As explained earlier, in the process of vaayumathana when air is churned \96 gataagati of vaayu - as part of doing japah, the supply of O2 and O3 get augumented. Increased quantity of O2 reaches the body tissues via blood supply, while O3 reaches praanan as part of this daily offering of asana to it. Asana is the nutrient of praanan. Anna is another name of asana. Incidentially, the Holy Bible talks of manna. Manna was food provided by God for the Israelites during their forty years in the desert (see Exodus, xvi). It is food that gives spiritual refreshment and nourishment. As such, manna\92s resemblance to anna is striking and significant.

Just as butter is obtained by churning of buttermilk, asana is obtained by churning of vaayu (vaayu mathana). If churning of vaayu is not resorted to through japah, the availability of O3 is awfully insufficient. Asana is therefore isvaraamsa, meaning portion of isvara.

The practice of japah gets stabilized when the practioner is capable of sitting for three hours at a time. Body gets attuned and mind begins to adapt to the new activity. When the duration of japah crosses five hours in one sitting the state of tapah dawns. Here the roles of praanan and manas are highlightened. Then enters aatman. Then comes self actualization called saakshaatkaara. This state is mediated by the process called praanaayaama.

When the need for asana by the praanan is being met on daily basis, the latter gets fortified and immediately becomes active and then begins to function in a decisive way. Praanan surveys the structure and functioning of the organism and notes what is amiss there. The one thing that becomes evident is the wayward behaviour of manas, much of which is inimical to the welfare of the self. What then praanan does is to summon it and reprimand it to behave. Manas is, after all, a slave of the sense-organs. This is revered.

This process, of manas beginning to dote praanan, is what is called praana-mano-milanam.

Now, before going further in the analysis of tapas, it is necessary that the praanan is analysed more in detail.

Praanan: The human organism is a biological aggregate of about 75 trillion cells organized into different functional structures, some of which are called organs. Each functional structure provides its share in the maintenance of homeostatic conditions in the extra cellular fluid, which is called the internal environment. As long as normal conditions are maintained (in the internal environment), the cells will function properly.

Thus, each cell benefits from homeostatics, and in turn each cell contributes its share towards the maintenance of homeostatics. This reciprocal interplay provides continuous automaticity of the organism until one or more functional systems lose their ability to contribute their share of function. When this occurs, all the cells suffer. This way, extreme dysfunction leads to death, while moderate dysfunction leads to sickness. Death is the cessation of life.