Yoga's 'pranayama' breathing exercises can help reduce stress and anger. They're also good for the soul

Yoga practitioners who perform the boat posture just to strengthen their abs and flatten their tummies are missing the boat, according to the teachings of Patanjali, the ancient philosopher and yogi.

As a physical workout for better health, yoga continues to grow in popularity all over the globe. But the asanas or power yoga that help you stay physically fit are only a small part of the original blueprint to achieving holistic health.

The teaching of Patanjali, who is widely regarded as the father of yoga, consists of eight levels of practice for body and soul: yama (social behaviour - how we treat others and the world); niyama (inner discipline - how we treat ourselves); asanas ( yoga postures that are familiar to most yoga students); pranayama (control of breathing); pratyahara (retraction of senses); dharana (concentration); dhyana, (meditation); and samadhi (living joyfully). All the levels are said to lead to self-realisation.

Thais interested in learning yoga begin with the asanas and when they want to dig deeper into the science, they start to study the other levels, including pranayama, says Thai Yoga Institute director Kavi Kongphakdipong.

At a recent Bangkok lecture titled "Pranayama: A Path to Self Realisation" given by Om Prakash Tiwari, a hummed "um" sound filled the air as participants practised prolonged exhalation.

This simple technique for controlled breathing, explains the former head of Kaivalyadhama in Lonavla, India, can be achieved by closing the eyes while breathing out and emptying your lungs, inhaling deeply with the mouth shut followed by a long exhalation while saying "Om" with the mouth closed.

This process helps to slow down the breathing and also prolongs the natural pause between inhalation and exhalation.

"In pranayama, we prolong the time of all of these process," says Tiwari, one of the few remaining masters of pranayama in the world today.

For example, beginners are taught to extend inhalation time from two to four seconds, retain the breath for six seconds and breathe out slowly for eight seconds.

Retention time varies from person to person and should be done with proper guidance by teachers, cautions Tiwari.

Yogis believe that the breath and the mind are interdependent entities. "Yoga aims to channel the functions of mind," says Tiwari, who just returned from an 11-month retreat at the foot of the Himalayas.

"Yoga philosophy does not start with the concept of God but with a question: why aren't we happy or why are we not always content," Tiwari explains.

"Yoga aims to explore the answers. It tries to understand the problem created by the mind. Yoga states that we must understand the function of mind. It takes you to inner part of your self, to find out who you are.

"Pranayama is a tool for self-realisation, the state where you have a clear perception of life, a state of being an observer."

As breathing is closely linked to the function of mind, Tiwari suggests we observe how we breathe when we feel anxious.

"When you walk normally, you take 12 breaths a minute but while you are walking in a straight line and observing your breathing, that reduces to 8 breaths a minute. Your thoughts don't stray because you are focused.

"When you excel at controlling your breathing and are able to do it correctly, you will start to feel positive physical, mental and spiritual changes," he says.

"Pranayama influences blood flow, but it also gives you peace of mind, which enables you to go inside yourself, and improves your perception. Your breath is therefore a tool to improve your personality and enter a state of deep meditation. It's directly linked to our consciousness, subconsciousness and supra-consciousness."

Being able to control your breathing can help reduce such negative feelings as anger, stress and anxiety, explains the Thai Yoga Institute's Kavi in his book "Yoga Kub Karn Pattana Manut" ("Yoga and Human Development").

Asked how pranayama has helped him, Tiwari gives a gentle smile.

"I am now 75 and physically fit."

And the spiritual benefits?

"They cannot really be described. It's like trying to define the word 'sweet'.

"Yoga is a vague subject, an art of living, so much can be learned from it," says Tiwari, who is shortly heading off to teach in China and is also scheduled to travel to the US and Europe.

Aree Chaisatien

 

The Nation

For more information on Pranayama practise, visit www.kdham.com, www.thaiyogainstitute.com or www.yoga-thailand.com or consult "Yoga Kub Karn Pattana Manut" ("Yoga and Human Development") published by the Thai Yoga Institute and Srinakarinwirot University's Department of Philosophy and Religion.