The Nine Breaths - A Preliminary Purification Practice

Nine Breaths of Purification

Introduction to Prana and Its Importance

• The session begins with the practice of nine breaths for purification, aimed at stabilizing and clearing Prana, which is essential for settling the mind.

• Prana is described as more than just breath; it is referred to as the "motility factor," responsible for movement within the body. This understanding emphasizes its significance in physical and mental processes.

Preparation for Practice

• Participants are encouraged to adopt a comfortable posture: full Lotus if possible, or cross-legged, ensuring a straight back without leaning on a chair. This position aids in effective breathing practices.

• The technique involves creating a "vajra fist" with hands placed at right angles on thighs, which helps lift the spine and create pressure points that guide Prana flow effectively during breathing exercises.

Execution of Nine Breaths

• The practice consists of inhaling while raising one hand and exhaling quietly through alternating nostrils, completing three cycles on each side to facilitate energy movement. Visualization plays a key role in this process.

• As participants inhale light representing the five elements, they visualize impurities being expelled from their bodies during exhalation—this includes negative emotions associated with personal adversaries and existential fears like death. For women, this is visualized as dark red streams; for men, it's dirty white streams symbolizing anger and aggression.

Progression Through Breath Cycles

• Each round of breaths becomes progressively clearer: starting with darker colors representing heavier impurities (red/white) transitioning into lighter shades indicating partial purification before culminating in clear colors symbolizing complete clarity (ruby red/crystalline white). This reflects an ongoing cleansing process throughout the practice.