Pranayama is an interesting word in itself. To begin with, even before starting the practice of Pranayama, meditating on the word alone reveals the wonders of “Breath”. Prana is the refined form of Vata – a humor composed of Air + Ether elements. Vata governs the movement of energy within the body. The primal form of Vayu in our body is “Prana Vayu”.

“Swara” means the rhythmic tone of one’s Prana/Breath. Swara Yoga describes the science of the breath and techniques to balance and manipulate it for greater awareness, healing, and spiritual progress. The right nostril is called Pingala/Surya Nadi, which is connected to the left brain that governs logical and analytical thinking. The left nostril is called Ida/Chandra Nadi, which is connected to the right brain that governs creative and imaginative thinking.

Our physical body is connected to the universal intelligence and movement of the Sun & Moon. For example, at sunrise our Surya Nadi is active, and at Moonrise, our Chandra Nadi. We think both of our nostrils are active at the same time, but only one of each is prominent, and they switch every hour approximately. That being said, we can understand that for every action, there needs to be a corresponding type of breathing for it to work perfectly. All things which require fire, such as eating and digesting food, logical thinking, and physical activity, are ideal to be performed when our Right nostril is active. For things such as relaxation, creativity, and beatification, our Chandra Nadi needs to be active. Stress is the result of misalignment in our inner and outer worlds. When we overwork ourselves and abuse Surya Nadi, or when we overindulge and abuse Chandra Nadi, both of them cause mental and emotional fatigue.

Vayu-deva is the ruler of Swati Nakshatra in the middle of Libra, an Air sign ruled by Venus. Right opposite to it is the Nakshatra of Bharani, whose ruler is Yama-deva, his role is to restrain, control, punish & restore the order/Dharma. Simply understood as rewards (if positive) or consequences (if negative) of our thoughts & actions. Together, they create the word “Prana-Yama”. Swara Yoga and Pranayama are yogic practices involving breathwork.

Yama is also a term used in Yoga to describe self-restraint & discipline. It is the first limb of Yoga out of 8 limbs referred to as “Ashtanga Yoga”. Breath is the most subtle and magical force of life, many Yogis who go without consuming food or water for a long period of time and enter into meditative states, have learned to restraint, accumulate and control the Prana, the last stage of Pranayama is then “Keval Kumbhak” – the total retention of Prana where the Yogi can suspend the breath for as long as he wishes.

When we take control of our own life force, there can be no “consequences” or “Punishments” by external people or situations. Thus, self-restraint is the greatest freedom to create the reality we want, rather than blowing our days away with every minor inconvenience that happens to us, circling in the illusions of Maya rather than playing and enjoying the “Leela”.

The “Kiss” of the Goddess

The seat of Prana Vayu is Anahata/Heart Chakra, the 4th out of 7 Chakras, symbolizing the importance of balance. Being in the middle, it is the stabilizing and balancing Chakra of material + spiritual realms. The heart chakra is also ruled by Venus – the emblem of love & harmony. Lakshmi, who is the Goddess related to Venus is called “Sthira”, she who is stable and rooted. Libra is the natural 7th house of marriage & equilibrium. Lakshmi also is called “Hiranyavarna” – she who has complexation as luminous as Gold. In her iconography, she is always shown with pots of Gold. Her main name is derived from the word “Lakshya” – Goal. Thus, her name means “she who leads us to our goal”.  Her sparkling light, her perfumed breath, her sweet giggles – all inviting us closer and closer to our goals as we rise in our aspiration to be nearer her, to please her, to unite with her. Upon observing the feminine, the masculine part of ourselves has the choice to either pursue her, protect her, and celebrate with her, or be swayed away by a million illusions of incompetence. She wants nothing more or less than making you aware of your own Ichcha shakti, Gyan shakti, and at last, Kriya shakti – the power of inspired action.

Hiran also means a deer, beautiful and captivating, but unaware of his own beauty. Searching for the “Soma” as Mrigshira Nakshatra, enchanted by the winds perfumed from his own Musk and confusing it as something external. From the same family of words, comes also “Haran” which means to “Take away/shoot out (sorrows), Hypnotize, Enchant”.

When we worship a Goddess, we pray to her because we are “attracted” to her and want to become a part of her. We pray to her because we wish for her to spark up the dark ignorant corners of our hearts with her delights. Her rewards then come as the divine “inspiration”.

Gayatri Mantra is perhaps the most famous one. In India, almost every student is taught how to chant it for the continued flow of discrimination & intelligence – Dhi/Buddhi. 

Many Gods & Goddesses have their own Gayatri Mantras as well, which all share the same last word “Prachodayat”. Prachodayat means to “Move forward, arouse, inspire movement”. Goddess worship paves the way for divinely inspired actions because femininity has the ability to “Inspire” through her grace & beauty, in complete passivity, without any use of logic or force, she smiles and we melt into tears.

Only a blow-kiss from the Goddess can “sparkle up’ our existence. She smiles even in her state of sleep, as she waits for us to discover all of her facets, waiting for us to awaken and “create” or perhaps “observe” beauty.. We see it because it exists externally, but also because we see it internally, it is created and expands continuously; like seeds and trees. When we dive into the mystery of our own lifeforce and Prana, then flows the divinely inspired desires and effortless actions. In that process of unfolding a destiny as beautiful as a blossoming Lotus, we understand “Aham Bramhasmi”, I am the creator of my own destiny.

“Love” on a higher level is then understood as that which fills us with aspiration and actions to move into higher possibilities, overcome our weaknesses, and ultimately bloom into our full potential.

There is no permanent solution to any outer chaos by mental plasters and manipulative cover-ups. By blaming the outer situations, we only show our ignorance, lack of strength, and inability to take actions to unite with who we “love” / to create the reality we want.

Shirshasana / Headstand pose in Yoga is also symbolic of our “Brain” actually being the root of manifested Tree of Life. The Manas / Brain is understood to be the “Kalpa Vriksha”, where all seeds of thoughts ever planted become a tree of reality.

When we give our body enough “time” and mind enough “space”, it can restore itself to homeostasis. When there is a gap between inhale and exhale, creation and destruction, we can know what action causes which reaction, then the course of creation can happen the way we want rather than running on autopilot. When our Left and Right brains work in harmony, the third dimension of existence opens, the “Sushumna Nadi”. It is the ‘light / agni” of awareness that witnesses the transitions and the “Love Story” of the Sun and Moon.

Who came first: the Chicken or the Egg?

Prana originates from Hiranyagarbha, which can be understood as the golden womb of the goddess, and the golden single-pointed origin of the cosmic mind, where “Hari / Vishnu” resides.

But.. Lakshmi’s realm is inside Lord Vishnu’s heart, for often she is called “Narayana Hridaya Vasini” – she who resides in the heart of Shree Vishnu…

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they are in each other all along.”

– Rumi

This blog post was inspired by a spontaneous talk with a lovely friend of mine, who also happens to be my first Yoga student, she has her Ketu in the enchanting nakshatra of Swati.