Pranayama:- Science behind

PANCH -PRANA THEIR COLOUR AND FUNCTION:

With the advancement, scientists are trying best to replicate the DNA. But because of the vital molecules such as DNA are functional only in the proximity of prana and thus fail to serve their functions majority of the times even in the laboratory because they cannot harness the cosmic prana without the presence of physical body. The body has been gifted with a system which can utilize the cosmic prana available everywhere(Patra, 2017).

The Prana lives there with various desires, accompanied by its past works, that have no beginning, and joined with egoism (ahankara.)

Function of Vata:- There are three doshas in Ayurveda, vata, pitta, kapha which keeps dhatus(tissues) and wastes in motion. Vata has been divided into five types namely Prana, Udana, Vyana, Saman and Apana (Moharana et al., 2019). Vata is the controller and impellor of all mental functions and the employer of all sensory faculties. Vata joins the body tissues and brings compactness to the body, promotes speech, origin of sound and touch sensation. Vata dosha is the root cause of auditory and tactile sense faculties and is the causative factor of pleasure and courage, stimulates the digestive fire, and helps in the absorption of the dośhas and ejection of the excretory products. Vata travels through all gross and subtle channels, gives the shape of embryo and is the indicator of continuity of life(Moharana et al., 2019). [i]

All functions of nervous system in human beings are represented through Vata in Ayurveda. It is the initiating and controlling factor which is responsible for movement. All activities of sense organ, regulation of psychological process and control of respiration, transmission of different sensation, production of speech, secreto motor functions in the gut, expulsion of wastes from the body(Moharana et al., 2019).

Prana: - is said to be blood-red, the colour of ruby or coral; the function of Prana is respiration. Mitra is the presiding deity of the activity of the Prana and the day (tai.Upa).

Sthoolaprana is experienced in the form of light particles moving upwards in the chest region. Among the fivefold pranas, it occupies the essential position and controls the other four.(HYP)Prana has for its operation, the region of the eyes, the ears, face and the nose govering, the senses of seeing,hearing,tasting, smelling and most important,breathing.

The Principal soul is referred as Mukhya Prana and it is responsible for filling this human body with energy and power to gearup the human machine and it is not simply the elemental air. Mukhya Prana is the motive power of all spiritual, mental and physical organs of senses etc.

Mukhya Prana occupies almost the same position as that of Atma in Jain philosophy. Mukya Prana does not vanish with the death of human body Mukya Prana acts like a transporting barge and guides the human soul through physical, astral, mental and spiritual planer of other worlds(Prasad, 2019).

Apana:- is the colour of indra-gopa(an insect which is white or red in colour). Apana does excretion;Varuna is the presiding deity of the activity of Apana and of the night (Tai.Upa.1.1.1) Apanaworks downwards and is responsible for excretion,urination and seminal discharges.

Samana:- is in-between the colour of pure milk and crystal (oily and shining). Samana performs digestion; at this meeting point the energy of yogagni, fire of yoga, arises. When these two aspects of life, the inner and the outer, the mundane and the spiritual are brought together and united, the kundalini awakens. As per the Amritanada Upanishad (v. 34-37) Samana brings about the integration of the elements and keeps them connected. Samana regulates agni (digestive fire) with fuel, which must burn evenly.Samana functions in the abdominal region; it maintains balance between Prana and Apana. The digestion is controlled by Samana(Nagendra H.R, 2007).

UDANA:- is apandara(pale white).

तेजोहवाउदानस्तस्मादुपशान्ततेजाः। पुनर्भवमिन्द्रियैर्मनसिसम्पध्यमानैः. प्र. उप. 3.9.)

Udana is featured by brightness and lightness.These reduces at the time of death and return at the timeof birth again.Udana does swallowing of the food. It takes the Jiva to sleep.It separates the astral body from the physical body at the time of death. In Prasnopanisad it is said- “And then udana, ascending upward through one of them, conducts the departing soul to the virtuous world, for its virtuous deeds; to the sinful world, for its sinful deeds; and to the world of men, for both.”(SwamiNikhilananda )

udana vayu ascending conducts to virtuous worlds by virtue, to sinful worlds by sin and to the world of men by virtue and sin combined (Pra.Upa.3.7) Udana flows through the central main Nadi Susumana. Udana carries at the time of physical death, the subtle bodies. When 'imbalances' are overcome and a balance between the good and the bad is struck, the individual takes birth in this world of human beings.These reduce at the time of death and return at the time of birth again. (Pra.Upa.3.9). Fire or Tejas is udana, when this fire extinguishes, person takes rebirth, dominant by his mind.

VYANA:-is the colour oiarchis (a ray of light).Vyana performs circulation of blood.

Meaning: The subtle body is surely in the heart, there are hundred and one of the main nerves, each of them has hundred divisions. Each branch is divided into seventy five thousand sub branches, among them moves vyana prana Vyana governs the sense of touch and the flow of impulses in the body(Prashna Upanishad 3.6)

Vyana Vayu is connected with all nerves and blood vessels, its maintenance are essential for the proper functioning of the joints and muscles. Every meditation we activateVyana, causing the life force to flow spontaneously and effortlessly, flow upward into the thousand-petalled lotus in the head toward the divine radiance that shines above and upon the upper levels of the brain-lotus.(Pra.Upa. 3:4). Vyana vayu is responsible for distribution. It moves outward in a circular, pulsating motion. It is located in the heart and lungs and is involved in cardiac activity, circulation and voluntary nervous system. Vyana and Samana vayus are opposite as forces of expansion and contraction. Vyana governs the movement of prana through the nadis, keeping them open, clear, clean and even in their functioning. Performs the function of transportation of Ahara Rasa (food extracts) via sources to all the tissues of the body for their nourishment. It includes all the transportation and exchange of nutrients from food at cellular levels to the tissues, continuously and always throughout the life. The locomotion is the most important function of living being which is carried out by vyana vayu. (Moharana et al., 2019). the root cause of auditory and tactile sense faculties is Vata dosha , Vata determines the pleasure and courage, stimulates the digestive fire, and helps in the absorption of the dośhas and ejection of the excretory products. Vata travels through all gross and subtle channels, gives the shape of embryo and is the indicator of continuity of life(Moharana et al., 2019).

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