Rohit Pillai Yoga

Fun Anatomy Facts: Lattisimus Dorsi.  The word Lattisimus, in Latin means 'broadest' . And 'Dorsi' in Latin means Back. Thus, the word Lattisimus Dorsi means the broadest muscle of the back. Usually in the 80s & South Indian movies this was the muscle that the villains flexed at the hero before being absolutely thrashed by someone with the physique of Dhanush (No hate to Dhanush. Love him). Being the broadest muscle of the back, the lats span over the lumbar area and the lower thoracic region of the back. In the Arnold flex pic you can clearly see the lats even from the front as it has an insertion point in the int ertuberculer sulcus of the humerus. It also has an insertion point between pectoralis major & Teres Major, muscle groups which we shall deal with later.  You will find that most professional boxers develop massive lats in proportion to their bodyweight, because fundamentally, the power for an effective punch is generated from the back with...

*The science of Khechari & Bindu (Dimethyltriptamine/DMT).*  In Hatha yoga, it is specifically said that the Bindu released from the pineal gland when dropped into the Jatharagni is destroyed. And hence by the use of Khechari mudra it is caught on the tongue and absorbed by the capillaries of the tongue. Now , let us explore what this Bindu possibly is and why catching it on the tip of the tongue is more effective than letting it digest via stomach. So , as per Master Mantak Chia, under certain processes,  once the body has created a built up of 15-20 mg of melatonin, the next chemical released is pinoline. Once pinoline too has built up to a certain level, the next hormone released is 5MEO & Dimethyl tryptamine (DMT). This DMT is a bliss producing chemical. And , as per some viewpoints, possibly also the mystical nectarine chemical , known as Bindu. Now there are some chemicals like LSD & DMT which apparently become less effective or are destroyed when they fall i...

The word Sushumna in Yoga is a really dynamic word. In Hatha yoga It means the naadi ranging from the mooladhara to Sahasrara. Though , quite possibly, the word Sushumna itself is a Sandhya bhasha terminology in Sanskrit. In the word Sushumna itself lies codified the secrets of Samadhi. Let us break the word Sushumna into three parts - 'Su' , 'Shu', 'Mna'. The 'Su' in Sushumna stands for that which is pleasant or indicative of Bliss. 'Shu' is the root word for  Shuchi or Shuddh indicating purity , wholeness (poornata) and clarity of perception. 'Mna' in its root means to intently Fix your mind upon something or anchor or mind to something...eg: breath, mantra. etc. So quite possibly, the word Sushumna here is indicative of the state of Laya / dissolution  of mind as a result of its fixation on the state of bliss arising internally and also the clarity of perception and sensitivity in the presence of which the ordinary limited mind is diss...

[9/1, 20:20] pillairohit1991: One good way to remember this: Take a deep breath in upto your maximum capacity. Now there is approximately 6 litres of air in your lungs. That is your Total lung capacity.  Now breathe out as deep as you can. You just breathed out 4800 mls of air. That is your vital Capacity.  But even after breathing out completely, 1200 mls of air is still reserve in your lungs. That is your residual volume.  Now breathe normally. In your normal breathing, approximately 500 mls of air is going in and out. That is your tidal volume.  Now breathe normally like in tidal Volume. Now after a normal tidal volume inhalation happens breathe in effortfully to your maximum capacity. You just breathed in 3200 mls of air over your tidal volume. That is your Inspiratory Reserve Volume.  So basically your Tidal Volume was already 500 mls. On the top of that you further breathed in 3200 mls. So that becomes a total of 3700 mls which is your actual Inspiratory c...

Commentary on the pranayama mantra , Prashnopanishad, ch. 2, vs.13. प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत्प्रतिष्ठितम् । मातेव पुत्रान्रक्शस्व श्रीश्च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति ॥ १३ ॥ prāṇasyedaṃ vaśe sarvaṃ tridive yatpratiṣṭhitam | māteva putrānrakśasva śrīśca prajñāṃ ca vidhehi na iti || 13 || Commentary on the pranayama mantra: Between the metaphysical Consciousness (Shuddha Chaitanya) and the Gross physical material world, it is the prana that acts as a link between the 2 dimensions being both the catalyst and sutradhar facilitating the process of expression of life and evolution. The stability and functioning of our mind , the organs of perception and the organs of action is dependent on the level , intensity & stability of the prana within us. When enhanced by the practice of pranayama it protects us from chitta vikshepas & shat-ripus like a mother protects her children. On prana is dependent the sensitivity of our system, and on the sensitivity of our system is dependent our ...

The Above shloka is an excerpt from Mahabharata, Vana Parva . It is a conversation between Narada & Yudhishthir, wherein Narada tells Yudhishthir of a conversation that happened between Bhishma & Pulatsya Rishi in the past, where Pulatsya Rishi mentioned to Bheeshma about the several Teerthasthals in Bharat. Of the several Teerthasthals that Pulatsya Rishi mentions , one particularly caught my attention. It's a place called Shwavillomapah.  In essence while describing the importance of this place , Pulatsya muni says , that many expert  yogis who perform intense pranayama at this place, shed their body hair and achieve purification of their chitta.  Now to a lay person, shedding of body hair by the performance of pranayama might sound weird & non-sensical. But, there actually might be some factual basis for the same. You see, HathaYoga pradipika states that 'a practitioner must train himself/herself to hold kumbhaka until the prana can permeate to ...