The word "prana" is not often used in the Western world. It cannot be measured with physical instruments, but despite this, it is present in everything that surrounds us and, of course, in ourselves. For a Westerner accustomed to relying on a scientific approach, such a concept is unacceptable, but it can benefit him too. Let's figure out what prana is and find out why knowledge about it is relevant to this day.
Universal Life Energy
Prana permeates everything, nourishes it and gives life. This amazing energy is in everything that surrounds us. Therefore, every truly wise person understands that everything around is endowed with life - rivers, fields, stones and air. Prana is the glue that keeps our universe alive. Without it, life simply would not exist, and those material objects that are considered to be inanimate, too. According to yogis, everything in the universe was created by prana.
Paradoxically, modern scientists agree that everything in the world is energy, justdensity is not the same. Thus, the greatest minds of our society only in recent years have thought of what was known to our ancestors from time immemorial. In addition to the fact that prana gave life to all things, every living being constantly needs it.
Where do we get prana from?
Man continuously consumes energy from the outside world to sustain his life. Breathing is one of the most important ways to receive prana. You can live many days without food, but without breathing a person can hardly last a few minutes. In the process of breathing, prana, which fills the world around us, is absorbed by a person. Once ingested, it goes through many transformations before it takes its place in the body.
Much depends on the inner world of a person, since it is he who gives certain properties to vital energy. We can say that the appearance of a person is a reflection of his inner world. After all, if prana receives a negative charge, then its effect on the body will be like a poison that slowly kills its victim. If, once inside a person, the energy receives positive qualities, then it will produce a healing effect.
Food
One of the main sources of prana is food and water. What energy enters the body also depends on their quality. That is, the properties of prana found in food will affect both the human body and his mind. It is for this reason that yogis do not recommend eating the products of murder. The horror experienced by the animal at the time of death is transmitted to the lover of meat or fish, bringing confusion to hisinner peace.
Don't get carried away with food that has undergone many transformations, as there is little vital energy left in it. But the concentration of harmful substances in such food increases many times over. And the stomach will not thank you for placing an incomprehensible dead mass flavored with chemicals in its bowels.
Prana and breath
The main tool for the accumulation and transformation of vital energy is breathing. Indeed, thanks to this process, we receive the greatest amount of prana. Therefore, in order to increase your tone and increase the amount of energy available, you need to take control of your breathing. Why torture yourself by trying to change the process that automatically takes place in the body all our lives? The fact is that breathing and consciousness are closely related. Living in a fast paced modern world makes thinking superficial and fast. The same thing happens with breathing. This seriously reduces the amount of life force absorbed from the air. And since prana is the source of vital energy, its deficiency makes a person weak and lazy. All his reserves go to support his life, they simply do not remain for anything else.
For this reason, yogis use full breathing, in which the lungs are slowly filled with air up to the stomach. Pulling in and out of the abdomen helps raise and lower the diaphragm. At the same time, those parts of the lungs that are simply not used during shallow breathing are straightened and filled. If you constantly breathe only with the chest, thensome areas will sit idle for years, making them ideal habitats for harmful bacteria.
Accumulation of prana
Prana is what sets the human body and mind in motion. It circulates within us like an electric current in a machine tool. Each organ requires a certain amount of vital energy. If it is less, then it will not be able to function normally, and if it is more, it will quickly wear out and “burn out”. It is important to accumulate good prana, as the accumulation of negative energy can have a devastating effect on both the body and consciousness. To do this, you need to observe the "hygiene of the mind." It involves controlling your thoughts and emotions. In order for prana to acquire positive qualities when entering your body, you need to avoid negative thoughts, envy, lust, anger and other destructive urges.
Excess life force can only appear if it is not wasted. Our society is built to draw the full potential out of people, leaving them empty and submissive. Everyone has a lot of all sorts of habits and addictions that suck out all life energy, no matter how much it is. Another good tool for accumulating and transforming prana is meditation.
Meditation
Inside us there is a universal tool for self-development and recovery. It is not for nothing that the technique of meditation is the cornerstone in any spiritual practice. It is enough just to relax and close your eyes, as boundless peace will begin to break through from within. It turns out that inwe have a huge potential, but to get to it, you need to stop the flow of thoughts that are not going to give up without a fight. The easiest way to achieve a meditative state is to focus on the process of breathing. In addition, you need to be as relaxed as possible and make sure that the spine is kept straight. A straight spine is needed so that prana can flow freely through the channels that permeate our body.
The effect of regular meditation will exceed any expectations. You will have an extraordinary ability to concentrate, thoughts will become clearer and more positive. Those problems that seemed unsolvable will go away forever, making room for clarity and well-being. Also, as a result of meditative practices, you will be able to feel the current of prana in your body, to better understand its nature. Thus, you will accurately feel which actions empty you, and which, on the contrary, fill you with vitality. For a sustainable effect, it is desirable to practice meditation twice a day for half an hour, but you can start with a shorter period of time. Pranayama can be a good help for an experienced practitioner.
Prana is the life energy of the universe
There is an old legend to explain the meaning of life energy. It tells the story of how the disciples of one guru asked him what prana is. He said that he would tell them about this amazing substance if they spent a year in meditation.
After a year, the disciples again came to the sage with their question. He did notto get the answer out of your head, but simply asked the gods which of them was in charge. Cosmos replied that he was in charge. Similar were the answers of water, wind, fire, reason, hearing and others. But prana objected to them, saying that only it binds everything together, does not allow the world to fall apart. In confirmation of her words, she began to rise above the body and all the others reached for her. Then, as the prana legend says, it sank back into place. All other feelings went down with her. Thus, it became clear that prana is the energy that binds everything on earth and regulates its work.
Our days
How can an ancient and exotic concept help modern man? Prana is what gives us life, the he alth and well-being of a person depends on its quantity and quality. Of course, a pragmatic person will reject this concept, preferring to remain in the familiar world of materialism. But scientists themselves began to understand that the world is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Microscopic particles behave completely inadequately, completely forgetting about the laws of physics that they must obey.
Perhaps the scientists of the future will be able to understand how wise their ancestors were. But so far, only a number of specific Eastern systems operate with such a concept as prana. Yoga, qigong, aikido are the most popular schools that allow you to take control of your life force. Only practice gives an understanding of what the energy of the universe is. Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about prana, it is better to feel it yourself.
