Mikhail Baranov
Prana is a primary vital energy (has Sanskrit root Ana meaning to revive, to vibrate and prefix pra meaning primary, standing ahead). Prana or vital force is characterized by movement (another variant of the origin of this word is pra - movement and na - constancy). All kinds of movement in a body are carried out by ten prana vayu. Vayu means wind, prana-vayu means vital winds; they personify all physical and mental functions. Circulation of ten pranas in a body is not chaotic, it is subjected to a certain order; when natural order of the movement is disturbed disbalance arises which is followed by disease. Ways of prana-vayu movement form a network of subtle energetic channels nadi; to be exact a network of nadi channels arises and exists due to the presence of prana. Impurity of nadi is expressed in turbidity of perception, a state when the mind is incapable to distinguish correctly. Reasons of impurity can be different starting from drugs and alcohol abuse up to adverse ecology and social stresses. The general result is inability to fully digest and acquire life impressions. Any vital activity of a person, whether it is a trench excavation or mathematical calculation of formulas for trench excavation, narcotic intoxication or meditation, is accompanied by corresponding nervous impulses. Difference between the mentioned states is not only in intensity of work of the brain, but also in a degree of sensible involvement into the process. Sensibleness does not appear just like this, but it is displayed as a result of steadiness of mind. Steadiness, or coolness, allows the mind to distinguish properly, not being involved in sensual reactions (pleasant - not pleasant). Depending on degree of coolness (which should not be confused with dullness generated by absence of sensitivity) it is possible to develop brain capabilities while excavating a trench if it is possible to keep concentration, to keep the mind on one point. Everything arises due to reasons and conditions. The concept of prana vayu illustrates interrelation of mental and physical processes. Prana, first of all, is expressed through breathing. A restless mind generates uneasy breathing and vice versa if breathing is unbalanced then mind is not concentrated. An excited mind tends to wander, wandering leads to dispersion of attention, inertness and automatism. Development of coolness in relation to distracting factors creates preconditions for deepening concentration on one object or process. Ancient yogis noticed that any action demanding mental concentration automatically calms down breathing, doing it more superficial, and on the contrary, intended lengthening of breathing promotes immersing into the state of concentration. Based on these observations a set of techniques appeared in yoga, in particular, pranayama, where control over breathing is used for creating favorable mental conditions and mental functions necessary for the occurrence of a steady concentration (pratyahara, dharana, dhyana) and, finally, samadhi. When breath is moving, then mind is also unstable. Constraining his breath a yogi reaches stability of mind (Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 2.2). Activity of prana vayu is counterbalanced by means of kumbhaka, thus prana supervises the mind, and therefore the basic method of pranayama is kumbhaka, a breath delay, or termination of inhales and exhales. Modern scientific researches show that active involvement of respiratory muscles promotes the state of wakefulness. Conditions ensuring physical health and mental balance are created by gradual development of control over pranamaya-kosha (an energy body).
Kumbhaka
When ten prana-vayu are free of impurities kevala-kumbhaka becomes possible (kevala means absolute, complete). It arises without any physical efforts of a practitioner, and in a context of hatha
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yoga practice it is identified with the state of samadhi. Until this moment sahita-kumbhaka is carried out (sahita supported). All hypoxic hatha yoga exercises concern to sahita-kumbhaka. Sahita-kumbhaka is used in training practice for purposes of clarifying prana-vayu and developing control over prana, it does not interfere and does not contradict its wide therapeutic application. Kumbha means a vessel. While performing breath delay a body becomes similar to a vessel filled with prana. Not to allow prana to flow out of a vessel bandhas are carried out. Bandha literally means a lock, contraction, retention, and also a dam, binding, thickening. Without proper application of bandhas performance of kumbhaka becomes ineffective and dangerous, and in cases of excessive enthusiasm it is fraught with serious psychosomatic disorders. In popular literature bandhas are often called energy locks as they promote energy accumulation in a body. We will try to understand how it happens.
Bandhas
On physical level bandha is fulfilled due to simultaneous contraction of several specific groups of muscles (thereupon meanings of the word bandha become clear - "a dam" and "thickening"). Dynamic performance of bandhas causes a micropump activity of skeletal muscles and thus amplifies local blood supply. It is well-known that there are three main bandhas: mula, uddiyana and jalandhara. They help to isolate the whole middle part of a body, and in this case the diaphragm plays the role of the main pump. Uddiyana-bandha causes a negative pressure in abdomen cavity, thorax and throat area and increases outflow of venous blood from internal organs, and thus, uddiyana plays a role of the second heart. At consecutive dynamic performance of uddiyana this effect amplifies and blood supply of tissues and organs considerably improves. Due to improved tissue breathing stagnant processes are prevented and detoxication is amplified. Muscular bandhas in other parts of a body operate in a similar way; the role of pumps is played by muscles located around the articulate complex. For example, janubandha is carried out at the expense of simultaneous contraction of muscles stabilizing a knee joint. Besides pelvis diaphragm, iliolumbar and abdominal muscles can be involved in mula-bandha. Pelvis diaphragm is easier to contract properly if pelvis "is closed" and mula-bandha is done with involvement of iliolumbar and abdominal muscles:
Intensifying blood circulation and movement of liquids is only one aspect of dynamic application of bandhas. Their main purpose is maintenance of kumbhaka which causes a local accumulation of carbonic gas, as a result an organism acquires oxygen better, and this is the effect of cellular breathing. Pranayama practice with the help of bandhas counterbalances the work of sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of CNS; the dynamics of breathing is being controlled, due to that even during long delays short length of breathing is being remained. For example, jalandhara-bandha is used on a delay after inhalation; signal coming from the carotid artery after it is influenced arrives to respiratory centre, causes the expansion of bronchi and decrease in frequency of palpitation.
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In due course work of endocrine systems also improves due to the optimization of work of vegetative nervous system and haemodynamic influence of bandhas on endocrine glands.
bandha receptors of the vagus nerve react on pressure rise in abdomen cavity, this signal arrives to the respiratory centre located in myelencephalon and as a result sympathetic tonus goes down, arterial pressure and pulse rate decrease. Effect from bahir-kumbhaka depends on a character of influence on the vagus nerve. For example, during agnisara-dhauti and nauli nervous receptors are irritated stronger, therefore palpitation, on the contrary, increases and mobilization of organism resources characteristic for stressful situations takes place. Proper application of uddiyana-bandha in asanas allows to better supervise dynamics of breathing without increasing a sympathetic tonus.
Side bendings do not lower sympathetic tonus; in this position uddiyana promotes the best stretching of sacroiliac muscles and ligaments in the basis of the back.
2. Back bendings and extensions: there are ways of entering bendings on inhalation and exhalation. The primary task while entering the bending on inhalation is to keep the lumbar extended as much as possible, that is possible if you manage to keep lumbar and pelvic muscles contracted - in other words if bending entrance is carried out on inhalation then mula-bandha should be done stabilizing the lumbar part. For the majority of beginners it is easier to control bandhas on exhalation, therefore for safe and correct mastering it is possible to use this variant, but without uddiyana-bandha.
3. Twisting Twists are carried out on exhalation, after the preliminary longitudinal extension of the column on inhalation. During the correct twisting lumbar part should remain extended and twisting in it should be minimum, therefore uddiyana and mula-bandhas use will be justified as they help to designate twisting borders in the lumbar.
If twisting is carried out with the use of arms then compression increases; an attempt to make uddiyana-bandha additionally increases compression which is fraught with traumas. Thus, uddiyanabandha serves as a natural limiter of twisting in lumbar part. In deep twistings antar-kumbhaka or deep diafragm breathing is used for decompression. 4. Combination of twisting and bending
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In those not numerous asanas where bending is combined with twisting and simultaneous extension of the column uddiyana-bandha can be done.
Bendings considerably raise the tonus of sympathetic nervous system, uddiyana-bandha, on the contrary, lowers it, helping to supervise breathing. In deep bendings, for example in chakrasana, it is extremely difficult to do uddiyana-bandha and in the most of the cases it is not needed, obviously, such variant can be used only by the advanced practitioners. 5. Twisting with bending Twisting in forward bending takes place not only in a well-known parivrita konasana, parivrita janushirshasana, and parivrita ardha chandranasana but also in a less known variant of parivrita prasarita padottanasana.
Twisting in bending is also used in forward bendings with twisting in coxofemoral joints.
A general prominent feature of this type of twistings is a strong extension in lumbar part that is why it will be effective to alternate mula-bandha and uddiyana-bandha at their performance. To be continued in Part 2 (next issue).
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