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

BOM DIA NAMASTE GOOD MORNING

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STARTING THE SESSION WITH THE RECITATION OF A MANTRA Reciting AUM three times Keep the eyes closed and Listen to its recitation through your body 2

Mantra for Recitation aum saha nā vavatu Saha nau bhunaktu Saha viryam karavā-vahai Tejaswinā-vadhi-tamastu Mā-vid-dvishāvahai Om, shāntih, shāntih, shāntih. 3

“ THE BENEFITS OF

SPIRITUAL YOGA ” “FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE”

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IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF SPIRITUAL YOGA

• Working with “Breath”, “Breathing”, “Internally Aroused Sensations related with these two”, the “Area of the Vertebral Column” and the “Skull Cavity”. 5

WORKING WITH BREATHING IN YOGA • CORRECTING “MECHANICS OF BREATHING”, and • LEARNING TO WORK WITH THE “FLOW OF BREATH INSIDE THE BODY”

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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

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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 an Opening Practice Session on Yogic lines We want to develop “AWARENESS” of our (1) BODY and (2) BREATHING 9

Opening Practice Session-1 Getting Internal Experiential Knowledge of our Physical Body (Structural Existence in Yoga) 10

Opening Practice Session – 1.a Standing instructions for our practices: – Stop using external senses (seeing, smelling, tasting, touch) during these practices. – Only use audition to listen to the instructions for the practices. – No Visualization, and – No Imagination. 11

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 12

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 13

Opening Practice Session – 1.d • Instead of giving “Instructions” to your Body and Breathing; • “Start Listening” to your Body and Breathing from inside. • Recognize the nature of “Messages” that start reaching you from the Body and Breathing. 14

Opening Practice Session – 1.e • In relation to the Physical body, usually, people become aware of the areas of Tensions, Tremors, Pains, Discomfort, Heaviness, Lightness, Warmth, Heat, Burning, Shivering, Sweating and other kinds of disturbing 15

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

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Opening Practice Session – 1.g • Try to minimize these disturbing messages reaching the mind from the physical body by making suitable gross and/or subtle; psychic and/or physical adjustments. • This is “Purification of the Physical Body” or our “Structural Existence” in yogic

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Opening Practice Session-2 Getting Internal Experiential Knowledge of our Breathing (Representing Vital Body in Yoga) 18

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. 20

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; 21

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 22

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

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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

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EXPERIENTIAL YOGA DR.BHOLE APPROACH

MAIN TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 25

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. 26

TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

(A) Recognizing disturbed and/or Incorrect (1) “Breathing”, and (2) “Flow of Breath” as indicators of Psycho-somatic disturbances. 27

TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION (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. 28

TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION • 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. 29

TOPICS OF PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION • 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 30

Practice Session One

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Experiencing Gross Physical Movements related with SPONTANEOUS

BREATHING

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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. 33

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

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • Usually, we observe that the stomach wall is moving “Outwards during Inspiration”, and “Inwards during Expiration”.

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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 38

Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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. • Enter your findings in the figure. 45

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing.

• 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. • Enter your findings in the figure. 47

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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. 49

Experiencing Breathing Movements without the help of the hands. Do you feel any difference between the two modes of experiencing breathing movements: • With the help of the hands, and • Without the help of the hands??

• What is the difference, if any?? 50

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 %.

Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing.

• 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. 54

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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing.

• 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. 56

Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing.

• 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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Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. 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? 58

Experiencing Trunk (Body) movements related with Normal Breathing. 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 Movements Related 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. 61

EXPERIENCING THE CAUSE or THE CAUSES OF SPONTANEOUS BREATHING MOVEMENTS OF THE TRUNK (BODY) 62

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

Experiencing Causes of Spontaneous Breathing Movements of the Trunk • 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”. 64

Experiencing Causes of Spontaneous Breathing Movements of the Trunk • 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. 65

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. 66

Experiencing Causes of Spontaneous Breathing Movements of the Trunk • 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? 67

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. 69

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 70

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. 71

(A) Getting internal experiential knowledge and understanding about

(a) The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. 72

(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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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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. 75

(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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 76

(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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

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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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

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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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 80

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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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 82

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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. • 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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(a) Experiencing Body movements related with Normal Breathing. 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 85

Cause/s of Body Movements Related 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 86

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 87

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 90

Experiencing “Flow of Breath” • 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 91

Experiencing “Flow of Breath” • 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. 92

Experiencing “Flow of Breath” • 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 93

Important Theoretical Considerations from Modern Medical Sciences to understand and follow our work with Breathing on Traditional Yogic lines

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15 mins. 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 ESTRESSE DATA 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

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Important Theoretical Considerations from Modern Medical Sciences to understand and follow our work with Breathing on Traditional 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. 98

Important Structures and Functions of the Nervous System useful for our work. • Neuroscientists refer to three brains: 1. Reptile Brain, 2. Mammalian Brain, and 3. Human Brain.

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Important Structures and Functions of the Nervous System useful for our work. 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, and 5. Primary and associated areas in relation to these nerve centers. 101

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The Mechanics of 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 108

The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. • 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. 109

The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. • 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)

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The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. • 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

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The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. • 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

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The Mechanics of Normal Breathing. • 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. 113

(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 114

Analysis of Physical Movements 115

Analysis of Physical Movements • All our physical movements are Neuro-Muscular and/or PsychoNeuro-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. 116

Analysis of Physical Movements • 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. 117

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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 119

Analysis of Physical Movements • 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 120

Analysis of Physical Movements • 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. 121

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(A) Getting internal experiential knowledge and understanding about

(b) The Mechanics of Voluntary Breathing. 123

(B1) RECOGNIZING DISTURBED AND INCORRECT BREATHING AND TAKING CORRECTIVE MEASURES 124

(B2) RECOGNIZING DISTURBANCES IN “THE FLOW OF BREATH” INSIDE THE BODY AND TAKING MEASURES TO CORRECT THEM 125

(C) BENEFITS AND APPLIED ASPECTS OF THE WORK THAT CAN BE DONE WITH BREATH AND BREATHING TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE 126

> 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 127

OBRIGADO Namaste 128