View
0
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
The yogic forceHatha yoga is more effective in unblocking prana than regular exercises as it works at a subtler level by balancing your nadis, says Charles Shahar, a yoga teacher on the occasion of International Yoga Day
It is instructive to recognise how much tension our bodies hang on
to when we experience stress in our daily lives. For instance, we
may be so tight around the shoulders or neck that it will feel almost
like we are wearing a suit of armour. Pressing or gently pinching
these muscles will feel painful. Such tensions can occur anywhere in the body,
from head to toe, but tight muscles are only the most superficial level of blockage
related to stress. Constriction occurs not only at the level of the physical body
but in the subtle body as well. Tensions can block the vital energy or prana.
Yogis describe subtle nerve channels or nadis that criss-cross the body and
maintain the flow of vital fluid throughout the organism. There are tens of
thousands of these nerve currents. When these channels get blocked or become
constricted, prana is impeded or prevented from freely circulating. Aside from
simple muscular tension, all major health issues related to common diseases
have at their root, disturbances in the pranic sheath, the subtle body that
animates and underpins the physical organism, what the Hindu scriptures call
the pranamaya kosha.
Ways to release energyFirst, let’s look specifically at muscular tension due to stress since this is the
most obvious manifestation of blocked prana. There are many ways to free the
vital energy that gets stuck in the pranic sheath, but some methods are more
effective than others. I will make two assumptions in the following analysis that
I am speaking to readers who lead a more refined or spiritual lifestyle, or at
LifePositive | JUNE 2018 56
SPECIAL FEATURE
Yoga special.indd 56 19/05/18 11:38 AM
least are interested in doing so; and that they
are also more refined in their sensibilities, for
example, by avoiding extremes in environments
or people.
Any physical movement, including exercises
such as vigorous walking, jogging, swimming,
and so on, will have the effect of liberating some
of the vital energy that gets bound in areas of
tension. This is why people often feel refreshed
after such activities. They seem to have more
physical energy and exuberance. Interestingly,
exercise is a completely haphazard way of
releasing prana, simply because it does not
take into account what is happening on a
subtler energy level. Moreover, although
exercise will release prana, it may also deplete
one’s vital store if taken too far.
Intensive aerobic exercises, like the classes
offered at any local gym, certainly have the
effect of liberating prana, but they also have
other consequences that a more refined
sensibility may find undesirable. If you are used
to gentler activities, certain types of frenetic,
high-impact exercises have a jarring effect
on the subtle body. From an esoteric point of
view, the consciousness becomes more body
and sense oriented. The loud music and bright
lights add to the harshness of the experience.
Practising hatha yoga is a holistic approach to bring in balance and wellness in one’s life as its benefits extend
well beyond the physical level
57Special Feature
Yoga special.indd 57 19/05/18 11:38 AM
This might not mean much to someone who
is not practising a spiritual lifestyle, but for a
refined soul, such an atmosphere will make
them nervous or unsettled.
Activities such as intensive body-building
can likewise be detrimental from a pranic
perspective. The muscles are trained to
remain tense, creating further pranic knotting.
On the other hand, anything that keeps the
physical body flexible will maintain fluidity of
prana. To this end, stretching exercises are
important, particularly before any rigorous
exercise. Swimming is also beneficial; also,
brisk walking is a fine way to keep fit.
Joggers often say that there is a point in
their activity when they reach a mindless
and euphoric state. Brain chemicals aside,
on a subtler level, energy is getting liberated
in the vital nerve currents. Not only that, but
the kundalini energy, or life force, described
by the yogis, rises up the spine, hitting subtle
channels which trigger a high. No wonder
people get addicted! However, this high soon
dissipates and no expansion of consciousness
takes place, as happens when the kundalini
rises during meditation.
In general, athletes are a healthier group than
the overall population. Their auras are brighter
and they certainly have physical vigour and
stamina. But it is instructive to note that like
most people, they have pranic blockages
and areas of physical tension, and of course,
certain mental and emotional factors also play
a part. Therefore, exercises, while effective
in unblocking some pranic knots, are not the
last word on the subject, although their benefit
is certainly important in terms of keeping the
body toned and fit.
How blockages get builtIn my experience of teaching yoga over many
years, I was sometimes amazed to see how
stiff participants were. Some were in good
shape, had great muscle definition, yet they
struggled to follow the class. I was many years
older than most of them but more supple. I also
taught yoga to nursery school children and
noted that not all were necessarily flexible.
So it is clear that pranic blocking can happen
at any age; and physical exercise, although
having certain advantages, is not necessarily
the most efficient way of promoting pranic
circulation in the body.
LifePositive | JUNE 2018 58
Yoga special.indd 58 19/05/18 11:38 AM
Physical movement is important for freeing up prana. Unblocking prana means unblocking the mind; the two are inseparable realities.
For the person who sits at the job all day and is exposed to
high levels of stress, the cumulative effect of tension can be
devastating. Some type of physical activity, even regularly
going out for short walks or doing small stretching routines,
is important for getting prana circulating again. I am thinking
particularly of people who use computers a lot and build up
a certain amount of frustration, without the possibility of
release. There is tremendous pranic clogging in their systems,
which may manifest anywhere in the body, not just in the neck,
shoulders, or back.
Physical movement is important for freeing up prana. The
activity shifts the energy so that it does not become stuck or
stagnant. This is why active people tend to be more replete with
prana than inactive people. An athlete will have more vitality
than a desk clerk because sedentary work can result in much
blocked energy. However, as I implied, physical movement is not
nearly sufficient for maximising pranic circulation. If this was
the case, active people would have perfectly healthy systems,
free from nervous tension. I am talking about a much more
subtle energy here, which is connected to spiritual development
and not merely to physical activity.
How hatha yoga helpsPerhaps the most sophisticated system for unblocking prana
was developed by the ancient yogis. Hatha yoga involves a
series of postures which are specifically designed to release
the subtle energy currents. Each posture targets specific areas
and releases pranic knots that get built up in the body. Hatha
yoga represents a holistic approach for promoting balance and
wellness, and its benefits extend well beyond the physical level.
I am always amazed at how people look after they experience
a yoga class. They seem to emanate a sheen, a soft light. The
subtle body has become so expanded and energised that this is
visible even with physical sight.
Contrary to what some Western practitioners believe, Hatha
yoga is not just a way of achieving physical relaxation and
59Special Feature
Yoga special.indd 59 19/05/18 11:38 AM
flexibility. Every posture is an exercise in
concentration, a focussing of prana or energy.
Hatha yoga itself is ultimately a technique
to promote meditation and to help the mind
achieve shanti or inner peace. The ancient
yogis realised long ago that the body temple
needs to be purified if the mind is to reach a
state of transcendence. Unblocking prana
means unblocking the mind; the two are
inseparable realities.
The two nadis and peak experienceWhat do I mean by that? The yogis distinguished
between two major nadis, or subtle nerve
channels—the Ida and the Pingala. In the
ancient yogic texts, they are referred to as
chandra nadi or the channel of the moon,
and surya nadi or the channel of the sun,
respectively. They have an opposite effect on
the organism. The flow of prana through the
Pingala is activating, whereas that through
the Ida can be thought of as a dampening
force. Through certain breathing exercises
or pranayama, we can balance these two
fundamental currents of prana. Alternate
nostril breathing, for instance, is highly
effective in reaching this equilibrium.
When we balance Ida and Pingala, the two fundamental undercurrents of prana, through pranayama, the
dormant Kundalini Shakti gets aroused
LifePositive | JUNE 2018 60
Yoga special.indd 60 19/05/18 11:38 AM
When an optimal state of balance is attained, the mind becomes suspended,
and the thoughts recede into the background of one’s attention. This is the
first stage of deep meditation, when the mind enters into a calm, yet highly
aware state. One experiences a profound lucidity in such moments. Note
that this state is very unlike sleep, in which the Ida nadi is dominant. It is also
not at all like the typical waking state, throughout which, under the influence
of the Pingala nadi, the mind remains restless and fidgety.
How it worksWhen the flows of the Ida and Pingala are perfectly balanced, the kundalini
energy, which was previously lying dormant and coiled at the base of the
spine, is aroused. As the kundalini energy gets opened, its ascent begins up
the spinal pranic channel or Sushumna, the third major nadi, described in
the yogic texts. As it rises, it pierces the chakras or energy centres, each of
which represent a different loka or plane of awareness. When the kundalini
finally blows through the seventh chakra or Sahasrara, the consciousness
transcends space and time, and the sense of individuality dissolves.
This type of peak experience cannot be attained simply by engaging in
physical activities, and it goes far beyond the question of freeing the body
from physical tension. Although people do get high at times performing
exercises such as jogging—and this might be due to a certain ‘kundalini
rush’—it is still tied to the pleasure centres of the lower chakras. It does
not nearly approach the transcendental experience that deep meditation
can provide. The more that yoga and pranayama are practised, the more
purified the subtle nerve channels become and the deeper the meditative
states attained.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on
this article. Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net
61Special Feature
Yoga special.indd 61 19/05/18 11:38 AM
Recommended