Yogic Breathing for trauma management | Role Of Pranayama for Inner Peace
Yogic Breathing (Pranayama) is very helpful for trauma management, mental tranquility, and spiritual development. Here we are going to discuss the pranayama mentioned in Patanjali Yoga Sutra (Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali). This will release all the negative emotions including trauma, fear, hatred, stress, anxiety, depression, etc. This will prepare you to get victory over your mind and improve your spiritual practices.
Lets go through those fundamental types of breathing:
There are four types of pranayama mentioned in Yoga philosophy of Patanajali inchapter 2 verse number 50 and 51.
बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर्देशकालसंख्याभिः परिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः ||2.50|| बाह्याभ्यन्तरविषयाक्षेपी चतुर्थः ||2.51||
The four types of Pranayama:
- बाह्यवृत्ति प्राणायाम (Bahyavriti Pranayama) i.e. Breath out and retention
- आभ्यन्तर वृत्ति प्राणायाम (Aabhyantatavriti Pranayama) i.e. Breath-in and retention
- स्तम्भवृत्ति प्राणायाम (Stambhavriti Pranayama) i.e. Half Breath-in and retention, Half Breath out and retention.
- बाह्याभ्यन्तर विषयाक्षेपी। (Bahyabhyantara Vishayakshipi Pranayama) i.e. Breath retention after previous retention (However teaching methods varies according to teachers)
Before learning these breathing techniques, you need to learn the proper way to breathe.
We generally do short breath. Now we have to practice long breaths.
Technique for long and deep breaths:
- Sit down in a comfortable pose with your back and torso straight. Keep your eyes closed. Concentrate on your abdomen (2 inches below your navel).
- Take a deep exhalation from your abdomen pushing it inwards. Feel the movement of breath from the abdomen to the nostrils.
- After breathing out, there can be a short natural pause for 1 second or more. After Pause of breath inhale long through your nostrils and feel the movement of breath from nostrils to abdomen.
- After breath-in, there can be a natural pause and one cycle is over. In this way repeat for 5 to 10 minutes.
बाह्यवृत्ति प्राणायाम (Bahyavriti Pranayama) i.e. Breath out and retention
Technique:
- Sit down in a comfortable with your back and neck straight. Keep your eyes closed.
- Take a long breath out as long as you can. And retain the breath up to your comfortable moment.
- Inhale long and exhale long. After exhalation, again retain the breath up to your comfortable stage.
- Repeat this process for 5 to 10 minutes.
Note: You can also engage Moola bandha (Root lock), Uddyana Bandha (abdominal lock) and Jalandhar Bandha (throat lock), as well if you know.
आभ्यन्तर वृत्ति प्राणायाम (Aabhyantatavriti Pranayama) i.e. Breath-in and retention
Technique
- Sit down in a comfortable with your back and neck straight. Keep your eyes closed.
- Take a long breath in as long as you can. And retain the breath up to your comfortable moment.
- Exhale long and inhale long. After inhalation, again retain the breath up to your comfortable stage.
- Repeat this process for 5 to 10 minutes.
Note: You can also engage Moola bandha (Root lock), and Jalandhar Bandha (throat lock), as well if you know.
- स्तम्भवृत्ति प्राणायाम (Stambhavriti Pranayama) i.e. Half Breath-in and retention, Half Breath out and retention.
Technique- A
- Sit down in a comfortable with your back and neck straight. Keep your eyes closed.
- Take a long breath in as long as you can. And breathe out half of the duration that you could do fullest extent. And retain the breath up to your comfort stage and finally breathe out completely. In this way continue for 5 to 10 minutes.
Technique- B
- Sit down in a comfortable with your back and neck straight. Keep your eyes closed.
- Take a long breath out as long as you can. And breathe in half of the duration that you could do fullest extent. And retain the breath up to your comfortable stage and finally breathe in completely. In this way continue for 5 to 10 minutes.
- बाह्याभ्यन्तर विषयाक्षेपी। (Bahyabhyantara Vishayakshipi Pranayama) i.e. Breath retention after previous retention (However teaching methods varies according to teachers)
Technique-1:
- Sit down in a comfortable with your back and neck straight. Keep your eyes closed.
- Concentrate on the base of your nose, just above your upper lip. Or you can concentrate on the nostrils’ passage.
- Try to watch your natural inhalation and exhalation. If you cannot notice your automatic or natural breath, you can take a long breath in and out for 2-3 times. This will help you to recognize your breath. And then you can work with natural and spontaneous breath again. Do it for at least 10 minutes. You can do longer as well up to one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening.
This practice can be done at any time whenever you are free. This practice is very helpful to develop mindfulness and release all types of mental defilements.
The technique-2 can be practice should be practiced only with the teacher. If not practiced in the right way, it may create negative impacts.
Technique-2:
- Sit down in a comfortable with back and neck straight. Keep your eyes close.
- Take a long breath out as long as you can and retain the breath. When you feel that you cannot retain the breath any more try to breath out again. In this way repeat few times.
- After that take a long breath in and retain the breath. When you feel you cannot retain the breath, then try breath in again. Repeat it for 5 to 10 minutes.
Benefits:
- Pranayama (yogic breathing) increases your lung capacity and helps you to flow a sufficient amount of oxygen to your brain and body.
- Pranayama cleanses your body from a subtler and deeper level. When the body is cleaned with pranayama, the specks of dirt or impurities (known as diseases) will be automatically washed. Thus this is the perfect way of attaining health.
- It purifies your mind and strengthens the capacity of the mind.
- It increases focus, awareness, understanding, and creativity.
- When your body and mind are purified you will start enjoying bliss and perfect harmony in life.
Contraindications:
- Never practice pranayama if your abdomen is not empty. So the morning time before breakfast is the best. Or you can practice after a 5-hour gap of your meal. However, breath observation can be done at any time.
- You can do pranayama only with an expert master especially if you have problems like high blood pressure and heart-related diseases.
- Practice pranayama only in a clean and airy environment.
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