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| "Against the Grain" by psyberartist, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commo |
I'm all about going with the flow of things. Of late, that flow has been directing me to a greater exploration of pranayama, or the varied breathing exercises of yoga. More accurately translated, pranayama refers to the "extension of the life force." How appropriate, since the various forms of pranayama encourage the practitioner to draw out and extend the breath.
So, I was mentioning my love of going with the flow. I'm sure I'm not the only yoga practitioner to have a fondness for this concept. Curious, then that a favorite pranayama of mine encourages us to go against the natural flow of things. This is viloma pranayama, which translates to "against the hair" or "against the grain." The practice of viloma can help us to expand our breathing capacity, encouraging the exploration of otherwise under-utilized space in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Moreover, this exercise is simultaneously rejuvenating and grounding, providing relief for:
fatigue
strain
weakness
nausea
imbalanced blood pressure
heaviness in the abdomen
hyperactivity &
insomnia,
according to Geeta Iyengar.
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| Illustration by Pat Conrad, courtesy of Bicycling Bliss |
To practice viloma, beginners will want to find a comfortable supine position. I find that a supported savasana, with a bolster under the knees, a pillow under the head, and a covering over the eyes works best. Let the hands rest to the side of the body with palms facing up, or on the belly with palms facing down. Eventually, the practiced yogi/yogini will bring this exercise into a seated posture.
Please take note of the illustration to the left, examining the mechanics of breathing, and keeping this picture in mind moving forward. For viloma, we invite kumbhakas, or pauses, into the inhalation and exhalation. As we breathe deep ujjayi pranayama, by contracting the glottis in the throat, we visualize the torso and mentally divide it into 3 sections:
1. Pubic bone to the navel
2. Navel to the bottom tip of the sternum
3. Sternum to the collarbones
2. Upon completing an exhalation, inhale through the 1st section (pubic bone to navel).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Inhale through the 2nd section (navel to the tip of the sternum).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Inhale through the 3rd section (tip of the sternum to the collarbones), to reach the full capacity for an inhalation.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Exhale uninterrupted, from the collarbones to the pubic bone, pausing for 2 seconds when the exhalation is complete.
9. Repeat several rounds of steps 2-8. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
2. Upon completing an inhalation, exhale through the 3rd section (collarbones to the bottom tip of the sternum).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Exhale through the 2nd section (tip of the sternum to the navel).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Exhale through the 1st section (navel to the pubic bone), completely emptying the body of air.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Inhale uninterrupted, from the pubic bone to the collarbones, pausing for 2 seconds when the inhalation is complete.
9. Repeat several rounds of steps 2-8. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
Viloma Pranayama, full:
1. From a comfortable supine or seated position, breathe several rounds of ujjayi pranayama.
2. Upon completing an exhalation, inhale through the 1st section (pubic bone to navel).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Inhale through the 2nd section (navel to the tip of the sternum).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Inhale through the 3rd section (tip of the sternum to the collarbones), to reach the full capacity for an inhalation.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Exhale through the 3rd section (collarbones to the bottom tip of the sternum).
9. Pause for 2 seconds.
10. Exhale through the 2nd section (tip of the sternum to the navel).
11. Pause for 2 seconds.
12. Exhale through the 1st section (navel to the pubic bone), completely emptying the body of air.
13. Pause for 2 seconds.
14. Continue through several rounds of steps 2-13. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
Practice viloma pranayama when you have some time to rest and relax. This exercise has a strong tendency to put practitioners right to sleep! My teachers warned me of this when introducing the practice, but after the first time I didn't believe them at all. I found viloma quite challenging initially and had no idea how someone could possibly fall asleep practicing it. However, I very quickly gained more comfort with the exercise and soon found myself battling snoring in the middle of the class! As such, I highly recommend viloma for anyone struggling with bouts of insomnia. For the same reason, I also highly recommend practicing viloma under the guidance of a teacher or audio recording. Without a voice actively reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing, I can find it difficult to get through more than a few rounds of viloma before drifting off into the nether regions. I'm still working on the whole video/audio recording thing, so if the flow of things allows, I will produce a guided recording for you soon (especially since I couldn't find one I liked upon doing a quick search)! Until then, have fun slowly orienting yourself to this practice, and comment below or email me if any questions arise.
Please take note of the illustration to the left, examining the mechanics of breathing, and keeping this picture in mind moving forward. For viloma, we invite kumbhakas, or pauses, into the inhalation and exhalation. As we breathe deep ujjayi pranayama, by contracting the glottis in the throat, we visualize the torso and mentally divide it into 3 sections:
1. Pubic bone to the navel
2. Navel to the bottom tip of the sternum
3. Sternum to the collarbones
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| "Deep Breath" courtesy of Yoga with Sereni |
Viloma pranayama, variation 1:
1. From a comfortable supine or seated position, breathe several rounds of ujjayi pranayama.2. Upon completing an exhalation, inhale through the 1st section (pubic bone to navel).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Inhale through the 2nd section (navel to the tip of the sternum).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Inhale through the 3rd section (tip of the sternum to the collarbones), to reach the full capacity for an inhalation.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Exhale uninterrupted, from the collarbones to the pubic bone, pausing for 2 seconds when the exhalation is complete.
9. Repeat several rounds of steps 2-8. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
Viloma Pranayama, variation 2:
1. From a comfortable supine or seated position, breathe several rounds of ujjayi pranayama.2. Upon completing an inhalation, exhale through the 3rd section (collarbones to the bottom tip of the sternum).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Exhale through the 2nd section (tip of the sternum to the navel).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Exhale through the 1st section (navel to the pubic bone), completely emptying the body of air.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Inhale uninterrupted, from the pubic bone to the collarbones, pausing for 2 seconds when the inhalation is complete.
9. Repeat several rounds of steps 2-8. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
Viloma Pranayama, full:
1. From a comfortable supine or seated position, breathe several rounds of ujjayi pranayama.
2. Upon completing an exhalation, inhale through the 1st section (pubic bone to navel).
3. Pause for 2 seconds.
4. Inhale through the 2nd section (navel to the tip of the sternum).
5. Pause for 2 seconds.
6. Inhale through the 3rd section (tip of the sternum to the collarbones), to reach the full capacity for an inhalation.
7. Pause for 2 seconds.
8. Exhale through the 3rd section (collarbones to the bottom tip of the sternum).
9. Pause for 2 seconds.
10. Exhale through the 2nd section (tip of the sternum to the navel).
11. Pause for 2 seconds.
12. Exhale through the 1st section (navel to the pubic bone), completely emptying the body of air.
13. Pause for 2 seconds.
14. Continue through several rounds of steps 2-13. To finish, simply return to uninterrupted ujjayi.
Practice viloma pranayama when you have some time to rest and relax. This exercise has a strong tendency to put practitioners right to sleep! My teachers warned me of this when introducing the practice, but after the first time I didn't believe them at all. I found viloma quite challenging initially and had no idea how someone could possibly fall asleep practicing it. However, I very quickly gained more comfort with the exercise and soon found myself battling snoring in the middle of the class! As such, I highly recommend viloma for anyone struggling with bouts of insomnia. For the same reason, I also highly recommend practicing viloma under the guidance of a teacher or audio recording. Without a voice actively reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing, I can find it difficult to get through more than a few rounds of viloma before drifting off into the nether regions. I'm still working on the whole video/audio recording thing, so if the flow of things allows, I will produce a guided recording for you soon (especially since I couldn't find one I liked upon doing a quick search)! Until then, have fun slowly orienting yourself to this practice, and comment below or email me if any questions arise.
NAMASTE
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| Family Fresh Air! |
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