A guide for teachers leading pranayama practice.
A good order for building up pranayama practice is as follows…
Lying down
In building your practice viloma begins with an in breathm and ujjayi with extended out.
- Rechka and puraka in and out practice
- Rechaka and Puraka in Ujjayi
- Ujjayi deep in/ ext out
- Ext in/deep out
- Ext in and out
- Viloma (ujjayi base)
- Viloma in deep out
- Deep in/ viloma out
- Viloma in and out
Seated
- Ujjayi, as above
- Then with retention (after in breath sahita antara kumbhaka/ deliberate internal retention, then after the out breath sahita bahya kumhaka, deliberate external retention)
- Then retention with bandhas after just in then just out then after both together (mula/root on the sahita antara kumbhaka and ujjayi/flying up on the sahita bahya kumbhaka)
- Viloma then with retention, as above
- Anuloma all stages, including those practised with Viloma in order
- Pratiloma as above
- Bhramari is suitable at most places and for most levels. It is particularly good at the end of a session and particularly seated in Sanmukhi mudra.
Check points if headaches or irritability are occurring…
- Forceful?
- Posture?
- Too long?
- Running before walking, too advanced too soon?
- Eyes open?
- Lying down retention?