Pranic Therapy Part VI
All the four forces in the Universe – weak nuclear force, strong nuclear
force, electricity & magnetism -are but different manifestations of
that Unitary power which the Vedists call Prana. Using this Vital Energy
to heal is called Pranic Therapy. This article is a continuation of the
earlier article Pranic Therapy Part V.
Integral Life & the Universal Stream of Consciousness, Prana
Never in the integral view developed in ancient India was life regarded
as restricted to certain cellular activities. Rather, life is a Universal
stream of Consciousness known as Prana in the Upanishads &
Consciousness- Force ( Chit Shakti ) in the Tantras. Each living being
represents a centre around which Prana moves at different levels known
as sheaths ( koshas). At the core of this multistoreyed personality
structure is the locus of the Self, known as the Atman.The Upanishads
state that just as the spokes of a wheel are fixed at the hub, so also
Prana and all psycho-physical structures are fixed in the Self. The
Self ( Atman ) is the Master Controller of Life that Western science
is seeking. The Vijnanamaya Kosha ( Intellectual Sheath) & the
Anandamaya Kosha ( Bliss Sheath ) are the sheaths where the light
of the Self is experienced.
The unattached Self, exercises its power through the Will ( known
as Dhrti), which in Yogic psychology is regarded as the dynamic aspect of
intelligence. With the help of the pure Will, a Yogi is able to keep all his
sense organs, all activities and mind under control, says the Geetha.
Acquisition of this pure will is the result of a Spiritual Awakening. This
Awakening, which takes place only through prolonged & intense spiritual
struggles, opens the divine door in the heart. This gives the yogi access
to all kosas or the five sheaths. He gains the capacity to open each kosa
to the stream of the Cosmic Prana. The stream of universal life flushes
out impurities & diseases from the personality system and brings in new
vigour and strength.
The world is overcome, aye even here,
By such that fix their faith on Unity
The sinless Brahma ( Absolute ) dwells in Unity,
And they in Brahma ( Absolute )! ( The Song Celestial )
The Cause all Disease – “Fault of Awarenes”
Intense striving alone can pave the way for this kind of yogic self-
mastery. But an inner alertness & some degree of general
supervision over all his activites such as eating, sleeping,exercise,
response to stressful situations etc can be attained by anyone.
It is failure of this inner watchfulness, known as Prajnaparadha or
“Fault of Awareness “, caused by ignorance and negligence that
makes a person yield to evil thoughts and deeds that is the root
cause of all diseases. .
Of the triune attributes of Nature – Rajas, Thamas and Satwa
( humanity, bestiality, divinity ), both Rajas ( humanity ) & Thamas
( bestiality ) are pathogenic. Satwa is non-pathogenic meaning
that living in rhythm with Nature can save us from diseases.
Charaka Samhita, an authentic treaitse on Ayurveda states
“The disturbance of the three humours are caused by Prajnapara-
dha, produced by the distortion of the intellect, will & memory ” .
Some of the aetiological factors are carelessness, lack of alertness,
forgetfulness & misuse of will power.The root cause of most of
the psychosomatic or constitutional disorders is Prajnaparadha,
the misuse of our cognitive and conative faculties. It is our
unconscious way of living, not in conformity with natural law, that
is the primary cause of illness.
Health can be restored by changing our way of living to a Self-
directed style. Hyperacidity, rheumatism, irritable bowel
syndrome and similar disorders are the body’s alarm signals
We can bring about integration of the personality if we extend our
Consciousness into the interior parts of the body & bring these
neglected areas closer to the light of the Self. This integration
fortifies our immune system and restores the coordination,
rhythm and balance in the working of the different organs. This
kind of extension of Consciousness can be done in different ways.
Extension of Consciousness by Meditation
The inner awareness which is the result of absorption in Meditation
can be extended into the affected part of the body through concentrative
visualization. If these meditative techniques are practised for some
days, the process of self-renewal & self-defence gets accelerated
and healing takes place automatically.
The Triune Meditation- ( Physical, Verbal & Mental )
Reverence for preceptors,continence, nonviolence – these constitute
Physical Meditation.
Speaking kind words, adherence to Truth, Self-study – these constitute
Verbal Meditation.
Cheerfulness, humility, silence, purity of heart – these constitute Mental
Meditation
Maintaining Yin-Yang balance
Everything in Life has opposites, Yin-Yang. (Yin is expansion and Yang
is contraction ). The most common yin-yang imbalance is stress arousal.
Stress arousal increases the adrenaline & cortisol levels which inhibits
the immune system. Stress is misplaced effort & takes away the energy
required for healing.
Ultradian healing response is the second major yin-yang balance. Every
one and a half to 2 hours , our mind-body goes through a period of
daydream or slowing called the ‘Ultradian healing response’. We are
neglecting our healing cycle if we artificially keep perked up with coffee,
cigarettes, alcoholism or workaholism. Daydreaming, meditation &
quiet time allows us to take advantage of this Ultradian healing cycle.
The foundation of Life – The Superconscient
Modern Psychology & Psychoanalysis deals with the Subconscious &
Unconscious. Aurobindo averred that the Superconscient and not the
Subconscient is the foundation of life. The Fourfold Yoga is the science
of the Superconscious Mind. The mind via meditation opens up to the
Superconscient and healing takes up automatically.
Jung spiritualised Psycho-Analysis and was not an atheist like Freud.
Modern psychology is an infant science, rash, fumbling and crude. In
it the universal habit of the human mind, to highlight a half-truth and
generalise it unduly, runs riot here. Freudian psychoanalysis is half-
knowledge & half-knowledge is dangerous & can be an impediment
in the realisation of Absolute Truth. Neither the Subconscious
(which modern psychology highlights) – nor the Unconscious (which
Psychoanalysis highlights) are the important elements.The Supercon-
scious, and not the subconscious ( or the Unconscious ) is the
foundation of Life. The science of the Superconscient is Yoga
( whose Western equivalent is Free Masonry.) The Superconscient
is our evolutionary future as the subconscient was our evolutionary past.
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