प्राण (Pran) - Interpreting the misinterpretation

'प्राण' word is grossly misinterpreted by West started with Germans. प्राण is not breathing as most of us misinterpret/understand as we associate with word प्राणायाम because the meaning is interpreted through a very narrow prism of breathe-in and breathe-out, that is incorrect. The reason is, there are exact words for breathe-in (श्वास) and breathe-out (उच़छवास).

The meaning of word 'प्राण' goes beyond breathing-in/breathing-out, because, it consists of 'expression of life' through body and mind or manifestation of life. This is controlled by 5 senses along mind in the form of intellectual and emotional expression.

When we say his प्राण is gone simply means he is dead. His life is gone along with all physiological activities (seeing, hearing, eating, smelling, touching, sleeping, breathing, moving, excreting, grasping) knowingly/unknowingly and expressions in various forms.

प्राणायाम precisely means we exhale and inhale life. When we exhale an old breathe, we do it along with all the expression, perception and thoughts related to the past i.e. we are leaving out the past memories and feelings associated with it.

When we inhale a new breathe, we do it along with new expression, perception and thoughts i.e. welcoming the new life. This is a practice of letting go the past and welcoming new life to reduce stress of past burden and bring in peace and freshness in our life.

Morning - New Beginning (picture taken in Bali, April, 2015 (C) Vedic Gyan)

(Source: interpreted from Chinmayswami's discourse on Gita)

Yoga and Modern life

While many people debate and discuss over Yoga, there is one indisputable truth is - no previous Indian government took effort to preserve or promote yoga in anyway, which is one of the richest Indian legacy and a gift to the world. Actually, yoga should have been a part of our early education to build the correct attitude towards healthy lifestyle. However, prior to late 90s, the knowledge of yoga in India was available to exclusive few. 

Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri's made huge contributions by bringing people from all the backgrounds into yoga fold...they easily made it available to the commoners during last decade. PM Modi took this to the next level and got UN / global recognition creating a bigger appeal among common citizens across the globe, especially developing and poor countries. (pls check out the pictures from Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and so on)...

Most of us would have been shocked if we new how people in small towns in USA practically knew yoga and made it as a part of their fitness regime decades ago....and today we are still debating over yoga - right or wrong, secular or communal, good or bad....what is wrong with us?

Sharing my personal experience.... My elder sister and I were first introduced to yoga through a proper 20 days yoga camp during our high school days where the Mr Iyangar, the yoga guru taught us following 4 limbs of Yoga (Yamas, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama). 

When we attended the camp, we didn't realise how much impact that camp would make in our lives...but it indirectly kept us away from unhealthy lifestyle, because along with yoga, life-style change was big part of teaching. All that helped us build the attitude towards creating a balanced life.

BTW, the yoga, we learned was much closer to the original form and is different from what we understand from media and modern gurus in a gym as the yoga taught these days is sort of commercial and Americanised, may be for creating a wider appeal.

For example, PM Modi's video on 'Shavasana' had only physical activity (lying down and relax) but missed the mind relaxation process that is integral part of 'Shavasana'.

But, at least, we have started somewhere...Hope we take it to the next level by introducing it into the schools to build the right attitude towards life...

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