Every student of science knows that oxygen is essential for the maintenance of life on this earth. Infact its presence is more crucial for the survival of the human body as compared to the availability of water and food. Oxygen regulates the redness (healthy content of hemoglobin) in the blood. It is the fuel of this gas, which keeps the engine of the body warm enough and energizes all components of the body-machine. Its regular and substantial supply is vital for the maintenance and activation of physical strength.
The word prana refers to the sublime form of vital energy, which at the gross level is manifested in the power regulating the physicochemical functions of the body. The extent of one's Prana is reflected in his zeal, alertness, enthusiasm and talents. The physical exercise of jogging, brisk walking, deep breathing etc are performed to increase the intake of oxygen. The yoga-exercise of pranayama are preformed to gain more Prana - the source and power of the vital force and consciousness.
A variety of Pranayamas are described in the scriptures on yoga. Of which the suryavedhana and anuloma-viloma are regarded as integral parts of the Prana yoga of the Sadhanas of Brahma Varchas. The physical exercises energize the components of the gross body and pranayamas help increase the internal power and the eminence of personality. Pranayama is essentially an exercise to upkeep the health of the subtle body.
The gross component (oxygen in this case) of prana is supplied to the body by physical exercises and the subtle component is extracted (from the omnipresent ocean of consciousness) for the subtle body by the pranayamas. Like the gross and subtle bodies, the casual body of an individual also needs some vital energy or prana - this is the culmination of the force of spiritually refined prana, the sublime current of cosmic, divine energy, called the Mahaprana. The Mahaprana required by the casual body of the soul, emanates from the Brahm (Cosmic Prana). This eternal Prana is received by the practice of Hansa Yoga. The Sadhana (spiritual exercise) of this yoga is also called the Soaham Sadhana, which with reference to the science of Gayatri Upasana is defined as the ajapa japa of Gayatri.
In this Sadhana of Hansa yoga, the devotee has to link his mind with the cosmic level of consciousness - the Supreme Consciousness. He has to awaken the inner feelings in order to realize his existence as a soul - above the level of the body and the mind. The vital energy, the prana and the divine 'magnetism' (power of attraction) of the inner self, all are applied with focused concentration, zeal and immense Sraddha towards the conditioning of the body, mind and the innermost emotional center to reach this state. Once this state is attained, even the usual action of breathing becomes so powerful that it can attract the mahaprana from the cosmic domains and send it to the deeper layers of the inner self. Along with the inhalation of oxygen by the physical body and prana by the mind, a subtle absorption of the divine energy by the casual body also takes place during this process. The spiritual endeavor of this unique kind of pranayama is - the soaham sadhana
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