Increase your life energy through these five ways

All beings are born with a certain quantum of Prana but the quantity and the quality change continuously, as one goes through life. The quantum of prana of each individual is indicated by the POWER of the PERSONALITY, which reflects one’s natural capacity to wield prana.

There are two ways in which one can increase the level of Prana in oneself — External ( i.e. by exposing oneself to external sources of Pranic elements), and Internal (by self-generating the pranic energy within oneself).

At the material level one receives prana from the environment, food, water, sun and air. The quantum of prana within each individual is influenced by the quality of the elements to which one is exposed and which one ingests in the course of everyday life. But Prana is not received solely from external sources; it is also self-generated and its quality can be refined and directed. This self-generation of Prana is achieved through the powerful practice of Pranayama.

Let us look at both the external and internal factors that affect our Pranic energy.

External Factors:

1. Food

We all know the importance of eating healthy food but we hardly realise that the kind of food we eat affects not just our physical body, but also our energy and mental body. The Yogic science on food is holistic and takes into account not just physical health but mental and spiritual health as well. It is based on the pranic value of food.

The Chandōgya Upanishad says, the food that we consume has got three layers; stūla bhāga; madhyama bhāgaḥ and sūkṣma bhāgaḥ. The stūla bhāgaḥ, the gross part of the food will only cater to the taste and it will be evacuated as a waste. Then there is a madhyama bhāga, the middle portion, which is supposed to cater to the physical nourishment, in the form of carbohydrates, fats, minerals, salts, etc. in the body. And then there is a sūkṣma bhāgaḥ or the subtle part of the food, which contributes to the nourishment of the sūkṣma śarīram or the mental body. The subtle part of food directly affects the nature of our minds, whether it is calm and composed or extroverted and restless. It also affects our sense organs whether they are alert or dull.

The Bhagavad Gita categorizes food into three types — sattwik, rajasic and tamasic. The Sattwik food is a simple vegetarian meal, which is freshly prepared and optimally cooked, and has the highest amount of Prana. Overcooked or undercooked meals, all kinds of meat, food which are very bitter, sour, pungent and dry, or any kind of packaged food items fall in the tamasic and rajasic categories and are low in Prana. These are not conducive to the overall health and wellbeing of a person.

A well prepared sattwik diet is a panacea for good health and provides not just agility and lightness of the physical body but also strength, clarity and lightness of the mind. The higher the quantity of prana we consume from our food, the more developed our minds become to acquire the higher quality of sattva and spiritual states.

2. Environment (Sun, Air, Water)

In the process of living, as we know, there are multiple cells that die and multiple that are created everyday. When the rate of decay is more than the rate of regeneration, the body begins to show signs of withering and ageing. The net rate of decay of cells can be brought down significantly by stimulating the Pranic energy of the sun, which is a direct source of Prana and life on earth. Thus exposing oneself to the Sun is essential not just to get certain vitamins, but build the natural immunity of the body by absorbing the pranic energy of the Sun.

Equally important as the Sun is the air we breathe. The exhilaration and vitality experienced near a waterfall or high in the mountains is because the quantum of prana in the air is significantly higher in these places. On the other hand when one is exposed to air pollution or poor air quality the energy levels quickly begin to drop. Science has explained this phenomenon in terms of ions or charged particles in the air that are formed when enough energy acts on a gaseous molecule to eject an electron. The more the quantity of negative ions present in the air, the higher is the Prana. Negative ions are therapeutic partly because they kill germs. In human beings they act on the capacity to absorb oxygen, accelerating the blood’s delivery of oxygen to cells and tissues. Negative ions are not Prana but when one inhales them the level of Prana in the body increases. Positive ions on the other hand have quite the opposite effect. Inside a closed room in a metro city there may be less than 50 negative ions per square foot and in the mountains there are about 5000. It is now a proven scientific fact that the depletion of negative ions leads to discomfort, fatigue, and some degree of mental and physical inefficiency. It has also been observed that the ability to assimilate negative ions goes up during yogic practices such as pranayama.

3. Surrounding (Satsang)

Any association that helps one towards the attainment of purity of heart and elevation of Pranic energy can be considered as satsang. While on one hand it is important to receive Prana by associating oneself with good company, it is equally important to conserve one’s Pranic energy by distancing oneself from activities that drain it.

The Pranic energy flows from a person having higher quantum of prana to the ones having a lower quantum of prana. We experience this phenomenon in our daily lives as well. If you stay with someone who is strong and healthy, you will also have the tendency to become strong and healthy, on the other hand if you stay with someone who is sick and depressed, you will gradually develop the tendency to become the same. And so, it is always advised to be in the company of people who can elevate your mind and energy to a higher level. By just being in the company of people with high spiritual quotient can transform a person and give him the inner spiritual strength to face the struggles of life, overcome temptations, manage inner cravings and fill the mind with positive divine thoughts.

Where contact with such people is not possible, one should try to be in contact with good books which can elevate your awareness. Reading about the lives of great saints and personalities and study of their teachings is equal to good company. Another way of satsang is visiting natural or holy places which are charged with positive energy.

Internal Factors

4. Pranayama & Asana

Pranayama is a powerful yogic practice of self-generating Prana in the body to enhance vitality, will and strength, cure diseases, boost capability and efficiency, and evolve to a higher consciousness. The breath is the external manifestation of Prana and the control of Prana is the practice of Pranayama. When Prana is influenced through modification of the breath, all the functions of the body, brain, mind and consciousness are affected. A significant outcome of Pranic awareness is that one is able to gain control over the mind. In this context Pranayama is more a spiritual practice than a mere physical exercise for good health.

Even Asanas (exercise) direct your prana in motion. When you hold an asana posture, you are using your will and streamlining your energy to different parts of your body. This improves the circulation of Pranic energy in the body and makes you feel energised after the practice.

When Prana moves, the mind thinks and the senses perceive their respective objects. Since Prana is grosser than the mind it is easier to control via the breath than directly controlling the thought currents of the mind. By developing sensitivity to Prana, one becomes more aware of the subtle forces of the mind which arise in the form of thoughts, feelings, emotions, responses, impressions and knowledge.

As one advances in the practice of controlling Prana, the dormant areas of the brain awaken. Normally only one-tenth of the human brain is active and the other remaining parts are inactive. The reason is because a high level of energy is required for the whole brain to function simultaneously. The yogic practices are able to generate such a quantum of energy (Kundalini Shakti), and awaken the hidden genius in an average individual.

However, it is important to note that just a few rounds of Pranayama performed hurriedly will not achieve this, although the physical benefits may start to show. Sustained practice with deep concentration, acute awareness and unshakable faith are the requisites to perfect the practice of Pranayama.

5. Meditation

The last but certainly not the least method to self-generate Prana is through the practice of meditation. Usually a lot of our mental energy is dissipated in unnecessary thoughts which we are not able to control. We continuously fill our minds with information, from TV shows, to news to entertainment, social media, games, gossips, messages and every possible trivial thing. We let ourselves become mesmerised with the endless stream of new images, new information, new ways to tantalise and pacify the senses. On top of that we fill our minds with thoughts of our desires and the ways to fulfil them. As a result, we are never in the present.

Every thought consumes energy. This constant feeding in and processing of thoughts drains our mental energy so much that we are restless even when we sit silently for 10 min. You immediately remember some work that you had to do, some calls that you had make, or just an itching to get to your phone and check the notifications, even though there are none. And that is why meditation is so important.

Meditation is a process of slowing down our unnecessary movements, of letting go of the negatives in us, of withdrawing our externalised mind and senses, of conserving our mental energy, of going deep within our self to know who we really are and find the fullness or poornatvam within us which is our true nature.

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Suggested Reads:

Prana: Understanding the Life Force