INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED BREATH-CONTROL COURSE

INTRODUCTION & THEORY TO BREATH-CONTROL:

In the first part of the course, the Introduction, I have put a theory lecture and spoken a bit about physiology and the applications to posture etc.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES PART 1:

Basic breath-control exercises with no complex muscular activations (breath cycles of between 20-60 seconds in length).

In Part 1 of the practical part of the course, I'm teaching relatively simple breath-control practices, which build up to about doing 1 breath per minute for a few cycles. I'm not incorporating any bandha or intense muscle activations in this course section. Instead, I am getting people to focus on breathing while seated in a lengthened and erect posture. I encourage people to remove unnecessary tension in their bodies other than the gentlest breathing muscles.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES PART 2:

Breath-control exercises with exhalation retention breath-holding emphasis and use of Mueller manoeuvres(use of Bandha in the Nauli Kriya cycle of Indian Hatha Yoga) (breath cycles mostly 30 seconds in length).

In Part 2 of the course, I mainly teach Mueller Manoeuvres in exhalation retention. Here I also take some time to teach the expansive versions of uddiyana bandha and combinations of compressive and expansive versions of Mula bandha. Together these create different components and versions of the nauli kriya cycle of hatha yoga. In terms of practice, I have given people 30-second cycles of this for 5 minutes doing 10 breaths with 10 different types of exhalation retention with or without bandha (trunk muscle co-activations). In Part 2, I also have videos explaining how to learn, practice and perhaps simply teach these kriya practices. Here I use the simple spinal movements from my '5-Dimensional Flow' system to get the physical application and practical skills required to learn these bandhas.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES PART 3:

Intermediate to advanced breath-control exercises incorporating with inhalation retention breath-holding emphasis and use of Valsalva manoeuvres (breath cycles of between 30-60 seconds in length).

In Part 3 of the course, I incorporate inhalation retention and Valsalva Manoeuvres. I carefully contract and expand the trunk during inhalation retention. I refer to this as:'Hold your breath in, while pretending to breathe out', and 'Hold your breath in, while pretending to breathe in'.

In Part 3, on exhalation retention, I also talk about 'Hold your breath out while pretending to breathe in' and 'Hold your breath while pretending to breathe out'. This creates a 6-part breath where inhalation retention and exhalation retention have two parts. Using the notation that is conventionally used would be called a 1:2:1:2 rhythm.

I have found this technique of gently pretending to breathe while holding your breath very useful in my practice.

A big concept I use in my practice and teaching concerns the relationship between breathing, trunk volume, and the diaphragm's position. I suggest that when you breathe, don't think 'suck in the air' to breathe in, and don't 'push air out' air to breathe out. Instead, think to expand and contract your trunk. Expansion, and an increase in trunk volume, tend to make air come in. Contraction, and a decrease in trunk volume, make air go out (provided your nose, mouth, or glottis are open, of course). Also, I use techniques to get people to take advantage of the connection between the psoas muscle and the diaphragm and the connection between the shoulder blades and the intercostal muscles of chest breathing.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES PART 4:

Advanced breath-control exercises incorporating both exhalation and inhalation retention breath-holding emphasis and use of Mueller manoeuvres and Valsalva manoeuvres, (breath cycles up to 120 seconds in length).

In Part 4 of the course, I introduce 2-minute cycles of breathing and more complex breath-control. These include the digital pranayamas. I show some ways of doing this without using the fingers on your nose, which was the way it was meant to be done according to the old hatha yoga texts.

Currently, the course has about 15 hours of pre-recorded video classes and lectures. These will be progressively upgraded and added to as time goes on.