Pranayama is the
controlling of Prana or the “life
essence of the universe”.
A great deal of misunderstanding, however, seems to exist in
relation to the various practices of this science. Some call it the Science of
breath, while some call it the control of psychic Prana. But the truth is that it is both: physical as well as mental.
In Sanskrit, Prana
literally means Life; it is also supposed to mean Breath. It is the sum total
of all cosmic energy. It is the vital force in our body that moves us to
action.“From thought to the lowest physical force, everything is but the
manifestation of the Prana” (Swami
Vivekananda). It is the “potential energy which remains constant, no matter
what changes take place around us; it is eternal and infinite” (Tyndall,
Fragments of Science).
This is what the Yogis know to be, as Cosmic Prana. This all-pervading cosmic energy,
when it becomes limited in a certain body is called the individual Prana or the kinetic energy (finite)
that manifests itself through the different functions of our organism. It is
the same cosmic energy that the recent scientists try to control.
According to the Yogic psychological anatomy, there are five
main Pranas and five minor Pranas, which have different duties to
perform. The main ones are the chief nerve-currents that control certain vital
organs. The minor Pranas are
subordinates to the function of the higher ones, but they are independent of
each other. They have also the corresponding relation with the cosmic energy.
The main Pranas have a separate
element and have different planes on which they chiefly operate. It is the
control of this cosmic energy or Prana
that is desired by the Yogis for the control of higher life.
Regulation of breath
 |
| Shri Yogendraji in suitable pose for Pranayama practice. |
Patanjali defines Pranayama
as the stoppage of the inspiratory and expiratory movements. It is quite
natural that, when the breath is active, the mind becomes active also. In
sleep, when the mind is temporarily inactive and concentrated the number of
respirations is generally reduced, so much so, that they are nearly half the
number of the otherwise active condition.
It is true that the control of Prana requires steadiness of mind. The easiest way to control
the Prana
is to control the breathing process, because it is it’s chief activity.
The
lungs are the most active part of our system that works automatically and
unceasingly. It is the control over their motion, which is necessary for the
control of vital energy. The essence of the techniques of Pranayama lie in the fact that if the breathing is controlled to
the extend of having the capacity to stop it, if this can be done, the activity
of the body is quite naturally controlled.
This article was published in Yoga & Total Health (August 1991) - the monthly magazine of The Yoga Institute.
