Praanayaam: key to heightened awareness

Most meditators, regardless of what technique they are using, have noticed changes in the rate of breathing while experiencing deeper states of consciousness. They have watched their breath becoming finer, stiller, and at times non-existent. Their attention has become very fluid, and at times their energy feels very strong. Whatever these meditators have been doing is a natural form of praanayaam.

So what exactly is praanayaam then?

It's a practice of strengthening and refining the praanic energy field.

What is praan? Praan, also known as chi, has been described as a non-physical body or aura of energy that surrounds and permeates our physical body.

Our health is directly related to the balance of energies and the strength or "voltage" of our praan, or the field that permeates our body. Also, our ability to perceive finer states of perception is very much related to the quality of the space of energy in and around our bodies.

How do we practice praanayaam?

First we start with the breath. By consciously letting our breath become still without force, our capacity of absorbing and radiating energy through the finer channels increases. As our economy of breath expands (meaning less physical air breathed, but finer quality of energy), so our longevity increases. As our praanic channels open up, we find ourselves naturally "breathing" in and out through our own thought or vision without the aid of the breath.

The continued practice of praanayaam gives rise to extremely subtle states of perception. Also, the ability to hold the attention on one thought or stream of consciousness effortlessly. As a result, powers of mind may open up spontaneously.

Fine and nice, but how about some specifics?

A simple praanayaam easy to practice: Suppose you have been sitting in silence contemplating or meditating for some time, say 20 or 30 minutes. Take the opportunity to breath in deeply through the nostrils and on the out-breath audibly hum the sound ‘mmm’, a continual sound ‘mmm…’ for the duration of the breath. In such wise, one will be practicing praanayaam.  Repeat this process say 10 times - (breathing in through the nose and humming out through the nose) - one will manifest the praanic energy cultivated during the meditation through a fine channel of voice, breath and thought. At the end of the last humming breath, hold the breath out of the body for as long as comfortably possible. Then watch our consciousness escalate to subtler levels. Our mind will become amazingly clear. Our body will feel light. The energy cultivated during the period of stillness is collecting into a powerful stream. It will rise upwards and lift one beyond the ordinary consciousness.  This works like this because the praanayaam opens a channel of perception wider than the one we are used to, and because we are already still and alert from sitting in silence, the product of openness has a chance to stream out and upward through the widened channel.

Try it! You will be amazed! This simple exercise can be repeated again in the same session. Take the time to sit again in stillness with this new awareness, then repeat the technique, releasing the humming breath for another ten rounds or so: breathe-in, hum ‘mmm..’ out, breathe in, hum ‘mmm..’ out, … On the last humming breath, let the breath stay out for as long as comfortable. The effect of the praanayaam will be proportional to the practice one has done in meditation and the effortlessness and length in which one can hold the breath out of the body. The result, as one can verify, is a quality of heightened awareness. One receives great insight into the nature of one's consciousness – not to mention great health benefits.