Hindu Medicine c8.140

c8.140

Such a theory, describing the two channels starting at the nostrils and ending near the perineum, where they enter the spinal marrow, is not meant to convey the anatomy of the respiratory organs. It results from experiences peculiar to the process of yoga practice; it is a picture of the inner sensations through which the master teaches the pupil how to control his efforts and to observe their effectiveness; how to direct his energy to attain what has been accomplished by earlier yogins. The concept is of the nature of a diagram or plan, which outlines the sphere of breathing exercises and of the experience of nervous reactions, the battleground of the yogin in his attainment of spiritual supremacy. Based on the visualization of inward experiences, it traces, for the benefit of the pupil, the way of approach to this recondite goal, and the means by which to attain it.