General Rules for breathing exercise

(pranayama) practice
1. There should be no violent respirations, no extended breath-retention
beyond a comfortable measure, no forcing of breath, body or mind.
2. Practise in a clean environment with fresh air. Never perform it in a foulsmelling, smoky or dusty room.
3. Try to practice at the same time each day and in the same place. This
builds up a positive vibration and the regularity creates inner strength
and willpower.
4. It should be practiced on an empty stomach.
5. One should practice at least 1 hour before meals and at least 3 hours
after taking meals.
6. Follow all precautions for breath-retention given below in case you want
to practice breath-retention (breath-retention is used in all Locks or
Bandhas).
7. It should be commenced after 8 years age (not before that).

Precautions for breath-retention:

1. One should not hold breath to the point of pain or suffocation otherwise
it may harm lungs. One should hold breath only till one feels
comfortable.
2. One should practice at least 30 min before meals and at least 1 hours
after taking meals.
3. One should take a bath after at least 1/2 hour of practice (because lots of
heat is generated in the body during breath-retention, so body should be
allowed time to get normalized before taking bath).
4. Only after the age of 12, it should be practiced. This is because the chest,
heart and lungs are not strong enough before 12 for the practice of
breath-retention.
5. One should have healthy lungs, heart and normal blood pressure.

6. Our mind becomes very concentrated during internal breathretention. So, whatever thoughts one has in mind while holding
breath that becomes very strong and has very powerful influence over
the mind. It implies that one must have only positive thoughts during
breath-retention (if negative thoughts come, quickly replace that with
positive thoughts). Due to the same reason, one should give autosuggestion while holding breath.

Nerve-purification breathing exercise

(also known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama in yoga)
Nerve-purification breathing exercise (also known as Nadi Shodhana
Pranayama in yoga):
Please read and follow all rules for breathing exercise practice here.
There are two techniques of nerve-purification breathing exercise:
A. Basic method: It does not involve breath-retention. It should be done
during the age of 8-12 years.
B. Advanced method: It involves breath-retention. It should be done during
the age of 13 or more years.

A. Basic method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Sit in Sidhasana or any other sitting posture or even on a chair and

make the spine and head erect in a relaxed manner.
Place the palms on the knees and close the eyes.
Close the right nostril with thumb of right hand.
Inhale slowly and deeply through left nostril.
Close the left nostril with ring and little fingers of right hand and
remove the thumb from right nostril.
Exhale completely through right nostril.
Inhale slowly and deeply from right nostril.
Close the right nostril with thumb of right hand and remove ring and
little fingers from left nostril.
Exhale completely through left nostril.
Steps 3 to 9 constitute one round. One should practice many rounds
continuously for at least 3-5 minutes.

Basic stage has many benefits:

1.

It equalizes the flow of breath in both nostrils, leading to calmness of

mind, which induces thoughtless awareness.

The whole body is nourished with an extra supply of oxygen and the
carbon dioxide is more efficiently eliminated. This purifies the whole
system and increases the overall health of the body, including its power to
resist the disease.
3. The deep, slow breathing encourages the removal of stagnant air from
the lungs.
4. It purifies the nervous system and makes our nerves relaxed and
healthy, which in turn, saves us from various mental tensions and
diseases.
5. If ones nasal is blocked due to cold, one should do jal neti kriya to
unblock it so that free breathing may be done during nadi shodhana
pranayama.
2.

B.
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13.
14.

Advanced method
Sit in Sidhasana or any other sitting posture or even on a chair, with
spine, neck and head held in a straight line.
Place the palms on the knees and close the eyes.
Close the right nostril with thumb of right hand. Index and middle
fingers rest on forehead near the region of centre of two eyebrows
throughout the entire practice or alternatively, they can rest tucked inside
the palm.
Inhale slowly and deeply through left nostril.
Close the left nostril with ring and little fingers of right hand.
Hold the breath and while holding the breath, bend the head forward
and press the chin tightly against the chest. Stay in this position as long as
breath can be held comfortably. Concentrate the mind in the mid-center
of two eyebrows.
Remove the chin from chest and straighten the neck and head.
Remove the thumb from right nostril.
Exhale completely through right nostril.
Inhale slowly and deeply from right nostril.
Close the right nostril with thumb of right hand.
Hold the breath and while holding the breath, bend the head forward
and press the chin tightly against the chest. Stay in this position as long as
breath can be held comfortably. Concentrate the mind in the mid-center
of two eyebrows.
Remove the chin from chest and straighten the neck and head.
Remove ring and little fingers from left nostril.

15.
16.

Exhale completely through left nostril.

Steps 3 to 15 constitute one round. One should practice many rounds
continuously for at least 3-5 minutes.

Advanced stage has many benefits:

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

It has all the benefits of basic stage.

Chin lock presses the carotid sinuses, which are located on the carotid
arteries, the main arteries in the neck. These sinuses help to regulate the
circulatory and respiratory systems. Normally, a decrease of oxygen and
increase of carbon dioxide in the body leads to an increased heart rate
and heavier breathing. This process is initiated by the carotid sinuses. By
artificially exerting pressure on these sinuses, this tendency is prevented,
allowing for decreased heart rate and increased breath retention.
It produces mental relaxation, relieving stress, anxiety and anger.
It develops introversion of mind and one-pointedness, which, in turn,
helps in thoughtless awareness practice.
The stimulus on the throat helps to balance thyroid function and
regulate the metabolism.
It gives all the benefits of breath-retention described here.

Precautions for advanced stage:

All precautions for breath-retention given here applies to advanced
stage.
2. People suffering from cervical spondylosis, high intracranial pressure,
vertigo, high blood pressure or heart disease should not practice it.
3. Dont inhale or exhale until the chin has been released and the head is
fully upright.
1.