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Pranayama Systematic Rhythmic Breathing Neti Savasana

Query: Can you elaborate on the detail steps in performing Pranayama (long breathing with or without making sound), Neti (not this, not this) and Shavasana pose of Yoga (corpse pose)!

Vijay Kumar:
Pranayama is not about long breathing... it is all about systematic rhythmic breathing! While lying in the Shavasana pose of yoga... we breathe. It should be done in steps. 1-2-3 inhale... 4-5-6-7-8 exhale! The period of inhaling should be less... the exhaling must be done slowly but voluntarily!

The flow of air into the nostrils must be gradual... not in spurts! I have observed many people doing fast breathing all the time. It is not necessary! Sometimes... fast breathing can be practiced in the mornings but for the rest of the day the breathing order can be 3~5 or 5~8! All is proportional to our stamina!

During the morning walk I adjusted my inhaling and exhaling rhythmically to suit the walking pattern! Primarily... the breathing should be effortless! We need not concentrate on the breathing process but the breathing itself! Lying in the Shavasana pose of yoga (corpse pose) we need to think... who needs the breathing... the body or the inner self!

We need to contemplate on God at this moment of time! Pranayama is all about breathing rhythmically and systematically while contemplating on God Almighty all the time! Pranayama conducted in a proper manner keeps us healthy and wise. It is one of the best forms of yoga meditation that can ever be performed!

We need not induce anything while doing pranayama! If our breathing makes a noise naturally... it does not carry any weightage! We must continue doing pranayama effortlessly without going into the aspect whether we make a noise or not!

Lying in the Shavasana pose of yoga... when contemplating on God... we need to visualize on things mortal! Is air God... no, it simply cannot be! Is water God... no, it simply cannot be! Is a tree God... no, it cannot be! Is my teacher God, no, it cannot be! And so on continues the enquiry. We simply keep on negating one thing after another!

Our rejection of things not being God must have a logical support! Why air is not God... simply because some bacterium can survive even in the absence of air... this proves air can never be God! Why water is not God... there are many plants that can survive in absence of water altogether... in the circumstances how can water be God?

Any tree can simply be axed and killed... it cannot be God! God is always omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent! And so continues the enquiry!

Shavasana pose of yoga (the corpse pose) is best performed lying on a flat bed... neither too comfortable nor too stiff! It is best we keep the spine straight voluntarily and not under pressure! Every spine has some curvature... we simply need to lie down straight without bringing discomfort to the spine or the body! We need to feel absolutely relaxed... almost dead!

If we have a goal in life... how can any noise disturb us! Even if we conduct yoga standing in Times Square, London... how does it matter to us! We simply need to concentrate on our aim of life! We need to concentrate more on the happening... on our own existence! How can the surroundings disturb us any moment of time!

While nearing my goal of self realization... I had developed so much composure that amidst a howling gallery of people... I performed yoga meditation best! Lying in seclusion and performing yoga meditation is easy... why not take the difficult route! Doing meditation yoga amidst a battery of howling people is what makes it difficult!

We need to maintain our cool all the time. Be it pranayama, practice of Neti in the Shavasana pose of yoga... we need to observe patience, persistence and perseverance at its best! We simply cannot provide fodder to our bloated ego.

Always there to clarify your queries (send your query),

Essay by: Vijay Kumar "Atma Jnani" ... The Man who Realized God in 1993!

A to Z of Pranayama explained in words everyone can easily understand and fathom. More on systematic rhythmic breathing can be found at : Meditation Techniques ... Vijay Kumar - 13 June 2010.

Full text of query: 1. Can you elaborate on the detail steps in performing?
a. pranayama (long breathing?, with or without making sound?) b. neti (not this, not that) (should we start with not what first, then follow by not what, is it things around us first?) c. shayasana (corpse pose) (does it need to keep the spine straight?, or a pillow under the back spine?) If it is perform on a noisy environment, is it ok? By negating the noise perform?.?

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