Vital Energies

Prana animates everything. It is a combination of PRA and NA "force" "in constant motion"

• exists in sentient beings as the energy that drives all actions
• exists in non sentient beings causing motion, growth & decay

Prana flows through "nadis"

• stored in chakras (energy vortices)
• maintained through the air we breathe, food we eat, actions we make thoughts we think

Pranayama

• inhalation "Pooruka"
• retention "kumbacka"
• exhalation "rechaka"

by directing these stages the different practices of pranayama which move prana throughout the body to allow higher levels of consciousness are obtained.

YS 2:49 "pranayama is the pause in the movement of the inhalation and exhalation when it is secured" 

=----technically this suggests that pranayama is only the kumbackas so inhalation and exhalation are methods of inducing "kunbacka"---this allows for longer periods of ASSIMILATION of prana and better control the mind.

stages:

• initial---clear the 72,000 nadir
• state of the nadis and chakras "blockages"  are defined by our SAMSKARAS. these are conditionings carried in "seed" form. 
• PURUSHARTHA (self-effort)
• ANUGRAHA (grace)

pranayama when practiced releases us from all of this.

• higher levels---the direction of pranic flow is manipulated and a greater amount of energy is released from the chakras
• pranayama is part of a BALANCED SEQUENTIAL ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE as a preparation for and perfection of pratyahara.
• from gross (anamayakosha) through subtle (anandamayakosha)

SS (3:57) "when one attains power of holding the breath for 3 hours, then certainly the wonderful state of pratyahara is reached without fail" (YOW!!!!)

TYPES OF PRANA:

• MAHAPRANA: cosmic prana that came into being at the time of creation
• UNIVERSAL PRANA:
• in the beginning there was unmanifest consciousness known as Para Brahman
• the "willing" (VASANA -inherent desire) of the singular unmanifest consciousness to become one causes the first SPANDA or movement (before this we have perfect equilibrium of potential) 
• first primal movement is the MAHAPRANA (leads to EVOLUTION of all levels of existence)
• the many subtleties of PRANA & CHITTA (consciousness) are the ladders of all spiritual practices. The end being INVOLUTION- where all that exists is pure consciousness

HYP (2:2) When prana moves, chitta moves. when prana is without movement, chitta is without movement" 

both prana and chitta must be present for life to exist. Prana and vasana are the two supporters of chitta. 

chitta is dormant

prana is active

• INDIVIDUAL PRANA: prana springs from the "atman" and is inseparable from the self. Some people have more prana than others and they are more dynamic, successful and commanding than others.

HYP (2:3) "As long as the vayu (prana) remains in the body, there is life. Death occurs when the vayu leaves the body, therefore retain the vayu" 

• RECEIVING PRANA
• positive thoughts, higher feelings and yogic practices produce higher levels of prana
• sublimated or transformed sexual energies prana is conserved within the system and transformed into OJAS (subtler energy which is accumulated in the brain and used for creative and spiritual development).
• prana can be transmitted from yogis to others. (shaktipot)
• prana can be gotten from the environment
• food
• sattvic, rajastic and tasmasic is a designation of the amount of prana in food.
• air
• should not be contaminated.

• WORKING WITH PRANA
• prana is also self generated and it can be refined and directed
• one must work with PRANA SHAKTI (the force of prana) in order to perfect any experience in life (aim of pranayama)
• the length of the exhalation determines the pranic "utilization" of it. 
• different activities create different exhalation lengths and pranic utilization
• maximum prana is used by the brain, so if there is not enough prana, thoughts become restless and disturbed.
• breath is gross and prana is subtle, but the former can influence the latter.
• pranayama leads to PRANA VIDYA (knowledge of the inner workings of prana) which leads to the ability to gain control over the mind. Prana is grosser than the mind and therefore easier to control.

HYP (2:42) "the movement of the breath in the middle passage makes the mind still. this steadiness of mind is the state of MANONMANI (devoid of thought)"

• as one works with prana, the dormant areas of the brain awaken.

• COSMIC PRANA
• pranayama practices activate individual prana and raise it to a higher frequency. This generates a certain amount of heat or creative force. This pranic heat makes its way up to ANJA CHAKRA where it can be directed to the rest of the body. 
• as pranayama practice increases, the anja chakra is able to communicate with the muladhara chakra, the seat of kundalini energy where the cosmic prana lies dormant. (ATMA SHAKTI) or soul force. 
• when the full potential of this energy is released, it travels up the shushumna nadi bringing about a complete metamorphosis of a person (AWAKENING) one unites with the cosmic prana.
• AWAKENING = chitta and prana is a cosmic balance within the individual. There is an explosion of SATYA (truth) when one sees everything as luminous. One experiences oneself in every object in the universe.
• SAT-CHIT-ANANDA (truth, expansiveness, beatitude). 

PRANA & THE KOSHAS

• all five sheaths (levels of experience) are pervaded by prana. 
• the movement from one kosha to another is also enabled by prana=PRANA SHAKTI
• prana is like the "neutral" in shifting gears (Saraswati)
• shatkarmas and asanas clear blockages in ANAMAYAKOSHA and allow movement to pranmayakosha
• the 5 sheaths are intelinked, must be penetrated sequentially
• the rare yogi can reverse this process and through the attainment of anandamayakosha purify all of the other koshas.

KOSHA CONCIOUSNESS

• ones experiences in life indicate the realm of consciousness to which one has evolved. However blockages in other koshas may still exist. for this reason, an INTEGRAL path of yoga is advised. 
• time should be spent in each limb to achieve clearing of these blockages
• the aim of the practitioner is to work with the prana (through PRANYAMA & PRANA VIDYA) at pranamayakosha until the perception of prana becomes SUBTLE
• Annamayakosha: prana is experienced as nervous energy
• the awareness of prana shakti in the other sheaths developed through PRATYAHARA
• manomayakosha: compared to a house light with the lights switched on
• vijnanamayakosha: inner visions, sounds, smells are experienced
• anandamayakosha: luminosity
• ATMAMAYA KOSHA (experience of unity)

CHAKRAS AND BINDU

• the chakras power the pranic body
• each chakra vibrates at a particular velocity. (low to higher frequencies)
• MULADHARA is the seat of pranic energy and must be awakened for ANJA to be awakened. it is the "generating station" for prana
• associated with anamayakosha, unconscious mind, primitive instincts
• 4 petaled lotus
• tamasic
• SWADHISTANA: storehouse for latent samskaras and impressions. forms a karmic block and makes it difficult for awakened prana to pass through
• desires located here can become an obstacle to awakening
• six petaled flower, associated with pranamayakosha
• tamasic
• MANIPURA: the storehouse of prana is at the navel
• rajastic
• 10 petallotus and pranamayakosha
• ANAHATA: seat of the cosmic sound
• VISHNU GRANTHI (the second psychic knot) representing the bondage of emotional attachment is located here
• manomayakosha
• 12 petals
• VISHUDDHI
• purification center. The fountain of youth
• the nectar of life falls from BINDU down into this center, generating, health, vitality and youth
• vijnanamayakosha
• 16 petals
• AJNA: guru chakra or command center
• third eye or center of divine wisdom, it is the doorway to the psychic or astral dimension
• lies at the RUDRA GRANTHI (knot of shiva) attachment to psychic personality and to the siddhis which accompany awakening of anja chakra
• vijananmayakosha, two petals, the mind changes from gross to subtle here.
• BINDU
• POINT
• it is the point of creation where oneness first develops into multiplicity, the ultimate point from which all things manifest and into which all things return
• contains the evolutionary potential for a myriad of objects in the universe, the blueprint for creation (where Hindu Brahmins keep a tuft of hair at the back of their heads)
• the MOON at bindu produces the life-giving nectar clued AMRITA and the manicure consumes it. (disease, old age & death are suffered because of this consumption) Tantric Yoga techniques are aimed at reversing this process so that amrita is retained in the vishudda=IMMORTALITY
• the first manifestation of creation was NADA (Sound) and bindu is also the point where the original nada emanates. 
• SAHASRARA: