Downward Facing Blog

Everything in your perception is made up of the five elements, either on a subtle level such as in the form of thoughts and dreams, or in a gross form such as in the way we interact with physical reality; like your body.

Those five elements are space, air, fire, water, and earth. Notice that it spans from subtle to dense. Prana, the subtlest unit of energy has an air like quality to it, and even rides into our body through the breath. When you practice pranayama for a while, you’ll notice that behind your closed eyes there is a light, and almost swirling quality in the mind.

Certain breathing styles tend to be heating, and others cooling. For example, when inhaling on the right, the breath is heating and on the left, it’s cooling. If you do yoga you may already know that the breathing naturally switches over a 24 hour period from the left nostril for about 90 minutes, to the middle for a few minutes then over the right for 90 minutes then middle… and on and on. This has great significance in yoga idea, an entire branch of yoga called Swara Yoga was developed just around it.

Some say that the Caduceus Wand derives it’s symbolism from the human energetics: the central staff being the spine and sushumna nadi

When the right side, or swara is active, the yang principle is in effect for you. All the correlations you can think of apply here, such as: male, solar, outgoing, aggressive, active, heating, etc. The left is the opposite: yin, female, cold, hidden, retracting, contemplative, and so on. When the breath flows in the middle, equal in both sides, usually for only a few minutes, then the prana is flowing in the central channel of the spine, called the “sushumna”. These are important points to understand in yoga.

The aim of yoga is to resolve the inherent imbalance of the mind experienced in the dualities of male/female, dislike/like, cold/hot, moving towards/running away from… to become established in the sushumna, perfect balance of body, energy, and mind. This is the state of YOGA.

That’s really a long subject of course, one that I’ll go into more later on.

There are two types of pranayama that emphasize the qualities of solar and lunar which are aptly named “solar piercing” and “lunar piercing”. For the solar breath, and to increase solar attributes (and kill parasites) simply inhale exclusively and repetitively on the right and exhale either through both or on the left. Obviously lunar breath is only inhaling on the left.

There is a standard recommendation that until you understand your own body energetics NOT to focus on lunar breath as it may introvert the mind to the point of depression.

Shiang Ying brainstormed a new workshop which we will be giving soon called “Ashtanga on the Left” which will offer “illegal” methodology for those who are a touch rebellious (like us). I thought I was going to write more about the use of mantra and pranayama but I’ll save that for tomorrow…

Have a blissful day, wherever you are!
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