One needs basically three fundamental qualifications to pass from the physical bodily existence into the divine essence- first & foremost, devotion/ bhakthi (love for god), second (Kriya yoga, kingly science of mastering over senses through the third eye for directions) & third, but not least, perfect control of mind by yoga & meditation.
One should follow the path of the subtle energy(Kundalini power/ prana) & gain full control of it. In ordinary humans, the course of prana is usually directed downward ,“the southern course “(the way of darkness that leads to continued mortal bondage) flowing from the brain to the sensory nerves to innumerable sensory nerve endings on the body. This very dispersion & diffusion of life energy reveals to the human consciousness, the material world. Pranayama is considered as the fastest way to awaken the kundalini. By pranyama, one is to able to feel the thrill of prana rolling backward from these countless cells & nerve endings, ascending the coiled spinal tunnel (kundalini) 6th chakra(third eye) & 7th chakra, to reveal god. It is through this eye, one can attain the mastery over the senses & the sense conscious mind in his physical body to enter an astral form. It is like the ‘star of the east (forehead)’ , the creative vibratory guiding light of the microsm. Pl. refer to the earlier blog “Chakra Science- Kundalini Yoga” for better understanding of the chakras.
“Pranayama is what heart is to the human body.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
Pranayama (prana- life force, yama – control) is a life- control technique of Kriya Yoga, wherein one can learn to switch off the life current from the five senses in order to still restless fluctuations of the mind. It is a form of relaxation of the life force from the five sense-telephones. It is the prana that sets the mind in motion to thoughts & pranayama controls it. This free mind can be magnetized toward the blissful soul & its everlasting communion with the eternal spirit. It is by pranayama, one can realize his physical body as a part of the macrosmic existence of life & attain perfection. The seat of prana is the heart, the soul (atma/ god), the chief supervisor of this microsmic existence of the physical body & its instruments.
Meditation basically disciplines only the wandering mind (na- anya- gamina). Pranayama acts as a distillery of the physical body freeing it from the impurities & indriyas by blowing our lungs.
The chief aim of Pranayama is to direct the life force/ prana from the lowest 1st chakra towards the 6th & 7th chakra to avail the fruits of awakened Kundalini.
One can easily & quickly control & synchronise body, mind & soul connection through the breath control & harmonise the individual life with the cosmic life. Breath directed by the thought is under the control of our will, to vitalise & regenerate. It can be utilised consciously from healing many diseases to one’s self development.
The Prana is the vital force which manifests as motion & actions & on the mental plane as a thought. Breathing is a vital process which starts at the time of birth and stops at the death. With each inhale we use oxygen to spark the transformation of nutrients into fuel. Each exhale purges the body of carbon dioxide, a toxic waste. Breathing also affects our state of mind. It can make us excited or calm, tense or relaxed. It can make our thinking confused or clear. The oxygen is vital to all the parts, organs and cells of the body. The maximum time a person can survive without oxygen is about 5 minutes as heart & brain cells are very sensitive to hypoxia. All the metabolic processes require oxygen. Oxygen stimulates the immune system to various enzyme systems by the production of cytokines (cellular factors). All body cells meet their energy needs by respiration. Oxygen at high levels is toxic too. So, Oxygenation is a part of the therapy from infections, circulatory, cardio-respiratory, allergies, fatigues to multiple sclerosis & cancer. This vital energy is referred to as Prana.
Our ‘Breath’ is the external manifestation of prana, it is by control of our breath, we can control the subtle inner vital force by controlling our sense bound mind. All the processes and organs like heart, brain, digestive organs, endocrine glands in the body are innervated by nerves & have rhythms. Also the breathing has specific rhythms. Pranayama is rhythmic breathing, bringing the breath in natural rhythm by controlling the process of inhalation, exhalation and retention.
In process of breathing, the main muscle is diaphragm which separates abdomen & thorax & the accessory muscles of respiration of neck & chest wall (Fig. below). The diaphragmatic breathing is called abdominal (vertical) breathing and is considered a more efficient way to inhale air than inhaling while expanding the chest which is called horizontal breathing. In pranayama, one utilizes the diaphragm efficiently to get more oxygen without making more efforts. The diaphragmatic movement requires less efforts than the rib movement and more air can be inhaled as the diaphragm can be vertically moved up and down to about 6 inches.
The total capacity (TLC) of our lungs is about 6 litres., but during normal breathing we only breath about 600 ml air per breath (TV/tidal volume) into our lungs. In deep breathing the practitioner can inhale up to the total capacity of the lungs, which increases breathing efficiency per breath. The normal respiratory rate is 18 to 22 breaths per minute but in deep breathing this rate is reduced to about 4 to 8 breaths per minute. The following are the effects of such deep breathing-
* Heart rate & Pulse rate, respiratory rate, b.p all drops to athletic performance to improve one’s cardio-performance (stamina)
* More oxygen is easily available to the brain for the proper functioning – mind & thoughts
* Enhanced movement of diaphragm enables good massage to the adjacent internal organs- liver, spleen, stomach, intestines, heart & lungs & hence their optimal functioning
* Minimises cellular & hence body aging
Simple valsalva manoeuvre (breath out/ blow with force with nostrils & mouth closed) can slow & stop a cardiac arrhythmia (SVT), similarly inducing deliberate vomitting can abort an attack of migraine & a cardiac arrhythmia…. syncopal attacks(vasovagal), stress induced ulcers, asthma…. all are examples of nerve controlled systemic manifestations & diseases. It is all in our breath & very much can be regulated to control our parasympathetic nervous system, which is under voluntary control.
The ordinary length of air current when exhaled is upto 12 counts approximately & gets deeper with acts of singing, eating, sex to physical exertion of exercise (>50). Methods vary from kapalbathi to bastrika in controlling the breath by increasing or decreasing the acts of expiration. It is helpful in cardiac to respiratory disorders like asthma. Pranayama removes the constriction of the air passages ( from nostrils, airsinuses to bronchi & bronchioles), it develops one’s lung capacities. It also helps in toning one’s voice well as it exercises the larynx during the process.
In Patanjali’s “Ashtanga Yoga”, pranayama appears only at the fourth stage & unless one does asanas well, this stage cannot be reached & hence schools of thoughts do vary. Pranayama, if practiced correctly can cure all types of physical and mental disorders to even acquiring extrasensory perceptions. But if pranayama is not done properly, it invites all the diseases. Hence a proper advice by the guru is to be sought before any such practice.
Tags : prana, breath, pranayama & kundalini
Yogavani 
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