Pranyama practice - advice required

[Guest guest]

Hey all,

 

I have a question regarding Pranyama practice - perhaps an advanced

yogi/yogini may be able to offer advice here?

 

I've recently stared investigating this side of yoga and face a bit

of a dillema.

 

I want to develop a deeper sense of grounding, intuition, and

connection and have been advised that a regular pranyama practice is

the way to do this (in addition to my regular Asana practice - of

which I do 4 days a week). Anyway I have come accross 2 distinct

styles of Pranyama:

 

(1) The Ashtanga style of Pranyama......

- warm-up with Sama Vrithi for a few minutes

then move on to.....

-Inhale deeply into chest, sides and back, whilst holding Mullah and

Udiyahna bandah contractions through-out.

-Contract Jalanda bandha at top of inhale and perform a Kumbakha -

retention of breath for a count of 15

-Release jalanda bandha and exhale steadily (matching the rate of the

inhale)

-At the end of the exhale contract Jalandar bandha and perform

another Kumbakha - pause for a count of 10 before starting the inhale

-and continue the cycle again (approx 10mins daily)

There are different variations of this method - but you get the

general idea.

 

(2) The Heart Yoga style of pranyama.......(this method was

recomended to me by a relative who practices this style)

-Inhale deeply through the nose, and as you do, imagine there is a

ball of light/energy spinning just below your navel. Inhale by first

expanding your ribs, and as your inhale progresses, finish the inhale

by pushing your belly OUT.

 

-When you inhale, imagine the energy moves in a SOFT line, down the

front of the body til it reaches the point about two finger widths

below your navel (udiyana bandha?) and then it moves inside your body

to pool there. The energy on the inhale is soft, soft, SOFT...receive.

 

-Pause for just a moment when you are done with the inhale. This

pause on retention (kumbakha?) will give you just the briefest(at

first) moment of total internal silence. THE PAUSE IS PERHAPS THE

MOST IMPORTANT PART.

 

-Now, exhale, again through your nose. EXHALE BY PULLING YOUR BELLY

TOWARD YOUR SPINE.

When you exhale, imagine the strong energy is now moving right up the

center of your spine, from the base of your spine all the way up to

the center of your brain-core and then out through the top of your

head. When you are finished exhaling, PAUSE at the end of the exhale,

BEFORE you begin the next inhale.

(approx 10mins daily).

 

Can any pranyama specialists offer me any advice as to which method I

start persuing, as they are both very different in relation to

treatment of the inhale - udiyana contracted vs belly soft? Like I

said my aims are for grounding, Connection, and greater intuition. If

the Ashtanga method will achieve this then I will gladly follow that

path as its compatible with my asana practice too.

 

Smile,

 

Fraction8r