PRANAYAMA--Taking Charge of the
Fundamental Life Force
Pancha Prana also known as
Pancha Prana Vayu or the five energy flows, is 'the life force', formed by the
classical five elements in Hinduism, called Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and
Samana. It is used commonly as colloquial expression to describe deep love for
our grandchildren.
In Yoga Therapy, the Pancha Pranas have a pivotal role with the functioning of the organs. If any of the five pranas are depleted or not functioning optimally, diseases may occur in their corresponding organs.
In the Yoga Vashistha, a philosophical text attributed to Maharishi Valmiki, it is stated that Prana, the divine vital air, does everything in the body: much like a machinist performs the actions of the machine.
According to Vedanthic philosophy, the five vital airs of Pancha Prana namely Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, and Vyana essential for breathing , urinating, defecating, blood circulation, swallowing and digestion. Pancha Prana, are integral to the Pranamaya Kosha, the vital air sheath which is the first layer of the subtle /astral body; Kosha is "sheath", a covering of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy.
The five major Pancha Prana Vayus in the body, classified according to their location and functions, are briefly explained below.
Prana, the first and the main of the five pranas, moves upwards, functions and pervades between the throat and the diaphragm. In fact, it governs the lungs, larynx and chest region. It provides the basic function of respiration and pumping. It is the force by which breath is drawn into the body, and associated with the element of Air.
Apana, the second of the five Pranas, flowing downwards, basically relates to elimination, controlling organs situated between the naval and the perineum including, small and large intestine, kidneys, urinary system and reproductive systems. Its basic function is to eliminate waste from the body as feces, gas and urine; it also controls ejaculation of sperm, monthly menstrual cycle for women and expulsion of fetus during childbirth. It is associated with the element of water.
Samana Vayu, with a sideward movement that operates between the naval and the diaphragm, has control over the functioning of organs such as stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen, small and large intestine. Disturbance of the Samana Vayu results in indigestion and other stomach disorders. It is associated with the element of Fire.
Udana Vayu, associated with the element of ether, space, operates above the throat, face and head region, and is thus also called Udana Shakti. It is accountable for all the sense organs and keeps a person erect. It governs thought and consciousness; harmonizes and activates the limbs and all their associated nerves, ligaments, muscles and joints. It is responsible for all the sensory organs and functioning of the brain. Apart from that it controls the organs of movement including hands and legs.
Vyana Vayu, representing the element of Earth, is the reserve force of
energy for the other four pranas. It infuses the entire body and maintained a
proper balance of all the activities and movements of the body. It carries the
nutrients needed to every cell of the body. It sustains muscular movements and
carries the sensory and motor impulses from different parts of the body. It is
the reasons for perspiration from the skin. Gooseflesh, caused by cold or
fright also comes under the jurisdiction of Vyana Vayu.
Prana is present in everything – whether living or non-living! Everything in creation has prana – with varying degrees of density/frequencies.
A Yoga Guru explains the functioning of the Pancha Prana in a day to day life of human beings as: "...you will see that it follows a predictable pattern: you take things in (food, water, information, experiences); then you process them one way or the other; then you absorb the nutrients or knowledge from the processing; you eliminate the stuff that you don’t need; and as a result you grow, both physically and mentally. This is an example of your Vayu (currents of prana) at work."
5 Types of Prana
There are five basic
manifestations of prana in the body. These pancha vayus – prana vayu, samana vayu, udana
vayu, apana vayu, and vyana vayu – direct
different aspects of the human mechanism. Through yogic practices like
the Shakti
Chalana Kriya, you can to take charge
of the pancha vayus. If you gain mastery over these five vayus, you will be
free from most ailments, particularly psychological ones. This is something
that the world needs today.
Unless we act now, in the
next fifty years, the number of people who are psychologically imbalanced,
disturbed, or deranged will increase many times over, due to various factors in
our lifestyles. We are handling many aspects of our lives in a grossly
negligent way, for which we are going to pay the price. If you take charge
of your prana, whatever the external situation may be, you will remain
psychologically balanced. Right now, a whole lot of people are psychologically
imbalanced, though not everyone may have a medical diagnosis.
Pranayama Benefits
Suppose your hand does
its own thing and pokes you in the eye, scratches, and beats you – that is a
sickness. This is what most people’s mind is doing. Every day, it pokes them
from inside, makes them cry, bawl, or worry – in so many ways, it creates
suffering for them. That means it is sick, even if in a socially accepted
manner. Every kind of suffering that human beings are going through day in and
day out is created in the mind. This sickness has set in, and it will multiply
because of the social structures, the technology around us, and various other
influences.
One who takes charge of
one’s prana can be one hundred percent assured to have unshakable psychological
balance. This should also prevent physiological ailments to a large extent,
though an element of risk remains due to various reasons, including infections
and all kinds of chemicals and poisons that we are exposed to on a daily basis.
There is no absolute control over what we take in through the air, water, and
food, no matter how careful we are about what we consume. How much impact it
has on us depends upon each individual.
Physiological health
cannot be guaranteed one hundred percent for external reasons. But
psychological wellbeing can be one hundred percent guaranteed if you take
charge of your prana. If you are psychologically in an extremely good place, a
few physiological issues will not be a problem. Most of the time, minor bodily
conditions are less of an issue than the reactions to them that happen in your
mind. How the pranas function within you, how they transact with the rest
of the universe, how they enter a newborn, and how they leave the dead, all
clearly show they have an intelligence of their own.
Shakti Chalana
Kriya – Working with Your Prana
It takes a certain level
of attention and awareness to know how the five pranas are functioning. The Shakti Chalana Kriya is a fabulous
process, but you need to be attentive. It requires you to keep yourself focused
for forty to sixty minutes. Most people can’t keep their mind on a full
inhalation. Midway, their thoughts wander off, or they lose count or track. It
takes months and years of practice to come to a point where you can keep your focus
on the breath for the full set of cycles.
That is why Shakti Chalana is always taught in
tandem with Shoonya. The Shoonya
meditation is to bring yourself
to a place where, if you close your eyes, the world is gone in your experience.
This is a blessing all of you should earn at some point. Only if you make
yourself like this, are you capable of staying focused on something. Forceful
concentration is not going to achieve anything.
If you close your eyes,
the only things that should exist for you are your breath, your heartbeat,
processes in your body, and the workings of your prana. Only what is happening
inside is life. What is happening on the outside is just imagery.
Staying Focused Is Key
Shoonya and other sadhana
are towards that. How far you go is a different question, especially in today’s
world. I am not against what is happening today in terms of life around. But
unfortunately, to be flaky has become fashionable – profound is out. With such
an attitude, there is no way you can move your attention to how life works
within you. This does not mean that it is not possible for every human being –
it is. It all depends on what importance you ascribe to it. If you make it your
number one priority, everything within you will organize itself
accordingly.
The life within you is
the only real thing – the rest are just projections. But right now, most of the
attention is on projections, not the real thing.
With the Shakti Chalana Kriya, the transformation
happens gradually. Taking charge of your prana and its different activities in
your system is a fantastic process. The Shakti Chalana Kriya works on that
level. If you practice it, you are strengthening the very foundations of your
system.
Shambhavi Mahamudra –
Beyond Prana
The important thing about
the Shambhavi Mahamudra is that it is a tool to touch the source of creation,
which is beyond prana.
The important thing about
the Shambhavi Mahamudra is that it is a tool to touch the source of creation,
which is beyond prana. This could happen on the first day, or you could be
doing it for six months and nothing happens. But if you keep it up, the day
will come when you touch this dimension. If you touch it, suddenly everything
is transformed.
Through yogic practices
like the Shakti Chalana Kriya, you
can to take charge of the pancha vayus.
Through yogic practices like the Shakti Chalana Kriya, you can to take charge of the Pancha Vayu.
The life within you is the only real thing – the rest are just
projections. But right now, most of the attention is on projections, not the
real thing.
The important thing about the Shambhavi Mahamudra is that it is a tool to touch the source of
creation, which is beyond prana.
Since prana has the karmic memory of the individual imprinted on it, it functions in each person in a unique manner.
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