Primary Prāṇāyāma & Bandha Practice Techniques as taught by Krishnamacharya and Desikachar

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Prāṇāyāma & Bandha Practice Techniques Glossary
– Grouped into Primary, Secondary & Ancillary Techniques

Quick Links for this page:
1. Primary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
2. Primary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
3. Secondary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
4. Secondary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
5. Ancillary Breathing Techniques
6. Ancillary Support Practice Techniques
7. Ancillary Bandha Practice Techniques

1. Primary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Nāḍī Śodhana
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka Right Nostril
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka Left Nostril

2. Primary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Anuloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Alternate Nostrils (Starting with Left)

Viloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka Alternate Nostrils (Starting with Left)
– Recaka  both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Pratiloma Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Left Nostril
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka  both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka Right Nostril
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

3. Secondary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Sūrya Bhedana
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka Left Nostril

Bhastrikā
– Fast Single Nostril Abdominal Breathing
– Changing Nostril after every Pūraka (Starting with Left)

4. Secondary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques

Śītalī
– Pūraka through Mouth with Tubed Tongue whilst Raising Head
– Antar Kumbhaka whilst Lowering Head
– Recaka  both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Sītkārī
– Pūraka through Mouth with hissing sound over Tongue
between slightly opened teeth whilst Raising Head
– Antar Kumbhaka whilst Lowering Head 
– Recaka  both Nostrils with Ujjāyī

Candra Bhedana
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka Right Nostril

Bhrāmarī
– Pūraka and/or Recaka  through both
Nostrils with Humming Sound

5. Ancillary Breathing Techniques

Ujjāyī
– Pūraka both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
– Recaka  both Nostrils with Ujjāyī
(Not taught as a Prāṇāyāma technique per se,
but as a breathing technique in and for Āsana and Mudrā and
as an introductory or preliminary or transitional seated breathing exercise)

Kapālabhāti
– Fast Abdominal Breathing both Nostrils
(Technically a Kriyā so used on its own before or in Āsana, or in Mudrā
or as a seated preliminary technique before Prāṇāyāma
or as an introductory step towards Bhastrikā)

6. Ancillary Support Practice Techniques

Mūrcchā
– Deep Pūraka
– Very Long Recaka

Plāvinī
– Long Antar Kumbhaka

Antar Kumbhaka
– Holding after Pūraka

Bāhya Kumbhaka
– Stopping after Recaka

Samavṛtti
– All components of the Ratio
the same length

Viṣamavṛtti
– Components of the Ratio
not the same length

Anuloma Krama
– Patterns of Antar Kumbhaka
during the Pūraka

Viloma Krama
– Patterns of Bāhya Kumbhaka
during the Recaka

Pratiloma Krama
– Patterns of Antar Kumbhaka and Bāhya Kumbhaka
during the Pūraka and the Recaka

7. Ancillary Bandha Practice Techniques

Jihvā Bandha
– Tongue Curled Upwards and Backwards

Jālandhara Bandha
– Spine held Erect
– Chin Drawn Down and In on Bāhya Kumbhaka
by extending the back of the neck
– Pūraka intensifies the Bandha

Uḍḍīyana Bandha
– After Recaka on Bāhya Kumbhaka
– Abdomen drawn back towards the spine and
as a consequence moved upwards

Mūla Bandha
– After Uḍḍīyana Bandha on the Bāhya Kumbhaka
– Lower Abdomen held in during the Pūraka

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