________________
The aspirant who practises pranayama in a sustained manner will find that every aspect of the being, at every level, is gradually being impacted. As one advances in the practices, the structure, the skin and the smell of the body begin to change. One is always full of fresh energy, and the senses are calmed and their outgoing tendency diminishes. Impurities are removed not only from the physical and pranic bodies, but also from the mental, psychic and causal bodies. As a result, the intellectual capacity increases, and the mind and thoughts become more powerful. As prana flows freely through all the levels of being, the negative tendencies begin to drop off almost automatically. The small things that could earlier spin one out of control dissolve into nothing, and the connection with and experience of cosmic prana becomes stronger and steadier.
Awakening of vital energy The one essential benefit of pranayama is that it allows one to increase one's level of vital energy, thus strengthening the force of the different systems active within, resulting in better overall health. The practices connect the individual with the very source of energy so that one's physical and mental energies do not get depleted. This brings about continuous alertness and a sense of wellbeing, dynamism and vitality. The purpose of pranayama is not to learn how to breathe or even to breathe better, but to awaken the inherent energy, the power or prana, within.
The process of energization through pranayama can be understood from another perspective. Pranayama creates static electricity in the body which helps to recharge the positive ions breathed in from the environment and convert them into negative ions. The effect is the same as that created by rain and thunderstorm. Hot and sultry weather makes one feel lethargic, but the air becomes fresh and clean with rain and one feels energized and dynamic. Rain and thunderstorm charge the positive ions in the environment and convert them into negative ions. Similarly, pranayama
128
