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Pranayama

Prana is the raw and powerful energy of the universe.

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Over thousands of years the yogis discovered very specific and subtle ways to work with this prana. They called these breathing techniques pranayama.

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The practice of Pranayama is immensely life supporting in every way: It is powerfully restoring to the brain, nervous system and vital organs, it purifies the mental clutter, it creates great subtlety and expanded awareness…

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Asanas work with the body to cleanse and open blockages. Pranayama uses the breath to purify on a deeper level. As the rubbish in our bodies is burnt and cleared away, prana will naturally flow by itself into the new clearings – filling us with the potent energy of life. In this way it is also a gateway from asana to meditation.

Leaf

BREATHING
The 3 stages of breath

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INHALATION (PURAKA)
Absorb the energy around you deep into your lungs,
your blood, your tissue

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RETENTION (KUMBHAKA)
Let the outer breath mingle with the inner breath,
the universal Self with the individual Self.

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EXHALATION (RECHAKA)
Feel yourself pouring into an infinite space. Trust. Give.
Surrender to everything around you.

Water

Prana has its own force, its own movement. It can never be completely controlled. All we can hope to do is create the ideal conditions within our body for prana to circulate and permeate its every crevice and shadow. One of the main ways to facilitate this is through the cleansing and purification of the body.

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The less rubbish we have polluting us, the more prana can circulate.
It could be said that Pranayama is a way of consciously dancing with this Vital Force.

Patanjali Quote
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