I was speaking to my yoga teacher's wife during a physio session about how I was getting on in yoga and explaining my interest in meditation, and she was discussing her meditation practices over the years. She told me how one time recently she was meditating and suddenly became the universe. Obviously very appealing, so I was asking her is it possible to achieve such experience through yoga and she said it was more something one would experience through pranayama breathing techniques. However, I didn't have much more time to enquire as the session had already ended.

I haven't asked my yoga teacher yet about it, but I was wondering if any of you know how to apply pranayama to achieve this state of consciousness or even if any of you have been able to go far down this route.

Thanks

I did pranayama with kriya yoga. It's great for relaxation and good for meditation but I find one has to be very hardcore practicioner(if even at that level) to reach universal consciousness so to speak. There is DMT in our lungs so it's possible pranayama has something to do with that. However for my universal consciousness needs I prefer loading my beloved GVG.

BTW; yoga practicioners can tell you many things such as they have told me, however, if they say something, remember it's just their thoughts about it and necessarily don't hold truth in them.

I practice Kriya Pranayama in combination with Vipassana. Kriya Pranayama is more than enough to take you to Universal Awareness, but you may not reach that level for a very long time..or you might reach it very quickly. Or you may give up saying this is all BS.... In any event just remember this. It's your path and your path alone to walk.

I've been meditating for about 15 years. I've noticed my mind slow down considerably. My breath rate is now steady at about 2 breaths per minute during meditation. I have experienced the breathless state, I have seen visions begin to open up and then collapse as my excitement grew about them. I catch thoughts much quicker today than I did when I started. I am much less prone to anger, though I do stil get mad. Honestly most of the changes occurred over a relatively long period of time. It wasn't like I sat to meditate one day and had an epiphany that changed my life....however upon reflection it is quite obvious that meditation has indeed changed my life.

Most importantly. The only two times I've ever really tasted cosmic consciousness has been while doing Kriya Pranayama with shrooms (small dose) and aya/changa (small dose). Search for (Love Everything) up top and you can read about one of those experiences.

In short any yogic concentration exercise can take you very deep.

I personally doubt it has anything to do with DMT in your lungs. If anything it has to do with the DMT in the spinal coord since it has direct unobstructed access via the CNS. Either way it probably has nothing to do with DMT. In all likely hood it's just opening up the proper serotonin pathway's in your brain. Any receptor that DMT binds, serotonin will as well....well most likely. It is possible that a pocket could have a large hydrophobic component where the 5-hydroxyl of serotonin would be thus pushing serotonin out of a DMT binding pocket...but as of yet we haven't discovered a 5HT receptor site like this.

Just my random thoughts for the morning.

Did your teacher's wife specify which type of pranayama she was referring to? There are at least a dozen variations of pranayama and each generates it's own unique quality. This link is a good overall simplification of the definitions of several of the most widely known forms of pranayama: http://www.yogiclogic.co...es/pranayama-in-yoga.php Also, this one gives a brief but in depth overview of pranayama: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama

Each type of pranayama is quite capable of uniting the consciousness of the breather, with the universal force or Godhead. It's obviously a case of the breather being deeply attuned to the living Spirit and willing to concentrate with enough ferocity to stop their own mind. This naturally allows for an alternate perception of reality and existence itself.

I used to do a lot of pranayama in my strictly "Yogic phase". Powerful medicine! Also, being a Kriyaban by initiation, I enjoyed these practices and found they drew me closer to an understanding of the energy of the life-force and insubstantial essence of the Divine Being. As our esteemed colleague joedirt made direct reference to, Kumbaka or "the breathless state" births the ripened fruit of all of our internal searching, Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Temporary degrees of enlightenment ideally follows such external practices and exercises. Would that it were so easy! Note that an extremely calm and almost imperceptible rate of breathing is the core activity within the parameters of Kumbaka. It is not necessarily total cessation, rather, an exaggerated slowing of the breath. It is a certainty that the ancient Vedic Rishis didn't intend for their adherents to suffocate in the name of attaining enlightenment.

Conversely, the approach of allowing the breath to freely do it's own thing, is also a direct method to heightened levels of consciousness, as with Zen Buddhism. So, whether we intentionally manipulate the breathing process or release any and all control of one's inhalations and exhalations, as within such method-less approaches, our breath itself is KEY to the union of the individual to the universal.

I think we've all been in that poignant moment, often times during our entheogenic experiences, where our awareness of our breathing becomes most profound. The physical reality of our bodies inhaling and exhaling, is at the heart of our very material existence. So too, is the endless pumping of our own heartbeat (pun most certainly intended).

It seems the closer we bring our awareness to these primary bodily functions... the more we enter into a thought-free state of mind. Thus, when the mind is stopped, true awareness is born. Whether is is simply the shift in focus or some magical result born from the focused concentration alone, is a highly debatable possibility.

Whatever the case, as there appear to be as many truths, as exist minds to realize said truths. Any traditional methodology by which we change our perception is most useful and highly relevant to our understanding of both, our universe and ourselves. And towards understanding our interconnection with the Omniself, but of course.

I encourage you to explore some of methods of pranayama. As brother joedirt wisely councils, the use of such techniques, in conjunction with entheogens, creates a profound and overwhelming effect upon the one whose breathing is being energized, whose activation may just trigger a dramatic transformation in perception. This occurs along with an expansion in conscious awareness, which eventually arises from the organic slumber of mortality and awakens in the present moment, the Eternal Now. :idea:

Just realized I didn't actually give you any advice on how to do Kriya Pranayama. Silly me.

One of the goals of Kriya Pranayama is to slow the breath, heart, and mind. Both the heart and the mind are closely linked to the respiratory rate.

This is how I perform the technique.

Part 1. Om and the Chakra's

Step 1. Identify the location of the 7 chakra's in your body.
Step 2. Mentally Chant OM at each of these chakra centers. As you do try to feel every sensation in your body at that location. Allow you mind to expand those sensations outward from the chakra center. Get comfortable doing this at every Chakra center for a few minutes.


Part 2. The spine-breath link

Step 3. Become aware of your breath and it's relation to your spinal chard. On your inhalation feel every sensation you can in your body starting from your base chakra and slowing rising up to your crown chakra as you complete your inhale.
Step 4. As you exhale slowly feel all the sensations in your body as you move from your crown chakra to your base spine as you complete your exhale.


Part 3. The complete system

Step 5. Continue moving the energy with your breath as before but this time mentally chant OM as the energy crosses the chakra centers. Be hyper aware of every sensation as you do this. Make sure you mentally chant OM.
Step 6. Try to never lose which Chakra you are on. If you do just feel the energy move with the breath until it arrives at either the base or the crown chakra and then resume with proper technique.
Step 7. Begin to slow down your breath. Proper Kriya should be done with a breathing rate of 1.75-2.0 breaths per minute. This is a very gradual process that happens automatically when concentration is right. When you initially start you should be able to maintain 4-8 breaths per minute.


The reason it works?

I believe the reason this technique works so well is that it combines moving the mind with focusing the mind at the same time. The movement helps you to remain alert and aware of the immediate task at hand which is feeling every sensation as you move the energy up and down your spine chanting OM. This in effect forces you to be in the moment.

Once I have calmed my body and mind down with Kriya Pranayama I've been switching to vippassana meditation...but you asked about pranayama so I'll kindly close with these last words.

Make sure you have a strong Kriya practice BEFORE you do it with psychedelics...and make sure you consume less than you normally would. The experience is GREATLY magnified IMHO.

Peace

been doing some holotropic breathwork for a little while now and i have to say that i've had little flashes of dissolution/oneness. i think it certainly holds potential for any willing to put in the time. the funny thing about DMT (with me anyways) is that i always come back from hyperspace with a very strong desire to improve my abilities in this world for the sake of my next journey. i see how there are things one could do here that can only help with the work there. pranayama, holotropic breathwork and the like are really good things. thanks for starting this thread and even bigger thanks to those who have information to share on the matter.

L&G

it is very possible

there are special techniques just for that

BUT pranayama is not the ordinary yoga, it requires stable discipline to do it daily, dietary restrictions and some other simple ways of directing your increased energy in the proper channels.

Best is to have a qualified teacher to learn pranayama, and i have to say that most yogateachers dont have a clue whats going on about pranayama.

There are classic yogic pranayamas from the hatha yoga pradipika, the most important one is Nadi Shodana.

If you master that one all the others become easy, it is in my opinion the best preperation for all advanced yogic techniques. But it should be preluded by body cleansing techniques and asanas to get rid of grosser disturbances first.

Not everyone is suitable pranayama though. It is said to be the most direct and fastest way to advance yogically. But it has its dangers, the rules need to be followed almost to the letter.

Kriya yoga is somewhat easier, not much can be said about it. Also do not recommend to read or analyze the techniques in any way.

Here is a school that teaches secular yoga, meditation and kriya yoga.
http://www.yogameditation.com/
these people are far from ideal but they are pretty good at teaching yoga

Firstly, thank you for all the very informative replies. I wasn't expecting people to put so much time into answering.



It was a month or two ago now, but I think she may have said prashtrika (however that's spelled, but it sounds like this)... is that the one where you inhale and exhale forcefully and rapidly through the nose moving your shoulders up and down with it. We do this for about 20 seconds x 4 and it can leave me feeling a bit strange after, like I might pass out if I did anymore. My yoga teacher is from Nepal and this is all he does, so I have every faith he does know what he is talking about so it's great to be doing it with him, however he has never mentioned any dangers to it (other than "Don't be go drinking the wine at the Christmas party after this breathing, it will get you very very drunk". I have read about dangers to pranayama though, although I trust practising at home to my teacher's instruction would be safe.

I must try the technique you listed joedirt when I get a chance, is there any kind of duration to how long one should chant each syllable OM? As for using in conjunction with entheogens, I am extremely unexperienced and am overwhelmed enough by the psychedelic experience as it is without pushing any farther just yet.




It's so strange that you post that, I have only ever heard one Pink Floyd song, this one, and only downloaded it days ago. Have been listening to it a lot

Thanks again, everyone!

I'm not trying to be a dick here so please don't take it that. But I by and large disagree with this post and feel compelled to offer another side.

Firstly pranayama is very much a part of the ordinary Yoga. It sits right before Pratyahara and then finally meditation in the yogic path.


http://en.wikipedia.org/...Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali

I must admit that I don't agree with the wiki definition so much, but there is an element of suspending the breath...Really though it's much more about focusing the mind and getting it ready for deeper meditation.

Anyone can learn to do pranayama. Listen to your own body and mind. A teacher can only give you the technique. Period. I somewhat agree about not over analyzing the technique by reading to much, but even then I realize that people have to learn and explore.

I say dive right into it. Explore several techniques. Listen to your body and mind. Things will change over time.

Lastly. I'd add that of the pranayama's that I've practiced Kriya is easily the hardest to do correctly for more than a few minutes at a time. Maintaining focused concentration such that your breathing rate stay's around 2 breaths per minute is FAR harder than most people imagine. This is why I broke the technique up into standalone pieces. It's actually quite hard to do the full practice for any length of time.



entheojen you should chant OM very briefly as it moves past each center. As the breath slows you may be able to hold OM a little longer. One last little point I forget in the above instructions. You should take full inhales via the diaphragm, but try to avoid breathing into your chest...don't worry after a few breaths this will make sense. Also you want to fully exhale and feel your stomach pull in behind your rib cage. Again you will understand the sensation once you get it right. And lastly don't try to rush it or be hard on your self. Just easy into it. Maybe just sit and watch the breath move naturally for the first few minutes when you sit. Then when you have calmed some start pranayama. And don't over do it. Don't try to hold the breath forcefully... Yes there is an element of force as you slow it down, but it is a very minute force. Honestly if you get the concentration right the breath will just slow down naturally.

Also based on what you wrote here I'd say just explore pranayama for awhile before trying to mix it psychs.

Peace

Not much danger of hurting yourself if you approach with common sense

But please also consider that the techniques where you have to hold your breath for a prolonged amount of time can backfire if done incorrectly.

One can learn pranayama from a book, but in my experience advanced breathing techniques do not forgive mistakes easily.

Meaning you can hurt yourself similar to the way when you would do bodybuilding improperly as an example.
If you know the techniques and how to approach it benchpressing is no big deal, you can even get all the instructions from a book. But if you make a mistake in your position while benching you can feel pain or even seriously hurt your back.

You also need to watch your diet if you do certain forms of pranayama daily, very similar to doing certain kinds of sports. Simple stuff basically but it needs to be followed properly.

Therfore i advise at least one session with a teacher to learn it. An expierienced teacher will shorten the learning curve quite a lot if you dont have great yogic talent already.

Pantanjali has written down general guidelines, its not a dogmatic template that has to be followed but it is full of good common sense.
Yoga has even more aspects then what he mentioned, nada yoga (sound yoga) is one of them for example.

About kriya yoga, there are actually many varieties of kriya yoga that have very different techniques and effects.
There are kriya yogas that you can learn in one weekend, others require several weeks to learn properly.

The concept is similar with all of them as they include asanas, pranayamas, mudras and bandhas while occupying the mind and body for the time of the whole practice.


Try out techniques of your liking, stick to what makes you feel better and increases your clarity. There are many techniques for many different mentalities.

That simple breath awareness techniques mentioned by Joedirt is full of awesomeness.


Be wary of teachers that tell great stories and/or use hypnosis to make you feel better. Hypnosis and yoga are very different things but "teachers" often name their bs yoga because it sells better.