Types of Yoga

What is Swara Yoga?

Swara Yoga is an ancient science that existed even before the Vedic period. It is believed to be a secret science revealed to sages and saints by the Divine. Swara is the science of nasal breathing, which means ‘sound’ or musical note in Sanskrit and signifies the continuous flow of breath through the nostril.

This form of yoga is an ancient tantra science, aiding a realization of the cosmic consciousness through a systematic study of the flow of breath. Swara yoga demonstrates that the flow of breath dominates each nostril alternately and regularly. The flow of breath changes from one nostril to the other periodically, thus balancing the entire system, which is the key objective of Swara Yoga.

Swara Yoga establishes the relationship between the dominance of breath and the different activities of the body and the personality. The flow of breath at regular intervals indicates a pattern and a rhythm that affects the physical and mental states. Swara Yoga pays attention not only to the quantity of the breath through each nostril, but also it’s position in the nostril, direction of swirl, degree of coarseness and many other characteristics.

Science of Swara Yoga

It was believed in ancient times that by learning to read the breath and manipulate it, we would be capable of maintaining harmony with the outer and inner world. The breath should be allowed to flow evenly; when the breath is balanced, there is a shift in consciousness.

The breath that flows in the right is ‘Pingala’ and the left is ‘Ida’. The left signifies an association with the lunar while the right is solar. The nose is in direct contact with the hypothalamus of the brain and through the sensory nerves is connected to subtle nerves or the nadis. The key technique of Swara Yoga is to influence the nadis, which carry prana current to all parts of the body.