The Instruction is wonderful and for me, it's always great when a Global Sadhana happens and I can confirm if I have been doing meditation, pranayama or kriya correctly. As I live out in the country in a small village I do not have access to a Kundalini Yoga Teacher and so I have taught myself all the sadhanas through all the wonderful books and video I had purchased through Spirit Voyage.
I have written about this Pranayama on my pranayama blog, Pranayama for stress relief.
This Pranayama I have been practising since March this year as I had been going through a very stressful time. It has been so helpful as it made me be able to deal with any stress in a calm manner. It has helped me to turn stress around into opportunity, to learn and grow. It has helped me to look at stress as a sign to make changes in my life, to let go of should's, can't and resistance. It has helped me to look at situations more deeply and to also learn to let go and to take time, to rest and re-assess situations.
Doing this Pranayama in the evening helps with calming the mind, in clearing the mind and in letting go of all the chatter in the mind. It actually also gives me energy and clarity and I feel I sleep better and when I wake I am refreshed and ready to go.
What I have noticed with this Pranayama, it is important to sit straight so that you can really fill your body with the eight-stroke breath. When exhale, pull the navel in so you exhale completely this often makes me a bit light headed when I exhale completely with the navel pulled in. As you need to count the eight strokes it means you need to focus, this helps in letting go of other intruding thoughts. As we are moving into cooler weather here in New Zealand, I find it important that the room is warm where you are sitting and doing your Pranayama because I have experienced if I breathe in cool air, it hurts my lungs. This is a Pranayama you will need to stay focused but relaxed. Just focus on the breath and on relaxing.
I have noticed that my shoulders relax and that the knots in my shoulders soften and often in the morning there are no knots left in my shoulders and neck.
It's only for eleven minutes and I feel to do this eleven-minute Pranayama every evening is certainly worth it. Try it and do it with us for the next 40 days!
