Grades of Sadhakas.

Sadhakas are divided into three main groups in accordance with the progress they achieve in the practice of pranayama. These categories are: low, in which the breathing is coarse and rough; average, in which it is half-soft; and high, in which it is soft and fine.

These groups are again sub – divided to show their subtle differences. Beginners are split into the lowest of the 'low', average among the 'low', and best among the 'low'. The 'average' and the 'high' sadhaka is to join the highest of the 'high'.

A beginner in pranayama uses physical strength and lacks rhythm and poise. His body and brain are rigid, while his breath is forceful, jerky and superficial. An average sadhaka has some control in the art of sitting and a greater posture or to breathe rhythmically. His practice is moderate, whereas that of the more perfect sadhaka is disciplined; he sits erect and aware. His lungs are capable of sustaining pranayaam for a longer time. His breath is rhythmic, soft and subtle, while his body, mind and intellect his own mistakes.

Very often, understanding and practice do not go together. One sadhaka may be better able to understand, while another may have better skill in practice. In each case, he has to develop uniformity in skill and intelligence and use them harmoniously for the better practice of pranayama.

Patanjali mentions the important part played in pranayama by place, time and condition, where internal or external, for the sadhaka. They may be regulated, lengthened or made subtle. His torso is the place, his condition is the slow steady balance and even flow of his breathing.

The beginner may use the top of his lungs only, while the average performer will be concerned with his diaphragm or navel, and the adept with his pelvic region. One has to learn to involve the whole torso when practising pranayama.

Time represents the length of each inhalation and exhalation, and circumstances, the controlled flow and subtlety of the breath.

Condition represents the number and the length of the in-breaths, retentions, out-breaths and second retentions. The sadhaka has to determine their number and length for a given day and must keep to a regular schedule. The soft and delicate flow of breath in each cycle is the ideal condition.

The sadhaka may complete a cycle lasting ten seconds, another of twenty and a third of thirty. He may practise on three levels, the purely physical one, using hi body as an instrument, the emotional one, using only his mental faculties, or the intellectual one, controlling his breath with intelligence, A beginner may reach perfection if his cycle is very short but soft and fine; on the other hand, an adopt who takes pride in the length of his cycle, which is coarse and rough, is reduced to the level of a beginner.

The sadhaka should develop steadiness in the body, keep his mind and emotions in balance and his intellect sober. Then he is able to observe the subtle flow of his breath and feel its absorption within his system. His body, breath, mind, intellect and self become one and lose their individual identity. The knowable, the knower and the knowledge become one.

A musician is lost in his ecstasy while displaying all the subtleties of the raga in which he has specialised and experiences supreme consciousness. He may or may not be aware that his experience is shared by his audience. This is the quest of the sound. Sadhaka likewise is lost in his ecstasy, but his experience of pranayama is purely subjective. He alone listen to the subtle and soft sound of his own breathing and enjoys the absolute soundless state of kumbhaka. This is the quest of the self.

The intake of breath is the absorption of cosmic energy; inhalation – retention is the union of the universal self with the individual energy, followed by exhalation – retention, in which the individual and the universal self are merged. This is the state of nirvikalpa samadhi.

References

The above mentioned information is added from the book called LIGHT ON PRANAYAMA by B.K.S. IYENGAR.