Yogam

Lesson 14 YOGAM

Yogam means union. ‘yanjate anena iti yogaha’ The act that is performed to attain a goal. Yogashikhopanishat –12 yogam is the union of dualities that exist within us, ie; prana and apana, rajas and retas, surya and chandra nadis, jeevatma and paramatma. The union of dualities is called yogam.

Jnanam: Yogam is union so it is a kriya or act. Jnanam is the experience one attains after the union. So these two words are used interchangeably.
Dhyanam: without dhyana there is no jnana, without yogam dhyana is not possible. So the one who has dhyanam, jnanam with yogam is crossing this ocean of samsara. Also called Dhyana yoga B.G 2-39 the yoga karma that is different from all others, helps one to go inward and give jnana is called Buddhi yoga, karma yoga and jnana yoga.

What is yogam? Union of prana and apana is yogam. The prana sakti that takes respirations upward and the apana shakti that pushes respirations down are opposite forces. Yogashikhopanishat 12 by merging downward moving apana into upward moving prana an important prana is created. It is called ‘shiva’ or chidatma. The state is called ‘yogaruddha samadhi’.

If prana merges with apana and slipping downward it is called death.
We think this is natural., but a yogi can become immortal by controlling these pranas. For a normal person at the time of death jiva flies away with subtle prana and apanas like a bird with wings into a new body. Yogam cuts the wings of this bird, thereby annihilating the cycle of births and deaths.
Union of Rajas and retas: Both men and women have them. To unite ones own rajas and retas is called yogam. The union of man and woman creates a pinda, it becomes the cause of a baby. Only with yoga sadhana, a yogi can merge their own shukla and shonitam. This is called urdhva pinda or rasamani, the cause of laya. So this is called laya yoga.

Union of ida and pingala: we have surya nadi called pingala on the right side of spinal cord ‘vennupamu’ and chandra nadi called ida on the left side. The main station of both these nadis is the center of the brain between eyebrows at hypothalamus and pituitary gland. To take complete control of prana and apana is yogam. With the help of yogam, one can control 5 pranas, 10 indriyas, mind and body, then he himself becomes Iswara. Union of jivatma and paramatma: jivatma is limited and paramatma is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. Paramatma is in all being in a subtle form.

A yogi merges his purified mind with the paramatma, burning the material world with yogagni created by churning prana. So the union of prana and apana, ones own rajas and retas, surya and chandra nadis, jivatma and paramatma, all indicate the same pranayama form of yoga kriya. Misleading conceptions: Puraka, is to fill lungs with outside air, the correct practice is to move prana upwards taking less outside air with friction making the true sound of omkara. The heat created with the friction is called yogagni.

Nadi shuddhi is doing different kinds of pranayama like bhastika etc., they are all good for bahya nadi shodhana, but the internal nadi shuddhi that purifies the 72,000 nadis is only known to yogis that do internal pranayama. Yoga is physical stretches and exercises, that is for people who just do for health benefits.

For sadhakas who desire selfrealization along with health, perform internal pranayama and observe the following. According to Uttara Gita 1-9 a yogi with the aid of pranayama becomes swarupa of Brahma having satisfied all his physical desires.