Prānāyāma The Fourth Limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga
Prānāyāmah
II.49 Tasmin-sati śvāsa-praśvāsayoh gati-vicchedah prānāyāmah
The fourth limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is prānāyāma. There are five sūtras about prānāyāmah beginning with II.49 Tasmin-sati śvāsa-praśvāsayoh gati-vicchedah prānāyāmah. When translated, this means, “When existing in that (āsana), the end of the movement of agitated breath,” or in more practical terms, “Prānāyāma is the conscious, deliberate regulation of the breath, replacing unconscious patterns of breathing; it is only possible after after a reasonable mastery of āsana.” The latter is how it’s explained by Mr. TKV Desikachar.
When we breathe in our movements of āsana, and the breath is stable and subtle, we are now ready for prānāyāma.
The important point here is that our ability to influence our breath is one of the prerequisites of prānāyāma.
The next sūtra regarding prānāyāma is II.50 Bāhya-ābhyantara-stambha-vrttih deśa-kāla-samkhyābhi paridrśto dīrgha-sūksmah. This one explains the components of prānāyāma.
Once we have the ability to influence our breath, then we can influence our breath in different and various places of the body — like the chest, abdomen, or throat, as in ujayii (victorious breath). Other examples are when we breathe through the nostrils using our fingers in mūdras (seals) for other forms of prānāyāma such as nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), and even in and over the tongue for śitali/śitkari (the cooling breath).
Next there is duration and number: The duration of the inhale, the hold after the inhale, the exhale, the hold after the exhale, and the number of times we perform each particular breathing sequence. Different durations of prānāyāmas create different rhythms of breathing, which are essentially different patterns of how the body operates. Implementing these varied patterns through breath can influence the overall state of the body and the mind, as well as certain body and mind operations.
Since the breath has such a powerful influence, many people will engage in certain prānāyāmas in an attempt to make themselves “high.” While this use case is possible, it completely misses the point. Our goal in Yoga is not to create an ecstatic experience: That too is an imbalance, and it can cause a lot problems physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Rather, our goal in Yoga through prānāyāma is to develop stability, peace, and calm. The ideal experience after prānāyāma is feeling as though we are contained and very still, yet alert.
The practice and teaching of prānāyāma come with many strong caveats: Since we are influencing the breath and movement of prāna (life force), every prānāyāma is not meant for every person. Certain prānāyāmas can aggravate certain conditions, like high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, asthma, anxiety, panic disorders, and so on, potentially causing serious harm. On the other hand, there are extremely beneficial and healing prānāyāmas which can help people with these conditions. This is why — like many of the practices of Yoga — prānāyāma is meant to be practiced with, or taught by, a knowledgeable, experienced, and competent teacher. In fact, Desikachar himself gave many prerequisites to practicing prānāyāma, the first being that it is to be taught by a competent teacher.
The last three sūtras regarding prānāyāma are II.51 Bāhya-ābhyantara-visayāksepī caturthah, II.52 Tatah kśīyate prakāśa-āvaranam, and II.53 Dhāranāsu ca yogyatā manasah, which discuss more advanced prānāyāma and the results of prānāyāma practice.
For most of history, the main practices of Yoga have been prānāyāma and dhyāna (meditation). It is only in the last 500 years that āsana has come to have a major role in the hatha (forceful) practices of Yoga. The ancient texts do not discuss āsana much — the primary practices have always been prānāyāma and dhyāna.
A note for context: My perspective is based in the Viniyoga/Desikachar lineage. Viniyoga is a traditional Indian lineage of Yoga taught by TKV Desikachar, who was the son of Krishnamacharya. My teacher, Chase Bossart, was a 20+ year private student of Mr. Desikachar. I have studied this text with Chase, word for Sanskrit word, consistently for the past four years.
Stay tuned to learn more about the rest of the Eight Limbs in my upcoming blog articles.
Namaste,
Kelly