Power of
Pranayama
India and
the world combatted a lethal microorganism and its various variants in the
novel Corona virus pandemic which afflicted millions of people across the
globe. Humans still brace the scourge. Several millions of lives were snuffed
out.
As we
witnessed the virus strafed the lungs first and thereafter affected other parts
of the human body. Therefore, it became paramount to strengthen and bolster the
immunity to ward off the malady.
Wearing of
masks, maintaining social distance, consuming plenty of warm water among others
became mandatory. We need to add breathing exercises and yogic practices to the
above must do list.
Need
for pranayama
The word
pranayama can be broadly segmented into two segments. Prana implies the vital
source of energy (the subtle life force) and Yama is the control or
extension or expansion.
When our
energy/prana is low we feel enervated. This invariably occurs when we eat large
proportions rather than partake of smaller more suitable quantities, sleep
excessively, or do not take adequate rest. In all such cases there is a
significant expenditure of the vital life force.
Depletion
of energy takes place on account of disruption in our life style, dietary
indiscretions, emotional upheavals, or lack of physical exercise besides the
human mind undergoing unnecessary stress.
The human
body becomes weak and depleted of energy when we compromise on the four vital
sources of energy. These are food, breath, rest, and a calm and meditative
state of mind.
When the
human mind is not in the present moment it oscillates like a pendulum between
the past and the future and invariably feels distressed and distraught.
Consequently, our breathing pattern becomes rapid and shallow.
Thus,
there is a deep and subtle connecting between the breath, body, and mind.
Effective and rhythmic breathing ensures that we live in the present, thus the
mind is calm, collected and in a meditative state. In such a state, endorphins
are released and the body is healthy and robust to be able to combat disease.
Now
through regular practice of pranayama and breathing techniques like the
Sudarshan Kriya, the mind gets entrenched in the present moment. The human body
is powered by five primordial elements. These are earth, water, fire, air, and
space. These are all extremely important, interwoven and interrelated but it is
vayu (air) that sustains our life. We can be without food or water for a
few days but cannot survive without breathing.
Our rishis
have succinctly opined that pranayama is nothing but the worship of Vayu
Devata or the Wind God. The powers of vayu are immense and were
known to our ancestors and the rishis. No wonder we pray to Lord Hanuman during
our trials and tribulations. He is the closest to Narayana, nourishes and
sustains us and strengthens our bodies physically and mentally.
Yoga is a
much-misunderstood word. It is assumed to be merely a set of physical
exercises. That is an incorrect perception. Yoga in Sanskrit means yuj
(that is the union of the self and the divine). Yoga transcends into the
metaphysical and is not merely confined to the realm of the physical plane.
These are
keys to balanced physical and mental health. Fortuitously the generation today
is verily being exposed to the secrets of breath and this is a positive
development.
“Breathing
in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present
moment I know this is the only moment,” says the spiritual master and writer
Thich Nhat Hanh.
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