@bubke
When I lived in the ashram in Germany I did intensive Pranayama sessions where our kind of Nadi Shodana, it is with retention of breath also, was done for up to 60 minutes.
Since it is calming and harmonizing you can do it for a long time, time is only limited by the amount of time the practitioner can sit comfortably.
Since it is the preparation for the energy awakening pranayamas of Kundalini Yoga, we needed to do it for quite a long time in those sessions before we could do those practices safely.
It's good to work with a respected, well practiced teacher when it comes to pranayama. I guess that's my personal philosophy. We practice a few techniques like 3 or 4 for 2 hours. In a group setting including senior teachers and practitioners. The golden rule imho: ask, do i feel comfortable, is my body feeling calm, relaxed, strong, centered? If yes, good. If no, change, stop, shift. Samadhi is for real ❤🙏 🌾🌲🌳
Thanks, i agree with you. I must say i recall where i read that advice and it was a publication of Bihar School of Yoga in India, i regard that institute as the highest level so i am curious about their reasons, i think it might have been a beginner's warning. Anyway, as i said, i agree 100% with what you said: Do, evaluate, redo/stop
I saw this title several times and just wasn't inclined to read it. Then it was featured in Distilled, so I figured, OK, I'll give it a look. Very interesting. Certainly, there is no downside to trying this technique. While I'm not persuaded by research from the Patanjali Research Foundation (because they would seem to have a bias), you cite other sources.
I am persuaded to try this. Why not? Thank you for opening my mind to a new opportunity :)
Ahhh! Nadis shodona ❤ yeah, likely best to keep both hands on the wheel and focus on the road in traffic. #triggered a highlight of my practice so far was attending group pranayama intensive at dawn lead by my teachers teacher. ~2.5 hrs of meditation and pranayama for 7 days in a row. #divine Such an amazing experience ❤❤❤
Peak experiences are good, but I'm more for the base behaviour transformations. My ex husband had been an itinerant jungle monk here in Thailand for about 4.5 years and often talked about his peak experiences meditating in caves and on mountains. I used to tell him that was baby stuff. One exhausted single mom CHOOSING to meditate for 2 minutes is olympic standard. I suspect the breath at the traffic lights is the same. That moment of reaching for the idea of the balancing breath is much harder, and arguably more life-changing, than any retreat peak experience. Yes, when the light goes green I do generally use two hands. :) LOL....
Because my guru says so! 😘
Ok, feeling generous today, so here´s the long form:
The middle finger represents Tamas Guna(pls google if needed),
so in my tradition you do not touch the third eye with it,
instead, we bend the middle and index finger till they touch the palm,
so they are out of the way, for Nadi Shodana.
But, beyond all doctrines, it is always best to experiment with different approaches
and then stick to the ones that work for you.
The idea of guru and following ONE teacher blindly is anathema in a culture of Buddhism (Thailand). We can (and do) learn from many and retain those teachings which resonate with us.
@artemislives
Way to go!
I did the same in Yoga.
And it´s also important to be able to differentiate between the message and the messenger.
Many Westerners attach themselves to some guru, then the guru does something bad (sexual abuse or other stuff) and then they are so personally disappointed that they discard the whole teaching.
I forgot who said it but this is one of my favorite quotes:
"A disciple is an asshole trying to attach itself to a human being."
Very brutal and harsh, but there´s definitely some truth in it.
And sometimes unfortunately the asshole attaches itself to another asshole. 😘
I don't like the third eye touching either, but mainly as it complicates things. I was always taught the folding fingers method too so perhaps that is why I prefer it.
Weird. My (Taoist) teacher and mentor said the same thing. That point is taught a lot to acupuncturists to needle, and he said basically don’t do it. Basically, don’t do anything that will mess with the energy centre there (they call it the Upper Dantian).
And a tantric yoga teacher I had also said the same thing.
I love this technique! It was introduced to me years ago as a manual way to switch from one hemisphere of the brain to another. If I needed to be more focused and my brain was hanging out in a reflective state, or if I wanted to access more of my creative potential! I had lived half of my life without even realizing that we switch dominant nostrils throughout the day. (One side is a tad bit constricted and the other is fully open.) It is interesting to see what our unconscious "normal" is. Great post!
I was taught that in that moment of switching is when you have most clarity! When I was on teacher training we would joke about it... whenever we had a moment where we said something yogic clever (a revelation, or explaining something) we would say 'check your nostrils!' Lol..
I've been observing this all week and surprised that at times I'm so tight and closed on one side I almost can't breathe at all, despite there being no obvious congestion. My "unconscious normal" is far less balanced than I want to know! LOL. And a good beginning for just 1 or 2 breaths. It DOES shift when I do that, despite having to stop and breath 'normally' in between so I don't suffocate altogether. LOL. Has been a wonderful journey of experience.
Do you remember seeing the pink or blue shoe going around the internet? I got really into trying to understand this one and tried doing this practice to switch sides of my brain. I didn't give it more than a few minutes, which was not enough to change the hemispheres, apparently. Then I took a nap, while noticing which nostril was dominant before I slept. When I woke up, the other side was dominant and it switched what I actually saw from blue to pink. Here is the link. It is a great test to actually be able to have a visual confirmation. :-) https://www.insider.com/what-color-are-the-shoes-pink-white-teal-gray-2017-10
YES, YES, YES!!! Nadi shodhana, breakfast, lunch and tea!!!! I especially LOVE that you have detailed the SCIENCE of this as I refused, when I taught yoga, or when I teach this to school students, to just say it was calming without explaining why. It has SUCH an impact on the parasympathetic nervous system!! Love this, dropping in some support channels for extra 🧡🤞
Such fascinating research!
You make a very good point about yogic discipline. By putting the time in, then you can hope for marked results and who doesn't want to improve their focus? After 30 mins (again, not the 2 mins managed at the end of a yoga class) of unilateral forced nostril breathing, spatial task performance was specifically enhanced
I wonder what spacial tasks mean.
Spatial tasks are things where the brain responds appropriately to cues on our location, the placement of body parts etc. Things like merging into traffic, catching a ball, walking through an obstacle course. REALLY IMPORTANT stuff for reducing accidents and injuries, actually!! You might find this helpful: https://study.com/academy/lesson/spatial-ability-definition-examples.html
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You have my witness vote. I had NO IDEA till @alchemage mentioned it in the @naturalmedicine discord that my habit of quoting research had any merit. LOL. I'm tickled and thrilled and encouraged. It has always been my way of explaining why my products work in my natural products biz. Simply explaining the published research behind the organic ingredients. Grateful.
You’ve been visited by @porters on behalf of Natural Medicine! Such a simple yet what seems like a very effective technique! It will be interesting to see how much more of an effect you will feel when you expand to doing 10 to 15 minutes per day! I think I will add this to my repertoire of preventative medicines. Thanks for sharing!
Did you know that Natural Medicine now has it's own token, rewarding natural healing and health wisdoms? You can check out our front end, www.naturalmedicine.io! If you've been involved in our community over the last year, check your wallets for tokens and stake them on Steem Engine to start curating with Lotuscoin!
Also our Preventative Medicine Wisdom Challenge is on with a chance to win up to 40 Steem AND Lotus Coin! Details Here
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I have to really focus and sink deeply into myself to manage even 2 mins. LOL. The 15 mins a day is something cone clearly works up to!! :) And there are sooo many times when one side is so constricted I can barely draw breath on that side. Not congestion or mucus, just constriction. LingOL at myself - in those moments one whole breath is a big step forward.
i am very surprised with these 10-15 minutes, i remember reading to do it for max 5 minutes and i have been limiting myself to this time for years
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@bubke
When I lived in the ashram in Germany I did intensive Pranayama sessions where our kind of Nadi Shodana, it is with retention of breath also, was done for up to 60 minutes.
Since it is calming and harmonizing you can do it for a long time, time is only limited by the amount of time the practitioner can sit comfortably.
Since it is the preparation for the energy awakening pranayamas of Kundalini Yoga, we needed to do it for quite a long time in those sessions before we could do those practices safely.
It's good to work with a respected, well practiced teacher when it comes to pranayama. I guess that's my personal philosophy. We practice a few techniques like 3 or 4 for 2 hours. In a group setting including senior teachers and practitioners. The golden rule imho: ask, do i feel comfortable, is my body feeling calm, relaxed, strong, centered? If yes, good. If no, change, stop, shift. Samadhi is for real ❤🙏 🌾🌲🌳
Thanks, i agree with you. I must say i recall where i read that advice and it was a publication of Bihar School of Yoga in India, i regard that institute as the highest level so i am curious about their reasons, i think it might have been a beginner's warning. Anyway, as i said, i agree 100% with what you said: Do, evaluate, redo/stop
Posted using Partiko Android
I saw this title several times and just wasn't inclined to read it. Then it was featured in Distilled, so I figured, OK, I'll give it a look. Very interesting. Certainly, there is no downside to trying this technique. While I'm not persuaded by research from the Patanjali Research Foundation (because they would seem to have a bias), you cite other sources.
I am persuaded to try this. Why not? Thank you for opening my mind to a new opportunity :)
Ahhh! Nadis shodona ❤ yeah, likely best to keep both hands on the wheel and focus on the road in traffic. #triggered a highlight of my practice so far was attending group pranayama intensive at dawn lead by my teachers teacher. ~2.5 hrs of meditation and pranayama for 7 days in a row. #divine Such an amazing experience ❤❤❤
Peak experiences are good, but I'm more for the base behaviour transformations. My ex husband had been an itinerant jungle monk here in Thailand for about 4.5 years and often talked about his peak experiences meditating in caves and on mountains. I used to tell him that was baby stuff. One exhausted single mom CHOOSING to meditate for 2 minutes is olympic standard. I suspect the breath at the traffic lights is the same. That moment of reaching for the idea of the balancing breath is much harder, and arguably more life-changing, than any retreat peak experience. Yes, when the light goes green I do generally use two hands. :) LOL....
Whatever you do,
don´t put your middle finger on Ajna chakra.
Hmmm.... pls explain? esp since so many of the image and videos show just that?
Because my guru says so! 😘
Ok, feeling generous today, so here´s the long form:
The middle finger represents Tamas Guna(pls google if needed),
so in my tradition you do not touch the third eye with it,
instead, we bend the middle and index finger till they touch the palm,
so they are out of the way, for Nadi Shodana.
But, beyond all doctrines, it is always best to experiment with different approaches
and then stick to the ones that work for you.
Or, find a teacher you trust and respect and follow their teachings. 🙏❤
The idea of guru and following ONE teacher blindly is anathema in a culture of Buddhism (Thailand). We can (and do) learn from many and retain those teachings which resonate with us.
@artemislives
Way to go!
I did the same in Yoga.
And it´s also important to be able to differentiate between the message and the messenger.
Many Westerners attach themselves to some guru, then the guru does something bad (sexual abuse or other stuff) and then they are so personally disappointed that they discard the whole teaching.
I forgot who said it but this is one of my favorite quotes:
"A disciple is an asshole trying to attach itself to a human being."
Very brutal and harsh, but there´s definitely some truth in it.
And sometimes unfortunately the asshole attaches itself to another asshole. 😘
I don't like the third eye touching either, but mainly as it complicates things. I was always taught the folding fingers method too so perhaps that is why I prefer it.
Weird. My (Taoist) teacher and mentor said the same thing. That point is taught a lot to acupuncturists to needle, and he said basically don’t do it. Basically, don’t do anything that will mess with the energy centre there (they call it the Upper Dantian).
And a tantric yoga teacher I had also said the same thing.
I love this technique! It was introduced to me years ago as a manual way to switch from one hemisphere of the brain to another. If I needed to be more focused and my brain was hanging out in a reflective state, or if I wanted to access more of my creative potential! I had lived half of my life without even realizing that we switch dominant nostrils throughout the day. (One side is a tad bit constricted and the other is fully open.) It is interesting to see what our unconscious "normal" is. Great post!
I was taught that in that moment of switching is when you have most clarity! When I was on teacher training we would joke about it... whenever we had a moment where we said something yogic clever (a revelation, or explaining something) we would say 'check your nostrils!' Lol..
I've been observing this all week and surprised that at times I'm so tight and closed on one side I almost can't breathe at all, despite there being no obvious congestion. My "unconscious normal" is far less balanced than I want to know! LOL. And a good beginning for just 1 or 2 breaths. It DOES shift when I do that, despite having to stop and breath 'normally' in between so I don't suffocate altogether. LOL. Has been a wonderful journey of experience.
Do you remember seeing the pink or blue shoe going around the internet? I got really into trying to understand this one and tried doing this practice to switch sides of my brain. I didn't give it more than a few minutes, which was not enough to change the hemispheres, apparently. Then I took a nap, while noticing which nostril was dominant before I slept. When I woke up, the other side was dominant and it switched what I actually saw from blue to pink. Here is the link. It is a great test to actually be able to have a visual confirmation. :-)
https://www.insider.com/what-color-are-the-shoes-pink-white-teal-gray-2017-10
Never heard of it but utterly intrigued!!!!
YES, YES, YES!!! Nadi shodhana, breakfast, lunch and tea!!!! I especially LOVE that you have detailed the SCIENCE of this as I refused, when I taught yoga, or when I teach this to school students, to just say it was calming without explaining why. It has SUCH an impact on the parasympathetic nervous system!! Love this, dropping in some support channels for extra 🧡🤞
Stunned at the extra support Love. Thank you. It's overwhelmingly wonderful. The interplay of communities and the post HF21 are really a big shift.
It is a great shift, isnt it? Xx and you are welcome x
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Such fascinating research!
You make a very good point about yogic discipline. By putting the time in, then you can hope for marked results and who doesn't want to improve their focus?
After 30 mins (again, not the 2 mins managed at the end of a yoga class) of unilateral forced nostril breathing, spatial task performance was specifically enhanced
I wonder what spacial tasks mean.
Spatial tasks are things where the brain responds appropriately to cues on our location, the placement of body parts etc. Things like merging into traffic, catching a ball, walking through an obstacle course. REALLY IMPORTANT stuff for reducing accidents and injuries, actually!! You might find this helpful: https://study.com/academy/lesson/spatial-ability-definition-examples.html
This post has been voted on by the SteemSTEM curation team and voting trail. It is elligible for support from @curie and @minnowbooster.
If you appreciate the work we are doing, then consider supporting our witness @stem.witness. Additional witness support to the curie witness would be appreciated as well.
For additional information please join us on the SteemSTEM discord and to get to know the rest of the community!
Please consider using the steemstem.io app and/or including @steemstem in the list of beneficiaries of this post. This could yield a stronger support from SteemSTEM.
You have my witness vote. I had NO IDEA till @alchemage mentioned it in the @naturalmedicine discord that my habit of quoting research had any merit. LOL. I'm tickled and thrilled and encouraged. It has always been my way of explaining why my products work in my natural products biz. Simply explaining the published research behind the organic ingredients. Grateful.
You’ve been visited by @porters on behalf of Natural Medicine!
Such a simple yet what seems like a very effective technique! It will be interesting to see how much more of an effect you will feel when you expand to doing 10 to 15 minutes per day! I think I will add this to my repertoire of preventative medicines. Thanks for sharing!
Did you know that Natural Medicine now has it's own token, rewarding natural healing and health wisdoms? You can check out our front end, www.naturalmedicine.io! If you've been involved in our community over the last year, check your wallets for tokens and stake them on Steem Engine to start curating with Lotuscoin!
Also our Preventative Medicine Wisdom Challenge is on with a chance to win up to 40 Steem AND Lotus Coin! Details Here
Come join us on Discord if you're not already there! We'd love to have you.
I have to really focus and sink deeply into myself to manage even 2 mins. LOL. The 15 mins a day is something cone clearly works up to!! :) And there are sooo many times when one side is so constricted I can barely draw breath on that side. Not congestion or mucus, just constriction. LingOL at myself - in those moments one whole breath is a big step forward.