The
Yogis in the Himalayas were used to spending most of their lives
focusing within themselves in the search for answers to pertinent
questions like who am I? and What am I doing here? Most of their
schedule is based on introspection.
Many generations of practicing yoga has led them to a
system of breathing that makes it easier to access the inner realms of
the mind.
We know today that the breath is governed by the
conscious as well as the subconscious. We are able to focus on the
breath and breathe consciously with full awareness. But if by chance we
start focusing on some other mundane topic of the day the breathing will
go on auto pilot as the subconscious mind takes over the breath.
The yogis found that this switch which flips the
breathing from conscious to subconscious, when accessed through proper
training can act as the key to delving deeper and deeper into the depth
of the subconscious.
Most yogic breathing exercises are created with this
aim in mind. Yoga breathing, or
Pranayama is a
means of going into the subconscious with the help of the breath.
The one who practices the techniques diligently attains to the highest goal of
Yoga and attains liberation from the bondages of the body and mind with
much greater ease.
There are 3 stages to the breath:
1) Puraka. This is referred to in English as
the Inhalation.
Puraka is the process of drawing air into the lungs. In most cases of
pranayama, this is done in a smooth and even fashion. It is advisable
not to breathe in a jerky way as this will jolt the mind in the
subconscious and make the practitioner return to the conscious in the
same way that noise in the bedroom can wake the baby up.
2) Rechaka. This is referred to in English
as Exhalation.
3) Kumbhaka. This is referred to in English
as Retention.
