THE SCIENCE OF BREATH

Breathing Basics
Of all the vital functions none is more essential to life than the simple act of breathing. We
can cling to life for weeks without food, days without water but only minutes without breath.
In the breath is the most vital strand of life. As anyone who has been in a hospital knows,
blood oxygen is the most vital of vital signs. Of particular interest to the practitioner of Yoga
and Martial Arts is the body paradox that breathing is simultaneously under both autonomic
or involuntary control and voluntary control. Without conscious thought or effort an average
person at rest cycles the breath 11-15 times per minute exchanging approximately 500 cubic
centimeters of air each. Without thought or training or conscious intervention, the rate and
depth of breathing will automatically adjust to the level of physical exertion to maintain
adequate blood oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal through some 300 million
diaphanous alveoli throughout the 5 lobes of the lungs (2 on the left three on the right). A
complex interplay between the efciency of the entire circulatory system, respiratory system
and the biochemical processes of energetic metabolism, determine ones level of overall tness.
Whether a sprinter, marathoner, professional ghter or sedentary armchair spectator you are,
a complex feedback loop of chemoreceptors and neurological circuits keep respiration in
synch with your bodys demands. Poor respiration makes larger demands on the heart. Poor
circulation and heart action require the lungs to work harder.
Observe yourself breathing for a moment. Notice the pattern. Inhale, slight pause, exhale.
Notice more. Is the pause long or short? Are the inhales and exhales smooth and even? Is the
ow of breath evenly distributed between both nostrils? Is one side more open than the
other? Now notice how simple it is to gain conscious control of the rate and depth of the
breath. You can hold the breath in, or out, for a brief time, you can speed it up or slow it
down, you can expand your lungs from various parts of your abdomen and thorax. Now
remember a time your were excited, terried, in love, or nervous. There were sighs, gasps and
breathlessness. The quality of your emotional state a has a profound effect on the breath.
Similarly, the quality of the breath has a profound effect on the mind and emotion.
Common phrases such as I held my breath in anticipation. I gasped at the sight. It was an
inspiration. Are all indicative of the interplay between mind and breath. Why is this so? And
how is the breath used as a tool in the practice of Yoga and Martial Arts? Read on.
Control of The Breath
The nervous system is divided into the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) and THE
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS). The PNS is further divided into the voluntary
or Somatic system and the involuntary, visceral or AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
(ANS). The ANS is the bodys autopilot and has two branches: Sympathetic and
Parasympathetic. The ANS keeps everything running smoothly from respiration and
circulation to digestion and elimination. The ANS also keeps the balance between action and
rest, ght-or-ight and equipoise and meditation. Of special interest is a very special ANS
nerve called the Vagus. Vagus means wanderer, aptly named as its branches are distributed
throughout all the major organs of the body including the lungs. Nerve endings in the
bronchial tree inside the lungs begin to re upon inhalation. Afferent or sensory bers of the
Vagus nerver get this message and initiate exhalation. The Vagus also innervates the heart
where it regulates its rate and power of beating.
Although by no means a complete explanation, the fact that the breath can be consciously
controlled, provides a window into the normally uncontrollable ANS. By regulation of the
breath the ANS can be indirectly coaxed into relaxing the body and calming the mind. This
principle alone will provide you with a new degree of mastery over yourself including the
ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
Attend again to the simple act of breathing. Place one hand on the naval and the other on
sternum. Notice the movement of the hands upon inspiration and exhalation. Now notice the
expansion of the torso from front to back and sideways. You are becoming aware of the
kinesiology of breathing. HOW and WHEN you breath is central to Yoga and Martial Arts
practices. Observe the breath again as it passes the nostrils. Notice the difference between
the ow in each nostril. It is likely that one will be more open and dominant. If you check it
again in an hour the dominance is likely to have changed. This is also a function of the ANS
which regulates the erectile tissues of the turbinates inside the nasopharynx. The 3 pairs of
turbinates lter incoming air and resonate the voice. Nostril dominance has been correlated
with activity of the contralateral hemispheres of the brain. But I digress only to show that
subtleties abound.
More Details
The prime mover for respiration is the dome-like sheet of muscle that separates the thoracic
from the abdominal cavities of the body. When contracted, the dome attens thereby
increasing the thoracic volume, creating a vacuum for inspiration. When the hand on your
naval moves outward it is an expression of the diaphragmatic inspirational movement as it
presses against the abdominal organs. But this is only part of the story.
The lungs t snugly into the thoracic cavity lling it from clavicles to diaphragm neatly
wrapping around the heart which is askew to the left gliding against the double membrane of
the pericardium. The 12 pair of ribs protect the thoracic cavity and also aid in respiration
through the warp and weave of intracostal muscles. No yogic breath is complete without
recruiting this network of so-called accessory breathing muscles. A complete Yogic breath
requires lifting the sternum and clavicles followed by diaphragmatic contraction and an all-
around expansion of the thoracic cavity via contraction of the intracoastals. Think of a paint
bucket handle. As you lift the handle away from the bucket a space opens. This is how the ribs
move. Learning to properly use the diaphragm, the intracostals and the tiny muscles of the
nasopharynx, form the foundation of breath control. Complete, controlled, smooth, slow
breathing will enable you to relax, have more aerobic capacity and generate greater power
and balance in all movement.
Two Misconceptions
Yogic breathing gets you more oxygen. Wrong. If your blood oxygen saturation drops much below
99% you would be running to the ER or ascending Everest. Great breathing might boost
your blood oxygen by a few tenths of a percent but the overall effects are much more
complex. Breathing exercises impact your heart rate, blood levels of CO2 and entire nervous
system. Deep breathing and/or forms of hyperventilation lowers blood CO2, which decreases
the rate of respiration, constricts blood ow stimulates the Sympathetic nervous system. It
costs less than a double espresso and provides a great wake-up call. Breathing better improves
the amount of air you exchange with each cycle of respiration. A secondary effect is the
stimulation of the organs packed-in just below the diaphragm in the abdominal cavity. More
efcient respiration certainly can improve endurance and may even boost aerobic tness.
Exhale upon exertion. Its not about exhaling, its about sustaining pneumatic pressure in the
entire thoracic cavity that supports your core. With experience you can do this while inhaling
or exhaling. Both Yoga and Martial Arts practices have a library of exercises to develop this
kind of oft-overlooked pneumatic core strength. Taoist techniques include the vigorous
practice of reverse breathing whereby the abdominals are contracted upon inhalation
instead of expanded to increases the pneumatic forces. I have had direct experience with
masters of this method and the mechanical forces they can exert with the aid of these
techniques are impressive.
Prana
The basic anatomy and physiology of respiration is only part of the picture. Patanjalis Yoga
Sutra #34 translated says: The mind may also be calmed by expulsion and retention of the
breath. Patanjalis Sanskrit word for breath is Prana. Prana is much more than air made of
nitrogen and oxygen molecules. It implies a vital energy that circulates through in channels
called Nadis. The largest of these channels is the Sushumna which roughly corresponds to the
spinal chord. Corkscrewing around this central channel are two more called Ida, Pingala.
They are like Hermes mythical Caduceus, a winged staff coiled around by twin serpents
which has come to symbolize medicine and healing. Interestingly this ancient symbol also
evokes the double helical structure of DNA. Ida and Pingala also roughly correspond to the
sympathetic chain of ganglia. A prominent network of nerve centers that bi-laterally
parallel the spine.
Once we are in the realm of Prana, we leave Western science and enter into the eastern mode
of thought. Pranayama is the practice of controlling, cultivating and strengthening the Prana
(s). There are many Pranas in the Yogic sense. They regulate assimilation, elimination and the
health of vital organs, reminiscent of the meridians of Chinese Medicine. The Prana of Yoga is
akin to the Qi of Taoist traditions and the Ki of Japanese martial arts. Prana in the Nadis and
Qi in the meridians are likely different cultural manifestations of the same phenomenon. Both
use breath as the foundation for the cultivation of vitality and inner or spiritual power. Of all
the systems I have studied Kundalini Yoga as passed down from Yogi Bajan addresses this
energetic aspect of Yoga most directly as Taoist Qi-Qong does from the Chinese traditions.
Both nd their origins in the Vedanta of ancient India.
Add Better Breathing to Your Regimen
Familiar to practitioners of Power Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and its many cousins is the constant
reminder to BREATH. Some teachers cue inhales and exhales, others urge their classes to
sustain the Ujjayi breath. Loosely translated Ujjayi means controlling the expansion.
Practically it means sustaining expanded lungs and controlling the rate and depth of
respiration. Like the regulator on SCUBA gear, the muscles at the back of the throat or glottis
can be employed to regulate the breathing and sustain the pneumatic pressure on the thoracic
cavity as an aid to balanced graceful movement. Singers will be familiar with the elevator
exercise that controls resonance in the nasopharynx. The nasopharynx essentially is the
cavity behind the face that can give a nasal quality to the voice. Experiment with the control
of the glottis and the hissing sound of Ujjayi and you will be rewarded with a stronger more
invigorating practice. A secondary benet will be greater vocal resonance and fewer colds as
you ush out the susceptible cavities behind your nose.
To begin learning, or to rene your breathing practice learn to isolate the kinetics of breathing
by using lying on bolsters to support your chest and laying one hand on the chest and the
other on the belly. Be able to isolate the rise and fall of the abdomen and feel the expansion of
the thorax with each breath. After that be sure to work on the side stretches which to a large
extent are designed to stretch and strengthen the intracostal accessory breathing muscles.
After, or during, your mastery of these basics learn the fundamentals breathing techniques of
alternate nostrils control, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika and Great Circle Breathing. These are
subjects for another time.
Namaste
References:

The Science of Breath ,Yogi Ramachakra, 1905

Light on Pranayama, BKS Iyengar, 1985

Bhastrika and Kapalabhati, Yoga International, The Himalayan Institute Press

Bone Marrow Nei Kung, Mangak Chia and Meneewan Chia, 1988

The Human Nervous System 2

nd
Ed, Murray L. Barr, 1974
Radical Healing, Rudolph M. Ballentine, M.D.,1999
LEARNING TO BREATH
Learning to Breathe Correctly
We do deep breathing while asleep. Hence a simple way to learn how to breath properly is to
simulate sleep. Lie down, close your eyes, relax the whole body, drop the chin and imagine
that you are asleep, thus letting your breathing become deeper and deeper.
In Yoga deep breathing, you start lling the lower part of the lungs rst, then you ll the
middle and upper part. When exhaling you rst empty the upper part of the lungs, then the
middle, and last of all the lower part.
This process, however, is not divided into three separate actions. Inhalation is done in one
smooth continuous ow just as one might pour water in lling a glass. First the bottom is
lled, then the middle, and nally the upper portion. But the process itself is an uninterrupted
one. Inhalation should be done in one continuous operation both the inhalation and the
exhalation. Do it slowly and in a most relaxed manner. No effort or strain should ever be
exerted. This is very important. Keep mouth closed.
You then become aware of the function of your own diaphragm. You expand the anks when
inhaling and contract them when exhaling. The lower part of the rib cage naturally expands
rst when you breathe in and is compressed last when you let the air out. This too should be
done gently, without any force or strain. The chest remains passive during the entire process
of respiration. Only the ribs expand during inhalation and contract during exhalation,
accordion-fashion. To use force during inhalation is completely wrong. One should do it with
ease, without any tension or strain whatever. In deep breathing, exhalation is as important as
inhalation because it eliminates poisonous matter. The lower part of our lungs seldom are
sufciently emptied, and tend to accumulate air saturated with waste products, for with
ordinary breathing we never expel enough of the carbon dioxide our system throws off even if
we do inhale enough oxygen. If, on the other hand, the lower part of the lungs are properly
expanded and contracted, the circulation in the liver and spleen, which are thus "massaged" by
the diaphragm, are greatly beneted.
Inhaling
1. Push the stomach forwards as you breathe in.
2. Push the ribs sideways while still breathing in. The stomach will automatically go inwards
slightly.
3. Lift the chest and collar bone up while still breathing in.
Even though this is described as three separate processes, it should be done in a smooth,
continuous rhythm with each part following smoothly on from the previous part. Try to avoid
any jerky movements.
Exhaling
1. Allow the collar bone, chest and ribs to relax-the air will go out automatically.
2. When all the air seems to be out, push the stomach in slightly to expel any remaining air in
the lungs.
3. Exhaling is a more passive affair, except for the second stage when the stomach is pushed in
slightly.
Basic Instructions For The Breathing Exercises
1. Find a quiet place where you won't be distracted. If doing the exercises inside, make sure
the window is open to allow plenty of fresh air into the room.
2. Sit on a chair or if you prefer, cross-legged on the oor. Sit straight. Unless your spine is
erect, some of the benets of the breathing exercises will be lost.
3. Breathe deeply and slowly, without strain.
4. You should do the exercises on an empty stomach. Wait at least three hours after a heavy
meal, and about one and a half hours after a light snack, such as fruit. This are two
reasons for this. First, a heavy meal will reduce your concentration. Second, food in the
stomach causes some of your blood and oxygen supply to be diverted to the stomach for
digestion.
This will reduce the blood and oxygen available for directing to the brain while you are doing
the breathing exercises.
5. To gain maximum benet, do the exercises twice a day, in the early morning before
breakfast, and in the early evening. It's best not to eat for about fteen minutes after the
exercises.
While doing deep breathing the spine should be kept straight, so as not to impair the free ow
of the life-force, or prana. This also helps to develop correct posture. The yogis attach such
great importance to correct posture that they have devised several different positions for their
various advanced breathing practices as well as for meditation and concentration. One very
popular pose for deep breathing is lotus posture or cross legged posture.
When you sit down on the oor with your legs crossed, visualize a stream running through
you in a straight line, starting at the top of your head and continuing into the ground.
Imagine, too, that this is the axis around which your body has been molded. This will help you
learn to sit up straight without being stiff and tense. You should, in fact, feel comfortable and
relaxed as you sit this way.
PRANAYAMA
Pranayama: The Breathing Exercises of Yoga
Pranayama, as traditionally conceived, involves much more than merely breathing for
relaxation. Pranayama is a term with a wide range of meanings. Patanjali denes pranayama
as "the regulation of the incoming and outgoing ow of breath with retention." It is to be
practiced only after perfection in asana is attained. Pranayama also denotes cosmic power, or
the power of the entire universe which manifests itself as conscious living being in us through
the phenomenon of breathing. The word pranayama consists of two parts: prana and ayama.
Ayama means stretch, extension, expansion, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation,
restraint and control and describes the action of pranayama. Prana is energy, when the self-
energizing force embraces the body. When this self-energizing force embraces the body with
extension, expansion and control, it is pranayama.
Prana - Prana is an auto-energizing force which creates a magnetic eld in the form of the
Universe and plays with it, both to maintain, and to destroy for further creation. It permeates
each individual as well as the Universe at all levels. It acts as physical energy, mental energy,
where the mind gathers information; and as intellectual energy, where information is
examined and ltered. Prana also acts as sexual energy, spiritual energy and cosmic energy.
All that vibrates in this Universe is prana: heat, light, gravity, magnetism, vigor, power,
vitality, electricity, life and spirit are all forms of prana. It is the cosmic personality, potent in
all beings and non-beings. It is the prime mover of all activity. It is the wealth of life.
This self-energizing force is the principle of life and consciousness. It is the creation of all
beings in the Universe. All beings are born through it and live by it. When they die, their
individual breath dissolves into the cosmic breath. Prana is not only the hub of the wheel of
life, but also of yoga. Everything is established in it. It permeates life, creating the sun, the
moon, the clouds, the wind, the rain, the earth and all forms of matter. It is both being (sat)
and non-being (asat). Each and every thing, or being, including man, takes shelter under it.
Prana is the fundamental energy and the source of all knowledge. Prana and Consciousness
(Citta): Prana and citta are in constant contact with each other. They are like twins. Prana
become focussed where citta is, and citta, where prana is.
Yoga suggests that as long as the breath is still, prana is still, and hence citta is still. All types
of vibrations and uxuations come to a standstill when prana and citta are steady and silent.
Because of this connection between breath and consciousness, yoga has devised pranayama to
stabilize energy and consciousness.
With reference to yoga prana can be described as something that ows continuously from
somewhere inside us, lling us and keeping us alive: it is vitality. In this image, the prana
streams out from the center through the whole body. Pranayama is the measuring, control,
and directing of the breath, and thus of energy within the organism, in order to restore and
maintain health and to promote evolution. When you are troubled, restless, or confused, you
have more prana outside the body than within. When you feel unwell; the quality of prana and
its density within the body is reduced. Too little prana in the body can be expressed as a
feeling of being stuck or restricted. It can also show as a lack of drive or motivation to do
anything; you are listless or even depressed. We may suffer from physical ailments when
prana is lacking in the body. Yoga Sutra mentions disturbances in the breath, which can take
very different forms. On the other hand, the more peaceful and well-balanced we are, the less
our prana is dispersed outside the body. And if all the prana is within the body, we are free of
these symptoms.
If prana does not nd sufcient room in the body there can be only one reason: it is being
forced out by something that really does not belong there-such as blockages caused by
rubbish. When we practice pranayama, we try to reduce this rubbish and replace it with more
and more prana within the body. Our state of mind is closely linked to the quality of prana
within. The more content a person is and the better he or she feels, the more prana is inside.
The more disturbed a person is, the more prana is dissipated and lost.
Because we can inuence the ow of prana through the ow of our breath, the quality of our
breath inuences our state of mind and vice versa. In yoga we are trying to make use of these
connections so that prana concentrates and can freely ow within us. One denition of the
word yogi is "one whose prana is all within his body." In pranayama we want to reduce the
amount of prana outside the body until there is none leaking out.
Prana is power. Proper acts of breathing are ways of harnessing that power. It gives control of
breathing processes and control of vital force. Even though, in breathing, fresh air from
outside the body enters the body and foul air leaves, mystical pranayama conceives
appropriation of power as a bringing to conscious manifestation an omnipresent cosmic power
which exists already latent within oneself as a particular expression of cosmic being.
When a person attains a feeling of oneness with the rest of the universe, his anxiety tends to
disappear. When the in-owing breath is neutralized or joined with the out-owing breath,
then perfect relaxation and balance of body activities are realized. In yoga, we are concerned
with balancing the ows of vital forces, then directing them inward to the chakra system and
upward to the crown chakra or thousand petalled lotus (sahasara). When one acquires an
intuitive apprehension of ultimate power and of his own identity with it, he loses his fear of
external powers and develops a trust which is conducive to condent living.
Whatever happens in the mind inuences the breath; the breath becomes quicker when we
are excited and deeper and quieter when we relax. In order to inuence our prana we must be
able to inuence the mind. Our actions often disturb the mind, causing prana to exude from
the body. Through daily pranayama practice we reverse this process, as a change in the
breathing pattern inuences the mind. The idea of prana existing within or beyond the body
can be understood as a symbol for our state of mind. When the mind is as clear as transparent
glass there is nothing that could disturb the body; there is no rubbish lying about. On the
other hand, if we notice hesitancy, discontent, fear of doing something because it might be
inappropriate, and so forth, we can assume that there are blockages in the system. These
blockages do not just occur in the physical body; they exist even more in the mind, in
consciousness. Every kind of rubbish we nd in ourselves was originally produced by
incorrect knowledge.
The link between mind and breath is most signicant. The Yoga Sutra says that when we
practice pranayama the veil is gradually drawn away from the mind and there is growing
clarity. The mind becomes ready for deep meditations. Thus, pranayama is rst and foremost
awareness of the breath. Here, we focus our attention on the breath. In the practice of
pranayama it is therefore very important to keep an alert mind, for the processes that are
being observed are very subtle. There is no visible movement of the body as in asana practice;
we must acutely sense and feel the movement of the breath within. The only dynamic process
is breathing.
Patanjali makes a few practical suggestions for keeping our attention on the breath. For
example, we can focus on where it enters and leaves the body at the nostrils. It is also possible
to listen to the breath, especially if you make a slight noise by gently contracting the vocal
chords, a pranayama technique known as ujjayi. Or we can follow the areas through which
the air passes through.
The goal of pranayama is not to bring the inhalation and exhalation into a certain relationship
with each other, or to establish a particular length of breath. The various practices of
pranayama gives us many different possibilities for following the breath. When we follow the
breath, the mind will be drawn into the activities of the breath. In this way pranayama
prepares us for the stillness of meditation. The breath relates directly to the mind and to our
prana. Prana enters the body in the moment when there is a positive change in the mind. It is
true that our state of mind does not alter with every in-breath or out-breath. The change
occurs over a long period of time. If we are practicing pranayama and notice a change of
mind, then prana has long before entered the body. The proof of the pudding is in our
relationships with others. It tells us whether we had a positive changes in the mind and
whether we actually understand ourselves better.
Without prana there is no life. We can imagine that prana ows into us as we inhale, but
prana is also the power behind breathing out. As well, prana is transformed in the body into
various powers, and is involved in processes that ensure that we rid ourselves of what we no
longer need. Out breath is a very important part of the body's elimination processes. We can
use out breath as a mechanism to free the mind from blocks and thereby lead us to greater
clarity.
Pranayama or breathing technique is very important in yoga. It goes hand in hand with the
asana or pose. In the Yoga Sutras, the practices of pranayama and asana are considered to be
the highest form of purication and self discipline for the mind and the body, respectively. The
practices produce the actual physical sensation of heat, called tapas, or the inner re of
purication. It is taught that this heat is part of the process of purifying the nadis, or subtle
nerve channels of the body. This allows a more healthful state to be experienced and allows
the mind to become more calm.
In pranayama we focus our attention on the breath. In the practice of pranayama it is
therefore very important to keep an alert mind, for the processes that are being observed are
very subtle. There is no visible movement of the body as in asana practice; we must acutely
sense and feel the movement of the breath within. The only dynamic process is breathing.
Patanjali makes a few practical suggestions for keeping our attention on the breath. For
example, we can focus on a place in the body where we can feel or hear the breath. Or we can
try to follow the movement of the breath in the body, feeling the inhalation from the center of
the collarbone, down through the rib cage to the diaphragm, and following the exhale upward
from the abdomen. Another means for paying attention to the breath is to feel where it enters
and leaves the body at the nostrils. It is also possible to listen to the breath, especially if you
make a slight noise by gently contracting the vocal chords, a pranayama technique known as
ujjayi.
Suggestions like these help us keep our attention on the breath and prevent our practice from
becoming merely mechanical. The goal of pranayama is not to bring the inhalation and
exhalation into a certain relationship with each other, or to establish a particular length of
breath. If exercises such as these help us concentrate on our pranayama, that is wonderful.
But the true aim of the various techniques and breath ratios of breathing in pranayama is rst
and foremost to give us many different possibilities for following the breath. When we follow
the breath, the mind will be drawn into the activities of the breath. In this way pranayama
prepares us for the stillness of meditation. The breath relates directly to the mind and to our
prana, but we should not therefore imagine that as we inhale, prana simply ows into us. This
is not the case. Prana enters the body in the moment when there is a positive change in the
mind. Of course, our state of mind does not alter with every in-breath or outbreath; change
occurs over a long period of time. If we are practicing pranayama and notice a change of
mind, then prana has long before entered the body. Changes of mind can be observed
primarily in our relationships with other people. Relationships are the real test of whether we
actually understand ourselves better.
The Forms of Prana
There are ve forms of prana. They have different names according to the bodily functions
with which they correspond. These forms of prana are: bullet udana-vayu, corresponding to
the throat region and the function of speech bullet prana-vayu, corresponding to the chest
region bulletsamana-vayu, corresponding to the central region of the body and the function of
digestion bullet apana-vayu, corresponding to the region of the lower abdomen and the
function of elimination bullet vyana-vayu, corresponding to the distribution of energy into all
areas of the body Vayu is a sanscrit term meaning "air" or "breath". We will look at two of
these forms: prana-vayu and apana-vayu.
Prana and Apana:
That which enters the body is called prana and that which leaves it is called apana. The term
apana also refers to the region of the lower abdomen and all the activities that take place
there. Apana describes that part of prana that has the function of elimination and provides the
energy for it, and it also refers to the lower belly and the rubbish that collects there when the
power of prana is not in a state of equilibrium. When a person is slow and heavy we
sometimes say that he has too much apana. Apana as pranic energy is something we need, but
apana as refuse left from activating this energy actually prevents prana from developing
within. All forms of prana are necessary, but to be effective they must be in a state of balance
with each other. If someone has a lot of rubbish in the region of the lower abdomen then he or
she consumes too much energy there, and this imbalance should be addressed. The goal is to
reduce apana to an efcient minimum.
Apana as waste matter accumulates because of many factors, some of which lie within our
control. The practice of yoga aims to reduce these impurities. People who are short of breath,
cannot hold their breath, or cannot exhale slowly are seen as having more apana, whereas
those who have good breath control are considered to have less apana. An overabundance of
apana leads to problems in all areas of the body. We have to reduce the apana so that we can
bring more prana into the body. When we inhale, prana from outside the body is brought
within. During inhalation, prana meets apana. During exhalation, the apana within the body
moves toward the prana.
Pranayama is the movement of the prana toward the apana and the movement of the apana
toward the prana. Similarly, holding the breath after inhalation moves the prana toward the
apana and holds it there. Holding the breath after exhalation moves the apana toward the
prana.
Agni, the Fire of Life
What happens within this movement of prana and apana? According to yoga we have a re,
agni, in the body, situated in the vicinity of the navel, between the prana-vayu and the apana-
vayu. The ame itself is constantly changing direction: on inhalation the breath moves toward
the belly, causing a draft that directs the ame downward like in a replace; during exhalation
the draft moves the ame in the opposite direction, bringing with it the just-burned waste
matter. It is not enough to burn the rubbish; we must also rid the body of it. A breathing
pattern where the exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation is aimed at providing more time
during exhalation for freeing the body of its blockages. Everything we do to reduce the
rubbish in the body is a step in the direction of releasing our blockages. With the next
inhalation we bring the ame back to the apana. If all the previously burned waste has not left
the body, the ame will lose some of its power.
Certain physical positions are benecial for the meeting of re and rubbish. In all inverted
postures, the agni is directed toward the apana. This is the reason yoga attributes so much
signicance to the cleansing effects of inverted postures. Cleansing is intensied when we
combine inverted postures with pranayama techniques.
All aspects of pranayama work together to rid the body of apana so that prana can nd more
room within. In the moment when waste is released, prana lls the space in the body where it
really belongs. Prana has its own movement; it cannot be controlled. What we can do is create
the conditions in which prana may enter the body and permeate it.
The beauty of prana is that through this, we can inuence purusa, the essence of life. Yoga
suggests that we can inuence prana via our breath and mind. By working with these through
pranayama, we create optimal conditions for the prana to ow freely within.