Skip to main content

Purpose of Hatha Yoga

John Kaldawi learned that the main aim of hatha yoga is to bring a balanced flow of prana in ida and pingala nadis.  The word hatha is comprised of two beeja mantras "ham", representing the sun or solar force, and "tham", representing the moon or lunar force.  To bring about a balance between these two forces, the body must first be purified by the shatkarmas.  The aim of hatha yoga is to balance these two flows so that neither the mental nor physical faculties and dominant.  During the twenty four hour period of the day, the flow of ida should predominate for about twelve hours and the flow of pingala for the other twelve hours.

Doing more research, John Kaldawi learned that when ida and pingala nadis are purified and balanced, and the mind is controlled, then sushumna, the most important nadi, begins to flow.  Sushumna must be flowing for success in meditation.  If pingala flows, the body will be restless; if ida flows, the mind will be overactive.  When sushumna flows, kundalini awakens and rises through the chakras.

John Kaldawi also learned that all activities at the physical level, ida and pingala correspond to the two aspects of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.  Pingala coincides with the sympathetic nervous system and ida with the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the stimulation and acceleration of activities concerned with the external environment and the deceleration of the organs which tend to utilize a lot of energy internally.  The sympathetic nerves speed up the heart, dilate the blood vessels, increase the respiration rate and intensify the efficiency of the eyes, ears and other sense organs.

The parasympathetic nerves directly oppose the sympathetic nerves for they reduce the heartbeat, constrict the blood vessels and slow respiration.  This results in introversion.  The flow of prana in ida and pingala is completely involuntary

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kundalini Shakti (Macrocosmic Energy)

John Kaldawi learned that in the Upanishads it is said, "A man may have ears, eyes, and all facilities and parts of the body, but unless he has mahaprana there is no consciousness."   Prana is both macrocosmic and microcosmic and is the substratum of all life.   Mahaprana (the great prana) is the cosmic, universal, all-encompassing energy out of which we draw substance through the breathing process.   The various pranas in the body, prana, aprana, samana, udana and vyana, are at once a part of this mahaprana and also separate from it. The cosmic manifestation of prana or mahaprana in the individual body is represented by Kundalini.   The entire cosmic experience from creation to dissolution is embedded within the folds of kundalini, hence it is known as atma shakti or universal energy.   In all living beings the divine consciousness is first converted into prana or energy and, as kundalini is reservoir for the magnanimous amount of prana, it is also known as prana
Post a Comment
Read more

Pranic currents and the breath

John Kaldawi learned that the pranic currents, ida, pingala and sushumna, operate alternately.  The current that is flowing at any particular time may be gauged by noting the flow of breath in the nostrils.  When the left nostril has a greater flow of air, then ida nadi is predominant.  When the flow is greater in the right nostril, then pingala is predominant.  If the flow is equal in both of the nostrils, then sushumna is predominant. Doing more research, John Kaldawi learned that when the right nostril (pingala) flows, there is more vital energy for physical work, digestion of food and so on.  The mind is extroverted and the body generates more heat.  When the left nostril (ida) is flowing, mental energy is dominant.  The mind is introverted and any kind of mental work may be undertaken. During sleep ida nadi flows.  If pingala flows at night, sleep will be restless and disturbed.  Likewise, if ida flows while taking food, the digestive process may be slow, causing indig
Post a Comment
Read more

History of Yoga - Part 2

John Kaldawi learned that in ancient times, yoga techniques were kept secret and were never written down or exposed to public view.  They were passed from teacher or guru to disciple by word of mouth.  In this way there was a clear understanding of their meaning and aim.  Through personal experience, realized yogis and sages were able to guide aspirants along the correct path, removing any confusion, misunderstanding and excessive intellectual contemplation. Sage Patanjali's treatise on raja yoga, the yoga Sutras, codified the first definitive, unified and comprehensive system of yoga.  Often called the eight-fold path, it is comprised of yama, self-restraints, niyama, self-observances, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, disassociation of consciousness from the outside environment, dharana, concentration, dyana, meditation and samadhi, identification with pure consciousness. Doing more research, John Kaldawi learned that in the 6th century BC, Lord Buddha's influence bro
Post a Comment
Read more