What is Siddha-Yogam?
This Yogam is otherwise called as union between the
individual soul (Jeevatma) and the Universal spirit (Paramatma). Due
to lack of practical spiritual knowledge, the individual self is
delusively separated from the universal self. Spiritual knowledge
and material worldly knowledge are quite distinct and opposite to
each other.
Knowledge is evolved out of mind only. But the mind is both matter
and immater too. Material part is always nourished by material food
and this part gives rise to bodily and worldly sense and knowledge.
The other immater or spiritual part is a homogenous (uniform
throughout) substance of the universal spirit. If you remove or burn
the material part of mind, the individual finite sense of body and
world will vanish and realise practically that the individual is
nothing but the universal paramatma or Brahman, as he is remained
with spiritual part alone.
Yogam will burn out the material part of the mind by Yogagni that is
evolved during pranayama. It is a unique exercise dealing with vital
force (life energy) or Prana which is responsible for all vital
activities of the body including respirations. The mind is
oscillating or flickering with innumerable no of thoughts due to
movement of the vital force (Prana) in the form of respirations.
One should understand that there is a direct relationship between
mind and vital force. The respirations will be more speedy and
irregular when the mind is wavering and they will be quiet slow and
deep when the mind is happy. If you can regulate and make the
respirations slow, your mind can also be made slower and happier.
Mind is like a flame flickering due to air currents. We have nothing
to do with the flame but with the air currents.
Our respirations are air currents always disturbing the calm and
quiet mind. When it is still, it is full of divine light, divine
energy, divine knowledge and divine happiness. All these four divine
qualities of mind are being gradually minimised due to its
vibrations provoked by downward respirations. So concentration of
mind is otherwise called still mind, which can be got at by
controlling of respirations.
The word ‘YOGA’ is currently used for Yogasanas alone which are
various postural exercises, also designed by ancient rishis. Here
the word Yoga is meant for ‘Yogam’, a supreme state of well being,
which can only be achieved by controlling of one’s own life force
(vital force) and mind. These two spiritual forces can be got at one
point in the brain by steady and continuous practice of Pranayama,
taught by a learned spiritual master (Guru) following other seven
principles of Ashtanga Yoga - yama, niyama, asana, pranayama,
prathyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. The Ashtanga Yoga is the
main principle effort to achieve the spiritual practical knowledge
which in turn leads to Moksha (Liberation).
How to control the respirations? How are they at present?
In every living being, there are two phases of respirations i.e.
Inspiration and Expiration. Inspiration is in drawing of external
air into the lungs and also elevating the chest cage upwards.
Expiration is expelling the air from the lungs to outside along with
downward movement of the thoracic cage. Inspiration is more active
process and we have to make some effort to draw the air. Expiration
is more passive process and does not require much effort to expel
the air. This is common to all the living beings and we conclude
that they are natural. If you observe with common sense, these two
inspiration and expirations are quiet distinct and separate during
wakeful state, dreamful state and deep sleep in their length, time
and number per minute. Expiration is more predominant than
inspiration during these three states and it will be much more
predominant when you go from wakeful to deep sleeper state and
knowledge also impairs (lessens) proportionately from wakeful to
deep sleep.
Normally the respirations will be 15 per minute (12 – 18) in a so
called healthy individual.
During inspiration, we draw air from 8 inches (20 cms)
During Expiration we expel air up to 12 inches (30 cms)
In every respiratory cycle, there is 4 inches difference. That
means, we are loosing more energy to expel air up to 4 inches during
expiration or otherwise we are consuming more energy to in draw air
up to 4 inches during inspiration.
Likewise per minute 15x4=60 inches or
15x10=150 [centimeters]
Per hour 60x15x4=900x4 = 3600 inches
Per day 24x60x15x4=24x900x4 = 86400 inches
This amount of energy, which we are loosing, is not mere calories of
heat evolved from food, but, this is divine energy, divine
knowledge, divine light, and divine happiness
Mere food cannot compensate to recoup the [four] qualities of divine
power.
During sleep including dream the expiration will be up to 24 inches
from the tip of the nose. And during inspiration, it is from much
less than 8 inches. During sexual conjugation, the expiration may go
up to 72 inches. It indicates energy loss is more during sexual
conjugation. This is the reason why, to get SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE we
have to observe celibacy [BRAHMACHARYAM]. If it is not possible, at
least reduce the number of sexual meets. Senility [becoming old]
will approach us very rapidly due to loss vital energy but doctors
wont give much importance to this loss of semen and believe that
semen [suklam] is one of the secretions.
During childhood, we will be more active. Brain accuracy,
remembering capacity also will be much higher. As days pass on,
these qualities of knowledge will be reduced due to continuous loss
of divine power through expirations. Even though it is happening in
every individual no body could understand this reason for this
change. The reason behind is continuous loss of Divine knowledge.
This can be understood by practical demonstration. The energy loss
can be controlled or more energy can be generated by reversing the
respiratory process i.e. by increasing the inspiration and reducing
expiration. Increasing inspiratory phase is called AYAMA
[LENGTHENING OF INSPIRATION]. PRANA+AYAMA is PRANAYAMA. Increase of
inspiration is called PRANAYAMA. During this process, the breath is
caught hold off voluntarily Churn the life force by upward and
downward movement of respirations. HEAT is generated, but it is not
allowed to exhaust outside because inspiration is becoming lengthier
than expiration. This is just reverse to the normal respiration.
When there is respiratory reserve energy, the cardiac reserve
[Heart] energy also will be there in proportionate to the
respiratory reserve. The heart will be strengthened and the cardiac
output will be more. As the circulatory process is becoming speedy
and much easier, all other vital organs including liver, kidneys,
brain and intestines the hormonal glands will function perfectly
well. The vitality of each and every individual cell will be
magnified and perfect.
Every Disease is PSYCHO-SOMATIC. PSYCHO means MIND and SOMA means
BODY. We are trying to treat the bodily part of the disease leaving
alone the psychic part. Unless, we treat these two aspects the
disease, we cannot completely eradicate it. Disease is occurring due
to sluggish blood circulation to that part of the body. Slow blood
circulation results in accumulation of secretions and phlegm which
are responsible for infections and chronic non communicable diseases
like DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE PARALYSIS, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, loss
of MEMORY, ARTHRITIS and so on…
In our body there are two types of nervous systems.1 ONE is Central
nervous system which is voluntary part is under control of the mind
2 the other is Autonomous nervous system which is involuntary is not
under the control of the mind. The autonomous nervous system is
again divided into SYMPATHETIC and PARA SYMPATHETIC parts. In YOGIC
anatomy, the sympathetic is PINGALA NADI or SURYA NADI which is on
the right side of the spinal column and it evolves heat by secreting
Adrenaline and NOR ADRENALINE. The parasympathetic is IDA NADI or
CHANDRA NADI, which is on left side of the spinal cord and through
this nadi, Acetylcholine secretes which keeps the body cold. The
autonomous nervous system has got it’s controlling center at the
HYPOTHALAMUS the brain, which is above the pituitary gland and below
the Thalamus It can be externally located at the center and in
between the eye-brows.
The blood circulation to the brain and the body will never be
uniform. It is under influence of the autonomous nervous system. The
imbalance between IDA and PINGALA NADIS is being expressed outside
by the air passage through nostrils.
When the sympathetic nervous system [Pingala] predominant, the right
side nostril will open, blocking the left nostril. It indicates the
left half of the brain [Left hemisphere] is getting more blood
supply when compared to right side. Nostrils will be opened [air
passes through] contra lateral [opposite side] to the blood supply
of the brain hemisphere.
When Ida nadi is predominant, just opposite things happens. These
two nadis will be quite distant and separate as per the vital energy
loss.
These two nadis will come closer and closer and equalize the
imbalance when the energy loss is recouped by Yogam [Pranayamam]
they will become one with SUSHUMNA [SPINAL CANAL] when the
inspiratory phase is dragged up to Hypothalamus. Death occurs, when
the vital energy [Prana] passes out through the last expiration is
“EXPIRED.”
When the vital Prana is dragged up by Pranayama, every minute nerve,
blood capillary will be quite clean and full of energy. The brain
and the body will be fully saturated with oxygen thereby resulting
SOUND HEALTH
i.e. SOUND BODY with SOUND MIND. Here oxygen is not the external
atmospheric oxygen. It is Divine Prana, which is responsible for
respirations. The heart and lungs function perfectly well according
to oxygen saturation, and their movement will cease, when the entire
body is fully saturated with oxygen. This is called Samadhi. Here
Samadhi is different from Death.
In Death, the life force [prana sakti] goes outside the body through
last expiration [EXPIRED] whereas in Samadhi, the life is there
inside the body with the last inspiration keeping the life force at
BHRUMADHYAM inwardly, drawing life through the central canal of the
spinal cord, floor of the fourth ventricle in medulla oblongata,
aqueduct of SYLVIOUS and finally settles in Third ventricle as
DIVINE LIGHT getting relieved of the body sense and world. This is
called SALVATION or MUKTI [devoid of bondage].
So a YOGI alone can get MOKSHA by doing PRANAYAMA [YOGAM], none else
can.
NOTE: IDA and PINGALA Nadis are subtle [micro] channels of vital
energy and they are channels of subtle body [sukshma deham]. They
can not be seen with the naked eye. A YOGI can practically feel
them.
PRANAYAMA is misunderstood and most of the people are practicing it
by closing the right and left nostrils with fingers alternatively
and drawing external air into the lungs through the opposite side of
the nostril. This is only an external NADI SODHANA but TRUE
PRANAYAMA is an inner process, without touching the nose with the
fingers. This is the churning of internal vital force making it
finer and finer and it becomes purified as DIVINE LIGHT. During
practice of Pranayama we get sound which is called as OM [AUM] and
we get heat which is YOGAGNI by which all the impurities will be
burnt resulting SOUND MIND in a SOUND BODY. So both the PSYCHIC and
SOMATIC parts of the disease are dealt with by YOGAM. Therefore a
Yogi alone can get perfect health and spiritual knowledge reaching
the goal i.e. SALVATION [MUKTI].