Connection between Cosmic Energy (Prana) and Breathing

Before we go into breathing, it is more important to know about the five elements of nature.  

Significance of Five Elements of Nature

Scholars since ancient time believe that the universe is made with the composition of five elements. All these five elements are present in the balanced state in this universe. For instance: if the level of water increases upto a certain limit, then the whole world will be filled with water resulting in floods. These five elements, water, air, fire, space and earth are together known as “Panchtatva”.

The panchamahabhuta are the five elements of nature. According to Hindu mythology, every human body essentially are made from five elements which are Earth (Bhumi), Water (Jala), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu) and Space (Aakash). Hindus believe that, upon death; all these 5 elements of human body are dissolved to respective element of nature, so that it can balance the cycle of nature.

Each of these five elements has its own functions and characteristic described below:

Earth (Bhumi):-

The first element of panchamahabhuta is “Earth” which is translated at Bhumi in Sanskrit. This element is perceived by five senses that are Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch and Sight. The physical body with muscles and bones refers to Earth.

Water (Jala):-

The second most important element is “water”, jala in Sanskrit. This element has no odor (smell) but can be heard, felt, seen and tasted. In human body, blood and other fluid are refer to Water.

Fire (Agni):-

The next higher element in human body is “fire”, agni in Sanskrit. In human body the temperature, jatharagni are refers the fire. It can be heard, felt and seen.

Air (Pavan):-

The fourth element of panchmahabhuta is “air”, pavan in Sanskrit.  Air can be felt and heard only; one cannot see the air. In human body, the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body refers to Air. It is considered as one of the most important factor in Pranayama.

Sky (Aakash):-

The fifth and last element of panchmahabhuta is “space” which is translated in Sanskrit at aakash. Space is the medium of sound but is inaccessible to all other senses. And as in human body the Athma (Soul) refers to Space.

The combination of these 5 elements makes our body and will dissolve into respective element upon death.

How to gain AIR PRANA (Cosmic Energy in the shape of Air) by breathing

Dr.  Andrew Weil, an expert on mind-body interactions says: "If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly."

Those are powerful words from a recognized expert in the field. Notice that he says "breathe correctly." Practitioners of Yoga have known for centuries about the importance of guided breathing, and Western cultures are now embracing the benefits of "breathing correctly."

Breathing is the only bodily function you can do either consciously or unconsciously.

Breathing properly can reduce your stress levels, improve your workouts and boost your immunity to infections and illnesses. Poor breathing can lead to panic attacks and even conditions like insomnia and depression.

Did you know that your regular breathing pattern is very likely screwing up your body and its functions in tons of different ways?

Without knowing it you might be messing up your sleep, mood, digestion, heart, nervous system, muscles, brain and even the development of your teeth and face structure.

Coughing, snoring, sniffling and so on are suboptimal breaths in disguise.

It’s easy to neglect all these sounds we are making but a breathing pattern that contain a lot of these elements is a huge strain to the body.

A lot of us breathe quickly and even loudly when we talk. All these noises and talking lead to incorrect breathing.

Why is breathing properly important?

Breathing correctly means that our bodies are being supplied with the right amount of Air PRANA (Cosmic Energy), replenishing our brain and other vital organs with essential nutrients.

If you are not breathing correctly, your body can be robbed of oxygen, leading to a host of conditions.

Your skin can suffer as it is not receiving enough fresh oxygenated blood, your muscles can tire easily during a workout as they are not getting the right amount of oxygen and you can feel constantly tired and lethargic because there are not enough vital nutrients being carried in the blood.

What effect does breathing incorrectly have on my health?

When we are babies, we all take deep, relaxing breaths from our abdomen - watch your children when they are asleep to see how their stomach rises and falls rather than their chest.

As we get older, stress often changes the way we breathe. When we are stressed, our bodies operate on the 'fight or flight' response to whatever is scaring us. This means we take short sharp breaths to help prepare for the 'fight' we will have to face.

But prolonged periods of stress mean we constantly breathe like this, only ever using the top third of our lungs. This causes us to breathe as if we were permanently hyperventilating.

This leads to a poor exchange of oxygen and CO2 in the bloodstream, depriving our bodies of both vital gases.

The physiological effect of a lack of CO2 can make you feel 'spaced out' and can lead to panic attacks, insomnia, dizziness and extreme fatigue, while lack of oxygen can rob your organs and muscles of a proper blood flow.

Hyperventilating also increases the heart rate, leading to palpitations and contributes to feelings of anxiety and being out of control.

When victims are having a panic attack, the best remedy is to let them breathe into a paper bag. This means they are re-inhaling the exhaled carbon dioxide, boosting their levels of CO2 back to normal.

The solution to these issues is to become highly conscious of the way you breathe and reshape your habitual way of breathing.

How can I breathe correctly?

Breathe through the nose

The breath should go in and out through the nose. Your nose is kind of like a factory that refines and prepares the air coming in to be used by the body as effectively as possible.

When you breathe through your mouth the lungs get a lot more “unfiltered” air that is raw, cold, dry and full of viruses and bacteria. Be kind to your lungs and breathe through your nose.

Breathe with the diaphragm

The air you breath in through your nose should go all the way down to your belly. Your breathing muscles consist of the diaphragm and muscles in the abdomen, chest, neck and shoulders.

70-80% of the inhaling should be done by the diaphragm so that your breathing is nice and deep. This has a couple of advantages:

It helps your lungs with the gas exchange which is much more effective way down in the lungs. The diaphragm massages your liver, stomach and intestines and gives these organs a rhythmical balance.

The lymphatic system, which is important for our immune system, gets the help it needs to get rid of the waste products from the bowels. The pressure in the chest and belly is decreased so that the heart won’t have to work as hard.

More effective muscle work as the wrong breathing muscles won’t have to do unnecessary work. As the chest gets more relaxed so does the neck and shoulders and a s a result the likelihood of pain in these areas go down.

Straight posture

An upright posture gives a deeper breathing where the diaphragm gets more space to work. Your thoughts and feelings are affected in a positive way and at the same time it gets easier to breathe through the nose.

Breathe relaxed

No matter what we want to do, we do it better if we are relaxed. Since our breathing reflect our thoughts, feelings and physical body it means that situations that have us feeling tense also  lead to tense and stressed breathing. This way of breathing then leads to a lack of oxygen which in turn makes the body and brain even more stressed.

By taking control of our breathing and making it more relaxed, our body tunes in and becomes relaxed as well which leads to better functioning in general.

When the body is relaxed, health is good, energy is high and it becomes easier to be happy and loving toward yourself and others.

Breathe Rhythamically

Everything has a natural rhythm – the ocean waves, the seasons, the moon. Your body is no different. The rhythm of the heart is measured in EKG and the brain in EEG.

The hormones in the body follows our natural rhythm. One example the melatonin that is released when we’re going to sleep.

Optimal breathing is no different, it’s in the rhytm we find well-being. When everything is in tune the body functions at it’s very best.

The magic of breathing starts when you master exhaling. It seems that during the inhalation, the mind is calmer and one can hold the breath longer without experiencing any discomfort. During exhalation there is a natural urge to inhale immediately after exhalation. When this natural tendency calms down you will be able to reach a higher level of consciousness.

NEXT WE SHALL DISCUSS ABOUT WATER PRANA (Cosmic Energy in the shape of water) - Thanks for reading &  your comments.  

What is PRANA ? - Cosmic Energy

Any guesses what keeps a human body alive!

Food

Is it food ? No it is not ! We know a number of instances where ship-wreck survivors floated on sea under extreme weather conditions, without food for a number of days before they were spotted and rescued. Rigorous fasting has been part of many sects like Jainism, Hinduism and Islam.

Water

Is it water? No! The same examples can be quoted as above. There are instances of people fasting for many days without water especially jains and muslims. Fasting without food and water is used as a way to cleanse body of long accumulated toxins.

Air

So that leaves possibly only one element and that has to be air (oxygen). Yes ! it is oxygen! Wait! A female named Karoline M Meyer of Florianapolis, Brazil remained under-water holding her breath for 18 minutes and 32.59 seconds, a record registered in Guiness Book of World Records. We all know that under extreme emotional state of mind, breathing becomes faster. If one is angry the rate of breathing becomes faster. If one has sex on mind the breathing rate increases. Check the breathing of a spectator watching foot-ball match in the stadium or even on television, his breathing will be much faster than normal. Why so ? It is all because of the emotional upheaval the person is going through. If this is true then the opposite of this is also true. There are no emotions, there are no thoughts and if there are no thoughts there is no breath. This can be experienced under the state of deep meditation.

In eastern parts of the world, you can easily find descriptions of yogis deliberately buried alive and then coming out of the hole after six months.

So, it is amply clear to us that food, water and air are not the factors that keep us alive.

The question that arises in our minds is what was it then that kept these human bodies going under such conditions.

 The question is what is it that supports our system when the respiration slows down or completely stops. You do not have to go to Himalayas to find an answer.

Yes, it is the cosmic energy that keeps everything running in perfect order under all circumstances. Given below is an example of the word that describes cosmic energy in the best possible way.

Praana means energy and vaayu is wind or air

Sanskrit,  the most ancient and accomplished  language, has  the word Praana-vaayu. If you break that word down Praana means energy and vaayu is wind or air. This helps us to understand the whole word and the energy phenomenon better. Wind or air is not life giving force but it is the carrier of energy. If we combine this knowledge, it becomes clear to us that if one can live without oxygen, food and water, then energy is the ultimate factor that keeps us alive.

Let us move a step forward in our understanding of cosmic energy ; also known as universal energy. This is the sole factor that runs the entire cosmos in perfect order and condition.

One wonders about the planetary system. How come the sun, moon, earth and all the planets rotate in perfect order? Why they do not collide with each other- it is solely because of the energy that helps maintain the distance. We know that plants have life. What gives life to plants-it is the energy. Have you ever bothered to notice the routine the sun follows?  It rises and sets as per the required schedule-thanks to the cosmic energy.

Flow of life with creative force

Since the entire universe is the result of this energy, we can call it the creative force or the creative essence. We all come out from the same source of energy in form of small specs; hence we are the result of that same creative essence. Thus, the life that flows through us or within us will also be known as the life force now onwards by us.

Cosmic Energy

Cosmic Energy the translation into English by Sir John Woodroffe of the term Shakti in Hindu Religion, based on the Hindu philosophy known as Kashmir Shaivism; a term for spiritual energy; also referred to as prana; thought in Hindu philosophy to be the source of kundalini; identified by some New Age authors with the quantum vacuum zero point energy and as orgone energy it is believed in New Age thought to be a vital force that animates all forms of life

Nurturing your mind, body, spirit with Cosmic Energy

Cosmic energy otherwise known as universe energy, exists everywhere in the cosmos. It is the bond between the galaxies, the planets, humans, and molecules. Cosmic Energy is essential in maintaining the order of the universe, and is the life force that sustains us. As the human mind and body are purely composed of energy, lack of energy in the mind and body can upset our mental and physical well-being.

The concept of “energy” is nothing new. Various distinct cultural and religious traditions are based on the existence of esoteric energies, such as “qi” in Taoist philosophy, “prana” in Hindu belief, the “breath of life” given by God to Adam in Christian belief, visible “auras,” and psychic energy in parapsychology. Some spiritual practices, such as Qigong or traditional yoga, activate or increase this innate energy, and certain martial arts are founded on developing and focusing these energies.

The universe is a limitless source of cosmic energy. When we learn to harness these energies, we would be able to experience true healing in our mind, body and spirit. The more energy you have, the greater your life potential and vitality.

Lack of Cosmic energy and its effects on health

According to Chinese medicine, when thre is lack of cosmic energy in body, it obstructs the flow of the “qi” and pulse, which are central to the circulatory process throughout the body. It also weakens the energy of the internal organs, which deteriorates normal organ functions, thus affecting our health. It causes poor quality of sleep, or even insomnia, thus increasing tendencies towards depression. Long term exposure to negative energy can cause various health conditions like allergies, depression, cancer, and other chronic illness.

Lack of Cosmic energy can also affect us on a subconscious or psychological level by depleting our mental energy, resulting in listlessness and emotional instability. At the same time, it diminishes our personal charisma, magnifies feelings of inexplicable stress and anxiety, and causes a loss of confidence in oneself. These factors adversely impact one’s luck, career development, and stand in the way of success.

How it affects the subconscious mind

It is said that we can only hold about 7 thoughts in our conscious mind at any one moment. Everything we know but are not consciously aware of – all the skills we have learned, our habits, attitudes and beliefs, and all our memories – are retained in our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind operates in the background, affecting decisions and emotions.

Negative energy in the subconscious mind caused by traumas in the past, if not cleared, can attract more negativity into your life. By the Law of Attraction, like attracts like. Whatever vibration we radiate, we attract more of the same. This is still true whether we’re aware of the negative energy we hold or not. Until we release the energy of trauma, it will attract and recreate sets of circumstances similar to the original trauma over and over again, cause us to resist love, joy, abundance, creativity, our own aliveness. They veil the life force that is us. These negative energies form the limits of our life. Releasing them frees your life force so you can leap past your limits.

Living in the light

It is no coincidence that the part of our brain that regulates our internal clock through the production of melanin is the pineal gland – which is also known as our “third eye” or spiritual center. We receive some cosmic energy while we sleep, therefore it is important to be asleep by 11pm, this is the time the deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs.

We can also receive cosmic energy from nature, spiritual destinations.  One of the most effective ways of receiving cosmic energy is through mediation.

During meditation you receive ample positive energy from the cosmos. Meditation not only allows you to connect to the cosmic consciousness to quieten and purify your mind, it can also bring about innumerable physiological benefits in the long term.

While spiritual practices in meditation differ, the benefits of meditation have been universally proven by science. A comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. Researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ”disease-fighting genes” were active, compared to those who practiced no form of relaxation.

In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure, and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call ”the relaxation effect,”, a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects. ”We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group,” says Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research.

Cosmic energy and human body

Chakraas

 To understand the phenomenon of energy and healing it would be essential to understand about chakraas. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel. At certain spots in human body energy moves in a particular direction and forms shapes that resemble certain shapes in the physical world. It will be pertinent to say that these are imaginary shapes meaning if our body is surgically opened, no such chakraas would be physically found.

One may wonder as to how these chakraas were discovered if they did not exist physically. Under deep meditation when one achieves a no thought state of mind, chakraas become clearly visible in our subtle or energy body. There are seven such chakraas in our subtle body.           

Energy tubes or Naadies

 There are 72000 different paths on which energy travels in the human body. These paths are known as naadies  or tubes carrying energy. They are spread through-out the body like roots and shoots of a tree. These energy tubes have their roots attached to seven different energy chakraas located in different spots of the body.

These chakraas get energy from the cosmos and supply it down to different parts of the body through the naadies.The most important among these naadies are Ida, Pingla andSushumna.

Meridians

If we look at acu-puncture/pressure techniques, the Chinese method of treating illness, we come to understand that this entire science is based on the flow of energy called meridians in the body. These meridians are nothing but energy tubes described above as nadis.There are 12 major meridians having numerous pressure points which govern the flow of energy to organs and processes in the body. Any blockages in those paths would ultimately result in illness conacted to that particular organ/process.

Location and Functions of Chakraas 

The knowledge about  the location of these energy circles and their functions can help understand the way they keep the body going.

There are seven energy centers in our body. Starting from the bottom we shall move to the top.

1.    Mulaadhar or Root Chakra

2.    Swadhishthaan  or Sacral Chakra

3.    Manipur or Solar Plexus

4.    Anahat  or Heart Chakra

5.    Vishudh  or Throat Chakra

6.    Agya  or Third Eye Chakra

7.    Sahastrar or Crown chakra

Mulaadhar or Root Chakra

 It is considered the base of entire energy system.

This energy center lies between anus and genital.

This lotus shaped chakra has 4 petals having crimson red color.

This chakra represents Earth element in our body.

This is the seat of our vitality. Our survival instincts are connected to this center.

This chakra helps regulate the activities below are hips-i.e. legs, knees, ankles and feet.

Gland: Suprarenal and adrenal.

Organs: Base of back bone, kidney, bladder

Negative emotion: Lack or Shortage of thing

Positive emotion  : Abundance

Swadhishthaan or Sacral Chakra

 This energy center is located above reproductive organ but below navel region.

This lotus shaped chakra has 6 petals having orange color.

This chakra represents Water element in the body.

This is the center of sexual energy in our body. This is also the seat of “I”ness or ego.

This center governs the sexual activity in our body.

Glands: Gonads

Organs: Reproductive organs

Negative emotions : Greed

Positive emotion    : Creativity

Manipur or Solar Plexus Chakra

 This is the exact center of our physical body.

This chakra lies behind the navel.

This lotus shaped chakra has 10 petals having yellow color.

This chakra represents Fire element in human body.

Also known as death center in human body-we can feel tightening around it when we are scared or full of anxiety.

Gland: None

Organs: Stomach, liver, pancreas

Negative Emotion : Jealousy

Positive Emotion   : Happiness

Anahat  or Heart Chakra

 This energy center is placed in the rib-cage at the height of heart.

This lotus shaped chakra has 12 petals having green color.

This chakra represents Vaayu or wind element in our body.

This center is the symbol of compassion. The emotion of love flows out from here.

Glands: Thymus

Organ: Heart, hands and blood circulation system

Negative emotion: Hatred, Fear

Positive emotion: Love

Vishudhi or Throat Chakra

 Its location is in the throat region.

This lotus shaped chakra has 16 petals having blue color.

This center represents Ether or Aakash element in our body.

This chakra represents the power of communication and the level of freedom of expression. Emotions cause throat choking is the simplest example.

Gland: Thyroid

Organs: Throat, Esophagus(food pipe),Lungs, Respiratory system

Negative emotion: Disappointment, Feeling low

Positive emotion: Thankfulness

Agya or Third Eye Chakra

 This energy center is located in the forehead little above two eye-brows.

This 2 petal lotus is sky blue in color.

This center governs the Ether element in the body.

This center represents concentration, determination and knowledge.

Gland: Pituitary

Organs: Spine, lower brain or hypothalamus, left eye, nose and ears

Negative emotion: Anger

Positive emotion:  Awakening

Sahastrar or Crown chakra

 This is the center through which our body is connected with the cosmic energy.

This energy center is located on top of the head.

This chakra is shaped like a fully bloomed 1000 pedaled lotus having violet color.

This chakra represents the highest form of consciousness in a human being. Also known as point of enlightenment or moksha or nirvana.

Gland: Pineal

Organs: Upper brain and right eye.

Though it is already mentioned earlier, I would like to remind the readers once again  that these chakraas are not present in the physical body. But they are there in the aura body and can be seen under the state of deep meditation.  

This very basic information given above gives an over-view of the field of energy and its importance in human body.

Aura or the Energy Body

The word Aura is derived from the Latin language which means the glow of light. It is not just any glow of light, but the glow of light that surrounds things like table, chair, stone, animal, tree or a human body. We know that every living or non-living thing in this universe is made up of energy and whatever is made up of energy has a body around its physical body known as aura or energy body.

The energy body surrounding physical body is actually made of six layers namely :

*   Annamaya Shareer     or  Physical body 

a.    Praan Shareer            or  Etheric body

b.    Manomaya Shareer     or  Mental Body

c.    Bhaavmaya Shareer    or  Emotional Body

d.    Chaitanya Shareer      or  Spiritual Body

e.    Sukshma Shareer        or  Astral Body

f.     Aanandmaya Shareer  or  Celestial Body

1. Aura Watching

 Here we are going to stick to the aura surrounding human body. Though ordinarily  it is not possible to see the energy body with bear eyes but with certain exercises taught by an experienced  teacher (Yogi) one can develop the capacity to  see the aura. Kirllian, a  Russian scientist developed a photographic technique that can take photographs of human aura. It is a great step forward for the human race from health point of view because it is well known among the energy healers that any disease first sets in the aura body and if not cured at that level manifests itself in the physical body.

Having talked about energy and its kingdom and administration through chakraas, naadies and aura, it is now time to dwell on the realm of health.

Health

 Right from the inception of mankind, health has been the prime concern of human race.With the process of evolution not only different definitions of health have emerged but they have constantly kept changing with the times.

 Not long ago health was related only  to the physical body; meaning, if a person appeared not to have any disease was called healthy but that is not the case any more. Today health is taken as a sum total of mind, body and spirit known as holistic health.

Let us take a perspective of the word health from healer’s point of view.

When all the energy chakraas are fully balanced, cosmic energy flows freely to each and every cell of the body. Respiratory system, blood circulation, endocrine system etc. function smoothly. Thus, the universal energy is transferred  without any hindrance to the receiving body. This is what is called total health from the energy healer’s point of view.

Here goes the maxim one derives from what is stated above ‘ Whenever the transfer of smooth flow of cosmic energy is disturbed it results into disruption of one’s ease and becomes known as dis-ease. The opposite of same can be taken as total health ”

                                                       OR

Where there is cosmic energy there is health and the absence of the same is disease.

                                                        OR

Whenever we are not in harmony with the universe we are diseased.

Next we shall discuss about breathing ( How to breathe & gain cosmic energy by proper breathing) Thank u