3 Most Powerful Yoga Pranayamas and Kriyas – Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama – Part 2
3 Most Powerful Yoga Pranayamas and Kriyas – Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama – Part 2
In part 1 of the 3 Most Powerful Yoga Pranayamas and Kriyas Part 1 we discussed the Mother of all Pranayamas, the Kundalini Yoga pranayama, Sodarshan Chakra Kriya and detailed its impressive reputation for transforming the ordinary into the supreme. In this second part of the series we will study a yoga pranayama exercise of equal worth, but not quite as celebrated or famous. It is the little know gem called the Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama. It is less involved that Sodarshan Chakra Kriya and also far less demanding from the point of view of time, but don’t be deceived by its simplicity. Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama, in impact, is second to none and bestows heaps of blessings upon those who practice and master it.
All the guidelines for practicing pranayama presented in part 1, apply to the practice of this pranayama as well and you should read those first before attempting to practice Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama. In addition there are some more prerequisites before practicing the advanced version of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama and those should be met first as well. As with Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, there are modified versions of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama and I will provide those also and explain how the progression should go.
Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama:
Background: Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama traces its roots back to the Yoga Sutras of Mahayogi Pantanjali. It is actually the 7th exercise of a master pranayama set for refining awareness and purifying the energetic body. The first 6 pranayamas are presented in Brain Development and Enlightenment – Part II – Vitalize Energy (Kundalini). From what I have researched, this pranayama seems to have been revived by the modern yoga master S. N. Tavaria, who learned it from his Guru, Swami Rama. It is an integral part of his program for building awareness, in order to establish a path of communication between the individual and his Divine Nature that resides within. You can get more information on his work at www.3srb.org.
Benefits of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama: This pranayama is designed to purify the energetic body by dissolving blockages (granthis) caused by emotional debris and toxin buildup in the psychic channels (nadis). It tones and cleanses all the digestive organs and markedly improves the entire digestive system. The pranayama also works on the respiratory system and nervous system. It builds core strength and power, but most importantly it’s goal is to burn up unresolved emotions stored in the subconscious mind. Steady and sincere practice of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama, results in a significant refinement of awareness and a calm, peaceful, silent mind capable of connecting with the Divinity that lies within.
Beginners Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama: Sit up in Sukh Asana (any variation of cross legged – you can get more information on Sukh Asana in Silent Mind Meditation Program: Basic Meditations Ch 7). Apply modified Jalandhara Bandha by bringing your neck back slightly and chin slightly in like a soldier at attention. Now inhale deeply then exhale. After complete exhalation, hold your breath out and do a false inhalation. Meaning, simulate the process of inhalation without actually inhaling. This will result in your abdominal muscles being pulled up and in under the rib cage. Pull these muscles in firmly but do not strain excessively. This is called Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal lock). Hold for a few seconds (2 – 5) then gently release the locks. Repeat inhaling, exhaling and applying Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha 2 more times for a total of 3 times. Build up to 5 repetitions per day.
Intermeditate Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama: Follow all the directions above, except once you apply Uddiyana Bandha and modified Jaladhara Bandha hold the locks for 10 seconds, increasing by 5 seconds over time, till you finally are able to hold the locks with your breath held out for 40 seconds. You are only to do 1 repetition a day. This is the first requirement before moving ahead to the advanced version. The second requirement is that you have been regularly practicing the Pranayama Set for Vitalizing Kundalini given in Brain Development and Enlightenment Part II – Vitalize Energy (Kundalini) for at least 6 months at the full 3 minutes / exercise. Only then should you attempt to do the advanced version of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama.
Advanced Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama: As indicated earlier this is the 7th exercise of the series Pranayama Set for Vitalizing Kundalini. So you should do the 6 exercises as described and then do Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama immediately after. In the advanced version you will follow the description given above for the intermediate level and then after 40 seconds of breath held out, with Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha still in place, you should start modified Breath of Fire. Breath of Fire is very fast shallow breathing through the nose like fast sniffing and in this case you should try to restrict the breath to just the upper chest area. The duration for holding Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha together with doing Breath of Fire is 2 minutes and 20 seconds. So the total time for this pranayama will be 3 minutes – 40 seconds of Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha with breath held out, followed by 2 minutes and 20 seconds of Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha with restricted Breath of Fire. It is only to be done 1 time daily.
Design of Golden Nugget Yoga Pranayama: Here is an analysis of the various components of this pranayama and their affects.
- Uddiyana Bandha massages all the digestive organs and forces them to expel toxins and waste matter into the elimination pathways of the body. Uddiyana Bandha also builds your abdominal muscles giving you core strength and power. This bandha activates the 3rd Chakra, called the Manipura or Nabhi Chakra, which is responsible for the wellbeing of your digestive organs and for the traits of willpower and character. Thus, this Bandha helps develop these attributes. It is also great for building six pack abs ;-).
- Holding your breath out, causes the nervous system to contract, but then when you breathe in, it expands past the point it was at when you started. Thus, this aspect of the pranayama, helps your nervous system grow in strength and capacity.
- The Breath of Fire, done in conjunction with Uddiyana Bandha, burns up toxins as they are released, thus cleansing and clearing the system and pathways of debris. This debris is a reflection of unresolved emotional garbage and freeing your system of it clears the blockages (grathis) in the psychic channels (nadis) that prevent the flow or vital air (prana) and vital energy (Kundalini Shakti). Once cleared, greater amounts of prana can be absorbed by the energetic (chakra) body and greater amounts of Kundalini Shakti can flow though your system leading to higher levels of being and consciousness.
In the next part, of the 3 Most Powerful Yoga Pranayamas and Kriyas Series, we will discuss a yoga pranayama emerging from the world renowned Yoga school of Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
Hi Vaibhav,
Great to hear you have found a combination that is proving to be helpful. Please keep us posted so others too can benefit from the knowledge.
Best,
Anmol
Dear Anmol
Thanks for the reply. I noticed that Breath of fire and Golden Nugget done regularly is helping me quite a bit.
I think i meant to say sodarshan chakra kriya that you mentioned in the earlier blog and I don’t know what as sudarshan kriya is.
Anyways right now I am focusing on doing breath of fire and golden nugget for half an hour every day and that is giving results.
I can’t thank you enough for the great work you are doing.
Sincerely,
Vaibhav
Hi Vaibhav,
All 3 pranayamas you mentioned provide different benefits. If Breath of Fire is helping you more, yes you can do that instead of Kapalbhati for some time and see what improvement take place.
Please note Sudarshan Kriya is not the same as Sodarshan Chakra Kriya in this series. You can do Sodarshan, but be careful as it increases heat quite a bit which could aggravate your colitis. You can though practice Golden Nugget and see how it works for you.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
Dear Anamol this is an excellent website.Many thanks for the great work.
I have been practicing kapalbhati and Anulom Vilom for a couple of months and it is helping my mild colitis. But I noticed that when I do breath of fire it somehow seems to help more than the other pranayams. Do you think I should only do breath of fire and not do Kapalbhati/anulom Vilom? Also is Sudarshan Kriya and golden nugget practice ok with my mild colitis?
Thanks
vaibhav
Hi Dan,
You can pick either one. If you are looking to do combined Yoga & Meditation work, I suggest trying one of the free online yoga & meditation classes. They combine important Yoga Sets, Pranayamas and Meditation to help you form a complete practice.
Best,
Anmol
do i have to do all 3 kryas or ony one????
Krishnendu,
:-) My friend yes I rolled up the Pranayama’s into the online book now, so I discontinued this series. I would say that Number 3 is Kapalbhati pranayama and you can find it here.
Kapalbhati Yoga Pranayama
A close candidate is the advanced version of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama (aka. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama or Alternate Nostril Breathing).
Plan to put up videos of all these pranayamas as well in the coming months.
Best,
Anmol
brother looking for the 3rd part???
Angrish,
I like the reference to stringing the Gandhiv, very powerful way to indicating the level of tension required between these 2 breath centers.
Thanks again for your valuable input.
Best,
Anmol
Dear All,
A slight foot note to this practice. As described here, the gold nugget is slightly different from the process mentioned by Shri Tavaria to his class. His process was more akin to the Moolabandha, though I remember his being slightly annoyed when someone mentioned the moolabandha to him in connection to this process. He was always slightly dismayed when people didn’t “empty the boat” when they received new instruction, but rather compared it to what they had heard or read elsewhere.
The method described by him is “like” the moolabandha, in that the contraction is of the perenium. The initial process he taught was slightly different from what he finally settled on (The final process, I think, is described at 3srb.org). He had said that there are 76 dormant brain centers that are directly affected by this practice, and can be opened if diligently followed. The process that works is the tension created between the 2 main drivers of “breath”. The diaphragm in the physical body and the perenium equivalent of the astral or etheric body. There was a reference he made to the significance of the restringing of the Gandhiv (Arjun’s bow), as a mirror of the Gold Nugget exercise.
This message is more a side note in case those reading this page are interested in knowing what Shri Tavaria had to say about this exercise.
Please forgive me for any errors.
Best,
angrish
Dear Angrish,
No worries my friend. Your presence and input here on the Mastery of Meditation is most welcome. I am actually delighted to learn the True nature of the "Shri Ram" reference and am quite enjoying this new piece of knowledge. Wonderful stuff.
Best,
Anmol
Dear Anmol,
I apologize for the not directing the message to you. I assumed that the messages posted here are more like footnotes, and not so much directed to someone.
Your assumption is correct. He mentioned that it was at the age of 6 that he had met his inner Guru, whom he did indeed refer to as Shri Ram.
I apologize also for assuming in my post earlier that you were referring to Swami Rama of the Himalayas. The message was meant to prevent any misconceptions.
Glad I could be of service.
Blessings to you as well.
-angrish
Dear Angrish,
Thank you very much for the clarification. I was not referring to Swami Rama of the Himalayas though. I was referencing “Sri Rama” from the “Dedication” portion of S. N. Tavaria’s amazing book “The Purpose of Birth & Death.” I assume now that you mean he is in fact not referring to any outside entity in this dedication, but, instead to his inner Guru. That does not come as a surprise to me though :-).
Thank you again for your feedback.
Blessings,
Anmol
Just a note on the article. The article mentions that S.N. Tavaria learned the practices from Swami Rama. This is a an error. Those of us that knew him know he never was a student of Swami Rama (of the Himalayas) In deed, most of his notes were written much before Swami Rama of the Himalayas became famous. I do, however, realize the source of this error. It comes from the fact that Mr Tavaris referred to his inner Guru as “Shri Ram”. As mentioned in your little note, you an get more information about his techniques and theory at 3srb.org
Hi Anmol gi,
I have gone through the links given by you. These are really very helpful but I am looking for something else.
The only thing which I know about Sanjivani nadi is that it is in the right hand (Near the wrist)
It will have the intense flow of prana during the bramhamuhurta and that too once in a week for few seconds.
This is a time when we do the swara sadhana (which helps us in telepathy or seeing things which are far from us)
But I do not know how to do this sadhana.
If you know anything about this please let us know.
Also if you know about other nadis (other than ida, pingala and sushumna like vyanjan nadi sanjivani nadi) please share it also.
I will be really helpful if you can throw a light on it. Thank You!
Dipak
Dipak,
To balance the 2 nadis (ida and pingala) that run alongside the primary central nadi (shushumna) and thus allow Sanjivani Shakti to flow through shusumna, you will find the following pranayama very effective. Please go through the article below and let me know if this provides you with the information you are seeking. Also below it are some other articles that will provide you important information on the Nadis.
https://anmolmehta.com/2007/05/07/chakra-balancing-breathing-exercise-breath-control-yoga-pranayama-book/
https://anmolmehta.com/2007/05/25/kundalini-yoga-seven-chakra-system-overview/
https://anmolmehta.com/2007/03/01/introduction-to-kundalini-yoga/
Can you please brief us about the Sanjivani nadi?
Hi Joanna, Well I am glad someone noticed :-). I have actually gotten busy putting together our online meditation and kundalini yoga class. Will though post the third part of this series early next month. Appreciate your patience.
Cuiously waiting for the 3rd part of the series :)