Self-Realization through Yoga Meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra

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Ascending Breath Online Practice
 

Online practice: To hear the online Ascending Breath practice click here. (File is large and may open slowly.)

Part of the Yoga Nidra CD: The Ascending Breath exercise is a guided practice, systematically moving your attention through internal points. It is used as a part of systematic yoga meditation and Yoga Nidra (track 4 of the Yoga Nidra CD). Note that the last few instructions of the Ascending Breath practice are designed to transition into the final track of the Yoga Nidra CD, not to completely end the meditation.

The practice is about 14 minutes in length. 

  • It is best done lying on your back on a hard, though comfortable surface, such as a carpeted floor. 
  • Put a small cushion under the back of your head. 
  • Lie in such a way that your head, neck, and spine are straight. 
  • Place your arms a comfortable distance to your sides, and have the feet a comfortable distance apart. 
  • After the exercise, you might want to go deep into the space between the breasts for yoga nidra (yogic sleep) or take a few minutes for seated meditation. 

Parts of the practice: Here are the stages of the Ascending Breath practice, though you will not need this list when following the recording: 

  • Breath as if exhaling from the top of the head down to the toes, and as if inhaling from the toes up to the top of the head. 
  • Exhale from the top of the head to the ankles.
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the knees. 
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the perineum at the base of the spine.
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the navel.
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the heart center. 
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the throat. 
  • Breathe from the top of the head to the bridge between the nostrils. 
  • Exhale and inhale many times between the space between the eyebrows and the bridge between the nostrils. 
  • Breathe from the top of the head to the bridge between the nostrils. 
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the throat. 
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the heart center. 
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the navel.
  • Exhale and inhale from the top of the head to the perineum at the base of the spine. 
  • Exhale and inhale times from the top of the head to the knees. 
  • Exhale from the top of the head to the ankles and back. 
  • Breath as if exhaling from the top of the head down to the toes, and as if inhaling from the toes up to the top of the head. 

The Ascending Breath exercise is an excellent practice for entering Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep), which is a state where you are in deep sleep, yet are awake. Yoga Nidra is deeply relaxing, and is used by the yogis to deal with samskaras (the deep impressions that drive karma) in their latent form.

 

 

 
 

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This site is devoted to presenting the ancient Self-Realization path of the Tradition of the Himalayan masters in simple, understandable and beneficial ways, while not compromising quality or depth. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Joy that comes from the Realization in direct experience of the center of consciousness, the Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. This Self-Realization comes through Yoga meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the contemplative insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the three of which complement one another like fingers on a hand. We employ the classical approaches of Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Yoga, as well as Hatha, Kriya, Kundalini, Laya, Mantra, Nada, Siddha, and Tantra Yoga. Meditation, contemplation, mantra and prayer finally converge into a unified force directed towards the final stage, piercing the pearl of wisdom called bindu, leading to the Absolute.