呼吸控制法须知

“瑜伽”这个词的意思是结合。瑜伽已经发展到实现灵魂同上帝的结合。为了达到这个目的，身体，精神和灵魂必须完全和谐。因此，瑜伽是为了使身体，精神和灵魂完全进化。瑜伽有八个分支。呼吸控制法是八支之一。

呼吸控制法具有能够使头脑摆脱虚伪、愚昧以及其它身体和头脑痛苦和不愉快的经历；当头脑得到净化，你就容易关注你所想要的目标，使得他能够进一步进展进到冥想的方向。

通过瑜伽体式，我们去掉身体的扭曲和无力状态，让身体训练有素。然而呼吸控制法比瑜伽体式能够更大程度地影响灵体和肉身，这点应该能够理解。在人的身体上，肺、心脏和大脑具有非常重要的地位，他们对身体的健康极其重要。在身体层面，呼吸控制法表现为呼吸的系统练习，它使肺更强壮，改进血液循环，使你更加健康、更长寿。生理学告诉我们，我们吸进的气（生命力）充满我们的肺部，在整个体内传播，提供身体基本的形式，带到心脏，然后到肺部，而通过呼吸，使体内无用的物质，如二氧化碳排出体外。如果呼吸系统的这个活动有规律有效地进行，肺会变得更强壮，血液变得纯洁。

然而，大多数人没有深呼吸的习惯，结果只有四分之一的肺起作用，75%的肺功能闲置。就像蜂窝一样，肺是由7300万个可以比作海绵的细胞组成，在我们都习惯的平常的呼吸时，肺中只有2000万个气孔得到氧，而其余5300万个气孔被剥夺了这一好处，结果他们被几种像肺结核、呼吸病和咳嗽、支气管炎等一类的疾病污染。

这种方式，肺的不足够的功能影响血液的净化过程。心脏因此而变得虚弱，常常导致过早死亡。正式由于这个原因，为了健康长寿，人们认识到呼吸控制法的重要性，通过经常练习呼吸控制法，一些疾病可以得到预防。因此，显然，呼吸控制科学的知识和经常练习使人能够健康长寿。

精神上的干扰像兴奋、焦虑、恐惧、愤怒、失望、强烈的性欲和其他心理变态都能够通过有规律地练习呼吸控制法得到镇静。此外，呼吸控制法练习改进大脑的功能，改进记忆力和辨别观察能力，使得关注和冥想变得容易。

呼吸控制法的一些规则：

选择一个清洁安静的地方做呼吸控制法。如果有可能，选择一个靠近一个清洁的池塘或河流边做。

以任何舒适的体式坐姿即莲花坐，至善坐或雷电坐。你坐的垫子（棉或羊毛等等）必须是一个非导电体。

只通过鼻子呼吸，因为这样做吸入的空气得到过滤。当你在白天不是坐着练习呼吸控制法时，养成只通过鼻孔不通过嘴巴呼吸的习惯。鼻呼吸保持左脉，右脉和中脉经脉的温度均匀。也能阻止外部有害物质进到肺部。

正像瑜伽一样，呼吸控制法也应该在用餐后4-5小时之后练习。早上练习呼吸控制法应该在完成像漱口，排便等日常事务后开始，而且是在瑜伽体式练习之前进行。开始练习应该做五到十分钟，渐渐地增加到半个小时至1小时的时间。保持一定数量的重复次数，而不是随机的地做。保持一个特别的节奏。如果在早上不能做到清洁肠道，在晚上吃点轻微像坷子的泻药或任何其他温和的泻药。圣光调息法，如果定期做几天，会帮助治疗便秘。

保持你的心态平和与镇静，但是，呼吸控制法也能够平静受打扰的心态，保持快乐。

呼吸控制法的方法可能因季节和因你个人的身体结构和精神状态而异。保持这种心态，并相应地调节方法。有些呼吸控制法增加体温，有些降低体温。有些呼吸控制法保持体温在正常水平。

如果你在做呼吸控制法的过程中感到疲劳，休息会儿，然后开始深呼吸，这样能够去除疲劳。

孕妇、饥饿的人、发烧的人和那些贪欲对感情不加控制的人不应练习呼吸控制法。如果你病了，在做呼吸控制法时记住按照病人该做的方式做。

对于持续很久时间练习呼吸控制法的人，保持独身生活是必要的。此外，食物应该简单，不含刺激香料。应该是“Sattvika”-(简单清单，不辛辣的食物)。用母牛的奶，酥油，水果和绿色蔬菜是理想的食物。自我节制也是应该遵守的好规则。

在做屏息是的时候不要使你自己紧张，即保持吸进的空气在体内或在呼气后保持空气在体外（吸入空气叫“puraka”(吸气),保持吸入的空气在体内叫着“Kumbhak”（屏息）,呼出空气叫“Recak”（呼气））。

呼吸控制法不只是意味着吸气，保持吸入的空气然后呼出。它也是指建立对整个呼吸过程的控制，保持心情平衡，精神专注。

唱诵颂歌（一组携带震动和能量词）OM（宇宙第一个无声的声音）是有益的，在做呼吸控制法之前大声重复地唱诵几遍。甚至背诵圣歌颂扬万能的上帝或背诵一些宗教赞美诗也是有益的。这能平和你的心态，使你适合练习呼吸控制法，因为做呼吸控制法时，一个平静的心理状态是非常重要的。在心理或者大声唱诵歌雅特瑞（Gayatri）颂歌(被看着是最伟大的颂歌，用于冥想和唱诵中)或其它赞美诗是有益的。

在做呼吸控制法的时候，任何一个身体器官如嘴巴，眼睛，鼻子等会都不要感受到紧张，应该循序渐进地做，没有感受任何不适或紧张。身体所有的器官应该保持正常的条件。在做呼吸控制法时，以挺直的坐姿。保持你的脊柱和脖子挺直，这是获得呼吸控制法全部益处的基础。

如果可能的话，呼吸控制法应该在你早上的通常的事项如洗澡等之后进行。但是，如果你必须在呼吸控制法之后洗澡，那么在洗澡和呼吸控制法之间保持15到20分钟的间隔。为了掌握呼吸控制法，不要依赖书本或者别人的说教。找一个专业人士指导，在他的直接指导下做呼吸控制法。

呼吸控制法的好处：

消化系统改进，与消化系统有关的疾病得到治愈。

与肺、心脏和大脑有关的疾病也得到治愈

肥胖症、糖尿病、胆固醇、便秘、胃肠气胀、胃酸过多、呼吸系统的问题、过敏症、偏头疼、高血压、与肾、男性和女性性失调等有关的疾病都能得到治愈

与疾病的抵抗力得到加强，免疫力得到提高

像糖尿病和心脏病类的遗传病能够避免

年轻时的脱发或头发早白，脸上和身体其他部位的皱纹，视力减退，健忘等得到减轻，老化过程得到迟缓。

脸部变得有生气、有光泽和平和。

心态变得稳定和平静。满足感和热情得到发展。消沉感消失。

瑜伽练习像冥想变得容易

身体的疾病和醚得到治愈。负面有害的身体状态如愤怒、淫荡，贪图钱财，傲慢自负等等都能够消失。

所有的身体的和精神的失常状态都得到治愈，毒素从身体得到消除。

负面的思维模式没有了，达到心态的积极的有建设性的思维状态。

Pranayama

‘Yoga’ word meaning is union. Yoga was developed to achieve union of God and Soul. In order to achieve this goal; body, mind and soul must be in complete harmony. Therefore, yoga is for complete progress of body, mind and soul. There are 8 limbs of yoga. Pranayama is one of the 8 limbs.

Pranayama has the capacity of freeing the mind from untruthfulness, ignorance and all other painful and unpleasant experiences of the body and mind; and when the mind becomes clean it becomes easy for the person to concentrate on the desired object and it becomes possible for him to progress further in the direction of meditation.

By Yoga asanas, we remove the distortions and disabilities of the physical body and bring it into discipline. However Pranayama influences the subtle and the physical bodies in a greater measure than Yogsanas do and that too in a perceptible manner. In the human body, lungs, heart and brain hold very important positions and they depend on each other heavily for their health.

Physically, Pranayam appears to be a systematic exercise of respiration, which makes the lungs stronger, improves blood circulation, makes the man healthier and bestows upon him the boon of a long life. Physiology teaches us that the air (Prana) we breathe in fills our lungs, spreads in the entire body, providing it with essential form the body, take them to the heart and then to the lungs, which throws the useless material like carbon dioxide out of the body through the act of exhalation. If this action of the respiratory system is done regularly and efficiently, lungs become stronger and blood becomes pure.

However, most of the people do not have the habit of breathing deeply with the result that only one-fourth part of the lungs is brought into action and 75 percent remains idle. Like the honeycomb, lungs are made of about 73 million cells, comparable to a sponge in their making. On normal breathing, to which we all are accustomed, only about 20 million pores in the lungs get oxygen, whereas remaining 53 million pores remain deprived of the benefit, with the result that they get contaminated by several diseases like tuberculosis, respiratory diseases and several ailments like coughing, bronchitis etc.

In this way, the inefficient functioning of the lungs affects the process of blood purification. Heart weakens because of this with a constant possibility of untimely death. It is for this reason that the importance of Pranayama has come to be recognised, for a healthy long life. Several diseases can be averted by regular practice of Pranayama. Hence, it is obvious that the knowledge of the science of Pranayama and its regular practice enables a man to lead a healthy and long life.

Mental disturbances like excitement, anxiety, fear, anger, disappointment, lust and other mental perversions can be calmed down by regular practice of Pranayama. Besides, Pranayama practice improves the functions of the brain cells with the result that memory and the faculty of discrimination and observation improves, making it easy to perform concentration and meditation.

Some rules for Pranayam

• Select a clean and peaceful place for doing Pranayama. If possible, choose a place near a clean pond or river.

• Sit either in any of the Asanas, viz. Padmasana, Sidhasana or Vajrasana, which ever you find convenient. The sheet or cloth (cotton or wool etc.) on which you sit must be a non-conductor of electricity.

• Breathe only through the nose, because by doing so the air which you take in, is filtered. During daytime when you are not sitting for the performance of Pranayama make it a habit to do respire only through nose and not through mouth. Nasal respiration keeps the temperature of the Nadis (Vessels) –'Ida',Pingala and 'susmana' even. It also prevents foreign and harmful objects from getting into lungs.

• Like ‘Yog’, Pranayama should also be performed four or five hours after taking food. In the morning Pranayama should be done after finishing daily routine acts like cleansing mouth, emptying of bowels etc., it should also be done before Yogsana. In the beginning Pranayama should be done for five or ten minutes gradually the time may be increased up to about 1/2 or 1 hour. Maintain a specific number of repetitions and do not variate. Maintain a specific rhythm. If it is not possible to clean the bowels by morning, at night take some mild laxative like terminalia chebula (Indian Hardaya) or any other mild laxative (a non habit forming medicinal herb having a laxative effect). Kapala-bhati Pranayama, if done regularly for a few days will help in curing constipation.

• Keep your mind calm and composed. However, Pranayama can also calm down the disturbed mind and keep one happy.

• Methods of Pranayama may be varied according to the seasons and your own physical make up and mental attitude. Keep this in mind and modulate the method accordingly. Some Pranayama increase the body temperature, whereas, some bring it down. Some Pranayama maintain the temperature at the normal level.

• If you feel fatigued in the course of doing Pranayama , rest for sometime and then begin deep breathing, which will remove the fatigue.

• Pregnant women, hungry persons, persons suffering from fever and those who are lustful having no control on their passions should not do Pranayama. If you are sick, keep in mind the instructions to be followed by sick persons while during Pranayama.

• For prolonged exercises of Pranayama, observance of celibacy is necessary. Besides, food should be simple not containing irritating spices. It should be ‘Sattvika’ – (Plain and simple, non- spicy food). Use of cow’s milk, ghee, fruits and green vegetables can be said to be ideal food. Moderation also is a good rule to observe.

• Do not strain yourself while doing ‘Kumbhak’ i.e. retaining the breathed air inside or keeping the air out after exhaling (Breathing in is called ‘puraka’, retaining the breathed air in is called ‘Kumbhak’ and exhaling the air is called ‘Recak').

• Pranayama does not mean just breathing in, keeping the breathed air in and exhaling it. It also means establishing control on the entire breathing process, and maintaining mental equilibrium, and concentration of mind.

• It is beneficial to chant the mantra (a group of words that carry vibrations and energy) Om (the first cosmic soundless sound), aloud and repeat the same several times before doing Pranayama. Even recital of sacred songs in the praise of almighty God or recital of some sacred hymns may be beneficial. This will calm your mind and make you fit for Pranayama, because a peaceful mind is very essential while doing Pranayama . Mental or loud recitation of Gayatri Mantra (considered as one of the greatest mantra, used in meditation and also for chanting) or any other sacred hymn brings spiritual benefits.

See that while doing Pranayama , none of your organs such as mouth, eyes, nose, etc. feels any strain and it should be done gradually without any undue stress or strain. All the organs of the body should be kept in normal condition. While doing Pranayama sit in an erect posture. Keep your spine and neck straight. This is essential for reaping the full benefit of Pranayama .

• If possible Pranayama should be done after your usual morning functions like bathing etc. However, if it becomes necessary for you to take bath after Pranayama , keep an interval of about 15 to 20 minutes between Pranayama and bathing. For acquiring proficiency in Pranayama do not depend on books or what is done and preached by others. Seek the guidance of an expert and do Pranayama under his direct supervision.

Benefits of Pranayama:

• Digestive system improves and diseases pertaining to digestive organs are cured.

• Diseases pertaining to lungs, heart and brain are also cured.

• Obesity, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Constipation, Flatulence, Acidity, Respiratory troubles, Allergy, Migraine, High blood pressure, diseases pertaining to kidneys, sexual disorders of males and females etc. are also cured.

• Resistance against diseases is stepped up. Immunity develops.

• Hereditary diseases like diabetes and heart disease are can be avoided.

• Falling of hair or its premature graying, appearance of wrinkles on face or other parts of the body at young age, diminution of eye sight, forgetfulness, etc. are relieved and process of aging is retarded.

• Face becomes bright, luminous and calm.

• Mind becomes stable and tranquil. A sense of contentment and enthusiasm or zeal develops. Conditions like depression are relieved.

• Performance of yogic exercises like meditation will be easy.

• All the diseases of the physical and etheric bodies will be cured. Freedom from negative and harmful mental conditions like anger, lasciviousness, greed for money, arrogance etc. will be achieved.

• All the physical and mental disorders and abnormalities are cured and toxins eradicated from the body.

• Freedom from negative thinking is achieved and the mind develops the habit of positive and constructive thinking.

（By weyoga Ashish)