Note: For the complete lessons, with additions, see the AYP Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living Books.

Lesson 241 - Smoothing Out Pranayama

From: Yogani
Date: Wed Dec 29, 2004 5:18pm

New Members: It is recommended you read from the beginning of the webarchive, as previous lessons are prerequisite to this one. The firstlesson is, "Why This Discussion?"


Q: I wanted to ask your advice on meditation. I quit it a long time ago and I haven't been able to get a handle on it since then. Maybe I haven't been putting in enough effort. None the less, I have a question for you. I hope you have the time to answer.

I try breathing exercises where I breathe in and out slowly and deeply. After I am done I feel good and my breathing feels more free and deep but while I do the breathing exercises I have a hard time with it because of the energy I feel. I feel as if energy is building up around my heart and filling up my head and my mind. The feeling gets a little too much because I don't know what to do with this energy, how to channel it. You probably have experienced this and you probably have had people ask you about this. Can you give me any feedback and advice on this?


A: The slow deep breathing is very good pranayama. To smooth out the energy flow you just need to trace the spinal nerve between brow and perineum with your attention -- up on the in-breath and down on the out-breath. Check the lesson series beginning at #39 for details. This procedure (spinal breathing) will balance the energies in your main nerve (sushumna) and thereby greatly reduce the tendency for jam-ups in the chest, head, and elsewhere. Many have experienced this balancing effect from spinal breathing, including those who came to AYP with serious kundalini problems. So the benefits are well known...

I should add that pranayama is best done as a preparation for easy deep meditation, for reasons given in the just-mentioned lessons.Pranayama is one thing. Meditation is something else. One is not a substitute for the other. Both are needed for optimal spiritual progress.

The time commitment is not very big -- only 20-30 minutes twice per day. If you can make it a steady habit like brushing teeth, bathing and eating, the benefits will accumulate naturally over time. That is all there is to it.

Wishing you all success on your chosen spiritual path. Enjoy!

The guru is in you.

Note: For detailed instructions on spinal breathing, see the AYP Spinal Breathing Pranayama book.

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