Life Force Energy
Prana and Pranayama
What Is Prana?
What makes any motion possible: the blink of an eye, the budding of a flower, the splitting of atoms, or the fall of a meteor? Thousands of years ago, the yogis living in the Himalayas' shadow, the inherent quality of the motion in the creation, and they called it prana. One may roughly translate the word prana as energy or vital force. Neither definition offers the precise equivalent of the Sanskrit term that emerged from the higher states of contemplation. The word prana assumes the quality of livingness. From the yogic point of view, the entire cosmos is alive, throbbing with prana.
Prana is ever-present in every aspect of creation. The prana within every created object gives existence and material form, whether it is a planet, an asteroid, a blade of grass, or a tree. If there were no prana, there would be no existence. If prana were withdrawn from the universe, there would be total disintegration. All-beings, whether living to non-living, exist due to prana. Every manifestation in creation forms part of a never-ending matrix of energy particles arranged in different densities, combinations, and variations. The universal principle of prana may be in a static or dynamic state, but it is behind every plane's existence, from the highest to the lowest.
Play of Prana and Chitta
What Is Prana?
What makes any motion possible: the blink of an eye, the budding of a flower, the splitting of atoms, or the fall of a meteor? Thousands of years ago, the yogis living in the Himalayas' shadow, the inherent quality of the motion in the creation, and they called prana. One may roughly translate the word prana is energy or vital force. Neither definition offers the precise equivalent of the Sanskrit term that emerged from the higher states of contemplation. The word prana assumes the quality of livingness. From the yogic point of view, the entire cosmos is alive, throbbing with prana.
Prana is ever-present in every aspect of creation. The prana within every created object gives existence and material form, whether it is a planet, an asteroid, a blade of grass, or a tree. If there were no prana, there would be no existence. If prana were withdrawn from the universe, there would be total disintegration. All beings, whether living to non-living, exist due to prana. Every manifestation in creation forms part of a never-ending matrix of energy particles arranged in different densities, combinations, and variations. The universal principle of prana may be in a static or dynamic state, but it is behind every plane's existence, from the highest to the lowest.
Play of Prana and Chitta
Both prana and consciousness must be present for life to exist. Chitta's conscious experience, which takes one closer to the conscious experience, is prana, and that which motivates prana is vasana, inherent desire. So, prana and vasana are the two supports of consciousness. A living being is called a prani, one who has prana and thus consciousness. It is not that consciousness is the cause of existence and prana; now is prana the cause of consciousness. They are two aspects of existence that determine the nature of everything.
Consciousness is being, awareness, and knowledge; prana is becoming manifestation through motion. Consciousness is a dormant experience, whereas Prana is the active principle of manifest energy. They are the two internal principles that are the basis of the macro cosmos and the microcosmos. Everything is a combination of prana and Chitta. The entire universe, creation, and existence are a play of consciousness and energy. The life force and mental force permeate every atom and cell of the universe, though remaining at different degrees of separation.
Kriya and Pranayama Practices
Benefits of Pranayama
Pranayama initiates a process in the physical body whereby the energy molecules and the mental forces which interact with one another in life and consciousness are transformed. When the molecules of mind are transformed, higher qualities such as love, compassion, and unity arise. The matter is energy, and, therefore, the physical body can be transformed into energy. The physical body is not merely a bundle of bone, marrow, nerves, and mucus. One must re-analyze and re-define what the body is and how far its transformation can be affected.
Can this body be turned into light particles? This must be considered in terms of science, not in terms of belief. This physical body can be transformed. If the molecules can undergo a state of metamorphosis, how is that achieved?
The answer is that the body is extremely subtle and pure through yoga and accordingly transformed. Pranayama is a key method when the yogic texts state that one can transform and transcend any impurities through pranayama. Brining intrinsic transformation.
The aspirant who practices pranayama in a sustained manner will find that every aspect of their being, at any level, is gradually being impacted. As one advances in the practices, the structure, the skin, and the smell of the body begin to change. One is always full of fresh energy, and the senses are calmed, and their outgoing tendency diminishes. Impurities are removed not only from the physical but other subtle bodies too. From the mental, emotional, psychic, and causal bodies. As a result, the intellectual capacity increases, and the mind and thoughts become more powerful. As prana flows freely through all the levels of being, the negative tendencies begin to drop off almost automatically. The small things that could spin one out of control dissolve into nothing, and the connection with and experience of cosmic prana becomes stronger and steadier.
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Awakening of vital energy
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Physical benefits
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Respiratory system
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Digestive and eliminatory system
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Cardiac system
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Endocrine system
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Nervous system
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Greater concentration
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Experience of higher consciousness
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Karmic Clearing
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Purification of Nadis and Chakra system