Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Like a musician trains by practicing scales, a meditator trains by practicing basic techniques like prana vikshana (prana = breath, vikshana = observe). In this practice, you merely observe. You do not control your breath as is done in the practice of pranayama.
The practice of prana vikshana has two aspects: 1) tracing the passage of air during each inhalation and exhalation, and 2) observing sensations in the chest and nostrils associated with breathing. Mental counting can also be used to further restrain the mind from wandering.
The most important part of this practice is to catch yourself as quickly as possible when your mind begins to wander and immediately bring it back to observing the breath. In this way, you develop the skill of controlling your mind.
Meditation: prana vikshana
0:00 Introduction
17:49 Meditation
Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: arshabodha.org
Like a musician trains by practicing scales, a meditator trains by practicing basic techniques like prana vikshana (prana = breath, vikshana = observe). In this practice, you merely observe. You do not control your breath as is done in the practice of pranayama.
The practice of prana vikshana has two aspects: 1) tracing the passage of air during each inhalation and exhalation, and 2) observing sensations in the chest and nostrils associated with breathing. Mental counting can also be used to further restrain the mind from wandering.
The most important part of this practice is to catch yourself as quickly as possible when your mind begins to wander and immediately bring it back to observing the breath. In this way, you develop the skill of controlling your mind.
Meditation: prana vikshana
0:00 Introduction
17:49 Meditation
Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: arshabodha.org
