Pranayama DVD by Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry is available now

June 16, 2005

The excellent Pranayama DVD by Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, India is available now.

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DVD ON PRANAYAMA BY ICYER

Ananda Ashram at ICYER has embarked on a project of putting out various DVDs related to applications of Gitananda Yoga. The first of these is a DVD on PRANAYAMA FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING that contains 25 evergreen Pranayama techniques of Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga Presented by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Chairman of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research, Pondicherry, South India. This is the first time the Pranayama etchings of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri are being presented for a worldwide audience through this new medium. The project is being produced by the well-known music company

SUPER AUDIO, Chennai and will be marketed by them all over the world.

The Pranayama project was shot at ICYER on the Yoga Sadhana Beach with 14 of the International students of ICYER and 10 members of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry.

A full day of filmy shooting got off to an early start with all members waking up to a 4 am call to get to the beach before the sun. The sunrise over the Bay of Bengal was captured while performing the Surya Prana Mudra to the Savitri rhythm. Vibhaga Pranayama, Nasarga Mukha Bhastrika, Surya and Chandra Pranayamas as well as the all time favorite Kukkriya Pranayama were all shot on the beach before coming indoors to shoot ten important Mudras used in Pranayamas.

All members of the Ashram had a terrific experience of the professionalism of the camera crew under the direction of Shri Muthu, the dynamic young director of Chennai. A new uniform with the ICYER emblem emblazoned on it was an apt dress for the group who worked together for the Pranava and Brahmari Pranayamas. The day was wrapped up with a round of Savitri Pranayama in Shavasana but before that stimulating interviews with Dr Nalini on benefits of Pranayama as well as an educative conclusion by Amma on the spiritual nature of Pranayama were all completed. Later Dr Ananda spent a 14-hour day in Chennai editing the DVD with a voice over to describe all the practices.

SYNOPSIS OF THE PRESENTATION

Pranayama, the science of controlled, conscious expansion of Prana (the life force) is the fourth limb of Classical Yoga. The art and science of Pranayama has immense therapeutic potential in a wide range of psychosomatic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. It can be used either as a monotherapy or in combination with Asanas and other aspects of Yoga.

Pranayama is of vital importance to any sincere Yoga practitioner trying to achieve the state of Yoga. Unless the mind is controlled, the higher aspects of Yoga are not possible and the best and only way to really control the mind is by regular, dedicated and determined practice of Pranayama with awareness, consciousness and purity of thought, word and deed.

Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri, one of the greatest Yoga Masters of the past century taught more than 120 Pranayamas in the RISHICULTURE ASTANGA YOGA system that is taught at that world famous International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER) at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry in South India.

INTRODUCTION TO PRANAYAMA

Yogacharya Dr. ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI

Dr. Ananda is a multifaceted personality who is a Yogacharya, Musical artiste and medical doctor with numerous awards to his credit. A gold medallist in preventive medicine he has published six books on Yoga as well as 15 scientific research papers on the benefits of Yoga. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the famous JIPMER hospital in Pondicherry. www.geocities.com/yognat2001

SECTION 1: SITTING POSTURES FOR PRANAYAMA

Vajra Asana, Sukha Asana and Padma Asana are described

SECTION 2: VIBHAGA PRANAYAMA (SECTIONAL BREATHING)

Sectional or lobular breathing is the “A, B, C” of Pranayama and is the beginning of good breath control. Here we learn to breathe into the low, mid and upper sections of the lungs in a proper manner. Vibhaga Pranayama is the conglomeration of lower chest breathing (Adham Pranayama), mid chest breathing (Madhyam Pranayama), upper chest breathing (Adyam Pranayama) and complete unified breathing (Mahat Yoga Pranayama).

SECTION 3: MUDRAS FOR PRANAYAMA

Chin Mudra, Chinmaya Mudra, Adhi Mudra, Brahma Mudra, Nasarga Mudra, Vishnu Mudra, Shanmuki Mudra or Yoni Mudra, Kaki Mudra, Kakachandra Mudra and Jihva Mudra

SECTION 4: HATHENAS: ASANAS TO HELP BREATHE BETTER

Hathenas are forcing techniques used to help the respective sections of the lungs to be enlarged, expanded, reconditioned and rejuvenated. Ushtra Asana, Matsya Asana, Bala Asana and Chatus Pada Asana with Vyagraha Pranayama are described.

SECTION 5: CLEANSING BREATHS:

Mukha Bhastrika, Anunasika Pranayama and Kukkriya Pranayama are described

SECTION 6: PRANAYAMAS FOR ACTIVATION:

Surya Pranayama and Kapalabhati are described

SECTION 7: COOLING DOWN

Sheetali Pranayama and Sitkari Pranayama are described

SECTION 8: CONTEMPLATION AND MEDITATION:

Pranava Pranayama, Bhramari Pranayama and the Savitri Pranayama with Surya Prana Mudra are described in this section

SECTION 9: STRESS RELIEF AND RELAXATION:

Nasarga Mukha Bhastrika, Chandra Pranayama, Bhujangini Mudra, Aloma Viloma Pranayama and Savitri Pranayama in Shavasana are described in this section

CLASSIFICATION AND BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA

Interview with Yogacharini DR NALINI DEVI

Dr Nalini, a medical doctor and well-trained Yogacharini is director of the Gitananda Yoga centre at Ibiza in Spain. She has been teaching Yoga actively for the past decade and is a visiting faculty member of the ICYER. http://www.gitanandaYoga.net

SPIRITUAL VALUE OF PRANAYAMA

Interview with Yogacharini MEENAKSHI DEVI BHAVANANI

Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani is popularly known as Amma and is one of the foremost Yogacharinis in the Modern Yoga World. She is the director of ICYER and has more than 36 years of Sadhana and extensive teaching to her credit. She has written a dozen books on Yoga as well as is an acclaimed poetess and journalist. She has received numerous national and international awards for her dedicated service for the cause of classical Yoga. She is an expert in the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, under the Health Ministry, Government of India, New Delhi and also a member of the Academic Council of the Pondicherry University. www.geocities.com/yognat2001/amma

ICYER recommends this DVD to all its alumni as well as encourages them to recommend it to their students in order to grasp the importance of this vital practices that is much neglected in the modern Yoga world.

For further details on the Pranayama DVD please contact SUPER AUDIO (MADRAS) Pvt. Ltd. www.musicandchants.com

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