Bahya Kumbhaka Pranayama is called External Retention in English. Bahya Kumbhaka is an extremely useful pranayama practice for all the treatment of abdominal diseases. When the person does Khapalbhati, the energy of his moola dharna chakra awakened and in order to channelize this awakened energy upwards (Urdharohn)Bahya Kumbhaka Pranayama is practiced.
Yoga or Pranayama constitutes of are three main activities – poorak, rechak and kumbhak.The process of inhalation is called poorak and the exhalation is called the rechak. Locking in the inhaled breath inside the body is called “aantarikkumbhak” and locking out the exhaled breath outside the body is called bahyakumbhak. BahyaKumbhak is used in the practice of Bahya Kumbhaka pranayama.
Yoga teacher training in Dharamsala elaborates the steps involved in practicing BahyaKumbhak as follows:
- It’s important to keep your stomach empty before you start practicing BahyaKumbhak. And hence this pranayama is supposed to be practiced without eating or drinking anything in the morning.
Lay your yoga mat in a cleaner environment after selecting the place first. And then sit in the lotus posture or chair, to start the practice. If you have done any other pranayama prior to this, you should first of all, be sure to breathe normally. (bring your breath to normal and calm state).
- Now keep your body upright from the body completely out of breath, remove. Now hold the breath out. It will take three locks which are Jalandhar bandha (Chin Lock), Uddiyan bandha (Abdominal Lock) and the moola bandha (Root Lock).
- Chin Lock (Jalandhara Bandha): bowed Chin adjacent to the chest
Abdominal Lock (Uddiyana Bandha): stomach is completely pulled back inside.
Root Lock (Mula Bandha): pull in your anal muscles (Root Lock) by dragging from the bottom of the navel.
- After putting the above said three locks, try to the extent possible to retain hold out your breath. (hold out your breath for as long as long as you can)
- Then when you desire to release, start breathing slowly removing each of the three bandhas and inhale.
- Now repeat the same process again with: A- Simply breath in and breath out the air completely out without locking. B- is to repeat all three locks. C- try to hold the breathed out air outside your body as long as you can and then continue to breathe in normally.
- You can make a positive resolution while you breathe out and hold each time. You may affirm to yourself that whenever you breathe out, you expel out all your negativities. You can make up your mental state that way. This will enable you to become and stay mentally stronger than the things that are bothering you and help you to deal with them with a lot of ease.
- A beginner can start by doing three to five cycles pf Bahya pranayama initially. After a while, you can continue your practice and extend your practice to upto eleven cycles. During winters, BahyaPranayam can be practiced for at least twenty-one times.
Benefits of Bahya pranayama as listed out by Yoga teacher training in India are as follows:
- Daily external pranayama related diseases are eliminated from the urethra.
- For Hernia patient’s breathing, it is very beneficial. (External breathing exercises before starting a prescription of course).
- Prostate was released to overcome the problem of external pranayama practice pranayama is a very important and useful.
- Bahya Pranayama makes the digestive system strong. Constipation and Gas (Acidity), are dealt with.
- Bahya Pranayama offers wonderful benefits for Diabetic patients.
- Bahya Pranayama is helpful for Concentration boosting.
- Bahya Pranayama ends the root problems of internal organs of the abdominal.
Precautions to be taken while practicing Bahya pranayama as listed out by 300 hour YTTC are as follows:
- Heart patients should not practice bahya pranayama.
- Patients with high blood pressure do not even think of attempting to practice bahya pranayama.
- If a person has been living a normal blood pressure medication, that person after ten to twelve seconds doctor may external pranayama.
- Bahya Pranayama should always be done on empty stomach.
- Pregnant women should not practice Bahya Pranayama.
- During Menstrual cycle (period time), the women should not bahya pranayama.
- After holding your breath out, you will at least need 10 to 12 seconds to hold the above said three locks. Hence you must make sure that your body can stay at ease with your breath held for at least 10 to 12 seconds. Respect the ability of your body and decide to practice so that you don’t cause any harm to your body by overdoing it.
- It could harm you fatally if you attempt to practice it without having proper knowledge and practice to do it. It is advisable that you learn to do it correctly under the guidance of 200 hour Yoga teacher training certification programs and able teachers at Yoga teacher training in India.
