# The Six Kriyas, Part Two
Answer Key, Class Four: The Six Kriyas, Part Two
**1) Give the Sanskrit word for the "practice of distraction prevention." What does this practice involve, and to what other practice is it similar? What are some examples of a good object of focus? How do the Tibetan masters view this practice?**
The Sanskrit word for the "practice of distraction prevention" is trataka. This involves staring at a tiny spot, oftentimes a candle flame, until tears come to the eyes, being very sure not to allow the eyes off the object. You'll find a natural tendency for the eyes to jump off to either side, more if your mind is agitated: in fact, it's a good way of determining whether your mind is agitated or not. This is similar to the practice of dirshti during the yoga poses, especially in a pose like virkshasana, the tree pose, where keeping the eyes fixed on a tiny point on the wall can help us maintain our balance.
Traditionally, yogis might stare at a still flame, or an image of an angel or their own heart Teacher. Another interesting practice to do if you have the opportunity is to stare into someone else’s eyes.
Tibetan masters generally would not encourage this kind of gross external practice as our main practice of focusing the mind, although it can be useful in cases of extreme distraction. The main goal is to learn how to meditate—seeing with our eyes closed. So as soon as we are able, we must learn to do this focusing by turning the mind within, on a single object such as the vision of our Teacher seated before us in the air.
**2) What instructions might be added to the description of _nauli, _or the "abdominal fluid reduction practice," mentioned in our text?**
The text doesn't specifically mention that this practice is done during a retention after the breath is exhaled. We might find it easier to come up to abdominal rotation in gradual stages, first learning simply to find the "suspension-bridge" feeling of the slight contraction of the abdominal muscles, especially at the end of a breath: get used to exhaling fully until the stomach muscles clench slightly in reflex, and practice this very slight and gentle contraction of the muscles even as we sit in a chair, with a very straight back.
We could then go on to a gentle practice of "stoking the fire," or agni sara, first in a seated position and then later in the same position as mentioned in the text. We should of course have our hands on our knees, with the neck relaxed, without strain. Remember as well to keep the muscles of the face, particularly the lips and the area between the eyebrows, completely relaxed as well. Shifting the weight from knee to knee helps in making the circular motion described in the text.
It's very important in these "exhalation-retention" practices never to exceed our capacity. Any retention practice held for to long can immediately trigger a lung condition. Much better to go at a gradual and joyful, comfortable pace. Our general, gradual, and disciplined daily practice of an entire, comprehensive series of asanas will build up the strength of our entire body, and especially abdomen, to make this practice more enjoyable. It is also much easier if we are being careful with the quantity of food that we intake, and have a lean abdomen.
**3) Give the Sanskrit name for the last of the six kriyas, the "practice of the shining skull," as well as roots and related English words. Then mention some tips that help in performing this practice successfully. While you're at it, give the Sanskrit and Tibetan words for inhalation and exhalation.**
The Sanskrit name for this final kriya is kapala bhati, where kapala means skull and bhati means shining. The idea is that after a vigorous repetition of this practice the sinuses feel cleared and bright, as if our whole head were shining
The word kapala kpal is said to be related to the English word cup, due to the similarity in the shape of the upper part of the skull. The word bhati Éait comes from a root √bha Éa , which means to shine. Related English words are photo, photon, and beacon.
During this kriya, as in all yogic practices, the muscles of the face, particularly the lips and the area between the eyebrows, should be kept relaxed and calm. We are seated in a comfortable cross-legged position—lotus posture if we can—with the back completely straight. The hands are totally relaxed and placed on the knees, thumb touching either the tip of the first finger or base of the third.
Again, this kriya is easier and more effective if the entire body is already well-toned by a regular, modest, but very daily practice of the yoga asanas—particularly those poses which strengthen the muscles of the abdomen. Have a tissue nearby to catch any mucous that flies out, but let it fly out: the point of the practice is to clear the nose any excess mucous at all.
Once more, respect your capacity during this practice, and undertake it under the supervision of a qualified teacher. Overdoing the practice may lead to lung problems which may linger for some time. But the nice thing about this particular breathing practice is that it focuses so much on the exhales, and getting all the air out of our body, which in general will actually help us prevent getting lung. And as the muscles of the abdomen strengthen, and your channels are opened by a comprehensive yoga practice, you'll find yourself more and more able to increase the number of rounds.
The Sanskrit for inhalation is puraka pUrk , from a root √pir p& , meaning to fill. The English word full in fact derives from this root, as does for example the manipurna chakra (City of Jewels, a city being a place filled with people. The Tibetan here is uk nguppa +0v#=-Hw0-.k, where uk is breath and nguppa is to inhale.
The Sanskrit for exhalation is rechaka reck , from a root √rich irc! , meaning to leave or to exit. The corresponding Tibetan is uk jungwa +0v#=-8Av$-0k.
**4) What is a simple practical guideline for doing the Elephant Practice? What does this practice entail, and what is its name in Sanskrit? What inner wind do we employ, and how, to make the practice work? What is this wind called in Sanskrit, and in Tibetan?**
The Elephant Practice consists of purposely causing ourselves to vomit up unhealthy food that we may have eaten by accident. In general, this is a good if unfamiliar option for us, when some kind of food doesn't agree with us: we immediately try to remove it from the system, before it gets so far digested that we won't be able to bring it back up. It can also relieve serious migraines.
The Sanskrit word for the practice is _gaja karani _ gj kr[I_, _where _gaja _means _elephant, _and _karani _means _a practice._
To make the practice work we employ the "wind of elimination," or _apana vayu _Apan vyu_. _The name of this wind is composed of _apa _and _anu, _where _apa _means _downward _and _anu _means moving. This name is reflected in the Tibetan name of the wind, which is _tursel: _the _downward-clearing wind._
The point is that, as in so many deep yogic practices, we reverse the natural flow of this wind, triggering its upward movement by manipulating the back of the throat with our fingers. Our eventual goal in all of yoga is to bring about a _yoga _or conjoining of the life-wind àn vyu and this downward-moving wind, moving all the winds into the central channel.
**5) Why, according to Master Svatmarama, do even the worldly gods—much less humans such as ourselves—undertake the practice of pranayama? Give the Sanskrit word for the special motivation that moves these beings to spiritual practice.**
Even the Gods of the Thirty-Three, which are a group of 33 different extraordinarily powerful beings in sort of a worldly paradise at the top of the central mountain of the world, are motivated by a fear of death and thus follow the practice of pranayama, to escape it. The Sanskrit word here for death is antaka: the end. Master Svatmarama is here repeating the real motivation we should maintain for our practice, and again revealing the actual goal of the practice: to change our bodies into light, and nothing less.
**6) Master Svatmarama gives three measures of our progress in using the practice of pranayama to defeat death. Name the three.**
The Master says that to the extent that we are able to "keep the winds inside," meaning inside the central channel, we are that closer to stopping death. So too we are that much closer when we are able truly to still the mind, keeping it from agitation, especially the agitation which is brought on by mistaken perceptions of our world. And then finally the more we are able to keep the mind focused in the ne or crucial point within a chakra, such as that between the eyebrows, we are that much closer to our Angelhood.
**7) Master Svatmarama says that "those with the ability to concentrate their inner winds in the proper way" are able to "break open the mouth of the central channel," and bring the winds within this channel. What is one very effective way that we can "concentrate our inner winds"? What is the Sanskrit word for "concentration" here, and where have we seen it before?**
An extremely effective way to concentrate or direct the inner winds through the channels is simply to use our thought. This of course takes advantage of the fact that our winds and thoughts always ride in tandem. If we direct our mind for example to a point within the navel chakra, then this concentration itself will draw the winds there. The sweeter the thought we are using—the more we wish to bring the wind into the chakra with the desire to help others—then the more powerfully we are able to concentrate wind here within the chakra, and thus facilitate the free passage of wind towards the opening of the central channel.
The Sanskrit word for "concentration" here is sanyama s<yam, a word that we have seen in the third chapter of the Yoga Sutra as meaning the combined effort or concentrated effort of three different forces: focus, fixation, and perfect meditation.
**8) What, according to the Master, does a "solid fixation of the wind" indicate? What is the Sanskrit word for the point that we reach here, and what is an equivalent word that we've seen earlier for the same idea? And what is the Sanskrit for "point" here, and why is it significant?**
He says that it indicates that a person has "reached the point beyond thought or no thought." This is a reference to the direct perception of emptiness which occurs when enough wind enters the central channel.
The Sanskrit word here is manonmani mnaeNmnI, which is a combination of manas mns! "mind" and unmani %nmnI "beyond the mind." We've seen the latter expression earlier in the text, referring to the same direct perception of emptiness.
The Sanskrit word for "point" or level of spiritual progress here is avastha AvSwa. This word will be significant later because of the concept of the "four stages," or four states of mind relative to the direct perception of emptiness.
**9) List 5 of the mental signs of the onset of a _lung _disorder, and describe the mental signs of the opposite—of success in our pranayama.**
Any 5 of the following can be listed—
(1) Quick temper, sudden flashes of irritation or grumpiness.
(2) Giddiness, hysterical reactions to things not really that funny.
(3) Feeling of being trapped or confined.
(4) Violent depression.
(5) Magnified impressions of relatively minor events and problems.
(6) Feelings of panic or sudden anxiety.
(7) Sensations of disorientation.
(8) Obsession with past events.
(9) Obsessive worries about the future or things out of our control.
(10) Unfounded doubts or paranoia.
Mental signs of success in our pranayama, again, would be deep feelings of contentment, happiness, calmness, gratitude towards others, broader visions of ways to serve the world, seeing events and people as being divine.
The Yoga Studies Institute
Course VI: Hatha Yoga Pradipika II
Pranayama: Breath and the End of Breath