breathing to reduce stress vs breathing for kundalini

                             

breathing techniques for kundalini are different

Breathing to reduce stress and breathing practices for kundalini purposes are quite different. Today we will look at breathing for kundalini.

the spiritual realms require energy to unfold

For kundalini, chakras, tattwas (elements), koshas (body sheaths), pranas, what is most helpful is to do pranayama which creates an energy. For it is energy, along with consistency, that gets things moving. So, in this instance, we are focusing on moving our bodies via dynamic asana (postures), stimulating and moving our prana (life-force), especially the seat of prana, which is around the navel region. We are creating an internal heat which also aids the revealing of the inner realms. 

Everything is about movement, and even when we move into a more peaceful pranayama to conclude our deep breathing session, we are restoring a balance, between both brain hemispheres. We are creating a mental and emotional equilibrium. We are allowing the pranas and nadis (subtle energy flows) to calm into an auspicious state, for meditation. 

In meditation, for all of the spiritual aspects mentioned, it is still about energy, movement. An energy moving technique that keeps the internal aspects flowing, aids in allowing the countless accumulated mental and emotional impressions, to flow, in meditation. 

and also needs sublime balance

Before we have finished, the movement of energy, then balance, followed by meditation, leaves our entire complex in a sublime state. If you are not calm after all this, then your practices need refining or changing. I have seen, over the decades, so many aspirants lose heart with their practices, as there is too much revving up without this calming, restoring ending, to one's practices. And constant revving up without calming after, creates an agitated mind.

Always finish your asanas with one or more calming, relaxing, internalising poses. Such as reclining butterfly; reclining spinal twist. Both are excellent, especially if held for a minimum of five long, relaxed breaths, each. I personally end with this, nearly every morning. Seated cross-legged twists, followed by forward bend, still cross-legged, are a good alternative.

the best pranayama for kundalini

Then start pranayama. Bhastrika, emphasing a forward/inhale and backward/exhale, pumping action, at the navel region, is the number one pranayama for energy. Do about one - two bhastrikas per second. Work up to one hundred and twenty bhastrikas each day, in one sitting. When you can do this, add a chin lock and root lock, on the inhale, at the end. You can do bhastrikas differently than this, however for energy: it's all about pumping that navel, creating energy, heat.

If you have high blood pressure, heart problems, anger issues, then bhastrika, big breath retentions, and locks, are an absolute NO!

Another caution: bhastrika done this way stokes the internal fire, so it is very powerful. I personally have had long periods of doing much more bhastrika at one sitting. But, and this is important, this requires guidance, and also the correct situation to be able to do this.

To finish with bhastrika without calming our system after, is counterproductive. Everything in life is a balance, and even in spiritual technique, this balance is essential for our whole being.

Follow with nadi shodana, for balance and calming: in/left nostril; out/right nostril; in/right; out/left; to equal one round. 

• start with relaxed uniform breathing (inhale & exhale being roughly equal), and work up to five rounds
• when you can do this, add the exhales being twice as long as the inhale
• then you can add ratios. An achievable ratio to start with is in for three counts; out for six
• then it's in/three; hold in/six/internal retention; out/six
• when this is achievable, add external retention: in/three; hold in/six; out/six; hold out/three/external retention
• the next level is four:eight:eight:four
• then five:ten:ten:five 
• For longer retentions, we are looking at adding locks/bandhas

Meditation comes next, however today it's more about the pranayama for energy, so I shall end here. When we look at pranayama for stress reduction, you will see that the two approaches and techniques are quite different.