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David Frawley in “Yoga and Ayurveda” (p119) says
To bring about positive changes in body and mind we must understand the energy through which they work.
Prana is not only the basic life force but, according to Frawley, is the master form of all energies working at the levels of mind, life and body.
Pranamayakosha is the sphere of our vital life energies, mediating between body and mind, and consisting of our vital urges for survival, reproduction, movement and self expression. It includes an acquired, conditioned and limited ego sense, the source of the various fears, desires and attachments which cause us pain. We spend much of our time seeking enjoyment through the vital body. Those with a strong vital body are able to impress their personality on the world and are leaders and accomplishers in life. This sometimes makes spiritual life difficult because of ego strength, and, in my view, this is where pranayama is important; to manage this energy. Of course those with a weak vital body need pranayama to strengthen it and can encounter mental, emotional and spiritual difficulties if they follow the path of “no ego”. This, to my thinking can, without care, lead to various pathologies, involving a retreat from the life force rather than an expression of it as the Self.
I think one of the first things for me to say about Pranayama is that, although it is often translated as “extension or control of Prana, most of us can not be absolutely in control of our life force any more than we can absolutely control the physicality of our lives through asana.
John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, points out that we cannot wilfully kill ourselves by holding our breath. Therefore in my understanding, we are not trying to subjugate Prana to our individual will, but to manage the process in accordance with “best practice” to use modern business jargon.
I believe that Pranayama is more important than asana in the process of calming the waves of the mind- cittavrittinirodaha (Patanjali). The tone and rhythm of our vocal and body language reflects the inner true attitudes which are at the root of all our acts. By altering these expressions, we can gradually change the way in which we confront the world. This is the subtle body of Prana revealed. Pranayama is the way we develop our expression of the life force to reveal our true selves as manifestations of SHRI (= life affirmation), SATYA (= truth), and SVATANTRYA (= freedom enhancement). No amount of mere breathing exercises will give you the above qualities any more than stretching and strengthening by itself will turn you into a yogi or yogini
There are, of course, many health benefits to be attained through the breath practices of yoga. They affect lymph, blood, cell nutrition and organic massage etc. However, in my understanding, the main benefits are to do with the understanding and command of the affect system. By this I mean the processes by which interpretations of sensation from external and internal events are turned into emotions, and into drives to action. This is a continuous feedback loop, as these emotions and drives in turn influence perception and sensation. I have a feeling that, through Pranayama, we can become aware of the “conversations” going on at cellular levels in our bodies. Remember that the next skill, according to Patanjali is Pratyahara, a withdrawal of attention from sense data in order to emancipate the mind from disturbance. This assumes some awareness of, and conscious influence on, mental processes and their physiological effects.
FRAWLEY, DAVID “Yoga and Ayurveda”
PATANJALI “Yoga Sutras” various translations
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