Astang Yoga = Pujya Gurudev

Union of individual prana with cosmic prana through Astang Yoga

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

There is one cosmic prana (consciousness life force) manifesting in numberless names and forms in the universe. It is the origin of all. In an individual life, due to ignorance, the prana gets caged in, confined to and constricted by the shell of ego and gets cut off from its universal source. 
All spiritual sadhanas are aimed at liberation of soul from the clutches of illusory name, form and identity and its reunion with its source- the universal consciousness life-force. Astanga (eight-fold) yoga is one of the most authentic paths of sadhana to achieve this end. Ignorant persons think of yoga as a means of accessing supernatural magical powers. But actually yoga is a superbly systematized method of utilization of pranic energy for self-purification, self-refinement, and self-transcendence. 

When a person is engaged in worldly affairs, the haphazard flow of prana present in his physical, vital and mental levels remains scattered in his lower nature. But when this flow of prana is focused with one pointed concentration in a single direction for any worthwhile purpose, it can work wonders. All the powers of mind like imagination, observation, decision-making, control, memory, and wisdom are activated by the pranic energy. Vivacity of senses is also possible by pranic energy only. All the intricate autonomous functions of the body and its organs are carried on without any conscious control of our own- by this mysterious life force- the pranic energy. 

To control and consciously utilize this life force for self-upliftment, purity and tranquility of mind and emotions are essential. To achieve this end, yam and niyam are two essential initial disciplines prescribed by the Astang yoga of Maharishi Patanjali. Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy and renunciation are called yamas and cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of scriptures (spiritual texts), unwavering surrender to the will of God are called niyams. By following these disciplines the body becomes charged with energy, mind becomes cleansed and quiet and the sadhak is bestowed with will, zeal and faith to rapidly progress in his sadhana of self-awareness and self-realization. 

Along with yamas and niyams, the practice of Asanas (yogic postures) is third essential step so that one is able to sit in one posture for long hours without any uneasiness of body and mind. The fourth step in this eight-step ladder of yoga is Pranayam (control of breath). Normally the pranic energy in our ignorant state wildly dances to the tunes of passions and unbridled animal urges. Practice of Pranayam helps in calming down and controlling these wayward and wild movements of the mind. Purity of mind and purity of life force are interdependent. Mind and life are as father and son. Vrahdaranyak Upanishad states: 

Mana eva pita, vang mata pranah praja I Vrahda. Upanishad (1/5/7) That is, mind is the father, speech is the mother and the life is their progeny. Pranayam is the practice of consciously controlling the flow of prana by engaging mind and thoughts in a single ennobling and uplifting direction. Prana sadhana involves controlling all the five flows of airs (apan, prana, udan, vyan, and saman) and their sub-airs existing in the body by thoroughly understanding their functions. 
All these airs and sub-airs are classifications of one prana. Basically pranic energy is one cosmic pranic energy manifesting through different entities and individualities. 

Even a partial command over cosmic prana endows a person with supernatural powers. By controlled energy of the prana the inner subconscious mind can be activated and its supernormal capacities like clairvoyance, clairaudience, mind reading, premonition etc. can be accessed. One can even instantly travel astronomical distances to planets, stars, and galaxies. With mastery of prana one can also have free access to subtle and higher realms of consciousness and their beings- the heavenly worlds. 

But advanced prana sadhana must be undertaken under an adept guide and master (the Guru). Higher practices of pranayam are dangerous with an impure and disorganized mind and can even lead to acute mental disorders hence advanced stages of pranayam should always be practiced with simultaneous practice of fifth, sixth and seventh steps of astang yoga sadhana i.e. pratyahar (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation). Without purification and control of the mind the prana sadhana remains a mere breathing exercise. It is beneficial to bodily health but it is not pranic yoga. For fruitful practice of pranayam one has to keep a constant watch over the movements and control of the muscles. For this purpose there are different vedhas, mudras and bandhas. With unwavering determination cosmic pranic energy is drawn from the cosmic space. 
Then one has to learn the process of consciously focusing this energy for achieving the desired result. However the ultimate aim of the prana sadhana is the liberation of the enslaved individual being (prana) from the prison of the false ego identity and its merger-union with the cosmic pranic being of eternal life, light and love- samadhi- the eighth and the final step of Patanjal yoga sadhana. Persons endowed with abundance of this pranic energy are reckoned as truly great. Before ending let us quote how beautifully has the world renowned mystic-healer, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, expressed her own experience of pranic energy- life force, as she calls it: "Coherent, elegant, mysterious, aesthetic. 
When I first earned my degree in medicine I would not have described the life in this way. But I was not on intimate terms with life then. 

I had not seen the power of the life force in everyone, met the will to live in all its varied and subtle forms, and recognized the irrepressible love of life buried in the heart of every living thing. I had not been used by life to fulfill itself or been caught unaware by its strength in its most profound weakness. I had no sense of awe. I had thought that life was broken and that I, armed with the powerful tools of modern science, would fix it. 

I had thought then that I was broken also. But life has shown me otherwise. Many of the people who come to my office now as counseling clients have come because modern medicine has failed them in some way, or they have used up its power to help them, they do not know what else to do. 

They hope to find a way to heal, to cooperate with or even strengthen the life in them. 
After listening to hundreds and hundreds of their stories over the last twenty years I think I would have to say that most people do not recognize the strengthof the life force in them or the many ways it shows itself to them. Yet every one of us has felt its power. 

We who doubt are covered with the scars of many healings. So when people first come, this is the place where we usually start- talking about life itself, our attitude towards it, our experience of it, our trust or distrust of it. Developing an eye to see it, in others and in ourselves. In the beginning is the life force. After more than fifty years of living, I have learnt it can be trusted."

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma