Verse 12
चित्तवायवश्चित्क्रियायुताः |
शाखयोर्द्वयी शक्तिमूलका || १२ ||
cittavāyavaścitkriyāyutāḥ |
śākhayordvayī śaktimūlakā || 12 ||
Mind and prana are
Consciousness combined with activity, and are two branches rooted in sakti.
In this verse the
connection between the breath and the mind is explained. The mind is concerned
with thinking, and the breath is physically the intake of air. How are the two
related? This close connection is taken up here.
Breathing brings
vitality into every part of the human system, whether physical or mental. If we
do not breathe properly, the mind becomes dull very soon. Mental stamina is
reduced if our breathing is shallow.
If we do a few rounds
of deep breathing we feel energized mentally as well as physically. The mind
seems to wake up. This is due to the link between the two.
Then the far branch
also gets pulled closer to one’s reach. This is because the branches are
connected at some point before the trunk.
In the same way mind
and Prana are two ‘branches’ of a tree. If we cannot reach the subtle mind, we
can pull the grosser Prana-branch.
This will have an
influence on the mind-branch as well. It is hard to tell the mind, “Stop, O
Desire!” It is easier to tell the Prana, “Stop, O Breath!”
It can be observed by
us that when our mind becomes quiet, our breathing also becomes quiet and when
the mind is disturbed, our breathing is not quite.
The reverse is also
true. When our breathing is disturbed sometimes, we can observe that our mind
is also disturbed and when our breathing is regulated, our mind also becomes
quiet.
In spiritual Sadhana,
the aspirant is always advised never to neglect the purification of his mind.
For this reason Yama and Niyama have been prescribed as the first two steps of
Ashtanga Yoga. Purity is always emphasized at every step.
The Laya State:
Getting into these
states through Pranayama is therefore not a sign of spiritual progress. What we
do with the mind in that state is more important. That determines our
progress.
The quiet state that
we get through doing Pranayama is called Laya. It is an inert state.
Laya state here is
the same state as the state of Maya which existed prior to creation.
Like the creation
emerged from / after the state of Maya, Mind and Breathing has come from
the state of Laya as explained above and hence, by quietening the mind and
breath, we can go back to the state of Laya.
It is as good as
sleep, the only difference being one still retains his consciousness, and so
Sadhana can be done in such a state if one chooses to.
Love.
