BREATH ONE PRANAY09.TXT *********************************************************************** Pranayama practices are breathing exercises that originate from the east and are part of various types of yoga practice. One of the most common and beneficial pranayama practices is the alternating breath. This is especially beneficial before meditation to calm the mind, balance one's internal energies or when having trouble failing asleep at night. It works on the principle that the right and left nostrils correspond to the right and left hemispheres of the brain, as well as to the energy channels of the spine (ida, pingala, and shushumna). There is a whole system known as Swar Yoga, which is based on this principle, and allows people to perform all daily functions at the time of maximum potential, depending on which nostril (and therefore brain hemisphere) is predominating. Breath One is to be practiced as a prelude to meditation each and ever and every day. Breath one can also be practiced as a stand alone practice once each and every day. The method for the Alternating Breath part one is as follows: First, with your right hand you should place your thumb gently on the right side of your nose, and either the index or middle finger gently on the left side of the nose. Exhale slowly, then: Close the left nostril with whichever finger you are using and inhale slowly through the right nostril until your lungs are full. Hold the inhaled breath by plugging the right nostril for a second or two. Then open the left nostril and exhale through it until the lungs are empty. Now reverse the process and inhale through the already opened left nostril, plug and hold, and open the right nostril and exhale through it. This is considered one "round", and you should do ten rounds at one sitting. After 3 weeks of doing Breath One part one, each and every day, you change and do Breath One part two, each and every day. Breath One part two: First, with your right hand you should place your thumb on the right side of your nose, and either the index or middle finger on the left side of the nose. Close the left nostril with whichever finger you are using and inhale slowly through the right nostril for a count of four. Hold the inhaled breath by plugging the right nostril for a count of four. Then open the left nostril and exhale through it For a count of four. Now reverse the process and inhale through the already opened left nostril, plug and hold, and open the right nostril and exhale through it. After 6 weeks of doing this every day, change the count to inhale 4, hold 8, exhale 4. After 6 weeks of using the above count, change toe count to inhale 4, hold 16, exhale 8. [Breathing exercises beyond this one and the kriya breathing exercises, available from me, should be explored with the assistance of a qualified Yoga Teacher. -- ganashyam das]