Do you practice pranayama?

[Uma]

I am trying to do more pranayama practice but would love to turn this from a chore into a delight and could use some support. Assuming you are doing pranayama, what is your favourite practice and what do you get out of it?

[Altair]

Different 'practices', no idea about the ''names''. What I enjoy doing is, during a yoga practice, to breathe in for xx seconds, hold for xx seconds, breathe out for xx seconds, and hold for xx seconds. For example, 7/7/7/7. After a while, in combination with asana's, it makes breathing so wonderful, almost 'addictive' (?)..

[Miss Hepburn]

I don't get nervous very often, ha....so it was 35 yrs ago that I last did a
yogic breathing technique!
Driving to get a painful wisdom tooth out...I was VERY nervous...before that I had never had Novacaine even!

So at a traffic light I did a technique I learned.
2 first fingers resting in between the eyebrows, thumb at one nostril,
bent 3rd finger at the other nostril.
Close a nostril Breathe in to a count of 8, hold to a count of 8, close that nostril, now breathe out the opposite nostril to 8.
In that nostril breathe in 8, hold to 8, breathe out the other nostril counting to 8.
Repeat as much as you want. (How long is a Red Light?)

Needless to say I was totally calm walking into the office and walking out.
:)
It is quite a calming technique...I would imagine it would be great going into a job interview or before going in front of an audience

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Altair

Different 'practices', no idea about the ''names''. What I enjoy doing is, during a yoga practice, to breathe in for xx seconds, hold for xx seconds, breathe out for xx seconds, and hold for xx seconds. For example, 7/7/7/7. After a while, in combination with asana's, it makes breathing so wonderful, almost 'addictive' (?)..

Interesting you say it's addictive, Altair. This is definitely breath control, which is what pranayama basically means. Prana means breath as life force energy (prana/chi/qi) and yama is the control. Does it make you light headed or do you get energised from it?

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I don't get nervous very often, ha....so it was 35 yrs ago that I last did a
yogic breathing technique!
Driving to get a painful wisdom tooth out...I was VERY nervous...before that I had never had Novacaine even!
Needless to say I was totally calm walking into the office and walking out.

Miss Hepburn, that was quick thinking to do that before your dentist visit! That one is called anuloma viloma "alternate nostril breathing". I was taught to use that one to balance the heating and cooling energy channels (nadis). I think during her last election campaign Hillary Clinton said she used it to calm her nerves too. I should do it more often. Thank you.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Uma

Interesting you say it's addictive, Altair. This is definitely breath control, which is what pranayama basically means. Prana means breath as life force energy (prana/chi/qi) and yama is the control. Does it make you light headed or do you get energised from it?

It gives energy but not like I want to run or something. It makes me very calm, so it works just before sleeping also.

[Uma]

Originally Posted by Altair

It gives energy but not like I want to run or something. It makes me very calm, so it works just before sleeping also.

Thanks! Will give that a try tonight.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Uma

Thanks! Will give that a try tonight.

Great!

After a while you can notice the differences, maybe you like holding breath more (1st part) than not having it (4th part), or maybe the other way around.

[kralaro]

I do love some particular pranayams. Having purity is great to be able to imbibe the energy they release. From a sequence of pranayams as taught by a popular guru of pranayam here in India:
1) Bhastrika
2) Kapalbhati
3) Bahya -> Mahabandha
4) Anulom-vilom
If you like you can experiment to see what resonates with you.