Asanas (yoga poses) destroy diseases and
Pranayama (breathing techniques) destroy sins.
Pratyahara (withdrawal) helps the yogi remove impurities of the mind.
Yoga Chudamani
Upanishad, mantra 109
There are
eight steps in traditional yoga, viz. Yamas (observances), Niyamas
(commitments), Asanas (physical practices), Pranayamas (controlling &
lengthening of one's breath or Prana),
Dharanas
(concentration methods), Dhyanas (meditations) and Samadhi
(absorption).
In the mantra above, we discuss the three in
the middle as they pertain to cleansing.
The practice
of Asana
is divided into three parts:
The first is purely for physical fitness
i.e. the strengthening, firming, flexing, controlling and cleansing of the
body.
Along with the
above benefits, the second part is meant especially for cleaning the nadis that make up the pranic nervous system and the chakras that act as the safety valves of
the nadis. Here the mind subsides to an
extent and Pratyahara (withdrawal) occurs
naturally.
The third range
of Asanas is meant for 'raising the Kundalini', which means moving of Prana in the middlemost nadi i.e. the Sushumna nadi.
This is
auxiliary to later meditational practices.
Asanas are practiced because of their ability to
provide a thorough cleansing of the internal organs, tissue, bone, marrow and
blood - all necessary for the upkeep of good health.
Asanas thus liberate the body from excess phlegm (Kapha), which is considered the No. 1
enemy of our health. Excess phlegm arising from bad nutrition, stress, illness
and generally from a mismanaged lifestyle, if not expelled soon, will solidify
and become a hard toxic mass that envelops tissue, penetrates intestinal lining
and poisons blood. Another unwanted side effect of this toxic mass is the
cooling of the Pranas, concomitantly
known as Vata, the airy property. This
leads to derangements in the bone, marrow, nerves, brain and finally, in the
mind.
Regular
practice of Asana has a benevolent
effect on body and mind.
Excess phlegm
not only burdens the internal organs, but as indicated above, burdens Prana as well. Just as electricity in
the body requires a nervous system to carry its impulses, Prana requires its own nervous system, viz. the nadis. Nadi means 'river' in Sanskrit; rivers carry water, nadis carry Prana.
The
phlegmatic mass floating in the body obstructs the movement of Prana in the nadis too. Asanas
(postures) are the remedy. Once this is done, we move on to Pranayama.
The Yoga
Sutra
claims the following result on Pranayama:
Tatahakshiyateprakashaavaranam
Dharanasu cha yogyatamanasaha
Thence the cover of light is destroyed and
the mind becomes fit for concentration.
Yoga
Sutra 2.52-53
Pranayamas are many. There are thousands of breathing
techniques applied by wise yogis. While just a few are deemed practical for the
common person, others require profound dedication and withdrawal from the
world. Moreover, Pranayama should be
practiced with mudras (seals) as they
help in sealing Prana in the pranic body for health and spiritual
purposes. Else, Prana dissipates and
one grows weaker in body and mind.
As stated in
the Yoga
Sutra
above, Pranayama removes the cover of
light (materialistic vision of the world) for the mind to be fit for
concentration. Pranayama is a sure
way of eradicating sins (malicious acts) thus rendering the mind pure. Mental
impurities (vikara) are inherent and
they continuously rise and fall with the relationship between the mind and the
objects of the world i.e. attraction and revulsion. The mind, being a product
of Jatharagni (the digestive fire)
and food, is unstable due to the lack of awareness of the Self, Atman or the
spirit. Malicious and grave acts are caused by an unstable and delusional mind,
which sees itself as the lord of his immediate and extended creation.
Pranayama is an antidote to the mad mind, which needs
to be tamed by regular practice. Fluctuations of the mind happen due to the instability
of Prana which, when fanned by the digestive
fire, is in no position to remain stable. When the mind is fixed, so is Prana; when
the Prana is fixed, so is the mind. Therefore, yogis practice Pranayama
regularly.
Pranayama deals with the nadis differently from Asanas. Asanas cleans them, whereas Pranayama,
besides cleaning them also ushers Prana
into them.
Of the
72,000 nadis (taken at face value from the yogic scriptures), three are vital -
Ida (left, lunar), Pingala (right, solar) and Sushumna (middle, graceful). The first
two represent the dualities of life wherein our karmas, past deeds, flow (they flow through the other thousands of
nadis too), whereas the third is the stairway to liberation from worldly
existence.
The
following description is meant for those who are completely dedicated and
discussion herewith is not intended to compliment the practice. In the
nutshell, Pranayama’s aim is to push Prana into the middle channel and up to
the crown of the head inducing the state known as Samadhi that is absorption of the Self with the Supreme Self. At
other times, Prana moves as directed
by destiny (karma), hence control of Prana is essential to liberation from
the shackles of the past.
Pranayama is a rather difficult practice if done for
the sake of liberation from the pangs of worldly existence. It requires an
introspective mind devoted to the search for the meaning and aim of life, certainly
not a lifestyle for those engrossed in the pleasures and relationships of life.
However, a few simple Pranayamas may
be practiced by just about anybody wishing to keep a clean body and pure mind.
Pratyahara (withdrawal) is the last of the
"cleansing" practices.
The Yoga Sutra sum it up nicely:
Svavishayaasamprayoge-chittasyasvarupaanukaraha
Iva indriyanampratyaharaha
Withdrawal is that by which the senses do not
come into contact with their objects and follow them as it were the movement of
the consciousness/mind.
Yoga
Sutra 2.54
To restrain
one's consciousness and mind, one must restrain the senses first. Our senses
get attached to objects that are known (fancy car in the neighbors yard) or to objects
that are yet to be manifested (hopefully I get a fancy car myself).
When
consciousness is restrained, the immediate result is Self-awareness, which, in
its essence, is one-pointedness. This removes any unwanted fluidity in our
consciousness. The way to still our permanently flickering mind is given in the
Yoga Sutra:
Abhyasa vairagyabhyamtan nirodhaha
They are
stilled by the practice (of yoga) and detachment.
Yoga
Sutra 1.12
Along with the practices discussed
above, observing our own feelings and desires with a healthy sense of
detachment and being able to renounce
them if they are not conducive to the practice, is also essential.
Pratyahara removes impurities of the mind
and the Shandilya Upanishad sums this understanding of
the ultimate mind/consciousness withdrawal technique beautifully:
Contemplating everything that one sees as Atman (spirit)
is Pratyahara
(disengagement), the fifth stage of yoga.
By seeing everything as the all-pervading spirit,
disengagements of the senses from the sense
objects takes place effortlessly.
Just as the tortoise withdraws its limbs into its
shell, the yogi withdraws his/her senses into the mind and the mind into the Atman (spirit).
Seeing Atman
everywhere and in everyone is seeing Paramatman
(Supreme Spirit).
These three streams of yogic practices will keep
you pure in body, mind and spirit.
Om Tat Sat