Pranic Therapy – Part 6: Prana Energy, Cause of Disease, Meditation, & the Balance of Yin and Yang
By G. Kumar
Integral Life & the Universal Stream of Consciousness, Prana
Never in the integral view developed in ancient India was life regarded as restricted to certain cellular activities. Rather, life is a Universal stream of Consciousness known as Prana in the Upanishads and Consciousness-Force (Chit Shakti) in the Tantras. Each living being represents a centre around which Prana moves at different levels known as sheaths (koshas). At the core of this multistoried personality structure is the locus of the Self, known as the Atman.The Upanishads state that just as the spokes of a wheel are fixed at the hub, so also Prana and all psycho-physical structures are fixed in the Self. The Self (Atman) is the Master Controller of Life that Western science is seeking. The Vijnanamaya Kosha (Intellectual Sheath) and the Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Sheath) are the sheaths where the light of the Self is experienced.
The unattached Self, exercises its power through the Will (known as Dhrti), which in Yogic psychology is regarded as the dynamic aspect of intelligence. With the help of the pure Will, a Yogi is able to keep all his sense organs, all activities and mind under control, says the Geetha. Acquisition of this pure will is the result of a Spiritual Awakening. This Awakening, which takes place only through prolonged and intense spiritual struggles, opens the divine door in the heart. This gives the yogi access to all kosas or the five sheaths. He gains the capacity to open each kosa to the stream of the Cosmic Prana. The stream of universal life flushes out impurities and diseases from the personality system and brings in new vigour and strength.
The world is overcome, aye even here, By such that fix their faith on Unity The sinless Brahma (Absolute) dwells in Unity, And they in Brahma (Absolute)!
–The Song Celestial
The Cause of all Disease – “Fault of Awareness”
Intense striving alone can pave the way for this kind of yogic self-mastery. But an inner alertness and some degree of general supervision over all his activites such as eating, sleeping, exercise, response to stressful situations, etc., can be attained by anyone. It is failure of this inner watchfulness, known as Prajnaparadha or “Fault of Awareness”, caused by ignorance and negligence that makes a person yield to evil thoughts and deeds that is the root cause of all diseases.
Of the triune attributes of Nature – Rajas, Thamas and Satwa (humanity, bestiality, divinity), both Rajas (humanity) and Thamas (bestiality) are pathogenic. Satwa is non-pathogenic meaning that living in rhythm with Nature can save us from diseases.
Charaka Samhita, an authentic treaitse on Ayurveda states “The disturbance of the three humours are caused by Prajnapara- dha, produced by the distortion of the intellect, will and memory “. Some of the aetiological factors are carelessness, lack of alertness, forgetfulness and misuse of will power.The root cause of most of the psychosomatic or constitutional disorders is Prajnaparadha, the misuse of our cognitive and conative faculties. It is our unconscious way of living, not in conformity with natural law, that is the primary cause of illness.
Health can be restored by changing our way of living to a Self- directed style. Hyperacidity, rheumatism, irritable bowel syndrome and similar disorders are the body’s alarm signals We can bring about integration of the personality if we extend our Consciousness into the interior parts of the body and bring these neglected areas closer to the light of the Self. This integration fortifies our immune system and restores the coordination, rhythm and balance in the working of the different organs. This kind of extension of Consciousness can be done in different ways.
Extension of Consciousness by Meditation
The inner awareness which is the result of absorption in Meditation can be extended into the affected part of the body through concentrative visualization. If these meditative techniques are practised for some days, the process of self- renewal and self-defence gets accelerated and healing takes place automatically.
The Triune Meditation – (Physical, Verbal and Mental)
- Reverence for preceptors, continence, nonviolence – these constitute Physical Meditation.
- Speaking kind words, adherence to Truth, Self-study – these constitute Verbal Meditation.
- Cheerfulness, humility, silence, purity of heart – these constitute Mental Meditation
Maintaining Yin-Yang balance
Everything in Life has opposites, Yin-Yang. (Yin is expansion and Yang is contraction). The most common yin-yang imbalance is stress arousal. Stress arousal increases the adrenaline and cortisol levels which inhibits the immune system. Stress is misplaced effort and takes away the energy required for healing.
Ultradian healing response is the second major yin-yang balance. Every one and a half to 2 hours, our mind-body goes through a period of daydream or slowing called the ‘Ultradian healing response’. We are neglecting our healing cycle if we artificially keep perked up with coffee, cigarettes, alcoholism or workaholism. Daydreaming, meditation and quiet time allows us to take advantage of this Ultradian healing cycle.
The foundation of Life – The Superconscient
Modern Psychology and Psychoanalysis deals with the Subconscious and Unconscious. Aurobindo averred that the Superconscient and not the Subconscient is the foundation of life. The Fourfold Yoga is the science of the Superconscious Mind. The mind via meditation opens up to the Superconscient and healing takes up automatically.
Jung spiritualised Psycho-Analysis and was not an atheist like Freud. Modern psychology is an infant science, rash, fumbling and crude. In it the universal habit of the human mind, to highlight a half-truth and generalise it unduly, runs riot here. Freudian psychoanalysis is half-knowledge and half-knowledge is dangerous & can be an impediment in the realisation of Absolute Truth. Neither the Subconscious (which modern psychology highlights) – nor the Unconscious (which Psychoanalysis highlights) are the important elements. The Superconscious, and not the subconscious (or the Unconscious) is the foundation of Life. The science of the Superconscient is Yoga (whose Western equivalent is Free Masonry.) The Superconscient is our evolutionary future as the subconscient was our evolutionary past.
