Breathing diffuculties in meditation

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

I have been meditating and practicing kundalini asanas, as well as attending Bikram classes for the past two years. I do the Kundalini and Bikram once a week each and meditate each day. I am having difficulties breathing during meditation each morning and can’t seem to get out of the pattern. In meditation I immediately feel a tightness around my lungs and I can’t seem to get enough air on the inhale. Sometimes I feel like I am hyperventilating and get dizzy. It gradually goes away following meditation, but has been a problem for the past five months. Some days are worse than others but it does not go away. It is interfering with my ability to focus and lose myself in meditation. I feel that something within me is causing this problem and I don’t know how to break out of the cycle. Can you give me any insight into this and any suggestions to deal with it?

Thank you. Takesi

#2

Dear Takeshi,

I will contact Mukunda and advise that you are waiting for a response. Sorry for the delay.

Chandra

#3 
I would suggest to you that you do the intercostal breathing in my book, see page 55.  This is an excellent preparation for more form kapha clearing of the lungs with kapalabhati.  However that should be learned from an instructor as it is unclear in most books.  Doing intercostal breathing 3-5 minutes a time 3 times a day should improve your condition quickly.
#4

Thank you for your reply with regard to my breathing, Mukunda. Can your book be purchased at bookstores, or should I order it from the website?

We have been attending a weekly city-sponsored yoga class (Kundalini yoga), as well as our weekly Bikram class for doing the asanas and both my wife and I are interested in making asanas a daily part of our spiritual lives. We are both following the program of Sri Eknath Easwaran, which emphasizes the importance of regular exercise, but doesn’t promote the regular practice of the asanas. As we are learning much more about yoga paths we both would like to integrate a program of asanas which would complement Sri Easwaran’s Eight Point Program. Would you recommend a program or practice of asanas that we might be able to become part of that offers classes in our area (Davis, CA)? Thanks you.

takesi

#5

My book is available in most bookstores as it is distributed widely. I went to UCDavis and taught at university there for 8 years. One of my former students still teaches there. You can look up Lisa Erskine for her class schedule while she is not teaching my method she is nonetheless a good instructor.