Prana – A Missing Link for Inner Life

Prana – A Missing Link for Inner Life

Notes from Babaji’s classes

We have all heard of pranayam, breathing exercises used in Yoga, whether in the popular hatha yoga or the complete and authentic Patanjala Yoga System. Breathing exercises calm the body, which calms the mind.  For ordinary practitioners, this is as far as it goes – a little stress reduction.  But pranayam (literally: control of prana) uses control of the breath to show the spiritual practitioner the presence of prana, or vital force, and that the mind can control it. The autonomic movement of the diaphragm can be controlled.  The energy needed to control it is directed by the mind. Even when it looks as though we are controlling the mind by calming the body via controlled breath, the fact remains that we willed it to happen. We concentrated our mind and two things were controlled: the form and movement of our thoughts (psychic prana) directed to and concentrated on controlling breath, and the movement (vital-force/physical prana) of the diaphragm affected thereby.  Those who become yogis and illumined beings, having learned this lesson, then proceed to control prana for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>