Atmospheric Currents of Prana 121 



rising of the sun every foot of the earth's surface 

 as it comes under the influence of the solar rays re- 

 ceives the positive life-current which streams west- 

 ward along these rays. At the same time the 

 lunar, or negative, current flows eastward; and 

 with the setting of the sun the daily direction of 

 these currents is exactly reversed. The sweep of 

 this solar current of Prana westward, being much 

 stronger than the Polar currents, deflects the 

 Northern current in the same direction; and the 

 lunar current has a corresponding effect upon the 

 negative current from the South, carrying it east- 

 ward. 



This is doubtless the reason that the needle of 

 a compass and a magnet never point exactly to the 

 poles, being deflected east of the North Pole and 

 West of the South. 



The quiescent moment at dawn and in the twi- 

 light marks the Sushumnd (Soo-shum-nah) , or 

 conjunction of the two currents, when Akdsha pre- 

 vails in the Prana. It is for this reason that the 

 Hindu so scrupulously takes his breathing exer- 

 cises and meditates during these two periods, be- 

 lieving the influences of Nature to be especially 

 favorable. 



During the day the earth is negative, having 

 yielded her positive radiations to the lunar cur- 

 rent moon-breath of the brooding night. 

 Dawn thus finds her in the condition to be re- 



