Pranayama as I have learned it, with Andrew Eppler

These lessons teach prāṇāyāma, the regulation of the breath, and they draw on three decades of my own practice. The course is inspired by Śrī B.N.S. Iyengar, my teacher in Mysore.

Every technique is shown on video and explained in writing, so the practice can continue on its own long after the four weeks end.

The Four Weeks

Week One

Introduction and Bandha

Preparation for a demanding practice. These are the techniques I have found most effective for readying the body: the seals and locks, mudrā and bandha, as the groundwork, and the Compression and Vacuum exercise that brings the locks to life.

Week Two

Vishama Vritti and Nadi Shodhana

Breath in unequal measure and the cleansing of the channels are the first two prāṇāyāmas, practiced on the foundation of the bandhas. You build to a steady ten-round practice and gain the retention that everything after this depends on.

Week Three

Bhastrika and Shitali

The bellows breath, which builds heat, and the cooling breath, both learned in warm and cold conditions, with the cautions that keep them safe.

Week Four

Shakti Chalana and Upasana

The last step in the sequence and the 48-day practice that completes it, with the cautions the deeper stages demand. Śakti cālana is the stirring of inner power, and upāsanā is focused worship and meditation.

What's Included

Direct correspondence with Andrew, and a free one-to-one Zoom call if you want one
Nine videos, 4.5 hours in all, each technique taught step by step
The complete written curriculum, week by week
A full guided practice to follow along with as you learn
The history, philosophy, and energetic framework the practice rests on
A certificate of completion, with 40 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education

Who This Is For

The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, a classical manual of haṭha yoga, opens its chapter on prāṇāyāma by saying when to begin: once the posture is firm, the yogi who has mastered the senses and eats moderate, wholesome food should practice prāṇāyāma in the way the teacher has shown.

In practice that means a body already prepared: comfortable with a full Primary Series, able to hold a steady pace for well over an hour.

These are strong practices, meant for sincere students who want to enter trance and to work with the raising of kuṇḍalinī, which the texts describe as a coiled energy at the base of the spine.

If you are newer to āsana, the postures, build that foundation first, and this course will be here when you are ready.

The Practical Details

Tuition: $108, one payment.
Start date: Whenever you like. Access is immediate and the course is self-paced.
Video: Nine lessons, 4.5 hours in all, with extensive written notes and one full guided practice.
How long you keep it: Permanently. Buy it once and it stays in your account.
Personal guidance: A free one-to-one Zoom call with Andrew is there for anyone who joins and has questions to ask.
Questions: Write to Andrew at andrew@ashtangayogastudio.com.

Pranayama as I have learned it with Andrew Eppler

Introduction and Bandha

Vishama Vritti and Nadi Shodhana

Bhastrika and Shitali

Shakti Chalana and Upasana

Pranayama as I have learned it
with Andrew Eppler