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Hari Om Tat Sat
Swara Yoga Team
Swara Yoga and its relevance in daily life.
Yoga is the ultimate term to achieve the experience of our transcendental nature beyond duality. There are many forms of yoga which has been discovered by the Seers and Sages while leading their life through self discovery, awareness and in tune with nature from thousands of years. As human evolution of consciousness continued they discovered different methods to understand different dimensions and expressions of life. Those enlightened being as we know today as Yogis, Rishis and Seers, discovered governing forces of life. The subtle energy in the form of 5 elements, Akash, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithavi. The evolution of consciousness brought many unknown reality in tho their experience and perception.
Swara Yoga which has been less known to the world today is most relevant and practical system of yoga directly connected with our breath. The word SWARA in Sanskrit, means sound or musical note; it also means the continuous flow of air through one nostril. And we all know that YOGA means union. So Swara Yoga is the science which is about the realization of cosmic consciousness, through the awareness or observation, then control or manipulation of the flow of breath in the nostrils.
Swara yoga is an ancient tantric science which involves the systematic study of the breath flow through the nostrils (or swara) in relation to the prevailing phases of the moon, time of day and direction . Although we think of ‘pranayama’ when we think of techniques associated with the breath, in Swara yoga, it is the association of the breath in relation to the activities or phases or positions of the sun, moon, planets, seasons, time of day, with the physical and mental conditions of the individual and then taking the appropriate action according to these subtle relations.
From thousand of years man kind is trying to understand the real source and the manifestation of life. The cause of suffering and their remedies. Through their awareness and observation they were able to relate the changes within in tune with nature. And as they went deeper in to their search they found many governing forces working on the basis of feedback mechanism. The main connection for all activities in life is breath. Swara yoga is a practical science which is directly connected with all functions of life that is physical, mental, emotional, vital, psychic and spiritual. Understanding the breath and connection it has with our different dimension of existence we can understand our life better and can harmonize on all level and avoid suffering in the form of physical and mental illness.
Through Hatha Yoga we harmonize our body, physiological homeostasis; through Raja Yoga we deal with our mind and overcome patterns of mind or disturbances of mind. By the practice of Bhakti Yoga we balance our emotions and utilize the emotional force for creative and positive expressions. Through Karma Yoga we balance our actions and learn acceptance. Swara yoga is the yogic science to balance our internal and external expressions in tune of energy which controls all above faculty with time the Kala is our breath.
Swara Yoga explains how through breath we can understand cosmic rhythm in relation with our body and mind. The cosmic governing forces the five elements, manifests in different forms in different permutations and combinations. Through the practice of swara yoga one can facilitate favorable action with appropriate favorable energy flowing through the nostrils in the form of breath. Ultimately swara yoga helps us achieve heightened awareness through which we can see the life from Atma to physical body and entire manifestations of Tattwa. Breathing system is the one of the system which has both control voluntary and involuntary and that is why breath is the central focus in all forms of yoga. We can consciously control the breath and enter into unconscious area of our mind and that’s what swara yoga teaches us. Observe the breath and understand the connection it has with our different dimensions of life.
Swara Yoga is the easiest method to harmonize five elements and our subtle body. Through the practice of swara yoga we can bring harmony in Vata, Pitta and Kapha, we can avoid planetary negative influence and activate and purify our Chakra the energy centers of tattwa. Over all through swara yoga we can balance five elements using right action in appropriate element and avoiding disharmony and negative subtle reaction which in terns create psycho-physiological problems. Swara yoga has great importance in Ayurveda as it explains how to keep harmony between subtle five elements and our actions in turns create harmony on all level of existence and makes our life healthy, bliss-full, successful and enlightened.
Shivaswarodaya Sloka 371:
The disorders of the three humors (i.e. vata, pitta and
kapha), the primary fluids and the excretions (twelve
in number) of the body keep on destroying it. But the
balancing of the vayu (wind) increases vigour and
strength.
Shivaswarodaya Sloka 376:
In order to purify their bodies yogis should know
thoroughly about (the aspects of pranayama which
are) puraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention) and
rechaka (exhalation).
Shivaswarodaya Sloka 377:
Puraka is responsible for the growth and harmony of
the essential ingredients of the body, whereas kumbhaka
enhances the preservation of life that is performed by
suspension of the breath.
Shivaswarodaya Sloka 54:
Through one-pointed awareness, the yogi becomes alert.
In this way the yogi is able to know everything by the
activities of his lunar and solar nadis.
Pramhamsa Satyananda says:
“If you can realise the true reality of the breath, you can realise the Atma (Soul)”.
Yoga is a lifestyle and all different forms of yoga should be practiced with sync. We can practice all form of yoga to balance and expand our awareness in each and every action of our life that is physical, mental, emotional, pranic, psychic and spiritual.
Swara yoga can help in harmonizing energy which controls our deep psychic nature and Karma. Swara yoga is the practice of Agama Shastra and it can be practiced by any one whatever life they are leading, it can benefit all and one of the easiest yet powerful approach to transform our mind, prana, expressions and behaviour into positive outcomes and in turn brings peace, prosperity, harmony and bliss in one`s life.
Modern Science and Swara Yoga
Swara Yogis have described the complex interactions between anatomy, psycho-physiological and the metaphysical energetic structures known as subtle body. The flow of air through the nostrils relates to the activity of the Ida, Pingala and Sushumma nadi. In particular, Yogis noticed that the breath does not usually flow through both nostrils at the same time. Instead, it cycles through each nostril throughout the day: at some points air is flowing more heavily through the left nostril while at other times, it is flowing through the right nostril. Although one can notice clearly alternate breathing pattern, for some reason, this phenomenon has received very little attention under Western Medicine but now many research has been done and scientist are able to understand the complexity of our breathing pattern and the connection with neuro-endocrine functions. Nasal Cycle was first noted – on record – by Kayser, a German rhinologist in Breslau, 1895. There is a connection between the nadis and the nostril cycle: when the breath is flowing through the left nostril, Yogis claim that there is activity in the Ida nadi, while if it is flowing through the right nostril, the Pingala nadi is active. The implications of such connection are far reaching and can lead to astonishing insight about the workings of the human autonomic nervous system.
Recent studies of the nasal cycle comparing plasma catecholamine levels in the venous circulation in the two arms demonstrate alternating levels of nor-epinephrine on the two sides that do vary with the rhythm of sympathetic activity in the nose (Kennedy etal. 1986). This further supports a generalized mechanism of alternating autonomic function in the periphery. Also the observations of Neligan and Strang (1952) in new born humans demonstrate how a distinct and lateralized dominance of autonomic line through out the periphery is possible, They termed this the harlequin color change to illustrate the dramatic differences in the color on the two sides of the body that were exhibited with a well defined midline.
The ancient concept of dual nature of our personality that is symbolized as Ardhanariishwar – half Siva and half Shakti – also finds place in Swara yoga, where the nasal cycle is connected with the brain hemispheres. The right nostril is connected with the left hemisphere, and the left nostril is connected with right brain hemisphere. During the flow of Pingala or the right nostril, the left brain hemisphere is active, and during the flow of Ida or left nostril dominance, the right brain hemisphere becomes active. Baubel and Shannehoff-Khalsa (1987) and Klein et al. (1986) have found that the performance efficiencies of verbal and spatial tasks during both phases of the nasal cycle demonstrated that verbal efficiency is greater while the subjects were breathing primarily in the right and that spatial skills were enhanced during left nostril dominance. This supports the theory of contralateral dominance in the nostril hemisphere relationship, and the different functions of nadi.
Stoksted (1953) and Eccles (1978) have proposed that the hypothalamus may be responsible for regulating the cyclical changes in nasal resistance.
Studies have also shown that schizophrenia is associated with greater left cerebral hemisphere dysfunction and that depression and the other affective disorders are associated with greater right hemisphere dysfunction. This also justifies the theory that blockages in the pingala nadi lead to schizophrenia, and that blockages in the ida nadi lead to depression. Depression is the result of emotional blockage, which is controlled by the Ida nadi. It has been suggested that the pituitary hormonal secretions, cardiovascular function, and fuel regulation are associated with the nasal cycle.
Bouayd-Amine et al. demonstrated dominance by the left nostril improves the functioning of the immune system. Swara yoga justifies this concept as it states that the left nadi provides nectar and strength for the body.
Sanyasi Atmavandana
Swara Yoga Centre, No 87 3rd Main Road, R C Puram Bangalore 560021 Karnataka India.
Email: swarayoga@gmail.com Phone: 91-60-23422575 Mobile: 91-9341306359
Website: www.swarayoga.org Blog & Articles site: www.swarayoga.org/blog
Stay healthy through Swara Yoga
Special Correspondent
By controlling the swara you can get good sleep without tranquillisers and work the whole day without experiencing fatigue, says Swami Satyananda
BANGALORE: It is not exactly a new-age thing but derived from what was widely practised centuries ago. That is what Baburaj R. Acharya, who has researched the subject, says about Swara Yoga.
“Swara means the sound of one’s breath; the flow and sound of the incoming and outgoing breath. It is the yoga of every breath to harmonise the notes of the body and the mind, of thought and action and eventually, the cosmos,” he says.
Manipulation
Big words? He quotes more from Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga: “Swara Yoga is the ancient science of pranic body rhythms that explains how the movement of `prana’ can be controlled by manipulation of breath.”
Modern medical science agrees that keeping the heartbeat down to an optimum level promotes good health while a faster pulse is an indication of something being wrong.
Pranic rhythms are biorhythms such as the circadian rhythms (which make the body yearn for sleep or get ready to face a day’s work) and ultradian rhythms to adapt to the environment. According to Swara Yoga, the breath too has a rhythm — the rhythm of life. Though you have two nostrils, at any given time, only one is fully engaged in breathing.
The dominant nostril alternates periodically, denoting a rhythm. Both nostrils become active momentarily when this transition occurs. Medical science calls it “the ultradian rhythm of the nasal cycle,” and it is associated with various neuro-endocrine and cardio-vascular functions.
Medical research
Research by neurobiologists has shown that the ultradian rhythm of alternating cerebral dominance exists. This is connected with the nasal cycle since it correlates with shifts in airflow through the left and right nostrils.
There is relatively greater activity in that part of the body, particularly the brain, corresponding to the predominant airflow in the opposite nostril. The science of Swara Yoga is pivoted to this cyclic rhythm of breath.
Balancing the breath cycle, according to the Swara Yoga school, naturally balances the three “doshas”: vata, pitta and kapha. Swami Satyananda says: “By controlling the swara you can get good sleep without tranquillisers, work the whole day without experiencing fatigue and digest your food without medication.”
Swara Yoga: how to harmonise breath
Lata Ramaswamy
Research has shown that air flow in the turbinates in the nose triggers neuronal responses that set up reflexes throughout the body.
When I first heard the phrase “swara yoga” I thought it was about developing music into a form of yoga. I discovered that I was both right and wrong. It is not about music as yoga, but about the ‘music of the body” – the breath. The term swara yoga refers to the “swara” of the body, the incoming and outgoing breath, and the yoga of harmonizing it.
Someone familiar with Ashtanga Yoga might ask: isn’t that called pranayama? Yes, pranayama is about the breath. So, what is different about swara yoga? Swami Satyananda explains that although both pranayama and swara yoga deal with the prana, “swara yoga emphasizes the analysis of the breath and the significance of different pranic rhythms, whereas pranayama involves techniques to redirect, store and control prana.
Swara yoga may therefore be said to involve the practices of pranayama, but in fact it is a much more extensive and precise science.” So, pranayama is like a workbook on the subject of swara yoga.
The breath
The breath is one of the subtlest aspects of the human being. Life begins with the beginning of breathing and ends when breathing stops. Since every cell of the body requires oxygen every second, breathing has an effect on all parts of the body, including subtle things like the consciousness. Swara yoga explores and defines the relationships between the breath and different activities of the body and the personality. The canvas is, therefore vast, ranging from issues of spirituality to minute details like the best time to eat in relationship to the flow of the breath.
Swara yoga postulates that although it appears that we breathe through both nostrils all the time, observation shows that in fact, the function one of the two nostrils dominates at any given time. Further, this predominance alternates at regular intervals, indicating a pattern and a rhythm.
One may ask, so, how is this supposed to matter, since the breath goes into the lungs anyway, whether through the right or the left nostril? The answer to this lies in the secrets of that important feature of the human face – the nose. The complexity of the inner structure of the nose is not obvious on the outside; however, one may get an idea from a recent snippet in a newspaper which reported that researchers estimate that the technicalities of air flow in the human nostril is more complicated than that involved in the flight of a jumbo jet.
This is due to the presence of curious convolutions inside the nose called turbinates, which alternately swell and subside. While the most obvious result of this is the alternative dominance of right and left nostrils in breathing, turbinates are said to affect the quality of the air flow in many other ways as well, which, in turn, affects bodily and mental states.
Nose structure
Then there is the strategic location of the nose itself in relation to the brain. Rudolph Ballantine, M.D., co-author of “The Science of Breath,” explains that situated as it is between the floor of the brain and the roof of the mouth, “anything going on inside of it is closely related to the brain, the nervous system, the pituitary gland, (which is located in the floor of the brain) and many other strategic structures.”
He further tells us that the documentation of nasal air flow has been done in modern times in laboratories both in the West and the East, but detailed work on it was done by ancient yogis. Specifically, the swara yogis, “who focused on the science of breath made intricate correlations between the way the breath was flowing and various psychological and physiological states.” The author adds that research has shown that air flow in the turbinates “triggers neuronal responses that set up reflexes throughout the body.”
In swara yoga there is a detailed co-relation of breath to other aspects of life — physical, psychological and spiritual. It combines the disciplines of yoga, ayurveda and yogic astrology and vastu. Swara yoga works with the theories of the three nadis, the five pranas, koshas and tattwas, as well as the charkas of the individual. To use a word popular in medicine, it is a holistic system.
Benefits
What exactly are the benefits of practising swara yoga? Sanyasi Charanashrit of Atma Darshan Yogashram, who has made swara yoga his speciality, says that it enables us to understand the composition of our bodies in ayurvedic terms, and become aware of the subtle vibrations of our minds as well as the greater forces governing our lives. “The ancient rishis and saints were not familiar with the anatomy and physiology of the body as it is understood today, but they were worthy of being called true scientists. They were experts in manipulating the subtle forces in our body through the swara (breath),” he says.
It is interesting to hear him co-relate swara yoga theory and practice with modern knowledge. For example, he says:
“The right hemisphere, governed by the IDA nadi flowing through the left nostril, is responsible for experiences which are intangible to the external sense receptors. Thus it is responsible for psychic and extra – sensory perception, and it stimulates creative, artistic and musical abilities, as also the experience of intuition and psychic perception.
The left brain hemisphere or PINGALA nadi, governed by the flow of breath through the right nostril, is responsible for the rational, analytical, logical and mathematical intellect.
It has been suggested that left nostril dominance stimulates the Pineal gland, and findings suggest that the pineal is the psychic gland connected with Ajna Chakra.
“Therefore, nadis are closely connected with the neuro-endocrine function of the body. Once the physiological connection and the functioning of the brain with the nadis is understood, it is easy to understand that both the nadis have different effects on our body and mind.”
Although there are books, both ancient and modern, on swara yoga, the practice, as with other yogas, is best learnt with a teacher. Sanyasi Charanashrit has been busy for quite some time putting together courses for those interested in learning it. These are conducted at the ashram premises in Kumaraswamy Layout. Details can be had by calling 26664016, or through their website, www.swarayoga.org.
Swara yoga is an ancient science of breathing. Swara Yoga teaches us how to see all the movement spandana vibrations from Self (Soul) to physical body. Between Soul and Body what are governing forces and how the operate our life and influence in different manner.
