WE have now to deal with the exercises in Pranayama. We
have seen that the first step will be, according to the Yogis,
to control the motion of the lungs. What we want to do is to
feel the finer motions that are going on in the body. Our
minds have become externalised, and have lost sight of the
finer motions inside. If we can begin to feel them, we can
begin to control them. These nerve currents are going on all
over the body, bringing life and vitality to every muscles, but
we do not feel them. The Yogi says we can learn to do so.
How? By taking up and controlling all those motions of the
Prana beginning with the motion of the lungs, and when we
have done that for a sufficient length of time we shall also be
able to control the finer motions.
We now come to the exercises in Pranayama. Sit upright;
the body must be kept straight. The spinal cord, although it
is inside the vertabral column, is not attached to it. If you sit
crookedly you disturb this spinal cord, so let it be free. Any
time that you sit crookedly and try to meditate you are doing
yourself an injury. The three parts of the body must be
always held straight, the chest, the neck, and the head, in one
line. You will find that by a little practice this will come to you
just as breathing. The second thing is to get control of the
nerves. We have seen that the nerve centre that controls the
respiratory organs, has a sort of controlling effect on the
other neves, and rhythmical breathing is therefore necessary.
The breathing that we generally use should not be called
breathing at all. It is very irregular. Then there are some
natural differences of breathing between men and women.
THE CONTROL OF PSYCHIC PRANA
49
The first lesson is just to breathe in a measured way, in
and out. That will harmonise the system. When you have
practices this for some time you will do well to join the
repetition of some word to it, as “Om,” or any other sacred
word, and let the word flow in and out with the breath,
rhythmically, harmoniously, and you will feel the whole
body is become rhythmical. Then you will learn what rest is.
Sleep is not rest, comparatively. Once this rest has come the
most tired nerves will be calmed down, and you will find
that you have never really rested. In India we use certain
symbolical words instead one, two, three, four. That is why I
advise you to join the mental repetition of the “Om,” or other
sacred word to the Pranayama.
The first effect of this practice will be that the face will
change; harsh lines will disappear; with this calm though
calmness will come over the face. Next, beautiful voice will
come. I never saw a Yogi with a croaking voice. These
sighns will come after a few months’ pracitce. After
practising this first breathing for a few days, you take up a
higher one. Slowly fill the lungs with breath through the
Ida, the left nostril, and at the same time concentrate the
mind on the nerve current. You are, as it were, sending the
nerve current down the spinal column, and striking violently
on that last plexus, the basic lotus, which is triangular in
form, the seat of the Kundalini. Then hold the current there
for some time. Imagine that you are slowly drawing that
nerve current with the breath through the other side, then
slowly throw it out through the right nostril. This you will
find a little difficult to practice. The easiest way is to stop
the right nostril with the thumb, and then slowly draw in the
breath through the left; then close both nostrils with thumb
and forefinger, and imagine that you are sending that current
down, and striking the base of the Susumna; then take the
RAJA YOGA
50
thumb off, and let the breath out through the right nostril.
Next inhale slowly though that nostril, keeping the other
closed by the forefinger, then close both, as before. The way
the Hindus practice this would be very difficult for this
country, because they do it from their childhood, and their
lungs are prepared for it. Here it is well to being with four
seconds, and slowly increase. Draw in four seconds, hold in
sixteen seconds, then throw out in eight seconds. This
makes one Pranayama. At the same time think of the
triangle, concentrate the mind on that centre. The
imagination can help you a great deal. The next breathing is
slowly drawing the breath in, and then immediately throwing
it out slowly, and then stopping the breath out, using the
same numbers. The only difference is that in the first case
the breath was held in, and in the second, held out. The last
is the easier one. The breathing in which you hold the breath
in the lungs must not be practised too much. Do it only four
times in the morning, and four times in the evening. Then
you can slowly increase the time and number. You will find
that you have the power to do so, and that you take pleasure
in it. So, very carefully and cautiously increase as you feel
that you have the power, to six instead of four. It may injure
you if you practice it irregularly.
Of the three processes, the purification of the nerves, the
retaining the breath inside and keeping the breath outside,
the first and the last are neither difficult nor dangerous. The
more you practice the first one the calmer you will be. Just
think of “Om,” and you can practice even while you are
sitting at your work. You will be all the the better for it.
One day, if you practise hard the Kundalini will be aroused.
For those who practice once or twice a day, just a little
calmness of the body and mind will come, and beautiful
voice; only for those who can go on further with it will this
Kundalini be aroused, and the whole of this nature will begin
to change, and the book of knowledge will be open. No
more will you need to go to books for knowledge; your own
mind will have become your book, containing infinite
knowledge. I have already spoken of the Ida and Pingala
currents, flowing through either side of the spinal column,
also of the Susumna, the passage through the centre of the
spinal cord. These three are present in every animal;
whatever has a spinal column has these three lines of action,
but the Yogis claim that in ordinary mankind the Susumna is
closed, that action there is not evident, while in the other two
it is evident, carrying power to different parts of the body.
The Yogi alone has the Susumna open. When this
Susumna current opens, and thought begins to rise through it,
we get beyond the senses, our minds become supersensuous,
superconscious, we get beyond even the intellect, and where
reasoning cannot reach. To open that Susumna is the prime
object of the Yogi. According to him. along this Susumna
are ranged these centres of distribution, or, in more
figurative language, these lotuses as they are called. The
lowest one is at the lowest end of the spinal cord, and is
called Muladhara, the next one is called Svadhisthana, the
next Manipura, the next Anahata, the next Vicuddha, the
next Ajna, and the last, which is in the brain, is the
Sahacrara, or “the thousand petalled.” Of these we have to
take cognition just now of only two centres, the lowest, the
Muladhara, and the highest, the Sahacrara. The lowest one
is where all energy becomes stored up, and that energy has
to be taken up from there and brought to the last one, the
brain. The Yogis claim that of all the energies that the
human body comprises the highest is what they call “Ojas.”
Now this Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more the
Ojas is in a man’s head, the more powerful he is, the more
RAJA YOGA
52
intellectual, the more spiritually strong will that man be.
This is the action of Ojas. One man may speak beautiful
language and beautiful thoughts, but they do not impress
people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor
beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. That is the power
of Ojas coming out. Every movement coming from him will
be powerful.
Now in all mankind there is more or less of this Ojas
stored up. And all the forces that are working in this body,
in their highest form, become Ojas. You must remember
that it is only a question of transformation. The same force
which is working outside, as electricity or magnetism, will
become changed into inner force; the same forces that are
working as muscular energy will be changed into Ojas. The
Yogis say that that part of the human energy which is
expressed as sex energy, in sexual functions, sexual thought,
and so on, when checked and controlled, easily becomes
changed into Ojas, and as this lowest centre is the one which
guides all these functions, therefore the Yogi pays particular
attention to that centre. He tries to take up all this sexual
energy and convert it into Ojas. It is only the chaste man or
woman who can make the Ojas rise and become stored in the
brain, and that is why chastity has always been considered
the highest virtue, because man feels that if he is unchaste,
spirituality goes away, he loses mental vigour, and strong
moral stamina. That is why in all of the religious orders in
the world that have produced spiritual giants you will always
find this intense chastity insisted upon. That is why the
monks came into existence, giving up marriage. There must
be perfect chastity in thought, word and deed. Without it the
practice of Raja Yoga is dangerous, and may lead to insanity.
If people practice Raja Yoga and at the same time lead an
impure life, how can they expect to become Yogis?
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