Breath Purifies The Mind-2 Prana And Mind

Patanjali is teaching us.

You see that knowledge,

Knowledge of the real self,

Discernment,

And once there is a knowledge plus discernment,

What happens?

The mind takes the world lightly,

So lightly that it does not seek any happiness from outside.

So that mind blossoms into meditative state.

So you see that we a couple of weeks we have been understanding,

You will recall Om meditation.

So Om is a designator of the real self.

That is only,

That is the fact.

We say Om is the greatest mantra and then we forget ourselves,

We start repeating it and then then there is no end to our suffering.

So if we look back,

He says Om meditation Tajapat Tadaartha Bhavanam Om plus meaning.

When I say Stephen I don't mean Brandy.

So the same way when I say Om,

Om should take my mind inside.

That is the key of this sutra that we have studied.

Then there is another we discussed about the nine obstacles and all the nine obstacles belong to this mind.

Whose mind?

Your mind.

That's why you are suffering.

That's why we are suffering.

So we have to maintain our awareness if the mind changes its direction we have to bring it back.

But what master is saying that if we practice Om meditation with the meaning,

I am stressing on that.

That is what we have done.

So what happens then he comes to the next sutra.

Patanjali has been very kind.

I have told you that all masters are so kind and humble.

You do not get any result from this practice.

Come on I'll give you next practice.

They can,

Masters cannot be defeated.

They gave you 1,

000 practices.

Question is are you a seeker?

Do you want to continue?

If you want to continue it will help.

So then the master says did you understand Om with the meaning?

Yes I understand.

So he says this will help you to move the mind within and it will remove all the obstacles in the next sutra.

Now the next sutra then he explains the nine obstacles and he explains the four symptoms.

Do you remember?

Dukkha dharman is you know I experienced pain,

I have lot of pain,

Lot of restlessness.

It all comes from the nine obstacles.

So then he comes to he says okay no no but what should I do?

You know people have complained that no I do the practice one hour I feel very calm and relaxed but once I enter into my professional and personal life I have lot of problems.

So we have covered four attitude in the mind should be settled.

Living your personal,

Professional,

Social life with an experience of the state of cheerfulness,

Friendliness,

Compassion,

Joy and equanimity should be settled in the mind.

Yesterday I was talking,

Brandy was there.

I said this sutra does not mean that you want to be a spiritual.

How do you excel your personal,

Professional,

Social,

Family life?

It helps you.

It helps you to evolve.

So then so you say no I how can I do it?

You know it seems difficult.

You see what people do them is what we mistake people to.

Now my honey is crazy how can I be cheerful?

See it means I'm not a seeker.

I'm not a seeker.

This is none of the business of honey.

It is my own mind.

It is my own mind has to work.

That is the greatest challenge non seeker face in day-to-day life.

You see that is why every master says are you a seeker?

You will succeed.

Seeker alone succeeds.

I've been stressing.

So seeker means what?

I must get the knowledge first.

Knowledge first.

You buy an iPhone you have a manual with it and suppose the iPhone sends a manual of a phrase in your iPhone.

What will happen?

So these are manuals,

Teachings so I must acquire the knowledge then I should separate the knowledge of the real self from the knowledge of the not self.

That is what I started talking that I can give that example of a brandy.

If brandy contains happiness then there will be a long queue in front long line in front of brandy's house.

Give me little,

Give me little,

Give me little.

We do not mind does not want to understand it.

So now the master is coming he says you did not understand the knowledge correctly.

You want to do something to achieve happiness.

So that is the next sutra that is the subject of breathing practices.

So he say Prachad Dhan with Arana Bhangva Pranasya.

Do you know your life?

Yes I know the life breath,

Life force.

Do you breathe?

Yes.

Are you ready to alter the rate and the rhythm of the breath?

Yes I am ready.

Are you a seeker?

Master is asking yes.

So seeker means you have to follow.

If I say you to breathe for nine minutes you have to breathe for nine minutes.

No complaint in between.

No we are not doing nine minutes today.

You my friends you change your breath rate even five or six breath it triggers the brain.

That is a fact and when it triggers the brain it leads to variety of experiences.

As a seeker I withstand those changes.

Why?

To bring about a change in the mind.

How is your life?

Life means with the life breath.

Oh I am pulling on as if you are pulling on your life.

As if you are pulling on your breath.

You see it comes from the mind.

So ultimately the knowledge has to be there.

So now understand about this why we do alter the breath rate in order to achieve success in meditation.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika Hatha Yoga text says,

Chale Vate Chalam Chittam Nes Chalae Nes Chalam Bhave Tiyogi Tarnuktama Apanoti Tato Vayuniro.

The moment you alter the rate and the rhythm of the breath depending on the level of ignorance you have.

Some people within a minute you can reach to that state.

Other people may need five minutes,

Ten minutes,

Maybe an hour.

So it means when I am a seeker I understand this part.

So what this master is saying if the mind is scattered outside in millions of directions that is what we see and say that mind is one ring.

If you alter the rate and the rhythm of the breath that scattered mind is gathered inside.

Patanjali says by the regular practice of the breathing we get a remarkable focus of the mind first.

At the same time during that period of focus because the mind is naturally focused inside you remove the ignorance in the mind.

The benefit of Patanjali is that Prakasha Varanam it removes the veil of ignorance.

So it means all practices of Pranayama gives you a temporary state of focus and the withdrawal.

During that period if you do not take your mind much deeper you will not succeed into meditation.

Normally we say no I did the breathing practice it helps me.

Yes no doubt it helps you but but what but you remain the Henry.

Have you heard the poem of Henry?

Yeah I'm Henry the Earth I am.

Now you remember.

So it becomes habitual.

Henry the Earth I am.

I got married to the widow next door next door you see something.

She has been married seven times before and everyone was Henry.

She wouldn't have been a Willy nor a Sam.

I am her eighth old man named Henry.

Why I said so?

You have to do the practice of breathing but let the time come when the mind settles deeper into meditation leave the breathing because I cannot breathe 24 by 7.

Do you see that?

So once we understand that part,

Yes another is also very important.

You all are seekers so let us understand that part.

First thing about the prana where there is a change movement there is prana.

Is earth moving?

Prana is there.

Sun is moving?

Prana is there.

Galaxy moving?

Prana is there.

Body is moving?

Prana is there.

Your home is moving?

Yes or no?

Home is changing after all.

You leave the home for hundred years it falls down.

So we don't see that subtle change but it is changing.

Body is changing?

Yes.

Mind is changing?

Yes.

Intellect is changing?

Yes.

Ego is changing?

Yes.

Every cell is changing?

Yes.

There is prana.

First thing to understand.

How do you say that this table has a prana?

So then we explain through the process of evolution.

Those who have studied medical science they understand what do we mean by cell?

Cell comes from a unit of protoplasm and what is protoplasm?

It is an organization of matter in different permutation and combination.

That is protoplasm and one unit of protoplasm is cell.

So it means that life force was present in that matter until it became protoplasm in the cell it manifested there.

Only the process of manifestation took place that is why we say I am a living being and there is a matter non-living being.

So it means prana is present everywhere.

Now comes from the blade of a grass to an elephant.

I was talking earlier that this life force unconsciously acts on every living being.

How?

Look at your pet dog.

Hunger.

It is the work of the prana.

Now question is how different we are from the human from these animals?

There comes the right knowledge.

Can I regulate the prana?

Answer is yes.

Can the dog regulate the prana?

Answer is no.

I saw some of the some of the on the Google dog yoga.

Dog yoga.

Okay first let us practice yoga for us and then we will go to the dog.

So understand we can alter this prana to influence the mind the dog cannot do that is why they remain dog throughout the life.

Do I want to remain Henry the earth?

That is why I am going.

Well if I want to remain Henry the earth it's okay I don't want to change.

So any change it's there is the one master no over Shiva Lord Shiva who is the originator of yoga and the Tantra who devoted entirely on the prana and he talked to his honey his wife because his wife asked what you know you guide us in a very simple way you give us a very small tips so that every human being can enter into the peace and happiness.

So Shiva started guiding there are 100 or 150 verses and that is one book.

How you can alter the rate and the rhythm of the birth when you are going to meet honey so that the honey should respond to you in peace with what kind of a breathing you should enter into the office your workplace to get prosperity a lot of other stuff but the entire focus is that how to alter the breath in order to bring the mind to the state of meditation.

That is the main focus because people you know do not sometimes this non seekers do not understand you know what should I do I have lot of problems and you are saying that I should do meditation so you are a non seeker.

See that.

So in that context Patanjali says that if you alter the rate and the rhythm of the breath then it can bring a change in your life you do not repeat that I am the I am the Henry the Ayers.

That simply means I follow the same habitual routine in my life.

The oldest book known as Rig Veda after that there is a book of Thar Veda that says Pranu Virata Pranu Dastri Pranam Sarvabha Upasati Pranu Susriya Chandrama.

Prana is a nectar.

Pranu Virata Pranu.

Prana is all pervading.

Oldest book almost you know five thousand years old.

So you see they give you a deeper insight there is a change in the fingers so Prana is there.

Movement of my eyes Prana is there.

Can you become aware of this movement of the Prana?

Mind is already there the self-conscious being I can regulate the Prana.

You have an anger start breathing deep silent and slow at the same time.

Don't start preaching others oh in anger you know you have to breathe deeply but your anger comes you forget it.

Prana Virata Pranu Dastri Prana Sarvabha Upasati that is why Prana is worshipped.

So here it says Prana is worshipped means my mind should regulate the Prana in order to succeed in mindfulness or meditation to discover my real nature.

My real nature that is what the master is saying.

I stress again you remember.

I have a body sometime I feel heavy now I said no first thing to do is start breathing deep silent and slow.

My goal is to bring the rate of the breath per minute by two or three breath.

Once you reach to the two and three breath the heaviness goes away the pain in the head goes but one has to be mindful to do it.

We start looking for the pills.

A headache so the pill.

So two things again remember we are going to practice breathing this time alternate breathing.

What is alternate breathing?

So I close my right nostril first and through the left I fill the air into the belly into the ribs.

Totally empty with a tremendous force.

If I can do I am the oldest guy among you if I can do that you can definitely do it.

So it is possible but keep your focus inside the forehead so what is going to happen the mind will continue to live in so what we are doing the alternate breathing we will do one minute from the left nostril one minute from the right nostril and one minute from both the nostril.

Do you remember what did I say you have to inhale into the belly and the ribs.

Total breathing.

Total force.

So you have to empty the breath you have to fill you have to empty the lungs means you have to empty the just a pointer why I say you have to fill the air into your belly air does not go into the belly it simply means you have to inhale so that the belly expense goes out.

Sometimes scientists say what the heck you are speaking can we breathe into the belly these are symbolism.

We need not to argue with them so breathing into the chest means I expand the ribs.

Can we do three rounds one minute each?

During these three rounds you have to check if the mind goes back to the nine obstacles so this is too much so let me start doing it slowly only after all I have to listen to this beer guy it will not work.

He does not understand my problem.

It is not the case you do not understand.

So when we do the pranayama it is an active active practice so active practice means you have to continue with a long deep in the hissing breath long deep in the hissing one word of caution.

What is that caution?

Where is that caution?

Nothing happens.

So what is the word of caution?

If you do not focus inside the forehead during the breathing for example unconsciously if the focus goes to your eyes the prana will affect your eyes.

You may start oh what happened to my heart nothing happens to your heart.

Sometime you may feel the vibes inside your arm it means that you have changed your focus.

So keep your focus there and let us start practicing our today's meditation.

So it is better to keep these practices away so yes now close your eyes bring your right in the middle two finger touches the left nostril and the thumb touching the right nostril.

Can we start with the left?

Yes that is better so close your right nostril with the right hand thumb gentle pressure don't twist your nostrils and then start breathing long deep in the hissing through the left nostril.

Good continue continue long deep in the hissing breath long deep in the hissing breath focus inside the forehead continues the body remains straight and steady long deep in the hissing breath Continue only a minute each time.

Now close your left nostril with both the fingers start breathing long deep in hissing through the right nostril only a minute long deep in the hissing belly in the chest expand and contract means it is a long breath that you fill into the very symbolically into the lower lobes of the lungs into the rib cage continue long deep in the hissing no stopping in between focus you remember the focus you all are secret so I have no nothing to worry.

Moment the focus changes to any other part of the body the impact will be felt there that is very important to know so we live with that awareness and attention to do the practice now bring the hand down with both the nostrils together long deep in the hissing focus remains deep inside the forehead Continue long deep in the hissing breath long deep in the hissing breath and stop it do nothing pay attention at the tip of the nose check first thing to check you might have experienced that you have a little blockage on one nostril and there is a total freedom of breathing from the other nostril that imbalance has to go means by doing the three rounds normally three minutes each time but we are doing only one minute each time but we keep the focus inside our forehead so within three rounds we will find that both the nostrils are totally open and they have a free flow equal flow means what the mind is already inside see the very very logical understanding that is why we have to do these breathing practices to make the mind enter into the within so close your right nostril again and start the second round with the left nostril long deep in the hissing breath I'm doing couple of times so that you can hear the sound and you can you know then you know that oh this is the way I have to do it a tremendous force you use no stopping in between you remember nine obstacles four symptoms close your left nostril and start with the right long deep in the hissing remember the focus continues the body remains steady there seems to be a total expansion of body in the ribcage if during inhalation and exhalation a total contraction you long deep in the hissing breath leave this bring the hand down with both the nostrils it is a bit challenge with both the nostrils why because the mind is heavily programmed and heavily conditioned the mind says no I am breathing through both the nostrils so that is why we we do not succeed easily it takes time long deep in the hissing breath inhalation and exhalation so no worries keep your focus inside the forehead continue and leave this do nothing so first point of awareness at the tip of the nose to check the flow of it both the nostrils are equal even if it is not equal it's okay in the beginning then look at the head and the neck outside and inside recognize and accept the chances in terms of the sensation may be tingling you know when there is a tingling when we do this long deep in the hissing breath there is the oxygen concentration there's a sudden change in oxygen concentration that triggers the brain and gives you some kind of tingling and maybe the numbness in the body but if I'm doing it consciously there is no danger but still there is a disclaimer so the entire body move the mind from the top of the head to the toes let the time come when you're doing this breathing and you're moving the mind from the top of the head to the toes you will see the prana follows every cell of the body what is that how do you know that you have extreme tingling pleasing sensation maybe numbness you may feel as if there is a sense of bodylessness what does it mean the mind 100% prana 100% follows the mind then take the mind inside the prana also helps you to succeed in meditation one aspect there are many other aspect of it so we will be doing the third round close your right nostril and start deep long fast inhalation through the left nostril in the third round you start feeling there is a sense of freedom free flow that happens we are using both the mind and the breath continue long and deep you guys are in crazy and crazing me so turn around let us do it for one and a half minute each continue long deep in the hissing breath long deep in the racing breath continues tremendous force you apply with the breathing but focus remains deep inside the forehead you know close the left nostril and start reading from the right nostril long deep in the hissing breath continues long deep in the hissing breath continues