. If you
are exhausted, continue normal breathing in the
supine, supported position.Deep exhalation sitting
As mentioned before, exhalation starts with holding
the upper chest lifted, supported by upwards move-
ment of the back of the head, if you practice with
your head straight. The final effect is that the down-
ward movement of the ribs becomes slower; exhala-
tion itself becomes slower and smoother. Avoiding
or slowing down the downward movement with
exhalation corresponds to the movement of the dia-
phragm towards the head. This movement can be
followed mentally in the inner chest. Moving the
center of the diaphragm upwards creates a length
between this center and the center of the pelvic floor.Preparation for prān. āyāma, the yoga art of breathing