Wellness with Pranayama - Next Step towards the Divine - Part 1

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Pranayama - Breath of Life

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Understanding Prana

Pranaya namo yasya sarvamidam vashe

Namaste to that prana(the life force), by which the whole universe is governed

- Atharva Veda (11-4-1)

Head, Heart and Breath – Future anxieties, past regrets, Present fresh air – detoxifying and energising

Prana – subtle life force, Breath – Physical level

Let us start with a Prayer to that Prana!

ॐ प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत्‌ प्रतिष्ठितम्‌।

मातेव पुत्रान्‌ रक्षस्व श्रीश्च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति ॥

OM Pranasyedam vashe sarvam, tridive yat pratishtitham|

Mateva putran rakshasva, sreeshcha pragnyam cha videhi na iti ||

Whatever exists in three worlds, is all under the control of prana.

Prana, protect us, as a mother protects her sons, give us affluence and intelligence.

Pra = prefix, Aana = to breath; Body is machine, prana is energy to run this machine.

Day 1 – Introduction

v  Formation of the Universe

v  Prana and Science

v  Prana and Emotions

v  What and where is Prana

v  Pancha Kosha

v  Prana and Mind

v  Prana and Yoga

v  Yoga types

v  Ashtanga Yoga

v  Preparation for Pranayama

v  Maharishi Patanjali’s definition of Pranayama

v  Cleansing Pranayama – Types and method

v  Concepts of Prana

Day 2 – Topics covered

v  Why Pranayama?

v  Pancha Prana and Pancha Upa Prana

v  Physiology of Respiration and Soham breathing

v  Pranayama to attain higher dimensions

v  Introduction to Nadis

v  Introduction to Chakras

v  Pranayama and its impact

v  Guidelines for Pranayama

v  Benefits of Pranayama covered

v  Other Pranayama

Formation of the Universe

OM! Brahmavidapnoti param|tadesa'bhyukta |satyam jnanamanantam brahma|tasmadva etasmadatmana akasah sambhuta |akasadvayuh| vayoragnih|agnerapah|adbhyah prthivi|prthivya osadhayah| osadhibhyo'nnam|annatpurusah|sa va esa puruso'nnnarasamayah ||| 2.1.1 ||

- Taittiri Upanishad

OM! The knower of Brahman(Para Vidya) attains the highest. Here is a verse uttering that very fact Brahman is truth, knowledge, and infinite.

With the power of primordial sound OM and the supreme soul - space is created....

From that Brahman indeed, which is the Self, was produced space. From space emerged air. From air was born fire. From fire was created water. From water sprang up earth. From earth were born the herbs. From the herbs was produced food. From food was born the human. That human, such as one is, is a product of the essence of food.

A step towards the divine

Everything is in the mind’s eye – You open your eyes, Akara is visible, you close your eyes, form vanishes and the tattva (essence) remains in the mind’s eye. Since both mind and prana are present at the tattva level and interdependent, we need to pay more attention to both.

At the quantum level, everything is just atoms and at the classical level, everything has a form and a purpose.

Another example – Can the eye see itself?

Prana and Science

Prana is the life force that keeps a man alive, hence all living beings with the life force is called prani.

Our very own life force which we call Prana is not visible to us. Also to add that which keeps us alive, the air that we breathe is also not visible to the naked eye. We don't even what we are breathing in.

Breathing happens where? Do you know? – Not just nose – the skin also breathes – atoms enter the body

Even during sleep, even when you have lost connect with the body, it is prana that continues functioning and the mind is absent. You actually touch base with your true self in this state.

Breath is a powerful tool to calm the mind.

What is one’s true nature? – Calmness, Joy, Happiness, Bliss!!

Breathing vs. Respiration

Breathing is the process of inhalation and exhalation that carries oxygen laden air into the alveoli of the lungs and expels CO2 laden air into the atmosphere. – in Lungs, voluntary and involuntary.

Respiration is the cellular metabolism process of oxygen transfer and the combustion of high energy bio molecules that maintain homeostasis – breaking down of glucose to produce energy. – in cells, always involuntary

Did you know?

When the lungs are fully expanded, they can be fit to the size of an entire tennis court. There are enough alveoli in just one lung to cover an area roughly the size of a tennis court. The alveoli are where the crucial exchange of gas takes place. 

Breathing is the only physiological function which can be both voluntary and involuntary – For this one should know autonomic (metabolic aka involuntary) breathing and voluntary breathing and their pathways

Homeostasis – Internal, physical, chemical conditions maintained by living system – condition of optimal functioning for the organism and include variables like body temperature, fluid balance within certain pre-set limits.

Autonomic (Metabolic) Breathing and Voluntary Breathing

 

Particulars	Autonomic	Voluntary
Origin	Medulla oblongata - hindbrain	Cerebral cortex – forebrain
Breathing pattern	Based on emotion – throat, heart or stomach	Diaphragm and intercostal muscles
Descending Pathway	Spinal column impacting limbic system – no rhythmic breathing	Spinal column but abolishes responses to electrical stimulation – conscious breathing

Prana and Emotions 

How much prana is one capable of?

JOY, PASSION, FEAR AND ANGER – These 4 emotions, we already saw how they are a go-getter for any goal and call upon the cosmic energy to deliver their needs. It also has an impact on the heart rate and blood pressure. Mind should be one-focused. When cluttered, it can’t handle and passes on the burden to neck, shoulders, etc.  Try 2 exhalation to 1 inhalation breathing pattern to be in emotional balance. Now, let us take a look at their impact on the breathing pattern:

 

EMOTION	BREATHING PATTERN	SOLUTION
1) Joy, Passion	Slow and deep	Observe breath and celebrate life
2) Anger, agitated (tactic or underlying hurt or need)	Rapid	Become aware of breath flowing
3) Sadness (sense of loss)	Sigh frequently	Slow Breath without pauses
4) Fear, anxious (Danger lurking ahead - future)	Shallow or Freeze	Conscious breathing with long pause
5) Physical Pain	Shallow & noises	Deepen breath and observe prana healing the physical part

Psychosomatic diseases set in when the mind is stressed and breathing becomes erratic. And so arises the psychogenic pain for which we end up treating the physical body. Just imagine this can be corrected by just correcting your breath. 

Reiki even suggests a psychic surgery for knee pain instead of the painful knee replacement surgery in the hospitals.

What is Prana?

Back to the formation of the universe,

Prana – Vital energy - the life force – big bang – explosion – light and sound where

Light = life force and sound = frequency “OM”.

Prana – subtle (sukshma) Breath – gross (Sthula) – in the pranamaya kosha

For this vital energy, food is not the only replenishment but it is also said Aapova Annam meaning water and air also constitute food

In the Cosmos Vs. In the Individual

1) Fire – ATMA (Life force-undying eternal spirit - Higher Self)

2) Sun - Jeeva (Life-soul part comprising of emotions, mental functions and lower mind)

3) Moon - Mind

4) Stars - Eyes

5) Space - Sound

6) Lightning - Bindu

7) Thunder – Naada

Where is Prana?

The two substances that lie at the base of the creation of this universe – Akash and Prana

PRANA is the first to emerge along with space when the universe came into existence, embedded in each one of us. That’s why every living thing is called prani….

Where is prana in the body? – Can you guess? Heart? Head? In every cell!! And each one is running a universe by themselves! Similar to the mind! Pervading everywhere

Vyashti (individual) vs samashti prana (sum total) – Similar to vyashti pran, Pulsation of Pran in Akash is the real cause of creation and sustenance of this universe and that pulsation is available to us in the form of OM. (Recall sloka at the beginning of this page)

Time to learn Bhastrika now – meant to cleanse nadis of their impurities – observe babies breathing – abdomen rise and fall!

Why so? Only if impurities are removed, can prana flow freely through the nadis.

Where is Prana? – A deeper Insight

The three avasthas and the Higher states of consciousness -

1)   Jagrat – Awakened state – Prana is at the Ajna chakra involved in all the routine – Vishva – Sthula sharira – Vishva and Virat (Knower and Known – Vyashti and Samashti) – recognizes external

2)    Svapna – Dream state – Prana is at the Vishuddhi chakra in a diff. world altogether – Sukshuma Sharira – Taijasa and Hiranyagarbha – recognizes internal

3)    Shushupti – Deep Sleep state - Prana is at the Anahata chakra (at home with the Higher Self) – Karana Sharira - Prajna and Antaryami – recognizes the all pervading consciousness – Mind goes back to its original seat – the heart

4)     Turiya – Merged with the Higher self – Triputi – Union of the three - Seer, Seen, Act of seeing – all jewels will be only gold and ocean and wave will become only water

5)    Turiya Ateeta – Beyond the Turiya

Suggestion – Read Silva mind control method to realise your full potential – one can learn all about REM, alpha level and beta levels in sleep and then come back to Ashtanga Yoga to understand all of that is taught here itself.

Prana and the Mind

Pranena bhadyate manaha, manasa bhadyate pranaha!!

•       This means Prana is controlled by the mind and the mind is vis-à-vis controlled by the prana.

•       Your mind is like a fireball. If you harness it, it can become like the sun – sustaining one and all, healing one and all, equipping one and all with its cosmic energy!!

•       Everything begins in the mind and ends in the mind. (The Ultimate Truth) – What you give power, has power over you!

•       So, it is the same prana in all atoms in the universe – so if one can learn the art of controlling one’s prana, you will also know the art of controlling universal pranic energy.

Let us explore Kapalbhati Pranayam - yet another cleansing pranayama to remove the mental blocks.

Mindful Vs Mind Full

What is mindfulness!!?? Actually nothing to think, nothing to do, nothing to say… Just be – aware of the self – existing!! To BE! Sat Chit Anand state!! Potential – Existence-consciousness-Bliss! Kinetic Action-thoughts-Joy/Sorrow!

So Where does Prana flow?

As against, Mind Full being cluttered mind, emotionally blocked and overloaded with thoughts.

The Secret to a relaxed mind

Source: Hath Yoga Pradipika 4.23

मनो यत्र विलीयेत पवनस्तत्र लीयते।
पवनो लीयते यत्र मनस्तत्र विलीयते॥

mano yatra vilīyeta pavanastatra līyate।
pavano līyate yatra manastatra vilīyate॥

Breathing is lessened when the mind becomes absorbed,
and the mind becomes absorbed when the Prana is restrained.

Understanding Antahakarana chatustaya – Chitta, as per Sankhya yoga has 4 Layers (four-fold) based on its function and projection to the external world -

1)     Manas – Dwivida – Duality occurs here - That layer of the mind, which interacts with the world using the sense organs and communicates to the intellect (Buddhi) to fetch response based on database instead of instantly reacting.

2)      Buddhi – Decision making - Intellect – That layer of the mind which processes the information relayed by the mind and responds instead of reacting.

3)      Chitta – storehouse of samskaras – seat of memory

4)    Ahankara – Ego – Self arrogates and projects the processes of Manas (mind) and Buddhi (intellect) as discovered by the self