Centre for Yoga Studies

The Art of Personal Sādhana

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    dīrgha

    Devanāgarī: दीर्घ Translation: length, long, for a long time; a long vowel Related concepts:sūkṣma

    Appears in

    Yoga Sūtra:

    Chapter 1: 14
    Chapter 2: 50

    Yoga Rahasya:

    Chapter 2: 30


    Click here for complete Saṃskṛta Index

    Commentaries around

    “Abhyāsa, when performed with reverence,
    without interruption, over a long period of time, will result
    in a healthy body, acute senses and extraordinary alertness.
    This kind of Abhyāsa is a solid foundation that nothing can disturb.”
    – T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 14

    “Within the practice guidelines for Prāṇāyāma
    Length and Subtlety are the fruits of a process,
    they are not tools for use within this process.
    The tools here are Deśa, Kāla and Sāṃkhya.
    By these the breath becomes Dīrgha and Sūkṣma,
    in other words the breath becomes Long and Subtle.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 50

    “Some Prāṇāyāma Techniques prioritise Length.
    Other Prāṇāyāma Techniques prioritise Subtlety.
    While yet other Prāṇāyāma Techniques prioritise Both.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 50

    “When working with the Breath in Āsana,
    it’s perhaps less appealing initially,
    but ultimately more attractive, satisfactory
    and effective, to integrate a Bhāvana on
    the Samāpatti of Śaithilya and Ananta,
    within a developmental Prāṇāyāma Sādhana,
    focused towards the Siddhi of Dīrgha or Length,
    supported by its counterpoint, Sūkṣma or Subtlety.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 50

    “You have to practice in such a way that
    day to day the breath gets longer and subtler.”
    – From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
    the Yoga Rahasya Chapter Two verse 30

    “Breath is indispensable for life
    and its absence is death.
    Hence the necessity to make it longer
    and accumulate the Prāṇa Śakti.
    Just as a rich man accumulates money slowly to get wealthy,
    so also one should practice every day,
    through the proper use of the breath in Āsana,
    to maintain good health.”
    – T Krishnamacharya‘s response to a question on breathing.

    Question to T Krishnamacharya:
    How necessary is Yoga in these modern times?
    Krishnamacharya’s Response:
    “For the strengthening of the Aṅga,
    Yoga Āsana practiced with long
    inhalation and exhalation is important.
    To reduce the disturbances of the mind,
    to gain mental strength and to increase longevity,
    Prāṇāyāma is necessary.”

    “Making the Breath longer than the Stillness
    means the body needs to be completely still
    before the Recaka or Exhale is started
    and especially before it is stopped.
    Equally the body needs to be completely
    still before the Pūraka or inhale is started
    and especially before it is stopped.
    This is harder than it sounds given the
    propensity to want to tweak or adjust
    the body at the beginning and especially
    when at the end of a movement.
    Thus making the Breath longer than
    the Movement also means making
    the breath longer than the Stillness.”
    – 108 Postural Practice Pointers

    “The Length of the Breath
    sets the Speed for the
    Movement of the Body.
    Rather than the Movement
    of  the Body setting
    the Speed for the
    Length for the Breath.”
    – 108 Postural Practice Pointers

    “It is not enough in Āsana to just
    work at lengthening the breath.
    We need also to explore how to
    refine the subtlety of the breath.
    Whether within a single Āsana,
    a number of Āsana in one practice,
    or within the evolution of all aspects
    of our practice over a number of years.”
    – 108 Postural Practice Pointers

    “In Learning the Tri Bandha we engage with certain potential contraindications:
    1. The Tri Bandha reduce the length and subtlety of the breath.
    2. The accumulative effect when repeated should be more intense,
    but often the opposite is what can actually happen.
    3. In the beginning the use of the Tri Bandha can disturb the system and
    create tendencies, such as for the practitioner to lose their temper.
    4. The continued use of the Tri Bandha can easily
    raise tensions in the neck and shoulders.
    5. If the abdomen appears to be retracted strongly, but the breath
    is getting shorter the practitioner is probably cheating.”
    – 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

    “In the beginning, Ujjāyī is experienced more as a sound.
    As we refine its relationship with the breath, through
    increasing the Length and deepening the Subtlety,
    Ujjāyī is felt more as a sensation within the body
    and less as a sound and vibration in the throat.”
    – 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

    “One role for a staged descent
    within a Prāṇāyāma practice,
    in terms of ratio and length,
    is to offer a receptive space to
    reveal any side effects of effort.
    Here it can be actually more
    difficult to step down gradually
    in stages rather than just stopping.
    Thus a subtle mirror in the descent
    can reveal any stress in the ascent.”
    – 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

    “Remain between the two sides
    for at least one long breath,
    in order to savour the taste
    inherent within this space.”
    – 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

    “A suggested strategy is to
    focus primarily on the length
    of the breath when working in
    group class situations with Āsana.
    Whereas, a suggested strategy is to
    focus primarily on the subtlety of
    the breath when working in group
    class situations with Prāṇāyāma.”
    – 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

    “In terms of Prāṇāyāma from
    a one-to-one perspective,
    we need to consider whether
    the practice starting point for
    the practitioner is from a Rakṣaṇa,
    Cikitsā, or Śikṣaṇa Krama viewpoint.
    From  a Rakṣaṇa Krama viewpoint,
    the situation we are focusing on initially
    is on developing the length of the breath.
    From a Cikitsā Krama viewpoint,
    the practitioner’s energy and
    respiratory capacity may be low,
    so the scope for working on the length
    of the breath may well be limited.
    Therefore a suggested strategy initially,
    is to focus on the subtlety of the breath.
    Whereas, from a Śikṣaṇa Krama viewpoint,
    the potential is there to work and develop
    both the length and the subtlety of the breath.
    So both options can be explored from the onset.”
    – 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

    Links to Related Posts:

    • cYs Practitioner Training Programme Retreat Extract 2 – Self Planning & Self Practice
    • Sound – A Means Beyond Āsana and Prāṇāyāma……
    • Studying, Practicing and Learning the Tri Bandha involves Theory, Techniques and Cautions…
    • The breath can be a key to unlocking the mystery of the relationship……
    • The continued effort of the Breath is that which gives life……

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    Related

    This glossary with its similar, opposite and related concepts categories, supplemented by textual references and additional commentaries around the key word, is a both work in progress and constantly ever-expanding in terms of further cross-references, textual cross links and commentaries.
    As it continues to develop your comments and suggestions on your experience and how it may be enhanced are very welcome via this link, thank you.
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