NERVOUS SYSTEM (PRANAYAMA)

 

                 PRANAYAMA AND THE

                                        NERVOUS SYSTEM

                   IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMA IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, FOR THIS SYSTEM COORDINATES THE FUNCTIONS OF ALL THE OTHER SYSTEMS IN THE BODY. IT IS SUBDIVIDED INTO THE CERTRAL AND THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS. THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THE BRAIN, TWELVE PAIRS OF CRANIAL NERVES, THE SPINAL CORD AND THIRTY-ONE PAIRS OF SPINAL NERVES. THE CRANIAL AND SPINAL NERVES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE BODY, FORMING A NETWORK OF NERVE FIBERS. EFFERENT, OR MOTOR NERVE FIBERS, CARRY NERVE IMPULSES FROM THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD OUTWARD TO THE NERVE ENDINGS, AND AFFERENT, OR SENSORY NERVE FIBERS, CARRY NERVE IMPULSES FROM THE NERVE ENDINGS INWARD TO THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD.

                   TO ILLUSTRATE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE AFFERENT AND EFFERENT FIBERS, CONSIDER THE CASE OF STUBBING YOUR TOE. THE NERVE ENDINGS AT THE TOE SEND NERVE IMPULSES ALONG THE AFFERENT FIBERS TO THE SPINAL CORD AND BRAIN. THE BRAIN INTERPRETS THESE IMPULSES AS PAIN AND REACTS BY SENDING MOTOR IMPULSES ALONG THE EFFERENT FIBERS OUTWARD TO THE HANDS, ENABLING THEM TO REACH OUT AND SOOTHE THE INJURED TOE.

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                         PATANJALI, THE SAGE WHO CODIFIED YOGA SCIENCE AROUND 200 B.C. EXPLAINS THAT THE CONTROL OF PRANA IS THE REGULATION OF INHALATION AND EXHALATION. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY ELIMINATING THE PAUSE BETWEEN INHALATION AND EXHALATION, OR BY EXPANDING THE PAUSE THROUGH RETENTION. THEN, BY REGULATING THE MOTION OF THE LUNGS, THE HEART AND THE VAGUS NERVE ARE CONTROLLED. THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATES PROCESSES IN OUR BODY WHICH ARE NOT NORMALLY UNDER OUR VOLUNTARY CONTROL, SUCH AS SECRETION BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE LUNGS.

                            THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMAIS THUS INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BRINGS ITS FUNCTIONS UNDER CONSCIOUS CONTROL THROUGH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE LUNGS. THOUGH THE ACT OF RESPIRATION IS FOR THE MOST PART INVOLUNTARY, VOLUNTARY CONTROL IN THIS AREA IS EASILY ACHIEVED, FOR THE DEPTH, VOLUNTARY CONTROL IN THIS AREA IS EASILY ACHIEVED, FOR THE DEPTH, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY OF RESPIRATION CAN BE CONSCIOUSLY MODULATED QUITE READILY. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT CONTROL OF THE BREATH CONSTITUTES AN OBVIOUS STARTING POINT TOWARD ATTAINMENT OF CONTROL OVER THE FUNCTIONING OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.

                    THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IS SUBDIVIDED INTO THE SYMPATHETIC AND THE PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEMS. AS THESE NAMES INDICATE, THESE TWO SUBSYSTEMS WORK IN SEEMING OPPOSITION TO EACH OTHER, YET THE NET RESULT IS HARMONIOUS REGULATION. THE PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEM ACCELERATES IT, AND BETWEEN THESE TWO OPPOSING ACTIONS THE HEART RATE IS REGULATED. THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM ACCELERATES IT, AND BETWEEN THESE TWO OPPOSING ACTIONS THE HEART RATE IS REGULATED. THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS MAINLY OF TWO VERTICAL ROWS OF GANGLIA, OR NERVE CEL CLUSTERS, ARRANGED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPINAL COLUMN. BRANCHES FROM THESE GANGLIATED CORDS SPREAD OUT TO DIFFERENT GLANDS AND VISCERA IN THE THORAX AND ABDOMEN, FORMING INTEGRATED PLEXUSES WITH NERVE BRANCHES OF THE PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEM. 

                              THE MAIN PART OF THIS SYSTEM IS THE TENTH CRANIAL NERVE, ALSO CALLED THE VAGUS, OR "WANDERING" NERVE WHICH IS CONNECTED WITH THE HINDBRAIN AND TRAVELS DOWNWARD ALONG THE SPINAL CORD THROUGH THE NECK, CHEST, AND ABDOMEN, SENDING OUT BRANCHES TO FORM VARIOUS PLEXUSES WITH THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM. IT ENDS IN A PLEXUS WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE SOLAR PLEXUS, BUT IS ALSO CONNECTED WITH TEH LOWER PLEXUSES THROUGH FILAMENTS.

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                   THERE ARE ONLY TWO KNOWN WAYS TO GAINING CONSCIOUS CONTROL OVER THE INVOLUNTARY NERVOUS SYSTEM. ONE IS BY SYSTEMATICALLY PRACTICING BREATHING EXERCISE AND PREPARING ONESELF FOR UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS VEHICLES AND CHANNELS OF PRANA. BUT FIRST THE STUDENT SHOULD LEARN TO REGULATE THE MOTION O THE LUNGS SO THAT HEART FUNCTION IS REGULATED. THEN THE RIGHT VAGUS NERVE IS BROUGHT UNDER CONSCIOUS CONTROL, AND THE PORTION OF THE MIND THAT COORDINATES WITH THE INVOLUNTARY SYSTEM BECOMES ACCESSIBLE TO HIM. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN INVOLUNTARY SYSTEM IF THE STUDENT LEARNS TO REGULATE THE MOTION OF THE LUNGS. FOR BY DOING SO, A VAST PORTION OF THAT SYSTEM IS BROUGHT UNDER HIS VOLUNTARY CONTROL.

                    THE OTHER WAY OF GAINING CONTROL OVER THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IS THROUGH WILLPOWER. THE MORE THE MIND IS DISSIPATED, THE MORE THE WILL IS SCATTERED. WHEN THE MIND IS MADE ONE-POINTED, THE WILLPOWER IS STRENGTHENED, AND WITH THE HELP OF THE WILLPOWER THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS THE WAY WE WANT IT TO.

                         MODERN SCIENTISTS GIVE IMPORTANCE TO BREATHING EXERCISE ONLY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF OXYGEN INTAKE. THEIR CONCERN IS WITH THE ABSORPTION OF OXYGEN IN LARGE ENOUGH QUANTITIES TO VITALIZE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. BUT IN THE SCIENCE OF BREATH, THIS IS A MINOR CONSIDERATION. MORE DETAILED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IS NEEDED TO STUDY THE FINER FORCES OF LIFE THAN THE MERE INTAKE OF OXYGEN AND OUTPUT OF CARBON DIOXIDE, THE ANCIENT MANUALS OF YOGA ANATOMY, FOR INSTANCE, DESCRIBE A NETWORK OF SEVERAL THOUSAND NADIS (SUBTLE CHANNELS) THROUGH WHICH THE CURRENTS OF PRANA FLOW, ENERGIZING AND SUSTAINING ALL PARTS OF THE BODY AS WELL AS THE SEVERAL THOUSAND NADIS.

                                          

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                        ACCORDING TO SOME MANUALS THE NUMBER OF NADIS IS 72000 (OTHERS MENTION 350000). FOURTEEN ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT AMONG THESE ARE SIXIDA, PINGALA, SUSHUMNA, BRAHMANI, CHITRANI, AND VIJINAMI. AMONG THESE SIX, THREE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PINGALA (SURYA) WHICH FLOWS THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, IDA (CHANDRA), WHICH FLOWS THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL, AND SUSHUMNA, WHICH IS A MOMENT WHEN BOTH NOSTRIL FLOW FREELY WITHOUT ANY OBSTRUCTION. EXPANSION OF THAT MOMENT IS CALLED SANDHYA. FOR MEDITATION, THE APPLICATION OF SUSHUMNA, THE MEDITATOR CANNOT BE DISTURBED BY NOISE OR OTHER DISTURBANCES FROM THE EXTERNAL WORLD, NOR BY THE BUBBLES OF THOUGHT ARISING FROM THE UNCONSCIOUS DURING MEDITATION.

               

HOW TO AVOID INTERNAL SINUS PROBLEM

                           NASAL WASH INSTRUCTIONS

                        REGULAR USE OF A NETI POT CLEANSES RESTORES HEALTH TO THE INTERNAL SINUS PASSAGES. IN YOGA, BREATHING FREELY THOUGH BOTH NOSTRILS IS ALSO SAID TO AID IN HARMONIZING THE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SYSTEMS OF THE BODY, AND SO THE NETI WAS HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE A HELPFUL PRACTICE BEFORE MEDITATION.

                    MIX WELL A HEAPING ONE-QUARTER TEASPOON OF FINELY GROUND SALT, SUCH AS TABLE SALT (USE A SLIGHTLY ROUNDED ONE-HALF TEASPOON WITH COARSE VARIETIES, LIKE KOSHER SALT) AND LUKEWARM WATER IN YOUR NETI POT. (THE AMOUNT OF SALT MAY VARY SLIGHTLY WITH EACH PERSON), MAKE SURE THE SALT IS COMPLETELY DISSOLVED BEFORE USING THE SOLUTION. BRING THE SPOUT TO THE NOSE AND BEND FORWARD OVER THE SINK, WITH THE HEAD TILTED TO THE SIDE AND SLIGHTLY FORWARD. AS THE WATER FLOWS THROUGH THE UPPER NOSTRIL, MAKE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS WITH YOUR HEAD AND THE NETRI POT, IF NECESSARY, TO ALLOW THE WATER TO FLOW OUT OF THE OTHER NOSTRIL.

                    AFTER THE POT EMPTIES, BLOW FREELY INTO THE SINK THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS TO CLEAR THE NOSE OF EXCESS WATER AND MUCUS. DO NOT CLOSE THE WATER BACK INTO THE EAR. IF THERE ARE ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS IN CLEARING THE NOSTRILS, KNEEL DOWN AND BRNG YOUR FOREHEAD TO THE FLOOR SO THAT YOUR HIPS ARE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HEAD. BLOW FREELY THROUGH THE NOSTRILS AS BEFORE. TURNING THE HEAD TO EITHER SIDE WHILE DOING SO COULD AID THIS PROCESS AS WELL. AFTER COMPLETING THE NETI WASH THROUGH THE NOSTRILS IN ONE DIRECTION, REPEAT THE SAME STEPS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

                     AFTER SOME PROFICIENCY IS GAINED IN THIS METHOD, ONE MAY ALSO LEARN TO DIRECT THE WATER FROM THE NOSE OUT THROUGH THE MOUTH, AGAIN BY MAKING SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE POSITION OF THE HEAD AND THE NETI POT, AND USING THE BACK OF THE MOUTH TO DRAW THE WATER IN FOR SPITTING IT OUT. THIS METHOD IS ALSO HELPFUL FOR CLEASING AND RIDDING THE NASAL PASSAGES OF EXCESS MUCUS AND DIRT, AND RESTORING HEALTH TO THE SINUS MEMBRANES.

                  A MUCOUS MEMBRANE ALSO LINES THE PASSGEWAYS THAT CARRY AIR DOWN INTO THE LUNGS AND CHEST, FOR THE BRONCHI ARE FITTED WITH THE SAME KIND OF LINING AS THE NOSE, WHICH SECRETS MUCUS TO KEEP THE PASSAGES MOIST. OTHERWISE THE AIR WOULD DRY AND INJURE THEM. THE MUCUS SECRETED IN THESE PASSAGEWAYS IS MOVED UPWARD BY THE CILIA, ALL THE WAY TO THE THROAT, DAY AND NIGHT. DURING THE DAY THE CILIA ORDINARILY HAVE TO WORK AGAINST GRAVITY, BUT AT NIGHT, WHEN ONE LIES DOWN, THEIR WORK IS EASIER SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUSH THE MUCUS UPHILL. FOR THIS REASON, AT NIGHT A GREAT DEAL MORE MUCUS COMES UP TO THE THROAT, IS CLEARED, AND SWALLOWED. THAT PROCESS GOAS ON WITHOUT CEASING.

                    NORMALLY, THE MUCUS ENTERING THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT IS DISSOLVED BY THE JUICES WHICH ALSO KILL ALL THE MICROBES. THIS IS A SORT OF INTERNAL ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM IN WHICH MUCUS IS BROKEN DOWN AND RECYCLED, AND WHICH PREVENTS A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, PROBLEMS WILL DEVELOP AS SOON AS MUCUS IS EXCESSIVE OR WHEN DIGESTIVE JUICES ARE NOT PRESENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THED INTESTINAL TRACT TO QUIET DOWN AD REST DURING THE NIGHT, BECAUSE DIGESTION IS A PROCESS THAT IS NOT NORMALLY ACTIVE AT THIS TIME, LESS DIGESTIVE JUICE IS SECRETED. THEREFORE, IF THE MUCUS IS EXCESSIVE, A STOMACH FULL OF IT CAN ACCUMULATE BY MORNING. FOR THIS REASON MAY PEOPLE WAKE UP FEELING QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE UNTIL THEY EAT SOMETHING. WHICH SERVES TO EITHER DILUTE THE MUCUS OR PUSH IT OUT OF THE STOMACH. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF PEOPLE WITH SUCH PROBLEMS AS LUNG DISEASE, EMPHYSEMA, AND ASTHMA, WHO TEND TO PRODUCE A GREAT DEAL OF MUCUS.

                  FOR SUCH PERSONS, A MORNING WASH IS OFTEN RECOMMENDED. HERE, A LARGE QUANTITY OF SALINE SOLUTION IS SWALLOWED, AND THEN THROWN UP. THIS BRINGS OUT THE MUCUS FROM THE STOMACH- A SIMPLE BUT SOUND HYGIENIC PRINCIPLES. THE TECHNIQUE IS CALLED GAJ KARNI (THE UPPER WASH), AND MOST WELLTRAINED YOGA INSTRUCTORS ARE ABLE TO INSTRUCT OTHERS IN ITS USE. (THIS TECHNIQUE IS PERFORMED ON AN EMPTY STOMACH, INDUCING VOMITING TO EMPTY THE STOMACH CONTENTS AFTER A MEAL, IN ORDER TO PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN, IS AN EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY PRACTICE)

               SMOKERS, ESPECIALLY, TEND TO DEVELOP A GREAT DEAL OF MUCUS. A LOT OF THIS IS MOBILIZED AND THROWN OUT IF THEY STOP SMOKING, AND AFTER THIS CLEANSING PERIOD THE LUNGS BEGIN TO RECOVER. AND AFTER THIS CLEANSING PERIOD THE LUNGS BEGIN TO RECOVER. THE ACCUMULATION OF MUCUS IN SMOKERS (WHICH CREATES THEIR CHARACTERISTIC RATTLING COUGH AND THEIR INABILITY TO BRING OUT THE MUCUS THAT ACCUMULATES) IS DUE TO BOTH THE IRRITATION CAUSED BY SMOKE AND COAL TAR, AND TO THE DESTRUCTION OF CILIA. THE CONTENTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKE TOTALLY DECIMATE THE CILIA IN THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES, AND THIS MEANS OUT OF THE LUNGS TO THE THROAT. SO IT ACCUMULATES. AFTER ONE STOPS SMOKING THE CILIA GRADUALLY BEGIN TO REGENERATE AND TO HANDLE THE MUCUS NORMALLY AGAIN.