There are many kinds of pranayama. Sri Shankara
Bhagavadpada speaks of a thousand and explains their methods,
while Swatmarama names but eight:
Suryabhedanamujjayi sithkari shithali tatha
Bhastrika bhramari murccha plaviniti ashtakumbhakah.
[Suryabedana, ujjayi, sitkari, shitali, bhastrika, bhramari,
murchha, and plavini are the eight kumbhakas.]
—Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 44
Of these, only four pranayamas are suitable for us.
Some pranayamas are useful for curing diseases, some for the purification of the nadis, and some for
the arrest of the mind. All are important, however, though their practice requires that the preceding step—namely asana—be practiced, as well.
If asana is practiced, then bodily and sensory diseases will be destroyed. If pranayama, conducive to
concentrating the mind, strengthening the sense organs, and enabling the mind to be stilled withoutbecoming unstable, is practiced, then diseases present in the body, sense organs, and mind will be cured,
allowing the mind to achieve concentration and perceive the Inner Self. Only then will human birth, which
results from the penance of many previous lives, be fulfilled, and not by living lives like animals.
In this scientific age, we accept only what we see and reject what we do not. We make no effort to
perceive the Universal Self, which is the Indweller that witnesses all actions, that is the cause of the
creation, sustenance, and destruction of the universe, and that is of the nature of consciousness. Great
scholars and intellectuals who attract attention by using pedantic Vedantic terms which mean that all
things are transitory and that only the Supreme Self is real, are only impressing themselves and their
listeners for the moment. But soon, the net of delusion is sure to bind them. Therefore, those who want
intensely to lift themselves out of the ocean of samsara, and to stop wallowing in it and experiencing
pleasure and pain, and thereby becoming depressed, should practice yoga, and experience its bliss.33
Nothing happens in the world according to our will; that is definite. Everything in the universe occurs in
accordance with the will of the Universal Self, not man’s desires. If we properly understand the wise
gospels of the Bhagavad Gita, however, and bring them daily into practice, we will be able to accomplish
our goals in life. In no other way can human beings fulfill their wishes. Therefore, performing our dharma
and karma free from desire and attachment is our duty.34 This duty requires us to perform our actions
without any worries and to offer all dharma and karma to God, with no expectation of reward. It is
difficult to please the Lord by lecturing others on spiritual matters or by attaining popularity or fame. If He
is to be pleased, yoga must first be achieved through the relinquishment of the sense of “I” and “mine.”
From this, we can very shortly attain supreme bliss.
In the Gita, the Lord says, “Purvabhyasena tenaiva hriyate hyavasho’pi sah,” which means that, like a
magnet, the mind will be effortlessly attracted to the practice of yoga in this birth by tendencies
developed in past births.35 In other words, if the mind is to develop a love for the practice of yoga, a
tendency must already exist from a prior life. Given the earthly and heavenly benefits to be derived from
yoga, it would be a great blessing if all people, men and women, were to achieve the practice of the limbs
of yoga, which gives happiness both here and hereafter, and is the fulfillment of human experience. This
is the noble objective of the author of this book.
Whatever work we attempt cannot be perfectly done unless our minds are tranquil and calm; happiness
cannot be attained from it. “Ashantasya kutah sukham [For one who is without peace, where is there
happiness]?”36 How can a disturbed mind enjoy comfort? Surely, a human being cannot derive peace and
happiness from material objects. Such happiness, even when it does occur, is short-lived, though the
suffering that follows is eternal. Disease is the sole consequence of the enjoyment of pleasure, and yoga
cannot be attained. Yet yoga liberates us from the devil known as disease. Even bhoga [pleasures]
become yoga for a mind established in yoga.
If one’s mind is impure and overtaken by “I” and “mine,” then one’s true nature of bliss will be spoiled,
and one will become miserable. But the one whose mind is pure will experience eternal bliss. To discover
the Inner Self, one should thus practice yoga. Yet, just as a gramophone entertains people by repeating
the music sung by others, so too can we attract innocent people by repeating what we have read or
heard, and thus win their esteem. When this happens, we soon come to think of ourselves as scholars
beyond compare and fall prey to lust and rage. The method for bringing the mind into focus instead and
dissolving it in the Atman should be learned under the tutelage of a Guru.37 Only through the
achievement of the yogic limbs, and through the practice of them, can we come to be uplifted—and in no
other way.
Focusing the mind in a single direction is extremely important. Since the mind is very unsteady, it is
difficult for it to maintain itself in this way. To enable it to stay fixed and in place, pranayama is essential.
If the breath that moves in and out of the body is arrested, then the mind becomes arrested, as the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika attests. Thus, the nature of pranayama should be known properly and practiced.
In this world, many things have been created for the pleasure and enjoyment of human beings, and we
desire each and every one of them. Yet from these objects of enjoyment come diseases without our
desiring them. We should thus know their real nature and develop a detachment from them. By this kind
of detachment and by the practice of yoga, our minds will become focused on finding the path to the
Supreme Self, whose nature is bliss. When the mind is not attached to things, such as the objects of the
senses, it will be able to dissolve itself into the Self. This is what is known as the state of jivanmukti
[liberation while in the present life].
To be properly learned, pranayama must be practiced according to the directions of a Guru. No one
should attempt it who thinks that a reading of the scriptures has made him an expert in its knowledge.
Rather, an aspirant must carefully learn the rules of pranayama first, and avoid haste.
Yatha simho gajo vyagro bhavedvashyah shanaih shanaih
Tathaiva sevito vayuranyatha hanti sadhakam.
[Just as a lion, elephant or tiger may be gradually brought under
control, so is prana attended to. Otherwise it destroys the
practitioner.]
—Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 15
In the same way as, with zeal and enterprise, a trainer catches hold of a dangerous animal that
wanders the forest freely, such as a tiger, lion, or elephant, and very slowly tames and finally brings it
under control, so too will the breath be brought under control, little by little, by the strength of one’s
practice. Very difficult though this is, it is possible. If, however, an aspirant engages in this practice while
violating the rules or with an air of pride and feigned expertise, then he puts himself in danger. Aspirants
should bear this fact in mind.
In short, there is no doubt that, through the practice of yoga, one can attain the peace and bliss one
desires, the capacity to discriminate between Self and not-Self, peace of mind, and freedom from disease,
death, and poverty. A man cannot achieve anything in the world if his sense organs are weak. The
experience of the Self, for the weak, is simply not possible.
Nayam atma balahinena labhyah
Na medhaya na bahunashrutena.
[The Self cannot be attained by the weak, by the intellect, or
by much learning.]
—Mundaka Upanishad
So say the Vedas. Here the word bala means strength, both physical and mental. The body must be
free from diseases of any kind, which divert the mind elsewhere. Physical strength, mental strength, and
the strength of the sense organs—all these are very important. Without them, one cannot attain spiritual
strength. But intellectual power and a knowledge of the scriptures alone do not lead to Self-realization;
the analysis of commentaries and their various explanations do not lead to Sel-fattainment. Indeed, it is
not even enough to study Vedanta at length under the guidance of a Guru.38 Practice alone is the path to
atma labhah [gaining the Self]. The aspirant who follows the precepts and instructions of a Guru with a
subdued mind unshackled from the external and internal sense organs, will realize the authentic form of
the Universal Self. This is the true nature of yoga.
Body and mind are inseparably related, one to the other. If pleasure and pain are experienced by either
the physical body or the sense organs, the mind will experience them as well. This is known to all. If the
mind is in pain, the body loses weight, becomes weak and lusterless; if the mind is happy and at peace,
the body thrives and develops a strength and luster beyond compare. Hence, the body and sense organs
are linked to, and depend upon, the strength of the mind. It is for this reason that the method for
concentrating the mind should be known. To learn how to achieve such concentration, the body first must
be purified, and then mental strength developed. The method for purifying and strengthening the body is
called asana. When the body is purified, the breath also becomes purified, and the diseases of the body
are eliminated.
Once the asanas have been learned well enough to be practiced with ease, the next limb to be
practiced is that of bringing the breath under control. It is this that is known as pranayama. Yet simply
sitting, taking in the breath, and letting it out through the nostrils is not pranayama. Pranayama means
taking in the subtle power of the vital wind through rechaka [exhalation], puraka [inhalation], and
kumbhaka [breath retention]. Only these kriyas, practiced in conjunction with the three bandhas [muscle
contractions, or locks] and in accordance with the rules, can be called pranayama.39 What are the three
bandhas? They are mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, and jalandhara bandha, and they should be
performed while practicing asana and the like.40 Through the practice of pranayama, the mind becomes
arrested in a single direction and follows the movement of the breath, a fact known from the scriptural
statement “Chale vate chalam chittam.” It is common knowledge that we lift heavy objects more easily if
we hold our breath and concentrate on the objects we are lifting. By controlling the breath through the
processes of rechaka, puraka, and kumbhaka, it becomes possible to establish the mind in a single
direction.
In hatha yoga, there are thousands of methods for pranayama. Some purify the nadis, others purify and
strengthen the body, still others cure diseases and purify the seven dhatus, while still others are the
means to the knowledge of Brahman through the cessation of the mind.41 Among these, only the
kumbhaka pranayama, which is purificatory and useful for Self-realization, is very important. Even Pujya
Shankara Bhagavadpada calls it the most important of the pranayamas:
Sahasrashah santu hatheshu kumbhah sambhavyate kevala
kumbha eva.
[Among the hathas, there may be a thousandfold kumbhas. The
pure kumbha alone is highly esteemed.]
—Yoga Taravalli 10
On the subject of kumbhaka pranayama, texts such as the Yoga Yagnavalkya, Sutasamhitakara, Devi
Bhagavata, Yoga Vashishtha, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads follow, on the whole, the opinion of Srimad
Acharya Shankara Bhagavadpada. However, because, in general, views about pranayama tend to differ, it
is important that this yogic limb be learned and practiced under the guidance of a Guru.
For the practitioner of yoga, the rules regarding food, sex, and speech are very important. Among the
foods, those called sattvic [pure] are the best. Vegetables, however, should not be consumed much. As
the Ayurvedic pramana, “Shakena vardate vyadhih [By vegetables, diseases expand]” and the yoga
pramama attest, vegetables are unpleasant for practitioners of yoga.42 Wheat, snake gourd, half-churned
curds, mung beans, ginger, milk, and sugar, on the other hand, are best. Indeed, foods that extend the
life span; foods that increase sattvic qualities, as well as strength, health, happiness, and love; foods that
are easily digested; and foods that are natural, genuine, and follow the seasons—these are the most
suitable, as they are worthy of being offered to God.
Sour, salty, or spicy foods, on the other hand, are not good for any part of the body and should not be
consumed much. If a person’s food is pure, then his mind becomes pure, since the mind assumes the
qualities of whatever food is consumed, as an Upanishadic authority states: “Ahara shuddhau sattva
shuddih / Sattva shuddhau druvasmrtih [When the food we take in is pure, our minds become pure /
When our minds become pure, memory becomes steady].”43 The practitioner of yoga should therefore eat
only food possessed of sattvic qualities. Foods that give rise to passions and mental darkness, or that are
fleshy and fattening, should never be consumed, and intoxicating substances, smoking, and the like
should also be relinquished.
Only half the stomach should be taken up by the food that is eaten. One quarter of the other half
should be given over to water and the remaining quarter left to the movement of air. Consuming too
much food or no food at all; sleeping too much or not sleeping at all; having too much sexual intercourse;
or mixing with undesirable or uncultured people—all these should be given up as much as possible, as
they are obstacles to the practice of yoga. Moderation in regards to eating, sleeping, and the like is thus
important to follow.
Similarly, it is not good to talk too much. By talking too much, the power inherent in the tongue
decreases and the power of speech is destroyed. When the power of speech is destroyed, our words, too,
lose their power, and whatever we utter has no value in society at all. Talk of spiritual matters, however,
increases the tongue’s power, and is thus helpful to the world. But speech related to mundane matters
destroys the power of the tongue, and shortens our life spans. The shastrakaras have reflected on and
described this fact, so it is better if man follows their path.
Too much sex leads the body, sense organs, and mind to become weak. If the mind and sense organs
are weak, we can achieve nothing; our minds grow unsteady and are unable to do anything at all.
Therefore, too much sex is to be avoided.
Yoga should neither be practiced in the open air, in a place that is unclean or malodorous, in a
basement, nor on a roof. Instead, the place of its practice should be spotlessly clean and level, have
windows, and be suitable for smearing with cow dung.44
Sweat formed during practice should be wiped dry by rubbing the body with the palms of the hands. If
this is done, the body will become lighter and stronger, as a scriptural authority asserts:
Jalena shramajatena gatra mardhanam acharet
Drdhatha laghuta chaiva tena gatrasya jayate.
[One should practice rubbing the body with the perspiration
that comes from exertion. As a result there occurs a firmness
and lightness of the body.]
—Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 13
But the body will be sapped and its power exhausted if, in an effort to dry the sweat of practice, it is
exposed to the outside air. When this occurs, a practitioner grows weaker and weaker over time. Thus,
the sweat generated by yoga should be gradually dried by rubbing it into the body with the hands, and
not by exposing it to the air or by drying it with a towel or cloth. As this is borne out by the experience of
yoga practitioners, aspirants should bear it in mind.
The body should not be exposed to the open air for a period of one half hour after practicing. After half
an hour, it is good to bathe in hot water. In addition, for the first three months of practice, bathing in
cold water and fasting are to be avoided. But, after a practice has become steady and established, these
restrictions no longer apply.
During the period of yoga practice, it is advisable to take in much milk and clarified butter, or ghee.
Those that cannot afford these should pour a little cold water into some warm cooked rice, mix it
together, and eat it before taking any other foods. In this way, the essence that results from using milk
and ghee will be generated, and the body will be energized and nourished.
Aspirants should be mindful to follow the above-mentioned rules regarding food, sexual habits, bathing,
and practice. They should also be devoted to God and Guru. Practicing yoga for the sake of one’s health,
a firm body, or enjoyment is not the right approach. Only the purification of the body, sense organs, and
mind, and the dedication of all actions and deeds to the Almighty, is the true way. If our minds are
offered to the Supreme Self in this way, our hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled by Him at the
appropriate times. Aspirants should thus guard against those things that would disrupt their mental
equilibrium.
To be able to practice yoga, one must possess enthusiasm, zeal, courage, and a firm faith in
tattvajnana [philosophical knowledge]. One should also not mingle with the crowd. With these qualities,
an aspirant can attain yoga. Yogis describe the path to yogic attainment in this way:
Utsahatsahasadhaivyattattvajnansh cha nischayat
Janasanghaparityagat shadbiryogah prasiddhyate.
[By means of enthusiasm, boldness, firmness, discrimination of
truth, conviction, and the avoidance of public gatherings, by
these six things, is yoga accomplished.]
—Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : 16
Aspirants should learn the rules outlined above. They should not listen to, nor become discouraged by,
the words of those who have no knowledge of yogic practice, or who are too lethargic to bring their own
bodies under control.
There is no age limit for the practice of yoga and it can be practiced by anyone—by women, men, the
weak, and by those who are sick or disabled—as the shastrakaras affirm:
Yuva vrddho’thivrddho va vyadhito durbalo’pi va
Abhyasat siddimapnoti sarvayogeshvatandritah.
[Whether young, old or very old, sick or debilitated, one who is
vigilant attains success in all the yogas, by means of practice.]
—Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : 64
Thus do the experts give their unanimous approval to this idea, and experience also confirms it.
Indeed, only lazy people find the practice of the yogic limbs useless. Otherwise, yoga is very important for
anyone eight years or older, regardless of sex.
Pregnant women who have crossed into the fourth month should abstain from doing asanas. They can,
however, practice ujjayi pranayama, samavritti pranayama, and vishamavritti pranayama, without
kumbhaka, until the seventh month. In this way, if they regularly practice deep rechaka, or exhalation,
and puraka, or inhalation, while sitting in Padmasana [lotus posture] or Mahamudra [the great seal], they
will have a smoother and easier delivery. It is good for women to keep this in mind.
For people over fifty, it is enough to practice some of the easier and more useful asanas, as well as
some of the pranayamas. Those who have been practicing for many years, however, can do any asana or
pranayama without a problem. Older people who want to start yoga, however, will find practicing the
following ten asanas sufficient [see Chapter 2 for detailed descriptions of individual asanas]: first, the
Surya Namaskara (types 1 and 2); then Paschimattanasana; Sarvangasana; Halasana; Karnapidasana;
Urdhva Padmasana; Pindasana; Matsyasana; Uttana Padasana; and Shirshasana. It is preferable to do
these in concert with the vinyasas [breathing and movement systems], but if this is not possible, then
practicing while focusing on rechaka and puraka will suffice. Shirshasana should be practiced for at least
ten minutes, and the rest, for at least ten rechaka and puraka while in the state of the asana [see fn. 39].
By practicing in this way, the body and sense organs will become firm, the mind purified, longevity will be
increased, and the body will be filled with fresh energy.
For the middle-aged, it is best to do all the asanas. The more they are practiced, the stronger the body
becomes, and obstacles such as disease cease to be a problem. Pranayama is easier, the mind becomes
more harmonious as the quality of sattva [purity] comes to predominate, and intellectual power and
longevity are augmented.
For the very old, however, who find the practice of Sarvangasana, Halasana, Uttana Padasana,
Shirshasana, and Padmasana too difficult, it is enough to practice mahabandha daily, as well as rechaka
kumbhaka pranayama, puraka kumbhaka pranayama, samavritti vishamavritti pranayama, and sithali
pranayama. These will help them live happier and longer lives, and will insulate them from disease.
The weak and the sick, too, should gradually practice suitable asanas and pranayamas, and over time,
as their strength increases, their practices should also increase. In this way, the diseases of the sick and
the strength-lessness of the weak will be eliminated, leaving them healthy and vigorous.
The aspirant that goes to a Guru will find that the Guru will tailor his practice to his particular bodily
constitution. Yoga should never be learned from reading books or looking at pictures. It should only be
learned under the guidance of a Guru who knows the yogic science and is experienced in its practice. If
this is ignored, it is possible for physical and mental problems to occur. For while it is true that all the
diseases that afflict the body and mind of a human being can be eliminated by the practice of the limbs of
yoga, it is also true that this will only occur if the science is brought into practice under an experienced
Guru who knows the yoga shastra properly and who implements it in practice. Only in this way can the
body, mind, and senses be purified, just as gold is in a crucible.
Through the practice of yoga, many types of incurable ailments, such as asthma, can be cured, and the
body, mind, and senses will come to radiate with new energy. Indeed, some physicians who condemn the
science of yoga have been dumbfounded to find former patients of theirs being cured of their diseases by
yoga. This is borne out by experience. Diseases that cannot be cured by medicine can be cured by yoga;
diseases that cannot be cured by yoga cannot be cured at all. That is definite. A doctor can find remedies
for illnesses that result from an imbalance of the three doshas, but no dhanvanthari [doctor dealing in
medicine] has a remedy to offer for mental illness.45 Yet yogis say that even for this, there is a yogic
cure. Indeed, the practitioner that keeps faith in and practices the limbs of yoga can achieve anything in
the world. He can even redo creation.46
The world is full of falsehood, deceit, and exploitation. A yogi has the power to correct this and to
attract people of the world to the right path. It is therefore necessary to stress again the importance of
practitioners of yoga keeping faith in, and showing devotion to, the yogic limbs and the Guru. But neither
faith in nor devotion to the Guru is common among young people today. The weakness of the mind and
sense organs accounts for this. And yet knowledge learned without devotion to God and Guru is like
pouring the milk of a sacred cow into a bag of dog’s skin, or the undrinkable milk of a donkey’s udder. But
if young men and women genuinely pursue knowledge, practice true faith and devotion, and do not yield
to mental unsteadiness or sham piety, then the divine power will confer knowledge on them in abundance
—knowledge which will make them theists of firm bodies and strong minds who are freed from lust and
the like; there is no doubt about it. There is also no doubt that a country privileged enough to have the
majority of its young people be possessed of minds devoted to God, in addition to firm bodies and mental
power, will be blessed with bounty. This is on Vedic authority. Thus, let it be emphasized again that if
practitioners know the path described above, and practice it, they will attain happiness here as well as
hereafter.
As the bodily constitution of each human being is different, it is important to practice the asanas
accordingly. The benefit to be had from one asana or pranayama can be derived just as well from another
that better suits the structure of a person’s body. Some asanas are not suitable for particular people and
may be painful. A Guru will understand this and be able to explain it, so the practitioner of yoga must be
certain to follow his guidance.
To begin the practice of yoga, an aspirant should first do the Surya Namaskara [Sun Salutations], and
then proceed to the asanas. The Surya Namaskara and asanas must be practiced in the correct sequence
and follow the method of vinyasa. If they are not, or the movement of rechaka and puraka is neglected,
no part of the body will become strong, the subtle nadis will not be purified, and, owing to the resulting
imbalance, the body, sense organs, mind, and intellect will not develop. They may even come to be
further imbalanced.
If the asanas and the Surya Namaskara are to be practiced, they must be done so in accordance with
the prescribed vinyasa method only. As the sage Vamana says, “Vina vinyasa yogena asanadin na karayet
[O yogi, do not do asana without vinyasa].”47 When yoga is practiced with a knowledge of its proper
method, it is quite easy to learn, but practiced without such knowledge, it becomes a very difficult
undertaking. Therefore, aspirants should not forget to learn the method of vinyasa, as well as of rechaka
and puraka, and to follow it in their practice.
The asanas described in the next chapter belong to the curative aspect of yogic practice. They will be
discussed systematically, and aspirants should be careful to practice them in the order in which they are
described, and not to skip one posture in preference for another. This must be borne in mind.
Winter is the best time of year to start yoga and an aspirant should practice before five o’clock in the
morning. Warming up by the fire or by jogging during the winter is to be avoided, however, as is too
much sexual intercourse. These are things an aspirant should not forget.
Stirairangais tushtuvagumsastanubhih
Vyashema devahitam yaddayuh
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
[While praising, may we of strong and steady limb
enjoy the life given by the Gods
Om Peace Peace Peace.]
—Shanti Mantra from the Rg Veda
