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ananda Saraswati, an initiate disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. Swami Nadabrahmananda had perfected Nada Brahma, attunement with the primordial sound vibration, and the experiment intended to verify his claim that lie could remain comfortably without breathing for extended periods. He was placed in an airtight glass chamber. A lighted candle and a live monkey were placed in similar chambers. Electrodes were connected to his heart, brain and different parts of the body, and he was asked to play the tabla while instruments monitored his parameters. His nose and ears were blocked and his whole body was smeared with wax, so that aii would not pass through the pores.
After three minutes the candle went out, and after fifteen minutes the monkey fell unconscious, but Swami Nadabrahmananda continued to play the tabla for more than forty minutes. During this period he was not breathing and when a coin was placed on top of his shaved head, it bobbed up and down. When a microphone was placed against any part of his body, a loud, constant sound like that of a waterfall was heard. He explained that this sound was the movement of prana, adding that one continues to live as long as the pranas are active, even if one stops breathing. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (2:3) echoes his statement:
यावद्वायुः स्थितो देहे तावज्जीवनमुच्यते।
मरणं तस्य निष्क्रांतिस्ततो वायुं निरोधयेत् ॥ As long as the vayu (prana) remains in the body, there is life. Death occurs when the vayu leaves the body, therefore, retain the vayu.
Receiving prana Prana is the dynamic principle within everything. Everyone is born with a certain quantum of prana, but the quantity and quality change continuously, as one goes through life. Positive thoughts, higher feelings and yogic practices generate
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