By Dr. Rita Khanna
Prana and the Power of Mantra
Prana Vidya is the knowledge and science of pranic energy. In Tantra, the best way to transfer Prana Shakti is through Mantra. Each Mantra is the conductor of a certain type of energy. For example, there is a particular Mantra for a snake bite. When a person repeats this mantra thousands of times, it becomes charged with a particular type of energy.
If a snake has bitten someone, a person who has perfected the Mantra is called. As soon as he chants the Mantra, the poison is dispersed without causing further pain or harm. Tantric Mantras carry Pranic energy, which must be used according to the rules for particular purposes. Many Mantras are given in the Tantra Shastras, but it is necessary to study them very carefully to utilize them properly. Prana Vidya is often misunderstood.
Power of Mantra
Much like Prana Vidya, most people do not understand the power of the Mantra, and they think they can utilize it in their way. Others use any word or name for their Mantra. For example, you may admire a great man and want to make a Mantra out of his name, but that cannot be a Mantra. If you think of that man as your Guru or your God, you have emotion for him, so you like the sound of his name. That would be a Mantra of emotion; it is not a Mantra of Prana Shakti.
There are Mantras of all lengths and descriptions. There are scriptural Mantras; Mantras for fever; for counteracting poison and disease; for removing obstructions, difficulties, and doubt; for increasing health, wealth, and sound sleep; for marriage; progeny, and long life. Of course, you don’t have to practice all of these. If you practice Pranayama, Mudras, and Bandhas, you increase the capacity of your Prana Shakti. Then, you can help others by a Mantra, flower, Mala, thought, or contact.
The Therapeutic Touch of Psychic Healing
Previously, Prana Vidya was only known and practiced by Yogis and healers who were proficient in the science. Today, however, this ancient healing method is attracting a lot of attention from the leading medical authorities and investigations are underway to ascertain its uses in the modern medical setting.
Visible results of Prana Vidya make science take notice. The ‘laying on of hands’ is simple and can be practiced by anyone. The healer first places his or her hands gently over the affected area of the sick person’s body and then concentrates on sending healing energy through them.
The Secret of Real Health
In this modern age, people are very concerned about vitamins and minerals, but they have forgotten one important thing – the real secret of health; it is the state of the inner being that constitutes real health. Physical health is not the ultimate. In the good old days, people faced epidemics of smallpox, plague, cholera, yellow fever, sleeping sickness, and many others.
Now, however, despite the advancement of modern science, we have been facing a crisis in so far as the health of mankind is concerned. Never in history have we had such terrible diseases. During these times, we are compelled to think, ‘Is there any way to achieve the best possible health?’ In recent years, we have concluded that Yoga is the answer.
The State of Inner Being
We have been taking care of the physical body, trying to meet our nutritional needs with adequate vitamins and minerals, but for a moment, let us think about the inner being. What about the mind? We have not been trying to supplement the necessary needs of the mind; therefore, man has become mentally ill. He does not even know how to think, what to think, why to think; what to feel, how to feel, or why to feel.
His mind is like a motor car – being driven by a heavily drunk driver. By chance, the car may reach its destination, but more than likely, it will meet with an accident along the way. Thus, it is crucial that we know about controlling the mind, training the mind as a whole, and thereby improving the quality of mental health. This is the primary subject matter of Yoga.
Habits for Good Health
Why do you take a bath every day? Why do you keep your house clean? It is because you believe that physical cleanliness and external cleanliness are necessary for good health. In the same way, have you ever considered that particular thoughts must be cleaned out of the mind? You clean the kitchen and bathroom twice daily, but what about your mind? What do you do when a thought of fear, anxiety, or sorrow comes into your mind?
You just let yourself go; you fall into it; you do not even try to clean it out of your mind. That is why you suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, dejection, and anger. These thoughts are hitting your mind, infecting your mind – just like a virus causes havoc in your body. However, a thought is more dangerous, powerful, and effective than a physical virus.
When a virus enters your body, it can be treated by certain drugs and medicines; but when a thought enters, when fear strikes, when passions and anxiety get into your mind, do you know what far-reaching effects it will have? Therefore, when we talk about health, we must understand that we lack proper knowledge about the health of the mind, the health of the inner being.
The Three Shaktis
Yoga is a perfect practical system of physical, mental, and spiritual health. According to the basic Yoga philosophy, man is a composition of three basic constituents: life force (Prana Shakti), mental force (Chitta Shakti), and spiritual force (Atma Shakti).
Life Force (Prana Shakti)
Prana is the universal life force, and this body has a certain amount of it. Our existence is a miracle of Prana Shakti. It is on account of Prana that we live, move, and grow. This Prana Shakti is not the air we breathe; it is inherent in us; we are born with it. For up to four months, the fetus lives on the mother’s Prana; from the fifth month on, it develops an independent Pranic unit. Life is the manifestation of Prana.
When Prana flows at the correct voltage, you feel strong, energetic, enthusiastic, and all your sensory faculties are sharp. However, when the voltage falls, you feel physically weak and exhausted.
Mental Force (Chitta Shakti)
Besides Prana, there is another Shakti in the body called mind or consciousness, through which we can think, remember, analyze, and differentiate. There are so many mental faculties within us; they are all the play or manifestation of the mental Shakti.
Prana Shakti and mental Shakti are represented in this physical body by two significant flows, Pingala Nadi and Ida Nadi, respectively. The word ‘Nadi’ means flow. In every electric bulb, you have two wires, positive and negative. In the same way, in every organ and part of the body, there is a combination of both of these Shaktis. Prana Shakti and mental Shakti pervade the whole body of man.
Pranic Energy
Pranic force is positive and mental force is negative. When these two are connected, they create energy. If there is any disconnection, what happens? If you remove one of the wires from a switchboard, the light will not burn. It is the same in the lower and higher organs. If one of the energies flows and the other does not, the organs do not function. Therefore, according to Yoga, there should be a balanced energy distribution to every part of the body from head to toe. If there is any imbalance, there is an illness.
Spiritual Force (Atma Shakti)
Prana Shakti and Chitta Shakti are both physical energies. Atma Shakti, the third type of energy, is spiritual. It is non-physical, intangible, formless energy. Mooladhara Chakra produces both physical and spiritual power, but the spiritual energy is produced by a more significant generator. Either Ida or Pingala cannot conduct this energy. For this, there is another line called Sushumna, which conducts the spiritual energy from Mooladhara straight up to Sahasrara, to open the whole brain.
Practical Application
You know that only one part of the brain functions; nine parts are locked. These nine parts of the brain contain infinite knowledge, experience, and power, but we cannot utilize them because there is no conscious force. When Sushumna conducts this spiritual energy to Sahasrara Chakra, the dormant parts of the brain become active. Then, they give you not only mental health but also spiritual wealth. When the practitioner of Yoga can awaken Kundalini and connect it with Sahasrara through Sushumna Nadi, you become the master of the body, mind, and spirit. Prana Vidya can help us on this journey of practical application.
Shaktis
Therefore, the secret of human health is the proper distribution of the three Shaktis – Prana, mind, and spirit. In Yoga, this is done through the practices of Hatha Yoga, which purifies the physical body; Pranayama, which purifies the channels or Nadis through which energy is distributed; and Meditation, which stops the flow of Prana and mind, and leads the spiritual energy directly to the brain, Sahasrara Chakra. The different branches of Yoga, such as Hatha, Raja, Kriya Yoga, etc., are very powerful systems for the health, not only of this external physical body but the health of the whole man totality.
Perspectives
To gain total health, the spiritual life must become the base of our ordinary life. The people of this century have been thinking that spiritual life should be led for the sake of improving physical life. We have put the cart before the horse. We consider the physical life as the base and the spiritual life as an adjunct, but it should be the other way around. Prana Vidya can guide us in times of need or daily practice.
Divinity
Man’s life is essentially spiritual; the physical life is just one part of his existence. In the same way, we have been making many mistakes. We say, ‘Oh, the divine is within us’ as if we were the containers of the divine. When, in actuality, we are in the divinity, not the divinity which is in us. This is a different way of thinking that must be developed to correct the errors of body, mind, and soul and create harmony on all levels of our being.
Prana Vidya for Spiritual Health
There is no doubt that we have been making mistakes on the mental plane, that we have ignored the mind, and this is how we have become sick and unhappy. When we take to the path of Yoga, the most important thing for us is the spirit, mind, and body. In materialistic philosophy, the body is alpha and omega, but in Yogic philosophy, the body is not the first and last. This physical body is not everything; it is just a tiny portion of our infinite existence.
Art of Dhyana Yoga
We must maintain this body correctly, but not through medicines, tranquilizers, and nutritious food alone. We have to supplement the correct thinking, philosophy, principles, and beliefs. More than that, we have to develop the art of Dhyana Yoga, wherein the eyes are closed, but the mind is expanding and becoming more and more brilliant – more aware where this little world of name and form alone is not there – but where the infinite existence is before us in an ever-expanding vision of universal life. Prana Vidya is a resource available to anyone who pursues valuable knowledge.
Aum Shanti
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Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio.
A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.
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Dr. Rita Khanna
Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by the world-famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).
Dr. Rita Khanna firmly believes that Yoga is a scientific process that helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succor to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet, and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.
At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).
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My dear Dr. Rita Khanna ji,
Namaskar,
Your above article is a wonderful flower of Yoga garden.
In our India our Gurus have given the gyan of Yogdarshan to
their pupiles , only to learn asaans, pranayam and dhyan.
The use of Yoga Sutras in our daily life was not popular in the old days, because they didn’t want to give this gyan to the aam (general) people of the society, because this gyan was restricted. It was only open for the pupils of the gurus, who were living with them in the ashrams .
Now you have opened this path to and for all the people of society to take benefit of this ancesteral and Mahan gyan for the welfare of the society .
We are very much thankful to this .
With Thanks and Regards.
Sincerely Yours,
Pramodkumargupta
I love this description of the types of mantra, and how they are used. Mantras really are effective at healing, both psychologically and physically. The mind and body are so connected, mantras can be a very powerful force used to harmonize them. I’ve been collecting and studying the effects of different mantras at ommantra.com anyone can listen to experience the connection with ourselves and the universe. They really do help. Thank you Dr. Rita
Sincerely,
Amishi Malhotra
Thank you for your substantial and structured article. I am very thankful, when strong intelligence and clear heart are used in the spiritual service of healing and meditation for mankind. Thanks that we have the possibility to get information and practice from such jewels like yourself, Mr. Choa Kok Sui, and other spiritual, as well as practical, personalities.
Yours sincerely
Lucia Ramsonius
Thanks to Dr. Rita Khanna for this great article.
I believe that Yoga is a perfect practical system of physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Prana is the universal life force, and this body has a certain amount of it. Thanks for sharing this good article.