The beauty of human creation cannot be expressed in words! The entire earth is the home of living beings breathing air. Air (vayu) is one of the five basic elements (pancha mahabhuta) that constitute the earth. The Akasha that holds and supports all the physical entities such as stars and galaxies, planets and their satellites is a vast space in which air moves freely (Vedanta). Space is considered to be a dynamic entity, ether.
The atmosphere of the earth is restricted to the 10 kms. from the earth's surface and there is nothing beyond this. The lower seven kms. constitute the limit of dense mass of air and air becomes thin and rarefied only to disappear beyond. Nearest the earth is the troposphere where there are dense masses of air in pockets of High Pressure and some Low Pressure pockets in between. Thus, air is not evenly distributed everywhere; moreover there are vast water bodies (oceans) and chunks of land masses that create differences in heating and cooling of the earth's surface by the Sun rays and the consequent differences in air pressure. The angle at which the sun rays reach the spherical earth is mainly responsible for differential heating- more near the Equator (Torrid Zone) and less and less nearer the Poles. The upper layers or zones above the troposphere are: stratosphere, chemosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere. Hydrogen particles freely move in the outermost zone of exosphere and, once they escape the gravitational pull of the earth, they get lost in the space.
The atmosphere of the earth is restricted to the 10 kms. from the earth's surface and there is nothing beyond this. The lower seven kms. constitute the limit of dense mass of air and air becomes thin and rarefied only to disappear beyond. Nearest the earth is the troposphere where there are dense masses of air in pockets of High Pressure and some Low Pressure pockets in between. Thus, air is not evenly distributed everywhere; moreover there are vast water bodies (oceans) and chunks of land masses that create differences in heating and cooling of the earth's surface by the Sun rays and the consequent differences in air pressure. The angle at which the sun rays reach the spherical earth is mainly responsible for differential heating- more near the Equator (Torrid Zone) and less and less nearer the Poles. The upper layers or zones above the troposphere are: stratosphere, chemosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere. Hydrogen particles freely move in the outermost zone of exosphere and, once they escape the gravitational pull of the earth, they get lost in the space.
The major components of the atmosphere near the earth's surface are: Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%), the remaining being Hydrogen, Ozone, Argon, Methane,etc. It is surprising how these gaseous elements are formed, although we know that the earth is a planet condensed out of Sun's emissions (solar flares), cooled and solidified (with enormous heat still held inside). Hydrogen is. no doubt, the basic element, the constituent of the Sun. Oxygen is said to be formed at the bottom of the ocean floor and carbon is added only after the plant life evolved from algae in water. Anyway, the three gaseous elements- Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon go to make the earth a living planet.
We, the animals (prani) depend on Oxygen for our survival. The most surprising thing about this Oxygen is that it works out both as an agent of support and destruction! Oxidation and Reduction processes play the trick! Animals (prani) grow and develop with Oxygen in-take and start ageing and die later, when the same Oxygen starts consuming it(body). This is what led the ancient sages of India to take to Pranayama, and restrict the in-take of Oxygen and prolong life. At later stages in life, the in-take of Oxygen is reduced and the body cells are made to sustain themselves with the help of the Soul-power. The Sages go into samadhi, regulate their breathing, reduce it to minimum and live longer! This is the secret of Pranaya, controlling the pranic energy.
The air we breathe works wonders! We are not even aware of our daily exercise of breathing by which we supply the much needed oxygen to the body. We are unaware of our breathing in deep sleep! This is an involuntary aspect and it is said that "God lives between two breaths"- in kumbhaka between puraka (breathe-in) and rechaka (breathe-out); This breathing process is by itself a Meditative process, ajapa japa.
The human physical body is composed of 78% water and 21% solid and semi-solid, and the remaining 1% is of air, fire, and space. Thus, the air breathe moves freely within the body through spaces and interstices. Our body is a Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon- the H+C+O combine that makes carbohydrates (food) and hydrocarbons (energy). We are basically energy-condensates fixed or localized into a form, as agni tanmatra, rupa. We are just vibrant energy. The air that enters the human body creates whirlpools of different rpm and rotate like fan blades at different speeds at different levels and produce wonderful effect on our vital systems! We breathe in and out 21600 times during 24 hours at different chakra (to be explained later) and this regulates the entire system of energy, blood flow (blood pressure), maintains heat of the body, and fills in lungs with oxygen and supplies it to blood and purifies it, and many more! Actually, we do not understand the entire mechanism of air circulation within our body. (See Chakra dhyan and Chakra system from muladhara to sahasrara in our body).
The human physical body is composed of 78% water and 21% solid and semi-solid, and the remaining 1% is of air, fire, and space. Thus, the air breathe moves freely within the body through spaces and interstices. Our body is a Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon- the H+C+O combine that makes carbohydrates (food) and hydrocarbons (energy). We are basically energy-condensates fixed or localized into a form, as agni tanmatra, rupa. We are just vibrant energy. The air that enters the human body creates whirlpools of different rpm and rotate like fan blades at different speeds at different levels and produce wonderful effect on our vital systems! We breathe in and out 21600 times during 24 hours at different chakra (to be explained later) and this regulates the entire system of energy, blood flow (blood pressure), maintains heat of the body, and fills in lungs with oxygen and supplies it to blood and purifies it, and many more! Actually, we do not understand the entire mechanism of air circulation within our body. (See Chakra dhyan and Chakra system from muladhara to sahasrara in our body).
The air we breathe enters the body through the nose alternately through the nostrils- left (ida) and the right (pingala). These are actually the regulators of the heat in our body.
The term 'pranayama' (samsk.) control (yama) of the vital airs (prana). The air we breathe in divides itself into ten branches and pervades the body as life- force, pranic energy. Of these, prana is the prominent one and, the others are: vyana (distributed all over), samana (equally), udana (moving upward), and downward (apana), naga, kurma, kukrura, dhananja and, somadatta.
(to be contd.)
(to be contd.)
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