Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

for the sake of fun or for gaining supernormal powers of various kinds or even for has-
tening his spiritual progress. These forces are very real though not known as yet to
modern Science, and many people have ruined their lives by rashly starting practices
given in spurious Yogic literature or undef the advice of immature and over-confident
‘Yogis’. The practice of Pranayama can be taken up safely and profitably only as a
part of the full Yogic discipline and when adequately prepared for by the practice of
the other accessories of Yoga such as Yama-Niyama, Asana etc. and under the supervi-
sion of a competent Guru.
But while abstaining strictly from, the ill-advised practice of Pranayama proper
there is no harm in trying to understand its rationale and the limit to which one can go
with safety in the manipulation of breathing for the sake of promoting physical and
mental health. The essential knowledge with regard to this aspect of the subject may
be summarized as follows:
(1) Deep breathing has nothing to do with Pranayama and may be practised
as an exercise for promoting health to any reasonable extent. Its beneficial effects de-
pend chiefly upon the increased intake of oxygen and a somewhat greater influx of
Prana into the body. As it does not affect the Pranic currents in the body its practice is
not attended by any risks.
(2) Breathing alternately through the two nostrils begins at once to affect the
Pranic currents to a certain extent and tends to remove the congestion from the chan-
nels in which Prana flows normally. It has been pointed out already that there is a
close relation between breathing and the flow of Pranic currents in the Pranamaya
Kosa. When we breathe normally the Pranic currents follow their natural course.
When we breathe alternately through the two nostrils their normal flow is disturbed in
some way. The effect may be likened to the flow of water in a pipe. When the water is
flowing in one direction placidly, silt and other things may be deposited at the bottom
and are not disturbed to any marked extent by the water. But try to force the water in
opposite directions alternately and you at once disturb the deposit and if the process is
continued long enough the pipe gets cleaned ultimately. This is how breathing alter-
nately through the two nostrils may be supposed to clean the Pranic channels or to
‘purify the Nadis’ as we say. Now, this purification of the Nadis is a preparatory exer-
cise and all those who intend to practise Pranayama have to go through a long course
extending over several months or years. It is similar to the preliminary exercise sug-
gested by Patanjali in I-34 and produces the same condition in the nervous system,