Pranayama: 4 Ways of Progression

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The experience of Pranayama is four-fold.

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1. Asana (A-sa-na)/Seat:

 

Becoming comfortable, grounded and fully established in one's seat is a critical milestone that helps you access the deeper experience of your Pranayama practice, whether it is the application of the bandhas (energetic locks) or a simple Sama Vritti Pranayama (equal parts breathing), loosely translated in recent times as cardiac coherence, in the context of biofeedback response.

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2. Pratyahara (pra-tya-ha-ra)/Withdrawal:

 

 It consists of a withdrawal of the senses and their subordination to the nourishing movement of the breath.

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3. Dharana (dha-ra-na)/Concentration:

 

 Repeated effort at learning Soft, Easy, Energetic, Rhythmic (SEER) focus or concentration on the breath, rather than the mind's contents.

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4. Dhyana (dhya-na)/Meditation:

 

 Concentration centered on the breath organically guides the practitioner into a meditative state of oneness with the Supreme Self.