Prana, vital energy and the universe

"When the prana in the body is present, it is called life when it leaves the body, death occurs. Is therefore necessary to engage in pranayama (Svat-marama. "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" 2: 3). 

The Sanskrit word "Prana" means "the main element of vitality". It is designated by many terms: "life energy", "breath of life" and "vitality". Paramhansa Yogananda is the word translated as "standard rod", ie the cluster of ideas about God and the essence of the astral world. 

Paramhansa Yogananda is inspired by God himself has developed a system of 39 "energetiziruyuschih exercises" to charge directly to the brain and the body of cosmic energy (pranoi). But his followers, who went on his way kriya yoga and have done a charging these exercises, learn the secret of how to charge the body pranoi, bearing life, "electric shock" given to us by God as they wish at any time and anywhere. 

Prana is the link between the astral and physical bodies. When this link breaks or cuts, the astral body separates from the physical, and there comes what we call death. Prana leaves the physical body, moving in the astral body. Similarly, if you disconnect the battery from the motor vehicle or off any electrical appliance from the outlet, the car and appliance fail, because they are dead without the flow of electricity, piercing them. 

In the realm of humans, animals and plants all depends on the air, which is sent to us for life. Life, the prana and breath are closely interrelated. There is no life form can survive or even move without the flow of energy, called pranoi. 

"When the breath (prana) restless, the mind also becomes unstable, but when the breath is calm, the calm and reason. Then the Yogi attains quite motionless state of consciousness (citta). Therefore necessary to restrain the breath "(Svatmarama." Hatha Yoga Pradipika "2: 2). 

Prana is closely connected with the mind and thinking processes, the motion of one can not exist without the movement of another. When the soul is restless, is restless and breathing, and vice versa - Breathing (the movement of prana) affects the mind and thinking process. 

It is only necessary to understand the nature of such emotions as anger, fear, hatred and jealousy, to realize their impact on our breathing. When we are angry or depressed, markedly changing the frequency and depth of breathing. For example, when we are angry, the breath becomes more frequent, and we are losing control over them while on his mind. The anger is intensifying, and shakes the whole nervous system and, moreover, may give rise to hatred, even worse, because when your heart is set on hate, can not be configured to communicate with God, who is the embodiment of love. 

Emotions and intelligence activities related to the nervous system and through it cause changes in respiration. That is why it is important to develop positive-| wearing kzhizni and positive thinking, as well as to overcome the undesirable negative and destructive tendencies and behavior. How? Educating themselves in virtue, we identify ourselves with the divine qualities: love, inner joy, compassion, generosity, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, forgiveness, peacefulness, serenity and contentment. 

When these virtues manifest themselves naturally and spontaneously, the energy flows naturally, permanently and in abundance. Directed upwards, Prana pervades every pore of the body, ennobling consciousness. Conversely, if in our thoughts, attitudes and actions prevail negative trends, suppressing our natural feelings, the flow of Pranic energy goes down, concentrating in the lower body. Body and mind are suppressed, and breathing becomes unstable. 

Pranayama helps to transform the very identity of the person and to eliminate mental obstacles, clearing the subtle channels (nadi), which flows in | prana current, causing the life to dormant vitality of the body, learn to focus, to enhance health and vitality in general. 

"With proper and thoughtful Pranayama is attained excellent health, a peaceful, stable mood and a strong, free from disease body radiating energy" (Svatmarama. "Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2: 16-18). 

Pranayama is primarily focused on mind control and the suspension of reason and the ego-consciousness (pose Vritti - see below), to achieve peace of mind. When the thoughts are paralyzed, and breathing becomes smooth, bright shining light of true inner self. Light of the true "I" is always clear, although it is painted with colored "filters" of thinking. And if you eliminate these filters will remain one of pure light - the light of true self.

Pranayama

The Sanskrit word pranayama consists of two words. "Iran" means a subtle life-force, energises the mind and body, and "pit" - a person's own efforts to control and direct the prana. 

Pranayama, therefore, - is a process control prana through self-regulation of respiration, it involves temporary posture, the intervals in the flow of breath. 

The main elements are rechaka pranayama (breath), pooraka (breath) kumbhaka and (breath holding). 

Teach us the mastery of meditation posture (asana) with a fixed and stable seat, during which the thought or attention to flow in one direction, Patanjali will now proceed to great-nayame and devotes her five sutras. 

"Having a fixed and stable posture can be adjusted life force (prana) by the natural, self-suspension of breath after inhaling or exhaling - the essence of Prana (Yoga Sutra 2: 49). 

In this sutra, he says: "Take a breath and hold your breath." This does not mean you need to exhale, inhale and hold your breath - rather it is understood that if the exhale and inhale again refuse, you can very quickly see what is prana. 

She quickly begins to act when you have to breathe again. That makes the prana to take the next breath after a long breath-holding. 

Try it in practice, since no single definition can not be so fully explain the nature of prana, as cross-sectional test. If you want to know what the total immersion of thought, do breath and hold your breath. You will find that at this moment you can not think of anything else except his breathing. This is simply impossible. A few seconds will seem an hour. 

Hatha Yoga explains this by saying that it is the breath (or the movement of prana) allows the mind to think. If his suspension, then the mind will lose its "fuel", and if it is no longer disturbed, he calms down. 

Naturally, that during deep meditation, breathing is interrupted for a short period of time, and this is the essence of pranayama. For immersed in such deep meditation there is no sense of time: his thoughts stopped, and in this deep and appeasement are the joy and bliss. 

"Pranayama is external, internal and paused. Delays respiration differ in the place, duration and number, becoming longer and more subtle "(" Yoga Sutra "2: 50). 

In this Sutra, Patanjali describes three kinds of Pranayama in terms of the nature of intervals, leading to a temporary suspension of breathing: 

- Pause after a very slow and prolonged exhalation (Bahia kumbhaka - external breath holding); 

- Pause after a long deep breaths (abhyantara kumbhaka - internal breath holding); 

- Long pause between inhalation and exhalation. 

According to him, in this technique ranges vary in location, duration and number: 

- Location: refers to what time to hold your breath (external, internal or suspended); 

- A defined period of duration of breath-holding; 

- Number - this is the temporal relationship of inhalation, breath holding and exhalation. 

"The fourth type of pranayama - the spontaneous interruption of breathing that occurs when the concentration in the external or internal pressure" ( "Yoga Sutra" 2: 51). 

This sudden delay of breath (known as keva kumbhaka) has done an exercise feels, at any time, and it requires no effort. This happens spontaneously after a long Pranayama. 

"Possession pranayama eliminates spiritual darkness and ignorance, enveloping the inner light of soul ... And the mind reaches the ability to concentrate "(Yoga Sutra 2: 52-3). 

In these two sutras say about the benefits of Pranayama. If effectively and successfully deal with pranayama, removed the dark veil of ignorance, obscuring the inner light. Pranayama promotes contemplation, eliminating the distraction that facilitates concentration and meditation. 

"Yoga Sutras" brings to our attention by a simple but very important point: "yoga, to remove all obstacles to the mind." When the obstacles removed, then himself (Seeing) appears in its true form, and life becomes enlightened.

Yoni Mudra

Yoni Mudra is the state pratyahara ( "diversion feelings"). 

1. Sit down and take up a comfortable posture for meditation (best Siddhasana). Relax and close your eyes. 

2. Take a deep slow breath and hold your breath. 

3. Close your ears with your thumbs, gently pressed on the tragus of each ear (tragus - a protrusion of the cartilage in front of ear openings). Close your eyes and gently push your index fingers on the outer corners of the closed eyelids. Close the nostrils middle fingers and apply the ring finger over his lips, and little fingers under the lip to close the mouth. 

4. Hold the breath with the help of Yoni Mudra, look at the point between the eyebrows (Ajna Chakra). Concentrate on this point and try to see the iridescent blue island - "the spiritual eye, surrounded by golden light around, but in the middle of it must be a tiny five-pointed star, a silver-white and shining. Immerse yourself in this star and meditate. Listen to all the internal sounds, as it should be in Technology Nada Yoga.

Kechari mudra (full version)

During this exercise, the language comes in staphyle (emphasis on the soft palate) and plants in the nasal cavity. Tip of the tongue presses up and down, activating some nerves in that area. Breathing is through the nose, as the mouth is blocked by language. 

One could say that tongue in this position provides "short-circuiting, switching off the energy from the medulla (base of the brain) and directing it to a point between the eyebrows -" spiritual eye "(usually the energy passes through the medulla oblongata, and then goes down and costs of all body). 

The procedure helps to awaken the kundalini and go into higher states of consciousness. It also cleanses the body, helping to achieve peace. 

With daily exercises and stretching can lengthen the tongue language for three or four months.

Nabham mudra ( "heavenly wise")

This is a simplified version of kechari wise. 

1. Sit down and take a comfortable posture for meditation, relax and close your eyes. 

2. With your mouth closed Take back the tongue to the bottom of it touched the top of the sky. Preventing stress, take the tip of the tongue as far as possible back and push them up on the back of the mouth. 

Hold this position udzhayi practicing pranayama (see Chapter 5). Do this until until you feel uncomfortable, then loosen the tongue.

Kechari Mudra ( "seal of language")

In Sanskrit, "hack" - is derived from the word "Akash" ( "space") and "Chari" - "remove". Thus kechari mudra is translated as "posture movement in space." With kechari wise consciousness becomes Akasha - the space between the astral and physical bodies. 

"Hatha yoga Pradipika" calls kechari greatest of all wisdom and argues that mastered kechari able to win a dream, hunger, thirst, sickness, old age and death. 

Traditional practices kechari (available only experienced yogis) is conducted under the guidance of a guru and includes a gradual, over several months, cutting the bottom membrane Language (Fraenum linguae), while the membrane connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, not be completely cut. This is necessary in order to make the language as long as possible, so that, bending back, he could enter the upper part of the mouth of the sky. Tip of the tongue then sent to a point between the eyebrows, which converge nadi, su noisy, Ida and nurtured. 

Some very experienced yogi, laid back language runtime kechari wise, they actually close the glottis (the narrow triangular "fracture" between the vocal cords in front and on the bases and voice spikes drawn-eminent cartilage in the back). Thereby completely closed passage of air and breath control that allows you to increase the delay time of breath. 

Known that experienced yoga master this technique and fully control their mind and body, able to sit motionless, holding his breath, within 40 days. 

Sri Kriyyananda in his treatise "Fourteen Steps to Joy" wrote: "Positive and negative power of language and nasal passages, combined together, form the mind and energy cycles, which, instead let energy flow from the body, creates a magnetic field, carried away by the energy up from body and the base of the spine to the brain. " 

Note: In no case without cutting linguistic membrane. Inexperienced people practicing yoga, it is strictly prohibited. Sri Kriyyananda told the real story of what his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda lashed out against the practice, when one of his disciples began to cut the language membrane to extend the language. 

Within the language there are five major nerves, blood vessels and arteries, mucous glands and lymph vessels. Cutting the language membranes can break the nerves, and you're numb and deprive the language needed blood supply. 

Practice described here is a safer option kechari, without cutting into the language. 

Exercise to stretch the language 

1. First Take tongue back and touch the uvula (fleshy sprouts reminiscent of grape and hanging from the rear of the soft palate). Look in the mirror during the exercise to see how you do it. 

2. Fold tongue back and touch the uvula from the bottom. Close your mouth, push the base of the tongue to the sky, until you feel tension under linguistic membrane. Gently but persistently practice, avoiding stress. Engage in at any time. 

3. Touch the tip of the tongue to the sky and push it. Then start "sucking" in the language itself toward the sky. 

Fig. 16. Nabham mudra 

1 - nasal cavity 

2 - the hard palate 

3 - Language 

4 - brain 

5 - pituitary 

6 - cerebellum 

7 - soft palate 

8 - epiglottis 

9 - Throat 

10 - spinal cord 

Fig. 17. Kechari mudra 

1 - nasal cavity 

2 - the hard palate 

3 - soft palate 

4 - Language 

5 - brain 

6 - pituitary 

7 - cerebellum 

8 - epiglottis 

9 - Throat 

10 - spinal cord 

Now gently open your mouth continues to pull in the language of heaven, until you feel the tension of language membranes. 

End position of this exercise involves a wide mouth opening, when the suction is terminated, and the tongue is released with a characteristic click. 

Do this exercise 50-100 times a day. 

4. Prepare a thin clean damp cloth. Vysunte language, grasp it with a cloth and "milked" him, gently pushing and making him massage to stretch it. This is called before the Khan. 

Do this daily for two or three minutes. 

5. Carefully, but firmly Take the tip of the tongue back until you feel the tension of the membrane of language (it Chal). 

6. Take myself for language and gently rub his back teeth on the membrane. 

Do this daily one or two minutes

Vadzhroli mudra

This is a very complicated wise, we can say that it is important yoga kriya, which requires very fine control over the sexual organs. Vadzhroli consists of several stages, one of which the urethra to a depth of 25 cm is inserted into a silver tube (catheter). Through this tube, first the water is sucked through it can also suck up whole milk, even more difficult to learn to suck up the oil and honey. At the final stage achieved full control of the urethra, and the yogi in a position to suck the liquid 1 in the bladder through the urethra, and without a silver tube. Through the urethra can even suck up into the air. 

First you will need monitoring by an experienced specialist - guru. Vadzhroli mudra is very complex, and the first catheter is inserted into the urethra to a depth of only 2.5 cm, then the depth gradually increases to 5 cm and more, over time, to 25 cm purpose vadzhroli wise - full control over the sex organs and maintenance seed. To practice this advanced technique is necessary to strictly refrain from sexual relations. 

Nevertheless, there is a simplified way to perform this print: 

1. Sit in a comfortable Asana for meditation, his hands on his knees and his eyes closed. 

2. Tighten up the genitals by voltage and pull the lower abdomen and compression of sexual organs - testes in males and vagina in women. Do not strain and not Strive to compression. 

3. Compressing genitals, focus on svadhishthana chakra. 

4. Stop contraction and relax. 

Viparita penalties mudra (stand on your head or shoulders) 

1. Lie on your back, putting his hands on both sides of the body. 

2. Take a slow breath and lift the lower back at an angle of 45 °, and feet - at 90 °. Keep your body, legs, hands resting on his hips and lowering the elbows on the floor. The body should be completely relaxed, eyes closed. 

3. Make kechari wisely (see pp. 182-183); breathe at this moment under udzhayi pranayama (see Chapter 5). 

4. Take a slow breath from Manipur chakra but Visuddha chakra. 

5. Breathe out, maintaining awareness Visuddha chakra. 

6. Again, inhale from the Manipur chakra to Visuddha chakra. 

7. Continue to breathe in such a way until you feel uncomfortable, then exhale and relax. 

Of all the "inverted" poses viparipga Karani is easier. You may feel discomfort in the lungs, but it is easy to remove with a rolled-up blankets. They say that the sun will live in through the navel and the moon - near the sky, in which case, viparipga Karani Mudra puts everything on its head by moving up the sun and the moon - down. 

First, do this exercise during the entire one minute, gradually increasing the duration to five minutes or more. In the treatises on yoga say that Yogi performing this wise every day for three hours, conquers death. It is said also that he engaged in this practice for three hours daily for six months disappear in the face wrinkles and gray hair, instead of returning the old hair color. The benefit of this version: 

- Eliminates the stagnation in the spleen and liver 

- Prevents constipation, hemorrhoids, prolapse of abdominal organs and digestive disorders; 

- Increases vitality; 

- Saves the thin nectar flowing from the Sahasrara chakra, thereby renewing and cleansing the body; 

- Directs sexual energy from low to high chakras; 

- Corrects the negative effects of improper Pranayama; 

- Sends blood to the thyroid gland, providing its normal activities, increasing its viability. 

However, this exercise should not be earlier than three hours after eating, and performing a complex exercise, you should wait for half an hour, until the body a rest before starting to engage again. Viparita Karani Mudra is also contraindicated in women during the menstrual cycle and all who suffer from high blood pressure, an enlarged thyroid gland and serious heart disease.