Summary

Yoga is considered superior in all walks of life; even modern doctors acknowledge its power when medicine falls short.
‘Yogam’ is not merely physical postures (asanas) — it is the supreme state of well-being achieved through controlling one’s life force (Prana) and mind.
Ashtanga Yoga’s eight limbs (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) provide the systematic path to liberation (Moksha).
The mind has two parts: material (worldly knowledge) and immaterial (spiritual, identical with universal spirit). Yogam burns the material part through Yogagni.
Mind and Prana are directly linked — controlling breath controls the mind, like stilling air currents to calm a flickering flame.
Through normal breathing, approximately 86,400 inches of divine energy is lost per day due to expiration being longer than inspiration.
Pranayama reverses this process — lengthening inspiration and shortening expiration to conserve and generate divine energy.
Every disease is psycho-somatic; Yogam treats both the mental (psychic) and physical (somatic) aspects, unlike modern medicine which often addresses only the body.
Three main nadis (Ida/Moon/left, Pingala/Sun/right, Sushumna/center) govern energy flow; Pranayama balances and unites them.
Samadhi differs from death: in death, Prana exits through last expiration; in Samadhi, Prana remains inside, ascending through Sushumna to settle as Divine Light in the third ventricle — this is Moksha.

Key Concepts & Glossary

Term	Meaning
Yogam	Supreme state of well-being achieved by controlling Prana and mind; union of Jeevatma and Paramatma
Pranayama	Lengthening of inspiration (PRANA + AYAMA); the core practice of Yogam for energy conservation
Ashtanga Yoga	Eight-limbed path: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
Prana	Vital life force responsible for all bodily activities including respiration
Jeevatma	Individual soul, delusively separated from universal self due to lack of spiritual knowledge
Paramatma / Brahman	Universal spirit; the true nature of all individual selves
Yogagni	Spiritual fire generated during Pranayama that burns away the material part of the mind
Ida Nadi (Chandra Nadi)	Left-side subtle channel; parasympathetic; Acetylcholine; cooling energy
Pingala Nadi (Surya Nadi)	Right-side subtle channel; sympathetic; Adrenaline; heating energy
Sushumna	Central spinal canal; Prana flows here when Ida and Pingala are balanced through Pranayama
Hypothalamus / Bhrumadhyam	Brain center controlling autonomous nervous system; externally located between eyebrows
Samadhi	State where heart and lungs cease movement when body is fully saturated with divine Prana; life force remains inside
Moksha / Mukti	Liberation from bondage; the ultimate goal of Yogam
Brahmacharyam	Celibacy; conservation of vital energy for spiritual knowledge
Psycho-Somatic	Mind-body nature of disease; both must be treated for complete healing
Nadi Sodhana	External alternate nostril breathing; distinct from true internal Pranayama
OM (AUM)	Divine sound experienced during Pranayama practice
Sukshma Deham	Subtle body; the plane where nadis exist and can be felt by a Yogi