Re: NITAAI Praana Kriyaa

The Nitaai Praana Kriyaa as shown here is based on the simple Anuloma Viloma Pranayama but is much more powerful because it is accompanied by Meditation and Mental Chanting of the Syllables of the Nitaai and Gaura Mantras while inhaling and exhaling alternatively from both the nostrils.

NITAAI Praana Kriyaa consists of the following five steps:

(1) Bring your attention to your breathing and first take a few deep and slow breaths though the nose.  This will oxygenate your blood and relax you to begin with.  For the rest of the NITAAI Praana Kriyaa, the attention should remain on your breath and on the Nitaai and Gaura Mantras entering and leaving. Raise your right hand. Make the Vishnu Mudra by folding down the index and middle fingers towards the palm and the keeping the thumb and the last two ring fingers open. The last two fingers should touch each other with no gap in between. If you cannot perform this Vishnu Mudra, then you can leave all the four fingers open also but they should be joined with each other without gaps.

(2) Then close your right nostril by placing the thumb below the nasal bone of the right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril while meditating on the Sanskrit syllable of "ni" (as shown in the animation), thinking of it as entering within you, while chanting it mentally.

(3) Then close your left nostril by placing the last two fingers below the nasal bone of the left nostril and open the right nostril by moving the thumb away and exhale via the right nostril for double the time you took while inhaling from the left nostril in the first step. Most importantly, while exhaling meditate on the Sanskrit syllable of "taai" (as shown in the animation), thinking of it as leaving you, while chanting it mentally.

(4) After this exhalation, without moving the position of any of your fingers, begin inhaling deeply through the same right nostril while meditating on the Sanskrit syllable of "gau" (as shown in the animation), thinking of it as entering within you, while chanting it mentally.

(5) In the last step of this one cycle of two breaths, close your right nostril with your thumb and move the two fingers away from your left nostril. Exhale from your left nostril for double the time you took while inhaling from the right nostril in the fourth step. Most importantly, while exhaling meditate on the Sanskrit syllable of "ra" (as shown in the animation), thinking of it as leaving you, while chanting it mentally. This completes one cycle of NITAAI Praana Kriyaa.



Notes

(1) Do not press so hard so as to bend the nose but make sure you properly close the respective nostrils by pressing below the nasal bone.
(2) Inhale and exhale smoothly and comfortably according to your capacity without excessive pressure.
(3) While inhalation, the abdomen should not bulge out too much.  Lungs along with chest should be expanded while inhalation and contracted while exhalation.
(4) Do not try breath retention until you practice the NITAAI Praana Kriyaa for at least six months.
(5) Practice it on when your stomach is empty or light.
(6) Only do as much as you are comfortable with.  Start slowly and build up steadily. Start with 5 or 10 cycles daily and gradually increase to any number you can do comfortably daily. Best times are morning and evening.
(7) In the animation, we have shown two arrows while inhaling and four arrows while exhaling because the ratio of inhalation and exhalation times should be 1:2.
(7) You can sit in any comfortable posture with your back as much erect as possible. Vajrasana, Svastikasana, Sukhasana or Padmasana are recommended.
(8) Vishnu Mudra (hand gesture of Lord Vishnu) is the mudra of the right hand associated with giving while the left is associated with receiving. However if for whatever reason you need to use your left hand during practice that is fine. The thumb and fingers rest lightly just above the nostrils so very little movement is needed to close each side during practice.
(9) If possible for the left hand, join the tip of the thumb and index fingers and keep the other 3 fingers stretched and joined and let the left hand rest on the left knee in Gyaana Mudra which also enables clear communication, meditation, invites calmness and helps tune in to new awareness, knowledge and abilities.


      Right Hand                              Left Hand

Spiritual Benefits

(1) During the NITAAI Praana Kriyaa, if you do not include the mental chanting and meditation on the syllables and meaning of the Nitaai and Gaura Mantras and Their Syllables, you will partly receive only some of the material benefits of the Kriyaa and not the everlasting spiritual benefits for your soul. The Nitaai and Gaura Mantras are the most powerful, merciful and topmost Mantras in this Kali Yuga. By the deep meditation on the syllables, sound, and meaning of the Nitaai and Gaura Mantras during the NITAAI Praana Kriyaa, one will certainly realize and understand oneself (soul), God, and one relationship with Him.

(2) One will attain divine and permanent peace, satisfaction, ecstasy, bliss and happiness within by NITAAI Praana Kriyaa.

(3)  One's life will become spiritually auspicious and one will be able to face life with renewed vigor, enthusiasm and determination.

(4) The NITAAI Praana Kriyaa will pacify and silence the rumblings of the mind and prepare you for real and qualitative NITAAI Japa Kriyaa i.e. chanting Japa on a Tulasi rosary of 108 beads and for the ever-blissful NITAAI Sankirtana Kriyaa. Read this article for quotes from the Acharyas about this.

Material Benefits

(1) The left nostril is the path of the Nadi called Ida and the right nostril is the path of the Nadi called Pingala. If you are really healthy, you will breathe predominantly through the Ida nostril about one hour and fifty minutes, then through the Pingala nostril. But in many people, this natural rhythm is disturbed. NITAAI Praana Kriyaa restores, equalizes and balances the flow of Praana in the body.

(2) The NITAAI Praana Kriyaa produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This will make both sides of the brain, the left side which is responsible for logical thinking and the right side which is responsible for creative thinking to function properly. This will lead to a balance between a person's creative and logical thinking.

(3) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa is highly beneficial to calm the Nervous System and the mind, making it lucid and steady while promoting peace, tranquility and serenity. Due to increase clarity of thought and awareness, one will be become very efficient and successful in one's day to day activities and accomplishments.

(4) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa cleanses and strengthens the lungs, the entire respiratory system and the nervous system.

(5) As exhalation is twice the time of inhalation, stale air and waste products are drained from the lungs.

(6) It also purifies the body by oxygenating the blood supply.

(7) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa makes the body light and the eyes shiny.

(8) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa creates balance, harmony and rhythm in the entire system.

(9) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa purifies the psychic channels (nadis) through which Prana Energy (Life-Force) flows.  There are 3 primary channels for the flow of this energy: Ida, Pingala and Shusumna. It is essential to balance the flow of energy between the Ida and Pingala channels which run alongside and intertwine the spine. Through the spinal column runs the Shushumna Nadi, the central master channel.  The Ida and Pingala can be considered the lunar and solar channels respectively. With the Ida Nadi responsible for cooling, feminine, passive, mental energy and the Pingala Nadi responsible for hot, male, active, physical energy. As the flow through these 2 channels is harmonized by NITAAI Praana Kriyaa, the prana energy start to flow through Shushumna.  This flow through the Shushumna Nadi activates, balances all the seven chakras and induces the meditative state of consciousness while chanting the Holy Names of Lord Gaura Krishna.

(10) NITAAI Praana Kriyaa relieves anxiety and stress, balances left and right hemispheres, promotes clear thinking. It soothes the nerves while strengthening the lungs. In particular, it helps cure coughs and colds, in insomnia, chronic headaches and asthma.

Medical Confirmation

Medical science has recently discovered the nasal cycle, something that was already discovered by the Vedas thousands of years ago. Modern scientists found out that we do not breathe equally on both nostrils, that is one nostril is much easier to breathe through than the other at any particular time. Each nostril alternates about every three hours. Some sages claimed that the natural period is every two hours, but we must remember these studies were done on people who do not have an optimum Health level.

Scientists also discovered that the nasal cycle corresponds with brain function. The electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on the side opposite the less congested nostril. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. The research showed that when the left nostril was less obstructed, the right side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects were indeed found to do better on creative tests. Similarly when the right nostril was less obstructed the left side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects did better on verbal skills.

Medical science has not quite caught up with the ancient sages yet. The ancient sages even went one step further. They observed that a lot of diseases were due to disturbances of the nasal cycle or if a person breathe for too long through one nostril. To prevent and correct this condition, they developed this system. This clears any blockage the airflow in the nostrils and reestablishes the natural nasal cycle. For example, the sages have known for a long time that prolonged breathing through the left nostril only (over a period of years) will cause Asthma. They also know that this so-called incurable disease can be easily treated by teaching the patient to breathe through the right nostril until the Asthma is cured and prevent it from recurring by doing this Kriyaa. Some sages also believe that Diabetes is caused, to a large extent, by breathing mainly through the right nostril only. So balancing the breathing between the two nostrils will lead to good health, peace and happiness.

Life in the present body begins with your first breath, life ends with your last breath. Our number of breaths in this body are fixed due to our past karma. Breathing is the most vital thing you do in life, it is why there is life. Breathing is considered to be the most important of all your bodies functions. The breath actually connects you to the world around you, you are a part of the natural world, your body is made out of the same elements which are found in the earth and throughout the universe. There is a continuous exchange that takes place of material elements with each breath you take. You are, in effect, breathing the world into yourself when you inhale but you are also breathing some of yourself out into the world when you exhale. There are literally microscopic bits of you in every exhalation and so you share in the chemical mix of the planet with your every breath. Your breathing is like your invisible umbilical cord connecting you to Mother Earth. If that cord should ever be broken, even for a short time, you could not survive. Breath is life itself. With the free flow of breathing, our body becomes more strong and resilient. Breathing more deeply provides a vital link between our body and your mind. It has been observed in clinical studies that different rhythms of the breathing have different effects on the state of your mind and emotions.

Praana

Praana is balanced, harmonized and regulated by NITAAI Praana Kriyaa.

(From Veda. Harekrsna.cz) Praana is a Sanskrit word for "life air" or "life force". In China it is known as cchi, in Japan as ki, in Polynesia as mana. It is present all over the universe both in macrocosm (space) and microcosm (bodies of living beings). Its proper flow in our bodies assures their healthy state.

Prana is a subtle material energy arising from rajo guna. It works as an interface between gross and subtle body, enabling all the psychophysical functions (i.e. animation - from Latin "anima"). This sometimes leads to confusion of prana with jiva. Although they are very closely connected, prana is witnessed by the jiva which is floating in prana in the heart cavity. Katha Upanisad 1.3.1 says:

rtam pibantau sukrtasya loke
guham pravistau parame parardhe
chayatapau brahmavido vadanti
pancagnayo ye ca tri-naciketah

"O Naciketa, the expansions of Lord Visnu as the tiny living being (jiva) and the Supersoul both stay within the cave of the heart of this body. In that cavity the living being, resting on the main prana, enjoys the results of activities, and the Supersoul, acting as witness enables him to enjoy them. Those who are well-versed in knowledge of Brahman and those householders who carefully follow the Vedic regulations say that the difference between the two is like the difference between a shadow and the sun."

Prana's movement leads to jiva's identification with the gross body (SB 4.29.71). Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.9):

esho anur atma cetasa veditavya yasmin pranah pancadha samvivesha
pranais cittamsattvam otam prajanam yasmin vishuddhe vibhavatyesha atma

""The atomic soul can be perceived by perfect intelligence as floating in the five kinds of life airs (prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana). When the consciousness (that pervades from the soul through the entire body) is purified from the contamination of the five kinds of material airs, its spiritual influence is exhibited.""

Prana is one but acts in different ways. Lower pranas control the senses and are under the control of main prana controlled by the Paramatma according to desire and karma of the jiva. Vedanta-sutra, Bhagavata Purana 4.25-28 (serpent analogy), Prasna Upanisad and other scriptures contain elaborate descriptions of prana.

Prana is mentioned in many Upanisads as well as Vedanta-sutra. A story in the Chandogya Upanisad describes how the senses had a dispute who among them is the most essential. The ear left for one year, returns and asks the others how they were doing without him. In a similar way the other senses also quit for a while. When the breath (prana = life) gets ready to leave, the other senses all understand that he is most essential. Without breath the body can't live.

Ten pranas ("life airs") - Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, Vyana, Naga, Krkara, Kurma, Devadatta, Dhananjaya (for definitions see below the commentary to SB 3.6.9) and their actions are mentioned by spiritual masters (acaryas) in their commentaries to Bhagavad-gita 4.27. The life airs circulate in the 72.000 nadis and meridians of the human body.

Prasna Upanisad (translations by Ekanath Das):

3.6 In the heart verily is the Jivatma (soul). Here arise 101 nadis (subtle pranic channels). Each of them has 100 sub-nadis. Each sub-nadi has 72.000 branch nadis. The Vyana moves in them.

3.7 But by one of these 101 nadis the up-going Udana leads by virtue of good deeds to the worlds of the good, by sin to worlds of the sinful, by both to worlds of the men indeed.

3.8 (The cosmic correspondences are): the sun is the reservoir of the cosmic light or Prana. He rises helping the microcosmic Prana to see objects. The goddess who presides over the Earth (Bhumi) is the cosmic Apana and she helps man by attracting the downwards the apana of the person. The space which is between the Earth and the Sun (antariksa) is the cosmic Samana, (and it helps the Samana inside man). The atmosphere or Vayu is cosmic Vyana (and helps the Vyana inside man).

Paraphrases of Vedanta-sutra by Suhotra Prabhu and corresponding Srimad Bhagavatam verses:

As the elements beginning with ether are manifest by the Supreme Lord, so too is the vital prana (life force). (Vs 2.4.1) SB 2.10.15

As was shown before, 'prana' is a name of the Supreme Lord as well as the name of the life force he creates. In the sruti-sastra, the original prana is addressed in the plural (pranah). This indicates the variegated manifestations of the one original Supreme Lord. (Vs 2.4.2) SB 2.10.36

The plurality of the word pranah cannot be applied to the created life force, because pranah is identified with 'asat.' As was shown before, asat is the state of nonmanifestation after the annihilation of the cosmos. Asat is also a name of the Supreme Lord. Hence pranah cannot refer to material variety. The variety indicated is transcendental. (Vs 2.4.3) SB 2.10.43,44

Speech exists before the cosmic manifestation. Hence prana as the name of the Supreme Lord is a word of that transcendental speech, not the mundane speech of the created world. (Vs 2.4.4) SB 6.16.51

It might be falsely argued that if the prana or life force accompanies the soul at the time of death, this prana must have no origin, just as the soul has no origin. But this standpoint is false. Prana is created, as the elements of the universe are created. (Vs 2.4.8) SB 2.10.15

It might be falsely argued on the basis of certain sastric statements that the prana or life force is the material element air (or the vibration of air, the activities of air or a condition of air). But in fact prana is created separately from that element; the scriptures likewise describe their functions separately. It is thus a special kind of air. (Vs 2.4.9) SB 2.10.15-17

It may be falsely argued that the vital prana is itself the individual spirit soul. It is really an instrument associated with the soul for as long as the soul is in material existence. (Vs 2.4.10) SB 11.3.39

The vital prana, being neutral and pervading the whole body, has no particular function like the senses. It is the soul's primary agent for governing the senses. (Vs 2.4.11) SB 4.16.12

Just as the mind is said to have multiple functions, so the prana has five functions. (Vs 2.4.12) SB 4.29.6,7

It might be falsely argued that the vital prana is all-pervading. Being the agent of the atomic soul, the vital prana is really atomic; thus it leaves the body along with the soul at the time of death. (Vs 2.4.13) SB 4.28.24

The secondary pranas activate the physical senses under the shelter of the vital prana, which is moved by the Supersoul. The pranas do not move themselves, nor are they moved by the devas, nor are they even moved by the individual spirit soul alone. (Vs 2.4.14) SB 7.2.45, 5.20.28

The Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad declares the individual soul to also be a ruler of the pranas by his enjoyment of them, for instance during sleep. The demigods are also rulers of the pranas because they define the activities of the senses. All this is under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. (Vs 2.4.15) SB 3.26.71, 6.4.25

The Supersoul is the eternal controller of the individual spirit souls and the demigods. (Vs 2.4.16) SB 5.11.13-14

The vital prana is not a sense organ, though the subordinate pranas may be taken as such because they move through the apertures of the sensory gates. (Vs 2.4.17) SB 4.28.56-58

In the Vedic description of creation, the vital prana is distinguished from the senses. Therefore it is not a sense itself. (Vs 2.4.18) SB 3.26.54

By the movement of the vital prana, the living entity maintains his conception of the body as the self. Only when the movement of the life air is arrested is the bodily identification submerged in ignorance. Thus is the prana distinguished from the senses, for even if the movements of all the senses are arrested, the bodily identification remains. (Vs 2.4.19) SB 4.29.71

Quotes on prana from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana):

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego - all together these eight constitute My separated material energies. (BG 7.4)

The first five elements - earth (solid substances), water (liquids), fire, air, ether - are gross material. Three other - mind, intelligence, false ego - are subtle material. Prana is a form of air (also known as vayu, vata, anila etc.). It is not "spiritual" in a sense of being of the same nature as jivatma (soul) which is above these eight elements:

Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine (the soul), which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature. (BG 7.5)

By further transformation of the mode of passion, the sense organs like the ear, skin, nose, eyes, tongue, mouth, hands, genitals, legs, and the outlet for evacuating, together with intelligence and living energy, are all generated. (SB 2.5.31)

From the sky situated within the transcendental body of the manifesting Maha-Visnu, sense energy, mental force and bodily strength are all generated, as well as the sum total of the fountainhead of the total living force. (SB 2.10.15)

The gigantic universal form is represented by three, ten and one in the sense that He is the body and the mind and the senses, He is the dynamic force for all movements by ten kinds of life energy, and He is the one heart where life energy is generated. (SB 3.6.9)

PURPORT

...The movements of the body are first generated from the heart, and all the activities of the body are made possible by the senses, powered by the ten kinds of air within the body. The ten kinds of air are described as follows: The main air passing through the nose in breathing is called prana. The air which passes through the rectum as evacuated bodily air is called apana. The air which adjusts the foodstuff within the stomach and which sometimes sounds as belching is called samana. The air which passes through the throat and the stoppage of which constitutes suffocation is called the udana air. Aid the total air which circulates throughout the entire body is called the vyana air. Subtler than these five airs, there are others also. That which facilitates the opening of the eyes, mouth, etc., is called naga air. The air which increases appetite is called krkara air. The air which helps contraction is called kurma air. The air which helps relaxation by opening the mouth wide (in yawning) is called devadatta air, and the air which helps sustenance is called dhananjaya air.

All these airs are generated from the center of the heart, which is one only. This central energy is superior energy of the Lord, who is seated within the heart with the soul of the body, who acts under the guidance of the Lord.

The action of the air is exhibited in movements, mixing, allowing approach to the objects of sound and other sense perceptions, and providing for the proper functioning of all other senses. (SB 3.26.37)

First of all a mouth appeared in Him, and then came forth the organ of speech, and with it the god of fire, the deity who presides over that organ. Then a pair of nostrils appeared, and in them appeared the olfactory sense, as well as prana, the vital air. (SB 3.26.54)

In the wake of the olfactory sense came the wind-god, who presides over that sense. Thereafter a pair of eyes appeared in the universal form, and in them the sense of sight. In the wake of this sense came the sun-god, who presides over it. Next there appeared in Him a pair of ears, and in them the auditory sense and in its wake the Dig-devatas, or the deities who preside over the directions. (SB 3.26.55)

The woman was protected on all sides by a five-hooded snake. She was very beautiful and young, and she appeared very anxious to find a suitable husband. (SB 4.25.21)

PURPORT

The vital force of a living entity includes the five kinds of air working within the body, which are known as prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana. The vital force is compared to a serpent because a serpent can live by simply drinking air. The vital force carried by the air is described as the pratihara, or the bodyguard. Without the vital force one cannot live for a moment. Indeed, all the senses are working under the protection of the vital force.

The engagements of the senses are known as girl friends, and the serpent, which was described as having five heads, is the life air acting within the five circulatory processes. (SB 4.29.6)

Narada Muni continued: What I referred to as the chariot was in actuality the body. The senses are the horses that pull that chariot. As time passes, year after year, these horses run without obstruction, but in fact they make no progress. Pious and impious activities are the two wheels of the chariot. The three modes of material nature are the chariot's flags. The five types of life air constitute the living entity's bondage, and the mind is considered to be the rope. Intelligence is the chariot driver. The heart is the sitting place in the chariot, and the dualities of life, such as pleasure and pain, are the knotting place. The seven elements are the coverings of the chariot, and the working senses are the five external processes. The eleven senses are the soldiers. Being engrossed in sense enjoyment, the living entity, seated on the chariot, hankers after fulfillment of his false desires and runs after sense enjoyment life after life. (SB 4.29.18-20)

When the living entity is in deep sleep, when he faints, when there is some great shock on account of severe loss, at the time of death, or when the body temperature is very high, the movement of the life air is arrested. At that time the living entity loses knowledge of identifying the body with the self. (SB 4.29.71)

[The inhabitants of Sakadvipa worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Vayu in the following words.] O Supreme Person, situated as the Supersoul within the body, You direct the various actions of the different airs, such as prana, and thus You maintain all living entities. O Lord, O Supersoul of everyone, O controller of the cosmic manifestation under whom everything exists, may You protect us from all dangers. (SB 5.20.28)

In the body the most important substance is the life air, but that also is neither the listener nor the speaker. Beyond even the life air, the soul also can do nothing, for the Supersoul is actually the director, in cooperation with the individual soul. The Supersoul conducting the activities of the body is different from the body and living force. (SB 7.2.45)

All living entities, moving and nonmoving, receive their vital force, their bodily strength and their very lives from the air. All of us follow the air for our vital force, exactly as servants follow an emperor. The vital force of air is generated from the original vital force of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. May that Supreme Lord be pleased with us. (SB 8.5.37)

Thus, considering this importance of the life-airs of Praana in our bodies, the NITAAI Praana Kriya will also benefit us greatly.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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