In the body two forces are working - one is known (jnata) and other is unkown (ajnata). Seeing, talking, walking, sitting, standing etc. take place knowingly. These actions take place by the wishes of mind. Mind has will power (ichha shakti) and this power compels eyes to see or mouth to speak or legs to walk. Here one should see that mind which is not matter, controls the material body. A non-matter controlling matter.
However there are other actions in the body which occurs unknowingly i.e. without the awarness of mind. Whether mind wishes or not, these actions go on incessantly. Breathing, heart beat, blood flow, digestion etc. are such unknown actions. From birth till death these actions never stop for a moment. The force which triggers these unknown actiond is generally called life-force(prana shakti).
People of all societies generally believe that this life force is nothing but a divine force(Ishvariya shakti). People accept everything that is beyond mind as divine. This divine force not only flows in the body but in the world outside. Body is a miniature world and for this there is little difference between material body and material world.
As blood flows along the veins, so water flows along the rivers; as air flows in the body, so air flows in the atmosphere; as heat in the stomach digests food, so heat of sun decomposes organic materials on earth surface. As body has magnetic poles, so earth has magnetic poles. The same divine force moves moon and earth, brightens moon and stars.
Now the question is can this divine force in the body be controlled or won? Yes, this force may be won through mind only. So long as mind or soul inhabits the body, all these known and unknown forces act together. The moment mind departs the body all these forces stop working. As an individual mind controls these forces in an individual body, so the collective mind of all beings controls the divine forces in the whole universe. This collective mind or soul may be called God.
In our own body, mind can control all known and unkown forces. For this we have to realise our mind of true self through the practice of Yoga. Through Pranayama we control our breath. Breath is life(prana). Breath should be controlled naturally. For this we should lie comfortably on a plane surface with chest upwards and hands and legs stretched. Then we should keep mind on the flow of air across the nostrils. Gradually breathing slows down and finally it stops. Then mind and breath become one. With this all activities in the body slows down or occurs in a subtle manner.
In this way when one controls activities in the body, when body sees nothing or hears nothing, mind meditates upon itself. This is true meditation. The aim of Yoga is to realise true self. When mind meditates upon itself, it realises true self or true conciousness. True consciousness is the true nature of a being. It is eternal and uncontaminated.
True consciousness is the blissful state of a being. One who realises this blissful state, does not feel pain and sorrow. Like unreal world, pain and sorrow has no real existence. So long as we accept the world as true, feel that we are nothing but mere mortal beings, we receive pain and misery.
We are nothing but a conscious mind. The blueprint of the body exists in the mind. Mind is the software, body is the hardware. When mind is weak or impure. it will effect the body and make it diseased. So through the practice of Yoga, we should realise our pure consciousness, which is uncontaminated. When mind is pure and uncontaminated, how come the body shall be diseased? Mind is original, body is just a copy of it. When original is pure, how a copied material shall be marked with disease? We should always remember that we are always pure, blissful and real. Then all unreal things like sorrow and disease shall disappear.
