Other recommendations: after choosing a pleasant place (if you decide to practice outdoors), set a mat on the floor or on the grass, or rock. On this mat place a blanket, or a clean piece of cloth made of cotton or wool.
Sit on it, facing North, or East, choosing a position you feel comfortable in. The best position is the one in which you may stay for a long time, without any discomfort.
Remember that your spine should be straight, upward and relaxed at the same time. Contract your anal muscles, and perform a slight abdominal retraction, as in the case of Uddiyana Bandha.
Your chest, neck and head should be on an imaginary straight line as much as possible.
Always practice pranayama on an empty stomach, this means at least two hours after you had a meal. Do not practice pranayama when you are ill, except in the cases when it is used as a remedy.
Do not practice pranayama when physically or mentally tired. If you desire remarkable and quick results, practice pranayama constantly four times a day: in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at midnight. During an intense practice it is especially recommended to eat and drink regularly.
SIMPLE PRANAYAMA TECHNIQUES
Note: it is compulsory to practice these techniques after asanas followed by the complete yogic relaxation.
1. DEEP BREATHS
Sit in the pose you have chosen for the pranayama (be it Sukhasana, or Vajrasana, or another upright position you are comfortable in).In the beginning breathe in and out several times, to ventilate the air that might have been stagnating in the respiratory tracts.
After several such ventilating breaths, exhale the air through the mouth, trying to empty the lungs. Maintain the retention of the breath with empty lungs (known as apnea) for a while, without forcing yourself.
Inhale through the nose filling your lungs as much as possible. Hold your breath with your lungs filled with air, but do not force yourself to hold your breath.
In time you will manage to hold your breath for longer intervals but in the beginning it is necessary for your body to accommodate the energetic level brought about by the practice of pranayama.
Exhale through the mouth, avoiding an explosive, “massive” elimination of the air. Do every step in a controlled, calm manner. Take a few breaths at your own rhythm and then take another deep breath.
Focus: during this technique, while exhaling you will also eliminate the toxic energies that disturb your vital balance. While inhaling, perceive the beneficialial pranic energies that impregnate and revitalize you.
While holding your breath with the lungs filled with air, perceive the impregnation of the whole body with pure, beneficialial energy.
If you want to use this technique for healing purposes, then during the retention when the lungs are filled with air, you have to focus the pranic energy on the disordered areas, visualizing the currents of white energy eliminating the tensions from that particular area.
Perform this technique 20 times in one session. Perform one session in the morning, one at noon, one in the evening and one at midnight, increasing the number of breaths by two per week.
Beneficial effects: this technique helps you to have greater vitality and leads to a process of purifying your organism. The mind becomes calm and focused. Your health is restored.
