Forrest's Library

3 Conditions of Breath in Meditation - Heart Rate Variability

Summary

, 9 min

Why heart rate variability underlies all deeper meditation, and three conditions of breath that induce it — under seven breaths per minute, no pauses, a slightly longer exhale — in answer to a viewer whose breath catches in the throat during Hong-Sau. Also covers nasal breathing, the half-taught Ha breath, avoiding strain, sahaja and toning.

In this video

Discusses
Ha breath
Mentions
Hong-SauBiblePolyvagal TheoryDorsal Vagal ComplexRaja YogaBhagavad GitaSahajaLahiri MahasayaToningAMOL

Key moments

00:00Welcome back: breath questions from the last video00:20Gaurav's question: confusion and breath stuck after the out breath00:44Heart rate variability is everything in meditation01:40Jacob wrestling with God and the polyvagal theory02:55The ha breath is only half taught without moving it to the nose04:25The out breath problem and old perceptions coming up04:51Three conditions: slower breath, no pauses, longer exhale05:26Demonstration: breathing without pauses at top and bottom06:16Raja Yoga and the Gita don't pause at the bottom of the breath07:10Don't empty or fill the lungs into strain; it has to be sahaja08:01Toning to clear stuckness from the throat08:21Recap of the three conditions for heart rate variability