After coming to recite the names of the Siddhas and conducting the associated rituals shown by the guru, the guru brings us into carrying out simple yogic practices. If we had picked it up elsewhere or from books or by watching videos, the guru comes to officially teach or show us the techniques. Agathiyar and Patanjali taught me through the Nadi readings. Tavayogi when he was in Malaysia showed us a full set of asanas and pranayama. But none of us realized the value of his teaching then. Later Agathiyar in the Nadi mentions that it is a treasure chest that he has delivered to us. True enough upon further reading I realized the importance of asanas and Pranayama for one seeking the divine.
Later upagurus like Acharya Gurudasan help us fine-tune these practices filling us with the theories behind the practice. He echoed B K S Iyengar's words in ‘LIGHT ON THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI’, HarperCollins Publishers India, 1993, "Asana is moving into various positions, finding perfection in the pose and maintaining it, and reflecting on it. Only when effortful effort in an asana becomes an effortless effort, one has mastered the asana. He says each asana has to become effortless."
Agathiyar who taught us the breathing practices including a practice called naadi suthi or purification of the nerves through alternate nostril breathing, mentioned at one stage that there was no need to carry it out but it shall go on, on its own and we were to just observe its flow.
Tavayogi in his book, ‘ATMA TARISANAM’ quotes from Agathiyar’s "SAUMIYA SAGARAM", verse 250, where it is mentioned nine asanas that are of utmost importance. The asanas are Go‐mukha‐asana, Padma‐asana, Vira‐asana, Simha‐asana, Path‐e‐asana, Mukt‐asana, Mayura‐asana, Vajra‐asana and Suga‐asana.
By consistently carrying these practices out, we shall see some noticeable difference in us which would come to the attention of others around us too. One big and prominent change would be in the volume of air that we begin to take in after starting the practice. We could hear the bellows or blows in our quarters that Tavayogi emits while he does the pranayama practice in his room in the old ashram. Tavayogi says, to control Prana is Pranayama. Prana is the vital force that moves this universe and all of creation. The force that moves this universe moves the individual too. It enters the individual through and along one's breath. He says whatever forces are in motion in the universe are also available in the individual as subtle forces. One who harnesses these forces conquers nature and gains control over it. The control of Prana leads to deathlessness. He quotes the Siddha Tirumoolar, "The one who masters the art of inhaling, retaining and exhaling of breath need not fear death ‐ he overcomes death."
Swami Vivekananda says "The whole world is in motion because of Prana. The most obvious manifestation of Prana is the breath. To reach the subtle we must take the help of the gross, and so, slowly travel towards the most subtle until we gain our point. To get into the subtle perception, we need to begin with the grosser perception. From the external, we move to the internal. Use the breath to slowly enter the body and find out the subtle forces at work in the body."
We are moved by Prana to inhale and exhale. Swami Vivekananda says "All are parts of the same ocean of Prana; they differ only in their rate of vibration" and adds further, "Every part of the body can be filled with this vital force, Prana, and when you are able to do that, you can control the whole body. Great prophets of the world had the most wonderful control of the Prana, which gave them tremendous willpower; they had brought their Prana to the highest state of motion and this is what gave them power to sway the world.
Swami Rama in ‘MEDITATION AND ITS PRACTICE’, the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A, 1992, describes Prana as "the first unit of energy."
Yogi Ramacharaka says in ‘THE SCIENCE OF BREATH’ published by W. & J. Mackay & Cg. Ltd., Chatham, 1903, "Just as is the oxygen in the blood used up by the wants of the system, so the supply of Prana taken up by the nervous system is exhausted by our thinking, willing, acting, etc., and in consequence, constant replenishing is necessary."
Swami Rajarshi Muni in quoting "The Yoga Chudamani Upanishad" in his book ‘YOGA‐THE ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT’, Jaico Publishing House, 2004, writes that,
"Oxygen is capable of sustaining only the gross body, while the vital force nourishes and sustains the subtle body. This vital force flows through the channels of the subtle body and can rejuvenate even the gross body, increasing its longevity."
We too sensed the breath enter to expand to the state where we fear our body would explode. It traverses throughout the body till the finer reaches at the tips of the hands and feet and the roots of the hairs. After years of practice, we shall reach out to the prana all around us without the need to carry out these practices. We connect automatically the moment we bring the thought towards our breathing and watch it. Henceforth we are only asked to watch it. With the aid of mantras, the intensity of these energies is exemplified and is then transferred to others around us by way of touch. The Siddhas come to help us connect further with the consciousness showing ways to tap these energies.
Swami Vivekananda elaborates in his ‘RAJA YOGA – Conquering the Internal Nature’, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1998,
"We shall gradually see the reasons for each exercise and what forces in the body are set in motion. All things will come to us, but it requires constant practice. No amount of reasoning which I can give you will be proof to you until you have demonstrated it for yourselves. As soon as you begin to feel these currents in motion all over you, doubts will vanish, but it requires hard practice every day."
