Breath is life. Meditating upon its presence is meditating upon our lives. It is the now, the present as it is. We can apply the skill in almost all the things we do daily. As soon as we bring our attention to the breath, the great power of observation comes to us naturally.
Meditation is an advanced and delicate practice. When the mental fluctuations cease abruptly, the subconscious could emerge. The sudden shift could result in the withdrawal the physical energy. This shall trigger the nervous system to increase heat, causing high electrical loads in the nerves and skin. The heart and the lungs could stop due to this. The effects on consciousness can be detrimental if one is not careful.
Hovering above the pelvic floor in the hips is a soft (cloud-like) element encased in a white pouch. It is the Kanda nadi. Kanda means ‘root’. The three fundamental nadis; Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are attached and spring from. From the kanda nadi, they branch out and will intersect again at the eyebrow centre in the middle brain. From experience, aside from khechari mudra, the kandasana can powerfully activate the ajna chakra.
Due to the rhythmical change in the intracranial pressure, the brain gets a stimulating massage during bhastrika pranayama. The cerebrospinal fluid is magnetised, allowing the nerve impulses to travel faster up through the central nervous system.
The bhastrika pranayama directly affects the nervous and circulatory systems. The intracranial pressure abruptly increases through each inhalation which, in turn, magnetises the cerebrospinal fluid.
The subtle body is inherently closed for a significant reason. Once it is made open, the subconscious awakens which in turn emerges our karmas. Hatha Yoga is the most powerful in awakening the kundalini. It is also the most dangerous.