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ancient science of life vol no xi no 1 2 july october 1991 pages 1 6 pranayama and brain correlates t m srinivasan director of institutional laboratory the fetzer institute ...

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                Ancient Science of Life,                                                         Vol  No. XI No.1 & 2, July & October 1991, Pages 1 - 6 
                                                                 
                                                                 
                                        PRANAYAMA AND BRAIN CORRELATES 
                                                                 
                                                     T. M. SRINIVASAN 
                                                                 
                         Director of Institutional Laboratory, The Fetzer Institute, 9292 W. K L Avenue,  
                                                Kalamazoo, M. I. 49009, U. S. A. 
                                                                   
                Received: 3 April 1991                                                                            Accepted: 12 June 1991 
                ABSTRACT: Many yogic methods emphasis control and suspension of breath as important 
                components of the path to transcendence.  However, the Pranayamas are varied and their role of 
                both improve the physical aspects of breathing and for calming the mind, the latter being very 
                important in the management of many phycosomatic disorders.  Different types of Pranayama 
                seem to influence the brain functioning in specific ways.  Since the breath seems to link the body 
                and the mind, it is possible to study this link by studying the effect of Pranayama on some brain 
                functioning. This report document some of the recent observations of EEG changes during 
                different types of Pranayama and their significance in health and diseases. 
                 
                Introduction 
                 
                Pranayama is an important anga (limb) of            “The three sorts of motion of Pranayama 
                the Yoga system of Patanjali, though only           are, one by which we draw the breath in, 
                three aphorisms are dedicated to this in the        another by which we throw it out, and the 
                Yoga Sutras.   They may be roughly                  third action in which the breath is held in the 
                translated as follows:  “Pranayama is the           lungs, or stopped from entering the lungs. 
                control of exhalation and inhalation”; ‘It is       These, again, are varied by place and time.  
                modified through external, internal and             By place is meant that the prana is held to 
                motionless ways, controlled in place, time,         some particular part of the body.  By time is 
                number, being either long or short”; and            meant how long the prana  should be 
                “The fourth is the complete cessation (of           confined to a certain place, and so we are 
                breathing) with reflection on external or           told how many seconds to keep one motion, 
                internal objects” (Yoga Sutras : II 49 – 51).       and how many seconds to keep another.  
                After this very terse exposition on the             The results of this Pranayama is Udgata, 
                method of Pranayama practice, Maharishi             awakening the Kundalini”. 
                Patanjal states that by this, the covering on        
                the citta is removed and the citta becomes          While this passage clarifies the three types 
                fit for Dharana (II 52, 53).                        of Pranayama mentioned in the Sutras, the 
                                                                    fourth type that is mentioned  has come 
                In this beautiful and expressive translation        under much discussion.  Several 
                of the Patanjala Yoga Sutras, Swami                 commentators have tried to interpret the 
                Vivekananda writes as follows (1):                  fourth type of Pranayama in their own way.  
                                                                    One certain message of the relevant Sutra is 
                                                                    that the breath should be stopped and the 
                                                            Pages 1 - 6 
                 
               citta or the mind brings to focus an object       (control), but from Prana  and  Ayama, 
               for contemplation.                                while the latter term according to 
                                                                 Amarakosa  means length, rising, extensity, 
               Hatapradipika of Svatmarma is a text of           expansion, in other words, it is the process 
               importance when the actual practice of the        whereby the ordinary and comparatively 
               Yoga angas are in discussion.  In this work,      slight manifestation of Prana in lengthened, 
               it is said that the practice of Pranayama is      strengthened and developed. 
               necessary for removing all impurities in the       
               nadis or the subtle channels through which        “Pranayama is first with a view to control.  
               the  pranic  energy flows in the body.            The latter is then moved into Susumna by 
               Tranquility of the mind, avoiding disease         stirring of Kundalini, who blocks the entry 
               and transcending the fear of death (note, not     (Brahma-dvara)  thereto.  With the 
               transcending death itself) are the outcomes       disappearance of Prana there from, Ida and 
               of proper practice of Pranayama (2).              Pingala  “die” (i.e, they are relaxed and 
                                                                 devitalized, as every part of the body is from 
               More recently, the famous yoga teacher            which the Prana – Sakti is with drawn), and 
               from India, Sri.  B. K. S. Iyengar has the        the  Prana  in  Susumna  by means of the 
               following to say in his book ‘Light on            Sakti-Kundalini,  pierces the six Cakras 
               Pranayama’ (3) :                                  which block the passage in the 
                                                                 Brahmanadi, and eventually becomes laya 
               “Pranayama is an art and has techniques to        in  the Great British which is the final end 
               make the respiratory organs to move and           and aim of this process”. 
               expand internally, rhythmically and                
               intensively.  It consists of long, sustained      While these important sources talk about the 
               flow of inhalation (puraka),  exhalation          role of Pranayama           in expanding 
               (rechaka),   and retention of breath              consciousness and in maintaining health, we 
               (kumbhaka).  Puraka  stimulates the               need to look for very specific changes that 
               system; rechaka throws out vitiated air and       occur in the body –  mind continuum in 
               toxins;  kumbhaka  distributes the energy         individuals practicing this ancient technique.  
               throughout the body…. This disciplined            The brain is a logical place for a search 
               breathing helps the mind to concentrate and       since yoga is for restraining citta  or the 
               enables the sadhaka to attain robust health       mind.  The workings of the mind, breathing 
               and longevity”.                                   and body functions are closely connected to 
                                                                 each other, as most workers in the 
               While writing commentary on the classical         psychosomatic area will agree.  Breathing is 
               text Satcakra Nirupana¸ the exposition on         a link between body and mind, as much as 
               the Kundalini Sakthi in the body, Sir John        brain is a link between the two.  Thus, if 
               Woodroffe has the following to say (4):           both brain and breathing are individually 
                                                                 linked to the psyche and the soma, the 
               “Pranayama      is frequently translated          natural question is what connections are 
               “breath control”.  Having regard to the           there between is what connections are there 
               processes employed, the term is not               between brain and breathing themselves.  
               altogether inappropriate if it is understood      We shall review the current literature in 
               that “breath” means not only the Sthula, but      research aimed at understanding this link. 
               the Suksma-vayu.  But the word does not            
               come from Prana  (breath) and Yama                 
                                                         Pages 1 - 6 
                
                EEG correlates of Pranayama                          specific frequency of activity and 
                                                                     localization in the brain. 
                While many studies report brain electrical            
                activity or EEG (electroencephalogram)               The consequence of such specificity is 
                changes during meditation (a topic which             difficult to understand at this time.  With 
                will not be taken by here), only recently the        current research focus in many prominent 
                effects of Pranayama along is being studies          laboratories, of relating specific frequencies 
                to understand the changes in brain activity          in the brain to specific neurotransmitter 
                during these procedures.                             release, it is likely that a particular 
                                                                     neurotransmitter is released for each type of 
                Agnisara  is a unique  Pranayama  whose              Pranayama.  If found true, this could lead 
                description is as follows (5) : “The student         to therapeutic procedures for many 
                site with crossed legs and inhales deeply.           neurologic disorders.  For example, a 
                Then with a forced exhalation he empties             calcium deficiency could be compensated 
                the lungs as much as possible.  After the            through the practice of a particular 
                exhalation, he keeps the breath out for a few        Pranayama. 
                moments without inhaling.  In this                    
                condition, his diaphragm is raised naturally         Ultradian Rhythm in the Body Functions 
                to the thoracic cavity and he can manipulate          
                the abdominal muscles.  Again, as long as            Before we take up the subject of EEG 
                his diaphragm is in the raised position, he          changes due to other Pranayamic breathing, 
                pumps the abdominal muscles inward and               let us review briefly the biorhythms 
                outward in a quick succession.  In each              associated with some body functions.  There 
                round, when he empties his lungs, he pumps           are several rhythms in the environment that 
                fifteen to twenty times without inhaling.            the body follows cyclically, for example, the 
                This is one round.  A student can practice           well-known circadian rhythm which follows 
                ten rounds daily”.                                   the day-night cycle and the circannual one 
                                                                     with a period of about a year which are seen 
                Two reports are available indicating certain         in the seasonal variations.  The ultradian 
                unusual EEG patterns during Agnisara                 rhythm, is a rhythm with a period less than 
                (6,7).  During this practice, EEG pattern            20 hours and here the examples include 
                showed bursts of 50 –  100 microvolt                 sleep-wake cycle and the hunger-satiation 
                amplitude waves in the frequency 12 – 13             periods. 
                Hz.  These waves seemed to occur                      
                preferentially during the retraction of the          An important ultradian rhythm is the nasal 
                abdominal wall and at the pre – Rolandic             cycle well known to the ancient yogis.  This 
                areas of the brain.  The brain responds to the       rhythm is an endogenous one, meaning that 
                somatto  –  visceral inputs arising from the         is internally controlled and is characterized 
                abdominal wall activity.  Further, exercises         by dominance in nostril breathing.  This 
                such as Nauli, Bastrika and Suryabedana              means at any time, the breathing is 
                seem to have characteristic frequencies              predominantly through one nostril and after 
                between 12 and 17 Hz and between 26 and              a time, a switch occurs to the other nostril.  
                33 Hz with specific cortical localizations.          This switching occurs about 10 times in a 24 
                Hence, the conclusion is that these                  hour period.  Thus, for a normal individual, 
                Pranayamas stimulate specific receptors in           there is a shift in nostril breathing once in 
                the body, each of which have, in their turn,         every two to three hours. 
                                                            Pages 1 - 6 
                 
                                                                      laboratory.  Both the top and bottom panels 
                It is too early to talk about the consequences        of the figure show one epoch each, 
                of this rhythm in health and diseases;                representing two seconds of EEG data.  The 
                however, a few reports have emerged to                panels show the frequency spectra at 19 
                indicate its importance in maintaining a              locations on the scalp.  The frequency band 
                balance in the autonomic nervous system               covered in this plot is between 0 and 32 Hz.  
                activity.  We shall briefly report some recent        The plots have the front of the head 
                findings of correlations between unilateral           represented on the top of each panel and the 
                nostrils breathing and brain functioning.             back at the bottom.  The top panel is with 
                                                                      the subject breathing with the dominant 
                Unilateral nostril breathing and brain                (left) nostril with the right nostril closed, 
                functions                                             while the bottom panel is taken when the 
                                                                      right or the non dominant nostril is utilized 
                The most interesting work in this area is             for breathing with the left nostril closed.  In 
                related to changes in the electrical activity o       each case, the breathing is achieved by 
                the brain hemispheres due to both natural             closing one nostril with a nasal plug. 
                alterations in nostril breathing and during            
                forced unilateral nostril breathing, this latter      It is seen clearly that in the top panel, the 
                being similar to Pranayamic breathing.  It            right brain hemisphere is more active than 
                has been observed that the total EEG                  the left, while in the bottom panel the 
                amplitude is higher in the contra lateral             opposite seems to be the case.  This is seen 
                hemisphere than the ipsilateral hemisphere.           consistently in some subjects.  In other 
                In other words, if a person is breathing              subjects, the contra lateral dominance is not 
                predominately with the left nostril, that             as clear as in the above case; however, one 
                person’s right hemisphere of the brain will           could still see a shift in activity in the EEG.  
                be more active, putting out a greater                 There is a third category of subjects for 
                electrical signal than the left hemisphere (8).       whom it is observed that they are unable to 
                                                                      make any shift at all, even in relative 
                Even during forced nostril breathing, such            magnitudes (9).  Both physiologic 9such as 
                hemispheric responses have been found.                polyp in one nostril) and psychologic (stress 
                Figure 1 shows a typical frequency response           and anxiety) reasons could be assigned in 
                plot of an individual during forced nostril           such cases, though we have not investigated 
                breathing conditions taken with Lexicor 23            these possibilities at this time. 
                channel brain mapping system at our 
                                                              Pages 1 - 6 
                 
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...Ancient science of life vol no xi july october pages pranayama and brain correlates t m srinivasan director institutional laboratory the fetzer institute w k l avenue kalamazoo i u s a received april accepted june abstract many yogic methods emphasis control suspension breath as important components path to transcendence however pranayamas are varied their role both improve physical aspects breathing for calming mind latter being very in management phycosomatic disorders different types seem influence functioning specific ways since seems link body it is possible study this by studying effect on some report document recent observations eeg changes during significance health diseases introduction an anga limb three sorts motion yoga system patanjali though only one which we draw aphorisms dedicated another throw out sutras they may be roughly third action held translated follows lungs or stopped from entering exhalation inhalation these again place time modified through external interna...

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