How to press the accelerator: Breathing for energy
Vishamvritti Praanaayaam: Activating the sympathetic nervous system
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
Have you ever woken up to your alarm in the morning, only to find that your eyes are still heavy with sleep?
Have you ever been tired in the middle of the day, with no way to rest?
Often, when we find ourselves in these situations, we grasp for coffee, tea, or our stimulant of choice.
While this is totally acceptable within the Yogic framework, there are other methods to achieve the same end result - wakefulness and a feeling of energy.
Last week we discussed how the autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts:
Sympathetic nervous system: The accelerator. Fight or flight - helps you quickly escape a predator
Parasympathetic nervous system: The brakes. Rest and digest, or “feed and breed”
These mechanisms evolved over millions of years of evolution, and are designed to optimize our reactions to ensure survival and reproduction. However, in today’s world, they sometimes activate at the wrong times, leading to frustration.
For example, if you are in the middle of a discussion, and someone says something that feels offensive.
Depending on how tightly you cling to your ahamkaar, it may activate a sympathetic response, and your heart will start to race. In this situation, you may end up saying something that you regret later, only because your biological instinct misunderstood the situation.
On the other hand, if you are tired in the beginning or middle of a workday, and your body is going into “rest and digest” mode, you may end up feeling frustrated that you are unable to perform as needed. Like in the previous example, the body had a different understanding of the situation than what you needed in the moment, resulting in an unwanted outcome.
In Yoga, the antidote to these situations - where the Praanic functioning is not in line with the mind’s intention - is not coffee, but Vishamvritti Praanaayaam, or odd-length Praanaayaam.
Last time, we went over how to intentionally activate a parasympathetic (ie. calming) response in the body. This week, we will discuss some techniques to activate the opposite - sympathetic - response as needed.
The goal is to make you the master of your own Praana. When you want to be tired, you can be tired. When you want to be energized, you can be energized.
P: What if I always want to be active and awake? Should I just practice these all the time?
Jogi: Not at all! The body needs to rest in order to survive and be healthy. These exercises should be used carefully. Whenever you can help it, do not ignore your body’s signals to rest. Otherwise, you will cause harm to your body, and your mind.
Before we get into the techniques, take a look at this a diagrammatic representation of the breath. There are four possible vrittis1, or movements of breath:
Puraka: The inhale (aka antara)
Antara-kumbhaka: The pause after inhaling
Rechaka: The exhale (aka baahya)
Baahya-kumbhaka: The pause after exhaling
Additionally, before practising these, make sure you are familiar with the calming exercises. If you feel any discomfort - physical or mental - while practising these techniques, stop immediately and practice the calming techniques.
One example is as follows:
Any other calming techniques will also work as a safeguard.
Finally, do not practice any of these techniques if you have high blood pressure, a history of heart disease or heart failure, or a history of panic attacks or severe anxiety.
Pressing the accelerator: How to activate the sympathetic nervous system
There are several techniques to activate the sympathetic nervous system. These are helpful if you need a quick “pick-me-up” in the middle of the day, or early in the morning to get out of bed. With practice, these techniques can also generate feelings of euphoria and happiness in the mind.
However, as mentioned before, be very careful with these. If you find yourself feeling anxious or jittery, stop practicing and immediately press the brakes by using one of the relaxation techniques in the previous article.
If not otherwise mentioned, make sure to breathe into your diaphragm, then your ribs, then your chest, and out from your chest, then your ribs, then your diaphragm (aka Deergha Shvaasam)
Technique #1: 3:0:1:0
Sit in your Aasana.
Breathe in deeply through the nose for 3 maatraas.
Exhale all the air in your lungs through your mouth for 1 maatraa.
This is one cycle. Repeat for 27 cycles.
As you practice this, keep your torso as still as possible. This technique will increase alertness, concentration, and energy. The more cycles you repeat, the longer the effect will last. You will know it is working if your inhales start to feel slightly warmer than before (but don’t worry too much if this doesn’t happen).
Technique #2: 3:1:1:0
Sit in your Aasana.
Breathe in deeply through the nose for 3 maatraas.
Hold the breath for 1 maatraa.
Exhale all the air in your lungs through the nose for 1 maatraa.
This is one cycle. Repeat for 27 cycles.
In this technique, you can intensify the effect by performing a mahaabandha on the hold. However, be careful with this - if it gets too intense, make sure to practice the calming technique immediately. It is important to be honest with yourself so as not to cause harm.
Technique #3: 1:0:1:0
Sit in your Aasana.
Breathe in completely through the nose within one second (not one maatraa, but one second), only expanding the lower abdomen.
Exhale all the air in your lungs through the nose for one second.
This is one cycle. Repeat for 27 cycles.
This technique improves reaction times. Mentally, it feels like information is being processed faster. Don’t take my word for it - try it for yourself!
Technique #4: 1:1x8 + 4:4
Sit in your Aasana. Make sure you are stable, without risk of falling in any direction.
Breathe in completely within one second, into the ribs only.
Eliminating the pause, exhale completely for one second.
Repeat this for eight counts.
Immediately breathe in, slowly and completely (deergha shvaasam), for four maatraas.
Eliminating the pause, exhale, slowly and completely (deergha shvaasam), for four maatraas.
This is one cycle. Repeat for 10 cycles.
This technique generates a state of alertness and stability by combining short, quick breaths with longer breaths. The key to success with this technique is the elimination of the pauses (ie. the sthambha-vrittis), and isolating the mid-section of the torso. It may take some practice to get right, but you will know you are successful when you feel a sense of euphoria.
If this technique leads to an emotional reaction, don’t be alarmed - this is normal, and is a sign of success.
For all the techniques discussed in this article, if you feel lightheaded, anxious, or otherwise uncomfortable, please stop your practice immediately and perform a calming technique. Done improperly, this set of techniques can result in unwanted effects, and can cause a strain on the body. Be honest with yourself.
None of these Hatha Yoga breathing techniques are necessary on the path of Raja Yoga - they are just useful tools. If you cannot do them, for whatever reason, there is no compulsion. Simply move on, and hold on to the practices that work for you.
Until next time:
If you can, pick at least one of the techniques discussed today, and try using them when you feel dull, tired, or otherwise taamasic.
Notice the effect on your mind, and take notes so you can find what works for you.
Next time: The Kumbhakas: Suryabheda (the secret of the Sun)
The word vritti in this context has a different meaning than in the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras, where it refers to the five types of movements in the mind (chitta-vrittis). The word vritti simply means movement (or literally, whirlpool).