“Pranayama must be done with a concentrated mind to activate sushumna.”
The verse: Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3.120
The quote above is our paraphrase. This is the verse as it reads in the Pancham Sinh translation (1914):
“All the practices relating to the air should be performed with concentrated mind. A wise man should not allow his mind to wander away.”
About the text: Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a Sanskrit manual of hatha yoga compiled by Svatmarama, usually dated to the 15th century. Its four chapters cover postures, cleansing practices and breath control, mudras and bandhas, and meditation, and it is among the most influential surviving hatha yoga texts.
More from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
- “The system has been designed for the people of Kali Yuga; Hatha Yoga commences with purification of the body.”
- “The yogi must always perform moola bandha to guide kundalini into the Brahma nadi.”
- “Pranayama, when practiced correctly, is like sowing seeds in fertile soil, yielding fruits in time.”
- “It is better not to concern yourself with mental activities; just do your practices.”
- “A disciplined mind no longer falls prey to its habitual chatter, enabling spiritual progress.”
- “Ambrosial milk sometimes trickled through the palate, entering the nadis, filling the body with a blended light.”