Week Four: Building Focus with Prakasha Pranayama - The Somatic Therapy Series
Practice #3 : Prakasha Pranayama
Prakāśa (प्रकाश): Light, brightness, illumination, or manifestation.
What is it? A practice involving 7 small inhales, 1 long exhale.
How to: Inhale through the nose in seven distinct, short parts (seven small sniffs of air) to build one long, continuous inhalation. As you take each sniff through the nose, you can visualize a light moving up from the base of your spine (Muladhara) to the middle of your eyebrows known as the third eye (Ajna Chakra). Once seven short part of air are inhaled, hold your breath (Kumbhaka) while focusing intently on the third eye. Take a moment or two, while holding your breath to visualize the light expanding. Exhale smoothly and completely in one long and continuous exhale through the mouth. Visualize the light surrounding your physical body.
Time: Try setting a timer for 2 minutes and increase to 7 minutes over time.
Benefits: Builds focus and cultivates awareness. Encourages self awareness. Can be a grounding and centering practice in the morning or before bed.
Notice: What do you notice in your body before and after the practice?
Watch the practice:
Advance Practice: Prakasha Pranayama with Chakra Awareness
As you inhale, connect to each of the chakras. At the 7th inhalation, hold and focus your energy at the Sahasrara chakra. Exhale in one even part through the nose. The seven chakras are Muladhara (root chakra, between the perineum and pelvic bone), Svadhisthana (sacral, two fingers up from the muladhara), Manipura (solar plexus, navel center), Anahata (heart), Vishuddha (throat), Ajna (third eye, between the eyebrows) and Sahasrara (crown, top of head).
Love the work? See you at the next Somatic Kriya Yoga!
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