Monday, July 7, 2008

Sheethali , Sheethkari and Bramari

Most of the techniques of Pranayama involves other practices of yoga with them. Some of these practices require a definite amount of training too. This is why I have been reluctant to suggest Pranayama for relief from electromagnetic harassment, though certain of the techniques would have been beneficial to the sufferers. There are other considerations also. A few of the techniques should never be practiced by people with certain physical afflictions.
Yet these techniques are extremely effective in reducing stress, refreshing the brain and infusing your system with energy. I had suggested Sheethali Pranayama for those who find their body heating up due to the effects of microwave radiation. It is a simple process involving the intake of air through the open mouth and releasing it through your nostrils. It immediately cools the body down. Polluted environments might not be very suitable for it and of course the practitioners of modern medicine would not be very pleased with the experiment. They would be right in a way too, mouth is not a part of the respiratory process, and what about dust particles and such materials which are supposed to be filtered by the nostrils and sinuses.
Well, a bit of exercise would convince them that the mouth occasionally functions as a part of our breathing apparatus too.
It is true what the doctors tell you. Our nostrils function like a good air-conditioning system. The nostrils help to “condition” the air to relate to your body temperature and infuse the air with the right amount of moisture before it reaches the lungs. Also mucus membrane extends from the nose to the innermost parts of the lungs and most germs are trapped by it and die.
So you need to breathe through your nostrils at all times. All the sages who taught pranayama have emphasized the importance of breathing through the nose, and most of the paranayama practices are nose centered with the exception of the Sheethali and Sheethkari Pranayama’s.
I had only given the bare essentials of Sheethali pranayama in a previous post I wrote about the practice. Actually the real practice consists of taking in the air through the tip of the tongue ( holding the tongue like you do when you whistle) and filling your stomach with air( remember the advise “ breathe from the abdomen” that is what filling the stomach is all about). Gheranda Samhita states that this pranayama corrects the problems of digestive processes and repairs nerve and bodily fluids (Vatha and Pitha dosha). I do not know where you can obtain the book on the net but I think there is a mention of its publication some where at this site.
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Kundalini_Yoga_FAQ/id/34766

There are not many references about these techniques on the net. But you may want to download this pdf file.
http://www.ashtanga.at/pdfs/SheshadriPranayama.pdf
None of the techniques described in it are harmful if not done in excesses. Even Jalandhara Bandha is easy to perform though it has a high sounding name. Sheethkari might also be of help to cool down the body. For the special purpose that I am suggesting these practices, that is to cool the body down when it is heated up by environmental or directed radiation, you need not even sit in a special posture and hold your breath (kumbaka). You can do sheethali at any time and in any posture without kumbaka.
The nadi shudhi (given as nadi shodana in the pdf file) pranayama is also good. Without holding the air in you can do it as many times as you want, but try to stick to the number suggested.
But the first one, the “bastrika” is not that easy. If you practice it in excesses it might make you giddy. There is bit of force involved in the practice and I would not advise it very much.
But cooling the body down is not enough is it? When you are mentally zapped by destructive energies flowing in to you non stop, you need some technique to rejuvenate your brain and thus your mind.

Well, there is one more technique which would have been beneficial for those who are suffering from energy depletion in brain due to harassment( or in general for everyone), but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post it involves another important yogic practice with it. The pranayama is called the Bramari pranayama. You need to sit somewhere in a relaxed position keeping your spine straight to do this practice. Sent out your breathe with closed eyes and fill the air in after two seconds. Now comes the difficult and tricky part. You need to contain the air inside while doing “moola bandha”. Moolabandha is “the drawing up of the pelvic floor”- confused? Well, what you do when you need to go to the toilet and you can’t do that just then? You clamp down on the muscles in the “sensitive” region and on most occasions’ draws them up. This is what moola bandha is all about, constricting anal muscles and drawing them up into you.
In Bramari pranayama you have to hold the air inside and do the moola bandha at the same time. It is difficult, but can be done. Remain thus for about three seconds and then placing both the pointing fingers of your hands inside your ears to shut them release the moola bandha and the air with a faint sound like the humming of a bee . Concentrate only on the sound. When the airs is fully expelled take your fingers away and then start another one.
The humming sound will enter your brain and energize and awaken it, it will also reduce hypertension and the numbness in the brain. It eliminates fear, anxiety and anger. It gives you a good voice. It is a great technique towards mental health if you can practice it consistently.
Well these are some techniques I thought of, they might help you to overcome DEW based harassment.

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