Today's my day off.
Last week I ended up having an epic ten hour practice on my day off, pretty much non-stop from 6:30-16:30. I'd started with pranayama, before practice for a change moved on to Ramaswami's ten minute tadasana sequence with the hand and arm variations that I use for warm up. Tadasana was followed by Sury's and my now regular slow Primary ( long 8 second inhalations and exhalations with mental mantra on each) which takes about two hours. Nicely warmed up I started working through AG Mohan's recent release of Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda (part II). When I looked up it was gone three and just the shoulderstands to go so I stuck with it for another hour and a half.
Afterwards I had the best mushrooms on toast ever.
This week I thought I'd do something similar but less long and go through the original Yoga Makaranda. I'm much more familiar with this one. With part two I had to keep stopping as I wanted to read and follow every instruction just as it was given. Much of YM1 is close to Primary so I'll pretty much jump straight in, do some sury's and get on with it.
What I did want to look at more closely though was the Puraka and Recaka Kumbhaka, the breath retentions after the inhalation and exhalation. These have pretty much been left by the wayside in current Ashtanga but Krishnamacharya made a point of focusing on them in his 1934 text ( the same period he was teaching Pattabhi Jois). I've been exploring these longer stays and kumbhakas a little recently but have wanted to make a more formal study in my practice.
Recaka kumbhaka = Bhaya Kumbakam = holding the breath out after exhaling
Puraka Kumbhaka = Anthar Kumbhakam = holding the breath in after inhaling
A little while ago I brought together all the pictures of Krishnamacharya practicing, I've turned those from YM1 into a poster to practice with more easily this afternoon, the kumbhaka's are underneath the postures. Yoga Makaranda has some other postures but these were photos of K's students so I didn't have them to hand, later I'll make up a list of all the Kumbhaka's in the book. The extra pictures/descriptions contain a lot of the leg behind postures and these tend to be equal breathing, no kumbhaka anyway.
One point to make, this isn't necessarily an order of practice ( although why not, it could work) and what looks like the stages of Suryanamaskara on the second line are actually those stages presented as stand alone postures. No sun salutations in Krishnamacharya folks (except a mantra version).
The kumbhaka mentioned is at the stage of the vinyasa shown in the picture (tends to be full vinyasa I.E. transitioning to and from standing, in the original Yoga Makaranda) . In YM1 Krishnamacharya often seems to indicate that one folds into forward bends on the long slow exhalation, retains the breath and then raises up slightly or fully for an inhalation before folding back into the posture on the next exhalation and retention (fascinated by this idea, means you can get a fuller breath). Six times/breaths seems the average in YM2 (In YM1the stay is less defined) but I'll need to double check that.
A reminder
Recaka kumbhaka = Bhaya Kumbakam = holding the breath out after exhaling
Puraka Kumbhaka = Anthar Kumbhakam = holding the breath in after inhaling
Yoga Makaranda (part II) gives a more cautious approach to kumbhaka by introducing it slowly. It starts with the regular automatic mini kumbhaka at the end of the inhalation and exhalation and increases it to two seconds working up to five.
One gets the feeling that the kumbhakas are held longer in the original Yoga Makaranda, however this is still asana and I doubt it's intended to retain the breath in the same way that one would in formal pranayama.
Breath retention in asana continues to be mentioned in the work of Desikachar, Mohan and my own teacher Ramaswami, exploring how they compare will make an interesting follow up post.
Preparation complete time for a warm bath and practice.
See also perhaps
Examples of usage of Kumbhaka (Breath retention) in asana in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda
How to practice Krishnamacharya's 'Original' Ashtanga Yoga
Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda extended stays.
Yogasanagalu's (1941) 'Original' Ashtanga Primary Group/Series in Yoga Makaranda (1934)
Uddiyana kriya and asana in Krishnamacharya's 'Original' Ashtanga
Below is a nice page from yogavidya.com bringing together relevant quotes from the different yoga texts, there are other pages on all elements of practice.
Puraka, Rechaka, Kumbhaka from http://www.yogavidya.com/yoga-82.html
In-breathing (Puraka): "Even as a man sucks in water through the stem of a lotus even so should breath be drawn in. Such are the characteristics of in-breathing (puraka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 12.)
Out-breathing (Rechaka): consists in giving out, through the nostrils, the impure air from the lungs.
"Blowing out the air which is not part of one's body into the outside space and keeping to a state of emptiness, such are the characteristics of out-breathing (Rechaka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 11.)
Holding the Breath (Kumbhaka): "To keep still without breathing in, nor breathing out, nor move any limb, such are the characteristics of the Chalice (Kumbhaka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 15.)
Holding the breath (Kumbhaka) or "Chalice" is of two kinds: (a) The outward Chalice (bahya kumbhaka) consists in breathing out and then stopping the breath. The method usually adopted is to breathe in for the time it takes to repeat four times the sacred Syllable of Obeisance AUM, breathe out for the time it takes to repeat the syllable eight times, and stop breathing for the time it takes to repeat AUM sixteen times.
(b) The inward Chalice (abhyantara kumbhaka) consists in breathing in, then holding the breath before breathing out. The method usually adopted is to breathe in for four AUMS, hold for sixteen AUMS, and breathe out for eight AUMS.
The Absolute Chalice (kevala kumbhaka), or Stupefied Breathing (stambhavritti pranayama) consists in stopping the breath without effort at any point of in- or out-breathing. To do this, breathe regularly for some time, in-breathing for four AUMS, and breathing out for eight AUMS; then stop wherever convenient, and hold the breath for sixteen AUMS.
"That breath control in which the breath is held without effort and without breathing in or out, everyone calls the Absolute Chalice, kevala kumbhaka."
"He who is successful in the absolute chalice, without breathing in or out, finds nothing in the three worlds beyond his reach." (Vasishtha Samhita.)
"When, following the above method, the breath can be stopped for three ghatikas (one hour and a quarter), the yogi can realize all the attainments he wishes for without doubt." (Shiva Samhita 3, 62.)
Last week I ended up having an epic ten hour practice on my day off, pretty much non-stop from 6:30-16:30. I'd started with pranayama, before practice for a change moved on to Ramaswami's ten minute tadasana sequence with the hand and arm variations that I use for warm up. Tadasana was followed by Sury's and my now regular slow Primary ( long 8 second inhalations and exhalations with mental mantra on each) which takes about two hours. Nicely warmed up I started working through AG Mohan's recent release of Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda (part II). When I looked up it was gone three and just the shoulderstands to go so I stuck with it for another hour and a half.
Afterwards I had the best mushrooms on toast ever.
This week I thought I'd do something similar but less long and go through the original Yoga Makaranda. I'm much more familiar with this one. With part two I had to keep stopping as I wanted to read and follow every instruction just as it was given. Much of YM1 is close to Primary so I'll pretty much jump straight in, do some sury's and get on with it.
What I did want to look at more closely though was the Puraka and Recaka Kumbhaka, the breath retentions after the inhalation and exhalation. These have pretty much been left by the wayside in current Ashtanga but Krishnamacharya made a point of focusing on them in his 1934 text ( the same period he was teaching Pattabhi Jois). I've been exploring these longer stays and kumbhakas a little recently but have wanted to make a more formal study in my practice.
Recaka kumbhaka = Bhaya Kumbakam = holding the breath out after exhaling
Puraka Kumbhaka = Anthar Kumbhakam = holding the breath in after inhaling
A little while ago I brought together all the pictures of Krishnamacharya practicing, I've turned those from YM1 into a poster to practice with more easily this afternoon, the kumbhaka's are underneath the postures. Yoga Makaranda has some other postures but these were photos of K's students so I didn't have them to hand, later I'll make up a list of all the Kumbhaka's in the book. The extra pictures/descriptions contain a lot of the leg behind postures and these tend to be equal breathing, no kumbhaka anyway.
One point to make, this isn't necessarily an order of practice ( although why not, it could work) and what looks like the stages of Suryanamaskara on the second line are actually those stages presented as stand alone postures. No sun salutations in Krishnamacharya folks (except a mantra version).
The kumbhaka mentioned is at the stage of the vinyasa shown in the picture (tends to be full vinyasa I.E. transitioning to and from standing, in the original Yoga Makaranda) . In YM1 Krishnamacharya often seems to indicate that one folds into forward bends on the long slow exhalation, retains the breath and then raises up slightly or fully for an inhalation before folding back into the posture on the next exhalation and retention (fascinated by this idea, means you can get a fuller breath). Six times/breaths seems the average in YM2 (In YM1the stay is less defined) but I'll need to double check that.
There's a pattern, in postures, where you're sitting or standing up there's often puraka kumbhaka after the inhalation, when folded over it tends to be deep uddiyana (sounds like virtually uddiyana kriya) and recaka kumbhaka.
Mostly I'll practice a regular Primary and 2nd this afternoon with the poster to glance over at as a guide and to give me something to think about in the postures not mentioned in the text.
Yogasanagalu 1941 has the same asana descriptions as Yoga makaranda (original/part I)
YogaMakaranda (part II) is less clear, it mentions retentions occasionally but it has the feeling of being closer to a teaching manual than the original which seems to present more the ideal form of an asana and it's vinyasa.
This might explain too why Pattabhi Jois left it out of Yoga Mala. I tend to feel this approach makes an interesting alternative to ever more postures and series, a turning back to Primary, a shortened Primary even allowing us to explore ever more the breath. I know, I know I can't talk/preach, I've had my fair share of asana madness.
Yoga Makaranda (part II) does have this to say.
"When a position intermediate or final, has been reached deep breathing or the prescribed form of pranayama is done. This observation generally applies to all asana" P.66
"6. Do not less than six rounds of pranayama. the pranayama should be done with Anthar and Bhya kumbhaka of two to five seconds duration each, the period of Antha kumbhakam being kept equal to Bahya kumbhakam". p68 (Supta padangusthasana description)
A reminder
Recaka kumbhaka = Bhaya Kumbakam = holding the breath out after exhaling
Puraka Kumbhaka = Anthar Kumbhakam = holding the breath in after inhaling
Yoga Makaranda (part II) gives a more cautious approach to kumbhaka by introducing it slowly. It starts with the regular automatic mini kumbhaka at the end of the inhalation and exhalation and increases it to two seconds working up to five.
One gets the feeling that the kumbhakas are held longer in the original Yoga Makaranda, however this is still asana and I doubt it's intended to retain the breath in the same way that one would in formal pranayama.
Breath retention in asana continues to be mentioned in the work of Desikachar, Mohan and my own teacher Ramaswami, exploring how they compare will make an interesting follow up post.
Preparation complete time for a warm bath and practice.
See also perhaps
Examples of usage of Kumbhaka (Breath retention) in asana in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda
How to practice Krishnamacharya's 'Original' Ashtanga Yoga
Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda extended stays.
Yogasanagalu's (1941) 'Original' Ashtanga Primary Group/Series in Yoga Makaranda (1934)
Uddiyana kriya and asana in Krishnamacharya's 'Original' Ashtanga
-------------------------------
Below is a nice page from yogavidya.com bringing together relevant quotes from the different yoga texts, there are other pages on all elements of practice.
Puraka, Rechaka, Kumbhaka from http://www.yogavidya.com/yoga-82.html
In-breathing (Puraka): "Even as a man sucks in water through the stem of a lotus even so should breath be drawn in. Such are the characteristics of in-breathing (puraka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 12.)
Out-breathing (Rechaka): consists in giving out, through the nostrils, the impure air from the lungs.
"Blowing out the air which is not part of one's body into the outside space and keeping to a state of emptiness, such are the characteristics of out-breathing (Rechaka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 11.)
Holding the Breath (Kumbhaka): "To keep still without breathing in, nor breathing out, nor move any limb, such are the characteristics of the Chalice (Kumbhaka)." (Amrita Nada Up. 15.)
Holding the breath (Kumbhaka) or "Chalice" is of two kinds: (a) The outward Chalice (bahya kumbhaka) consists in breathing out and then stopping the breath. The method usually adopted is to breathe in for the time it takes to repeat four times the sacred Syllable of Obeisance AUM, breathe out for the time it takes to repeat the syllable eight times, and stop breathing for the time it takes to repeat AUM sixteen times.
(b) The inward Chalice (abhyantara kumbhaka) consists in breathing in, then holding the breath before breathing out. The method usually adopted is to breathe in for four AUMS, hold for sixteen AUMS, and breathe out for eight AUMS.
The Absolute Chalice (kevala kumbhaka), or Stupefied Breathing (stambhavritti pranayama) consists in stopping the breath without effort at any point of in- or out-breathing. To do this, breathe regularly for some time, in-breathing for four AUMS, and breathing out for eight AUMS; then stop wherever convenient, and hold the breath for sixteen AUMS.
"That breath control in which the breath is held without effort and without breathing in or out, everyone calls the Absolute Chalice, kevala kumbhaka."
"He who is successful in the absolute chalice, without breathing in or out, finds nothing in the three worlds beyond his reach." (Vasishtha Samhita.)
"When, following the above method, the breath can be stopped for three ghatikas (one hour and a quarter), the yogi can realize all the attainments he wishes for without doubt." (Shiva Samhita 3, 62.)
5 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfFplPhkmnQ
tkv desikchar look 60min documental
A TEN HOUR practice?!?!? Wow. How did you feel at the end of it? All the retention and slow inhales/exhales must make for a very calm mind. Cannot imagine doing a 2-sec kumbhaka while exiting Supta Kurmasana ;)
Thank you for the link anon.
I know D couldn't believe it, the first hour was pranayama and the next two or three slow Ashtanga but after that I had no sense of time. But i was reading each description on the postures and approach then practicing, reading some more practicing again, highlighting before moving on to the next, guess it all ads up. So a lot of the time reading on the mat not just ten hours of asana. Felt fine afterwards and din't particularly ache any more the following morning. If your breathing long and slow there's a natural automatic kumbhaka at the end of the inhale and exhale, kind of like when you throw something in the air, there's that moment where the object seems to hover before dropping. If your breathing quickly as in current practice, that natural kumbhaka is a fraction of a second but the longer and slower the inhale the longer the natural kumbhaka. Try it while your reading this, it's naturally a second maybe two.
One could argue that if you practice and breath at the pace recommended by Pattabhi Jois in the interviews and videos I've mentioned elsewhere then there would be an automatic unconscious kumbhaka of a couple of seconds both at the end of the inhalation and exhalation...ujjayi : ) the one at the end of the exhalation would automatically engage mula bandha too
Coincidentally in led class today I made a conscious effort to focus solely on the breath, to keep it deep, long and relaxed as much as possible. Made a world of difference to the practice, and yes, kumbhaka automatically happens after each inhale and exhale. Perhaps that's what SKPJ is trying to get at by telling us to "BREATHE!", without the level of detail that K's put into the Makaranda, because ultimately, if you practice long enough with an emphasis on the breath, the kumbhakas happen without too much effort. "All is coming" remember? ;)
Hi Anthony
wanted to share something with you and was not sure where to post it since there are so many posts now about breathing slowly during asana practice... ;-) so I came to this one to leave my comment.
So a couple weekends ago I organised a 'Krishnamacharya day' with some of my students where we practiced morning and afternoon, talked about yoga and other things, watched the Atmende Gott movie and had a generally good time.
We had a primary series practice in the morning and a slower vinyasa krama/viniyoga practice in the afternoon with a discussion lunchbreak in between.
Note that I do not teach ashtanga vinyasa and have my students (poor souls) generally pace their breath with mine at least in the beginning tadasana subroutines to set the pace for the class. And generally this is pretty slow breathing.
Well.... in the primary series, just out of old habit because I do not really practice it so often, I fell back into the 3-4 seconds breathing rythm you generally find in classes and DVDs and it took us the canonical 1.5 hours to complete the series.
And guess what? Everybody was shocked that we went that fast, and were asking why would you do that. Funny huh?
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