Containing the teachings of Lord Krishna, it defines pranayama in
two ways.16 Firstly it says that some practice pranayama by offering
apana (vital down-current) into prana (vital up-current) and prana
into apana, and thus arrest the breath. The Gita uses the term prana
apana gati. Frana gati is the inner down movement, which is contained
in the rising inhalation. Apana gati is the inner rising, which
is contained in the descending exhalation. This implies the profound
teaching that each force in the universe contains its own counterforce.
The pranic movement here is stopped by focusing on the gati,
which is the inner opposite of the apparent outer force. Apana gati,
the inner upward movement contained in the exhalation, is one of
spiritual liberation) upwards.
The second definition of pranayama mentioned in the Gita is the
sacrifice of the senses into prana. During the movement of prana, i.e.
inhalation and exhalation, the senses reach out and attach themselves
to various objects of desire or aversion. During kumbhaka the
senses are naturally drawn inwards and the yogi supports this by
focusing on the Divine at the time of kumbhaka. The yogi forsakes
and surrenders the normal outgoing activity of the senses and thus
'offers' it to the prana suspended and arrested through kumbhaka.
Hence, like the Yoga Sutra, the Gita sees pranayama both as perfecting
the process of inhalation and exhalation and as mental operations
performed during the time of kumbhaka (breath retention).
