ARE BREATHING SCIENCE & ASTROLOGY LIKE THE TWO ENDS OF THE SAME STICK? BREATHING SCIENCE -09

RELATION OF BREATHING SCIENCE & ASTROLOGY;-

12 FACTS;- 1-The Shiva Swarodaya tells how the breath relates to planetary, solar and lunar movements, and it also has some connection with astrology. The Shiva Swarodaya also states that astrology without the science of swara is useless. 2-Astrology discussedthe influence of four fundamental

elements which affect a person's life and character. These are the cosmic elements. 3-Swara yoga talks about the same elements, but says they manifest in the body and can be detected by analyzing the body processes and breath.

4-In astrology the elements represent particular levels of vibration and influence at the cosmic level. 5-In swarayoga these elements and vibrations are seen to be present within the individual structure. So we do not have to look into the universe because the macrocosm is mirrored in the microcosm.

6-Swara yoga and astrology are like the two ends of the same stick. In India, the calculations of the Hindu astrological system are so precise that the exact time of the swara can be predicted.

7-In the Hindu system there are nine main periods in the day over which a planet presides, and these periods are divided and subdivided until you reach the exact second of the swara, the moment of inhalation and exhalation. 8-Astrology is based on the planets and swara yoga on the breath.

9-By becoming aware of the swara and tattwas, we also become aware of those cosmic influences which affect our health and destiny, and can therefore make better use of good opportunities and find ways to ameliorate (make something bad better)our malefic influences. 10-Thus the yogic texts say that regulation of the breath and pranayama help to destroy the bonds of worldly existence.

11-Some scientists have observed certain relationships between cosmic events and individual experiences, social and cultural events. We can assume that the brain and CNS are receptive to the force fields of planetary and stellar radiations and movements, and some scientists are investigating this interaction .

12- Today man is looking into the sky to understand himself better, but to the swara yogi there is no difference between cosmic and atomic events. It is not necessary to understand astrophysics, because everyone has the capacity to close their eyes, look into the dark space of their consciousness and experience the worlds within.

WEEKDAYS & SWARA:-

02 FACTS;-

1-Each swara is auspicious on a particular weekday. And one can have the advantage of the Lord of the day as well as that of the swara by choosing this combination.

2-The swaras with respect to the weekdays on which they are auspicious:

IDA ( Lunar) > PINGALA(Solar)

Good in bright half > Good in dark half

Wednesday > Sunday

Thursday > Tuesday

Friday > Saturday

Monday

ZODIACAL SIGN & SWARA:-

The twelve signs of the zodiac can be grouped under the two swara

IDA > PINGALA;-

1-Taurus > Aries

2-Cancer >Gemini

3-Virgo > Leo

4-Scorpio > Libra

5-Capricorn >Sagittarius

6-Pisces > Aquarius

DIRECTIONS & SWARA:-

The swaras are also given directions. Ida represents North and East and Pingala-West and South. This is useful to answer queries of missing persons and fixing time to start journeys, both of which involve directions.

PLANETS & SWARA:-

07 FACTS;-

1-Pingala represents all male planets like Sun, Mars, and Saturn (though Saturn is a eunuch, being a malefic, it is considered here), while Ida represents all female planets like Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

2-It will not be out of place here to refer to a view held by Hindu palmistry. Hindu palmistry postulates(demand, claim) that while both the hands are valuable in reading palms, the left hand shows your prarabdha (destiny)- what you are born with, while the right hand is supposed to indicate what you make of your life- how you have made or marred your chances.

3-There seems to be some truth in this view. At one level, while both the hands have all the planets and signs in the palm, at another level, the right hand predominantly shows the workings of the male planets, and the left hand the workings of the female planets. Remember? That the left hemisphere controls the right hand and right breath, while the right hemisphere controls the left nostril and left hand, because of a crossing of commissures(a connecting band of nerve tissue in the brain or spinal cord).

4-If you pause for a while and think, you realize that the male planets are assigned the right hand and right breath (and hence the left hemisphere), while the female planets are assigned the left hand and left breath (and hence the right hemisphere).

5-The male planets i.e. Sun, Mars and Saturn, are the natural malefics, which give more scope for freewill (remember malefics in Upachaya houses or 3,6,10,11?). The right swara or the solar breath, is like the solar hora (surya hora) and the left swara like the chandra hora.

6-Again the left swara, left hand and right hemisphere, represent the Lunar swara, the female planets. These are Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, the only planets that have the possibility of being natural benefics in a chart. While Jupiter and Venus are natural benefics unconditionally, Moon and Mercury are conditional benefics, Moon depending on its fullness and Mercury depending on the company or influences.

7-Thus at one level it is true that the right hand shows what you have made of your life through your efforts, like the malefics in 3,6,10,11 would. But at another level, the influence of all the planets and signs are seen in both the hands. Actually Swara sastra, Samudrika sastra and Jyotish sastra, all indicate the same in different ways. A study of one sastra enhances our understanding of the other.

THE MONTHS INFLUENCING SWARAS;-

09 FACTS;-

1-Different months are characterized by different swara

patterns. During the monthly cycle, one swara usually

predominates and particular predicaments (embarrassing situation)coincide with the excessive

flow of one swara.

2-It is said that pingala should flow predominantly during the months corresponding to the zodiac signs of ,

Aries, Gemini, Leo ,Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius; and

ida should predominate in themonths of Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio and Capricorn; or pingala should flow

during the first six months and ida during the last

six. "When the swara flows in this manner there

are great comforts."

3-It should be kept in mind that the months of the

Hindu zodiac divisions are based on the

lunar calendar, and therefore the zodiac signs occur at slightly different times than the solar calendar

of 364 1/4 days. Nevertheless, it was found on

this basis that there is a natural tendency

for one swara to predominate during the months of

different zodiacs.

4-When it flows against the proper rhythms there are

external difficulties, but when the correct swara

predominates, circumstances are both smooth and

pleasant.

5-Charts of the swara cycle were also compared to the

individual biorhythm(a cyclic pattern of physical, emotional, or mental activity believed to occur in a person's life) charts. It was found that there were

days when the energy level was exactly

between the peak and low phases. Such

days are called 'caution days' for

physical, emotional and intellectual activity.

6-That is, such activity does not usually

prosper on those days.Correspond-ingly,

there is a marked tendency for

sushumna to flow for extended periods

during this time,suggesting that it

would be appropriate to do spiritual practice.

CAN WE MAKE PREDICTIONS ?

02 FACTS;-

1-Through recognizing the active element in the breath, you

can come to know the future. There are a number of

astrologers in India who can usually make reliable offhand

predictions. For example, if a student asks, "Sir, will 1 pass

or fail?" he will first check the day and then feel his breath.

If it is positive, he will say, "Yes," and if it is negative, "No."

2-This is how some people have misused the science, but

this is not its purpose. It is not the science which is at fault but

the person's motives. So we should be careful of such people

and remember the true purpose of this science.

THE TRUE PURPOSE OF PRANA SADHANA ;-

07 FACTS;-

1-To have atma anubhuti, experience of the universal

spirit, is the destiny of man. In order to have that

experience, the part of the mind which functions and

perceives the external world through the senses has to be

jumped over.

2-The mind has to become so concentrated and

one-pointed that it is completely still without the

minutest fluctuation or wavering. The moment the mind

stops, the breath too is suspended. The consciousness and

prana can then slip out of the individual range of experience.

3-It is a difficult process because one is faced with many

obstacles which lure the mind away from its point of

focus.The obstacles have to be overcome if progress is to

be made in this very life. But is it possible for everybody

to experience and understand their own atma - the true Self? Yoga and tantra say yes.

4-Even the Bhagavad Gita gives assurance that

everybody has the right to realize the highest experience

of life. But the problem is that we do not make enough

effort.To do any practice takes time, and we have to fight with the mind.

5-Sometimes we are inspired for a month or two and

concentration becomes very keen, but again inspiration

dies and the battery becomes flat. Then other obstacles

come like disease, laziness, fulfilment of worldly desires

and samskaras, etc.

6-According to Hatha Yoga Pradipika If the Nadis are full of impurities Maruta (prana) does not travel along the middle path. No one can then attain the state of unmani ..

(Unmani – emancipation from the thralldom ( the state of being a thrall/ bondage )of Maya (Illusion), and absorption in the contemplation of Truth (the Divine essence)

7-It is only when the whole group of Nadis which are ordinarily full of impurities, gets purified that the yogi becomes capable of properly regulating prana.

......SHIVOHAM....