Breath of Fire

[Guest guest]

Kundaliniyoga, "yakovg1 <yakovg@c...>"

<yakovg@c...> wrote:

> I didn't find explanation of breath of fire. Could you explain me

> what it is, please!

 

See: kundalini yogapranayam.html

 

"Breath of Fire (Agni-Prasana)

A cleansing & energising breath, powered by abdominal contractions

 

Once the diaphragm is felt during Long Deep Breathing then there are

a couple of ways in which one can begin to do Breath of Fire, where

the air is pulled in and pumped out very rhythmically, just like

pumping a bellows, without any tension being felt whatsoever on the

abdominal muscles, chest and rib cage muscles or shoulders, which

remain relaxes throughout the breath, so that it may almost seem that

you can continue the rhythm indefinitely with little effort at all.

 

One way to start Breath of Fire, which was the way I learned it some

30 years ago, is to start with long deep breathing, then as soon as

the lungs are completely expanded, as described earlier, to

immediately force the air out, and as soon as most of the air is out

to immediately expand the air back in, each time arching the spine

forwards and pressing the palms inward against the knees in a light

manner to feel the diaphragm filling the lungs from the back to the

front completely, then contracting again.

 

With each breath one expands a bit faster and contracts a bit faster

until without expanding or contracting completely, a rhythm is felt,

and you let that rhythm take over.

 

You might liken it to an old model locomotive where the wheels lurch

forwards until some steam and speed is built up, then suddenly the

train is moving forward almost effortlessly, with each breath like

the chugging sound of the locomotive.

 

The other way to get into the rhythm of the Breath of Fire for some,

may be to immediately go to a powerful rhythmic breath, just by

visualizing the bellows like nature of the diaphragm.

 

Either way, from that point on you can make the Breath of Fire very

powerful or very light.

 

The Breath of Fire is not the same as Bastrika, which is a light fast

rhythmic breath, usually taught as one of the pranayamas in hatha

yoga.

 

Nor is the Breath of Fire like Kabalabati, which is a forceful

breath, where you contract the abdomen and rib cage (pulling on the

root lock with each contacting breath), where the simple relaxing of

the rib cage brings the air back into the lungs, without inhaling,

and you force the air out again (also in a rhythmic manner).

 

While Kapalabati is very powerful and beneficial, and while it is

used in many KY Kriyas, it is not the same as Breath of Fire.

 

Breath of Fire will entirely charge the nervous system, causing the

glands to secrete and purify the blood. When it is done with certain

postures and movements, which are meant to put contracting (drawing

in) or expanding (releasing) pressure in nerve plexuses and glandular

centers, those areas are made to fire and become completely charged.

 

As an area becomes charged, the sexual (seminal) fluids are released

into the bloodstream and flow to those charged areas, so that

gradually those areas will maintain that charge and pranic pressure

builds throughout the body converting Bindu (Tamasic and Rajasic

energy) to Ojas (Satvic energy), which fills and permeates the entire

body and mind.

 

Bit by bit, over a period of just a few weeks of sets and kriyas

combining posture, movement, breath, sound and locks, the entire body

will begin to feel magnetically electric and etheric, as the field

becomes balanced with an inward dynamo-like force.

 

As this charge builds and polarizes, the mind becomes very still,

very clear and bright, and a radiance is felt in and through and

around the body and head.

 

The feeling of the stressful need to think and act and to be

the "doer" begin to recede, as the mind becomes more receptive and

open to notice that there seems to be an almost automatic

connectedness between one's aims and events and experiences that come

to fulfill them. The feeling of a natural ever present oneness begins

to emerge as a clearer always existing reality.

 

Little by little, outward tendencies of the mind towards the physical

and mental begin to fade, and one abides in one's satvic presence -

spacelike, pervasive, without the sense of me or mine - the Self-

Effulgent Heart, where "I AM" is the single Truth.

 

The practice of Kundalini Yoga with the natural awareness and rhythm

of the diaphragm in Long Deep Breathing and Breath of Fire allows the

postures and kriyas to have the greatest and most complete effect in

bringing the satvic field to the point where the Self recollects

Itself and abides without attention in one's True Name - Sat Nam.

 

Try these breaths out this way and see what happens."

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

Breath of fire is a rhytmic exhalation through the nose, while pumping the navel

firmly toward the spine. An easy way to learn is to do the "puppy pant". Get

your tongue out like a dog, and pant as hard as you can. Your navel will

naturally be pumping. Feel that solid pumping of the navel, then close your

mouth and continue pumping the navel, it actually can feel like you are snapping

the navel back, while you are rhytmically exhaling through the nose. It's very

easy to become arhythmic when you are beginning. Don't worry about going too

fast at first. Focus on synchronizing the exhalation with the navel.

For women, no breath of fire if you are in the first 3 days of your cycle, or if

pregnant or lactating.

I hope this helps,

Amar Kaur