Iyengar Pranayama :Ratios & Retentions

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1


[B]Iyengar Pranayama :Ratios & Retentions[/B]

Okay, i’ve got Iyengar’s book here [I]Light on Pranayama[/I].

The relevant Chapter 18- Vrtti Pranayama

[B]"[/B]1 Vritti means action,movment , a course of conduct or method.

2 There are two types Samavtti & Visavritti
The former is when the length in time in each inhalation,exhalation and retention of breath is the same, and it is the latter if the length is altered and varied.[B]"[/B]

Anyway, to summarise he suggests learning the following routine if you start off.

The numbers of count here format will refer to

INHALE:EXHALE

INHALE:RETENTION:EXHALE

INHALE:RETENTION:EXHALE:RETENTION

So he suggests

learning in this order:-

Part 1 -Samavrtti Pranayama

1:1, no retention,equal uniformity of breath

INTERNAL RETENTION FIRST OR ANTAR KUMBHAKA

1:1/4:1----->1:1:1 IN 1/4 INCREMENTS until uniformity is arrived at.

That’s without Visamavrtti Pranayama , where the ratios ae varied between puraka,antar kumbhaka,rechaka & bahya kumbhaka- which is PART 2 following here.

PART 2- Visamavrtti Pranayama

1:2:1 ----> 1:4:1 then adjust and adopt ratio to
then 1:4 :1 1/4 —>1:4:2 then only when this is mastered it says add bahya kumbhaka (external retention) gradually

1:4:2:1/4--------->1:4::2:1 ADDING IN BY 1/4 INCREMENTS

SO 1:4:2:1 IS IDEAL RATIO it says only when acheived it says

You can reverse this to

2:4:1 then add bahya kumbhaka at 2:4:1:1/4----> 2:4:1:1, the length of time can be varied.

And it goes on offering various other & seemingly diverse permutations and combinations.

(Note:-Caution:An experienced teacher/guru is advised,especially it says ‘the path of visavritti pranayama is fraught with danger’ etc etc)

This is [U]Iyengar’s system BTW[/U] adding little increments slowly & gradually… You’d be better off getting the book however…I’m not really sure if it might differ with other systems of pure pranayama but it must be backed up by the records or some scriptural or textual authorities on pranayama.

If you can make some of this out…

Final disclaimer: WORD OF CAUTION:PRACTICE WISELY WITH THE AID OF TEACHER.***

#2

Just watching the breath and/or steady relaxed deep full breathing is the place to start.

1:1, there’s often a little pause too here in between with the rise& fall of the diapraghm & respiratory system

no fancy exotic stuff.But i posted the above here for the curious.I’m not sure if these things,i.e the ratios found within that book are necessarily written in stone.Perhaps they’re more of a guide.Of course pranayama & the rest is in art as much as a science.I do find the science behiind the ratios, well… interesting and pertinent.

#3

Also another thing worth mentioning is, if you follow this system you better getting the book and following it in it’s entirety.I’ve just endeavoured to summarise one of the chapters in the book.Also designed and best combining with the use of asana and all the other limbs.