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These pages represent my experiences with the yoga kriya of nauli. There
is not a vast amount of literature out there - much of it derives from
the work of Theos Bernard - which is essential reading for any yogi.
More recently, Coulter (Anatomy of Hatha Yoga) states that 20 minutes
produces great results, but 20 minutes sounds extreme. So...
here I will document my work with nauli, photographed each week. This will
help me to stick to it, and may help others. I will show any physical changes,
but also write about internal mental states - I do not regard yoga as just gymnastics.
By the way, it takes me around 15 mins a week to do the photos and upload
them - so it is not
an obsessive thing - just part of my yoga.
Here is where I am starting from. I have done nauli and uddiyana before, so I
have the coordination.
I found that when I could do 400 uddiyana, then I could continue for longer,
with (seemingly)
no limit - but I did not go above 800. If you are new to this, you need to
approach this slowly,
starting with uddiyana. The links page provides info.
For nauli, I have never gone above 200, and - because I have not done it for
some time -
have not yet reached that level at present. It requires much more effort than
uddiyana.
For the past 5 days, I have been doing 100 uddiyana (5 sets of 20)
and 100 nauli (10 left, 10 right... up to 100 - i.e. 50 left, 50 right in total.)
I try to do it in a medititve way, with chakra visualization.
Soon, I will do some initial photos. For a starter, I will do:
-
uddiyana
-
a left or right nauli
-
central nauli
-
side view of 'normal' abdomen
-
front view of 'normal' abdomen
I will then do some photos every week or so. (I'm not sure whether to
do the photos at the start,
middle, or end of a session.)
Namaste
Email: worldyogi@yahoo.co.uk
WARNING: if you are doing this stuff without guidance,
never continue if you feel pain.
| Week | Comments, photos |
|---|
| Oct 6 -03 |
100 uddiyana (5 sets of 20)is very smooth, easy. Will increase this I think, next week.
100 nauli is ok early on, but soon gets weak. The
last few sets are not worth doing - quality not quantity!
Photos, details
|
| Oct 15 |
Not much change - did some photos. Uddiyana
is v.comfortable - I start 200 today.
Nauli still fades, so around 6 of the sets are good.
Photos, details |
| Oct 23 | No photos. Have been doing 200 uddiyana for
a week now, plus 100 nauli.
Uddiyana is becoming more inward, and a rythym has arrived.
After 20 contractions,
I relax, breath in, out, then do another relaxed
in-breath, then exhale fully. I do exactly this pattern after every set.
It feels
warming and deep.
I do the same pattern with nauli, but my set is only 10. Nauli is still not
well-defined, but reamins strong throughout
the set. Good! It may never be very defined, due to excess weight in that
area, but I don't mind that.
I may advance to 300 (20 per set, 15 sets) today - will try it, and see if
it can be maintained with quality. |
| Nov 24 | A big gap since the last item. I have been doing 300 uddiyana,
with 150 nauli, in the following way: 5*20 uddiyana, then nauli, then 10*20 uddiyana to finish.
This is fine, but nauli does not seem to get deeper. (I have been doing 10 to left, 10 to right,
etc up to 150 isolations.) However, I have not been doing central nauli,
and some authorities suggest that it should be mastered first. My new schedule is 100 uddiyana,
then 15 nauli-central, then 200 uddiyana. Each nauli consists of isolating the central muscles,
and holding for 10 seconds.
The holding takes as long as doing 10 rolls, so this is not an easy option.
No photos, as no change visually. |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
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