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Swara, Part One

According to the ancient teachings, the lifespan is not measured in years, but in breaths. A human being whose breath rate is 15 breaths per minute will have a life span of 946,080,000 breaths, or 120 years. This is, of course, exclusive of accident or physical damage to the organs.

This rate can be maintained without practice, but because of the stressful lifestyles that we lead in the modern world, with chemical poisons everywhere and constant assault of discordant and unnatural sounds, unhelpful suggestions, and programmed desires, the full 120 years can only be achieved by slowing down the breath through diligent practice. Swara yoga teaches how to do this through intent and will. One of the methods for doing this requires concentration on the sound of the breath. Swara Yoga also teaches the skill of shortening the length (in distance) of the breath, which gives one control over the five Tattwas, or subtle elements.

the psychic nerve channels

In Indian and Tibetan traditional medicine, known as Siddha and Ayurveda, Prana is considered the basis of life. Prana is a component of the atmosphere. One's health is determined by the quality and quantity of Prana an individual is capable of working with. Much like the Qi or Ki of north Asian metaphysics, it is the basic sustanance of living things, but unlike Qi, it is not considered to come in many different forms, but is differentiated by various material influences, such as the Tattwas, commonly called the 5 elements. Prana is converted by the physical body, through the psychic nervous system, into energy that feeds the 'subtle self' and consequently energizes our mind, creativity and imagination.

Without going into an in-depth study of the subject, the psychic nervous system is the structure by which we absorb, modify and regulate prana, as well as psychic energy. Although not visible through dissection, the psychic nerve channels mostly parallel the physical nervous system and have 72,000 points of association called "nadis" that act as pranic receptors, switches and transmitters, as well as conduits of psychic energy that are responsible for the sea of impressions in which we swim, but mostly ignore. Usually, these nadis work with either psychic energy or pranic force, but some handle both. Among these multitasking nadis are the largest and most powerful of them all, the 3 spinal nadis - Ida, Shushumna and Pingala. They are located on the left and right sides of the spine, and through the central spinal channel, with their terminal points being at the root "chakra", the nostrils and the crown of the head (shushumna terminates there).

Ida Nadi is the left psychic channel and terminates in the left nostril, after branching into small and fine sensors. Ida becomes active when the flow of breath is through the left nostril, and consequently charges the right hemisphere of the brain, which is emotional and magnetic. Because of the dominance of the left nostril and right hemisphere during the waxing half of the lunar cycle (Shukla Paksha), the breath flowing through the right nostril is known as the Lunar breath. The Lunar breath is cooling in nature, and makes the blood more alkaline during its flow (you can buy PH strips and prove this for yourself).

Pingala Nadi runs along the right side of the spine, terminates in the right nostril, and becomes active when the flow of breath is dominant in that nostril. It charges the left hemisphere of the brain, which is verbal and rational. The right nostril is dominant during the waning half of the lunar cycle (Krishna Paksha) and is therefore called the Solar nostril, its breath being called the Sun Breath. It is generally heating in nature, and stimulates the activities of oxidation and the chemical dominance of acidity in the bloodstream.

In case you didn't know, the system of Hatha Yoga gets its name from these nostrils and nerves - Ha and Tha are syllables that mean Sun and Moon.

Shushumna Nadi runs through the center of the spine and the palate at the base of the skull, and terminates at the crown of the head over the center of the brain. Shushumna is active when both nostrils are flowing at the same time. This happens naturally at Sunrise and Sunset, at the solstice moments, and briefly during the transfer of dominance between Ida and Pingala during the day. It also becomes active during some meditation practices or stages, and just before death. Shushumna is associated with the 'element' of Fire, and neither the Sun nor the Moon.