HOW TO KNOW YOURSELF? (KAPALA BHATI, KAPALA BHATI)

 

KAPALA BHATI

"KAPALA" MEANS "SKULL" (BY IMPLICATION, THE BRAIN) AND "BHATI" MEANS "SHINES" IN SANSKRIT. THIS PRACTICE CLEANSES THE NASAL PASSAGES IN THE SKULL AND OTHER PASSAGES OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.

SEQUENCE

 

1. SIT FIRMLY IN A CROSS-LEGGED POSTURE WITH THE SPINE, NECK AND HEAD HELD ERECT.
2. FIRST, EXHALE COMPLETELY AND THEN TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS.
3. RELAX THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES.
4. INHALE WITHOUT TAKING A DEEP BREATH, MAKE A SHORT AND FORCEFUL EXPULSION OF THE BREATH THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS PRODUCING A HISSING SOUND AND, SIMULTANEOUSLY, COTRACT THE LOWER ABDOMEN BY A RAPID AND VIGOROUS THRUST OF THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES.
5. RELEASE THE CONTRACTION OF THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES QUICKLY AND THE LUNGS WILL AUTOMATICALLY TAKE IN AIR. FOLLOW AT ONCE BY ANOTHER FORCIBLE EXPULSION OF YOUR BREATH, CONTRACTING THE ABDOMEN IN THE SAME MANNER AND LETTING IT RELAX OUTWARD AS THE AIR IS DRAWN IN AGAIN.
6. REPEAT THE EXERCISE A NUMBER OF TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION, CONCENTRATING YOUR MIND ON THE REGION OF THE ABDOMEN BELOW THE NAVEL.
7. AFTER YOU COMPLETE A ROUND AND MAKE THE LAST EXHALATION, TAKE IN A DEEP AND SLOW BREATH AND THEN RESUME NORMAL BREATHING TO HAVE REST TO THE LUNGS.
8. INCREASING THE NUMBER AND SPEED GRADUALLY, TRY TO DO TWO EXPULSIONS A SECOND (120 A MINUTE) IN EACH ROUND WHICH SHOULD BE THE MAXIMUM.
9. PERFORM THREE ROUNDS IN EACH SITTING, WITH SUFFICIENT PAUSE BETWEEN THE ROUNDS, WHEN NORMAL BREATHING SHOULD BE DONE.

BENEFITS 

KAPALA BHATI FLUSHES OUT STALE RESIDUAL AIR IN THE LUNGS AND HELPS A FRESH SUPPLY OF AIR TO REACH THEM.

IT LENDS ELASTRICITY TO THE DIAPHRAGM AND INCREASES THE CAPACITY OF THE LUNGS.

MOORCHA PRANAYAMA

"MOORCHA" MEANS "FAINTING" OR "SWOONING BREATH" IN WHICH THE BREATH IN INHALED SLOWLY AND RETAINED FOR AN EXTENTED PERIOD.

SEQUENCE

1. SIT AS USUAL IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION WITH THE HEAD, NECK AND SPINE STRAIGHT.
2. CONCENTRATE THE CONSCIOUS MIND BETWEEN THE EYEBROWS, WHICH IS CALLED THE CENTRE OF INTUITION.
3. INHALE GRADUALLY AND DEEPLY THROUGH THE MOUTH.
4. LET THE CONSCIOUS MIND MERGE INTO THE CENTRE OF INTUITION.
5. TOUCH THE CHIN TIGHTLY TO THE THROAT CAVITY (JUGULAR MATCH).
6. RELAX  THE JALANDHAR BANDHA.
7. THEN EXHALE SLOWLY.
8. THIS CREATES A FAVOURABLE EXPERIENCE, SO IT IS CALLED MOORCHA PRANAYAM.
9. BEGIN WITH NINE TIMES AND INCREASE WITH TIME UP TO FIFTEEN MINUTES.

BENEFITS 

THIS EXERCISE PROMOTES HAPPINESS OF MIND, ACHIEVEMENT OF THE BLISS AND REMOVES LUSTFULNESS.

 IT ALSO HELPS THE MIND TO DRAW INWARDS.

NIRGUNA MANTRAS

NIRGUNA MANTRAS ARE ABSTRACT AND FORM-LESS MANTRAS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE THE INVOCATION OF DEITIES. INSTEAD, THE USE OF THE ABSTRACT MANTRAS IS THE WAY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION WITH THE WHOLE CREATION. NIRGUNA MANTRAS ARE SAID TO BE THE OLDEST OF THE THREE OTHER MANTRAS, ORIGINATING FROM THE VEDIC TEXTS. HERE ARE SOME. NIRGUNA MANTRAS.

OM

OM IS THE ORIGINAL MANTRA, THE ROOT OF ALL SOUNDS AND LETTERS, AND THUS, OF LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT. THE "O" IS GENERATED DEEP WITHIN THE BODY, AND SLOWLY BROUGHT UPWARD JOINING WITH THE "M" WHICH THEN RESONATES THROUGH THE ENTIRE HEAD. REPEATING OM FOR TWENTY MINUTES RELAXES EVERY ATOMIN YOUR BODY.

SOHAM (SOH-HUM)

THIS MANTRA IS UNCONSIOUSLY REPEATED EACH TIME WE TAKE BREATH-INHALING "SO", EXHALING "HAM". IT MEANS "I" AND THAT"-BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS OF MIND AND BODY, AT ONE WITH THE ABSOLUTE.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE NIRGUNA MANTRAS IS TO UNIFY WITH THE ABSOLUTE, PRIMAL CAUSATION, OR TO IDENTIFY WITH THE INFINITE. NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE. NIRGUNA MANTRAS FOCUS ON ABSTRACT MANTRAS. THESE ARE INTENDED FOR EXPERIENCED YOGIS. YOU MAY TO READ ON THE OTHER TYPE OF MANTRA CALLED THE SAGUNA MANTRAS WHICH, COMPARED TO THE NIRGUNA MANTRAS, HAS FORM.

SAGUNA MANTRAS

THE SAGUNA MANTRAS OR DEITY MANTRAS INVOKE SPECIFIC DEITIES OR ASPECTS OF THE ABSOLUTE. THROUGH THE INVOCATION OF A SPECIFIC DIETY, ONE ATTAINS SELF-REALIZATION AND GOD-REALIZATION. THE SAGUNA MANTRAS, UNLIKE THE NIRGUNA MANTRAS, ARE FORM PRODUCING. THE FOLLOWING ARE SAGUNA MATRAS.

• RAM (RAHM) - THE ENERGY PATTERN FOR TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND VIRTUE IN THEIR MALE ASPECT, THIS MANTRA IS MADE UP OF THREE SEED SOUNDS.
• SITA (SEE-TAH) - THIS IS THE FEMALE ASPECT OF THE ENERGY PATTERN OF RAM. IT STANDS FOR THE DESCENT OF PRAKRITI OR NATURE IN THE FORM OF THE MOTHER. IT CAN ALSO BE REPEATED WITH RAM OR SITARAM. WHEN JOINED TOGETHER, THE TWO MANTRAS EMBODY THE ENERGY EXISTING IN AN IDEAL MARRIAGE OR UNION.
• SHYAM (SHYAHM) - REPRESENTING COSMIC LOVE AND COMPASSION IN THE MALE ASPECT, THIS MANTRA TRANSMUTES ALL EMOTIONS INTO UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
• RADHA (RAD-DUH) - RADHA IS THE FEMALE ASPECT OF SHYAM, SYMBOLIZING THE COSMIC LOVE OF THE DIVINE MOTHER.
• OM NAMAH SIVAYA (OHM NUH-MUH SHIVAI-UH) - THIS IS A PURIFYING ENERGY PATTERN THAT DESTROYS OUR NEGATIVE QUALITIES, CHOSEN ESPECIALLY BY THOSE OF AN ASCETIC NATURE. THE DANCE OF SIVA REPRESENTS THE MOVEMENT INHERENT IN MATTER. WHEN SIVA STOPS DANCING, THE ILLUSION OF MATTER IS DESTROYED.
• OM NAM NARAYANAYA (OHM NUH-MO NAH-RAI NAI-UH) THE ENERGY PATTERN OF HARMONY AND BALANCE IN THEIR MALE ASPECT, THIS MANTRA IS USED ESPECIALLY BY PEOPLE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, TO BRING THEM THE STRENGTH TO RETAIN HARMONY IN THEIR LIVES.
• OM AIM SARASWATYAI NAMAH (OHM AYM SUH-RUHSWHT-YAI-NUH-MUH-HUH) THE FEMALE ASPECTS FO THE PATTERN OF CREATIVE ENERGY AND WISDOM, THIS MANTRA IS OFTEN CHOSEN BY ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS.

THE SAGUNA MANTRAS FOCUS ON THE PROCESS OF CONCEPTUALIZING AND VISUALIZING. THESE DIRECT THE PERSON AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEITY UNTIL THE CONSTANT RECITATION GIVES RISE TO THE ACTUAL FORM OF THE DEITY. THERE ARE VARIOUS MANTRAS, SO IT WILL BE RECOMMENDED THAT YOU TAKE THE GUIDANCE OF A GURU. THROUGH CONSTANT PRACTICE AND REPETITION, YOU'LL EVENTUALLY DISCOVER WHICH MANTRA IS COMFORTABLE TO USE IN YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.