Towards Self-Realization

Soaham Sadhana or Hansa Yoga is purely a spiritual type of Pranayama. This Yoga incorporates Pranayama along with some kind of Nada Yoga and Dhyana Yoga.. The Pranayama phase consists of -sitting in a stable posture of Sukhasana or Padmasana; in a physically and mentally calm condition; keeping the spinal cord in an erect position and taking deep breaths in a consistent manner. The erect position of the spinal column supports straight flow of the Prana. Like for the other Pranayamas, breathing at a slow pace is supposed to be the best for this one too. Breathing should be so deep that the lungs would be totally filled with oxygen after inhalation. The duration of either kind of Kumbhaka should not be more than half that of the recaka or puraka.

While breathing in, the concentration should be focused at the subtle sound (of 'so') produced by the air-flow through the nostril. During the antah kumbhaka it should be centered inside the body. Meditating on the flow of the 'inhaled' Prana through the endocrine centers like the satachakras or the granthis along the spinal column is extremely useful because it helps focusing the consciousness at these specific extrasensory nodal points and thus accelerating the vibrations of latent energy currents.

While breathing out, the Sadhaka should concentrate on the subtle sound of 'ham' (produced by the outflow of the air) and expel the ego, selfishness, vices and infirmities with it. In order to make this activity he should be careful in his day-to-day life too. All the glamour and passions associated with 'ham' ('I" - the ego) and its narrow perspectives are to be left despite the intense pressures of worldly benefits and fears. When an oil -lamp is kindled its flame assumes predominance and the oil slowly loses its own identity and transfers its existence in the form of light through the medium of the flame. Similarly, in the soaham Pranayama, the existence of ham (the ego) is immersed in so (that, the omnipresent Brahm) through the medium of controlled breathing and support of mental Samkalpa.

Perception of the subtle sounds - of 'So' and 'Ham' which are 'dissolved' in the in and out flows of the breaths - corresponds to a practice similar to the nada yoga. Meditation upon these sounds and the associated paramount feelings of attracting the mahaprana and releasing the ego and ignorance is indeed a superior type of Dhyana yoga too.

The inherent unity between the soul and the Brahm is described in the scriptures of Vedanta as the principle of advaita. The sastras like the Panchadashi present the details on the philosophy and implementation of this principle. The Hamsa Yoga is a Sadhana, a spiritual experiment for the realization of this theory.

The Gayatri Mantra consists of twenty-four Sanskrit letters compiled in the three vyahrtis after "Oam". The continuous japa of this mantra by the subconscious mind is a sadhana of the prana, which results in the merging of the individual consciousness with the mahaprana. This effectuates the linkage of the individual self with its Omnipresent thy origin and thus leads to the realization of the Brahm. The subtle but spontaneous japa of soaham occurring with each breath is the same type of Sadhana of Prana and gives equivalent spiritual benefits. Therefore, the soaham sadhana is called the ajapa of Gayatri.

Every Sadhaka of Gayatri has to perform the soaham sadhana (hamsa yoga) before entering into the highest phase of the spiritual sadhana of Gayatri. Thus 'soaham' is the bija (essence) of the Gayatri Mantra and its sadhana is said to be essential for the ultimate success in the sadhana of Gayatri.