CHAPTER XIII

WHAT IS PRANA?

Bodies

Effects of Prana

Átmico	Wisdom and Universal Love
Budhico	Intuition
Higher Mental	Abstraction
Lower Mental	logical Reasoning - dual mental
Astral	Emotion
Etherealness	Life
Physical	Action

 

What interests us is what happens in the ethereal plan, because, over that Prana we can have control.

The ethereal Prana is a differentiation of the Cosmic Prana and it is responsible for the life.

D.S. Vol. V: p. 566 - "the double etherealness sustains the life; it is the reservoir or sponge of life, collecting it from the whole natural reservoir that is located around, and it is the middleman between the kingdom of Prana and the physical life. The Life cannot appear coming immediately from the subjective to the objective, because the Nature goes on organizing gradually, through each stage. Therefore, the double ethereal is the middleman between Prana and our physical body, and it works as a bomb sucking the life."

This Prana comes in the form of globules called vitality globules.

As the whole universal matter is septenary, seven modalities of Prana exist, containing, each one, a differentiated energy, with specific organic purposes.

In the days of sun, looking to far away, we see those globules shining with great intensity. As the plan is very subtle, they are distant one from the other and they are in continuous agitation.

The ethereal body is constituted by a true compact net, formed by infinity of filaments, small canals that receive the name of nadis. They are in number of 70.000. Some hindus get to speak in 70 million. Through those nadis there circulate the energies of Prana.

Among the ethereal body and the astral, or emotional body, there exists a screen or a filter of very closed texture, formed by a layer of atoms very compressed. That screen only lets to pass Prana for the tuned centers and it impedes the passage of other forces of the astral plan, in other words, of the emotional body, forces with which the man would have difficulty of working for being unknown to him. She works as a relay, impeding that the events of the astral and mental worlds pass chaotically for the physical conscience.

The rupture of that screen can cause disturbances of mental, emotional and physics order. Alcohol in excess, hallucinogens, second sight badly driven and even the tobacco in excess harms the purity of the screen and of the metabolism of Prana.

The double etherealness has appearance of a fluid translucent, violet. For us to see the double etherealness we should not stare the object frontally. The eyes should be relaxed and we should stare a point in the center and behind, therefore, a quick ocular convergence. After being like this, calmly, staring as who doesn't want to see anything, it begins appearing a small brilliant strip around of the object. We should not be surprised and change the vision to see what is appearing, or else it disappears, because take the vision out of the etherealness.

The study of the double etherealness and of the metabolism of Prana is important for us to understand the function of our chakras. It is them that receive the energies, condense the same ones and make them to circulate through our body, energizing the organs.

What are the chakras?

The word chakra is Sanskrit and it means wheel; this because it refers to a series of energetic vortexes similar to wheels and that are inserted in the matter of the double etherealness. Those vortexes serve as communication bridges between the physicist and the man's subtlest bodies, making possible the physical conscious life and they are placed along the spine.

- In accordance with C. W. Leadbeater, in her book "Chakras", the human vital magnetic centers are:

 

	English	Portuguese	Sanskrit
1	Root	Raiz	Muladhara
2	Spleen	Esplênico	Swadhistana
3	Umbilical	Umbilical	Manipura
4	Heart	Cardíaco	Anahata
5	Laryngeal	Laríngeo	Vishuda
6	Front	Frontal	Ajnã
7	Coronal	Coronal	Sahashara

 

Each one has a vital function on the organs and on the organic metabolism and its absence represents the death.

D.S. Vo1.V: 523 - "Prana is the Father of the lives. As example, a sponge can be mentioned that is immersed in the waters of the ocean. The water inside the sponge can be compared to Prana. Prana is the motor principle of the life. The "lives" live Prana. Remove the sponge from the water and it turns dry, symbolizing the death."

How does it make that communication between the double and the physique - between the energies of the ethereal plan and the physical body?

1. By the feeding. There exist energetic centers exist in the mouth that absorb Prana. The philosophy of Lao-Tse, in the chapter Macrobiotics, says that we should drink the solid foods and chew the liquids.

2. By certain centers of entrance and direct exit of the energies, this can be stimulated by the postures of Yoga.

3. By the breathing.

Let us see how is processed the metabolism by the breathing because over it we can have control.

Along the spine we have, in the double etherealness, three channels, in other words, three nadis, disposed like this:

- a central one named Sushumna

- one on the left named Ida

- one to the right denominated Píngala

These three channels are known in the Hindu tradition as the Three strings of Shiva; in the Greek mythology, as the lira of three strings.

We think that the breathing is done in a simultaneous way by the two nostrils but, if we observe, we will see that the breathing changes of side. Sometimes the channel Ida acts, other times Píngala and there is one moment in which both nostrils are open, but with very little movement of air. On that moment the channel working is Sushumna. The energies that travel those channels are sometimes androgynous, other times negative or positive.

1. When they circulate through the central channel they are androgynous.

2. When they circulate through the left channel they are negative - lunar

3. When they circulate through the right channel, they are positive - solar

The alternation of the nostrils happens every two hours. The Tattvas go out in sequence in each flow and we can know which Tattva is vibrating by the length of the wave of air that leaves the nostrils. Putting the fingers horizontally below of the nostrils, it can be noticed the change of the length that varies in the following way:

Pritivi - 16 fingers below

Apas - 12 fingers

Tejas - 8 fingers

Vayu - 4 fingers

When vibrates the energy Atmica, androgynous, the wave of air doesn't have length. This is the moment when the man has their largest intuitive glimpses.

The energy Atmica, androgynous, arrives to the chakra Coronal, in the head, in the form of a filament called thread of Sutratma. It proceeds along the column through the central channel of Sushumna and it will finish in the coccyx.

Like all the energies of the Universe, Prana is polar. The lunar energy that enters through the left nostril, flows over the nadis of the head and it proceeds along the column, following a sinuous road and it will finish in the chakra Splenic that makes the dissociation of the atoms and distributes them for the several parts of the body. The solar energy, entering by the right nostril, irrigates nadis of the head and it will finish in the Splenic that makes the distribution.

When we aspirate the air, the globules of vitality enter together, they separate from the air that is going to the lung and they follow the road already described and they go to the Splenic. The Prana distributed along the body is that will execute organic functions, such as metabolisms of the breathing, of the digestion, of the excretion etc. maintaining the integrity of the body.

The type of ethereal aura of the physical body depends exactly on the state of vitality of our cells.

With this brief explanation, we can already notice the value of the breathing. The possibility of exchange by the feeding and by certain centers of direct absorption, doesn't substitute the purpose that is filled out by the breathing, they simply complement the process.

Only the breathing stimulates the fundamental metabolism, linked to the chakras, particularly if it be practiced in the presence of the eucalyptus, of the pine tree. To intensify the entrance of Prana and, also, of the oxygen, the Yoga recommends the Complete Breathing and Pranayama.

 

Complete Breathing

Absorb the air, projecting the belly to the front in order to distend the diaphragm and to dilate the lungs to the maximum. Then, continuing to force the entrance of the air, go on releasing the belly and lifting the shoulders to force the air to fill out the superior part of the lungs. Keep the air a little bit of time. Loosen the air smoothly, contracting the abdomen to the maximum to force the total exit of the air of the lungs.

 

Pranayama

The True Pranayama has a counting of time very particular, we can say, cabalistic, and the pronouncement of Bijâs. The one that we will present is a previous phase that could call Alternate Breathing.

- Put the two fingers, forefinger (Jupiter) and medium (Saturn) on the forehead, in the root of the nose;

- Shut the right nostril with the thumb (Venus) and to begin to aspirate by the left nostril;

- Keep the air for the time that you determine; it can be from 4 to 8 times, in the rhythm of the heart,

- Shut the left nostril with the ring finger (sun) and loosen the air by the right nostril;

- Conserve the lung empty inside of the same rhythm and aspirate by the same nostril, in other words, by the right;

- Keep the air for the chosen time;

- Shut the right nostril and to loosen the air by the left;

- Conserve the lung empty inside of the same rhythm and aspirate by the same nostril, in other words, by the left.

- Continue that process until you complete 7 rounds complete.

 

Observation: If we inspire very smoothly, we will notice the separation among the oxygen that is going to the lung and Prana that it is going to the head's centers. Complete Pranayama is described in the book '' Personal Balance" of my authorship.

 

Some curiosities that you can try: There exist nadis that interrupt the flow of the current, whether solar or lunar. They are under the arm, in the height of the rib. The obstruction is made on the same side, that is, the Nadi of the right obstruct the passage of the solar current through the right nostril and the one of the left the one of the lunar current through the left nostril.

It can be made an experience when you get a cold and one of the nostrils is clogged. If we lie down beside the nostril that is open, the flow of that nostril stops and the obstruction passes for her, liberating the one that was obstructed.

The fever is an unbalance in the flow of the currents of Prana; the solar becomes more intense. Lying down on the right side, we obstruct the passage of the solar energy and there it starts circulating the lunar and the fever lowers.

 

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