Nanoyoga

Recent advances in science have led us from gross to subtle. Nano has become a keyword in the twenty-first century. Nano is actually the smallest measurable unit. Any technology that deals with extremely small particles is called nanotechnology.

Scientists discovered during the course of evolution of nanotechnology that a substance exhibits different properties when it is in a gross state and when in the nano state. For example, gold in the nano state can be used as a catalyst but in the form of ornaments it gets readily affected by air.

This simile can also be applied to the body and mind. Our ancient sages since thousands of years have emphasized the various pathways to discover oneself in the most subtle manner. This is nothing but yoga in the nanoyoga form. If one wishes to reach the most microscopic level of Brahma, one has to undertake this inner journey.

Ancient scriptures like Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads have clearly demonstrated this ultra-microscopic level of thought. When Sage Patanjali says (2:47):

Prayatnashaithilyaanantasamaapattibhyaam

By loosening of effort and by meditation on the serpent anant, asana is mastered

He means a level which one cannot reach easily. This nano level of sadhana is expected to be achieved in the final stage of yogasana.

In another example while highlighting the benefits of pranayama, Sage Patanjali says (2:52),

Tatah khiyatay prakaashvarnam

Thereby (by the practice of pranayama) the covering of light disappears

This is perhaps the best example of nanoyoga. Efforts should be made to remove all the external coverings to reveal the innermost core which is none other than Brahma itself in its subtlest form.

Some other examples depicting the nanoyoga features include:

Te pratiprasavaheyaaha sookshmaaha (2:10)

Those kleshas are reducible by involution when they are subtle

Suukshmavishayatvam chaalingaparyavasaanamam (1:45)

The stages of samadhi in respect to subtle objects extend up to prakriti

Paramaanu paramahattvaanto’sya vashiikaaraha (1:40)

So the yogi is given mastery over all objects for meditation ranging from the smallest atom to the infinitely large

According to Adi Shankaracharya what you cannot see is the mind and beyond it are buddhi, ahamkara and chitta which are also smaller and smaller expressions taking us to a nano level.

The Upanishads have described the pancha kosha concept which embodies a journey from the gross annamaya kosha to the most subtle form of bliss or anandamaya kosha. The pranic energy which one cannot see can be visualized after the finest level of sadhana.

The Upanishads have also described the turiya state which falls in the nano category. The concept of nadis, chakras and kundalini is also a form of nano yoga. The awakening of kundalini cannot be observed in the superficial level of sadhana. One will have to penetrate the deepest levels to reach the nano state to obtain a divine experience. The concept of anahad nada, the unstruck sound, also exemplifies a similar concept of nano.

Social relevance

The principal means of making yoga practical is by making it socially relevant. This is achieved through Nano-Bio-Psycho Technology: the application of nanotechnology to influence the body (bio) and mind (psycho). Most of the biological and metabolic processes in the body, like the endocrine systems, DNA coding, cellular structure, regeneration and homeostatic mechanisms, are at the most subtle or nano level. Every small change in hormone secretion brings about huge changes at the body level of organ functioning, e.g. stress produces adrenaline in very small concentration that induces the fight or flight response. However, the effects of natural adrenaline and injected adrenaline are different due to different cellular response to these two.

This concept of nano yoga should be used to bring about the smallest changes in our behavioural patterns. Over a long period this will produce the desired gross change.

In the twentieth century, Einstein put forth the unified field theory: There is one common principle in all the cosmic phenomena. This was the underlying basics of this theory. If you extend this concept to all of us then we are also basically the same and linked with each other. We have the same core of bliss or consciousness. We are all searching for this bliss or ananda. This search helps to bring about favourable changes in personality.

Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati gave us the concept of yoga nidra which is also an example of yoga at nano level.

Many other stalwarts like Dr Larry Dossey, Dr Dean Ornish and Dr Deepak Chopra have used TM (Transcendental Meditation), making use of quantum healing principles at nano level for healing of diseases.

SVYASA at Bangalore have devised various techniques at nano level, such as a pranic energization technique, and have achieved good results even in cancer patients.

At Ghantali Mitra Mandal, Thane, we have done similar applications of nanoyoga in pregnant patients using omkara sadhana and nada yoga.

Using colour Doppler sonography it was conclusively proved that regular omkara chanting improves foetal blood flow, increases weight and keeps pregnancy induced blood pressure to a minimum. Similar applications were carried out in school children to improve memory and in jail inmates, for personality transformation.

Consciousness exists in all forms of life and each one is affected by the other. Prayers sung by one can be healing to other sick people. This is the new branch of medicine called non-local medicine. Similarly, a new branch of healing is spiritual healing which includes distance healing, or pranic healing. Some of the results in research papers on these topics are astonishing. There is a growing need for health professionals to adopt some of these techniques as supplementary to existing procedures.

In short, the subtleness of yoga in the form of nano yoga is a powerful tool of transformation for the distorted mind or body.

If you imbibe this nano level of sadhana it will truly bring about transformation. Wishing you all the best for your voyage towards complete makeover using nano yoga.

Dr Ulka Natu, Research Director, Prajnana Yoga Anusandhana Kendra, Ghantali Mitar Mandal, Thane, India