Week #41 – December 22-27, 2020
Balancing the Vayus

Overview

WEEK 41 – Balancing the Vayus

This Kriya allows you to contemplate your Prana/Life force and the Breath and how it moves throughout your body. There are five principal Vayus also known as “winds or airs.”

1.   Apaana which moves in the sphere of the coccyx/anus –First Chakra
2.  Samaana which moves in the navel region – Third Chakra
3.  Praana which moves in the heart and lungs – Fourth Chakra
4.  Udaana which moves in the throat – Fifth Chakra
5.  Vyanna which pervades the whole body – Eighth Chakra

Theos Casimir Bernard 1908-1947 The White Llama (look at full history on his Wikipedia page) Spent years studying the Vayus. These five Vayus work in combination and create balance. This set moves all of the Vayus of the body and brings equilibrium to the entire glandular system.

Remember – If you are on your Moon/Menstrual cycle no held breath, substitute with long and deep breathing.

CHANTS in this Kriya include:

Adi Mantra – I bow to the Creative Wisdom. I bow to the Divine Teacher within. This mantra is used to access the divine flow and self-knowledge within each of us. We chant it three times. Once for ourselves, once for the people in your class and once for the greater world.

SONGS & MUSIC in this Kriya include:

There is little music in this kriya other than in Shavasana and our closing song. If you prefer to practice without music, you will appreciate this recording.

Shavasana: Rocky sang I Am So Blessed, written by Karen Drucker.

Long Time Sun – Closing song of all Kundalini Yoga classes worldwide.
May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on

PRANAYAMA – BREATHING in this Kriya includes:

Kapalabhati Pranayama – A forced exhale through the nose, followed by an automatic inhale through the nose. The Inhale and Exhale are of equal force. This forced exhale may feel like you are blowing your nose, it is a good idea to have a tissue nearby, especially during a morning practice.

Note: There are some classes when we may also practice Breath of Fire through an open mouth, inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Keep the head steady and cheeks as well as you practice this “Cannon Breath.” When we do, I will make sure to explain what we are doing as we do it.

In the video you will hear specific instructions re the number of seconds we’ll use for the pattern. It may be a four-second breathing pattern, five-second, or something different. For instance, on occasion, I may make changes, like adding one extra held breath per cycle which will begin to train the brain to absorb more carbon dioxide. Or, I may add alternate nostril breath to our box breathing pattern; inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right. Simply listen for specific instructions in the video.

Below is the general breathing pattern. You can always begin with a 3 second pattern and slowly increase your times.


Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Hold

Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Hold

Repeat Cycle

With practice you could increase the breath count to 8 seconds per inhale, an 8 second hold and an 8 second exhale. It is the increased carbon dioxide levels in our bodies that trigger our urgent need to take a breath. Free Divers learn to override this physical cue. If you haven’t yet watched the Netflix documentary “My Octopus Teacher” I highly recommend it. This is one of my favorite documentaries in recent memory. If you have yet to watch it, I encourage you to do so.

Box Breathing Technique introduced by Professor Huberman, a Stanford University neurobiologist. If you want to learn more, give a listen to Andrew Huberman: “How stress affects the mind — and how to relieve it,” from “The Future of Everything” presented by Stanford Engineering on ApplePodcasts. 
LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/future-everything-presented-bystanford-engineering/id1235836821?i=1000493145513


In many of the videos here on my website, you may hear me reference Dr. Baxter Bell’s Covid-19 Breath Series, this is Box Breathing.

You may also hear me mention The Breathing App. I highly recommend it as a tool to develop your practice. “The Breathing App is inspired by resonance, the scientific name that describes what happens when our heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and brainwave function come into a coherent frequency. It occurs spontaneously when we breathe at a rate of six breaths per minute (instead of our usual 15-18), and is the rate of breathing that Buddhist monks and Yogis naturally enter into while meditating.” https://eddiestern.com/the-breathing-app/

ROCKY’S TAKEAWAY

Balancing the Vayus
I love this Kriya because it really forces me to feel and think about the Five Vayus known as “Winds” coursing through my body. I feel my breath, my Prana in more than my lungs. I can feel it moving throughout my thoracic body cavity. I can sense it when my pelvic floor is grounded to my mat. I do feel the Vayu moving in the first Chakra, in the sphere of the anus. I feel it in my core, my third chakra and it is apparent when the winds are in the heart and throat, the fourth and fifth chakras. And the last wind, Vyanna, I can sense it surrounding my subtle body, the 8th Chakra.

Students also like the Kangaroo jump and the Frogs make our thighs burn!! Make this Kriya part of all your practice. You are learning to connect with your subtle body. You are beginning to understand that breath work is more than a simple inhale and exhale. Stay with it and the magic will begin to unfold.

Sat Nam.

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