IS BREATHING SCIENCE USEFUL FOR ALL? BREATHING SCIENCE- 11

WHAT ARE THE TWO PATHS OF YOGA?

04 FACTS;-

1-The yoga shastras say that when the pranas are

disturbed, the mind is also disturbed. Therefore, yoga

devised two ways to overcome this....VIZ,

2-The first states that if the pranas are controlled, the

mind can also be controlled because the two are

interrelated and interdependent. This path involves HATHA & SWARA YOGA .

3-The other path says that when the the mind is

controlled,mind becomes disturbed, the pranas are

disturbed, and if the pranas also come under control. That is the path of RAJA & JNANA YOGA .

4-Controlling the prana is like controlling an elephant. If

you can do it, you are its master. But to control the mind

is like trying to control the air. Therefore, people today

find it much easier and more tangible to deal with the

prana,provided, of course, that they have a guru.

ARE OTHER YOGAS COMPLEMENTARY TO BREATHING SCIENCE?

12 FACTS;-;-

1-Raja yoga sets out eight steps: yama, niyama, asana,

pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

2-The ancient hatha yoga texts rearranged these into a

suitable order for the people of Kaliyuga, starting with

the shatkarmas- neti, dhauti, basti, kapalbhati, trataka

and nauli. Later texts such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika added asana and pranayama.

3-The order of yama/niyama coming first had to

be changed, because people found it difficult to meditate

and tackle the problem of higher experience when the

mundane problems were overpowering them.

4-Those who can practise have to deal with the problems of the world and they suffer because of infirmity of will.

So now the practice of the pranayama comes first.

Control the prana and the mind will become quiet.

You will have a clear mind toanalyze the pranic

movements and practise yoga.

5-In the Shiva Swarodaya the practices of moola bandha

and maha bandha are also mentioned. Practice of the

three bandhas: jalandhara bandha, uddiyana bandha

and moola bandha, in combination with breath retention

(kumbhaka), and shambhavi mudra, helps to increase the

capacity of the pranic force.

6-Therefore, hatha yoga and raja yoga are

necessary for swara yoga. In fact, they are not separate

compartments, they are all complementary. The hatha

yoga shatkarmas aid pranayama, pranayama aids raja

yoga, and swara yoga gives deeper insight into both systems.

7-The famous guru Gorakhnath, the greatest exponent of

hatha yoga, used to tell his disciples that when they

practised hatha yoga, they were not doing mere exercise.

They were not just purifying the physical body. They

were trying to bring about a balance between the two

forces in the body,known as the sun and moon.

8- In the word hatha, ha represents the sun, and tha,

the moon. So, ha and tha represent pingala

and ida, the solar and lunar forces.

9-Hatha yoga brings a balance between the alternating

activities of the two nadis. It ensures that they operate in

rhythm with the movements of the external sun and moon.

10-Secondly, it increases the capacity of all the nadis,

vayus and chakras. By incorporating swara yoga, a total

balance in the nadis and awakening of sushumna can take place.

11-Before you begin the advanced swara practices, the

whole body system should be clean and functioning

rhythmically so that your results may be accurate. The

practices are easier and more effective when there are

no digestive, respiratory or nasal defects. Therefore, you

should at least be practising asana, pranayama and one

or two of the shatkarmas such as trataka .

12-Swara yoga is comparable to kriya or kundalini yoga

in its demands on your capacity and actual knowledge of

yoga.Of course, there are simple and easy practices

which anyone can utilize any time of the day or night,

but the core of swara yoga requires that you are comfortable in your meditative posture and proficient in

pranayama, mudra, bandhatrataka, visualization and japa.

IS BREATHING SCIENCE USEFUL FOR ALL?

17 FACTS;-

1-The application of the major practices are for advanced

students and sadhakas. Therefore, if you are serious

about the practice and not just trying it out, you will also have to regulate your lifestyle.

2-The swara shastras state that the diet should be

mitahara, which means balanced, nutritious and pure.

The practitioner should neither eat too much nor too

little, so that the body and mind remain steady and alert.

3-Secondly, it is beneficial to avoid oversleeping:six to

seven hours is quite sufficient.Get up early ands leep

early. When you sleep late the mindand body become

dull.

4-Thirdly, it is necessary to have a steady and

unfluctuating state of mind and to practise

regularly. There is no point in stopping and starting the

practices because you will not get anywhere.

5-Of course,simple awareness of the swara and how to

act during the flow of ida, pingala and sushumna can be

done, but those who want to gain steadiness of mind will have to be regular.

6-In fact, steadiness of mind means that whatever you

gain from the practices mentally, physically or

psychically should be utilized for spiritual evolution.

7-If you gain greater mental and psychic capacity than

your business associates or your next door neighbour,

then avoid misuse .Save it for your inner enlightenment

rather than wasting it on selfish purposes that only

better your material position.

8-Swara yoga can open a whole new vista of life to the

practitioner. However, it is essential to remind yourself

thatthe science was not designed to bestow siddhis or psychic powers only .

9-Though such side effects can manifest, keep in

mind that the ultimate goal for which you are striving is

to heighten your consciousness beyond mundane experiences.

10-If you can understand the nature of the breath, you can definitely gain greater insight into the body and

mind. If you can control the swara, you can control the activities of the brain and nervous system.

11-This is based on the fact that when the left nostril

flows, there is activity in the right brain hemisphere, and when the right nostril flows, the left hemisphere is active.

This influences the functioning of the entire system.

12-The breath has so much importance in human existence that the ancient Rishis or seers evolved a complete science around it, just from studying the simple process of respiration.

13-Swara Yoga should not be confused with Pranayama, though both deal with Prana. Swara Yoga emphasizes the analysis of the breath and the significance of different Pranic rhythms; whereas, Pranayama involves techniques to redirect, store and control Prana.

14-Prana and mind exert an influence on each other. When the Pranas are restless, they affect the mind and vice versa. By controlling the Pranas through the practice of Pranayama, the restlessness of the mind is automatically controlled.

15-Swara Yoga not only helps those who believe in a supreme reality, but also those who do not have faith and who will also be surprised to discover many truths pertaining to this reality. Swara Yoga is a path which leads to total experience and awakening of the entire being.

16-As described by Yogic texts, Nadis are flow of energy which we can visualize at the psychic level as having distinct channels, light, color, sound, and other characteristics.

17-The Swara Yoga practice helps us to change unwanted physical, mental or emotional states at will, create favorable conditions for one’s life by changing the internal environment thus improving one’s attitude towards life through increased awareness.

.......SHIVOHAM...