Introduction 4 5
praJ?a and the manas (mind) have been absorbed, an undefinable joy
ensues.' (Hafha Yoga Pradfpikii, chapter IV, verse 30.)
Emotional excitement affects the rate of breathing; equally, deliberate
regulation of breathing checks emotional excitement. As the very object
of Yoga is to control and still the mind, the yogi first learns pranayama
to master the breath. This will enable him to control the senses and so
reach the stage of pratyahara. Only then will the mind be ready for
concentration (dhyana).
The mind is said to be twofold-pure and impure. It is pure when it
is completely free from desires and impure when it is in union with
desires. By making the mind motionless and freeing it from sloth and
distractions, one reaches the state of mindlessness (amanaska), which is
the supreme state of samadhi. This state of mindlessness is not lunacy
or idiocy but the conscious state of the mind when it is free from
thoughts and desires. There is a vital difference between an idiot or a
lunatic on the one hand, and a yogi striving to achieve a state of mindless
ness on the other. The former is careless; the latter attempts to be
carefree. It is the oneness of the breath and mind and so also of the senses
and the abandonment of all conditions of existence and thought that is
designated Yoga.
PriirJa Viiyu. One of the most subtle forms of energy is air. This vital
energy which also pervades the human body is classified in five main
categories in the Ha�ha Yoga texts according to the various functions
performed by the energy. These are termed vayu (wind) and the five
main divisions are: prat:ta (here the generic term is used to designate the
particular), which moves in the region of the heart and controls respira
tion; apana, which moves in the sphere of the lower abdomen and
controls the function of eliminating urine and faeces; samana, which
stokes the gastric fires to aid digestion; udana, which dwells in the
thoracic cavity and controls the intake of air and food; and vyana, which
pervades the entire body and distributes the energy derived from food
and breath. There are also five subsidiary vayiis. These are: naga, which
relieves abdominal pressure by belching; kiirma, which controls the
movements of the eyelids to prevent foreign matter or too bright a light
entering the eyes; k�kara, which prevents substances passing up the
nasal passages and down the throat by making one sneeze or cough;
devadatta, which provides for the intake of extra oxygen in a tired body
by causing a yawn, and lastly dhanariljaya, which remains in the body
even after death and sometimes bloats up a corpse.Pracyahara
If a man's reason succumbs to the pull of his senses he is lost. On the