Breath Of Life Course - Advanced

Course Instructor                Tarun Hari Das

Course Begin Date               09/01/22

Course Frequency               Once a week.  Every Sunday

Course Time                           7:30pm - 9:45pm

Course Length                       4 Weeks

Prana may be defined as the finest vital force in everything which becomes visible on the physical plane as motion and action and on the mental plane as thought. 

The word Pranayama, therefore, means the restraint of vital energies. It is the control of vital energy which tingles through the nerves of persons. It moves his muscles and causes him to sense the external world and think his internal thought.

 This energy is of such a nature that it may be called the vis viva of the animal organism. The control of this force is what is aimed at by the Yogic practitioners by means of Pranayama. He who conquers this, is not only the conqueror of his own existence on the physical and mental plane, but the conqueror of the whole world. For, the Prana is the very essence of cosmic life, that subtle principle which evolved the whole universe into its present form and which is pushing it towards its ultimate goal. 

To the master of Prana, the whole universe is his body. The matter which composes his body is the same that evolved the universe. The force which pulsates through his nerves is not different from the force which vibrates through the universe. The conquest over the body does, therefore, mean to him the conquest over the forces of nature. According to the Vedic Philosophy the whole of nature is composed of two principal substances. One of them is called the Akasa or ether and the other, Prana or energy. These two may be said to correspond to matter and force in modern day scientists. 

Pranayama is often described as yogic breathing techniques. However, while it has great benefits for improving the quality of our breath, it is so much more than that...

Top 5 Pranayama Exercises 

1. Bhastrika Pranayama (Breath of fire)
2. Kumbhaka Pranayama (Breath retention)
3. Simhasana (Lion's Breath)
4. Mrigi Mudra Pranayam (Deer seal breathing)
5. Kapalabhati Pranayam (Skull shining)

How to practice Pranayama? 

A pranayama practice involves maintaining specific patterns of inhalation, exhalation, and retention. There can be many such patterns or ratios, but a few of them have been mentioned and recommended in ancient yogic texts and those are the ones you should prioritize in your practice.

What are the benefits of practicing Pranayama? 

Different pranayama techniques offer different benefits, but overall here are the benefits you can expect from a holistic pranayama practice

• Helps you relax by reducing cortisol production
• Beneficial for the heart and helps reduce blood pressure, heart rate, etc.
• Improvement in lung capacity and positive impact on endurance athletes
• It helps regulate functions like digestion, metabolism, and even our body temperature.
• It can improve tolerance for intense exercises.
• It helps improve quality of life and it reduces anxiety and is a powerful supportive therapy for depression as well as pain management.
• Enhances cognitive performance
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves immune system
• Aids natural healing to many ailments
• Increases mindfulness
• Improves sleep quality

This series is an outcome of years of research, study, self-practice, teaching and student feedback. In all my experience I’ve learned that the true power of yoga is in our breath and nothing else. Breath is a powerful tool that helps us to connect to another deeper side of the self that is ignored and unnourished.  Through our program, we will assist you in getting back in contact with the true self and be in the presence of your own inner joy.  As well as a practical course, a thorough scientific approach will be used to implement the knowledge of Prana and specific pranayama exercises and their proven benefits

How is the program structured? 

In this program, there are seven sections covered across the four classes. 

Section 1: Building Breath Awareness 

This module helps build better breath awareness through kriyas. We learn to coordinate our movement with the breath and in doing so learn to pay attention to the breath in a way that is absolutely critical for pranayama practices.

Section 2: Activating the Lungs 

Once we’ve built our connection with the breath, we move on to activating the lungs. In Yoga, the lungs are divided into three sections – lower, middle and upper lobes. These correspond to techniques that are called Adham, Madhyam and Adhyam Pranayama. We will learn them in this module.

Section 3: Improving Lung Capacity 

After learning how to consciously engage the lungs, we work on accessing full lung capacity. Any pranayama practice is incomplete without learning this technique. 

Section 4: Cleansing Energy Channels 

Now that we are aware of the breath and our lungs and can activate them to utilize maximum breathing capacity we are ready for some cleaning practices. Cleansing practices are of subtle nature and play the role of detoxing the pranic Nadi system. We engage in some vitalizing breath work and then do Nadi Shuddhi n each of these classes but with varying tempo and pace.

Section 5: Mandala Breathing 

We go deeper into the Pranic energy system by working on some of the lower chakras to prepare the body and mind for meditation and the flow of kundalini energy.

Section 6: Energy Foundations 

In this section, we work on the higher chakras to start working on creating steadiness in our minds as well as our bodies. These are powerful practices that have a strong impact on our mind, body and overall physical and mental health.

Section 7: Moving into meditation 

Finally, we move into the advanced pranayama practices where we start working on improving our focus and concentration by using our breath to guide us into deeper meditative states.

What you should know before doing this course. 

• Please note that this program would not be suitable for pregnant women.
• You can continue in meditation after each class or lie down in Shavasana for 2 to 5 mins. Please do at least one of the two.

Please note that doing a little bit every day is much better than doing a lot occasionally. So, make pranayama regular practice. You only need to start by taking out 5-10 mins a day. Once you have had a taste of the power of pranayama, you will find a way to increase it to 45mins to an hour a day of meditation.

 Why should you do this course? 

This series is a part of my Pranayama and Meditation workshops. I have designed it after years of study, consistent practice, and in-depth research – you will not find it anywhere else. I have released this program as we are in turbulent and uncertain times and I know that these sessions can help people find a few moments of calm, peace, relaxation and healing.

In this program, you can follow the unique method of learning ancient pranayama techniques in a step by step methodical and systematic manner. 

This is a course that will help you find greater lung capacity, better focus, less stress, more access to inner joy and self-awareness. These will translate into better physical as well as mental health and a stronger immune system.