PadmaSamBhava : Prana Vidya Page 1 of 3

Prana Vidya
By:Swami Vibhooti on:Wed 25 of Jul, 2007 [02:52] (1141 reads)

Topic image An ancient advanced yogic meditation technique.

The word vidya comes from the Sanskrit root vid, to know, and means ‘knowledge’. During the period of
the Upanishads vidya was used to mean meditation or dhyan. The word prana means ‘life force’. So prana
vidya literally means ‘knowledge of the life force’. It can also be said to mean ‘meditation on the life force’
or ‘discovery of the life force. Prana vidya is a system of meditation by which we acquire knowledge of that
particular aspect of consciousness known as prana, the life force that permeates the entire body. Prana
vidya is the culmination of many years of yoga practice. Its theory and techniques are ancient but they
have been revised by Swami Satyananda Saraswati to make them practical for the people of today.

The aim of prana vidya

The immediate aim of prana vidya is to awaken and manipulate prana consciously. By developing subtle
awareness the practitioner is able to perceive and gain knowledge of the nature of prana, which in turn
leads to new dimensions of awareness. Prana vidya is concerned with both the expansion of consciousness
and the awakening of prana that eventually leads to meditation and perfect union--yoga. Healing is, in this
light, only of secondary importance. In fact, prana vidya involves the awakening of the total personality
and leads to self-realization or moksha, its ultimate goal.

What is prana vidya?

In prana vidya the practitioner extracts the life force essence, or prana, and sends it to various parts of the
body. The practice enables the concentrated deeper force of consciousness to be carried to different parts
of the body sequentially. It is somewhat similar to the practice of yoga nidra, the difference being that in
yoga nidra the mind is taught to jump from one part of the body to another, whereas, in prana vidya the
aim is to allow the awareness to flow to different centres in the body along specific channels or nadis. (Nadi
literally means ‘flow’.) The awareness of the different parts of the body gained through yoga nidra is
combined with an awareness of the psychic pathways flowing to these parts.

Prana vidya is a technique that includes expansion, contraction, localization and visualization of pranic
consciousness. Contraction of prana is used to calm down the turbulent tendencies of the mind. This
contraction corresponds to an upward flow of prana and serves to concentrate the mind and still its chatter.
Expansion of prana, on the other hand, is used when the mind is dull. In this case the flow is downwards.
Localization of pranic consciousness is used to direct prana to a specific region of the body by means of the
will; this is made much more powerful if the movement of prana is visualized. The two factors of awareness
and visualization actually harness the power of the pranic energy. This power is then directed by pure
willpower.

What is prana?
Prana is a Sanskrit word constructed from the syllables pra and an. An means ‘movement’ and pra comes
from the prefix meaning constant. Therefore prana means ‘constant motion’. This constant motion
commences as soon as we are conceived in our mother’s womb.

In the physical body we have two types of energy. One is known as prana shakti, and the other as manas
or chitta shakti. Prana represents vital energy or dynamism while manas shakti represents mental energy.

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This means that in every organ of the body there should be two channels supplying energy. Modern
physiology describes two types of nervous systems, a sensory or information system, and a motor system,
in addition to the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. These two systems are inter-connected in
each and every organ of the body. In the same way, every organ is supplied with mental and pranic
energy.

Prana is light or illumination. Sometimes you may be able to see this light; sometimes you may just have a
dim, faint glimpse of it, or just memories of it. Prana is neither heavy nor light, neither hot nor cold. It has
no sensation. It is not something that you feel after sitting in padmasana or siddhasana for half an hour. It
is nothing like this. Prana has been described as a kind of complex, multi-dimensional energy consisting of
a combination of electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, ocular, thermal and mental energies. The five
principle sub-divisions of prana, which exist in different parts of the body, have varying densities of ionic
fields. They may be visualized as swirling clouds of differing colours and hues. These pranic clouds are free
to expand or contract with or without the influence of any external factors.

Individual prana can be connected through another individual to cosmic prana or mahaprana, but the prana
of the individual have first to be purified, because they are mixed with the consciousness of the physical
body, with the mind, and with matter as a whole. When prana is separated from matter through the
practices of yoga, the practitioner is able to perceive his body and his prana as two separate things. When
prana is completely detached from physical matter, the individual prana becomes one with cosmic prana.

The nadis (energy network)

The pathways of pranic current, which flow throughout the body, are known as nadis. Nerves and nadis are
two different things. Nerves relate to the body whereas nadis relate to the pranic, vital body, as well as to
the more subtle bodies or koshas. Nadis should be considered as a process that is in constant movement.
They provide energy, and operate within a vast communication network of fibre-like links carrying prana
back and forth in every direction. According to the yogic texts, there are seventy-two thousand or more
nadis through which prana and consciousness are distributed throughout the body.

Psychic breath
The psychic breath is the first key to prana vidya, and is the integration of the physical breath with
awareness. In the initial stage of psychic breathing the only requirement is becoming aware of the breath
without trying to affect its natural flow. Once this is achieved, the movement of breath is to be experienced
in the form of ujjayi pranayama. Awareness of the deep sound and vibration we create during ujjayi (where
the throat is gently contracted) and its movement during inhalation and exhalation completes the process
of psychic breathing. Psychic breathing is an integral part of prana vidya and must be mastered to the
point where it becomes extremely subtle and spontaneous.

Psychic passage
The second key to prana vidya is the psychic passage. This is any pathway in the body through which
awareness, breath and prana are directed in one stream of combined force. We can make a psychic
passage anywhere, to or from any part of the body. Once the passage is visualised, the psychic breath can
be moved anywhere in the body using ujjayi pranayama. This will bring about an actual pranic transfer.

Psychic centres
The third key to prana vidya is the psychic centres or chakras. Chakras are vortexes of subtle prana located

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at specific points in the spine. They were realised or ‘seen’ by the yogis in ancient times through psychic
introspection. The practitioner has to become aware of how each chakra influences the activity of pranic
energy, and what experience takes place when the various chakras are awakened. With the techniques of
prana vidya the chakras can be awakened quickly.

Psychic sound
The fourth key to prana vidya is the psychic sound. According to nada yoga, sound manifests within as well
as outside. The practice of nada yoga involves the withdrawal of auditory perception, so that we no longer
hear external sounds. We observe any sounds that arise spontaneously from within the psychic space in
the centre of the head, known as chidakash. The sounds begin in a very subtle way, and gradually the
intensity increases. These sounds include the tinkling of bells or notes of a stringed instrument. The
ultimate sound is the profound, throbbing, transcendental sound of the mantra Om.

Psychic symbol
The fifth key to prana vidya is the psychic symbol, which is experienced through the practice of
concentration. This symbol can be any object on which we can fix our mind. It can be an abstract symbol, a
scene from nature, a geometrical figure (yantra), the sun or moon, or anything that attracts us. By
concentrating on the image of the symbol, we gradually develop the ability to see it internally, as clearly as
we see it outside.

Benefits of prana vidya

The benefits of prana vidya are felt on the physical, psychological and spiritual levels. The first benefit is a
complete charging of the body. You will feel that you have been reborn because you will be so fresh,
relaxed and full of vitality. There is an improvement in the functioning of all the inner organs, the digestion,
endocrinal system, respiratory system, circulatory system, heart, brain, muscles, nerves, etc. Prana vidya
creates the expansion of consciousness in terms of attaining mental clarity, developing greater awareness
and the ability to cope with all the situations of life. It gives finer control over the fluctuations of emotions,
and increased rationality. The state of one pointed concentration or dharana is achieved spontaneously.
However, it should be kept in mind that the ultimate goal of prana vidya is enlightenment.

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