Pranayoga means ‘Yoga of the Vital Energy’. We have chosen this name for our teaching method, as the practice of Yoga especially aims to improve the flow and purity of Prana, both in the physical body and in the subtle structures constituting the mental and the higher levels of being connected with spirituality.
The Pranayoga Method® is a teaching practice, a method, that has grown and formed over decades of experience and respecting the classical tradition, a tradition that is celebrated but also constantly regenerated, adapted and perfected.
In the practice of each Yoga exercise, focus and moments of awareness are necessary, which only a practice that is accurate, precise and adaptable to subjective inclinations can transmit. The Pranayoga Method® is aimed at achieving these objectives and represents the transition to a practice in which emotion, intelligence, creativity and constant presence to oneself, in synthesis a vivid and luminous consciousness, substitute pure and simple imitation.
In the Pranayoga Method® there are no dogmas and rigid rules because they deny the special subjectivity of each practitioner and limit individual creativity, a precious resource of any evolutionary science. The practice is instead based on a set of principles, some general and other specific, in relation to the different types of exercises.
The centering of the practice around universal principles makes it extremely flexible, respectful of individual potential and inclinations, inclusive of a freedom that does not detract but adds, in tune with subjective needs and aspirations and at the same time extremely precise and rational, a practice that never limits but instead invites us to flourish, express, try, experience and live through listening and therefore allows us to find and recognize ourselves, progressively leading towards the interior.
Among these principles, the most important is listening, which allows us to structure the yogic experience in harmony with our being and feeling, always starting from the present moment, from here and now, from what we are and not from what one would like to be or what someone else tells us we should be.
Listening, magical combination of sensitivity, humility, attention, passionate curiosity, openness of mind and awareness of the transience of events, is an attitude of the body and the mind that allows one to discover and discover oneself without end, to live every gesture, every breath, every encounter with the joy and total attention of an eternal first time.
Listening is the weapon of the adventurer of the spirit who abandons the security of his previous physical, emotional and thoughtful identity, to explore unknown lands with faith and courage.
In a general sense, the principles of the Pranayoga Method® should therefore be considered as guidelines. While rule and dogma impose themselves from the outside, the principles invite to a flowering of one’s own potentiality that starts from the inside, in a different way for each but nourished and sustained by the fertile soil of the tradition, in complete harmony with the true nature of the individual and at the same time of the Yoga philosophy, whose spirit is the search for knowledge and freedom through direct experience.
The absence of any dogmatism makes the Pranayoga Method® a teaching and learning tool valid for any style of Yoga and any holistic and creative activity, a mandala of principles that, in their universality, are applicable to any aspect of life.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
What follows is a synthetic exposition of what are the fundamental concepts for an effective, creative and personalized practice, and more generally for a correct and favorable relationship with the psychophysical dimension. All these concepts are integrated and refer to each other: for this reason some considerations come back almost identical with different names, and this serves to underline the general atmosphere of all these principles, which move towards a progressive integration.
Listening: it is a very special dimension of being and it is what allows us to learn the new, to grasp unusual relationships and connections and to become really creative, that is, able to think, plan and create the new. This natural faculty, connected with that of attention and with the spontaneous inclination of the psyche to learning, can be fully exercised only to the extent that we manage to clear the perceptive field from the flow of repetitive thoughts that usually occupy our mental space: it is like a wide and circular look that does not look for anything but, at the same time, is able to catch every detail in what it observes.
Listening involves and implies the ability to enter into the Yoga practice without thoughts, expectations and tensions, the ability to silence the mind, to make it transparent and as such permeable to non-ordinary perceptions, open to be surprised and capable of capturing the unpredictable.
Accepting the silent knowledge: it means allowing the perceived to put into place the energies necessary for change, because there are things that can be known but can not be explained. In order to accept the silent knowledge, a lot of faith is required, a profound awareness of how the whole universe is working for our realization. Only in this way can we truly abandon ourselves actively, only in this way will we be able to avoid the attitude of bringing everything back to the mind, transforming the perceived into reductive thoughts, and overcoming the tendency to control everything by rationally framing it, a tendency that creates interior fracture and rigidity. Silent knowledge acts with extremely discrete modalities, it is never completely revealed, it does not show itself and it is difficult to grasp its movements. It builds holograms starting from small signs, creates connections through metaphorical means, realizing synthesis by similarity, and in this way is able to give us new and surprising interpretations about ourselves, life and everything that surrounds us. We must know how to accept these insights without judgment, free from preconceptions, being empty, open and always present to ourselves. The silent knowledge is activated especially by directing, during practice, attention and awareness on the most subtle aspects, on the most nuanced sensations and perceptions, on listening to the inner witness, always putting at the center the consciousness that does not need rational conclusions.
Mental attitude: the Yoga practice requires a careful and concentrated but not tense spirit, which is precisely a listening, conscious, non-judgmental, open, contemplative and happy spirit. Explaining how it is possible to abandon oneself and at the same time remain present to oneself is very difficult, but we can at least become aware of some attitudes to avoid, which are in almost all cases connected to an intellectualization of the practice. It means, for example, to think about the benefits that can derive from a certain exercise, how much we have improved or worsened, all mental attitudes that exclude abandonment and involve splitting, which is the opposite of unity. All these arguments can be evaluated sooner or later, never during Sadhana. If you look at children playing you can get an idea of the right attitude: intense and total participation but also joy and pleasure. Joy and pleasure relax, calm and soften us and stimulate the expansion of the energy field and the circulation of energy. Attention is the fundamental faculty of the mind, without it nothing is possible and, during the practice and if possible also at any other time, should be kept awake and vibrant but neutral. We must observe what is happening in us first in a passive way and then gradually learn to direct our action in an active way and then again return to passive observation. In this way we can grasp relationships and connections useful for the construction of our special inner map, making the necessary corrections to each passage. The proprioception, both physical and psychological, will thus have the opportunity to expand in a progressive way, in ever wider circles. Listening and action skills come to merge into a new effective and precise perceptive unity.
Slowness: it’s not the opposite of speed, but of haste, hurry. Haste is a decomposed, agitated and anxious form of acceleration; it induces us to carry out actions with the sole objective of resolving contingent situations, of satisfying momentary desires, of freeing ourselves from a burden or a preoccupation that oppresses us. One of its most harmful effects is that it deprives us of the ability to evaluate the effects of these same actions over time: and of time it makes us slaves.
When we are in a hurry we tend to behave like tools, and our only purpose is to carry out a task: in this way time becomes the measure, the helm of our life and to run against it becomes our main activity . If we follow this scheme we gradually transform ourselves into a variable regulated and controlled by increasingly precise clocks, in a dimension where the space for life is constantly reduced. Slowness, on the contrary, is especially space and in this space our consciousness has the opportunity to expand, develop and flourish. Reformulating the concept: consciousness requires slowness, which is especially space. Cultivating slowness means to provide an expressive dimension to consciousness that, in haste, being fed only with distorted and blurred images, loses the details, the subtle perceptions and connections, its holographic abilities, that make it able to capture a set from a small particular, and the metaphorical ones, which make possible the opening of other and surprising perspectives. In slowness everything becomes more limpid, we find contact with vital dynamics and psychic potentials, the inner space expands and with it the space of life, while within us the wings of perception are opened.
Slowness, that is absence of haste, that is space, allows us not only to find the balance of our biological and psychic rhythms but, above all, re-evaluate the awareness and the relationship with our spiritual Self, a process that requires and implies a new harmony with the environment, the others, and creation in its entirety. Slowness means progressively reducing the rush, until one recovers of a rhythm that is compatible with the development of consciousness, which is primarily a capacity for listening, neutral observation and for this reason balanced and sagacious.
Regularity: with the Yoga practice we begin to develop virtuous circuits in us in a spiraloid path that leads us towards the light. Regularity in the practice, giving to oneself a minimum of rules as a commitment to maintain them, is a fundamental element of success and must be constantly highlighted and maintained. Regularity means practicing daily, possibly at the same time and following an effective method, that takes into account both the limits and the potential and individual inclinations.
Intention: it is a very discreet modality of the will, which does not impose itself but indicates precisely the direction to follow. What guides us in the practice of Yoga, what helps us to overcome laziness and to practice with regularity, can not be a dominant and invasive will, that makes one rigid and metallic, but instead the deep, intimate and sincere desire to evolve towards a condition of greater integrity, brightness and consciousness.
Unity and integration: the body’s limbs, the breath and the mind do not exist as distinct parts, they are a whole. Still or in motion, we maintain the awareness of the constant integration between these components, whose division exists only as a concept. When body, mind, soul, gesture and breath are perfectly integrated and each dispersion and sense of separation is overcome then there is unity, which is the natural state of the Self, expression of the cosmic consciousness that pervades everything.
Relationship between structure and function: at a subtle level, the function determines the structure; in the material level, the structure allows for the expression of the function. Structure and function are interdependent and cooperate to maintain equilibrium in the living organism: observing, understanding and creating virtuous relationships between structure and function refines psychosomatic integration, increases the level of consciousness and develops creativity.
Equilibrium (Balance): which implies that measure, respect for polarities and common sense are the guiding principles for every Yoga practice.
Polarity: every manifestation of life contains the ceaseless relationship between two polar forces}; this pulsation expresses itself as a dynamic balance between fullness and emptiness, tension and relaxation, masculine and feminine, inhalation and exhalation, sun and moon. Both polarities must be kept active during practice, and the practitioner must keep the awareness of both. The concept of polarity is also an indispensable guide in the construction of effective and balanced sequences, capable of generating a correct circulation of energy, and beneficial and lasting effects.
Symbology: every gesture we perform, every word we pronounce or think, is a symbol; the meaning and the value of this symbol can remain totally unconscious or be consciously perceived, understood and later also developed. Consciousness and understanding imply a happy relationship between mind and body, psychic dimension and somatic expression of the same. Having obtained this result we can move on to the next phase, the sacralization of the gesture by virtue of the development of its implicit symbology. This is achieved by giving to each gesture an energetically powerful meaning, physically invigorating, psychically activating and directed to the light.
The progressive integration of symbols and their value profoundly changes the nature of every gesture, transforming it into a sacred gesture and therefore also intense, integrated, fluid, majestic, pacifying, energetically dense and spiritually connected.
Visualization and mental image: it is the evocation or the creation of an image, a figure or a sign; although the visual aspect is predominant, visualization sometimes involves also other senses, hearing, smell, touch, taste and internal sense.
Visualization is an extremely effective and at the same time kind and personalized means of communication between mind and body, as the message does not have the nature of an order but rather that of a suggestion, of a model for action, becoming an effective mediator between psyche and body, between indication, mental direction and gesture. Visualization, together with the attribution of a symbolic value to each gesture, is an effective component in all types of Yoga practice.
Language: words are symbols. Depending on the terms we use to describe and/or guide the Yoga practice, can change its nature and effects. This is true whether we use them in guiding others as much as in our inner dialogue. Words that indicate effort, separation, violence, disharmony must be avoided and, when this is not completely possible, neutralized with others of compensatory value. The language must be clear, reassuring, incisive, precise, exhaustive and full of images capable of suggesting and guiding the gesture and its suspension, the tone of the voice modulated in such a way as to sustain the action and direct the attention where it is more important. The awareness of language is an element of great importance and must be deepened and constantly refined.
Minimum effort: in its different practices Yoga aims at reducing energy consumption to the indispensable. In order for this to happen it is essential to bring muscular and psychic tension to the minimum, replacing it with an increasingly refined search for balance, technical precision, expert use of visualization and breathing, precise perception of the barycentre and improved stability and rooting.
Benefits and contraindications of every practice: being aware of the specific benefits brought about by each exercise is very important for the creation of specific sequences and, in the initial phase, can also serve as a stimulus to constant practice. Despite this, thinking about the benefits that can derive from a certain exercise, or how much we have improved or worsened, are mental attitudes that exclude abandonment and involve splitting, which is the opposite of unity. All these arguments can be evaluated sooner or later, never during the Sadhana. The purpose and function of Yoga is not only to make ourselves strong and healthy, but also and above all to make the boundaries of the ego plastic and ductile, whose rigidity is determined above all by the identification with the limits of the physical body and its unconscious attitudes.
Knowing well the contraindications is absolutely essential for a safe and truly healthy Sadhana.
Starting from the fundamentals: Yoga has its own alphabet consisting of small gestures and simple skills, both easy to learn and important for a truly effective practice. They are like the letters of the alphabet, if you do not know them you can not write words and even less complete and meaningful sentences. The fundamentals are the root of the practice, they give us the basics of every other Yoga technique and they must be known, learned and internalized in a complete and exhaustive way. The difficulties we can find in the practice of the different Yoga techniques are frequently the effect of physical limitations, deep rigidity and poor posture, that alter proprioception, limit the ability to move, inhibit the expansion of the breath, induce unpleasant or painful sensations, are a factor of imbalance and asymmetry and reduce the capacity for attention and concentration. The fundamentals, simple exercises of introduction to correct movement, rootedness, awareness of the breath and the development of an attention increasingly directed to the energetic and subtle perceptions, progressively help us to overcome all these difficulties and impediments, and represent the true guarantee of a completely healthy and effective practice.
ASANA, THE POSTURES OF HATHA YOGA
Asanas (from the Sanskrit ‘to sit’) are particular positions of the body, typical of Yoga. To fully understand the meaning of the term Asana in relation to Yoga we must refer to what has been said in some important texts.
Patanjali defines the Asana as ‘a posture that can be maintained with immobility and pleasure‘ (Yoga Sūtra II.47). Hariharānanda Āraṇya translates this verse of the Yoga Sūtra adding that ‘Asanas are perfected over time by relaxing the effort through the concentration of the mind on the infinite‘.
Several centuries after Patanjali, Svatmarama writes: ‘Asanas represent the first step of Hatha Yoga, they make one strong, healthy and agile‘ (HathaYogapradipika, I, 17). In the first place, they help us reduce those limitations that derive from being weak, sick and rigid.
But their true nature goes beyond these benefits. As the Gheranda Samhita (II, 1-2) explains, ‘the Asanas that Shiva has achieved are eighty-four hundred thousand, the same number of the living species in the universe; eighty-four of these are the most important and thirty-two are especially useful (to human beings)‘. This last short aphorism helps us to understand the true nature and value of these practices: to perform an Asana means to integrate oneself with one of the infinite energy-forms of the cosmos, to paint with the entirety of oneself one of the sentences with which the history of life has been written, to realize (embody) a form-power as a conscious act and through this process become part of the eternal and sacred union between Shiva and Shakti (Consciousness and Creative Energy).
Asanas represent an important aspect of the yogic culture and Sadhana (practice); their function is to increase health and harmony in our various vital components:body, mind, breath and soul. The progressive purification and integration of these elements, supported by a vigilant and neutral consciousness, reduces distractions and dispersions and opens the door to spiritual perception.
Asanas are something very different from gymnastic exercises: they must be taken effortlessly and pleasantly kept in complete immobility for the required time, that can go from a few seconds to a few tens of minutes. The central element of each Asana is therefore stillness, physical and mental, a stillness in which the breath is the only dynamic element. Moreover, every form of competitiveness is excluded a priori, even with oneself, and a lucid and attentive state of consciousness is required together with a calm and silent mental condition. These fundamental characteristics make of the Yoga positions techniques that are unique and not comparable with those of other disciplines.
In particular, some Asanas have been created and perfected to guarantee the body a suitable position during meditation or the practices of conscious relaxation, allowing the mind to reach with more ease its maximum concentration. Others have instead the purpose to develop special energetic reactions and among these, inversions are of particular interest: through inverted postures there is a spontaneous inversion of polarities. In the third group, the biggest one, are all the other postures, whose goal is especially psychophysical health. Each position has its own value and a special function, a particular effect, that is sometimes very specific, other times more comprehensive and multiple.
Qualifying elements in the practice of Asanas:
Each posture requires a detailed study and precise indications; the nature of these specifications derives from a set of principles that are valid for all Asanas and are indicated below. These principles must be adapted to each of the basic phases or steps of each Yoga position:
All of these components are fundamental and require special attention; only in this way do they come to form that special unity that Yoga promotes and requires.
Consciousness: of the particular and of the whole. With the specific ‘of the particular’, we mean the focusing of consciousness on those elements that favor the transition into the Asana. The term “whole” implies the bodily (which includes the surrounding space), the psychic and the spiritual dimension, the latter represented by the aspect of awareness or testimony. Consciousness requires relative slowness and so the speed of the movements must be adapted to the perceptual one. In order to grasp the nuances and the connections of every movement with the center of gravity and the rest of the body, its effects on the psychic energies and on the breath, we must execute the movement slowly, with fluidity and attention; during the phase of immobility we must listen to the energy flows or integrate the mental projections.
Direction: the movements to enter an Asana are the result of a precise intention, which we can compare to a non-invasive mental project determined by a visualization. These movements follow a constant direction, with no returns, even partial or minimal; this principle remains valid even in the phase of moving out of the posture.
Elongation: the practice of an Asana should always start from a condition of elongation, which indicates opening in the articular heads but especially maximum distance of the vertebral bodies. The spine is the fulcrum of the Yoga practice, it is the magical Mount Meru that sustains our personal universe, it is the physical residence of the seven evolutionary Chakras; every compression at the vertebral level represents an inevitable reduction or interruption in the circulation of energies, both nervous and pranic, and should be avoided as far as possible. On the contrary, it is necessary to make space, to create opportunities for freedom, and this is one of the aims and effects of Hatha Yoga when it is practiced correctly. The elongation must be maintained also in the static phase and in the exit phase.
Alignment: in the practice of Asanas it is necessary to respect some relationships between different parts of the body, such as the one between the third toe and the knee when it is bent, or between the lobes of the ears, shoulders and hip line in sitting or erected position and again between the nape and the sacred and so on. The alignments are guided by precise knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and subtle physiology and have purposes of security, harmony of the parts with the whole and are not aimed at obtaining a form, but instead a movement of energy.
Relaxation: the practice of each Asana always begins with a condition of relaxation and always ends with a pause for relaxation, maybe even very short but perceptible for the practitioner. In order to relax, it is not necessary to lie down on the ground or spend a lot of time, but it is essential to suspend physical movement and interrupt the mental flows, connected with the directive idea of: abandoning, letting go, flowing and also making space and perceiving light.
Symmetry: an extension of the term equilibrium (balance), symmetry introduces us to the concepts of proportion, polarity, rhythm and harmony. These concepts must be gradually understood and integrated into the practice.
Breathing: it is the medium between the different components of our being; the synchronization of the breath with movement gives fluidity in the phases of moving into and out of a posture, while in the static phase it supports the posture and favours mental quietude. In the practice of Asanas, the breath is the dependent variable, it adapts itself to favor the position of the body and support it.
Barycenter or center of gravity: it is the point that lies in the middle, where the weight is concentrated and the energy is gathered, the natural support, the fulcrum of balance where the plurality of forces finds its moment of gathering and union. During the practice of Asanas the movement begins and ends in the center of gravity and this allows us to be constantly balanced and to beneficially use the force of gravity, thus respecting the principle of minimum effort. The use of the force of the center implies the existence and the clear perception of a fixed point, on which force can be applied.
Stability and fixed point: in order to apply a force, a stable point, a solid base is essential. Stabilizing the point of origin of traction is essential in order not to disperse energy and produce undue stress in the tissues. Physical stability derives from knowing how to create a beneficial relationship with the constant and continuous action exerted by the earth’s gravitational force.
Immobility in the position: it is the heart of the practice. We simply have to abandon ourselves to the flow of energy that passes through us, listen to the breath, keep a vivid but content-free attention, open ourselves to the infinite. If the steps to enter the position have been completed correctly, this will be very simple and spontaneous even if not always immediate.
Prefiguration: the ability to visualize what has just been done and what we are about to do favors the internalization of the practice, psychophysical integration and a better execution. The best practice involves three steps: execution of the Asana, detailed visualization and then repetition of the same.
Verification (of Asanas): the accuracy and completeness of the practice of Asanas can only be partly verified from the outside and this is precisely because Asanas are different from simply taking a certain form with the body. The Pranayoga Method provides a rigorous check of each Asana by applying some tests to verify stability, relaxation, alignment and energy flow. The tests help to feel and refine the position itself, perceive the flow of Prana through the body and integrate the mental image with the physical attitude.
PRANAYAMA OR YOGIC BREATHING
Pranayama is the union of the terms ‘Prana’ and ‘Ayama’.
‘Prana’ is the original substance, energy and matter at the same time, endowed with intelligence and creativity. Prana is the origin of every manifestation: in the end everything is Prana, also our body, breath and psyche. Prana is the power that animates and maintains life, as well as the energy of every action. Prana is creative intelligence capable of designing new forms and relationships, creating harmony and maintaining it.
It is omnipresent vital energy, energy that has generated, sustains and leads the universe as a whole, as well as in the particular, towards the supreme realization, which is already implicit in its first form of manifestation.
Prana is all these things together and the breath is the main way to absorb it in better quality (with high vibrations) and more quantity.
‘Ayama’ means length, control, measure. The two united terms form a third one, Pranayama, which is the measure of the extension of the breath and leads us to a musical perception of this function, whose movement must be restored to times and spaces that are harmonious, supported by rhythm and cadence, and therefore capable of conveying, positively influencing and integrating the flows of physical and psychic energy. Hatha Yoga teaches a great number of different Pranayama, able to support the many aspects of the dance of life.
‘When the breath is irregular the mind is unstable, but when it is pacified the mind also reaches the power of calm. Life continues until the breath flows, when it stops death comes. Hence the breath must be measured‘ (Hathapradipika II, 2-3).
Yogic Breathing or Pranayama has as its subject of study and practice the refinement of breathing and the development of potentialities implicit in it for the purpose of increasing physical and mental faculties.
Yoga philosophy considers breathing not only a fundamental function of the organism but also an expression of spiritual essence, a theme not foreign to Western culture considering that a similar meaning was attributed by the Greeks to Pneuma, which was not only the breath, but also the vital and spiritual principle. Moreover, in the Bible it is explained how God, having created the first man with clay, infused life in him by blowing his own breath; as if to say that the divine part in us is the breath, the rest is earth.
Breath has been given to us with a marvelous quality: to be both an involuntary and a voluntary function. I can live my whole life without ever being aware of this function but, at the same time, I am able to easily be aware of it simply by directing my attention on it, and I can voluntarily influence its depth, rhythm, speed, direction and every other variable.
With the first inhalation we are welcomed in this dimension of life and with the last expiration we give the last greeting: between these two moments the breath never leaves us. The central function of breathing is to constantly supply the organism with oxygen and free it of carbon dioxide. In connection with the fulfillment of this central function, an optimized breathing offers a large number of extremely beneficial and healthy effects. A deep, measured and musical breathing is the best gymnastics, a primary element of health at all levels and for this reason it is appropriate and convenient to learn to breathe in a truly effective way, following the teachings of the ancient masters of Hatha Yoga.
But that’s not all, what makes breathing so special is its being a connecting agent between body, mind and spirit; the good quality of life as well as the development of consciousness are especially guaranteed by the synergy of these three elements together with the breath, elements that are nothing but a complex unit. Breath is the dynamic element that is easier to manage and adjust, the optimal medium, and improving breathing ensures proportional improvement in communication between all components. Acting in a virtuous sense on the breath is a path that can be undertaken at any age and, with the exclusion of some exercises, has no contraindications but is always beneficial.
Qualifying elements in the practice of Pranayama:
As the Asanas every Pranayama requires a detailed study and precise indications. In the practice of Pranayama the general principles already explained apply, some of which, particularly important, are underlined and clarified here. These principles must be adapted to each of the breathing phases:
All three phases are fundamental and require special attention.
Awareness (of the breath): here we take up the themes presented in the general principles section, in particular the importance of attention and listening. Yoga breathing is, first of all, a conscious breathing and this simply means learning to observe oneself in the act of breathing, and observe in a neutral way. It can be done at any time and position but, at least occasionally, it is appropriate to devote a special time and way to this practice. The observation of the breath favors the quieting of the mind and can be used as a subject of meditation. By virtue of the observation of the breath we become conscious of its movement, its phases, types and modalities.
In the transition from spontaneous breathing to Pranayama, which involves the conscious alteration of the breathing variables (rhythm, intensity, volume, direction) in its three phases, the aspect of awareness is constantly maintained: consciously inhale, consciously exhale, consciously retain.
Direction (of the breath): it is a deepening of what has been said above, gradually we learn to feel and direct the breath, alternately influencing the different spaces of the torso; afterwards we are able to feel the strength of breath and of Prana in every point of the body and to use this faculty for health or other purposes.
Posture: in the practice of Asanas, breathing is the dependent variable, that is, it must adapt to the posture to support it; in Pranayama it is the opposite and the physical structure must guarantee stability and correct positioning of the vertebral column, which needs to be aligned and at the same time free of unnatural tensions. Alignment and absence of tensions are essential to ensure a correct action of the respiratory system, in particular the possibility of a complete expansion of the lungs. Only three positions guarantee all these characteristics: supine, erect and sitting, each with some specific qualities that go well with some types of breathing, and that is why almost all the Pranayamas are practiced in these postures.
Visualization: the Prana we absorb to fulfill the various functions of life comes from numerous sources: solar irradiation, air, food, water, sound vibrations, fragrances, colors and also the shape of things : but above all from the breath, and the more the breath is complete, deep, fluid and musical, the more Prana can convey. Visualization is another way to attract Prana and above all to intensify the vital vibrations so that they can best nourish the higher Chakras, especially Ajna and Sahasrara. When breath and visualization are integrated and move in unison, then the maximum result is achieved and the energy available in each part of our being is increased; the breath has found its soul.
THE MUDRAS OF YOGA
‘Mudra’ means gesture but also seal, privileged way, shortcut; in a general sense the term indicates a position of the body, without particular distinctions. Physically, energetically, psychically and symbolically activating, the Mudras of Yoga are many. They are evolutionary gestures that can be understood as spiritual, as they represent an expression of the most rarefied, refined and sublime aspects of consciousness.
Yoga deals with the management and transformation of energies, in order to harmonize and turn these energies towards an ever greater integration and awareness. The first action is therefore to collect, to avoid any kind of dispersion; the second to harmonize; the third to sublimate in the direction of the higher consciousness. The Yoga Mudras act in this direction, they are able to create powerful energetic circuits, reducing on the one hand the dispersion of Prana, on the other directing and promoting the assimilation of subtle Prana in the Chakras.
In a general sense the Mudras improve body-mind-breath integration, intensify the perception of the inner space and therefore the awareness of oneself. By conveying the energy towards the subtle body the Yoga Mudras are helpful elements for the establishment of the state of Pratyahara, the control and withdrawal of sensory activity necessary to access the meditative state. They represent an important element in improving the focus of awareness on the higher levels of perception, they refine balance and proprioception during the execution of Asanas, they are particularly indicated in Pranayama as they improve the quality and sensitivity of breathing and, encouraging conscious abstraction and the focusing of the energies in the higher Chakras, are indispensable in meditation.
Yoga Mudras are traditionally divided into five groups:
Qualifying elements in the practice of Mudras:
The Mudras are added to and become part of the practice of Asana, Pranayama, Meditation and Mantra. In general, the indications regarding the qualifying elements of these practices are valid for the Mudras as well. However, some aspects must be underlined.
Direction: even more than other Yoga techniques, the utmost attention, sensitivity and precision are essential in the practice of Mudras. As with Asanas, the practice of Mudras is the result of a precise intention, and guided by a visualization. The movements follow a constant direction, with no returns, even partial or minimal; this principle remains valid even in the exit / transition phase.
Breathing: in the practice of Mudra breathing is generally complete, with some variations, especially the use of Ujjayi Pranayama. Some Mudras are performed in synergy with the movement of the breath, in other cases the breath remains simply fluid and continuous, other times a Mudra can be practiced while in empty or full retention.
Prefiguration: particularly useful in the sequential execution of Hasta Mudras, and also in this case it is recommended to follow the three steps: execution, prefiguration and then a new execution.
MANTRAS
At the origin of every manifest phenomenon there is an etheric vibration, called basic, seed or original sound. This sound contains the entire force of manifestation, it is pure potentiality and it’s from this power that originates the science of Mantra, therapeutic sounds able to correctly rebalance the functions of our organs and those of the psyche. The term Mantra originates from ‘man’, mind, and ‘tra’, protection. Is is a tool to protect the mind from the uncontrolled flow of thoughts through the shield offered by the vibrational reverberation produced by the incessant repetition, and at the same time generate a vibrational environment conducive to psychophysical rebalancing and the development of spiritual consciousness.
In combination with breathing Mantras form a perfect couple: breathing has the function of vehicle, gives expression and consistency to the sound, conveying the vibrations in every cell of the body and in the surrounding environment, while the Mantra enhances the practice of breathing, it is useful for regulating its phases, helps develop concentration and intensifies energy absorption. Mantra and visualization, used separately or together, increase the absorption of the thinner forms of Prana during Pranayama practice.
Qualifying elements in the practice of Mantras:
Posture: the sitting position, with a straight and naturally relaxed back, is optimal but in some cases (Mantra declaimed in full voice) the standing position can also be convenient. As for the Pranayama the posture must guarantee stability, minimum effort and a correct alignment of the spinal column, factors that, together with a correct action of the respiratory system, represent the foundations of the practice of Mantras.
Breathing: in the Mantra declaimed in full voice or whispered, breath and Mantra move together, follow the same rhythm and mutually improve and sustain each other. On the other hand, when repetition is only mental, the breath can be completely independent, in this case a continuous, soft and light breath.
Direction: in the Mantra declaimed in full voice the direction is spontaneous, determined by the type of sound produced, or can be defined by the use of a mental image. In the whispered or only mental practice the direction is internal.
MEDITATIVE PRACTICES
Meditation is a dimension of consciousness, a special and extraordinary dimension; it is called the fourth state of mind, in that it includes and transcends the three usual dimensions that each of us knows well, namely waking, sleep and deep sleep.
Meditating is not something that one does, but rather a passage, a place in which one enters, a revolutionary and marvelous perspective. Meditating means rediscovering the contact with the spiritual dimension, reopening the channel of communication with the universal mind, overcoming the identification with the physical body and its limits, being reborn in the light. In this environment our mind can expand all its power of joy, calm and peace, power that is reflected in the body in the form of energy, vitality and health.
In a state of meditation, the deep and complete integration between spirit, mind, soma and vital breath is realized. The objectively verifiable effects are innumerable and all beneficial: slowing of mental frequencies; reduction of muscle tone; prolonged relaxation that tends to be structured as a habitual psychophysical condition; increase of mental lucidity and resistance to tension, fatigue and adverse environmental conditions; feeling of lightness, well-being and joy; general improvement of health conditions and, most important of all, clear and precise awareness of our spiritual matrix.
Qualifying elements in the practice of meditation:
The general principles apply, in particular: listening, focused attention (i.e. concentration) and visualization.
Posture: the best position for meditation, not the only one, but certainly the main one, is the sitting posture. Once the principle of non-separation between body and mind is accepted, the meditation posture is, in fact, a physical representation of the mental state. The meditation posture requires maximum stability, correct alignments and absence of effort, so that it can be maintained easily and for the time needed. It also includes the use of some Mudras to promote verticality, relaxation combined with presence, adequate breathing, concentration and mental silence.
Breathing: spontaneous, light, continuous; specific exercises help achieve this result.
Mental attitude: progressive transition from attention to concentration with suspension of the inner dialogue, a fundamental condition for reaching the essential vibratory level that gives access to the meditative dimension.
Direction: in this case the direction is represented by the subject of meditation, what the mind uses to direct its own light. It can be a divine quality, a Mantra endowed with power, or an attitude that is considered useful to explore and deepen; it represents the direction that one wants to give to mental energy and a variable with respect to the meditative condition, that is to say the place one accesses in the psychic dimension through meditation itself.