Dr. Mukund Vinayak Bhole - The Benefits of Spiritual Yoga - For Improving the Quality of Life

BOM DIA BOM DIA

NAMASTE NAMASTE

GOOD MORNINGGOOD MORNING

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STARTING THE SESSION WITH THE STARTING THE SESSION WITH THE RECITATION OF A MANTRARECITATION OF A MANTRA

Reciting AUM three timesReciting AUM three times

Keep the eyes closed and Listen to Keep the eyes closed and Listen to its recitation through your bodyits recitation through your body

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Mantra for Recitation

aum saha nā vavatu

Saha nau bhunaktuSaha viryam karavā-vahaiTejaswinā-vadhi-tamastu

Mā-vid-dvishāvahai

Om, shāntih, shāntih, shāntih.3

“ “ THE BENEFITS OF THE BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL YOGA ” SPIRITUAL YOGA ”

“FOR IMPROVING THE “FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE”QUALITY OF LIFE”

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IMPORTANT COMPONENTS IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF SPIRITUAL YOGAOF SPIRITUAL YOGA

• Working with “Breath”, “Breathing”, “Internally Aroused Sensations related with these two”, the “Area of the Vertebral Column” and the “Skull Cavity”.

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WORKING WITH BREATHING IN YOGA

• CORRECTINGCORRECTING “MECHANICS OF BREATHING”, “MECHANICS OF BREATHING”, andand

• LEARNING TO WORK WITH THE LEARNING TO WORK WITH THE “FLOW OF BREATH INSIDE THE BODY”“FLOW OF BREATH INSIDE THE BODY”

IN IN “PSYCHO-SOMATIC DISTURBANCES”“PSYCHO-SOMATIC DISTURBANCES”

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Working with Breathing in Yoga

• Breathing is one of the vital functions which is essential for our survival and existence .

• “Breath”, “Breathing” AND “Internally aroused sensations related with these two” are the three important components of yogic breathing practices (pranayama).

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Working with Breathing in Yoga

• Yoga texts are full of therapeutic claims for these practices.

• I want to share my research work as a modern medical man trying to understand traditional science of yoga which is more than 2500 yrs old.

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Starting with anStarting with anOpening Practice SessionOpening Practice Session

on Yogic lineson Yogic lines

We want to develop We want to develop “AWARENESS” of our “AWARENESS” of our

(1) BODY and (2) BREATHING (1) BODY and (2) BREATHING

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Opening Practice Session-1Getting Internal Experiential

Knowledge of our Physical Body(Structural Existence in Yoga)

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Opening Opening Practice Session – 1.a

Standing instructions for our practices:

1. Stop using external senses (seeing, smelling, tasting, touch) during these practices.

2. Only use audition to listen to the instructions for the practices.

3. No Visualization, and4. No Imagination.

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Opening Opening Practice Session – 1.b

• Adjust your body position in order to start feeling and experiencing “Stabilized and Comfortable”.

• In yogic language, you are getting connected and remaining connected (Yoga) with the “Structural Aspect of your existence”.

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Opening Opening Practice Session – 1.c• Allow your mind to be emptied of various

preoccupations related with the external world, memories and thoughts for some time.

• Keep the mind connected (yoga) with the body from inside, very much like physically “Returning Home” from your work and then “Staying at home” in a relaxed way with a “Let-Go Feeling” (without any kind of effort).

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Opening Opening Practice Session – 1.f

• In yogic language, it is looked upon as “Impurities of the physical body” and they are to be removed.

• The cause/s of these “Impurities” could be Material and/or Spiritual.

• Spiritual causes are tackled through yoga methods.

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Opening Opening Practice Session-2Getting Internal Experiential Knowledge of our Breathing

(Representing Vital Body in Yoga)

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Opening Practice Session – 2.a

• Many “Vital Functions and Activities” continue inside the body, even when we remain “Passive Listeners” to our body and breathing.

• In yoga, all these “Vital Functions and Activities” constitute the “Vital Body”.

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Opening Practice Session – 2.b

• All the “Vital Functions” indicate the “Quality of our Internal Life”.

• Our “physical activities” and “emotions” influence these vital functions for shorter and/or longer periods.

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Opening Practice Session – 2.c

• However, we can not influence most of these functions by our will (Volition).

• Only the Breathing and the Heart beating can be “Experienced” and “Monitored” by us in normal healthy condition.

• Out of these two vital functions; only Breathing can be “Modified” by us through our will (Volition).

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Opening Practice Session – 2.d

• In yoga, we are taught to work with our breathing in different ways with a view to influence the vital body and thus the quality of our life.

• Start perceiving and experiencing your natural and spontaneous breathing for 6 to 10 breaths according to your comprehension and understanding.

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Opening Practice Session – 2.e

• Different individuals report differently about the experiential knowledge in relation to their spontaneous and natural breathing.

• Many people fail to experience their breathing and keep silent.

• Some start voluntary modification of their breathing and report their actions.

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Opening Practice Session – 2.f

• Therefore, systematic approach to experience natural and spontaneous breathing has been developed.

• It has been recognized as Dr. Bhole approach in Experiential Yoga.

• We will work on this line to experience and work with our Breath and Breathing.

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EXPERIENTIAL YOGA DR.BHOLE APPROACH

MAIN TOPICS OF PRESENTATIONAND DISCUSSION

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TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

(A) Getting internal experiential knowledge and

understanding about the following:

1. Mechanics of Breathing (a) Normal, and (b) Voluntary

2. The movement of “Breath” inside the body.

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(B)

Recognizing disturbed and/or Incorrect (1) “Breathing”, and

(2) “Flow of Breath”

as indicators of Psycho-somatic disturbances.

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(C)

Benefits of correcting

(1) “Mechanics of Breathing”, and (2) “Flow of Breath” according to the traditional yoga texts on:

(a) Psycho-somatic disturbances, and (b) The Quality of Life and Living.

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• It will be difficult for us to discuss all these topics within the time limit of three hours at our disposal today.

• We will try to present some very basic facts (points or things) to arouse our curiosity to learn more through first hand internal experiencing in future.

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• The terminology and the language of the modern medical sciences is highly objective and observational in nature.

• The terminology and the language in yoga is subjective and experiential in nature.

• Therefore, even though, the terms remain the same, they have different meanings in medical and yogic sciences.

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Practice Session One

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Experiencing Gross Physical Movements

related with SPONTANEOUS SPONTANEOUS BREATHINGBREATHING

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Experiencing Breathing Movements

• You are given a sheet of paper with the “Front and Side Views” of the Torso to enter your internal experiential observations.

• Those who do not have pens, will work mentally.

• We will begin with the “Front View” of the torso.

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing.

• Put the palms of your hands on the sides of the trunks at the level of the stomach.

• Continue with natural breathing without any kind of voluntary modification.

• As far as possible, keep your eyes closed while experiencing these movements.

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• Most of us will start experiencing movements of the trunk related with breathing.

• Recognize the direction of these movements during Inspiration and Expiration.

• Enter your Internal Experiential Observations in relation to inspiration in the front view of the torso at the level of the stomach.

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• Usually, we observe that the stomach wall is moving

“Outwards during Inspiration”, and

“Inwards during Expiration”.

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• You will realize that the terms, “Inspiration and Expiration” are related with the movement of air; and NOT with the movement of the body as experienced by you just now.

• The body is moving outwards during Inspiration and inwards during expiration.

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• Now, put the hands on the sides of the chest wall and repeat the same procedure.

• Most of us will experience body movements related with breathing in these areas also.

• Examine the direction of these movements during Inspiration and Expiration as before.

• Enter your findings in the figure.39

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• Now, put the hands on the iliac crests at the pelvic level and repeat the same procedure.

• Enter your findings in the figure.

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• Most of us will realize that the breathing movements are “not uniform” everywhere.

• There are no movements in certain areas.

• Therefore, try to “Quantify” these movements as +, ++, +++ where present and just ‘X’ where absent.

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We will be using the “Side View” of the Torso for

further observations.

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• Now, put the hands on the front and the back sides of the stomach and repeat the same procedure.

• Look for the presence or absence of breathing movements on both sides, their directions and quantifications.


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• Similarly work at the level of the Chest and the Pelvis on the front and the back sides.

• Make your observations in respect of the presence and/or absence of the breathing movements in the front and the back sides.


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Experiencing Breathing Movements without the help of the hands

• Keep your breathing as natural and spontaneous as possible for you.• Experience breathing movements in all the areas where we had used our hands.• Make a mental note of your observations. You can also draw the two figures and enter your findings.

Experiencing Breathing Movements without the help of the hands.

Do you feel any difference between the two modes of experiencing breathing movements:

1. With the help of the hands, and 2. Without the help of the hands??

• What is the difference, if any??

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ANALYSIS OF

OUR WORK

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Analysis of Breathing Movements as experienced with the help of hands.

• We worked on four sides each at three horizontal levels of the trunk.

• Total no. of areas studied were 12.

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Analysis of Breathing Movements as experienced with the help of hands.

• Out of the 12 areas: 1. How many areas exhibiting outward

movement during Inspiration?2. How many areas exhibiting inward movement

during Inspiration? 3. How many areas exhibiting +++, ++, + in each

category?, and 4. How many without any movement.

• We can convert them into %.


• Slowly we can learn to work at other areas of the body as shown in the following figure along with their names in medical and yogic languages and make a record for future use and reference.

• Usually, we work with 20 areas in the beginning.

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• Most of us must have experienced, understood and realized that breathing movements are not present everywhere and they are not uniform wherever present.

• We can make a record of the “Pattern of our Breathing Movements” for future use and comparisons.

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• We ask the following questions to each and every person who comes to us to learn to work with breathing on yogic lines for treatment.

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First Question: What is the cause or the causes of the trunk

(body) movements related with breathing which you were made to experience by putting hands on 12 different areas at three horizontal segments of the trunk?

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Second Question: What could be the cause/s of the non-

uniformity and absence of these movements in different areas of the trunk?

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WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO THE

FIRST QUESTION

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Cause/s of Body MovementsRelated with Breathing:

Different people give different answers to this question.

• Some say that air movement is the cause. Others say that Universal Energy (Prana) is the cause. Still others say that breathing itself or the need for oxygen is the cause

• Thus we find that people are not very clear about the cause/s of these movements.

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EXPERIENCING EXPERIENCING THE CAUSE or THE CAUSE or THE CAUSESTHE CAUSES

OF OF SPONTANEOUS SPONTANEOUS

BREATHING MOVEMENTS BREATHING MOVEMENTS OF THE TRUNK (BODY) OF THE TRUNK (BODY)

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Experiencing Causes of Spontaneous Breathing Movements of the Trunk

• Put your hands over the stomach area in order to remain in contact with the three sides.

• Let the back rest against the chair.• Remain aware of all the four sides of the

trunk at the level of the stomach.• Continue with normal breathing and start

experiencing the breathing movements.63


• Take your mind inside the trunk with the help of the breathing movements and keep it there.

• If possible, try to recognize and experience the presence and the activity of some kind of an “internal force”.

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• Try to realize that it is this “internal force” which is responsible for the movements of the abdominal wall during natural spontaneous breathing.

• This “Force” is there without your Intellectual decision, Emotion and/or any kind of voluntary physical activity.

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Experiencing Causes of Spontaneous Breathing Movements of the Trunk.

• I am confident that most of you are able to experience the manifestation of the internal force as the movement of the abdominal wall which you were to experience by putting hands over different areas of the trunk.

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• Now, a logical question arises.• What is the cause/s of this “Internal Force”

being present in the abdominal cavity? • Any guess by the non-medical people

present in the group?

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WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO THE

SECOND QUESTION

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Non-uniformity and/or Absence of Body Movements

related with Spontaneous Breathing

in different areas.

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Non-uniformity and/or Absence of Spontaneous Breathing Movements

in different areas?

• Muscles of the trunk and the Vertebral column remain in different state of tensions and contractions.

• These tensions offer different resistances to the smooth manifestation of the internal pressure change taking place in the abdominal and thoracic cavities.

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Non-uniformity and/or Absence of Spontaneous Breathing Movements

in different areas.

• The overall experience of these movements is very much like a rubber balloon getting inflated and deflated without (muscular) tensions.

• Once again, remember that these movements do not take place because of our decision or emotion.

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(A)Getting internal experiential

knowledge and understandingabout

(a) The (a) The Mechanics of Mechanics of Normal Breathing.Normal Breathing.

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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing.

• We ask our participants to draw the front and side views of their torso as indicated in the following figures.

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• You need not draw these figures, but work at the mental level.

• Put the hands on the sides of the trunks at the level of the stomach.

• Continue with natural breathing without any kind of voluntary modification.

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• Most of us will start experiencing movements of the trunk related with breathing.

• Recognize the direction of these movements during Inspiration and Expiration.

• You will find that the stomach wall is moving “Outwards during Inspiration and “Inwards during Expiration”.

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• Now, put the hands on the sides of the chest wall and repeat the same procedure.

• Most of us will experience body movements related with breathing on the sides of the chest.

• Examine the direction of these movements during Inspiration and Expiration as before.

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• Now, put the hands on the iliac crests at the pelvic level and repeat the same procedure.

• Most of us will realize that the breathing movements are “not uniform” everywhere.

• Therefore, try to “Quantify” these movements as +, ++, +++ where present and just ‘X’ where absent.

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• Now, put the hands on the front and the back sides of the stomach and repeat the same procedure.

• Make a mental note of the presence or absence of breathing movements, their directions and quantifications.

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• Similarly work at the level of the Chest and the Pelvis.

• We worked on four sides each at three horizontal segments or levels of the trunk.

• Slowly we can learn to work at other areas of the body as shown in the following figure along with their names in medical and yogic languages and make a record for future use and reference. 80

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• Most of us must have experienced, understood and realized that breathing movements are not present everywhere and they are not uniform wherever present.

• The record of the “Pattern of our Breathing Movements” may look something like this for some one. Quantification of movements are not shown in this figure.

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• We ask the following questions to each and every person who comes to us to learn to work with breathing on yogic lines as therapy.

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These questions are:1. What is the cause of the body movements

related with breathing which you were made to experience by putting hands on 12 different areas at three horizontal segments of the trunk?

2. What could be the cause/s of the non-uniformity and absence of these movements in different areas of the trunk?

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Cause/s of Body MovementsRelated with Breathing:

Different people give different answers to this question.

• Some say that air movements gives rise to these movements while others say that Universal Energy (Prana) is the cause.

• In fact, “Internal Pressure Changes” due to the movement of the thoracic diaphragm give rise to the movements of the trunk wall which were experienced by you.

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Non-uniformity and/or Absence of Body Movements related with Breathing these

in different areas of the trunk?• Muscles of the trunk and the Vertebral column

remain in different state of tensions and contractions.

• These tensions offer different resistances to the smooth manifestation of the internal pressure change taking place in the abdominal and thoracic cavities.

• Once again, remember that these movements do not take place because of our decision or emotion.

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Practice Session Two

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Getting internal experiential knowledge and understanding

about “The Flow of Breath”

inside the body.

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Experiencing “Flow of Breath”

• Once again, assume a comfortable and relaxed psycho-physical state with a “Let-Go”.

• Become aware of the upper lip, nasal openings and the nasal passages.

• Continue with your natural breathing.

• If possible, keep looking to the upper lip and the nasal openings with the closed eyes.

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• Very soon, you will start experiencing the “Touch of Air Movement” and you will become aware of the “Flow of Breath” in these areas.

• Start recognizing the “Internal Experiential Pathway” along which you will get guided by this “In-Flow and Out-Flow of Breath” inside the body.

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• The more you Relax and develop “Let-Go” feeling, the better will be the experience of the “Touch of Air Movement” felt inside the body and the awareness of its internal pathway.

• Slowly, you will be able to recognize the “Internal Destination” of the “Flow of Breath” inside the body.

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• Try to “Internalize” your mind and sensory faculties and go on releasing tensions as and when you start becoming aware of them.

• Do not accumulate these Tensions anywhere.

• At a certain time, you will be able to develop awareness of various happenings at the internal destination of the flow of breath.

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Important Important Theoretical Considerations Theoretical Considerations

from Modern Medical Sciences from Modern Medical Sciences to understand and follow to understand and follow

our work with Breathing on our work with Breathing on Traditional Yogic linesTraditional Yogic lines

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15 mins.15 mins.Tea Break Tea Break

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WORKSHOP VIVENCIAL EM BRASÍLIA

YOGA EXPERIENCIAL YOGA ANUBHAVA: Abordagem – DR. BHOLE

RESPIRAÇÃO COMO FERRAMENTA TERAPÊUTICA

NO AUTO GERENCIAMENTO DO ESTRESSEDATA e HORÁRIO: : 04 Abril (sábado) 9 às 18 h a 05 Abril 2009 (domingo) 9 às 12 h

LOCAL: CLUBE DE MEDITAÇÃO AMYGO –End.: Setor de Clube Sul

trecho 2 – lt 54 – conj. 59 – em frente a AGPOL CONTATO: 8438-3099 (Saraas Enildes)

e-mail: [email protected] 96

Important Important Theoretical Considerations Theoretical Considerations

from Modern Medical Sciences from Modern Medical Sciences to understand and follow to understand and follow

our work with Breathing on our work with Breathing on Traditional Yogic linesTraditional Yogic lines

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Important Structures and Functions of the Nervous System useful for our work.

• Today, the medical world give maximum importance to the functioning of the Nervous system for the sustenance of Life.

• The functioning of the nervous system could be understood in various ways.

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• Neuroscientists refer to three brains:1. Reptile Brain, 2. Mammalian Brain, and 3. Human Brain.

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1. Motor activity,2. Sensory activity, 3. Neuronal networking at different levels of the

Central Nervous System (Brain and Spinal cord)4. Various nerve centers responsible for highly

specific functions, and5. Primary and associated areas in relation to

these nerve centers.

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The Mechanics of The Mechanics of Normal Breathing.Normal Breathing.

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The Mechanics of Normal Breathing.

• In the uterus, the fetus exhibits movements of the arms, legs and spine. It responds to strong light and sound. It is also sensitive to the moods (emotional states) of the mother.

• However, fetus does not exhibit body movements related with breathing, eating, drinking and defecation, even though they are of vital importance to us after birth.

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• We start to breathe soon after birth and breathing continues thereafter till death.

• We do not learn how to breathe, as we learn to sit, stand, walk, run, jump, talk etc. It is “Reflex in nature” and it continues as spontaneous (non-voluntary) activity.

• It is initiated and sustained from the brain stem (Medulla and Pons – Reptile Brain).

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• The spontaneous breathing continues during deep sleep, coma and even if one is unconscious and non-attentive to breathing.

• The spontaneous breathing is not initiated by our intellectual decision (involving frontal cortex) nor it is the outcome of our emotions (involving limbic brain) nor the physical activities (involving sensory-motor cortex).

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• The spontaneous breathing is called “Diaphragmatic Breathing” or “Lower inter-costal breathing” in medical language.

• The rhythmic movement of the diaphragm, working like a Piston in a Cylinder, gives rise to positive and negative pressure changes in the abdominal and the thoracic cavities.

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• It is this internal pressure change that leads to the passive movement of the trunk wall during normal breathing.

• These passive movements of the trunk wall are experienced as “Expansion” and “Retraction” by us through our hands in the beginning and directly afterwards.

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• The condition of the muscles of the trunk and the vertebral column can interfere with the smooth manifestation of the internal pressure change on the trunk wall.

• That is why, we do not experience these movements in all the areas studied by us.

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(a) The Mechanics of Normal Breathing.

• In yoga, we are supposed to be experiencing this “Expansion” and “Retraction” taking place all over the body right up to the hair on the skin and the tips of the nails.

• There are various practices to help us to achieve this goal.

• The guiding principles are (1) Stretching of the skeletal muscles and (2) Opening of closed body areas from inside to outside.

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Analysis Analysis of of

Physical MovementsPhysical Movements

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Analysis of Physical Movements

• All our physical movements are Neuro-Muscular and/or Psycho- Neuro-Muscular in nature.

• The muscles can be skeletal and/or visceral.• For our purpose, we divide these movements

in two groups. (1) Those not related with Breathing, and (2) Those related with Breathing.

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• The following figure exhibits body movements which are “Not Related with Breathing”.

• Most of the training programs work with these type of movements.

• Therefore, we are strongly conditioned to work with them, like them and look for them.

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Analysis of Physical Movements• The body movements related with breathing

are related with vital organs and their functions.

• Right from the childhood, we do not receive any kind of training in respect of these movements.

• However, in yoga, the whole subject of “pranayama” deals with breath, breathing and internal sensations associated with them.

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• We are taught to experience breathing in relation to various sense organs and motor organs.

• In the longer run, working with breath and breathing does not remain limited to the movement of air in and out of the lungs only.

• It helps us to establish first hand contact with our “self” because we are breathing all the time.

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• It becomes essential to be able to develop psycho-physical stability and comfort in order to work with breath and breathing.

• Such a condition is called “asana” in yoga.• Various such positions are used to influence

breath and breathing in different ways.• Let us study the following figure and get some

more details of this subject. 121

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(A) Getting internal experiential

knowledge and understanding about

(b) (b) The The Mechanics of Mechanics of Voluntary Breathing.Voluntary Breathing.

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(B1)RECOGNIZING DISTURBED AND

INCORRECT BREATHING AND TAKING CORRECTIVE MEASURES

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(B2)RECOGNIZING DISTURBANCES IN “THE FLOW OF BREATH” INSIDE

THE BODY AND TAKING MEASURES TO CORRECT THEM

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(C)BENEFITS AND APPLIED ASPECTS

OF THE WORK THAT CAN BE DONE WITH BREATH AND BREATHING TO

IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE

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> Thank you for working with me on a subject which might have appeared to be new to many.> We only hope that this session will arouse some curiosity in your mind to know, understand and continue to work with your breath and breathing in more details in future.

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OBRIGADOOBRIGADO NamasteNamaste

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Dr. Mukund Vinayak Bhole - The Benefits of Spiritual Yoga - For Improving the Quality of Life

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