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correspond to ida nadi and pingala nadi. These two mental and physical channels within the body apply to all levels of being from gross to subtle, forming the basis for every perception, activity and experience. They represent the two distinct forces within the human environment - the ebb and flow of human existence.
Pingala represents the positive polarity and is the solar force. Physical vitality, dynamic activity and tension are qualities of pingala energy. It is hot in nature and corresponds to the sympathetic nervous system. Ida represents the negative polarity and is the lunar force. It is cold in nature and corresponds to the parasympathetic nervous system. Relaxation, passivity and sedentary activity are qualities of ida. The two mantras comprising the word 'hatha' correspond to the ida and pingala nadis. Ham relates to pingala nadi and tham or ksham to ida nadi. This symbology is also seen on the two petals of ajna chakra.
Pingala, the extroverting force, generally predominates during the daylight hours, especially in periods of physical and mental exertion, and activities requiring external interaction and attention. Ida also flows at such times, but it is subordinate to the pingala flow. In order to maintain a balance, ida generally predominates at night, counteracting the predominant flow of pingala during the day. Ida, the introverting force, is active while relaxing, reading, thinking, viewing television or sleeping.
Link with flow of nostrils: Ida and pingala dominance is directly related to the flow of breath in the nostrils. If one checks the flow of breath at any moment, one will usually find that one nostril is more open than the other. When the flow of breath is stronger in the left nostril, it indicates that ida is dominant; when the flow is stronger in the right nostril it indicates that pingala is dominant. When one is sleepy or drowsy, one will notice that the left nostril is flowing. When one is physically active, the right nostril begins to flow predominantly. Observing this phenomenon, the yogis devised breathing techniques to regulate the flows of ida and
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| SR No. | 009371 |
| Book Title | Pran and Pranayam |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Niranjananand Saraswati Swami |
| Publisher | Yoga Publication Trust |
| Publication Year | 2009 |
| Total Pages | 369 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 11 MB |