Pranayam For Perfect Peace

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AUM

 

 

 

PRANAYAM FOR PERFECT PEACE

 

 

By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

 

The Vedic Rishis, sages and saints had paved a perfect path of peace and

prosperity for mankind. Among them Patanjali Rishi in his thought and

practice of YOGA led us to Ashtanga Yoga or the eight-fold path to be walked

on with ease. In the present age, Swami Satyapati Parivrajak has enlightened

the common man on Yoga Darshan by his discourses and treatises .His book

titled “Saral Yoga Se Ishwar Sakshatkar “(Simplified Yoga for God

Realization) helps us achieve our aim of Peace : internal and external both.

Pranayam , which leads to perfect peace, is a part of the Ashtanga Yoga.

This eightfold path of Yoga comprises eight steps to realization of God.

These are given hereunder:

 

Yama or social ethics, Niyam or personal ethics, Asana or correct

postures, Pranayam or control of breath, Pratyahara or drawing sensory

organs back from sensuous pleasures,Dharana or intense concentration, Dhyana

or meditation and Samadhi or communion with the Almighty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pranayam cleanses a man or a woman of sins and ills. It gives a tremendous

power of concentration, patience, perseverance and perfect health to a

practitioner. A practitioner’s personality achieves an all round

development. Peace prevails thereafter. One moves a step closer towards

realization of God and attainment of Moksha, that is, emancipation from the

bondage of birth, death and rebirth. As per the Vedic philosophy of life,

Moksha is the ultimate goal of a soul or the Jeevatma.

 

 

 

Pran is our life-giving breath and Ayam means control. In other words

Pranayam is control of the speed and sequence of inhalation and exhalation.

In this sequence, the air that a person breathes in is called Shvasa and

that which is breathed out is Prashvasa. A practitioner of Pranayam controls

the process of Shvasa or inhalation and Prashvasa or exhalation as per his

or her capacity. With a gradual practice, one may suspend the process of

breathing-in and breathing-out for a period of one’s own choosing without

causing discomfort.

 

 

 

There are certain pre-requisites to embarkation on a practice session. One

should go by rules of personal and social ethics called Yama and Niyama.

Yama comprises: Love and non-violence, Truth , Shunning-Urge to Steal,

Celibacy and Non-possessiveness. Niyam comprises points of personal ethics

like cleanliness, contentment (not to be mixed up with lack of initiative),

austerity or absence from ostentation, continuous self-study and unflinching

faith in the Almighty. Of course, a practitioner should learn to sit in the

correct posture or Asana in a clean place and in a peaceful environment as

far as possible. One should prepare one’s self physically and mentally

before starting a practice session of Pranayam. Let not the stomach be

loaded with undigested food or drinks and let the bowels be empty. Ego,

jealousy, avarice , greed, jealousy and other negative thoughts should be

kept out of a practitioner’s mind.

 

 

 

Under the guidance of a Guru, make a beginning with a chant of AUM. Please

exhale gradually and stop the air from making an entry until you feel

uncomfortable. When stoppage of air outside the body makes you

uncomfortable, breathe- in . One may do it thrice at the beginning. In the

second phase, take the breath in and stop it inside. When you feel

uncomfortable, take more air in. Then exhale slowly. At the beginning ,

practice thrice in the morning and thrice in the evening. One may do it many

more times later depending on the stamina, will power and perseverance. Of

course, intake of a balanced diet which promotes health plays a vital role

in successful practices of Pranayam.

 

 

 

There may be many variations in the method of practice but the ultimate goal

remains the same as enunciated earlier. Let us pass on to the Bhramari

Pranayam. Let the air go out of both the nostrils making a bee-like nasal

sound rhythmically. It clears the respiratory passage and generates energy

too. A practitioner may be able to keep common cold at arm’s length. After a

little gap of time,one may practice Kapal Bhati. You may throw out with

force through both the nostrils as much air as possible. Let the air come in

again effortlessly and repeat the first action. If unbearable, please stop

immediately. We may pass on to Bhasrika Pranayam. You may start doing Kapal

Bhati in quick time, commencing with exhaling. One may call it internal

jogging. Bhasrika tones up the breathing system tremendously and a

practitioner will always earn a “Lungs Clear” certificate from his

physician. Last but not the least in the present sequence is Nadi-shodhan.

Let us start it by exhaling air from the left nostril while keeping the

right one closed with the thumb, stopping the air outside till its absence

becomes unbearable, inhaling and stopping the air in the lungs until it is

time to release through the right nostril. Let this go on with a rhythm till

you have completed the beginners’ number, viz. – three in a session. One may

go on and on with other variations in process but let us now say : period.

 

 

 

One may ask what the mental activity will be while the process of Pranayam

is going on. Well meditate on AUM or say silently the Pranayam mantra. It is

this : Aum Bhuh, Aum Bhuvah, Aum Swah, Aum Janah, Aum Tapah, Aum Satyam. The

meditation or the silent chant will prevent the mind from aimless wandering

and distraction. Further, it will enhance a Pranayam practitioner’s capacity

of concentration of mind tremendously. Let us not be oblivious of the

cleansing of mind and bad Sanskara that is going on simultaneously. It is

indeed benefit plus.

 

 

 

Please remember, dear practitioner, Pranayam is for bodily, mental and

spiritual enjoyment of a higher plane and a practitioner should never allow

it to degenerate into a burden that may not be easy to carry and difficult

to shake off. Wishing you all a happy and healthy Pranayam session for

experiencing a spiritual pleasure or VEDIC ANAND.

 

 

 

Telephone : +91-120-4454511. E-mail : vedicupvan

 

 

 

Mobile : 9811173590.

 

Postal Address : UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA-201303. INDIA

 

 

 

 

 

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