Pranayama Explained

I have been saying so many things about Pranayama for some time now. So it would but be decent to explain what it really is. The following is strictly based on original Texts on the subject.

Types of Pranayama

The word Pranayama is made up of two parts, Prana (air or life force if you prefer) and Ayama ( to block). Combined they give a meaning of blocking of Prana. There are three types of Pranayama.

1 Rechaka Pranayama 2. Pooraka Pranayama 3. Kumbaka Pranayama . I will explain them further.


Rechaka Pranayama

Rechaka means to expel. In this type of Pranayama the practitioner to expels all air from the lungs and blocks the breath on the outside without letting the air in to the lungs.

Pooraka Pranayama

Pooraka means to fill. In this the air is taken in slowly till all your nadis( nerves) are filled with it. You might wonder how we can “fill” nadis( nerves) by air. In the science of Yoga Prana is not merely air, it contains universal life force in it. It is this life force which is supposed to fill the Nadis.

Kumbaka Pranayama

Kumbaka means to block. This consists of blocking the air from going out once the lungs are filled with it. It is not really that different from Pooraka Pranayama. Kumbaka Pranayama has been divided into two types.

1. Sahitha Kumbaka and 2. Kevala Kumbaka

Sahitha Kumbaka

Sahitha means “with”. The meaning in the context is ‘Kumbaka with effort”. There is Pranayama or kumbaka with effort and without effort. This will become clear in the next section. Here it would suffice to know that blocking Prana (air) outside or inside your body is called Sahitha Kumbaka. Thus as you can see there are two types of Sahitha Kumbaka. Rechaka Kumbaka and Pooraka Kumbaka.. These are the same as Rechaka Pranayama and Pooraka Pranayama.

Kevala Kumbaka

This can not be “practiced”; it would have to “happen’ to you. I will explain it. In this Kumbaka or Pranayama the breath gets blocked without any effort either inside or outside of your body . This occurs after practicing Sahitha Kumbaka for some time, some considerable time mind you. It is the most natural outcome of the Sahitha Kumbaka. To me it happens all the time. Some times I would be sitting without breathing for some time before I become aware of it. To make it ‘happen’ you need to practice both the Sahitha Kumbaka’s for some time, the Rechaka variety and the Pooraka variety. Rechaka Kumbaka is a little difficult. You can not block air out side your body as long as you can block it inside.

There are two other varieties within the above Pranayama’s .These are called the 1.Sagarbha Pranayama and 2.Agarbha ( Vgarbha) Pranayama’s. Let me explain these

Sagarbha Pranayama

Sagarbha means included. In the context it means the practice of Pranayama with internal recitation of Mantra and taking count of the length of time you do the Pranayama. This is the Pranayama which is practiced with the recitation of OM. The practice is like this, you recite Om for 16 times while expelling the breath through your right nostril. And then fill in the air through left nostril reciting OM for 32 times. Then you hold in the breath inside reciting Om for 64 times. While holding the breath thus you also should think about the meaning of OM.

Agarbha ( Vigarbha) Pranayama.

Agarbha means not included .In this you do the same as above minus the count and the recitation. You expel air through the right, inhale through the left and hold it inside all without any count or recitation of Mantra. There are no rules in this Pranayama. You can practice at your pace. Expel, take in and hold in the air as long as you can.

As far as I know this is the best technique to make the Kevala Kumbaka ‘happen”. In the earlier technique the counting and recitation takes up all our attention and thus defeating the very aim of the practice, that of gaining inner knowledge.