Infusion Process Details

Meditationtime Forum Post

Date: Posted 5 years before Apr 10, 2018

MiBeloved 5 years ago

When doing breath infusion, the preliminary stage which usually last for at least three years of daily (once per day minimum) practice, is focused on infusing fresh air into the physical body and fresh pranic energy into the subtle body. This is so even though the focus of the breathing is on the exhale, to do the exhale forcibly and focus on that and let the inhale happen as a reflex. This is kapala bhati breath infusion process (pranayama).

Let me run this by you again. First three years minimum one focuses on the exhale procedure so that this is done with all the force one can muster. But in terms of focusing on what is happening with the air, one focuses on the input of fresh air, on the compression of that into the lungs.

The physical focus in on the out-breath, to forcibly push it out. The psychological focus is in the compression of the in-breath, to be sure that this is being compressed more and more into the lungs.

Usually at least about 95% of the time, the student should stop a rapid breathing sequence with a final inhale. Then hold that breath in, apply the locks tightly and focus down in the body to keep track of the distribution of the energy. During this lock down, the neck lock should be applied very tightly. The student should not space out. If there is a feeling that one will pass out or that energy is moving, then one should be sure to get down to a lower position but with the neck lock being held throughout. Do not release the neck lock because if you do then the energy may pass through the neck and enter the brain in an haphazard way.

Neck lock does not mean bending the head down. The head should be upright but the chin should be pulled back towards the throat.

The neck lock is vital to control how the energy enters the head, Initially a student cannot understand what the neck lock does but as you practice more and more you will get a feel for it and can gage how it regulates and channels the energy which flows from the trunk of the subtle body into the head of it.

Let me run this by you again:

First three years minimum one focuses on the exhale procedure so that this is done with all the force one can muster. But in terms of focusing on what is happening with the air, one focuses on the input of fresh air, on the compression of that into the lungs. One stops a breath sequence on an inhale and applies the locks tightly.

What are these locks?

First there is the neck lock and the mind inside lock. Once these are applied you should check down in the body to be sure that the anus lock, the sex lock and the stomach lock are applied. Squeeze in on these as tight as you can.

Do not space out. Do not let your mind wander here and there or think of this and think of that. Keep the mind inside the body where it shows an interest in the energy movements.

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In the advanced stages, after more than three years of practice, one finds it necessary to stop the sequence of breath on an exhale. This holding of the breath after an exhale is called kumbhak. It is a prize way of doing pranayama. Many yogic books extol the benefits of kumbhak.

For all its popularity, it does not help beginners. In the advance stage of practice, it helps enormously and is recommended. Still one should only do it when one is inspired to do so by the infused prana or as instructed by a pranayama expert.

While initially, in the first three years, one should focus on the in-breath, on compressing that into the lungs and then pushing that down the front part of the body, down around the groin area and then to muladhara chakra. In the advanced stage beyond three years, one may expand the practice so that one focuses during some session on pulling carbon dioxide out of the body. As the air is compressed in, one should extract or pull the carbon dioxide from the toes even, even from the fingers. This extraction of carbon dioxide does wonders to eventually cause vision into the chit akash sky of consciousness.

Alfredo 5 years ago

Thanks Acharya Ji was calling attention to this.

In my case, almost always I have been finishing a breath infusion cycle with kumbhak (Bahya Kumbhak). It has been coming naturally like that. Perhaps the previous practice of Thokar Kriya had an influence.

The only time I have been inhaling when finishing is after the "kneeling postures" and when ready to call up Kundalini.

So, my question is: given the stage of my practice, which you know quite well...shall I make sure that an inhalation ends each cycle?

Neo_Yogi 5 years ago

Dear Swami,

I really appreciate this post because I feel I still need some clarifications about this technique.

MiBeloved wrote:

Neo_Yogi's request:

Could you please explain this 'for dummies'?

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MiBeloved wrote:

Then hold that breath in, apply the locks tightly and focus down in the body to keep track of the distribution of the energy (…)

(…) in the first three years, one should focus on the in-breath, on compressing that into the lungs and then pushing that down the front part of the body, down around the groin area and then to muladhara chakra

Neo_Yogi's query:

In kapala bhati the inhalation is done automatically (one only forces the exhalation), how is this compressing done into the lungs? How can I push it down the front part of the body?

MiBeloved 5 years ago

When doing the rapid breathing, one should initially for the first three years only focus on pushing the breath out as forcefully as possible. One should not focus on the in-breath but let it come in as it would. This then is a physical focus on a physical activity of the lungs and diaphragm system.

While doing this one should on the psychological side insist that the breath energy which comes into the body, goes downward, from the lung to the navel and then around the pubic curve towards the base chakra which is at the end of the spine.

This means that on the physical side the impetus or priority focus is to breathe out as forcefully as possible, while on the subtle side the focus is compressing the inhaled breath energy down into the body.

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Neo_Yogi's query:

In kapala bhati the inhalation is done automatically (one only forces the exhalation), how is this compressing done into the lungs? How can I push it down the front part of the body?

MiBeloved's Response:

The rapid breathing with stress on forceful exhale (kapala bhati pranayama) is done first and then there is a pause period before one begins another rapid breathing sequence. Then there is another pause period, then again a breathing sequence, on and on and on.

During the pause period you should apply the locks but be mentally pushing the compressed energy downward from the lungs to the navel, to the pubic area and then to the base chakra.

During this pause period the locks should be applied immediately but while the belly, sex and anus locks are being pulled up, mentally you should push down the compressed energy against the said locks.

Here you should realize that the physical action is the opposite of the mental action. As you practice, request more clarification.

Neo_Yogi 5 years ago

Dear Swami,

I'll try it out this evening with this new perspective & see if I understood it rightly. Thank you for your patient instruction.

MiBeloved wrote: As you practice, request more clarification.

Sure I will!

_/\_

MiBeloved 5 years ago

Alfredo wrote:

Shall I make sure that an inhalation ends each cycle?

MiBeloved's Response:

It is best that in most lockdowns after a sequence of breaths that one should do an inhale and then apply the locks. This causes the lungs to switch to a compression downward pushing prana force.

There are exceptions to this but most of the time one should do this. If you are inspired to do the lock down after an exhale without inhaling any breath, then that is okay, provided you are able to keep track of the energy and won’t get spaced out.

When you stop on an inhale, the lungs will be in the action of absorbing that last draw of air. It will be focused on distributing the air which was compressed into the system during the sequence. And this is a main objective.

This works because if the compressed fresh air is compressed into the system, the carbon dioxide in the system with be scared of the prana and will scatter and try to get out of the system, like when invading soldiers enter a city and are then trapped there. They become scared for their lives and try to run out of the city.

You stated previously in a private conversation that you did diving. This practice is good for increasing the carbon dioxide in the system but that is not the objective of this yoga. Your body may be attached to carbon dioxide and that would mean it has an instinct to do whatever it can to increase the percentage of that carbon dioxide, so you have to make up your mind as to what you want to achieve, if it will be increase in carbon dioxide or increase in fresh air.

I do not teach it but there is a yoga pranayama practice where one increases the carbon dioxide instead of the fresh air. This is a legitimate practice but it is not what I mastered and teach.

If you stop on an exhale, then the lungs will switch to considering what the movement of apana energy out of the system, which is also good, but the best focus immediately after you apply the locks should be the distribution of the compressed air.

Stopping on an exhale also requires much more application of the lower locks especially the stomach lock. It would have to be pulled back more and also pulled up more under the rib cage. This requires much more concentration and lock expertise.

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Incidentally as you noticed I did not answer this question. Subsequently you contacted me in another way about this. Every student should feel confident to ask a question repeatedly. If I ignored a question, then your duty is to ask it again and again until you are satisfied.

I am not an answering service but that does not mean that I am free of the obligation to answer question related to meditation, yoga and other aspects of spiritual development. Take courage and ask repeatedly. If you find however that I am chewing you out concerning a question, you should still not get discouraged.

When the father gets in a bad mood, he might abuse the son. Still, father is father. He has the interest of the son as his priority. A little abuse does not alter that.

Alfredo 5 years ago

Thank you very much!

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