Pranayama

Interview with Jerad Lamarche

After I produced Breath, Jerad emailed me saying:

As a long time yoga guy who specializes in pranayama (a rich philosophy and technique set which begins around the breath), I can attest to the importance of breathing! Nobody teaches us to breathe as children, and we ignorantly go through life thinking we know how to. We don't.

My life changed significantly with minor changes to how I breathe. James Nestor, and Wim Hof are others who have discovered this. I'm glad they bring it to the world.

I also wish that it was further respected as our birthright, and the depth of knowledge and wisdom was more widely accepted and understood. It goes far beyond what Wim Hof and James Nestor describe.

I was curious about what “it goes far beyond…” meant, so I invited Jerad to this interview, and I’m very glad he accepted.

With thanks to Jerad Lamarche.

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1. Jerad, can you please start by telling us about your background and what led you to specialize in pranayama?

I started practicing yoga when I was 19 and I knew after the first class that I had a profound need for it.  It took me until I was 25 to go to India and really learn it.  Previous to that India was not on my radar at all, but I had been searching and searching for more knowledge.  I asked everyone I could to teach me what they knew about yoga.  I came to a point where I was very familiar with the asana, but I lacked the depth of knowledge and philosophy to take my practice deeper. 

Pranayama, at the time, was not a well-known thing.  It’s not like today where this or that ‘breathwork’ is everywhere.  Not many people knew about it.  Nobody was talking about it.  And those that were familiar with the term wouldn’t talk about it or teach it because of a reverent respect for how powerful it can be.  I couldn’t find anyone to teach me.

So I went to India.  There’s a lot more to that story, so I can expand if you’d like.  I found an ashram and a teacher in Rishikesh and I stayed for a total of six months (Canadians could only get a six month visa at the time; I went back for another 3 months shortly after).  I did a teacher-training, and I begged my teacher to teach me pranayama.  He finally accepted and we met in the mornings at 4am to practice together.

I can only say that—in short—I found everything I was looking for and more.  Words can not describe the profundity of what I learned and experienced there.  We talk about life, joy, the soul, the light-in-the-eyes, true happiness, bliss, or Love all rather blithely in daily life.  It is something altogether different to know it for yourself, beyond shadow of doubt, and to always be able to find that centre.

This is why I began to specialize in pranayama.  I wanted then, and now, for everybody to have this understanding.

2. For those unfamiliar, how would you describe pranayama and its significance in yoga practice?

Pranayama means “life-force expansion”.  Often it is equated to “breath control” but that is a very limited understanding.  Prana is like chi, qi, etc.  It is the life energy that flows through everything. Ayama means to expand. Yama means restraint or control.  So, you can read pranayama two different ways, and combining those two ways gives you the whole picture.

It is a practice of gross perception to subtle perception.  It is direct experience of the energy that drives the universe.  It is a cultivation of that energy by harmonizing with it and ceasing the waste that goes on through various thoughts and desires. 

You’ll hear a million different terms and ways of describing this.  The koshas (sheaths), prana pancha vayu (the five pranas), the chakras, the nadis, etc.  All are tools of language to give the yogi a way to move from gross to subtle.  To move from the experience and bondage of gross materialism into greater climes of perception and being.

These things don’t exist like blood vessels.  They are symbols and a system.  Cut me open and you won’t find a chakra.  But tell me how to direct my thought and energy using a chakra, and I can achieve a different state of perception. 

Pranayama is like this.  We use the breath and the philosophy of prana to direct and cultivate our perception and experience toward the ultimate.

3. In pranayama, the timing and posture are often emphasized. Why is it important to practice these techniques on an empty stomach and in a seated position with a straight spine?

All yoga should be practiced not just on an empty stomach, but on an empty system.  You should have completely digested and eliminate the bowels and bladder before practice.  This is one reason why practice is best in the morning.  Get up nice and early (there is even specific times for different types of people—see Ayurveda), drink some warm saline water with a squeeze of lime to wake up the digestive tract.  Eliminate the bowels. Practice.  It is also good to have a warm shower before practice.

This is because digestion takes an enormous amount of energy.  And when the digestion and the bowels are engaged in their work, a large portion of our energy system is employed in its business.  Apana prana, one of the pancha pranas (the five energies that dictate our physical function), is the energy responsible for elimination, and we want to control this energy during practice.  We are going against the system, and will cause trouble if we practice while these energies are engaged.

As for a straight spine, the idea is that the spine is central to the entire practice of hatha yoga.  We are using the physical to pierce into subtler and more profound means of existence.  The spine relates to the main energy channel of the being:  sushumna nadi.  There’s no real way of explaining this in English, but we have three main energy channels ida, pingala, and sushumna nadi.  We balance ida and pingala (lunar/solar; left/right), and we bring together the prana vayu (uplifting, intake energy governing the thoracic area and breath) and the apana vayu (the excretive, downward moving energy governing the pelvic area).  This allows the energy to enter sushumna nadi and the energy bound at the base of the spine arises to unite shakti (the earthly life force and generative feminine) and shiva (the universal consciousness and the seed of all creation). 

This is heavy duty philosophy, but to summarize and hopefully make plain this complexity, everything relates to everything else through macro and microcosm, and internal and external.  As above, so below.  We work with what is within our grasp to begin to perceive the infinite within.  I don’t know that it is even necessary to understand this to experience these things.  I think a simple practice with a good teacher would allow everyone to experience this for themselves.  The difficulty is that we can be very curious and skeptical.  We need reasons for things.  We like framework.  The best thing to do would be to trust a trustworthy teacher to teach you, and the questions answer themselves.  Barring that, we have this philosophy. 

4. Can you share a moment or experience where pranayama had a profound impact on your life?

I will tell you the story of what it did for me.  I was in the ashram in India, practicing after hours.  It was approaching sunset and the yoga hall was empty, but I would often go off and practice by myself.  So, in one such time, I finished a round of nadi shodana with my exhale (see below) and everything just exploded.  It is difficult to describe but I was every atom of the universe throughout time.  Or more accurately time does not exist and all was all.  I still had perception and I could move about to look through time and space.  I visited my family and friends in an instant.  I could feel and see my own body sitting in the hall.  Words really cannot describe it and I probably shouldn’t try.  The overall feeling was a complete and utter absorption in ultimate Love.  There was complete peace and infinite expansiveness.  I have never had such an experience again, and I feel I wasted it in many ways.  But it left me with the unalterable notion that Love is everything, and we are infinitely powerful because we are that.

When I came back to my body, it was now dark outside, and I realized my body hadn’t been breathing at all.  I took a breath, reluctantly, and that almost solidified my existence back into that body.

My life has never been the same.  How could it be after knowing this?

5. What are some common misconceptions about pranayama that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them?

This notion of breathwork.  We have many people chasing trance-like experiences brought about by various breathing techniques.  This is no better than drug-use.  And the breath, while central to the practice of pranayama, is not the focus.  We need to start thinking in subtler terms.  True pranayama starts when the breath stops.

I think education is the most important.  Unfortunately, yogic parlance is not always understandable or palatable for different people.  The philosophy is so contrary and foreign to what we are taught in the Western world.  And not everybody wants to put in the work necessary to cultivate what I’ve been describing here.  It is a very difficult path.  Who doesn’t want some grandiose trance, though?

The term breathwork is not inherently bad, but just like ‘yoga’ has been bastardized into corporate capitalism and fitness, I see the same misconceptions are being created around pranayama.

We are too focused on the “self”.  Self-love, self-healing, self, self, self.  The whole point of practice is to transcend the little self.  We have to believe, at first, that there is something greater, something better, and that it is available to us.

In fact it is our very being, but we split ourselves off from it.  I digress, but this is probably the main misconception that drives all the others.  The idea that “I” can get something, when in fact it is a leaving behind of all the garbage that prevents us from knowing the truth.

6. For beginners, what are some simple pranayama techniques that can be easily incorporated into daily life?

Start to think of everything as energy.  See how it moves through you and everything else.  Respect life.  Walk gently.

Pay strict attention to your breath.  Breathe long and slow.  Use your whole torso for this and let it be a gentle but unstoppable wave that washes you from toe to tip, tip to toe.  Eventually you will do this naturally.

Soften the barrier between your body and the outer world.  Imagine your inhales and exhales as expansion and contraction of the entire world, originating from you.  Reach out and in.  Eliminate the idea that this body exists as a separate entity.

7. In your experience, what are the most significant physical and mental benefits of pranayama?

Physically, it tones the entire body and nervous system.  Your nerves will become steel, and the strifes and stresses of the world will have little to no effect on you.  The mind becomes very clear, like a still pond, and sharp and quick as an arrow.

8. Can you walk us through the technique of Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) and explain how it affects the mind and body?

I know nadi shodhana as something a little more advanced than what people generally use the term for.  The names don’t matter, and you’ll find discrepancies everywhere.  I was taught, and call alternate nostril breathing “anuloma viloma”, while nadi shodhana is a more advanced form with a ratio of breathing and breath retentions (kumbhak).

In alternate nostril breathing, we generally use the right hand to alternate closing the nostrils while we breath.  It is very simple, and very very good.  Everyone can do this.

Empty system, remember!  And most importantly, there should NEVER be any strain or stress.  Stop immediately and rest with natural breath if you feel this in any pranayama.

Sit comfortably, straight spine, relaxed shoulders and face.  Exhale through both nostrils.  Always start on the left side.

Closing the right nostril just below the cartilage of the nose, with the thumb of the right hand, breathe in through the left nostril.

Close the left nostril with the ring finger and pinky of the right hand.  Exhale through the right nostril.

Keep the left nostril closed.  Inhale through the right nostril.

Close the right nostril.  Exhale through the left nostril.

This completes one round.  The breaths should be balanced, and you can do this by counting the length of your breath on each side as you go.  Try starting at 4 seconds for each side.

Always finish with the exhale on the left, then let go the nostrils and breathe normally.

Practice for a short time only, until you build comfort and familiarity.  Then you can expand the length of practice and length of breath as you go.

Get somebody to teach you!  There are many subtleties that you will discover, and this is a very deep practice. 

9. Kapalabhati, also known as Skull Shining Breath, is often described as a cleansing technique. Could you elaborate on how this practice purifies the respiratory system and energizes the body?

Yes, it’s not really a pranayama but is usually classified as a kriya, or more accurately a shatkarma.  It is excellent and really benefits the whole body.

I think of it like a wringing out.  You squeeze the root, diaphragm, and belly to expel the breath sharply.  The intention is to eliminate the things that are not conducive to our health and practice.  When you wring out a sponge, you remove most of the impurity.  Continued dipping in water and wringing out will clean the sponge further.

It is called “Skull Shining Breath” because after a week of doing it daily, your eyes will be bright and clear, and your forehead will have a soft glow.

It cleanses the energy channels, the lungs, and really helps the body to purify itself as a whole.  It will bring great calm, especially if paired with the bandhas and breath retentions.  It is excellent to do during asana practice, and before pranayama.  Or anytime you feel overwhelmed with emotion.  I find it especially helpful with anxiety.

10. Bhramari (Bee Breath) uses sound and vibration as a central component. How do these elements contribute to calming the nervous system and improving concentration?

The coordinated breathing, just like anuloma viloma, brings balance to the system.  We also usually like to hum longer than we inhale and this brings great peace and quiet to the system because an extended exhale is the “letting go” side of breathing.  To put it bluntly, an inhale is life, and an exhale is death.  Always in balance, two sides of the coin.  If we exhale longer, it brings a cessation of motion, which gives peace to overactivity.

The sound and vibration side is soothing because it creates ripples.  Have you ever seen what happens in a pond with a scum of algae on top when a stone is thrown in?  The ripples created push the algae away, clearing the surface.  That is one way to describe what happens.

In a way it is also a form of mantra.  It gives the mind a very tangible and pleasurable point of rest.  A one-pointed mind is essential to meditation.

11. Ujjayi, or Victorious Breath, is commonly used during yoga asana practice. What role does the subtle throat constriction play in this technique, and how does it help in maintaining focus and rhythm?

The throat constriction allows us to lengthen the breath.  By making the airway tighter or smaller, and breathing with the back of the throat, we make this long drawn-out rubbing kind of breath.  This allows us to lengthen our breathing which allows for lengthening and slowing of movement.  I’ve also heard it said physiologically that it puts a pressure on the carotid sinus which activates the parasympathetic nervous system.  I’ve never been able to verify this personally, and I’m less concerned with the science than I am with personal results.  But it does cultivate a calm, clear energy.

Remember that we should always be moving toward subtlety.

A couple notes on this breath:

It is very heating and should be released if too much heat is created, or any strain.  It also states in the Hatha Yoga Pradika that we should not sweat in asana practice.  If sweat comes it should be rubbed back in, and we should cool the practice.  Open pores are energy leaks.

So, it should not be used all the time.  But it is very energizing, and can be done in any position, at any time.

The breath should also be almost silent.  I have heard it greatly exaggerated.  This is fine to demonstrate, but someone beside you should just barely hear you breathing if you are practicing properly.

12. Sitali (Cooling Breath) is known for its cooling effects. Can you explain how this technique works and when it might be particularly beneficial to practice?

This is one I don’t often use or teach.  I live in Canada, so being overwarm is not super common.  I have experimented with it in the sauna before, with good results (probably not advisable).  But cooling does not just mean body temperature.  As usual there are more subtle layers.

It can be used in any situation where there is too much “heat” in the system.  Think anger, or frustrated pressure, or a situation of overwork.

By curling the tongue and drawing air in over it, we immediately feel a cool sensation.  it’s actually pretty incredible to me how effective it is.  It feels like cool water over the tongue.

So, the effects are very similar.  It, like other pranayamas, focuses the mind and we control the breathing.  This already is enough to cool the system, but we add the tongue thing and it brings about that cool glass of water experience.

13. Can you explain the role of pranayama in preparing the body and mind for deeper meditation practices? How do these breathing techniques facilitate a meditative state?

Now we come to it!  This is the whole point.  I have said a lot on this already, but we use pranayama basically to allow our mind and body to get the hell out of the way so we can practice.

There is a state after pranayama that comes which is extraordinarily quiet and peaceful.  It is as if the world opens up and light shines through.  Meditation is spontaneous and blissful. 

According to Pantanjali, “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”  This means that the cessation of movement in the mind and energy system allows us to be in union and harmony with the ultimate.  Pranayama creates this open stillness.  Awareness is still and pervasive.  That is a lackluster and base explanation, but I hope it serves for now.

The only reason we need asana or pranayama, is because we have allowed our mind, emotions, and desires to captain the ship.  If we could hold our awareness on the throne, or at the helm (to not mix metaphors) we would exist in this state of blissful, luminous awareness.  Samadhi.  Rigpa to the Dzogcheners out there.  Brahman to the Advaitans.

14. What advice would you give to someone interested in deepening their pranayama practice?

Find someone with really deep, real experience to teach you!  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Read as many books as you need to be inspired but know that they won’t teach you.  I practiced from books for a few years, and thought I knew a lot.  I knew nothing.  I know even less now.

Know that there are very few true experts, only people further on in this particular experience.

Know that this is your birthright, and you can claim it if you want. 

15. As someone deeply experienced in pranayama, what personal insights have you gained about the connection between breath and overall well-being that you wish more people understood?

Breath is one of the easiest things to bring into our purview of control.  In a world obsessed with giving away control or agency in exchange for security, comfort, or convenience, I think it is probably the most accessible way for us to begin to realize who we are, truly.  Health and wellness are not ravaged globally because of _____ cause.  They are ravaged because we have allowed ourselves to be ruled and governed by rapacious egos.  Our own included.  If we only knew how little we needed if our cup was full.  How do we fill it?  Isn’t that this endless search for happiness?

What search isn’t endless?  There is an answer.

Can I talk about spirituality without sounding religious?  Can I say that there is something greater than us all, even if we don’t believe in this or that god?  I’ve learned to ask the right questions.  Who am I?  Why am I here?  What is my purpose?  How can I be of service?  What is the truth?

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