Have you ever felt there is something missing after your yoga asana practice? Did you feel that there has to be more and you cannot put your finger on it? Yes that is it – the yearning to know more and progress in this path of spiritual bliss. You have not yet come to the stage of doing pranayama and so you are feeling unfulfilled.

What is pranayama? Simply put it is the bridge between yoga and meditation. It is that delicate path through which you learn to bring your prana or life force under ayama or control. Perfecting this art shows you the easy path to meditation or dhyana.

When and how to do pranayama? To answer the first question it is best to sit in pranayama in early dawn, when all is calm and quiet. It should be done immediately after your yoga session, as you are already tuned in to the universal energy. Needless to say you must leave a gap of minimum four hours between a meal and pranayama.

Coming to the second query how to do pranayama also has a simple answer. When you sit for pranayama you must face the north or the east direction and none else. You can either sit in the traditional way, which is in sukhasana on the ground or on a chair /sofa. Before sitting cover the cushion on the ground or chair with a clean towel or cloth. If sitting on the sofa make sure it has a hard base below the cushion.

Sit on the edge of the chair and place your feet on a mat on the ground, not on the bare floor. Sit straight, keep your spine erect and rigid, pull in your stomach and join your palms together as you close your eyes. Now comes the sacred part, so please pay attention.

At the onset of your pranayama pay your respects to your biological mother and seek her blessings for this journey, then seek blessings from your biological father and finally seek blessings from your guru or teacher. Now place both the palms turned over on the respective knees; join the index finger and thumb of each hand forming a circle while the other three fingers stay absolutely straight. Commence the type of pranayama you have been taught to do – it may be ujjai, bhramari, kapalbhati, surya vedana or any other form of pranayama.

Once you have completed the cycles of pranayama please join your palms together again. This time first pay your respects and gratitude to your guru, then to your father and lastly your mother. As you slowly open your eyes it is always good to lie down in savasana for sometime before getting back into the active life.

Why the pranam to mother, father and guru at the beginning of a pranayama and then a reversal of the routine at the end of the pranayama, you may well ask. So here is the basic truth. You are in a physical world where you were brought in by your mother, so before leaving on this spiritual journey it is important you first seek her permission and blessing. Remember her with your closed eyes to do so.

Your father is the reason for your birth; he is your janamdata. So seek his permission and blessing by remembering him. Now seek your guru’s permission and blessings to proceed on this sacred path; he or she is the one who initiated you into this path.

When you finish your pranayama you complete a full circle which started from the earth and took you to the spiritual plane and now you seek permission to return. In the return journey your first duty is to say thank you to your guru by remembering him or her; then express gratitude to your father and finally your mother for accepting you back in her maternal fold.

You may or may not know your biological father and mother or may be distanced for them or they may have passed away; however, it is the rule of pranayama to pay your respects only to your biological parents. If you have understood the principle of yoga and pranayama you will also understand the reason for this strict rule.