VI

The nostril flow vis a vis  state of mind, is a subject of Swar Yoga, as Mr S.d.Ojha, the Assistant Editor had  rightly mentioned when I had engaged the Editor of the Searchlight in a kind of enlightenment that seemed to have got kindled in him.

But Swar Yoga was not on my agenda, Yoga as a science of consciousness was .

The nostril flow was an index, connected with the brain which nature has split in two distinct parts, the left and the right, as science does recognise.

Generally, either side predominates at a time while the other stands relatively subdued. The status keeps altering periodically during the day. 

How nature controls it and how nature may as well be synchronised by its internal manipulation so, is the subject of Swar Yoga but its impact on the mind and body can be demonstrated even by self application of the techniques to alter the flow.

There are several techniques which are not required to be applied, in that yoga being a way of life , sets up an auto mode in the mind and body which causes the right flow to come to the aid of the practitioner as and when warranted.

The left and the right  brain functions are connected with just the opposite sides of the nostril flow. 

Mr Mukker's right nostril was predominant, which implied predominance of left side of the brain. Had it been the opposite, the opposite side would have been inferred as more active. Likewise, equal flow represents, a clear balance between both sides, representing an optimum condition which occurs only in adepts . Adepts do not mean yogies or yogic adepts or religious heads or like stuff. An Einstein may belong to that category or even a Shakespeare or a Socrates or some one who never practiced any yoga nor followed any religious or moral discipline. 

The reason why I chose to guess that Mr Mukker's right flow was on, was that I guessed his mental energy stood subdued at that time while the physical one was more prominent , which hindered his concentration and prompted physical action instead , though the Editor was the engaged in a writing exercise that was just in conflict. His distracted attention in writing and in lending his focussed ears to me , was clearer.

So I asked him to alter his nasal flow, so that he would have a better concentration. I requested him to lift his right hand and to shift it backwards across the back of his chair, fixing his right armpit pressed against the top of the back rest. Even the left hand palm could be used to create this pressure. Mr Mukker complied, staying in that posture for about 45 seconds, to find that the left flow had begun to escalate . 

I requested him to stay in that posture for some more seconds , apart from becoming aware of his natural breath. 

How to do that, he asked.

Simple, I said, adding that he should say to himself, mentally of course, that I am breathing in while breathing in and I am breathing out while breathing out , preferably with eyes closed, apart from staying aware of what ever thoughts, sounds or whatever passed by, internal or external, which should just be witnessed rather than either analysed or perceived by meaning or as disturbance.

I asked him to stay with eyes closed but to assume normal sitting position, terminating the skewed arm position he had assumed with armpit pressed. He did.

After , say,  3 to 4 minutes , I asked him he could open his eyes, but stopped me as he signed , raising his right palm that we usually do to stay on hold. I and Mr Ojha watched him relax , reluctant to terminate that relaxed state.  However, he reluctantly opened his eyes and said he felt like relaxing more. I asked him to continue and voluntarily stood up, leaving the chair, but was asked to ensure that I was back tomorrow. He even asked Mr Ojha to discuss further with me , but not there, rather in his chamber, obviously implying even Mr Ojha to vacate. 

We both , accordingly, came out of the room but as I sought leave from Mr Ojha, he said he himself was practising yoga but didn't know those scientific facts that I had mentioned, so he too would be happy to see my story . I said I was not narrating any story, it was factual, not fictional. Mr Ojha burst into laughter, saying 'story' was the term journists ordinarily use for any write up, real or fictional, in that facts and fictions get synchronised once it gets inside  newspaper columns .

(More to follow)