|
|
Yoga and Pranayama
(By Krishna Darshan)
What is yoga?
Yoga is defined as the cessation of all mental modifications or “vrittis”. (mental agitations, thoughts waves)
At that time, when there is cessation of all vrittis, the seer dwells and rests in its own nature.
That is called “Self-realization” or realizing the True nature of the Self, which is no other than the infinite Purusha, that Brahman or Atman, infinite, pure consciousness, all knowing, self-satisfied, eternal, changeless and ever blissful.
Otherwise, (when there are still vrittis in the mind) the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind, taking on the identity of those thought patterns.
It means that one is identified with the contents of the mind, and that forms his personality and sense of being a limited and mortal individual, separated from everything else. As a result of that, there is state of constant affliction caused by unfulfilled desires, attachment, aversion and fear of death.
Causes of the Vrittis
The vrittis or mental agitations are cause by two things: 1)Vasanas and 2)Prana
- If you remove either of them the other is also removed and the vrittis cease.
Vasanas are deep-seated impressions and conditionings of the mind. Vasanas make a person behave, act and think in the way he does. They are the cause of one’s personality and they cause and define the characteristics of this life as well as future incarnations. They are equal to “karmic seeds”. Each action, thought or experience from all past lives have created an impression in the mind, a sort of foot print or a groove in the mind which gives a particular shape to the personality and create a tendency to repeat itself. Then the more a thought or action is repeated, the deeper the impression or groove it creates and the more that though will tend to repeat itself indefinitely.
As far as their root, which is ignorance of the true Self or “Atman”, remains, those vasanas keep dominating the mind and keep the individual in the wheel of karma, birth and death.
From these unconscious Vasanas all kinds of vrittis arise, like weeds sprouting from their seeds.
Prana is the fuel that the vasanas need to become actual vrittis. In the same way a fire cannot burn if there is no air (oxygen), vasanas cannot sprout and turn into vrittis if they have no prana. It is the agitation of the prana which agitates and fans the mind, in the same way as it is the wind that makes the leaves of a tree to move. You can’t see the wind, but you can see the movement and sound of the leaves of the tree and therefore you know there is wind.
It is the electricity which makes the motor of a fan to run and move its blades. If you remove (switch off) the electricity from the fan, it will soon stop its spinning motion.
In a gasoline car, we have a fuel (gasoline) and an electric battery which creates the spark in the spark-plugs and the resulting explosion creates the motion of the engine.
If you remove either of them, the fuel or the spark, the engine will stop. In this analogy, the fuel is the Vasanas and the sparks are the prana.
The effects of Pranayama
Mind and prana always go together, they are like two sides of the same coin.
So, in order to stop the vrittis of the mind, the easiest wat is to control the prana first. This is called “Hatha yoga”.
Prana is flowing in and out of our body by the breathing process. The speed and rhythm of one’s breath is intimately inter-dependent of the state and mood of the mind and emotions. Different types of thoughts correspond to different breathing patterns and vice-versa.
The faster the breath goes, the faster the mind goes and more intense the vrittis manifest.
The mind is kept in constant motion by the dual forces of Prana and Apana, also called Sun and Moon energies or “Ha” and “Tha”. (just like the ascending and descending motion of the pistons in a gasoline engine). This alternation and constant pull of prana and apana creates the process of inhalation and exhalation and that provides energy to the vrittis.
Prana is pulling the energy upwards and creates the exaltation, whereas as Apana pulls the energy down and creates the process of inhalation.
- There is a controversy in this last statement. Many modern authors associate the prana with inhalation and apana with the exhalation, but there is no clear scriptural authority for such affirmation, neither in Sruti (vedas-upanishads) not in yoga sastra nor in ayurvedic classical scriptures. On the other hand, the Upanishads and main acharyas of the major sampradayas, including Shankara acharya, Madhava acharya, Ramanuja acharya and renowned yoga authorities like Swami Sivananda have explained Prana as the out-going breath and apana as the in-going breath.
The confusing factor seems to be that the apana is related with the elimination of waste out of the body and being C02 is a waste product, it seems as it would be expelled by the force of the apana too. But apana is going downwards and expels waste and secretions from the lower gates of the body: (anus, urethra and genitals) but the exhalation process is caused by an upwards motion of prana and it happens through the upper gates: nose or mouth.
- “That which one breathes out is the prana and that which one breathes in is the apana.” Chandogya upanishad, lll.3
The downward pull of Apana makes the diaphragm muscle to contract (downwards) and the longs to expand, bringing air from the outside to the inside of the body through the nose or mouth. Then the upward motion of prana pushes the air outside of the body through the nose or mouth.
But here is a key moment, what the yogis are really interested on, and that is the gap between the inhalation and exhalation and between exhalation and inhalation, between prana and apana and if one can stay and extend that for a long enough time, then prana and apana become united. They neutralized each other. At that time breath ceases, then the vrittis cease too.
As far as the force of prana and apana are active and the breath is agitated, the apana and prana move in the ida (moon) or Pingala (Sun) nadis. Each of those predominates for a period of 1 to 2-hour cycle average. This is like the swing of a pendulum, which also maintains the motion of the mind and the prana.
In the advanced level of pranayama, the natural flow of prana and apana is reversed, making apana to move upwards and prana move downwards, contrary to their nature, until both meet and unite with each other. This is done with the aid of various exercises like some specific asanas, bandhas, mudras and mental visualizations. The process has to be learned directly from an experienced teacher. It is not just a mechanical/physical process, there are many secret tips to do it.
At the time of kumbaka or cessation of breath, this alternation ceases, sun and moon, prana and apana are made to unite by the mentioned practice and they enter the Sushumna nadi in the center of the spine.
This stoppage of the breath “suffocates” the sleeping kundalini shakti which is dormant in the mooladhara chakra and makes her enter in the sushumna nadi, breaking the obstructions or grantis in it, and, with time and practice, it pierces all the chakras leading to Samadhi and union between Shakti and Siva and Jivatman and Paramatman.
“If one practices kumbhaka (suspension of breath) after exhaling the prana to a distance fartherfrom where the apana rises (the twelve finger-breadth distance), he is not subject to sorrow any more.
Or, if one is able to see the space within oneself where the inhaled breath turns into the impulsefor exhalation, he is not born again. By seeing where the prana and apana terminate their motionsand by holding fast to that state of peace, one is not subject to sorrow again.
If one keenly observes the place and the exact moment at which the prana is consumed by the apana, he does not grieve.
Or, if one keenly observes the place and the exact moment at which the apana is consumed by prana, his mind does not arise again.
Therefore, behold that place and that moment at which prana is consumed by apana and apana is consumed by prana inside and outside the body.
For that precise moment at which the prana has ceased to move and the apana has not begun to move, there arises a kumbhaka which is effortless: the wise regard that as an important state. When there is effortless suspension of breath, it is the supreme state. This is the self; it is pure infinite consciousness. He who reaches this does not grieve.
I contemplate that infinite consciousness which is the indwelling presence in the prana but which is neither with prana nor other than prana.
I contemplate that infinite consciousness which is the indwelling presence in the apana but which is neither with apana nor other than apana.
That is the middle between prana and apana — I contemplate that infinite consciousness. I contemplate that consciousness which is the prana of prana, which is the life of life, which alone is responsible for the preservation of the body; which is the mind of the mind, the intelligence in the intellect, the reality in the ego-sense.”
Yoga Vasistha
“Like a falcon tied with a string can be pulled back when it has taken off, so the psyche, tied by the qualities (guna) [of Nature] can be pulled back by means of [controlled] prâna and apâna. “
Goraksha padhati 1-40
“The Jeevatma (the soul of the physical individual) is under the control of prana which goes up and down as well as apana. Apana pulls Prana. Prana pulls Apana. He who knows and realizes this mutual pull which is pulling to the top and bottom, understands yoga.
Yoga chudamani uppanishad- sloka 29
Pranayama Practice
Preliminaries and qualifications:
In order to practice pranayama successfully, the practitioner should be first established in:
Yamas and niyamas- Those are ethical rules of conduct and of self-discipline in daily life that provide a foundation for any serious spiritual discipline. This is long topic in itself and will be explained more thoroughly in another lesson. In hatha yoga sastra, there are 10 yamas and 10 niyamas.
Proper diet- Yogic diet is considered a very important topic in pranayama practice. Food has a tremendous influence not only in the physical body, but also in the prana, nadis and in the mind.
The practitioner of Hatha yoga should avoid food products which are of a tamasic and rajasic nature, like all types of meat, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other mind-altering plants, drugs, coffee, tea or other stimulants.
Some fermented foods may be good sources of probiotics during regular life, but are to be avoided completely during advanced/intense pranayama. Food should contain no added salt. Hot spicy foods like chilies, cayenne, etcetera should be completely avoided. Garlic and onion, though they have good medicinal properties for some health conditions, should be avoided, especially in the advanced/intense levels of pranayama practice. Food should be freshly cooked and made with wholesome natural ingredients and never old, stale or fermented.
Classical hatha yoga scriptures and tradition recommend the intake of: rice, wheat, barley, milk, fresh cheese, ghee, sweet fruits, cooked green vegetables, natural unrefined sugar, honey, cucumbers, Kitchree, Dal (peeled lentils), ginger, almonds, walnuts, raisings, dates and others.
Mitahara.- Food should be eaten with moderation filling one half of the stomach with solid food, one quarter with liquids and the remaining 1 quarter should be empty for quick and easy digestion. This is called “Mitahara” and it is considered as one of the most important Yamas in most hatha yoga scriptures. Over eating will quickly destroy the practice of pranayama.
Building Ojas shakti.-
Before taking advanced forms of pranayama, the practitioner need to ensure he has enough “Ojas”. Otherwise the practice could result harmful.
Ojas is the most refined substance that is assimilated from the food. The food is transformed into the various tissues (dhatus) of the body until its most refined part becomes the reproductive tissue, viz. sperm or ovum, which has the essence of life and nourishment. This process takes approximately one month.
Then, if these reproductive organs/tissues do not consume their energy through sexual activity (by restraining or regulating the sexual activity), then it becomes refined even further and starts to flow upwards in the form of OJAS. It nourishes and protects all the tissues of the body and especially the nervous tissues and the nadis, giving them the strength to manage high levels of Prana.
Finally, it reaches the brain and it accumulates there, giving a great power to the brain, called “ojas shakti”. When this happens, the nadis, nerves and the mind become very calm and sattvic, which makes them ready to bear the very high level of prana and fire produced in the process of yoga and in the awakening of the Kundalini shakti, which is very fiery by nature, compared to a high voltage electricity.
If there is not enough ojas in the system, the body and tissues are weak, there is propensity for diseases (weak immune system) and the nervous system and brain will not be able to withstand the intense energy produced during the Tapas or intense purification process that happens during the intense sadhana. This is dangerous and can harm deeply the body and mind of the practitioner. Kundalini and very strong Tejas or fire created by it can “burn” the physical or astral body of the practitioner if there is not enough Ojas to support it.
To ensure good ojas, the proper diet, high in ojas, like milk, ghee, almonds, nuts, etcetera need to be consumed regularly. The digestive system need to be working well with a strong Agni or digestive fire to be able to digest and process the Ojas contained in the food, otherwise it becomes toxic.
Sexual energy need to be preserved as much as one’s capacity in order to give time to the sexual energy to transform into stored Ojas.
Excessive sexual activity and also other factors like emotional stress, situations of violence, hostile environment, use of drugs, alcohol or any form of intoxication, or some diseases can quickly deplete the ojas and harm the nadis and astral body. Therefore, one should recover well the ojas and nadis before attempting intense levels of pranayama. Some simple and easy forms of pranayama can be practiced by all as it will help relaxation and recovery.
Yogic Kriyas- Those are cleansing exercises that stimulate the removal of toxins from the body. The main ones are 6, named: tratak, neti, kapalabhati, dhauti, nauli and basti.
Each of them has several variations. They should be learned directly from an experienced teacher and not from books.
They remove mainly the excess of kapha dosha (mucus/phlegm) which produces blockages to the flow or prana in the body and nadis. They also help increasing healthy agni and removal of vata and pitta doshas.
Asana.- Before starting pranayama, one should be able to sit with comfort and without moving for some time, maintaining steadily the back, neck and head straight in one line, so that the prana can flow upwards freely without obstructions. Ideally the legs should be crossed and locked, to prevent the apana to move down and energy be discharged to the earth. Cross legged straight back and neck posture promoted the reversal of the downwards flow of Apana which is made to flow upwards to unite with Prana. The body should not move at all during the practice of pranayama. Steadiness of the body is needed in order to make the prana steady and the mind quiet.
To be able to accomplish that, there are various hatha yoga asanas that will help to remove stiffness and tension from the body. They help to balance the 3 doshas and push the prana to flow through the obstructed nadis, by pressing on important energy centers.
Among thousands of asanas and variations, there are 84 which are considered as the most important ones. Even among those, there are 12 mayor ones, that when practiced in the right order will produce the deeper effects. Then there are 4 which are the ideal for the practice of pranayama and meditation.
Among those 4, there are two which are the most important of all. Those are: Sidhasana and Padmasana (lotus pose). Those two are the most excellent of all asanas, but require a long practice to be able to remain in them comfortably for a long time.
Then we have sukasana which is the easy cross-legged posture, where the knees are resting on the opposite feet. It is more easy and comfortable for most people.
Mastery of the diaphragm muscle and respiratory system.
Before the practice of pranayama, the teacher instructs the student in the proper use of the diaphragm muscle, and the thoracic intercostal muscles, the mechanics of the breath. Through various exercises the student should understand and master the abdominal breathing, thoracic breathing and the complete yogic breathing.
Following that he should learn to regulate the speed and rhythm of his breath with simple counting for inhalation and exhalation. Most people use their respiratory system in an involuntary manner, but yoga teaches how to turn it into a voluntary motion and be able to regulate the flow of air in the long in various rhythms and proportions.
The purification of the nadis
The first (and most important) stage on the actual practice of pranayama is the purification of the nadis (Nadi Shodhanam)
For this, the exercise known as Anuloma-Viloma, or alternate nostril breathing is the most important one.
One should practice it under the directions of one’s own teacher for the recommended period before taking on other types of pranayamas.
The maha-kumbakas or mayor pranayamas.
Those are different breathing exercises in which there is a period of retention of the breath, either after inhalation or in some cases after exhalation. That type of retention of the breath for prolonged period according to one’s capacity is called “Sahita” kumbaka.
During those pranayamas, different bandhas (mula, jalandhara or udhyana) are applied at different times according to the instruction of one’s own teacher.
“Only the knowledge imparted by a Guru is powerful and useful; otherwise it becomes fruitless,
weak and very painful.” Siva Samhita 2.11
- The 8 mayor pranayamas or “maha-kumbakas” are:
Surya bedha, Ujjayi, Sitkari, Shitali, Bhastrika, Brahmari, Murcha and Plavini.
Their technique should only be learned in person from a qualified teacher and not from books, so I am not going to explain the actual technique. There are several correct variations and ways to practice them suit for the condition of different students, but there are also wrong ways to do them which can be dangerous for the practitioner. Unfortunately this is seen a lot in modern yoga “studios”
Surya bheda purifies and energizes the Surya (Sun) nadi or pingala, removing obstructions from it. It increases the heat of the body, which helps to burn impurities and it removes the Vata dosha
Ujjayi purifies the nadis and particularly the throat and neck area and many nadis that sprout from this region. It helps to control the speed of the inhalation and exhalation. It produces heat which removes impurities of the nadis and destroys and the Kapha Dosha
Shitkari and Shitali purify and energize the Chandra nadi (ida), purify the blood from poisons and toxins, they cools the brain, remove the excess of heat from the whole body and mind, heals the organs of the abdomen like stomach, spleen and liver and removes the Pitta dosha. They also remove hunger and thirst and are especially recommended during hot weather
Bhastrika removes the 3 doshas, purifies all nadis, destroys the Grantis or obstructions in the sushumna and so it helps to bring the united prana/apana into it. It awakes the sleeping kundalini Shakti from the mooladhara and makes it move upwards in the sushumna to the higher chakras.
Bhramari purifies the throat and chest area, helps the prana to flow inside the head and brings a state of happiness joy and peace of mind. It also helps to awaken the sushumna nadi.
Murcha brings peace and joy to the mind by making it inactive, creating a state in which one is unconscious of the external world, similar to a fainting state but internally conscious at the same time.
Plavini purifies the stomach by swallowing air into it and expelling it latter. It is more a kriya than a pranayama.
Bandhas and Mudras
After purification of the nadis and proficiency in the maha kumbakas, pranayama is combined with some practices known ad bandhas (“locks”, “valves”) and Mudras (“Seals”) which purpose it to force the union of prana and apana, activation of the kundalini shakti and absorption into the meditation state. Those should only be learned in person from a qualified teacher and never from books as those practices can be very dangerous if practiced erroneously or at the wrong stage or the practice.
Sahita and kevala kumbakas
In those previous forms of pranayama, the retention of the breath is called “Sahita” because it happens either after inhalation or after exhalation.
But when the nadis get purified and prana and apana become united. There is a spontaneous type of breath retention where there is neither inhalation nor exhalation. This is called kevala kumbaka and is the supreme for of pranayama and the goal of other forms or pranayama.
“Exercise in Sahita should be continued till success in Kevala is gained. This latter is simply confining the air with ease, without exhalation and inhalation” Hatha yoga Pradipika 2.72
Once kevala kumbaka is mastered, all the prana flows through the sushumna. The kundalini shakti is awakened.
When all the united prana/apana goes into the sushumna and remains there for some time, prana is withraned from the sensoy organs and nerves. This state become Pratyahara or withdrawal of the mind/prana from the sense objects.
Then by remaining longer in the sushumna, there follows dharana, dhyana and samadhi. The mind becomes quied and dissolves in Brahman or the infinite consciousness.
That state is named “Samadhi”, “Nirudha”, “Manomani” or “Unmani Avashta” and perfection in Raja yoga is achieved.
- There is not raja yoga without hatha yoga and no hatha yoga without raja yoga.
“He obtains the position of Raja Yoga undoubtedly. Kundalini awakens by Kumbhaka, and by its awakening, Susumna becomes free from impurities.
No success in Raja Yoga without Hatha Yoga, and no success in Hatha Yoga without Raja Yoga. One should, therefore, practice both of these well, till complete success is gained.
On the completion of Kumbhaka, the mind should be given rest. By practicing in this way one is raised to the position of (succeeds in getting) Raja Yoga.”
Hatha yoga Pradipika 2.75-77
Om Tat Sat
If you want to share this article please do it by sharing the link to this page. For other uses please write to us at info@yoga-elsilencio.com
|
|
