Guruji's teachings
A breathing practice Guruji gave in 2001. There is no holding of the breath between the in-breath and the out-breath.
From the teachings of Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati (Guruji). Post title: "Continuous Breathing Sādhana Revealed by Devī". Posted on Guruji's blog by Vira Chandra on 25 April 2016. Originally published at amritananda-natha-saraswati.blogspot.com.
[Revealed by Guruji, year 2001, at the Guru Pūrṇimā celebration at Śrī Rājarājeśvarī Temple, Rush, New York. Guruji mentioned this unique breathing process was given to him by Devī herself to be passed on to her devotees and will enhance the process of realizing the Devī in oneself. This breathing technique is significantly different from all other techniques that have been published until now, given that there is no pause or holding the breath in between the inhaling and exhaling rhythms. This is to be practiced at least once a day either in the morning or evening. If time permits, it can be done twice a day—morning and evening.]
PROCESS
Position yourself into a very relaxed and comfortable position; you could be seated or lying down.
Keep both your hands loosely to your side; legs and/or feet not crossed.
Inhaling will be only via the nose; mouth closed.
Exhaling only via mouth.
While inhaling or exhaling, focus on the tip of your nose—this would help focusing on your breathing.
Iteration 1
Step 1
Inhale slowly, as slow as you can, in a very relaxed manner until your lungs are at least 80% full. You may go the full 100% if you wish to. You should now feel your whole thorax section inflated. Immediately, without pause (no kumbha), start exhaling, again as slowly as long as you can, visualizing that you are getting rid of all tensions and pain (you may think or even make the sound “Ah...........ah”), until you have emptied your lungs. Feel that you are rid of all tensions and totally relaxed.Step 2
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Step 3
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Now you would have completed the three steps per cycle. You may now pause and catch your breath. Repeat cycles with Step 1, 2, and 3 two more times and thus completing three cycles and the three steps thrice. You may pause and catch your breath after each cycle.
Start Iteration 2.
Iteration 2
Step 1
Inhale slowly, mentally intoning “Sooo....” as slow as you can, in a very relaxed manner until your lungs are at least 80% full. You may go the full 100% if you wish to. You should now feel your whole thorax section inflated. Immediately, without pause (no kumbha), start to exhale, mentally intoning “Hamm.........”, again as slowly as long as you can, until you have emptied your lungs.Step 2
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Step 3
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Now you would have completed the three steps per cycle. You may now pause and catch your breath. Repeat cycles with Step 1, 2, and 3 two more times and thus completing three cycles and the three steps thrice. You may pause and catch your breath after each cycle.
Total of 18 cycles from Iteration 1 and Iteration 2.
Start Iteration 3.
Iteration 3
Step 1
Inhale slowly, as slow as you can, in a very relaxed manner until your lungs are at least 80% full. You may go the full 100% if you wish to. You should now feel your whole thorax section inflated. Immediately, without pause (no kumbha), start to exhale, mentally intoning “Aummm.....”, again as slowly as long as you can, until you have emptied your lungs.Step 2
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Step 3
DO NOT PAUSE OR CATCH YOUR BREATH (no kumbha).
Repeat Step 1.Now you would have completed the three steps per cycle. You may now pause and catch your breath. Repeat cycles with Step 1, 2, and 3 two more times and thus completing three cycles and the three steps thrice. You may pause and catch your breath after each cycle, thus completing another nine cycles making a total of 27 cycles from the three Iterations.
You may feel lightheaded or dizzy the first few days immediately after exercising this breathing technique due to a blast of oxygen into your system. Do not fear to continue. One will find it rewarding—benefits include stress relief, increase of oxygen dispersion into your body, blood pressure regulated to acceptable readings, and reduction of pulse rate.
Guruji, as posted on Guruji's blog by Vira Chandra on 25 April 2016. A photograph of Guruji that appears on the original post is not copied here.
This practice follows a simple idea that runs through the lineage: the breath is the easiest door into the body. When you watch the breath, the mind settles and you begin to feel the Goddess as the life moving in you.
The sounds in the practice are worth noticing. "Soo" and "Hamm" are the two halves of the natural sound of the breath. "Aum" is the sound that holds all the others. The slow, unbroken rhythm is the main point.
Guruji gave this as a daily practice for devotees. If you are new to breathwork, start gently and stop if you feel unwell. It is not a replacement for medical advice. Guruji attained mahasamadhi in October 2015. Guru Amma Annapurnamba teaches today.
It is a slow breathing practice that Guruji said Devi gave him to pass on to her devotees. The key point is that you never pause or hold the breath between the in-breath and the out-breath.
You breathe in only through the nose with the mouth closed, and out only through the mouth. You keep your attention on the tip of the nose and breathe as slowly as you can.
There are three rounds. Each round has three cycles of three steps, and the rounds add up to 27 cycles. You may pause and catch your breath between cycles.
Guruji said to do it at least once a day, in the morning or the evening. If you have time, you can do it twice a day.
Guruji said you may feel light-headed or dizzy for the first few days because more oxygen reaches the body. He said to carry on and listed stress relief, steadier blood pressure and a lower pulse as benefits.
Read the original: Continuous Breathing Sādhana Revealed by Devī, on Guruji's blog.
If something in this teaching landed for you, the best next step is a short private conversation.
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