This past weekend over 20 students participated in a workshop on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In addition to learning the great wisdom contained in this yogic scripture, everyone also had the opportunity to learn and practice asanas as well as cleansing techniques, like neti and vaman. Pranayama, mudras, and bandhas, practices less commonly practiced in the U.S., were also discussed and practiced.

Above all, students walked away knowing more about the true purpose of Hatha Yoga, which is preparation for higher consciousness. While yoga is commonly thought to be a practice for the body, we wee reminded that  we are not merely seaking the freedom from diseaeses but the freedom from the bondage and the waverings of the mind.

The scripture proved to be full of information, and we will likely be studying it in even more depth during Sunday philosophy classes in the future. Stay tuned!

While prana certainly is the power behind creation and destruction, its real power is how it sustains our body. Without it, the body and mind cannot function. Therefore pranayama, often mistaken for merely breathing exercises, is actually a series of techniques developed to enhance the prana in our body which leads to greater vigor and vitality. Prana flows through our nadis, or energy channels, and it is through the use of breath that we are able to influence it.

Knowing this, it may be difficult to distinguish prana and aatma. The Prashna Upanishad clarifies the two when one disciple asks what is “prana and how it is related to aatma?” The Rishi replies, “Prana is same to the aatma as a shadow is to the body.” In other words, they are not the same but move together.

In the next article about Pranayama, we will discuss the nadis.

At its grossest manifestation, breathing involves the movement of muscles to transport air in and out of the body. Even at this level, the effects of how we breath extend to the heart and lungs. Beyond this, breathing occurs at the cellular level, as the functions of the nose, trachea, and lungs act together to transport oxygen from the air we breath in to our cells.

While breathing is an involuntary act, one in which we do not have to think to make happen, it can also be a voluntary act, with specific efforts affecting how we breath. As air enters the body, it eventually flows to the lunges and expands the chest. The diaphram is a muscle that divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Its resting position is like a dome shape, yet when we breath deeply, the dome flattens to create more room in the chest cavity, and thus pushes out the abdominal area. Breathing this way is often called “belly breathing” or “diaphramic breathing” and allows for a deeper, slower breath that brings more oxygen in our body.

In the next part of this series, we will discuss techniques for breath awareness. Please post and comments of questions below, and we’ll try to address it as we go along!