By Ashwini Guruji
Yog is the science of entire creation. The sun, moon, earth, water, sky, fire as well as the human body are various aspects of creation, yog is the sum total of it all. The force that powers the various aspects of creation, that makes them function is the subject of yog.
When you do yog under a guru, you start interacting with these various elements and forces and slowly you become one with them. Take for instance the five elements. We know the body is made up of the five elements, yet we cannot see them. As you do higher practices of yog, you begin to realise all these in your body and understand their basis. Then the elements listen to you and follow you. You are able to interact with them and affect changes in the body using them. The science of yog unfolds in stages, first through elements, then consciousness and finally divinity.
Yog is often mistaken as a healing system of the body. Actually, it is not a healing science, it is the sum total of yam, niyam, asan, pranayam, pratyahaar, dhaarna, dhyan and samadhi. Asan and pranayama as detailed in yog sutras, are not to cure diseases, Patanjali says ‘sthir sukham asanam’ – a posture in which you are still. Stillness here refers to inner and outer silence achieved by silencing the ‘vrittis’ of the mind; experiences of yog follow.
Let us take up the science of pranayam as an example. Today, there is no dearth of masters and teachers selling pranayam as an exercise to increase oxygen supply to the physical body and boost adrenalin. The fact is, pranayam does not pertain to the physical body or ‘annamayya’. It is a salutation to prana, and prana runs in the ‘pranamaya kosha’, which directly affects the annamayya.
When you perform a pranayam, the oxygen levels are reduced. In the lungs, there are tiny sacs called alveoli where exchange of gases happens. For the absorption of gases by alveoli, a difference in pressure is required for a specific time period. Pranayam like nadi shodhanam equalises this pressure and, as a result, diffusion of gases does not happen. Even in a hyper-pranayam like bhastrika and kapalbhati, the movement is so fast that there is no time for absorption of gases. So, oxygen supply reduces, and carbon dioxide levels increase. A process is initiated as a result of which, you get into certain states where the lower functions of the brain reduce due to lack of oxygen and certain higher centres, which modern science does not understand, get activated.
The process of pranayam is a triangle. The kundalini energy is in the form of an upward pointing triangle at the mool chakra. If you notice, in a pranayam, the movement of breath is in a triangular manner. There is an erectile tissue in our nose, which inflates when there is more blood flow. You might have observed that when you are sexually more active, at times the nose blocks, what is called the honeymoon nose, it is because of the erectile issue inflation. In a pranayam, you make a triangle and press the erectile tissue at the nose constantly on both sides. This triangle pushes the kundalini energy upwards, when optimum areas of the brain are awakened. The optimum activation happens when the three nadis – ida, pingala and sushumna are balanced. Then the kundalini energy rises and spiritual experiences follow. That is a pranayam.
As you go deeper into yog, you realise that all the heavy things leave you, age doesn’t touch you, strength of the body increases. But for this, you have to go to an ashram, make a guru and do yog, buying off the shelf is not going to get you that because what is sold is tied to maya, and what is tied itself cannot release you from your bondage. Yog is getting released from the body, then you access the force or energy of creation.
(Ashwini Guruji is the guiding light of Dhyan Ashram.)
