Yoga Science is Part and Parcel of Vedantavijnaana
(Compilation for a Discourse by N.R. Srinivasan, USA, July 2020)
Yoga is the science of Consciousness. Upanishads say by practicing yoga with a pure mind one attains perennial joy after death and avoids repeated births and deaths (Vedantavijnaana sunischitartah yaytayah suddhsatvaah sanyasa yogaat paramuchyanti) This is Para Vidya which is not easy to understand, practice and realize. But at the same time we cannot underestimate its contributions through Yoga championing strenuous Aerobics including weight reduction with clean food. Yoga is not exclusive esoteric and other-worldly things; it is to prepare oneself for living one’s life as fully as possible. Yoga is not aerobic in nature, so there must be other mechanisms leading to these brain changes that we will discuss as we proceed:
The mantra in Mahanarayana Upanishad (MNU) says:
vedāntavijñānaviniścitārthāḥ saṁnyāsayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ
te brahmaloke tu parāntakāle parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve ||
Having attained the knowledge of Immortality consisting of identity with the Supreme, all those aspirants who strive for self-control, who have rigorously arrived at the conclusion taught by the Vedanta through direct knowledge, and who have attained purity of mind through the practice of the discipline of yoga and steadfastness in the knowledge of Brahman preceded by renunciation, get themselves released into the region of Brahman at the dissolution of their final body.
The mantra says that Yogic science helps one to master Vedic science. Practicing yoga with renunciation (sanyasa yoga) one attains eternal joy by dissolution of the final body. This is Para Vidya.
Yet another mantra say:
oṣadhivanaspatibhirannaṁ bhavatyannena prāṇāḥ prāṇairbalaṁ balena tapastapasā śraddhāśraddhayā medhā medhayā manīṣā manīṣayā mano manasā śāntiḥ śāntyā cittaṁ cittena smṛtiḥ smṛtyā smāraɱ
smāreṇa vijñānaṁ vijñānenātmānaṁ vedayati tasmādannaṁ
dadansarvāṇyetāni dadātyannātprāṇā bhavanti bhūtānāṁ
prāṇairmano manasaśca vijñānaṁ vijñānādānando brahma yoniḥ || 15||
From-herbs and trees food is produced. By the use of food the breaths and senses are nourished. When the life- breath is nourished one gets bodily strength. Bodily strength gives the capacity to practice tapas (in the shape of self-control, religious fast, and so forth). As the result of such tapas, faith in scriptural truths springs into existence. By faith mental power comes. By mental power sense-control is made possible. By sense-control reflection is engendered. From reflection calmness of mind results. Conclusive experience of Truth follows calmness. By conclusive experience of Truth remembrance of it is engendered. Remembrance produces continuous remembrance. From continuous remembrance results unbroken direct realization of Truth. By such realization a person knows the Ātman. For this reason, he who gives food gives all these. For, it is found that the vital breaths and the senses of creatures are from food, that reflection functions with the vital breath and the senses, that unbroken direct realization comes from reflection and that bliss comes from unbroken direct realization of Truth. Thus having attained bliss one becomes the Supreme which is the source of the universe.
The field of Yogic science is vast. As we have learnt in Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali it includes practices like asana, pranayama, ritual, mantra and meditation. It can reveal knowledge not only of our ordinary body and mind, but of all aspects of the collective and cosmic minds, extending to the very processes of creation. Yoga contains special ways of knowledge relative to the body, mind, Pranas (Vital forces), senses and consciousness internally and to the powers of energy, light, matter and space externally. In brief Science of Yoga helps people to grow and strengthen body and mind and then grow in Spirit or Atma-vidya. Thus it is all-inclusive both Apara and Para Vidyas.
Tracing back the origin and growth of Science of Yoga, Vedic Yoga was created by numerous Vedic seers of the Angiras and Bhrigu families, of which the most important are the seven great seers Vasishta, Vamadeva, Bharadvaja, Gritsamada, Vishwamitra, Kanwa, and Atri.
The basic Vedic Yoga is threefold and has several important correspondences:
- Mantra Yoga – Speech – Rig Veda – Earth
- Prana Yoga – Prana – Yajur Veda – Atmosphere
- Dhyana Yoga – Mind – Sama Veda – Heaven
--Bhur-Bhuvas-Suvah
The Three Vedas correspond to these three Yogas. The Rig Veda, the Veda of mantra, sets forth the basic mantras or seeds of cosmic knowledge. The Yajur Veda, the Veda of sacrifice, shows their application through ritual, which is both external and internal (yogic). The internal ritual is Pranayama. The Sama Veda, the Vedas of unification, shows their realization through ecstasy and insight (access to heaven through Sama Udgeeta).
The threefold Vedic Yoga is a little different from the later developed classical eightfold or Raja Yoga taught by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. In the Vedic Yoga the yamas and niyamas, the observances and restraints that constitute the first two limbs of Raja Yoga, are part of the Dharmic foundation of Vedic life. This means living according to our higher nature and keeping our lower nature in check through right values, right effort and right diet. Asana or yogic postures, which is primarily a comfortable sitting posture, is not a separate limb of the Vedic Yoga.
Vedic Mantra and Prana Yogas include Pranayama, control of Prana, and Pratyahara, control of the senses, of the Raja Yoga system. Pranayama consists of developing Pranic energy, while Pratyahara consists of withdrawing it from the senses and motor organs. Mantra allows us to direct both Prana and mind. Vedic Dhyana Yoga includes Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, concentration, meditation and realization of Raja Yoga, which are the three aspects of merging the mind back into the Divine Self.
All three Vedic Yogas all lead to Samadhi or the state of absorption with the indwelling Divinity. This Samadhi Yoga is symbolized by Soma, which is the Ananda or Amrita, the bliss or nectar of immortality. Letting the Soma or bliss energy flow is the basis of this, perhaps the highest of the Vedic Yogas. This requires an opening of all the nadis or channels of the subtle body, through which the Amrita or Soma can flow. This in turn requires proper development of all three Vedic Yogas.
The main form of Purna Yoga is meditation on the heart, which involves tracing the origin of speech, Prana and mind back to the Self in the heart, which is the main practice of Self-inquiry. This search is called gaveshana, or anveshana in Vedic texts. It is not done simply by repeating “Who am I?” but requires mantric and meditational control of speech, Prana and mind and an examination of all their movements in all states of consciousness as powers of the Atman.
Please take a close look at the shortest Gayatri mantra from MNU:
auṁ tadbrahma | auṁ tadvāyuaḥ | auṁ tadātmā | auṁ tatsatyam |
auṁ tatsarvam | auṁ tatpurornamaḥ ||
Om that is Brahman. Om that is Vāyu. Om that is the finite self. Om that is the Supreme Truth. Om that is all. Om that is the multitude of citadels (the bodies of creatures). Salutations to Him!
Here Vayu of Macrocosm that later took the form of Chaturvyuha Pranchaprana (Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana) is clubbed with Brahman, Sathyam, and Atman. It is also interesting that of the five elements Vayu is given importance as this pervades the entire microcosm. The Vayu inside the microcosm in the body is the same as in the Macrocosm that never increases or decreases, ever in motion. It can be compared to the air inside a pot and outside, and when the pot is broken it is the same air all round. In Purushaukta it is said--Pranad Vauyurajayata (Why not other elements). Prana created Vayu at macrocosmic level as element. This Macrocosmic Air (Vayu) is viewed as Chaturvyuha within the micro-cosmic body as Prana giving rise to Apana, Vyana , Udana and Samana.
Also here Vayu is Absolute all-pervading Absolute Consciousness while tad Atma means Attributive Consciousness(Jivatma and Paramatma described as dve suparne in Svetasvatara)
The syllable Om commencing each phrase announces that the passage is meant for magnifying Paramātman, and also for emphasizing His all-pervasive and all-inclusive nature.
According to Bhaṭṭabhāskara, Brahma here stands for expanding Prakṛti, which is but a mode of Brahman, Vāyu stands for the power of the Supreme perceptible as universal movement, Ātman for the individual self, and the word Sarva stresses the all-creating nature of the Supreme.
He takes the term puru in the sense of great or strong and explains namaḥ as namana or transformation, and so the phrase purornamaḥ is explained as the transformation of the universe into the shape which is powerful—or as the transformation of the Supreme Reality as Parāśaktī into the form of the universe.
Sāyana interprets Vāyu as Hiraṇyagarbha or Sūtrātman embodying the power of knowledge and activity inherent in the universe, and Ātman as the individual soul—both being derived from the Supreme.
Life is maintained by the various vital activities in the body subsumed under the five-fold prāṇa which is a manifestation of the Supreme on the physical plane. These offerings are, therefore, really made to God within in the act of swallowing a small bit of food each time without chewing offering to Jatharagni! (prnanaya swaha, apanayaswaha……etc.)
In the Maitri Upanishad VI. 1-3, the Sun is identified with Prana: “The Self bears himself in two ways. As Prana and as the Sun. Such are his two paths, outer and inner, that revolve by day and by night. The Sun is the outer Self and Prana is the inner Self. The movements of the inner Self (Prana) are measured by those of the outer Self (the Sun).” Our Prana is our inner Sun that marks our inner days and nights that follow a similar course as the outer days and nights.
This Upanishadic idea reflects older Vedic views. Yajnavalkya’s Satapatha Brahmana states that we have 10,800 breaths by day and night. This equals 720 breaths every 48 minutes (1/30 of a day), which he identifies with the general number of days and nights in a year. It amounts to one breath every four seconds. Our term of 21,600 breaths lasts for a life of 100 years. This means that we can make our lives longer by breathing longer and make our lives shorter by breathing more quickly.
[In Intelligence creation it has been willed that a normal human life should be 100 years. This is clear from the Sandhyavandana mantra-- Pasyema saradssatam. Also Hindu Asirvada mantra begins with-- satamaanam bhavati sattaayuh purushah… Yajnavalkya’s Satapatha Brahmana states that we have 10,800 breaths by day and night or 216000 breaths per day. This comes to 15 breaths per minute. According to modern medical sciences the normal respiration rate for an adult at rest is 12 to 20 breaths per minute. A respiration rate under 12 or over 25 breaths per minute while resting is considered abnormal. See how amazingly accurate was Vedic view. It also implies that we can make our lives longer by breathing longer and make our lives shorter by breathing more quickly. Pranayama of Yogic Science helps in making life longer. 15x 60x24=21600 Human breaths per day.]
In the yogic view of the subtle body, the right or solar (Pingala) nadi governs the movement of fire, heat and activity at a physiological level. The Sun is also present as the solar plexus fire in Hatha Yoga, as well as the Atman in Raja Yoga. The key to Pranayama is to draw in the Prana of both the inner and the outer Suns and regulate it towards transformation.
In Garbhopanishad Prana as Self enters the womb and breaths Vayu in Chaturvyuha form. Prana entering the gross body and blowing air in its four functional forms is known as birth (jananam) and when withdrawn from the body causes death (maranam) n mothers’ womb (jananee jhatare). “Based on modern understanding of physiology and all the autonomic functions in a living being Pancha Prana can be described as: Prana- exchange of oxygen that happens through breathing; Apana- excretion of urine and feces that are unwanted; Samana-assimilation of nutrients through metabolism creating source of calories/combustive energy for the muscles; Udana- Neural energy that coordinates parts of the body and signals adaptation/changes while body rests and Vyana- circulation of fluids like blood and lymph by the heart. These life functions are mostly autonomic, but can be fortified, cultivated to be stronger through healthy living practices.” writes a Psychiatrist.
But here is a detailed study by well-known Vedantin and Yoga practitioner David Frawley that I received through Facebook for wider circulation or to Twitter:
Secrets of the Five Pranas
“While the subject of Prana is common in Yogic thought and while different forms of Prana may be introduced, the subject of Prana and its different subtypes is seldom examined in depth. For this reason the entire science of Prana, which is vast and profound, is rarely understood.
Many Meanings of Prana
Prana has many levels of meaning from the breath to the energy of consciousness itself. Prana is not only the basic life-force, it is the master form of all energy working on the level of mind, life and body. Indeed the entire universe is a manifestation of Prana, which is the original creative power. Even Kundalini Shakti, the serpent power or inner power that transforms consciousness, develops from the awakened Prana.
The human being consists of five koshas or sheaths from the physical to subtle and causal principles:
- Annamaya kosha – food – physical – the five elements
- Pranamaya kosha – breath – vital – the five pranas
- Manomaya kosha – impressions – outer mind – the five kinds of sensory impressions
- Vijnanamaya kosha – ideas – intelligence – directed mental activity
- Anandamaya kosha – experiences – deeper mind – memory, subliminal and superconscious mind
Pranamaya Kosha:
The Pranamaya Kosha is the sphere of our vital life energies. This sheath mediates between the body on one side and the three sheaths of the mind (outer mind, intelligence and inner mind) on the other and has an action on both levels. It meditates between the five gross elements and the five sensory impressions.
The best English term for the Pranamaya kosha is probably the “vital sheath” or “vital body,” to use a term from Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. Pranamaya kosha consists of our vital urges of survival, reproduction, movement and self-expression, being mainly connected to the five motor organs (excretory, urine-genital, feet, hands, and vocal organ).
Most of us are dominated by the vital body and its deep-seated urges that are necessary for us to remain alive. It is also the home of the vital or subconscious ego which holds the various fears, desires and attachments which afflict us. We most of us spend our time in life seeking enjoyment through the vital in the form of sensory enjoyment and acquisition of material objects.
A person with a strong vital nature becomes prominent in life and is able to impress their personality upon the world. Those with a weak vital lack the power to accomplish much of anything and have little effect upon life, usually remaining in a subordinate position. Generally people with strong and egoistic vitals run the world, while those with weak vitals follow them. Such a strong egoistic vital is one of the greatest obstacles to the spiritual path.
A strong vital or Pranamaya kosha, however, is important for the spiritual path as well, but this is very different than the egoistic or desire oriented vital. It derives its strength not from our personal power but from surrender to the Divine and its great energy. Without a strong spiritual vital we lack the power to do our practices and not fall under worldly influences.
Yet Prana in various forms exists in all five koshas and is ultimately rooted in the Atman or inner Self beyond them. This Atmic Prana is the highest prana and grants healing and immortality of consciousness.
The Five Pranas
Pranamaya kosha is composed of the five Pranas. The one primary Prana divides into five types according to its movement and direction. This is an important subject in Ayurvedic medicine as well as Yogic thought.
Prana
Prana, literally the “forward moving air,” moves inward and governs reception of all types from the eating of food, drinking of water, and inhalation of air, to the reception of sensory impressions and mental experiences. It is propulsive in nature, setting things in motion and guiding them. It provides the basic energy that drives us in life. Ultimately it connects to the Purusha or the higher Self within.
Apana
Apana, literally the “air that moves away,” moves downward and outward and governs all forms of elimination and reproduction (which also has a downward movement). It governs the elimination of the stool and the urine, the expelling of semen, menstrual fluid and the fetus, and the elimination of carbon dioxide through the breath. On a deeper level it rules the elimination of negative sensory, emotional and mental experiences. It is the basis of our immune function on all levels.
Udana
Udana, literally the “upward moving air,” moves upward and qualitative or transformative movements of the life-energy. It governs growth of the body, the ability to stand, speech, effort, enthusiasm and will. It is our main positive energy in life through which we can develop our different bodies and evolve in consciousness.
Samana
Samana, literally the “balancing air,” moves from the periphery to the center, through a churning and discerning action. It aids in digestion on all levels. It works in the gastrointestinal tract to digest food, in the lungs to digest air or absorb oxygen, and in the mind to homogenize and digest experiences, whether sensory, emotional or mental.
Vyana
Vyana, literally the “outward moving air,” moves from the center to the periphery. It governs circulation on all levels. It moves the food, water and oxygen throughout the body, and keeps our emotions and thoughts circulating in the mind, imparting movement and providing strength. In doing so it assists all the other Pranas in their work.
The five Pranas are energies and processes that occur on several levels in the body and mind. However we can localize them in a few key ways. Prana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the head down to the navel, which is the Pranic center in the physical body. Apana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the navel down to the root chakra. Samana Vayu governs the movement of energy from the entire body back to the navel. Vyana Vayu governs the movement of energy out from the navel throughout the entire body. Udana governs the movement of energy from the navel up to the head
As a simple summary we could say that Prana governs the intake of substances. Samana governs their digestion. Vyana governs the circulation of nutrients. Udana governs the release of positive energy. Apana governs the elimination of waste-materials.
This is much like the working of a machine. Prana brings in the fuel, Samana converts this fuel to energy, Vyana circulates the energy to the various work sites. Apana releases the waste materials or by products of the conversion process. Udana governs the positive energy created in the process and determines the work that the machine is able to do.
The key to health and well-being is to keep our Pranas in harmony. When one Prana becomes imbalanced, the others tend to become imbalanced as well because they are all linked together. Generally Prana and Udana work opposite to Apana as the forces of energization versus those of elimination. Similarly Vyana and Samana are opposites as expansion and contraction.
How Prana Creates the Physical Body
Without Prana the physical body is no more than a lump of clay. Prana sculpts this gelatinous mass into various limbs and organs. It does this by creating various channels or Nadis, through which it can operate and energize gross matter into various tissues and organs.
Prana Vayu creates the openings and channels in the head and brain down to the heart. There are seven openings in the head, the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and mouth. These are called the seven Pranas or seven Rishis in Vedic thought. Udana assists Prana in creating the openings in the upper part of the body, particularly those of the mouth and vocal organs. The mouth, after all, is the main opening in the head and in the entire body. It could be said that the entire physical body is an extension of the mouth, which is the main organ of physical activity, eating and self-expression.
Apana Vayu creates the openings in the lower part of the body, those of the urino-genital and excretory systems. Samana Vayu creates the openings in the middle part of the body, those of the digestive system, centered in the navel. It opens out the channels of the intestines and the organs, like the liver and pancreas, which secrete into it. Vyana Vayu creates the channels going to the peripheral parts of the body, the arms and legs. It creates the veins and arteries and also the muscles, sinews, joints and bones.
In summary, Samana Vayu creates the trunk of the body (which is dominated by the gastro-intestinal tract), while Vyana Vayu creates the limbs. Prana and Udana create the upper openings or bodily orifices, while Apana creates those below.
Prana however exists not just on a physical level. The navel is the main vital center for the physical body. The heart is the main center for the Pranamaya Kosha. The head is the main center for Manomaya kosha.
Prana and the Mind
The mind also has its energy and Prana. This derives from food, breath and impressions externally. Prana governs the intake of sensory impressions. Samana governs mental digestion. Vyana governs mental circulation. Apana governs the elimination of toxic ideas and negative emotions. Udana governs positive mental energy, strength and enthusiasm. The Five Pranas work upon the mind in ways a little different than they do on the physical body as their action is at a subtle level.
- On a psychological level, Prana governs our receptivity to positive sources of nourishment, feeling and knowledge through the mind and senses. When deranged it causes wrong desire and insatiable craving. We become misguided, misdirected and generally out of balance.
- Apana on a psychological level governs our ability to eliminate negative thoughts and emotions. When deranged it causes depression and we get clogged up with undigested experience that weighs us down in life, making us fearful, suppressed and weak.
- Samana Vayu gives us nourishment, contentment and balance in the mind. When deranged it brings about attachment and greed. We cling to things and become possessive in our behavior.
- Vyana Vayu gives us free movement and independence in the mind. When deranged it causes isolation, hatred, and alienation. We are unable to unite with others or remain connected in what we do.
- Udana gives us joy and enthusiasm and helps awaken our higher spiritual and creative potentials. When deranged it causes pride and arrogance. We become ungrounded, trying to go to high and lose track of our roots.
Higher Yogic Aspects of the Five Pranas
The Pranas have many special actions in Yogic practices. On a spiritual level, Samana Vayu governs the space within the heart (antar hridyakasha) in which the true Self, the Atman dwells as a fire with seven flames, governs the central internal space or antariksha. Samana regulates Agni with fuel, which must burn evenly. Without the peace and balance of Samana we cannot return to the core of our being or concentrate the mind.
Vyana governs the movement of Prana through the Nadis, keeping them open, clear, clean and even in their functioning. Apana protects us from negative astral influences and false teachers. Prana itself gives us the proper aspiration for our spiritual development.
Udana governs our growth in consciousness and takes the mind into the state of sleep and into the after death realms. Udana also governs the movement up the sushumna, including the awakening of the Kundalini.
The mind moves with Udana Vayu. This takes us to the states of dream and deep sleep. After death it leads the soul to the astral and causal planes. Udana is often the most important Prana for spiritual growth. It also governs mantra.
As we practice Yoga the subtle aspects of these Pranas begin to awaken. This may cause various unusual movements of energy in body and mind, including the occurrence of various spontaneous movements or kriyas. We may feel new expanses of energy (subtle Vyana), great peace (subtle Samana), a sense of lightness or levitation (subtle Udana), deep groundedness and stability (subtle Apana), or just heightened vitality and sensitivity (subtle Prana).
Working on Prana
Proper nutrition brings about the increase of Prana on a physical level. This also requires proper elimination. In Ayurvedic thought the Prana from the food is absorbed in the large intestine, particularly in the upper two-thirds of this organ, which is not simply an organ of elimination. For this reason Apana Vayu is the most important Prana for physical health.
The Vedas say that mortals eat food with Apana, while the Gods eat food with Prana. The mortals are the physical tissues. The immortals are the senses. These take in food via Prana itself. Right food sustains Apana. Right impressions support Prana. For this not only outer factors like contact with nature, but also practices like rituals and visualizations are important, as well as sensory therapies involving color, sounds or aromas.
Pranayama
The main method for working on Prana is Pranayama or Yogic breathing exercises. Yoga emphasizes purification of the body (deha suddhi) and purification of the mind (chitta suddhi) as the means to Self-realization. For this reason Yoga emphasizes a vegetarian diet rich in Prana or foods full of the life-force and a mind rooted in ethical values like truthfulness and non-violence. An impure, toxic or disturbed body and mind cannot realize the higher Self. However the key to purifying body and mind is Prana. For this purpose the main method is purification of the nadis or channels through which Prana flows (Nadi-sodhana).
While all Pranayama aids in this regard, the most important is alternate nostril breathing, which aids in the balance of the right and left Prana currents. According to the Yogic system the body and all of its channels follow a right or left predominance. The right side of the body is masculine or solar in nature. The left side is feminine or lunar in nature. The left or the lunar nadi, is Kapha or water predominant, and increases energy on the left side of the body. It aids in such activities as rest, sleep, relaxation. The right or solar nadi is Pitta or fire predominant and increases energy on the right side. It aids in such activities as digestion, work, and concentration.
Regular alternate nostril breathing is the most important method for keeping our Pranas or energies in balance. It helps create the unitary prana necessary to sustain unitary awareness.
Another method is uniting Prana and Apana. Apana, which is aligned with the force of gravity, usually moves downward resulting not only in disease and death but in the downward movement of consciousness. Prana, on the other hand, tends to disperse upward through the mind and senses, as it is our opening to the energies above.
Yogic practices require bringing Apana up. Prana must be brought down to unite with Apana. This helps unite and balance all the Pranas. In doing so the inner fire or Kundalini gets enkindled in the region of the navel. Mula Bandha is an important practice in this regard. The goal is to balance our outer and physical pranas and awaken higher and inner pranas of deeper awareness.”
Western “Awakening Through Yoga ATY)” practitioners today do realize how yoga can help us understand the wholeness of ourselves and how we can train our minds to better handle everyday stress.
Modern Quantum Physics say: "What all you see are the mere reflections of your own mirror images". Quantum approaches to the mind have opened up ideas that were impossible to think of in classical approaches. Consciousness can be seen as a universal function that is reduced by the brain-mind of the individual.
The deepest mystery contained in Patanjali’s Yogasastra poses a challenge to modern science. Quantum Mechanics, Neuroscience, Computers and Consciousness may help in the future a more direct examination of the limits of science in dealing with the puzzle of Yoga, the ultimate science of consciousness.
Vedantins know yoga’s intimate relationship with Ayurveda, Life Science and Ayurvedic medicinal effects on brain. In this context please go through Yoga as a modern medicine for brain in EQ Management and the press interview with Indologist and Scientist Subhash Kak on Yoga as the Science of Consciousness.
Experts review evidence yoga is good for the Brain
Summary: Yoga has a positive effect on the structure and function of key brain areas associated with memory. Findings provide evidence that yoga may hold promise in mitigating age-related and neurodegenerative decline. (Source: University of Illinois)
Scientists have known for decades that aerobic exercise strengthens the brain and contributes to the growth of new neurons, but few studies have examined how yoga affects the brain. A review of the science finds evidence that yoga enhances many of the same brain structures and functions that benefit from aerobic exercise.
The review, published in the journal Brain Plasticity, focused on 11 studies of the relationship between yoga practice and brain health. Five of the studies engaged individuals with no background in yoga practice in one or more yoga sessions per week over a period of 10-24 weeks, comparing brain health at the beginning and end of the intervention. The other studies measured brain differences between individuals who regularly practice yoga and those who don’t.
Each of the studies used brain-imaging techniques such as MRI, functional MRI or single-photon emission computerized tomography. All involved Hatha yoga, which includes body movements, meditation and breathing exercises.
“From these 11 studies, we identified some brain regions that consistently come up, and they are surprisingly not very different from what we see with exercise research,” said University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Neha Goethe, who led the research with Wayne State University psychology professor Jessica Damoiseaux.
“For example, we see increases in the volume of the hippocampus with yoga practice,” Gothe said. Many studies looking at the brain effects of aerobic exercise have shown a similar increase in hippocampus size over time, she said. The hippocampus is involved in memory processing and is known to shrink with age, Gothe said. “It is also the structure that is first affected in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Though many of the studies are exploratory and not conclusive, the research points to other important brain changes associated with regular yoga practice, Damoiseaux said. The amygdala, a brain structure that contributes to emotional regulation, tends to be larger in yoga practitioners than in their peers who do not practice yoga. The prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex and brain networks such as the default mode network also tend to be larger or more efficient in those who regularly practice yoga.
“The prefrontal cortex, a brain region just behind the forehead, is essential to planning, decision-making, multitasking, thinking about your options and picking the right option,” Damoiseaux said. “The default mode network is a set of brain regions involved in thinking about the self, planning and memory.”
Like the amygdala, the cingulate cortex is part of the limbic system, a circuit of structures that plays a key role in emotional regulation, learning and memory, she said.
The studies also find that the brain changes seen in individuals practicing yoga are associated with better performance on cognitive tests or measures of emotional regulation.
The discovery that yoga may have similar effects on the brain to aerobic exercise is intriguing and warrants more study, Goethe said.
“Yoga is not aerobic in nature, so there must be other mechanisms leading to these brain changes,” she said. “So far, we don’t have the evidence to identify what those mechanisms are.”
She suspects that enhancing emotional regulation is a key to yoga’s positive effects on the brain. Studies link stress in humans and animals to shrinkage of the hippocampus and poorer performance on tests of memory, for example, she said.
A review of the science finds evidence that yoga enhances many of the same brain structures and functions that benefit from aerobic exercise. The image is credited to Neha Goethe.
“In one of my previous studies, we were looking at how yoga changes the cortisol stress response,” Gohe said. “We found that those who had done yoga for eight weeks had an attenuated cortisol response to stress that was associated with better performance on tests of decision-making, task-switching and attention.”
Yoga helps people with or without anxiety disorders manage their stress, Goethe said.
“The practice of yoga helps improve emotional regulation to reduce stress, anxiety and depression,” she said. “And that seems to improve brain functioning.”
The researchers say there is a need for more – and more rigorous – research into yoga’s effects on the brain. They recommend large intervention studies that engage participants in yoga for months, match yoga groups with active control groups, and measure changes in the brain and performance on cognitive tests using standard approaches that allow for easy comparisons with other types of exercise.
“The science is pointing to yoga being beneficial for healthy brain function, but we need more rigorous and well-controlled intervention studies to confirm these initial findings,” Damoiseaux said.
Gothe is an affiliate of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.
Wegesin is a yogi, neuroscientist and dancer with a passion towards meditation and the healing arts. After moving to New York City, Wegesin worked for ten years as Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Columbia University. Wegesin's research focused on neuro-imaging of the aging brain, and how aging impacts memory and executive functions, such as attention. At the same time, Wegesin began his journey into yoga and was immediately hooked by the practice.
Wegesin now works as a yoga teacher, mindfulness teacher and message therapist. He trains the brains and bodies of his yoga students, helping them wake up to their mental, emotional and physical experience in a way that cultivates awareness, acceptance and ease.
YOGA THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUNESS
Computer yoga and the science of consciousness: Here is a press interview with Subhash Kak answering some specific questions.
Subhash Kak is an Indian-American computer scientist who has made major contributions to cryptography, artificial neural networks, and is recognized as one of the pioneers of quantum computing.
“Describe the premise of mind and self. How is it different from other commentaries on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra?
Since my own research has touched upon many of the elements that go into the Yoga Sutra, I wanted my commentary to be informed by the newest ideas in science. In many ways, the Yoga Sutra is one of the most important texts of our times for it deals with the mystery of consciousness that has been called the last frontier of science. One might ask why, in spite of the many advances of physics and psychology, we are no closer to explaining the workings of the mind and its relationship to matter.
I also wished to place the Yoga Sutra within the larger context of Vedic wisdom and to separate the literal from the metaphorical. The Vedas speak of cosmic law, but they also argue that Universal Consciousness is beyond things. Thus the special powers described in part three of the Yoga Sutra are insights that can help one master the outside world but do it in a manner that is consistent with science.
I would like the reader of my book to see the Yoga Sutra as a text not just for spiritual awakening but also to reach the wellsprings of one’s creativity. Yoga is not just about esoteric and other-worldly things; it is to prepare oneself for living one’s life as fully as possible, and I do hope that my Introduction to the text and the translations have succeeded in communicating this central message.
Describe the yogic model of mind, self and consciousness. How does it tally with the findings of modern science?
Patañjali’s construction of mind is based squarely on the Vedic idea of two selves, one the detached witness and the other the conditioned individual. This is described in the famous image of two birds on the tree (the body) where one merely looks on whereas the other is eating the sweet fruit. The bird absorbed in sensory gratification is part of a causal chain, and really not free. Our minds act paradoxically when it comes to questions of freedom and knowledge. The Kena Upanishad describes this in terms of the riddle: the one who thinks he knows, does not; and the one who does not, does.
Our capacity to obtain knowledge is due to consciousness, and ignorance is caused by the coverings that are a result of habits or saṃskāras that obscure. The Self is like a lamp that shines light in the pool of the mind, but this light is scattered in so many different ways by ripples that distort the image. The purpose of Yoga is to make the pool of the mind clear so that one can reach one’s true self and become creative. These ideas go beyond either present-day psychology or physics, but both these academic disciplines may be ready for revolutionary new advances.
Let’s also not forget that Erwin Schrödinger claimed that one of the deepest ideas that led him to the discovery of quantum mechanics came to him from the Upanishads. This idea of Atman=Brahman led him to the notion of superposition of states which is central in quantum theory.
A term that you coined, “quantum neural computing”, posits that the brain is a machine which reduces the infinite possibilities of a “quantum-like universal consciousness”, itself a consequence of the recursive nature of reality. Please explain the philosophy of recursion-ism for the lay reader.
Quantum approaches to the mind have opened up ideas that were impossible to think of in classical approaches. Consciousness can be seen as a universal function that is reduced by the brain-mind of the individual.
Recursion-ism is an idea that is central in Vedic thought. It begins with the dictum that the outer is mirrored in the inner, as in the statement yat piṇḍe tad brahmāṇḍe (as in the cell, so in the cosmos). This expresses the relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm and it is this that makes both outer and inner knowledge possible.
The idea of recursion is expressed in the story of the churning of the ocean which leads to the emergence of gifts and poisons. This churning is not only mythical history; it is also the story of each person’s life. It tells us that the Asuras and the Devas reside within each person.
Describe the premise of your book The Architecture of Knowledge. When did you first begin to draw parallels between Vedic epistemology and modern science and incorporate that into your work?
The Upanishads tell us that reality cannot be fully described because all descriptions leave out the experiencing self and, therefore, knowledge is of two kinds: Aparā (lower, linguistic, outer-object based) and Parā (higher, related to the Self). Language is limited, and though it is all we have, it leads to paroksha. One needs new languages to describe new phenomena, but all this cannot touch the deepest mystery of Consciousness.
I wrote The Architecture of Knowledge at the invitation of Debi Prasad Chattopadhyaya who was then, about fifteen years ago, editing the 100-volume Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Culture. The subtitle of this book is Quantum Mechanics, Neuroscience, Computers and Consciousness and this is a more direct examination of the limits of science in dealing with the puzzle of consciousness.”
MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Modern science identifies consciousness with the mind and the mind with the brain. Mind and brain are different though related. The brain is the physical vehicle for the mind, but not the mind itself. This identification has resulted seeking to improve our mental and emotional functioning through altering brain chemistry with pharmaceutical preparations. In modern psychology we focus on the subconscious mind, memory and past experiences as the measure of our mental state, the ground out of which our thought and emotion develops. Mainstream science usually does not recognize consciousness as a spiritual or cosmic principle apart from the mind though some trends in the new physics are beginning to suggest this. It is no surprise Madras Institute of Management invited Swami Chidananda to speak on EQ and SQ Management of Pandemics about which we talked about.
Mind in the broadest sense is called chitta in Sanskrit in Vedanta. Chitta is mind as a cosmic principle, not simply the human mind (identified as Manas). Chitta is also a higher creativity and intuition beyond the ordinary mind and physical consciousness that Yoga practitioners (Siddhas) develop in a significant manner. Chitta extends beyond the personal mind (manas), to collective and cosmic aspects of mind. Mind is called the wonderful ‘inner instrument’ or antah-karana in Sanskrit, related to the body which is our outer instrument. The mind is looked upon as the sixth sense after the five bodily senses and is regarded as an organ, not our true being or the basis of our sense of self.
In Vedanta view Psychology belongs to the mind and the mind can have psychological diseases and imbalances, just as the body can have physical diseases and imbalances. The mind always has a psychology because it is a product of time and outer experiences, which leave their characteristic marks upon it. These are the gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas) in Vedanta, doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) the five elements and other energetic factors in Ayurveda.
Chitta extends beyond the personal mind (manas as in manasa vacha karmana), to collective and cosmic aspects of mind. Chitta is mind as a cosmic principle, not simply the human mind. It is present within us as the ground of consciousness and present all around us as the ground of Being. So Upanishads say Vijnanena atmanam vedayti ; atmanaa vindate veeryam that we discussed at length.
Our True Self or Purusha being the witness outside time and mind does not have a psychology because it is unconditioned Self. You can only be your-Self. But in being yourself, you become one with all Being. Our inner Being exists beyond time and space, birth and death, mind and body.
Upanishadic or Vedantic or Yogic dictum is “I am that I am” (aham, brahmasmi) “I am that which is, that which was and that which will be.” “I am therefore I can think.” Yet this “I” is neither me nor you, nor anyone else. One could say that it is GOD (that G-Generates; O=operates; D=Dissolves) but it is not the God of any belief, theology or philosophy. It is the Divine Being that is the being of all. This Vedanta calls as Self Realization.
One of science’s most challenging problems is a question that can be stated easily: Where does consciousness come from? In his new book Galileo’s Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness, philosopher Philip Goff considers a radical perspective: What if consciousness is not something special that the brain does but is instead a quality inherent to all matter? It is a theory known as “pan-psychism,” and Goff explains why he believes pan-psychism represents the best path forward.
It is generally believed that mind exists, in some form, in all living and nonliving things. Panpsychism, simply holds that, no matter how one conceives of mind, such mind applies to all things. According to panpsychism, in contrast, consciousness pervades the universe (as in Vedanta) and is a fundamental feature of it. The basic commitment is that the fundamental constituents of reality—perhaps electrons and quarks—have incredibly simple forms of experience. And the very complex experience of the human or animal brain is somehow derived from the experience of the brain’s most basic parts.
It might be important to clarify what is meant by “consciousness,” as that word is actually quite ambiguous. Some people use it to mean something quite sophisticated, such as self-awareness or the capacity to reflect on one’s own existence. This is something we might be reluctant to ascribe to many nonhuman animals, never mind fundamental particles. But when the word consciousness used here, simply means experience: pleasure, pain, visual or auditory experience, et cetera.
Human beings have a very rich and complex experience; horses less so; mice less so again. As we move to simpler and simpler forms of life, we find simpler and simpler forms of experience. Perhaps, at some point, the light switches off, and consciousness disappears. But it’s at least coherent to suppose that this continuum of consciousness fading while never quite turning off carries on into inorganic matter, with fundamental particles having almost unimaginably simple forms of experience to reflect their incredibly simple nature. That’s what Panpsychists believe to explain the All -pervasiveness of Consciousness and its Existence in Nature.
Panpsychism is the view that mentality is fundamental and ubiquitous in the natural world. The view has a long and venerable history in philosophical traditions of both East and West, and has recently enjoyed a revival in analytic philosophy. For its proponents panpsychism offers an attractive middle way between physicalism on the one hand and dualism on the other. The worry with dualism—the view that mind and matter are fundamentally different kinds of thing—is that it leaves us with a radically dis-unified picture of nature, and the deep difficulty of understanding how mind and brain interact. And whilst physicalism offers a simple and unified vision of the world, this is arguably at the cost of being unable to give a satisfactory account of the emergence of human and animal consciousness. Panpsychism, strange as it may sound on first hearing, promises a satisfying account of the human mind within a unified conception of nature.
A Word about Samadhi Yoga, the last limb of Ashtanga Yoga
Samadhi literally means holding together or complete coherence (sam-aadhi), implying the mind fully united with its object of perception so that the mind disappears and merges into pure consciousness and bliss. It is the highest aspect of Yoga practice as complete meditative absorption that takes us beyond body and mind.
Samadhi in Yoga Sutras
The Yoga Sutras defines Yoga as Samadhi. Indeed, the first of the four sections of the text begins with Samadhi Pada, the section relating to Samadhi. Samadhi is the last and the highest of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, which all the others aim towards. It is the goal of Yoga practic as defined in the second section of the Yoga Sutras as Sadhana Pada. Samadhi, also called Samyama. It is the basis of the yogic powers and accomplishments that form the third section or Vibhuti Pada of the text. Finally, Samadhi in its fully developed or Nirvikalpa form, taking us beyond all thought, is the basis of Kaivalya or the natural state of the Purusha or inner Self that constitutes the fourth section and culmination of the Yoga Sutra teaching of Self-realization.
[Kaivalya in Sanskrit means “mere”. Kaivalya is the noun form of “Kevala” therefore Kaivalya means “mereliness” meaning homogeneous “oneness”. Naturally, the result (Kaivalya) is the total awakening from all delusions and delusory sense of limitations. Entire Kaivalyopanishad dwells on this Transcendental consciousness that we have discussed at length.]
Samadhi, like many yogic terms, is difficult to translate because it has no equivalent or synonym in English or in any other western languages. It has been loosely and wrongly defined as some sort of trance, ascetic state, mystical experience, altered consciousness, or even psychological delusion. Samadhi is a state of direct awareness beyond all concepts, motivations and experiences of the mind, so it cannot be put into mere words, logic, information or theories, whether by modern science or modern medicine.
Samadhi follows in Yoga practice after Dhyana, which is generally translated as meditation. Samadhi is the ultimate focus and concentration of our awareness, which requires the dissolution of mental consciousness, ego or any attachment to physical reality and personal identity. It is best rendered as a state of absorption or unity consciousness, but is better left untranslated and defined in itself.
Higher and Lower Samadhi
Yet Samadhi is said to exist on all levels of the mind as well as beyond the mind, meaning that there are lower non-yogic Samadhis, as well as higher yogic Samadhis. At the most basic level, Samadhi of some sort occurs when the mind loses itself in something, and experiences some taste of happiness, bliss or Ananda. Common sensory experiences from watching a movie to contemplating a beautiful sunset involve a temporary absorption of the mind into its object of perception that are lesser or fleeing Samadhis. Sleep is our natural daily physical samadhi of peace and renewal but does not occur at a conscious level except in Yoga Nidra.
Indeed, seeking Samadhi as lasting unity and happiness is the very nature and motivation of the mind, which is empty and unhappy in itself. But ordinarily we seek active or outward-looking Samadhis that are transient in nature, based upon getting entranced in the illusory world of Maya. This is what we call the pursuit of enjoyment, happiness or achievement. When we reach our desire-based goal we gain a sense of fulfillment, happiness or accomplishment that form lower Samadhis, but quickly disappear and leave us with yet more unfulfilled desires. This pursuit of outer highs extends to computer games, drugs and many forms of disturbed behavior as well. The mind remains a problematical entity until we learn the yogic practice of Samadhi to resolve it altogether.
Only when we awaken inwardly to our eternal destiny as a reincarnating soul do we begin to seek the enduring inner Samadhis and not just outer pleasure, intoxication and enjoyment. We certainly should seek bliss or happiness in life, this is not the question, but we should do so inwardly where it can be found in an enduring manner. For that purpose, we must remove the ignorance that causes us to seek our happiness on the outside, where we cannot hold it, rather than within ourselves of our being.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
[This compilation is based on various E-mails sent to HR Forum Participants, Messages from Swami Chidananda, Twitter messages sent by Dr. David Frawley for onward transmission, various Internet Sources and Mahanarayana Upanishad used in my Parayana with deep understanding that is gratefully acknowledged]
