The Vedic rishis were the masters of the physical and the spiritual; super beings who controlled prakriti (Nature) and all its manifestations. Time and again, modern science and the best of western minds have turned to Vedic culture to find solutions to complex problems. Enough research has highlighted the scientific basis and precision of Vedic concepts. The physical body, comprising the five mahabhutas (elements), had been completely mastered by the Vedic rishis. The rishis of yesteryears could maintain their physical youth and glow till the very end and then leave the body in a state of full consciousness and awareness. It is very possible to achieve the same in this day and age, provided one develops an in-depth understanding of Vedic concepts and applies them in the right manner to master the physical body.
Let us begin to understand what was it that endowed the Vedic masters with their phenomenal glow and radiance.
The physical body reflects the power of the ether and its practices — as prescribed by the Vedic rishis — which has a direct effect on one’s physical beauty and glow, as well as on the destruction of the body and senses, which is called ageing. The physical body is run on prana. Prana is the force of creation and pertains to the etheric layer or the pranamaya kosha in a human being.
The practice of Sanatan Kriya enables a being to access the pranamaya kosha and he/she can then increase or decrease the prana in the body and direct it to produce glow and attraction; or to attain spiritual feats using the strength of a heightened consciousness, as desired.
We are constantly exchanging prana with our surroundings and consuming it in the course of our everyday activities. A decrease in prana, that is clairvoyantly seen as the grosser colours in the etheric body, causes the body to lose its vitality; hence, it ages. Ageing works at different levels, with the signs first appearing at the elementary level of a cell. It is the cell in which heaviness accumulates and, depending on the type of dosha (disease) — obesity, depression, heart trouble and others — originates.
The day a baby is born, the process of physical ageing sets in. This begins with the first breath. Each breath results in the production of energy; and the equal and opposite effect of it is the ageing of the cell because of the production of toxins — called ama in Ayurveda. This breathing process results in the loss of the skin’s elasticity, wrinkles, the weakening of the abilities of the five senses — all of which are a sign of the ageing of the human body.
A simple indicator to assess your state of health is by the number of times you breath in a minute. It is said that if your breath count is below 10, you will exude glow, youth and beauty, and if it is over 15 then sadness, sickness and old age have taken over, regardless of your age. When cells are exposed to large doses of oxygen or instant heat through certain types of hyperactive techniques misrepresented as yoga, then initially, one does feel good, but ultimately this results in the depletion of the finite life force within the cell and shortens your lifespan.
Pranayamas and asanas are highly potent tools, the effects of which are unsurpassed if prescribed by a guru after the evaluation of one’s physical and emotional condition. However, they must be balanced with other pranayamas and kriyas to bring the body in a state of equilibrium and shanti. It is, therefore, important to understand how our systems work: how we produce, utilise and waste energy in the body, beginning with the essential act of breathing. Thus the practice of yoga and Sanatan Kriya becomes a one-to-one engagement between a guru and a shishya, which cannot be carried out as a mass exercise.
The prime reason for disease to enter the body is the congestion and accumulation of heavy prana in the body. There is a specific energy channel in the etheric body called the Sushumna, which regulates the flow of prana to various energy centres. It is also the channel through which, in advanced stages of yoga, the Kundalini Shakti is made to rise in a practitioner. In the physical body, the Sushumna is a reflection of the spinal column. For the prana to flow freely in the Sushumna, it is important to have a strong spine. There are certain specific techniques and postures in the Vedic texts for strengthening the spine and back which may be considered as a prerequisite to attempting any advanced techniques of the Kundalini. The Kundalini that lies coiled up at the base of the spine in a semi-dormant form — when made to rise in a controlled and supervised manner — endows the practitioner with phenomenal glow and attraction as well as immense physical and spiritual powers. The book, Sanatan Kriya: The Ageless Dimension, details certain authentic and highly potent asanas and pranayamas to awaken the Kundalini in a controlled manner and ways to manage this phenomenal power.
Anti-Ageing Retreat: From Nov 29 to Dec 1 in Bangalore.
Day 1: Techniques for strengthening the spine and back, Sanatan Kriya, anti-ageing kriyas and tonics as well as an introduction to Vedic culture.
Days 2 and 3: Chanting of the eternal Om, advanced anti-ageing kriyas and tonics, asanas for awakening the kundalini and its management, and exploring the scientific basis of Vedic culture.
The first-day sessions are for newcomers and the following two days’ sessions are for the practitioners of Sanatan Kriya. However, anyone can stay at the Retreat for all the three days.
For details, log on to www.dhyanfoundation.com or mail info@dhyanfoundation.com. Telephone: 9980837599/9611445488/ 9886714558.
Yogi Ashwini is the spiritual head of Dhyan Ashram. Email dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com