PRANAYAMA

The process by which the pranas in the body are controlled is called pranayama. prana, apana,samana,udana,vyana,naga,kurma,krkara,devadatta,and dhanainjaya-the collective name of these ten vitalforces is pranah.If you wish to increase your apperceptive power you must control the pranah.Through regular practice, the mind will
become concentrated. Pranayama is meant for sadhakas-it is better for non-sadhakas not to take the risk of injuring themselves by doing pranayama.

Pranayama is also very beneficial for the physical body. Special pranayama practices are prescribed for special diseases. No one should practice pranayama without the permission
of the acarya
1)Sadharana Pranayama An acharya will teach
2)Sahaja Pranayama An purodha will teach
3)Vishesa Pranayama An purodha will teach
4)Antar Pranayama An purodha will teach

PROCEDURE FOR SADHARANA PRANAYAMA

Closing the eyes ,sit in either siddhasana,padmasana or bhojasana.Do bhutashuddhi.After doing asana shuddhi,concentrate tour mind on the point that the acarya will fix .Thenafter doing citashuddhi,ideate on the first syllable of your Ista mantra,press and close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand ,and draw in a deep breath through the left nostril.During inhalation ideate that the infinite Brahma who is existing all around.
After taking a full breath close the left nostril with the middle ,ring and little fingers ,and taking the thumb away from the right,slowly let out the air(Ideate that the infinite
vital energy is returning from the point to that infinite Brahma). During exhalation ideate on the remaining syllable of your Ista mantra.When the breath has been fully as possible again through the right nostril.Afterwards,closing the right nostril with the thumb and removing the fingers,exhale the air through the nostril. This completes one round.
For the week ,complete three roundseach time.The number is increased by one round every week until seven rounds is reached.  Pranayama can be practiced upto practiced upto four times in a day.If a person practicing pranayama twice daily wishes to practice
three times on any particular day,he/shemay do so,but the person who practices twice daily must not suddenly increase to four times ,because that will result in the body falling sick .Therefore it is advisable at first to do the practice twice daily,increasing it by one round per week. If however,on any day two times pranayama is not completed,then at the
week,the number of times missed must be practiced in compensation before increasing the number of rounds. Practioner of pranayama should try to keep themselves away from
dust,smoke,bad-smelling evironments and excessive labour.It is very helpful to take a sufficient amount of milk products for the first two months following commencement of the practice. The following pranayamas are prescribed for specific diseases.
An acarya will teach them.It is forbidden to practice these pranayama within an hour before or after the practice it is not advisable for any person to practice more than one kind of pranayama.

1)VASTI KUMBHAKA:
Sit in the asanas given by the acarya and inhale deeply.Now press the two principal nadiis of the scrotum with the thumbs and the forefingers of both hands and exhale gradually. Practice this seven times.

2)SHIITALII KUMBHAKA:
Sit in padmasana. After closing both the nostrils and sticking out the tongue,inhale as deeply as possible the cool air of morning,evening or midnight hours.Keeping the nostrils and mouth closed,hold the breath for eight seconds ,then exhale gradually through the nose.Do this eight times continuously. After completion massage the diseased portion of the body.

3)SIITKARII KUMBHAKA:
Sit in padmasana, breath in through the nose, and closing your nose and mouth,hold the breath for eight seconds. Exhale through the mouth,simul- taneously pronouncing 's-s-s' with the tongue.
The practice of shiittali or siitkarii kumbhaka is forbidden for a period of one hour before and after the practice of pranayama connected with sadhana. As for as possible it is not advisable to practice more than one type of pranayama.

4)KARKATA PRANAYAMA:
(Only in the morning and at noon) Before doing pranayama fix the mind on the center of the spot where you feel pain, then do sadharana pranayama.

EXPLANATION:
Suppose there is a back pain felt during the night,then in the morning pranayama should be done on a point in the centre of the affected area. If a pain is felt in the thigh at 10 or 12A.M. then at noon, do pranayama on a point in the centre of that area.

5)PAKSABADHA PRANAYAMA:
The point of concentration shall be the bone-joint or gland nearest to the affected area and between the affected area and the heart. And in this way, as the condition of the disease improves, move the point away from the heart to the next bone-joint or gland. In the case of arms, the tip of the middle finger, and in the case of legs, the tip of the bigtoe, will be considered as the last point of pranayama. (In other parts of the body, the last point of the diseased area.) After the disease is cured, the acarya will direct you to concentrate on the points he or she thinks advisable for the requirements of your sadhana.
If the disease appears in both upper and lower part of the right and left side of the body, then the pranayama should be done in the morning on the appropriate bone-joint or the gland in the upper part of the body and at noon on the bone-joint or gland in the lower part on the opposite side. If the disease occurs just one side in the both the
upper and lower parts of the body, then the pranayama should be done, in the morning and at noon respectively in the upper and lower parts. If the disease occurs in only one part of the body, then the pranayama should be done both in the morning and at noon on only one point.