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As one progresses in the practice of meditation, previously hidden sources of behavioral and emotional imbalances surface from the unconscious. When one gains awareness of his inner being and knowledge of internal habit patterns, one can learn to transform these habits into more beneficial ones. 2. Psychoanalysis: Some individuals may not be able to effectively deal with the patterns that are arising from the unconscious and thus require expert guidance and external support. 3. Homeopathic treatment: As the homeopathic remedies are dynamic fields of energy they are very effective in helping to cancel out distortions in the mental field. However, it should be remembered that the homeopathic prescription is based on the individual as a whole and not on just the mental symptoms.
PRANA: In the physical body the channels for circulating fluids can become clogged with accumulated waste products and debris, and thus be rendered incapable of carrying out their role. The same thing can happen on the pranic level with the nadis or subtle energy channels. Excess concentration or accumulation of energy in one area can similarly block the pathways, preventing the essential life-supporting prana from reaching its destination. Techniques for cleaning out the nadis to ensure they remain free from impurities have been intricately described in yoga. These include breathing exercises, pranayama exercises and hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is a very sophisticated system of physical exercises designed to enhance the function of the chakras so that energy is distributed in a balanced manner to all areas of the psychophysical organism. These exercises are beneficial to the RA patient since RA is a condition that is partially due to the stagnancy of the underlying flow of prana. As a result, adequate nourishment (prana) is not able to reach the joints and extra articular structures that are also involved in the rheumatic process. When prana is restricted the healing function of vyana is inhibited and the cleansing function of apana becomes obstructed. Thus, waste products and energy accumulate in inappropriate places.
Breathing exercises employ the mechanics of the respiratory apparatus to gain conscious control over the breath and thus to enhance the intake of the breath (and prana) and the elimination of respiratory wastes. By consciously guiding the movement of the breath, the flow of prana can also be controlled. Specific exercises that help to relieve the mind of tension, to purify and strengthen the subtle nadis on the pranic level and the nervous system on the physical level include nadi shodana, kapalabhati and brahmari.
Pranayama exercises are subtler techniques that involve a conscious regulation of the flow of energy, particularly through the three major nadis: ida, pingala and susumna. Prana is also controlled by the mind and is distributed accordingly by the chakras through the nadis. The three different aspects of respiration are involved in pranayama exercises: exhalation (rechaka), suspension (khumbaka) and inhalation (puraka). By practising pranayama one can gain control over the flow of prana.
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Dr. Barbara Bova, HOD, Dept. of Homeopathy