Prana and the Nervous System
Prana is life-force. It is energy infused with
consciousness - love infused with intelligence.
Our vitality and personal growth is relative to the
degree to which prana is expanded throughout our body, mind and chakras. It can shrink with illness, shock or fear and expand with health, love and confidence. Prana,
is the tangible manifestation of the Divine Self which flows through all the
pathways in the pranic body/system … the most important of these pathways are known as
ida, pingala and sushumna nadis.
In his text Prana, Pranayama, Prana Vidya
Swami Niranjananda says:
“Ida and pingala are flows of charged ions capable
of exerting an influence upon the flow of prana. Ida is a negatively charged
flow of prana and pingala is a positively charged, flow. From here, ida
and pingala pranas divide into the five sub-pranas which exist in different
parts of the body, each having a specific function and varying densities of
ionic fields. Udana is the least dense, then sthoola, samana - and apana which
is the most dense. Vyana which flows over the whole body has a density
which is the average of all the others."
When prana is activated and harnessed in a balanced
and concentrated way the nervous system benefits directly – and balance is imposed upon it.
Where prana is blocked ill-health, disease, mental
and emotional problems occur. We need the mechanical practices of yoga
which will vitalize the prana and keep it flowing.
Through techniques known as pranayama, the
yoga student is able to expand the flow of prana in the pranic system, which in
turn feeds the entire nervous system. The nervous system is strengthened and
balanced, which effectively means the body and mind are strengthened and balanced. Equally, if the nervous system becomes
weakened, the body and mind do too.
Each asana gentle, or strong, directly
influences the central nervous system and therefore the autonomic nervous system. In
asana the left and the right halves of the body are attended to equally and
this affects the left and right hemispheres of the brain (and all associated
behaviours in the mind and processes in the body) and ida and pingala
nadis.
The cells, tissue and nerves of the spinal cord and
brain are flooded with prana - as is
the entire body - through asana, pranayama, kirtan, mudra, bandha and deep
relaxation. Even a simple thing like mindful awareness of the breath – and/or
manipulating the breath in specific and technical ways - expands the dimension
of prana in the pranic body. Loving kindness expands and condenses prana.
Mechanical though the techniques of
yoga might be, they have art, beauty and spirituality in them also, which is
what makes yoga such a glorious experience.
Prana and Nada
In Yoga it is said that from the Primordial Sound of AUM comes all experienced vibration and, therefore, all experienced sound. In the Bible it is said that in the Beginning was the Word and the word was with God.
One only needs to sing a beautiful melody to feel
that they are with God. The Sound. The Word. The Vibration. Call it what you
will, feels to be with God. Sound vibration is known as nada, in yoga. nada
yoga stimulates prana.
In nada yoga, sound vibrations are used to
activate the whole field of prana, these sounds are called mantras which
are said to have been heard in the deepest states of meditation. There is a
specific sound vibration in each chakra where the flow of nadis converges at
its centre. Visualise an ocean flowing to converge on rocks, crashing and
swirling in an explosion of turquoise, dark blue, creamy-blue sea colours,
nowhere to go but to crash and converge. This is what prana does in the
chakras.
The sound occurring when the four nadis converge in
mooladhara, is lam [more correctly pronounced lum]. In swadhistana, vam [vum]. In
Manipura, ram. In anahata, yam. In vishuddhi, ham. In ajna, aum. Sit in meditation
and focus into the convergence in each chakra, mentally repeating the bija
mantra appropriate to that chakra. This is so delicious you might find an hour
has passed before you know it.
Other sound vibrations commonly used in nada yoga,
to stir the chakras are called swaras. These mantras are sa re ga ma pa dha ni
sa. Like do re mi, etc. They may be chanted slow, medium, fast, or
superfast. They may be sung in simple straight scales, or in beautiful
complex patterns which dance the prana. Superfast activates the prana,
slow activates the heart - but whether slow, medium, fast, or superfast - they
concentrate and clarify the mind. They clear samskaras.
Connect with prana through nada.
This is said beautifully in the Mundakopanishad:
Section 3: Part 1: Verse 4
"The vital energy (prana) radiant in all
animate things, is the Divine Self. The truly wise experience pure joy in That. The one whose joy is in the Self and whose life is spiritual maintains foremost awareness of the Divine.
The place of Breath Retention in Pranayama
'When prana moves, chitta (the mental force) moves. When prana is without movement, chitta is without movement. By this steadiness of prana, the yogi attains steadiness and should thus restrain the vayu (air).'
Commentary, in part:
"By becoming aware of the breath, and restraining it, the whole system becomes controlled.
When you retain the breath you are stopping nervous impulses in different parts of the body and harmonising the brain wave patterns. In pranayama it is the duration of breath retention which has to be increased. The longer the breath is held, the greater the gap bewteen the nerve impulses and their responses in the brain. When retention is held for a prolonged period, mental agitation is curtailed."
Chapter Two/Verse 2 p150151 - from the text, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
'When prana moves, chitta (the mental force) moves. When prana is without movement, chitta is without movement. By this steadiness of prana, the yogi attains steadiness and should thus restrain the vayu (air).'
Commentary, in part:
"By becoming aware of the breath, and restraining it, the whole system becomes controlled.
When you retain the breath you are stopping nervous impulses in different parts of the body and harmonising the brain wave patterns. In pranayama it is the duration of breath retention which has to be increased. The longer the breath is held, the greater the gap bewteen the nerve impulses and their responses in the brain. When retention is held for a prolonged period, mental agitation is curtailed."
Chapter Two/Verse 2 p150151 - from the text, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
