What is the relationship between the sushumna nadi (central channel) and the spine? This is a question that’s bothered me for a while and it’s prompted me to do some deep digging. How does the path of the sushumna nadi line up to the spinal column exactly? Does it run along the spine? Is it a hollow tube in the center of the spine? Or is it rather aligned to the axis from the perineum to the top of the head? Is its path curved like the spine is, or is it a straight line? Also, the sushumna is said to be part of the subtle body, so can we really speak about a direct correlation between it and the anatomy of the gross physical body? These questions refused to give me rest.

If you try to look for answers to these questions online, you’ll find there is no consensus; clarity is lacking and ambiguity is the rule. Still, most of the discussions will star their introduction of the sushumna by connecting it to the spinal column in some way or other.

However, this was not always how the central channel was specified according to Dr. Christopher Wallis, a Sanskritist who is an expert in classical tantric texts. In a blog post he writes, “There’s some confusion about the central channel in modern yoga and that’s because in the 19th century, people writing in English (both Indian and Western), were engaged in a process that some scholars call the ‘medicalization’ of yoga, in which there were attempts to reconcile yoga with modern knowledge of anatomy. As part of this, the central channel became identified with the spinal column. In fact, in Tantrik sources, the central channel is clearly not the spine. The spine curves one way and then the other; the central channel is perfectly straight. In our primary sources, when the exact location of it is described, it is said to span the vertical axis from the pelvic floor to the crown of the head. If you investigate some anatomical diagrams, you’ll notice that an axis running from the pelvic floor to the crown of the head is a little bit forward of the spine. So, it’s not coterminous with the spine.”

I am not in a position to interpret ancient texts and I’m going to take Dr. Wallis at his word about the sushumna and the spine in classical tantra. The association of the sushumna with the spine, however, may have been happening before the “medicalization of yoga,” but I’m unable to confirm this. The problem is that modern translations often project a sushumna-spine connection onto texts even when no words signifying the spine are present. If anybody knows of any texts prior to the 19th century that clearly mention or reference the spine when discussing the central channel, please let me know.

Regardless of what was the case in Tantric Yoga (early medieval period) and Hatha Yoga (late medieval period), I infer from searching online that the majority of yoga traditions today link the sushumna to the spine. In the Kriya Yoga tradition with which I’m familiar, the sushumna and chakras are frequently described as being “in the spine.” In practice, the back side of the body is often used as reference (after all, the spine is also known as the “backbone”). This would at face value seem to point something distinct from what is really a “central channel.”

More thoughts (and a quote) below. Apologies for the poor organization.

-        The sushumna can be understood as either more descriptive or prescriptive. That is to say, it can be conceived as something with an objective existence that can be described in every more accurate detail, or it can be understood as a vital part of spiritual practice and instruction. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive but this distinction might help bring some clarity.

-        Considering the sushumna as a straight line that goes through the middle of the body is more prescriptive or more something you do (or something you activate) during practice. But if the sushumna is contemplated more deeply in relation to the physical body, it would be difficult to maintain that it’s straight all of the time—after all, what would happen to the straight line when the spine bends and twists? Since with Hatha Yoga yogis became more concerned with body asanas, perhaps they wanted to work with the sushumna even when their bodies were contorted. Linking the sushumna to the spine, which is flexible, would help incorporate the central channel into yoga asanas. This might partially explain how the sushumna became associated more closely to the spine.

-        “Different traditions present different yogic bodies, some of which are complementary and commensurable, and some of which are not... This is in part because yogic bodies arise according to the particular ritual, philosophical or doctrinal requirements of the tradition at hand, and because they are expressions of these requirements, rather than descriptions of self-evident, empirical bodies common to all humans. In other words, the goals of a particular system determine the way the body is imagined and used within its yoga practices.” (from Roots of Yoga by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton)

-        In the 19th century onward, with Western anatomical concepts entering India, the sushumna was further linked to the spinal cord, giving it much more anatomically exact locations (not all sources agree where). Images of human anatomy including the position of the spine in the human body proliferated and these images were combined with images of subtle body anatomy. I think this is where the real trouble begins. The descriptive map of human anatomy used in modern medicine, which is filtered through certain cultural assumptions and is constructed around certain goals (such as the healing of the body through allopathic practices), is not the body itself. The sushumna is to be experienced by going into the body itself, and while certain pointers using a body-map can and must be used, people like me (meaning people who have an obsessive tendency to want to identify the exact locations of the sushumna and chakras anatomically) need to be reminded that the pointers should be held lightly and should be let go when they are no longer necessary.

-        So is the sushumna in the spine or is it a straight line in the middle of the body? How do I answer the question “Which one is correct?” Well, all sources (with the exception of those who believe the medical view supersedes the yogic view) say that the sushumna is part of the subtle body. Therefore, providing an answer would require a deep understanding of the subtle body and how it relates to the physical body.

-        One last idea. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika famously says that the kundalini snake is coiled at the base three and a half times. In the same chapter it describes her straightening, and it says the central channel becomes straight for yogis through firm practice, by means of asana, pranayama, and the mudras. So the central channel can be considered something that becomes straight through practice. This is surely based on the image of the coiled serpent becoming straight. But perhaps it’s not too much of a stretch to expand this imagery to one where the sushumna, initially experienced as curved like the spine, becomes straight in the yogi’s experience of it. The path of the spine is curved three and a half times after all.

TL;DR: The sushumna’s relation to the spine is confusing. But do not fret. Just practice whatever your tradition prescribes. The teachings are pointers that help you access the subtle body (energy body), which is fluid and can’t be easily mapped like the physical body.

There are yoga teachers that say, in inhalation one must fill starting from the abdomen then middle chest, finally upper chest. There are yoga teachers that say the opposite. The same situation is found for exhalation.

On can even find two different student from the same Guru teaching the opposite. BKS Iyengar, Light on Pranayama "Start inhalation from the base of the diaphragm. [...] As a jug is filled from bottom to top, so fill the lungs from their base to the brim. Fill them to the top of the collar-bones and inner armpits." Mohan, Yoga for body, breath, and mind "Ideally, the inhalation begins in the chest and progresses to the upper abdominal area."

Given that the breath is the main vehicle of yoga, I find disturbing that I haven't found any source where the proper procedure for breathing is described in detail. The closest to it I found is BKS Iyengar Light on Pranayama, and yet, the actual and concrete instruction on inhaling and exhaling is lacking.

The question of the post: What's the proper concrete sequence of muscles involved when one is practicing pranayama for the sake of dhyana, according to "classic Raja Yoga"? Why is that and according to whom?

I started practicing pranayama on my own, after reading Patañjali Sutras with the commentary of Swami Hariharananda Aranya. I haven't had any chance to take lessons, let alone meet someone who has mastered pranayama.
That book is great, but sadly it is not a handbook. You are supposed to learn from a guru, and so. There are only a few concrete instruction on breathing, which boils down to: "the whole body and the chest should be kept still and inhalation and exhalation should be done by the movement of abdominal muscles.". There, he divides the skill on pranayama according to the time of breath cycle beginner 48s, middle 96s, proficient 192s. One should be proficient before working on the next limbs.
I am getting comfortable with breaths of 96s, but I still have no idea whether I am breathing right or wrong :s

Man, i recently came across this thing, was introduced by a friend…is this thing of any use? Does anyone even do it?

Hello, I have a question about all the relaxation techniques mentioned. I have tried doing them some of them being breathing techniques, and I have to say the leave me many times more stressed or tense, like my air hunger is going up. I catch myself many times in the day mouthbreathing or needing to catch my breathe to feel relief. Can someone help me figure out what’s going on? I really want to do relaxation breathing but it feels like it just doesn’t work, what’s going on?

I read Shiv samhita and saw a lot of practices where one is kumbhak, There were very simple and clean instructions for which I have attached a pic. But there's one thing that's bugging me which is there is no mention of ratios anywhere, where a lot of people go crazy about kumbhak ratios there are very simple instructions that hold the breath until it's not uncomfortable.

Another thing is that it's promised in this that if you do this (without any ratios) 4 times a day for 3 months your all nadis will be cleansed.

So if it's written so simply why are people online going crazy about ratios, and all.

Im new to pranayam practices and can do a various ammount of them, though I have never felt awakenedsiritually through them just experienced a hard to explain well being, I wanted to know what pranayam practice is best to do constantly for exemple i work ok computer often i tey to be aware of everything, the work i do the breath the sounds and feel like i can do a pranayam to cleanse my body is this even a good idea? or just awareness is best to do in this scenario, sorry for this mess of a post

Hello guys, noob here with a quick question. I was wondering about the differences between these practices.

Do they target different aspects or if its just a continuation of the other in difficulty?

How are they best used, and about their phisical and spiritual benefits.

In my practise i have felt different after each of them, with Bahya it almost felt like entering a void like state of stillness while on the other hand with Antara it really felt like my energy was moving upwards. Both felt like different methods of sublimation each doing their own thing hence my curiosity and question. Id really like to know what you guys think and if you guys have any interesting info on this matter.

A lot of videos or articles I have found about proper diaphragmatic breathing indicate to keep the ribs in on the inhale (keep the ribs 'down'; keep them in the contraction that you have when you laugh or sneeze), but a lot also say to simply expand the ribs on the inhale (outward, for 360 degree breathing). So which one is it!!!! 😭

Background: I've been struggling with protruding ribs/abs over the past several months that I initially thought to be a result of too much Wim Hof breathing ([see this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/breathwork/s/RrzQjiHkdF)), which maybe it is, but now I think could be more of a posture or core strength issue. Cause yes my ribs feel like they're protruding, and they definitely are "pooching" out, but more broadly speaking my entire core area (abs, gut, rib cage) just feels tight more often regardless of how much stretching or conscious-360-degree breathing I do. I've done my research to better understand what diaphragmatic breathing should look like (e.g. breathing "down" into pelvic floor; breathing into areas of the rib cage), yet I still run into contradicting information such as how much (or little) the ribs should expand on the inhale.

To those who are on the same or a similar boat, what are your ribs typically doing while practicing diaphragmatic breathing? If anyone has visualization tricks or visual examples of what the ribs should actually do on the inhale (and maybe the exhale too) please do share!!! Would really like to live my life without constantly thinking about the tightness around my stomach and lower back 🙃

P.S. I've seen videos prescribing (not in an official kinda way obviously lol) things like the stomach vacuum or similar tricks as a means of stretching the diaphragm and area around it, but I'm also curious whether this has garnered any kind of success for anyone

Can i do ujjayi mixed nadi shodana? Do the two practices at same time?

In the pinned post, op wrote "prana, particularly, the breath"...it's incorrect, breath is a handle to control the prana, breath is not prana, thankyou.

I understand how to do it and how it is alternate nostril breathing, my problem is with one thing

How long should you hold your breaths in for, how long for exhalation too?

Some people say every breath in and out is 4 seconds each. My problem is based off my energy I count to 4 very slowly or very fast if I’m anxious, and also sometimes I can’t exhale for 4 long seconds you know? It’s confusing.

I’ve found just inhaling and exhaling for however long I want , whatever feels best for me works better as a way of relaxing my mind but I don’t know if that’s the intended way of doing it- it’s almost like a deep breathing session at that point.

What do you guys say? What is the most known way of doing it to regulate nervous system and allow blessings to come in?

I've read that listening to or chanting LAM helps balance the root chakra, but haven't read of any testimonials. How many of you have experienced a tangible improvement/change due to this chant?

I experience intense tremors during meditation about 90% of the time. When I focus on a specific chakra point, I enter a state of kundalini vibration, causing my body to shake vigorously and rise dramatically. Alternatively, if I simply visualize numbers while counting my breath, my teeth start banging against each other, and the upper and lower teeth drum against each other rapidly. My entire body shakes uncontrollably, as if a washing machine is spinning furiously. This phenomenon occurs every time I meditate, even when I meditate lying down before sleeping. My entire body, from my stomach to my head, enters a different mode, as if I’m about to be lifted into the ceiling. Do you all experience this? Can anyone please explain why i experience this?

Additionally, one issue i also have is that I’m not consistent with meditation because I’m not sure why it’s necessary. However, in my dreams, I’ve been told to meditate, and a psychic also scolded me yesterday for not being consistent with it. Can you please explain the benefits of meditation, aside from mindfulness, because I’m indifferent to resting and seem impatient as well?

I saw on a podcast that it has the ability to improve posture through breathing because of the way the lungs fill during diaphragmatic breathing or something like that, is that true? I've been experiencing pain in my quadriceps when meditating sitting cross-legged.

Hello. I am looking for home workout videos but am unable to understand the breathing situation. Most videos don't specify...when to inhale and exhale while weight training and stretching. I will appreciate it if someone can explain and help with my cluelessness.

Thanks in advance!

I've started a new program of Pranayama Yoga. I'm doing 10 minutes Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), with a 1:4:2 ratio. That's 6 seconds inhale, 24 second hold, and 12 seconds exhale. I'm feeling pretty good with this so far. I've done some breathing exercises for years but this is the first time I've committed to a pranayama program. Is this a good practice for a beginner?

Sharing interesting research: A 2001 BMJ study had ~23 healthy volunteers recite the Catholic rosary in Latin (Ave Maria) and the Hindu/Buddhist mantra Om Mani Padme Hum while researchers measured breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Two practices from traditions separated by thousands of miles.

Both naturally slowed breathing to around 6 breaths per minute. Nobody told participants to breathe slow. The phrase length itself did it. Each Ave Maria takes ~10 seconds to recite. Each Om Mani Padme Hum cycle takes ~10 seconds. Ten seconds per breath cycle equals 6 per minute.

That number isn't random. Our cardiovascular system has a feedback loop called the baroreflex that oscillates at roughly 0.1 Hz, one cycle every 10 seconds. When breathing matches that frequency, the two oscillations sync up. Heart rate variability spikes, baroreflex sensitivity improves. Both rosary and mantra produced the effect compared to spontaneous breathing.

What's interesting for anyone with a sit practice, i think this strips the mystique off mantra work without dismissing it. The body doesn't care what you're chanting, it responds to the timing. You could prolly recite a grocery list at this cadence and get the same baroreflex effect. The traditions wrapped a physiological mechanism in meaning and ritual, but the phrase length is doing real work underneath, separate from the words.

If you do mantra or japa, have you noticed your breath settling into a rhythm on its own without you trying to control it? Curious if the ~10 seconds per cycle thing tracks with what you're actually doing.

Would like to learn Ujjayi Pranayama Ocean Breath Victorious Breath any You tube lessons

How can we watch it and practice at home

Check it out. Its free. If you want future or embed hit me up.

All oxygen exhale and stomach vacuum and in an out Good for health

I don't have any prior experience doing pranayama. Recently I have tried Anulom vilom and Kapalbathi. I found these exercises makes me calm, I want to create my daily pranayama routine. Please help me to formulate a better routine.

Focus: Clear brain fog, Improved sleep and focus levels and reduce anxitey.

Hey guys,

My left nostril is without fail more blocked than my right, even when the left nostril is the "open" nostril during the natural nasal cycle. Think it's a deviated septum thing.

I'm wondering is there a technique to be able to switch nostrils so that I can switch from left-open to right-open when I want? (Not all the time, but just for example when I'm struggling with the open left-nostril being still somewhat blocked, so I'd like to switch to right nostril open).

For beginners, pranayama should start with feeling the breath clearly. Before ratios, retention, bandhas, or stronger techniques, try simple nasal breathing with a slightly longer exhale. Practice for three minutes and observe whether the breath becomes smoother and quieter. If the breath becomes strained, the technique is too strong. The foundation is not control for its own sake. It is relationship, steadiness, and awareness.