Yogic Deep Breathing,
Core Kriya Yoga, and Sex

• Deep Breathing
• Core Kriya Yoga (Ujjayi Pranayama)
• Fine Sex Postures

The breathing methods that are described below, are (1) deep breathing, and (2) the core of kriya yoga (ujjayi). They may be combined. You may do them to enjoy sex activities better too, and much else. That is, you may add ujjayi breathing to deep breathing to the end of increasing the effects of yoga breathing. Both work well to prepare the body and mind for meditation too. You are supposed to be sensible and careful when you practice, for particularly ujjayi is the main part of kriya yoga, which is considered powerful.

Deep Breathing

Basics

You should at all times feel comfortable and relaxed as you sit and breathe deeply. Moderate, deep breathing is safe if you follow some sensible guidelines in the matter. It should also be pleasant. Breathing exercises should never be pushed to the point of weariness or exhaustion. So do not push beyond the limits. If there appears any problem, talk with your physician about it just to be on the safe side.

Now, let there be room for variety and change in the exercises too, but always remain gentle and nonviolent. Do not breathe jerkily or irregularly in this exercise, but let the breathing movements be smooth, steady and continuous.

Not to suppress the body's natural urges is a golden principle of Ayurveda. Hence, if you want to take a shorter breath during your deep breathing, feel free to do it.

Try not to hoist up the shoulders while you stick to the rhythm of the practice. Your main task in the long run is perhaps do it so that you enjoy it. So never strain and force yourself, but be careful to keep relaxed. Never overdo the breathing either; for then you may get dizzy and nauseous, get headaches, and faint. Keep your practice gentle, easy, calm and unhurried, and there should be no dangers.

Start by breathing to the count of 3 to 6; find the count that suits you. Then hold the breath, counting 1 or 2, and start slowly exhaling, again to the count of 3-6. Hold the breath to a count of 1 or 2.

Inhaling

Inhalation should be done gently and effortlessly. Prefer to breathe through the nose. Do not tense the nostrils; let them remain relaxed. It should all be done in a smooth, continuous rhythm with each part following smoothly on from the previous part. Avoid any jerky movements and undue strain.

1. Slowly and gently push the stomach forwards as you breathe in.
2. Push the ribs sideways while still breathing in. The stomach will automatically go inwards slightly.
3. Lift the chest and collar bone up while still breathing in.
4. When it has been completed pause for a second or so, holding the breath (optional). Mind it is to be un-forced.

Exhaling

1. Just allow the collar bone, chest and ribs to relax-the air will go out automatically.
2. When all the air seems to be out, push the stomach in very slightly to expel any remaining air in the lungs. The upper ribs are now contracted first.
3. You may take a tiny (optional) not-forced pause here too, just as on top of the inhaling.

More guidelines

• Find a quiet place where you won't be distracted. If doing the exercises indoors, keep a window open to allow fresh air into the room.
• Sit on a chair or if you prefer, cross-legged on the floor. Try to straight, yet relaxed.
• Breathe deeply and slowly, without strain.
• Prefer to wait a couple of hours after meals.
• You can do the exercise twice a day, in the early morning before breakfast, and in the early evening. It's recommendable not to eat for five to ten minutes after the exercises.

Breathing in and out to an equal number of beats is called rhythmic breathing.

This slower, deeper breathing may stimulate the lungs into healthier action, and may calm the nerves. Research shows that relaxed, deep breathing can help to reduce the effects of stress, and bring calmness and clarity of thought.

Core Kriya Yoga (Ujjayi Pranayama)

Ujjayi (OO-jah-yee) is a technique of breathing that is easily combined with deep yoga breathing (above). Ujjayi is easy to learn.

There are several variants of ujjayi. Some of them accompany kriya yoga too. The core of several kriya methods is in fact ujjayi. [Cy]. The variant that is the most effective (powerful), is the unheard or nearly unheard variant of ujjayi.

On the way to the best variant, that is, inaudible breathing, listen to how a child who falls asleep breathes: I for one used to go to sleep by producing this relaxed way of breathing. I noticed a gently hissing sound - the hhh-sound - the sound of a "gentle snore". It is produced by relaxing the glottis area and the back of the throat, slightly constricting the passage of air. Make hhh very gently deep in the throat, then, and do not over-contract the throat. Restrict the flow of air through the larynx, producing a "just audiable" snoring sound. As the throat passage is narrowed, the airway is narrowed, creating such a "rushing" sound. So, contract your throat just a little to sense the hhh-sound. The hhh-sound is made while breathing out as well as breathing in. No nasal sound should be heard.

Here you have been told of what could very well be the best known ujjayi variant. This way of breathing is used along with almost all yoga postures and is often used during relaxation - and for kriya yoga. It is taught that the ujjayi method of breathing ensures a better intake of energy, and helps mental clarity and awareness, and promotes sound self-integration. There are no general restrictions on its use. If you do it right, you can sit and breathe like this for a long while and experience deep relaxation. To do it adequately, see the instructions for deep breathing (above) and the second ujjayi.

Basic Kriya Breathing: Inaudible Ujjayi

Prefer the inaudible variant. How to do the unheard, gentle variant: Sit, preferably with your shoulders back somewhat, or lie down. Breathe through the nose unless it is stopped. Breathe gently, calmly, without strain, all the time. On the way to the proper method, think of a rose, and seek to breathe in the fine and delicate fragrance by inhaling and exhaling over the back of your throat. Gently, unheard, refined somehow, and you kindly open the throat and glottis too. This is very important in doing the silent variant. You breathe in and out very, very gently, without making a sound, ideally, or next to no sound. The one sensory feedback you have, is the faint feeling of cool air in the throat, maybe a muffled vibration there too. Yet the breath itself is soundless, and so effortless that it "would not move a feather held in front of the face".

Do not tense your eyes, neck, nostrils, jaws, and root of the tongue, and do not hoist your shoulders either. But try to put the tongue somewhere further back in the mouth while you are at it - but do not strain yourself, so go ahead very gently. Alternatively, bend the tongue back so that the tip of the tongue presses the back of the soft palate on the roof of the mouth without strain. Some say you should lift the tip of your tongue to get twice the effect of the breathing practice, but if you just "make it thick" and draw it backwards somewhat, it may work a little better, along with the inaudible breathing.

If you hear any sound during the practice, it should be very close to the hhh-sound. The better you do the even, gentle breathing method, the less you hear of it. Be relaxed throughout, and do not overdo it. And recall: ujjayi breathing by an experienced practitioner is (as good as) soundless. You might do well to go for that variant from the start.

Do maintain an even flow of breath when breathing in and breathing out - smooth and continuous. The time for breathing in and for breathing out should be equally long, that is, just a few seconds. Three seconds may be good for everyone. You add the ujjayi way of breathing to deep yogic breathing (above), and there you have it, even with variants of holding your breath for a second after breathing in and after breathing out - if such tiny pauses comes naturally.

Essential regulations

While there are few restrictions on the use of the first variant, audible ujjayi, the second variant can make you giddy fast unless you train yourself by regular, small steps to enjoy the powerful effects. Here are rules of the thumb, or more detailed suggestions:

• If you have a serious health issue, get your doctor's approval first.
• There are no particular rules for postures, although you may like to sit down during the practice, or right after it. Try doing it in a lying down positing too, if you have a health problem. [Yc 71-77]
• Stop whenever you get dizzy and tired during practice; do not overdo it. You may soon resume the method, for example after a couple of minutes.
• Go for wise regulation of the practice: Up to 10-14 rounds up to 5 times a day may be quite all right for the first few years - but individual differences should be allowed for.
• Focus on doing the breathing correctly, over and above doing it many times repeatedly.
• If in doubt, choose moderation. Gentleness and ease of practice comes first at all times - proper performance, that is.

Further counsel

You are advised to keep the attention focused on the heart while you practice - the area lies about 5 cm behind the breastbone (sternum), two fingerbreadth above the lower end of it, quite exactly.

Do not force the breathing a bit, stay as relaxed as you can at all times, and seek to notice how you feel from just three rounds of breathing in this way - after just about half a minute, that is. Let the length of your breath be natural and not forced. At the bottom of the out breath - while holding the breath a bit - you can contract the perineum somewhat for a couple of seconds. The practice is termed mula bandha. Some find it natural to do it. If so, you may continue that too.

Ujjayi can be done while moving, standing, sitting, or walking, but prefer to do the strong, silent variant while sitting. It can be done at any time of the day and night. Correct practice may steady the mind, bring calm and focus, and helps relaxation too. Done slowly, gently, it helps some against difficulty of falling asleep. along with yoga postures it is said to help you to stay present, self-aware, and grounded in the practice.

If focus is lost while doing it, simply return it to the breath and continue.

Keep the practice simple and within you own capabilities at all times, so that there will be no problems.

Mastery comes with time and good practice. [Cy 192-93, 200]

Benefits according to sources:

Yoga teaches that this way of breathing clears the head, and prevents diseases like asthma. It should help digestion, work toward normalising the blood pressure, and prolong one's life. [Lsy 79: Yc 71-77]

The Ujjayi breath gives energy and enhances the ability to assimilate prana (life force), and yields more delicate energy within your body. Thus, try it a little and see if it is true for you. There is good reason to stop when you feel giddy, dizzy. And you should stop before fainting.

Those with breathing problems such as asthma should seek medical advice and the guidance of a qualified teacher.

If you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop for a few minutes, then resume.

Care and Freedom

You may have come across that simple kriya can speed up your inner evolution fabulously. Ask for evidence that it is so, in case. Now, granted that core kriya is a delight to perform if you do it fairly well, would you like to back up some of its benefits by steering your life too? In that case this advice may give you help:

1. Practice your breathing regularly, without overdoing it, and sit or lie for at least ten minutes afterwards, focusing on your core (heart), then too. In so doing some use mantras. There are several methods. TM, Transcendental Meditation, is very good, and the best of the researched methods, according to David Orme-Johnsen [▾Link].
2. Study basic Buddhism and keep things simple, yet effective.
3. Hold on to your carefully selected, gently and delicately performed methods for at least five months to give them time to benefit you and effect whatever they can effect you for the better. Changes may show up in changed attitudes, interests, and preferences, for example. If you do not like the results, you are free to stop the practice for some time - maybe a week - and then resume it, or drop it altogether. Play safe if you practice on your own and otherwise too, in other words.
4. Try not to be severely outer-directed: the result of being governed by others may be "clipped wings".
5. If you are fairly pleased with what happens, there are more nuances to learn after, say, a couple of years of good self-help training - which is to be a pleasure.

Fine Sex Postures

It is fine to combine sensible, deep breathing and ujjayi with sex, to enhance the enjoyment. Kriya yoga is tantric, remember, and ujjayi is the core part of basic kriyas. Tantras recommend several love-postures. They are found in the Kama Sutra. The basic postures are:

1. Man on his back, woman on top;
2. Woman on her back, man on top;
3. Woman and man on their sides, facing each other;
4. Woman with her back to the man;
5. Seated positions, normally face-to-face.

As it turns out, these are most common postures, generally speaking. Until recently Western culture was marked by fear and rejection of sexuality, and at times ridiculous doctrine, but that has changed too.




Literature  

Cy: Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya. Munger: Yoga Publications Trust, 1981.

Lsy: Hewitt, James. Lær selv yoga. København: Hassing, 1966. (Teach yourself yoga. London: The English Universities Press, 1960).

Yc: Sinha, Phulgenda. Yogic Cure for Common Diseases. Rev. and enlarged ed. Delhi: Orient Paperbacks, 1980.



   USER'S GUIDE to abbreviations, the site's bibliography, letter codes, dictionaries, site design and navigation, tips for searching the site and page referrals. [LINK]
   © 2008–2009, Tormod Kinnes [E-MAIL]   —  Disclaimer: [LINK]