On Asana and Pranayama.
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In Pranayama is there suppose to be a period of rest between the inhalation and exhalation?
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There can be.
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There are different rhythms. However, most of them have a pause between inhalation and exhalation because the period of retention is one of the most important parts of much of pranayama. (It isn't so consistent that there is a pause between exhalation and inhalation.)
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Jim, sorry, my question relates to Pranayama as described in Liber E. AC doesn't say anything about a pause, but I have read elsewhere that the pause is an important part, like you said.
So if I am to follow the method described in Liber E do I add a pause, or is that included in the 10/20 in/out? If I add a pause, then how long? Right now I am doing 10/10/10/10 (in/pause/out/pause).
Thanks for your help.
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Start with Liber RV. Put Liber E in that context (it's referenced at a specific point in the Liber RV program.) That will make it all much clearer.
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It's an ascending process, so it continues until it becomes difficult.
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@Alien696 said
"Personally i have done the golden dawn pranayama of the fourfold breath a lot. Found i can easily get into that, is real pranayama much more difficult?"
My first exposure to pranayama was through learning Heart Rhythm Meditation. My Murshid had told me never to pause between the exhalation and inhalation as it can cause asphyxiation. Later down the road I was exposed to the Four-fold breath when researching and trying out some Golden Dawn techniques. I felt a little torn, I wanted to experience this pattern but also had that warning in my mind. I ended up replacing the Four-fold breath with what's called the Square breath (X out, X in, 2X pause).
I've caught myself breathing like that (pause after exhalation) a few times and noticed I was feeling lethargic and sleepy. With a little breath correction (removal of the pause after exhalation) my energy levels always came back up.
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So is the goal of Pranayama in the context of Thelema to develop increased periods of Kumbhaka so as to come in closer contact with the HGA? During the practice of Pranayama one may experience a non-dualistic state, correct? Is K&C of the HGA non-dualistic consciousness?
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@horustheantichris said
"So is the goal of Pranayama in the context of Thelema"
Don't confuse it as "in Thelema." Think of it within the context of a specific training program, such as that of A.'.A.'..
"to develop increased periods of Kumbhaka so as to come in closer contact with the HGA?"
In one sense (within A.'.A.'.) yes, inasmuch as every practice before the K&C is aimed at the K&C. I probably would have stated that part of it as "increasing (in various ways) the capacity to meditate, including entering into silence, to use as an optional tool * for approaching the K&C."
Additionally, as Soror Meral first made me aware, the retention phase is central to the accumulation of prana to the system, with several desirable consequences including overall strengthening of the subtle body, eventual kundalini phenomena, etc.
Since the test for "passing pranayama" in A.'.A.'. is reaching the stage of automatic rigidity - and, since this is specifically a phase in the ramp-up of kundalini - we can judge that an intended goal of the system designers was opening these particular gates (which asana and pranayama do quite nicely).
"During the practice of Pranayama one may experience a non-dualistic state, correct? Is K&C of the HGA non-dualistic consciousness?"
Difficult to answer that simply, especially since we don't intrude on other people's experience of that particular phenomenon. From my own experience I'm inclined to say yes, though with the caveat that the surrounding phenomena are the most intense, poignant, and keen experience of "awareness of Other" that I've ever experienced.
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Thank you, this makes this much clearer for me.