Monday 6.30p Asana I — Week 9 (April 27, 2009)

Focus: Restorative and pranayama.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutra II.49-50, What is Pranayama?
The body is tamasic, the mind rajasic and the Self sattvic. The buddhi reflects the light of the soul onto the citta. In pranayama the process is the same — the sattvic buddhi guides the breath to make the inner walls of the chest more sattvic.


PYS II.49 tasmin sati svasa - prasvasayoh gati-vicchedah pranayamah
This (asana) having been perfected, regulation of the incoming (svasa) and outgoing (prasvasa) flow of breath with retention (gati viccheda) is pranayama.

PYS II.50 bahya abhyantara stambha vrttih desa kala samkhyabhih paridrstah dirgha suksmah
(Pranayama has three) movements (vrttis): prolonged and fine (suksma) inhalation (abhyantara), exhalation (bahya) and retention (stambha vrtti); (all) regulated with precision (according to) duration and place (desa; referring to lungs).

“The body is tamasic, the mind rajasic and the Self sattvic. Develop body intelligence to the level of the mind through asanas. Then raise both body and mind to the level of the Self through pranayama for the prana to move throughout the body. This in turn keeps the body agile, the mind steady and the Self attentive.”


Prana and Pranayama
Prana is energy, the life force. It is the Seer that permeates all forms of matter. The breath is a physical manifestation of prana. Ayama is ascension, extension, and expansion. In pranayama the buddhi (intelligence) guides the breath so that the Self touches every cell. [See Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 6 (April 9, 2009): Asana — aligning the body with the Self]

Pranayama is the “bridge” between the external practices of yama, niyama, and asana, and the internal practices of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Learning how to internalize in pranayama teaches how to transform yama, niyama, and asana into more subtle, internal, practices.

Patanjali begins Yoga Sutra II.49 with tasmin sati, “on this being accomplished.” “This” refers to Yoga Sutra II.48, the prior sutra that cites the “cessation of dualities” that results from the mastery of asana. This qualifying step is unique in Patanjali’s astanga yoga. It is the reason that B.K.S. Iyengar waits until there is “some proficiency in asana” before teaching pranayama to beginners.


Patanjali Asta Pranayama
B.K.S. Iyengar has derived an eight stage process in Patanjali’s pranayama, ranging from novice to adept in samadhi. Novices pay attention to the movement of breath itself, which labeled sa-bija (“with-seed;” i.e. with the breath as an object) pranayama.

Stage Description Sutra
1. svasa - prasvasa gati
normal undisciplined movement of breath PYS II.49

2. bahya abhyantara vrtti
deep channeled exhalation and deep channeled inhalation PYS II.50

3. bahya abhyantara stambha vrtti
deep exhalation and inhalation with kumbhaka (retention) PYS II.50

4. bahya abhyantara stambha vrtti
a. desa: place (lung)
b. kala: duration
deep exhalation and inhalation with kumbhaka; all four movements are done with steady intelligence. PYS II.50

5. dirgha gross prolonged PYS II.50

6. suksma subtle prolonged PYS II.50

7. samkhya precise PYS II.50

8. bahya abhyantara visayaksepi
nirbija pranayama: transcends movement of the breath and retention PYS II.51


Gati viccheda — stopping erratic breathing
Although at first glance, Yoga Sutras II.49 and 50 appear to be redundant, B.K.S. Iyengar portrays the second as more controlled than the first. Patanjali Yoga Sutra II.49 defines inhalation - exhalation as svasa - prasvasa, the same as the obstacle of labored breathing in Patanjali Yoga Sutra I.31 [See Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 1 (Mar 3, 2009)]. This normal svasa - prasvasa is inconsistent, lacking rhythm and depth. It occurs “the moment citta becomes distracted,” and is unable to maintain samadhi. This type of breathing hinders emotional well-being, mental concentration, and spiritual understanding. To counteract svasa - prasvasa, the yogin begins to regulate it with simple Ujjayi pranayama, without retention. This level of practice is analogous to mastering Patanjali’s first stage (see chart above).

According to the commentators, gati viccheda not only means “retention,” but also applies to controlling (viccheda ) the erratic movements (gati)of inhalation - exhalation. “Viccheda is a process of piercing, cutting, and dividing; or cutting and diverting,” writes B.K.S. Iyengar. In learning pranayama, the yogin first observes, then, using the buddhi, cuts, divides, and diverts the breath to guide the prana.


Tasmin sati — on this being accomplished
As we have seen, Yoga Sutra II.49 begins with these words. But, there is another reason to have developed some proficiency in asana. Deep breathing in various asanas teaches how the prana flows according the position of the body, to make it less tamasic: Like water taking the shape of its container, the prana follows the contours of the body. Here are some examples:

In Baddha Konasana the breath naturally flows towards the side trunk, because the thighs are spread apart. To paraphrase the sutra, the movement of the breath is “diverted” (gati viccheda) to the sides.

In supine pranayama, because the back chest is supported, it is easier to feel the breath move progressively up the back body. However, lack of lung capacity, skill, and the association of sleep with lying down often make the mind tamasic, sleepy. To remain alert, slope the bolster to re-orient the head in a more upright position.

When sitting in Swastikasana, or upright in a chair, it is easier to feel the breath ascend through the expansion of the back and sides. But, it is also more difficult to keep the head down, making the mind more rajasic. For those without any proficiency in asana, sitting in Swastikasana is fatiguing because the body is so tamasic.

The next sutra, Yoga Sutra II.50, delves into retention in more depth. Iyengar yoga uses the terminology of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which calls retention kumbhaka. Kumbhaka is derived from the “pot analogy.” In retention the prana is held still like the water in a kumbha, pot. From there it touches the side walls of the lungs, its container.


Stambha vrtti — stopping movements of consciousness
The words for “retention” that Patanjali uses in the next sutra, Yoga Sutra II.50, stambha vrtti, indicate a “definite course of stoppage.” Stambha means “restraint,” as well as, “to fix and establish firmly.” Vrtti, as in PYS I.2-I.3, means “movement.” Once again, Patanjali has referenced citta vrtti - nirodhah, the cessation of movements of consciousness — to allow the Seer to abide in his own true form.

Patanjali describes the quality of the breath as suksma, subtle and refined, as opposed to sthula, gross. Many beginners believe that pranayama is primarily about prolongation of the breath. If the ego predominates, prolongation is as crude as child boasting, “Watch how long I can hold my breath!” This premature concern with prolongation may rest in the interpretation of Patanjali’s term samkhya. Some commentators translate it as “count,” as in the ratio between inhalation-retention-exhalation-retention. B.K.S. Iyengar defines it as “precise,” and ranks it as Patanjali’s seventh of eight stages. (See Patanjali Asta Pranayama chart, above.) At Yoga St Louis we don’t introduce these retentions until the Asana III class. Moreover, B.K.S. Iyengar describes the practices involving irregular ratios as only for highly intense practitioners with years of experience “under the personal supervision of an experienced guru.”

Only “when the Self comes into contact with the physical body” is the inhalation complete, writes B.K.S. Iyengar. Inhalation is the merging of the individual soul with the cosmic soul. Amidst a slight pause at the end of inhalation, there is a fullness that can be felt. This allows time for the prana to penetrate the furthest reaches of body and mind. But, if either the inhalation or the retention is held too long, it feels as if the brain may explode. The mind becomes rajasic and loses its equanimity.

Suksma practice requires learning technical expertise, similar to how, with the correct action, a difficult pose such as Virabhadrasana I can be converted from rajasic to sattvic. Therefore, to begin learning about retention, Patanjali’s second of eight stages, observe the pause that occurs naturally at the end of inhalation. It is similar to when a ball is thrown upward, and, at the very top of its arc, it seems to be suspended. Although its upward trajectory has ceased, it has not yet been sufficiently overpowered by gravity to begin its descent.

Similarly, as the body moves towards the Seer; during exhalation, the natural pause at the end of a well timed exhalation is empty and tranquil, a sign of citta vrtti nirodha. As B.K.S. Iyengar put it,

“When the breath is gently exhaled toward the heart, the heart is purified from desires and emotions that disturb it.”

To achieve this, the yogin descends the mind by bowing the head, and ascends the heart, the seat of the soul, by lifting the chest. This makes pranayama humble.

If exhalation is held too long, the fear of death arises; there will be a reflexive and greedy inhalation to save life. The rhythm is lost. By analogy, the chef must add precisely enough water into the pot to completely cook the rice. If it’s not enough, the rice will be hard and indigestible. The same applies to pranayama practice: It takes precisely the right timing and subtlety to keep the breath smooth and bring about equanimity.


B.K.S. Iyengar has characterized the succeeding two sutras on pranayama, Yoga Sutras II.51-52 as a sacred sacrifice:

“By inspiration we receive our life from God, retention is the sweet savoring of the Lord in the depths of the heart; exhalation is the highest form of surrendering to the Lord.”

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana

2. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Chair Karnapidasana
Knees on chair seat. To quiet the mind.

b. Blanket Setubandha Sarvangasana
Slide shoulders off of blanket stack to open chest.

c. Menstrual: Wall Rope Baddha Konasana
Sit in Baddha Konasana facing the Rope Wall. Loop long wall rope around upper back and through Lower Rope Hook. Frontal ribs back. Pull the rope to lift and open upper back while descending buttock flesh to remove tamasic heaviness in the pelvic region. (JD)

3. Baddha Konasana (10 min)
a. Sit on two blankets folded in half lengthwise, with back to the wall for support.
b. Lower back pain: Sit buttock bones on firm 2X6 atop blankets. Navel back and lift up. This reveals the underlying tightness of the thoracic, instead of the lumbar. Touch the breath to the posterior thoracic area to make it more sattvic and less rajasic. (DN)

4. Ujjayi in Baddha Konasana (5 min)
a. Keep the facial skin soft and relaxed when you inhale, as when you do automatically when you exhale.
b. Observe where the normal breath touches. Spreading the thighs laterally automatically directs the breath to the side ribs.
c. Slow, soft, smooth inhalation. Slow, soft, smooth exhalation.

5. Ujjayi II in Blanket Supported Savasana (10 min)
a. Observe where the breath touches.
b. Two spinewise blankets folded in half lengthwise to make a “bed” for the spinal muscles and raise up the chest. Widen the back body.

6. Savasana
a. Blanket beneath head.