T H E S E R I E S
YOGItimes magazine for the modern yogi
The Beauty of life
by Mike Stokes
The first, sutra 2.49, can be translated as, "this (steady-easy posture) being established, one is ready for cultivating life energy by regulating the inhales and the exhales." What is meant by this sutra is that once one achieves a sufficient level of mastery over posture, one is now ready to begin mastering the subtler energies of life through regulating the breath.
The second, sutra 2.50 can be translated as, "the movement of the life breath is exhalation, inhalation and suspension, and they are to be mastered in space, time and number. They are either long or short." This sutra gives us the basic guidelines of how to go about regulating the breath. What is meant by "space" is the attention paid to the breath. "Time" refers to the duration of the inhale, exhale, or suspension. And "number" refers to how many times we do it. As with all yoga, it is important to work with a qualified instructor. Pranayama is a very powerful practice. Taken on prematurely or without proper care can result in serious damage or, according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, can even result in death.
The next sutra related to pranayama, sutra 2.51, can be translated as, "the fourth type of pranayama is beyond inhalation and exhalation." This is the state one achieves when the mind becomes very still. This creates a simultaneous stillness in the breath. Automatically, the breath may even stop completely when the still mind occurs. This pranayama usually comes after one has been practicing and is sitting in total stillness for some time.
The following sutra, sutra 2.52 can be translated as, "then that which clouds the clarity of perception is destroyed." This and the following sutra refer to the benefits of pranayama practice. When one begins to master the inhale, exhale and the suspension of the breath, one starts to see how one is constantly reacting unconsciously.
The mind is inextricably and unconsciously linked to the breath. When we get excited, our breath speeds up. When we relax, our breath slows down. By mastering the flow of the breath in all its various stages, one starts to master the unknown parts of the self. There is a constant cycle of unseen reactions of the breath to thoughts and to sensory stimuli. In the practice of pranayama, we begin to consciously direct the duration, quality and quantity of breaths. This directly interrupts the unconscious relationship between the mind and the breath. As we begin to gain mastery and awareness over the flow of the breath, we naturally start to become aware and master the reactions that arise in the mind. As this occurs, the practitioner begins to see that much of what he has been perceiving is not really the way things are but rather just the way he has been perceiving things. And that this perception is a function, not of what is outside of him, but a function of the state of his own mind. The practitioner then starts to see himself not as a fixed identity but as a fluid state of perceptions that can be transformed through yogic discipline, revealing new views of life. In this way, pranayama begins to destroy the unconscious reactions (samskaras) inherent in human nature. The reactiveness and unconsciousness of the human condition is the source of all illusion and suffering. As these reactions are mastered, the doors of perception are cleansed.
The last sutra pertaining to pranayama, Sutra 2.53, can be translated as, "And the mind is now fit for concentration." The nature of human attention is to continually move from thought to thought, to external stimuli, to internal stimuli, to thought, etc. All of this movement is reflected by subtle or sometimes dramatic changes in the breath. When one masters the flow of the breath for an extended period of time, the flow of the mind is automatically mastered. Powerful focus is a natural outcome of this process, thus the practitioner becomes ready for deep meditation and concentration.
By mastering the flow of the breath, one begins to move beyond the illusions generated by the unconscious thought-breath relationship. This practice of pranayama liberates us from the suffering that comes out of these unconscious reactions/samskaras. When the practitioner cleanses herself of a samskara at the level of prana, she is set free on a deep level. Life opens and with cleansed eyes she sees and feels a new beauty in the world beyond all her dreams and expectations.
NEXT MONTH: PRATYAHARA- FULLFILLMENT. BEYOND GRATIFICATION