Prānāyāma: Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga [Six Limbs of Yoga] text by Tsongkhapa
What is Prānāyāma?
Prāṇa refers to the air, while āyāma means stopping. Prānāyāma is the yogic practice that stops the flow of air through the right and left channels, guiding it instead into the central channel.
When to practice Prānāyāma
Prānāyāma should be practiced after completing the Pratyāhāra and Dhyāna limbs of yoga. In Pratyāhāra and Dhyāna, the channels are purified, and the air is directed into the central channel by stimulating the body's vital points, without focusing on the breath itself. This helps to enhance the effectiveness of the prānāyāma practice, which is centered around the breath.
Two Types of Breathing Practices in Prānāyāma
Vajra Breathing: A breathing practice wherein the movement of air in the left and right channels is not actually stopped.
Kumbhaka: A breathing practice wherein the movement of air in the left and right channels is actually stopped.
1. Vajra breathing
Posture: Similar to the pratyāhāra and dhyāna practice, except the right heel should be pressed against either the anus or the perineum (the root of the genitals).
Eyes position: Amṛtakuṇḍali gaze (looking straight ahead at the level of eyebrows).
Breathing Method: Inhalation is accompanied by the sound of Om, retention with the sound of Hum, and exhalation with the sound of Ah. In Vajra breathing practice, although the actual movement of the breath does not occur through the central channel, you must envision it as happening through the central channel.
2. Kumbhaka
Posture and gaze are same as above.
Breathing Method: Mere retention of the breath without inhalation or exhalation, and the kumbhaka practice of uniting the upper and lower air at the navel are common in both Vajrayana and the Brahmanical Samkhya tradition. However, the distinct kumbhaka practice of Vajrayana Ṣaḍaṅga-Yoga can be understood through these key points: the order in which the upper and lower air are drawn, the channels through which the upper and lower air are drawn, and where to unite the upper and lower air after drawing them etc.
The sequence in which the upper and lower air are drawn: If you do not know the method of restraining the bodhicitta bindu from falling out, you should draw the prāṇa-vāyu (upper air) to the navel first, and then draw the apāna-vāyu (lower air) upward. This sequence helps prevent the danger of the bindu falling out. However, if you know the method of restraining the bindu, you can draw the apāna-vāyu upward first.
The channels through which the upper and lower air are drawn: It seems that some earlier masters would simply draw the upper air downward and the lower air upward to the navel, just from the interior of their bodies, without fully understanding the correct or effective method of drawing them. To be effective, one should draw the upper air downward through the central channel and the lower air upward through the central channel.
Where to unite the upper and lower air: After drawing the upper and lower air to the navel through the central channel, they should be united at the center of the navel's nāḍī-chakra, where the left and right channels form a knot with the central channel.
Mental focus: Direct your mind to the sphere of air where the upper and lower airs has merged into one, at the center of the navel's nāḍī-chakra.
How long to practice Kumbhaka: As you practice Kumbhaka repeatedly, focusing your mind on the breath, [remain cautious]. If you continue despite experiencing head pain, seeing halos around your body, or feeling heart palpitations, there is a risk of death. Therefore, stop the practice upon noticing these signs. Practise until there is no discomfort in your body.
Hathayoga: If the aforementioned Kumbhaka does not succeed in directing the air gently through the central channel, the practitioner should apply Hathayoga [Forceful yoga]. This involves forcefully stopping the movement of air in the right and left channels and directing it into the central channel through the practice of Nāda.
Practice of nāda: Nāda is a mere sound, the sound of the syllable huṃ. How to practice: Begin by sitting in Vajra posture (full lotus) with your legs crossed. Cross your arms at the chest, holding your hands in fists. Slightly lower the head and forcefully suck air into the central channel through the nose with the sound of huṃ. Simultaneously, from either of the two lower openings (genital or anus), draw up the apānavāyu, which is just above the navel, and then drag the air slowly higher and higher. It should be done forcefully and for a long time, but not for too long. Otherwise, with the lack of strength, it won’t become forceful.
Note: Extracted and translated from Tsongkhapa’s Ṣaḍaṅga-yoga (Six Limbs of Yoga) text.