IS BREATHING SCIENCE (SWARA YOGA )A KEY TO HEALTH?(THE MYSTERY OF SWARODAY SHASTRA IN NUTSHELL)-BREA

HOW TO CHECK THE SWARA BEFORE ACTING?

14 FACTS;-

1-When you have understood and observed the flow of your swara and practised working in correspondence to the active nadi, then you can apply other practices so that each daily activity meets with the most possible success. The swara shastras give the following recommendations: 2-On waking, determine which swara is active. Touch that side of the nostril and face with the corresponding hand.

3-Step out of bed with the foot that corresponds to the active swara; make sure to place that foot on the ground first.

4- If pingala is active, walk with the right foot towards the east or north. If ida is active, walk with the left foot towards the west or south. (Perhaps this explains the significance of getting out of bed 'on the wrong side'.)

5-Start work during the flow of the lunar swara. When the solar swara is functioning and you eat hot, pungent, sour and oily food, it can overheat the system and cause acidity. Therefore, it is advisable to eat such things during the flow of ida.

6-Likewise, it is better to avoid cold food, ice, etc. or food which cools the system ...like yoghurt, etc. during the flow of the lunar swara.

7-If you take a bath in cold water, make sure pingala is active. Or if you take a bath in hot water, make sure ida is active.

8-The Swara Chintamani also advises checking the sequence between bowel movements and urination. Urinating at the time of the left swara, ida, is a healthy sign. If you have planned any venture, it will meet with success. But if the urine comes at intervals, the prana is not functioning optimally, especially if urination is during the right swara. This is an indication of worry or anxiety and troubles.

9-First urine should come, then excreta, then gas. This is a sign of success in any plan. But if all three come together at once, definitely the system is disturbed and there is some pranic imbalance between ida and pingala. 10-When commencing a journey, before leaving the house or city start with the foot corresponding to the active nadi and nostril.

11-If you wish to approach a person in a friendly manner, especially one with whom you tend to have some conflict, start towards him/her with the same foot as the active nostril. During your interactions with that person keep the inactive side towards him/her.

12-While giving orders, face the person from the side of the active swara.

13-A woman can attract a man from the side of her flowing lunar swara. Vice versa, a man can attract a woman from the side of his active solar swara.

14-When accepting or offering something, use the hand corresponding to the active swara.

IS SWARA A KEY TO HEALTH?

12 FACTS;-

1-The state of our body and mind is reflected in the alternation of the swara cycles. If either nadi predominates for too long,it is a sign or warning that one of the branches of the autonomic nervous system is being overstressed and only one of the brain hemispheres is being fully utilized.

2- If ida flows for a long time beyond the normal schedule, this signifies some imbalance in the mind. Or if pingala flows beyond schedule, there is some sort of imbalance in the pranic body.

3-When the physical and mental energies are unbalanced, the personality is only half developed and sickness of some type is inevitable. In order to correct this situation there must be regular alternation of the swara.

4-The type of sickness which occurs generally indicates which nadi and energy system has been flowing excessively.Many problems resulting from poor digestion such as flatulence, indigestion, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and dyspepsia, as well as respiratory disorders and male impotence, are associated with excessive flow of ida.

5- On the other hand, such stress related problems as hypertension,acidity and ulcers arise from the overactivation of pingala.The Shiva Swarodaya advises that for good health the sadhaka and yogi should maximize the flow of ida duringthe day and the flow of pingala at night.

6-We should keep in mind that the yogi's life is dedicated to sadhana and not household duties. Nevertheless, by adjusting the swara in such a way, the natural tendency of the body to become overheated during the day and overcool at night is counterbalanced with wide-reaching effects.

7-The overheating and undercooling of the body can be rectified by a correct sleeping position at night. In fact, an investigation carried out in India showed that out of 48 dyspeptic(having indigestion) patents two-thirds slept on their right side as opposed to their left.

8-The control group consisted of seven healthy people who normally slept on their left side.When these people were made to sleep on the right side ,after one week they began to show signs of sluggish ( inactive)digestion. When they were allowed to resume their usual left-sided sleeping position, their stomach disorders were automatically rectified.

9- Another survey of asthmatic patients showed that7 out of 10 slept on their backs.Even if you are not suffering from any chronic or acute ailment, you can avoid any forthcoming stomach or respiratory complaint by sleeping in the correct way.

10-Once the disorder has actually set in, a change in the flow of swara can bring some relief. If there is too much heat in the body, lying on the right side can help cool it.Conversely when the body is excessively cold, lying on the left side can help to warm it. During a fever the active pingala nostril should be purposely blocked to balance the temperature.

11-Before the actual onset of a disease, the flow of the swara becomes disturbed, and if this is noted before hand, then the imbalance can be rectified and the sickness averted.

12-For example, asthmatics feeling an attack coming on can block the active nostril to help prevent or lessen the severity of the attack. Or those who suffer from headaches should first check their digestion, and make sure that they sleep on the left side. When the headache occurs, they should then block the active nostril and stimulate the other.

ARE THE SWARs INDICATOR OF AILMENTS?

08 FACTS;-

1- Common ailments in your body indicate you active Swara. For example, a common cold indicates a prominent/dominating Left Swara.

2-One can change this dominating left swara to right swara and cure the common cold or other diseases.

3-Acidity - if Right swara dominates, it indicates the person will suffer from either acidity or fever. Right Swara is Hot in nature.

4-When one swara predominates for more than threeconsecutive days, some type of mental, physical oremotional crisis arises.

5-A constant flow of ida for more than three days coincideswith some respiratory problem such as blocked nose,colds or constipation.

6-Continual flow of pingala for more than three dayscoincides with fever or even boils.

7-The onset of menstruation is characterized by theconstantflow of one nadi, usually sushumna, sometimesida, rarely pingala. On the second day ida flows to agreater extentand by the third day the swara alternations become more balanced.

8-Bowel movements are facilitated by the flow of pingalaand the movement occurs more often during the onsetof pingala. When ida is flowing the motion is less free,sometimes even causing constipation.

THE THINGS INFLUENCING SWARAS;-

1-Weather tends to influence the flow of the nadis. Duringheavy rains and cold winds, ida begins to flow; duringhot winds, pingala can start to flow constantly. Balancedweather patterns coincide with balanced swara cycles.

2-Eating a lot of chillies, black pepper, ginger and otherhot spices results in the flow of pingala. Banana taken onan empty stomach, milk, curd or cold drinks (especiallyice) activate the left nostril. If the nose is slightly blocked,drinking sweet black coffee can open the nasal passage.

3--Splashing the face or anus with hot or extremely coldwater can change the flow in the nostrils.

4-Intense and continual kirtan or japa induces sushumnaor ida to flow for a extensive period.

5-Different types of work can alter the flow of the swara.The amount of mental involvement also coincides withthe preponderant nadi. If physical work is being doneand pingala is flowing, there is complete involvementwith the work and actions.

6-If ida happens to flow, the mind starts to wander and one thinksof something else. When sushumna flows, there is awareness of both thephysical actions and thought process.

7-The flow of the particular nadi affects the physicalcapacities to perform a task. It is more difficult to applyfull physical capacity when ida is active.

8-Instructing and inspiring people during the flow ofpingala coincides with attentiveness and enthusiasm from the listeners.

9- Instructions come across with more dynamismand influence when pingala flows rather thanida. If sushumna flows, it is much more difficult tocaptivate people.

EFFECT OF SWARAS;-

06 FACTS;-

1--During a physical caution day, if pingala happens tobecome excessive, fever can result.2-During emotional caution days, if ida predominates,some emotional disturbance can arise, even an outburstor slight mental depression.

3-During an intellectual caution day, if ida is prominent,it coincides with excessive mental activity, fantasy or worry.

4-If the caution days of the physical, emotional andintellectual cycles are in close proximity and a particularswara is predominating, some sort of disturbance andimbalance occurs and unpleasant situations may arise.

5-During peak and low phases of the cycles, the swara isusually balanced for half the day, then one swara startsto predominate. When the low phases of one cyclecoincide with those of another, it also affects whichswara will be predominant. Therefore, it is very difficultto come to more definite conclusions in relation to biorhythms.

6-These are the major trends and patterns found over sixmonths of swara sadhana. Yet it should be kept in mind,that to make a complete and thorough study for yourselfcan take many years of observation. It is also necessaryto observe a group of people under variouscircumstances andliving in different parts of the world.

TIME OF SWARA ACTIVATION IN GENERAL;-

04 FACTS;-

1-Each Swara (Left and Right) Alternates in 60 Min - One Swara is active for about 1 to 1.5 hours depends on individual, and after that 2nd Swara starts flowing, this cycle continues during day and night.

2-These Swara Activities are related to Moon phasesSunrise timing is crucial - Generally for healthy people the Swara should change at the time of sunrise and sunset.

3-Lunar / left Swara is Active during 1st 3 days of Bright fortnight at sunrise

4-Right / solar Swara is Active during 1st 3 days of darkfort night at sunrise.

METHOD OF READJUSTING /CHANGING THE SWARA:-

04 FACTS;-

1-Whenever there is a necessity, one should lie down for a while sideways on the side of which the nostril is flowing at the moment. Soon the other nostril will start flowing. For instance, lying on the left side will induce breathing through the right nostril.

2-Apply pressure to the armpit of the active nostril.Putting a small cushion under the armpit and pressing it with your body weight will help you further.

3-Sit down calmly and gaze towards the side of the nostril that is not operating. Close active nostril with finger or cotton wool.

4-Food consumed To change the Swara.Chilli, ginger for - Solar / right Swara.Yogurt, bananas for - left / lunar Swara.

NOTE;-The first method is more effective. The adept can change the swara at his will.

WHEN TO CHANGE THE NOSTRIL:-

1.When the nostril of the day is not the same as the operating nostril.

2.When one wants to do an activity that should be done in the opposite swara

3.In cases of diseases-physiological or psychological4.If any swara keeps dominantly operating for more than two hours.

HOW TO CHANGE THE FLOW IN NADIS?

10 FACTS;-

The following exercises are for changing the flow from Ida to Pingala. Select any one of the methods that suits you best. For changing the flow from Pingala to Ida, just do the same exercise on the opposite side:

1- Plug the left nostril with a small piece of cotton or fine cloth for a few minutes.

2- Lie down on the left side for ten minutes.

3- Sit erect. Draw the left knee up and keep the left heel near the left buttock. Now press the left arm-pit, Axilla, on the knee. In a few seconds the flow will be through Pingala.

4- Keep the two heels together near the right buttock. The right knee will be over the left knee. Keep the left palm on the ground a foot away and let the weight of the trunk rest on the left hand. Do not bend at the elbow. Turn the head also towards the left side. This is an effective method. Catch hold of the left ankle with the right hand.

5- The flow of breath can be changed by Nauli Kriya also.

6- There are some yogis who are able to change the flow by only their will.

7- Place the Yoga Danda or Hamsa Danda (a wooden stick of about 2 feet in length with arest of the shape of U at one end) at the left arm-pit and lean on it by the left side.The Yoga Danda offers a convenient way to alter breath flow between nostrils. This helps in freeing up the breath flow and is especially useful in gaining the maximum out of Pranayama techniques, especially those requiring alternate nostril breathing, such as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama.

8- The most effective and instantaneous result is produced in changing the flow through Khechari Mudra. The Yogi turns the tongue inside and blocks the air passage by the tip of the tongue.The above exercise is intended for general regulation of breath.

9-A knowledge more secret than the science of breath, a friend more true than the science of breath, has never been seen or heard of. Friends are brought together by the power of breath.

10-Wealth is obtained with comfort and reputation through the power of breath. The knowledge of the past, present and the future and all other Siddhis are acquired and a man reaches the highest state, by the power of breath.

CHANGE OF THE SWAR IN GENERAL;-

For all individuals, all swaras became active one by one and not together. Generally a Swara is active for 1-1.5 hours before the next Swara takes over. A Swara change happens usually at sunset and sunrise.

CHANGE OF THE SWAR FOR YOGI;-

Let the breath flow through Ida the whole day and through Pingala the whole night. He who practises thus is verily a great YOGI..

....SHIVOHAM...