Breathwalk: Illustrated Program Guide

By Gurucharan Singh Khalsa

Breathing and walking comprise two of our simplest activities, yet they are also two of our most powerful actions. By bringing them together in a systematic and meditative way, we can enhance our physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness. We can tap our vitality to fully enjoy and excel in our lives. 

With a series of eas

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kundalini Research Institute
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781940837079

Gurucharan Singh Khalsa

Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. is an expert in the practical application of meditation and psychology for personal growth. A premier trainer for kundalini meditation and yoga teachers since 1969, he developed several global training programs. Gurucharan is an accomplished author and affiliated scholar at Chapman University in Orange, California. There he collaborates with their Institute for Quantum Studies on projects for leading-edge applications of quantum foundations to the nature of consciousness and our capacity as human beings. He has worked with Chapman's Fish Interfaith Center since 2013 and contributes to original research in meditation, breath, and wellness.

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PROGRAM ONE

QUICK START ENERGY BOOSTER

Awaken - Potency and Zeal

1) Breath-Priming for 1-3 minutes. Breath of Fire is recommended.

2) Stand straight and spread your legs 2½ to 3 feet apart. Extend your arms out to the sides, parallel to the ground with your palms facing down. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend forward and turn your torso to one side so you touch one hand to the toes of your opposite foot. Then inhale deeply back up into the original position. Immediately exhale and touch your other toes with the opposite hand. Emphasize smoothness of motion. Make sure to bend at the waist and do not throw your head and arms forward. Let your breath guide your motion. Set a comfortable and steady pace of about 3-4 cycles (touching each foot once) in 10 seconds. Continue for 1-3 minutes. To end, come up into the original position inhale deeply and suspend your breath for 5-10 seconds as you pull your navel point in gently. Then exhale and relax your arms.

3) Still standing, raise your arms over your head to the sky. Spread your fingers with your palms facing up. Jump, as high as you can, 10-15 times in quick succession. Inhale a little as you jump up, exhale as you come down. Keep your arms up and stretched high as you jump! Move immediately to the next exercise.

4) Frog Pose: Squat down with your heels together and your knees spread. Reach down between your knees so your fingertips touch the ground. Your head is up, eyes level to the horizon and your heels are up off the ground. Inhale and straighten your legs so that your buttocks rises up and your head goes forward toward your knees. Keep your arms straight and your fingers on the ground. Exhale back into the squat position with your head once again level. Repeat this motion 10-15 times with a strong breath and a steady pace. Advanced practitioners may increase the number of repetitions up to a maximum of 108 squats. When done, inhale and raise your buttocks, and as you exhale stand all the way up.

Please note: If you have knee troubles and can not squat down try the following alternative. Stand straight with your arms out in front, parallel to the ground. Exhale as you squat 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down. Inhale and stand straight. Repeat the motion 10-15 times with a strong breath.

5) Archer Pose: Standing, turn slightly sideways and extend one leg forward about 1½ to 2 feet. Bend your front knee forward over your toes. Stretch your other leg straight back and angle your foot forward about 45-degrees. Reach forward with the same arm as the front leg and make a fist as if you were grasping a bow. With your other hand imagine you grasp the bowstring and pull it all the way back. Focus your eyes over your front hand to the horizon. Fix your gaze without blinking. Begin a steady, powerful Breath of Fire. Continue for 1-3 minutes. Then inhale, shift the front knee a little more forward and suspend your breath in for 5-10 seconds. Exhale as you stand up. Switch sides and repeat the exercise. When you are done shake out your legs and arms for 10-15 seconds.

Align

Take a few minutes to gradually establish a smooth, comfortable walking pace as you check for proper alignment and stride.

Vitalize - The Hawk

The Hawk utilizes an 8/4 segmented breath. Synchronize your steps with your breath as you inhale in 8 segments and then exhale in 4 segments. Breathe through your nose. Inhalations should be light and equal. Exhalations should be stronger to facilitate a complete exhale in four strokes. Your breath will become powerful and automatic. Enhance the breathwalk with a primal sound scale. As you inhale mentally recite Sa Ta Na Ma Sa Ta Na Ma. As you exhale mentally recite Wha Hay Gu Roo. Each syllable corresponds to both a breath segment and a step.

Balance

Gradually reduce your walking pace. Allow your senses to expand as you gather the energy from your Breathwalk. Finish with the Triple Balance Stretches.

Integrate - Expand Your Sensory Bubble

This innerwalk is best done while sitting still in a meditative state. Most people like to do this for two to five minutes.

Sit for a moment. Imagine the surface of your skin. It is all around you. It has an exquisitely sensitive surface. As you breathe feel the surface of your skin breathe with you. Imagine it can lift off and form a bubble of breath, an invisible skin of breath, all around. As you inhale feel and imagine that bubble expand away from the surface of your body. As you exhale, feel it relax and contract closer. As you expand the bubble, feel everything. Let everything in. Every thought, feeling, sound, fragrance and taste. Become still in the center of your expanding and contracting bubble of breath.

Use the feeling and image of your bubble to sense things in all directions at once. At first one direction may seem more open than another. That's fine. Sense that and then continue to open every area around you. Become totally transparent. Become subtle and sensitive. Restrict nothing. As you continue to breathe, let the sensory bubble gradually expand outward—for feet, yards, miles, hundreds of miles, light years, to the unlimited. With each breath become more still at the center of your bubble. Let each inhale alert you and each exhale relax you. With each breath experience the pleasure as you move in little ways to touch the simple vastness of your heart. Rest in your heart.

Then inhale deeply, suspend your breath and expand your breath bubble as far as you can. After 10 to 15 seconds let your breath go, all at once, through your mouth and explode your bubble to infinity. Let it go beyond all horizons. And just be still for a moment. Sense everything. Feel, bless and release everything. When you are ready, inhale deeply and stretch your arms up; then relax.

PROGRAM TWO

REJUVENATE YOUR ENERGY RESERVES

Awaken - Opening to Go

1) Breath-Priming for 1-3 minutes.

2) Stand straight with your feet placed shoulder width apart. Extend both arms in front and interlace your fingers to form a hammerlock. With your elbows straight, begin a steady up and down pumping motion lifting your arms up to a 60-degree angle and then bringing them down to an angle 60-degrees below the horizontal. Breathe through your nose. Make your breath deep and smooth. Synchronize your breath with your arm movements, inhaling as you lift your arms up and exhaling as they go down. A good pace is one pump per second. Continue for 2-3 minutes. To end, inhale with your arms up and hold for 5-10 seconds. Exhale and relax down.

3) Stand with your legs spread slightly to form a steady base. Place your hands on your shoulders with your thumbs in back and fingers in front. Raise your elbows to the height of your shoulders. Begin to twist your head and torso left and right. Coordinate your movement with your breath inhaling as you twist left and exhaling as you twist right. Move your torso, arms and head all together without flapping your elbows down or forward. Continue at a steady smooth pace for 1-3 minutes. To end, inhale deep, center yourself and suspend your breath for 5-10 seconds.

4) Stand with your legs together and begin rhythmical shoulder shrugs. Inhale as you lift both shoulders up and exhale as they drop down. Stay relaxed. Avoid the tendency to squeeze your shoulders in toward your neck by lifting your shoulders straight up and down. Create a steady pace of 5-8 shrugs per 5 seconds and continue for 1-3 minutes.