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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 04 2011 : 3:18:15 PM
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I was re-reading my AYP internet lessons book (I never fail to find something new when I come back to it, even when I think I've fully absorbed the lessons) and this part of lesson 46 caught my eye:
"...there will come a time when the breath suspends automatically with the lungs empty in connection with the internal biology of prana being released from its vast storehouse near the base of the spine. This will manifest as an emptying of the lungs and then a drawing up from near the bottom of the spine. We will learn means to facilitate this automatic drawing up process that occurs when the lungs are empty, so the attention will be near the bottom of the spine then and not at the top."
Firstly, this made me wonder whether the "drawing up" Yogani describes here is in fact part of or equivalent to natural vajroli, or the "release of sexual essences at the root" Yogani describes elsewhere.
It also brought me back to a question which I've gone back and forth on for a long time due to having practiced Qigong prior to finding AYP. That is, while I certainly understand that Yogani recommends going up with the attention on the inhale and down with the attention on the exhale, I'm still not 100% sure about the accompanying bodily movements--that is, if I focus on the root area when breathing I find that if I do "natural breathing" (stomach down and out on inhale and up and in on exhale) then I feel a gentle lifting in the area during the exhale and expansion downward during the inhale (sounds more like what Yogani's talking about). If I do "reverse breathing" (pull navel in and up on inhale and push down and out on exhale--kind of similar to what happens when blowing up a balloon, and also seemingly similar to navi kriya and the practice of uddiyana on inhale), however, then it seems to be the opposite.
Does this mean that for AYP spinal breathing, the standard is "natural breathing," i.e. abdomen expanding down and out on inhale and sucking in and up on exhale (even as we maintain mula bandha and uddiyana throughout?)? Or not necessarily? Also, I am guessing that the natural suspension of breath with lungs empty that Yogani describes here is not something we should actively "try" to do but just something that will naturally start happening as we progress? Thanks for any insight or ideas. :) |
Edited by - tamasaburo on Jul 04 2011 3:19:29 PM |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2011 : 5:06:43 PM
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Hi Tamasaburo.
The natural draw of prana from the root when the breath suspends after exhale is a part of the kundalini process and is not related to natural vajroli. It may not happen at all, as kundalini can awaken quite happily without any breath suspension.
With spinal breathing, if you add full yogic breathing then yes, the stomach comes out on inhale, and in on exhale. If you add mulabandha and uddiyana bandha then there is a slight contraction of the lower belly, even as the upper belly expands on inhale and contracts on exhale. It sounds more confusing than it is in practice. The best way is to add one thing at a time giving yourself weeks or months between each addition and then it all seems easy and simple.
And yes, do not actively try to suspend the breath on exhale as it is dangerous. When you get to yoni mudra kumbhaka (if you haven't already) you will be suspending after inhale (as with dynamic jalandara) and that is plenty of breath suspension in a safe manner.
Christi
p.s. natural vajroli is something which occurs over a longer time period (days and weeks), and is caused by an active kundalini combined with the bandhas and mudras and brahmacharya. |
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tamasaburo
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2011 : 10:27:17 AM
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| Thanks for the succinct summary, Christi. I've been vaguely bothered about this one for years now due to having started spiritual practice with a form of qigong that recommended reverse breathing even during meditation/pranayama-type practices, so that started to feel "normal" to me, especially given uddiyana and mula bandha. But the part about how the upper belly is expanding even as the lower belly is sucked in a bit makes a lot of sense. :) |
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Lesson 46, Natural Vajroli, and Which Way is Up...
