YH December 2018 | Page 28

PRANA PRANA AND PRANAYAMA Through Pranayama we understand how Prana works, how to activate it and how to direct it. We gain knowledge of the life force that moves and animates all things. What distinguishes modern-day yoga classes from normal workouts is the intimate focus on the breath and the understanding of how to use it to balance the nervous system, rejuvenate the body and calm the mind. Breath work is indeed the ‘practice within the practice’ – a bridge between the conscious and unconscious minds and therefore is one of the most important tools in a student’s pursuit of the state of Yoga or union. PRANA AND THE BREATH As we are born, we inhale. As we die, we exhale. Our entire life exists between these two actions. Obviously, the breath never leaves us for long. It is the primary form of nourishment in the body, bringing oxygen to the blood and cells and eliminating carbon monoxide and toxins. It is also one of the main ingredients for advancing along the path of Yoga toward liberation. The breath and Prana are intricately connected. The breath is considered the bridge between the body and the mind. We can influence the level of Prana in the body through the help of the breath. This is also the way that we begin to influence the mind. The ancients figured out that by paying attention to our breath and by controlling it in certain ways, great transformation could be achieved, which would help us along our journey from darkness to light. Teachings related to the breath go back to the beginning of recorded history. “When breathing in know that you are breathing in. When breathing out know that you are breathing out.” 26 www.yogicherald.com Dec. 2018 These are among the first instructions given to students of mindfulness meditation, and they date back thousands of years to the Buddha himself. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the seminal texts on Yoga written in the 15th Century, states, “When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is still so is the mind.” The great sage, Ramana Maharshi, who lived and taught up until 1950, stated, “Breath and mind arise from the same place and when one of them is controlled, the other is also controlled.” All these teachings make the important connection between the breath and our mind. The breath is the key that opens the door to realization and freedom in our lives. Conscious awareness of breath is necessary if we are to realize the purpose of yoga as stated in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Sutra 1:2, “Yoga is the calming of the fluctuations of the mind.” PRANAYAMA AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Normal breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which responds to the patterns created in the mind by thoughts. Whatever pattern our thoughts take, the breath will find a similar rhythm. Quick shallow breathing happens when we are anxious or feeling stressed. If in a state of initial shock we may sharply inhale, or when in fear we may even hold our breath. Deep rhythmic breathing brings about a state of ease, relaxation and calm.