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Pranayama (प्राणायामः) (view source)
Revision as of 13:00, 20 December 2022
, 13:00, 20 December 2022→प्राणायामः ॥ Pranayama: Adding content
Furthermore, Pranayama helps in making breathing slow and rhythmic. And when the breath slows down, the [[Manas (मनः)|mind]] also becomes calmer. Therefore, Pranayama as a practice uses breath to soothe the fluctuations of ‘chitta’ or the active thinking mind.<ref name=":0" />
Furthermore, Pranayama helps in making breathing slow and rhythmic. And when the breath slows down, the [[Manas (मनः)|mind]] also becomes calmer. Therefore, Pranayama as a practice uses breath to soothe the fluctuations of ‘chitta’ or the active thinking mind.<ref name=":0" />
However, pranayama is not a stand-alone yogic practice. In the system of ashtanga yoga, it is preceded by sustained practice of yamas and niyamas, shatkarmas and asanas, and is followed by pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. A balanced, sequential movement from gross to subtle, from annamaya kosha to anandamaya kosha, is the aim.<ref name=":9">Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (2009), [https://sriyogaashram.com/ebook/Prana_and_Pranayama_Swami_Niranjananda.pdf Prana and Pranayama], Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust.</ref>
== प्राणायामः ॥ Pranayama ==
== प्राणायामः ॥ Pranayama ==
The science of pranayama was developed by highly evolved yogis through an intuitive and experiential understanding of prana and its influence on the human mechanism at various levels. The agency of the breath was used to access the pranic field, to attain balance in the body and control of the mind. The practices would render the body-mind instrument capable of experiencing higher states of consciousness so that the ultimate union with the transcen-dental reality could be experienced.<ref>Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (2009), [https://sriyogaashram.com/ebook/Prana_and_Pranayama_Swami_Niranjananda.pdf Prana and Pranayama], Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust.</ref>
The science of pranayama was developed by highly evolved yogis through an intuitive and experiential understanding of prana and its influence on the human mechanism at various levels. The agency of the breath was used to access the pranic field, to attain balance in the body and control of the mind. The practices would render the body-mind instrument capable of experiencing higher states of consciousness so that the ultimate union with the transcendental reality could be experienced.
The breath being the medium of pranayama, the system is based on the three stages of respiration:
* inhalation (pooraka)
* retention (kumbhaka)
* exhalation (rechaka)
By permuting and directing these three stages, the different practices of pranayama are obtained. Technically speaking, pranayama is actually only retention.<ref name=":9" /> Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras state (2:49):
तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ।। २.४९ ।।<ref name=":2" />
Meaning: When asana has been accomplished, braking the force and uncontrolled movement of inhalation and exhalation is termed breath control and expansion of Prana.<ref name=":1" />
Inhalation and exhalation are methods of inducing retention. Retention is the key because it allows a longer period for the assimilation of prana, just as it allows more time for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the cells. As the breath is also intimately connected with various functions and organs of the body as well as the mind, by controlling the breath we also influence all these dimensions.<ref name=":9" />
== प्राणायामस्य ==
== प्राणायामस्य प्रयोजनानि ॥ Benefits of Pranayama ==
== प्राणायामस्य प्रयोजनानि ॥ Benefits of Pranayama ==
While both refer to cessation of movement, in the former the cessation is preceeded by either exhalation or inhalation. That is the difference between the two. It is suggested that one whose practise is not advanced enough should practise Sahita form until the energy channels are purified. Because only when the impurities have been eliminated, does Kevala become possible.<ref name=":1" />
While both refer to cessation of movement, in the former the cessation is preceeded by either exhalation or inhalation. That is the difference between the two. It is suggested that one whose practise is not advanced enough should practise Sahita form until the energy channels are purified. Because only when the impurities have been eliminated, does Kevala become possible.<ref name=":1" />
Because, in their initial stages, the practices of pranayama clear up the nadis ie. energy pathways in the body at the pranic level. The scriptures say there are over 72,000 nadis or pathways of prana in the pranic body and six main chakras. However, in the average individual, many of these pathways are blocked and the chakras release energy only partially. In other words, we do not utilize our full potential in terms of energy, mind and consciousness. The negative conditions we experience, whether physical or mental, are the cause as well as the consequence of the blockages. With the practice of pranayama, these pathways of energy are gradually freed so that prana moves through them smoothly.
While at higher levels of practice, the direction of the pranic flows is influenced and a greater quantum of energy is released from the chakras. And expert guidance becomes essential to steer the practitioner through these stages that unfold many new experiences as a result of activation of these processes.<ref name=":9" />
== References ==
== References ==