Dedicated to all seekers of the true light within

Yoga, is a Sanskrit word which means Union. ( In other words, union in terms of Mental, Physical and Spiritual, wellbeing ). Today, particularly, in the western world, many use the word- Yoga- to refer to the practices of asanas ( physical postures), Pranayamas ( breathing techniques ), meditation practices and so on.

This is what is often referred by the Sanskrit term- Hatha Yoga. We learn from �ancient yogis� that the make-up of a human being is comprised of a male and a female aspect; therefore, an integral part of practicing yoga- in the general sense of the word- is to bring equilibrium to the male and female aspect of the individual.

Hatha Yoga can be seen as the amalgamation of two words i.e., Ha (meaning: sun) and Tha ( meaning: moon ). For example, we breathe through our nostrils- although this may not be very obvious to some people- yogis hold that our nostrils reflect a female and a male �characteristic� in their way of functioning, and this, ancient yogis have termed: �Ida� and �Pingala�. One nostril is of a feminine nature- the moon, and the other is of a male nature- the sun.

From the perspective of yoga, the rhythm of breathing for any particular person is amenable to change between ( about ) every 20 to 70 minutes- surely, this will- more or less- vary according to the �psychic rhythm� of the particular individual. In other words, an individuals breathing is done predominantly from one particular nostril during this time, ( that is, in a �healthy� individual, the breathing is expected to rotate from one nostril to another, during such a period )- within a twenty- four hour period. Yogis believe that the manner of breathing in any individual determines many factors in their life such as: mood; characteristics; health and so on.

As such, Pingala: reflects to the right nostril, because it is seen as wider than the left nostril- internally- and therefore, it blows out warm air, as compared to Ida: which is referred to the left nostril, and blows out cool air. To go further, most yogis believe that �this�, the principle of male and female scenario, is not only limited to human species but is very pervasive through all living things- in creation.

There are many branches within the yogic path, but at the same time, many scriptures inform us that it is most beneficial to the yoga aspirant to view the path to union as consisting of four main areas, such as: Karma Yoga; Bhakti Yoga; Jnana yoga; and Roja Yoga.

Often viewed as the path of action, it sees the individual as consisting of their deeds. In otherwords, karma is what bounds an individual and their sense of self to this world. The goal of yoga is to free the soul.

Bhakti: is the path of devotion to the supreme. In otherwords, the individual channels all their emotions to that of love, to worship the supreme. It takes form in chanting, music, mantras and so on.

Jnana: This path is often said to be the most difficult for many people, since it involves developing the intellect to a degree that it becomes the main vehicle to spiritual enlightenment.

Raja: This is the path that has often been discribed as the royal path, and has gained more popularity, since it was through this path that yoga asanas pranayamas etc, were "born". Nevertheless, all the paths are interrelated to the point that one cannot have one without the other

There are many practices within yoga, which are aimed on impacting on Ida and Pingala in various ways. Without question, it is a very common belief by yogis that the method of an individuals breathing has a significant effect on their brain and their way of thinking. This can be seen in- particularly- the many forms of pranayamas- ( breathings techniques ) that many yogis employ. They are generally, ( the breathing ) are specifically directed on particular parts of the human psyche.

As evident, kundalini yoga devotes much attention on raising the kundalini energy through various practices in yoga. But still, in real terms ( in my view ), the kundalini- force is not a phenomena that can be easily explained with the intellect as a meaningful routine procedure or experience in which all individuals go through the same "outcome", in terms of mental and emotional experiences. There is much more to the awakening of this energy than many have covered in books on the subject. Surely to some, the awakening of the kundalini is a spontaneous occurence which takes place once the individual has reached a particular state of consciousness.

To others, the awakening has to be aroused through various practices, which to some can be very traumatic - if anything- it brings back "old issues" which have been hidden in the unconscious mind- and some might want to avoid such issues. Of course, to the conscientious student the issue can be very different. In short, the individual needs to be ready mentally and physically for this force to be consciously awakened "safely".

© Copyright Raymond Ribeiro