________________
practitioners that the practice be followed systematically, irrespective of initial experiences. Then only will the full potential of pranayama be experienced. (The following chapter explains the mechanics of kumbhaka, as well as pooraka and rechaka, in detail.)
Units of pranayama
In a systematic practice of pranayama, the first criterion is a balanced ratio of the breath. Timing has a deep effect on the mind and prana. "If one is able to practise five rounds of nadi shodhana with absolute precision in timing, then the laya state of samadhi will come," Swami Satyananda said while explaining the science of pranayama to yoga teachers in Spain during 1979. The ancient yogis who propounded the practices of pranayama were extremely mindful of this fact, and devised various methods to measure the units of pranayama, in the absence of devices such as clocks. Each time unit was called a matra. The following physical actions provide a guideline for understanding the notion of matra. Each denotes one matra:
Twinkling of an eye
Time taken to pronounce a short vowel
Time necessary for touching one's knee thrice followed by a clap
•
•
·
Time occupied by one normal respiration
Time taken up in pronouncing the sacred syllable Om. As pranayama training was always imparted by a guru to a disciple, the precise balance could be achieved under actual guidance. In modern times, despite the invention of clocks, the measuring of inhalation, exhalation and retention remains a somewhat perplexing issue. Watching a clock or even mental counting can be a distraction while practising. The best way to measure the breath is with the aid of the 24syllable Gayatri mantra. One repetition of Gayatri mantra provides the proper timing for the inhalation and two Gayatris for the exhalation. The Gayatri is an ideal unit for pranayama, but in case one is unable to chant it in one inhalation,
•
·
114
