Mantra to Awaken Prana

Om bhur bhuvah swah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhiimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

We meditate on divine light may it stimulate our spiritual perception.

The Gâyatrî Mantra was first recorded in the Rig Veda (iii, 62, 10) written in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years and it is said the recitation of this mantra awakens cosmic prana during meditation.

Prana is all pervading energy linked to consciousness and found in every essence of manifestation.  Yogis have been exploring a variety of breathing practices with retention in order to understand awareness on multiple dimensions for the purpose of vitality and health.   Vibration is everywhere and breath is no exception, energy emits electrons from the highest to the lowest frequency.   All life forms have vibrational frequencies, you may not hear or see it but everything is pulsating in the form of prana.  The universe is in a constant state of occilation and every vibration has its own space in time, depth, width and sound, this concept pervades the universe and is identified as prana.

To have a deeper understanding of the nature of your existence mastering prana is essential. 

Shakti (pure energy) lies behind pranic lifeforce and it is said shakti must be liberated to awaken ones highest potential.  When you practice pranayama you are tuning into a physiological system where energy and matter meet, as you become aware of this phenomena you transcend the system for the benefit of awakening or enlightenment. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra states, “pranayama is one of the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga”, if you are interested in the illumination of yoga (samadhi) outlined in the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga you would definitely consider pranayama as an integral part of your daily practice.   When Prana is awakened, she ascends the spinal column as a river of energy beginning at the root chakra (muladhara).   In the ascension upwards, all chakras are awakened in the physical and ethereal body, for most of us this is a lifetime journey toward the understanding and awareness of who we really are.   Directing energy upward from the root to the crown chakra is one way to achieve the highest state of awareness in terms of yoga. 

Pranayama can be integrated into your daily yoga practice under the guidance of a teacher and I highly recommend you practice the preceding limbs prior to pranayama as a preparation for the inward journey.  When you begin to mindfully breath you stir a wellspring of emotions connected to lifetimes of experience.   One must be prepared, if you are not ready to face these emotions you will become inundated with fluctuations of mind and without a stable practice and the understanding of yoga it is detrimental to your mental health.  Yama, Niyama and Asana are without a doubt a precursor to pranayama, as it implies you have a rudimnetary understanding of your earthly SELF before you delve into the expansive aspect of who you are as it relates to energy through pranayama.