Student's Report Bhastrika Pranayama Practice
Meditationtime Forum Post
Date: Posted 5 years before Jan 22, 2018
MiBeloved 5 years ago
See student's practice here.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn6DoARn9rU
Video Title: Thokar Kriya and Bhastrika Sampler
Check Remarks below.:
Dean 5 years ago
Bravo Alfredo! That is a very solid and aggressive session. Since we are both neophytes, we can benefit one another in these early stages of our practice.
My suggestion is that if you are going to sit on a chair while doing the practice then be sure to clear the area around you and behind you just in case kundalini creeps up behind you and causes you to black out. Because there is no telling where the physical body will fall and you could seriously injury it.
Also, Michael may disagree but I feel that the level of your practice now that you have a very strong inhalation in most of your postures which is great for me to see. So I now know I have to continue to improve that part of my practice.
However after about 20-25 very strong inhalations/exhalations, a suggestion from Michael that helped me, is to stop, apply those locks, hold the breath for as long as you can and mentally push that infused air down into the subtle body so it can be absorbed and get kundalini charged up, helped my practice tremendously.
Keep up the great work and I will continue sharing my experiences from my practice too as you and I have a lot of catching up to do so we might as well continue to encourage on another.
Alfredo 5 years ago
Thank you Dean!
Your comments are always welcomed here. There is a genuineness and poise that come with them.
Indeed the surroundings are important for safety. This is not the area where I do the daily practice, nor the stool I use. The one I use is square and sturdy, this tripod one in the video I use it for Tratak and Pooja to Mahadeva. I always keep in mind your accident with the water sprinkler. The same happened to me on several occasions at the beginning with the kneeling postures.
About stopping and applying the locks, thanks again, I will comment on that below.
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To MiBeloved:
Namaste Achyaraji!
I know how sparingly you use the word Namaste, but here I use with the full intent of it.
Thank you very much for the instructions and the time you took and the details in them. It is much appreciated.
I am looking forward to your visit to South Florida (Pembroke Pine, Draupadi's I believe). I would have gone to you a long time ago if not for certain personal challenges.
I will incorporate instruction to the best of my abilities until a more thorough examination is available.
On the Thokar Kriya, this is the one that Baba taught me. It is a joy to me, and I have done it for years, even though I did not show that in the video I often go 1 minute Kumbhaka while doing the head rounds, thus this pranayama I do totally separate from the breath of fire.
On the breath of fire, thanks for the correction about Kapalabhati. I will call it like that from now on until further examination. However, the name is not very important to me, but the effect, and I feel the effects on many levels. The closest to Bhastrika, I now see, is when seating on the stool and the diaphragm is activated, with almost equal stress on both inhale and exhale; however, as soon as the hands enter the picture it turns Kapalabhati big time, totally true. Let it be, and let Kapalbhati turn into Bhastrika slowly and on its own accord.
The only salvation I want to make is that this sample is not representative of the practice although it conveys a certain intentness and general idea. I, by mistake now I see, tried to compress certain postures without taking time to hold the breath and push the energy here or there. This I do, though, I just wanted you to know that, that I have always done that in my practice as I caught that early on by watching your videos.
unlimitedsun 5 years ago
Alfredo prabhu,
You seem to have all the proper set up technically and circumstantially to make some great recordings while Swami will be in your company.
It is all our hope that you can share through such videos.
We await impatiently! Thank you in advance.
Alfredo 5 years ago
Namaste Surya Ji!
Thanks for your confidence, it is humbling to me. Given my many limitations, I will do my best. First step will be to get me a video camcorder of some quality.
Pool 5 years ago
After having watched this video I myself went back from Bhastrika to do Kapalbhati, it's as Michael said, first one got to do 6 years of Kapalbhati before moving to a more advanced practice such as Bhastrika!
When doing Bhastrika I was sweating like hell, however with Kapalbhati I feel a more kind of internal heat with a kind of arousal/enthusiasm sensations feelings up the spine making you feel that if you continue you are about to explode, this I have felt today when having done the ankle posture. And in meditation I can feel the pleasant arousal/tingling sensations mostly at the spine continuing with me. I feel that my exhales with the abdomen stroking are not yet powerful enough, but since I just started with Kapalbhati I will work on that!
I feel that this practice feels more right and things are actually happening. In fact I used to raise Kundalini with this kind of practice long time before, so I see good things coming knowing its power!
Thanks for the motivation Alfredo!
MiBeloved 5 years ago
Thomer,
Down the way, you could get a video to me of what you are doing and I could advise you further.
Practice daily at least once per day and preferably early in the morning.
