AD,
I was practising Art of living’s Sudarshan Kriya for 12yrs, without giving even a day’s gap. some of the problems that I faced were :
Poor memory,
Absent mindedness,
Intellectual disability – Could not comprehend or respond to anything. Mind would go blank
Low Self esteem
Lack of interest in life, No enthusiasm, always depressed.
Low energy.
I stopped practising SK almost a month ago. My memory has slightly improved. My interest in life is back.
Please let me know what I need to do to recover completly.
- Amy
||Pranayama||
Beloved Amy, It is sheer display of courage and benevolent spirit that you have confessed having harmed by Sudarshan Kriya practice publically. It would definitely help people reconsider their urge to run into trouble of taking such initiations. Through this post, I must tell my friends and followers that I keep receiving mails and feedback personally from people, many of them without quoting what exact practice they have been indulged in after reading my posts on Pranayama but such honest admission is rare.. I appreciate.
On the cost of being repititive I would once again like to submit to people, who are interested in yoga or other such practices that they educate themselves and show discretion in adopting anything in their routine as harms associated with such practices are paramount with almost negligible changes of complete restoration of normalcy once affected. Interested people may like to read more about it, you may go through some other such articles here.
Sudarshan Kriya, dominantly involves Bhastrika Pranayama. The only modification which has been infused in by Shri Ravishankar in this is taking help of bodily movements which forcibly increases your lung capacity plus associating it with guiding sound of “Soh hhumm..” Bhastrika Pranayama is the highest degree of Pranayama of Hatha Yoga and is used for raising the ‘Kundalini’ in the ‘Shushumna Nadi”. There is clear warning about this not be attempted before mastering other lower pranayamas and Nadishodhan.
You don’t really need to be a Hatha Yogi to understand the simple fact that if Bhastrika pranayama generates lots of energy in the body we should have clean and strong energy channels (pipes) or else we would be creating havoc in there. And the only way to cleanse and strengthen your energy channels is Nadishodhan as per Vedic literature. So one must learn the correct method of Nadishodhan from an able master and regularly engage oneself to achieve that state. It requires perseverance and patience – but who has time? People want OTC (over the counter) solutions everywhere, people want instant Yoga and so called adepts have it for them!
Amy, coming back to the core issue and recommendations for enhancing the restoration process from this serious aftermath of Sudarshan Kriya. Following are my generic suggestions -
1. Stop all sorts of Pranayama exercises as of now
2. If possible keep fast for one day in a week (only water to be taken during the day) for 5-7 weeks
3. Avoid alchohol and meat/egg products for a month
4. You may like to take 2000 mg of Brahmi (its a herb) each day for 3 weeks
Recommended Exercises for speedy restoration -
1. Swirling clockwise – Stand with your hands strenthed sideways parallel to ground (left palm facing downward and right upward). Start making rounds from left to right (As a kid you would have done it many times) and continue till you feel little dizzy. Important point is do not do it anticlockwise i.e. right to left.
2. As you feel dizzy, lie down on the ground (preferably on Yoga mat). Keep your hands close to your body, palms facing downward (like in Shavasana). While breathing normally allow the dizziness to disappear and when it does – Start lifting your both legs (without allowing the knees to bend).. preferably till your legs become vertical to ground. While your legs are making 90 degrees with the ground lift head frmo ground and sink your chin in your chest. Stay in this positive for a count of 20 and then allow your head and legs to go back to ground gradually. Repeat 5-7 times.
3. Slowly get up and sit in Vajrasana. (a) Keep your palms by the side of your bent knees and move your trunk forward, bending the head backward as much as possible. (Take support of palms). WHile you do so.. allow the backbone sag from the middle. Stay in this position for a count of 10 and then come back to original position of Vajrasana. (b) now shift your palms backward and keep them by the side of your toes. Now lift your stomach upward as much as you can while allowing your head to fall back. stay there for a count of 10 while breathing normally. This completes one round. Do such 5 – 7 rounds.
4. Change your position to like a crawling kid. Once in this position, (a)straighten your legs and this will be lifting your hips while keeping your head as low as possible. Stay in this position for a count of 10 and come back to original position. (b) Now straighten your legs but now allow your abdomen to touch the floor while lifting the chin up. (this will constitute the Bhujangaasana), stay in this position for count of 10 and come back to original crawling kid position again. This completes 1 round. Do 5-7 such rounds.
5. After completing the above steps, once your original rhythm of breathing has restored. Close your eyes, Start abdominal breathing.. Take deep breath in and while you exhale slowly, make a humming sound. You may like to cover your ears with your thumbs which will make it ‘Bhramari’. Do this breathing for 2-3 Minutes.
When you get up do clap rigorously and laugh out aloud while sending your laugh skyward. Do this few times.
With these exercises you would be able to set in the correction and restoration mechanism on a faster track. May you require some energy healing to accelerate your restoration you may request healing sessions to my beloved disciple Ma Devpriya at http://devpriya14.wordpress.com/
Wish you speedy recovery.
Love & Light
- Agyaatdarshan
