Yoga, Aasnas & Pranayama

YOGA AND ITS OBJECTS Written by Kapil Thakur

YOGA AND ITS OBJECTS

Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilisation and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mystery and Miracle. Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi indeed. The founder of the Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.

Patanjali defines Yoga as the suspension of all the functions of the mind. As such, any book on Yoga, which does not deal with these three aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions and the method of suspending them, can he safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join.” Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in its own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process by which the identity of the individual soul and the Oversoul is established by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-objects and links with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are Infinite Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.

Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation. It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from the round of births and deaths, with its concomitant evils of disease, old age, etc., and bestows upon you all the Divine Powers and final liberation through super-intutional knowledge.

The word Yoga is also applicable in its secondary sense to the factors of Yoga, viz., self-training, study, the different actions and practices that go to make up Yoga as they are conducive to the fulfilment of Yoga and as such indirectly lead to emancipation. Union with God is the goal of human life and that ought to become the touchstone of all human endeavours. That is the be-all and end-all of existence.

Equanimity is Yoga. Serenity is Yoga. Skill in actions is Yoga. Control of the senses and the mind is Yoga. Anything by which the best and the highest in life can be attained is also Yoga. Yoga is thus all-embracing, all-inclusive and universal in its application leading to all-round development of body, mind and soul.

The object of Yoga is to weaken what are called the five afflictions. The five afflictions are:

• Ignorance
• Egoism
• Likes
• Dislikes
• The instinct of self-preservation (or clinging to bodily life)

Ignorance is the fertile soil which bears an abundant crop of the rest. On account of ignorance only egoism has manifested. Wherever there is egoism, there invariably exist likes, dislikes and the rest side by side. Clinging to bodily life or fear of death is born of likes only. It is nothing but attachment.

Egoism is a specific form of ignorance. The mind gets itself attached wherever there is pleasure. If the mind likes pomegranate, it gets itself attached to this fruit, as it derives pleasure from eating it. The mind runs after things that have been associated with agreeable experiences in the past. This is attachment (like). The mind runs away from objects which have caused pain. This is dislike. These are all the faults of man himself. The world can never hurt you. The five elements are your best teachers. They help you in a variety of ways. The things created by the Lord are all beneficial. It is only the creation of man that brings pain and misery. These five afflictions bind you to the outside objects and reduce you to piteous slavery. These afflictions remain as tendencies even when they are inoperative. These afflictions and tendencies can be attenuated by Yogic discipline.

On account of ignorance you have forgotten your primitive Divine Glory. On account of this evil you are not able to remember your old status of Godhood, your original immortal, blissful, divine nature. Ignorance is the root cause of egoism, likes, dislikes and the rest. These five afflictions are great impediments to Yoga. They stand as stumbling-blocks to the attainment of Self-realisation.

These five afflictions remain in a dormant, attenuated, overpowered or fully developed state. When the husband begins to quarrel with the wife, his love for her becomes dormant and he shows dislike for her for the time being. In a Yogic student these afflictions become thinned out or attenuated by the spiritual force of his Yogic practices. But they do exist in a subtle state. They cannot do any havoc. They are like the cobra whose poisonous fangs have been extracted by the snake-charmer. The “overpowered state” is that state in which one set of impressions is kept under restraint for some time by another powerful set of impressions; but they manifest again, when the cause of the suppression is removed. In a worldly man with passions and appetites these can be seen operating in fullest swing. But in a fully developed or full-blown Yogi these afflictions and impressions are burnt in toto.

Owing to ignorance you have mistaken the physical body for the Self and this is all the mistake you have committed. But it is a serious mistake indeed. By changing your mental outlook, by purifying your heart and intellect, you can attain Knowledge of Self. Mind, Prana, body and the senses are all instruments only. The real Seer is the Self who is pure, unchanging, eternal, self-luminous, self-existent, self-contained, infinite and immortal. When you begin to identify yourself with this immortal, all-pervading Self, all miseries will come to an end.

Likes and dislikes are the causes for doing good and evil deeds. Good and evil deeds bring pleasure and pain. Thus the round of births and deaths is kept from time immemorial by the six-spoked wheel of Likes, Dislikes, Virtue, Vice, Pleasure and Pain.

The Yogic student should first try to weaken these five afflictions. Three practices are prescribed for this purpose. They are:

• Austerity (Tapas)
• Study of Scriptures (Svadhyaya)
• Resignation to the Will of the Lord (Isvara-pranidhana)

The practitioner should have intense faith in the efficacy of his practices. Then the energy to carry on with the practices will manifest by itself.

Then the real memory will dawn. When there is memory, then there is no difficulty in practicing concentration. If there is concentration, discrimination will dawn. That is the reason why Patanjali says: “Samadhi will come through faith, energy, memory, concentration and discrimination.” Therefore, to get success in concentration, meditation and the practice of Yoga, you must have tremendous patience, tremendous will and tremendous perseverance. Plunge yourself in concentration. Merge the mind in the one idea of God and God alone. Let the mind fully get absorbed there. Forget other things. Let the whole body, muscles, tissues, nerves, cells and brain be filled with the one idea of God. This is the way to positive success. Great sages and saints of yore have practiced Yoga in this way only. Work hard. You will reach the goal. You will also become a great saint. Whatever one has achieved can be achieved by others also. This is the Law.

Yoga in Diseases Written by Kapil Thakur

Yoga in Diseases

It has now been observed beyond doubt, that Yoga Science not only maintain normal Physical and Mental health but it is extremely useful in some cases also.

Unfortunately, at present, an overall Scientific, Statistical Data in the of Yoga in Disease conditions is not available. An extensive clinical Research is badly necessary in the logic field. A review of some Yogic practices which effective in some common Disorders is taken herewith. It may be kindly noted this review is based on the Ancient Yogic Texts, previous contribution by experts and some Scientific clinical trials carried on in the Yogic field. Those who to try these logic Practices for relief of Disorders, should practise these in given accordingly. Each group requires only about 15 minutes daily in general.

Obesity Effectively Managed by Yoga, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Modification Written by Dr. Amol More, BAMS, MD (AM)

Obesity Effectively Managed by Yoga, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Modification

Obesity is one of the fastest spreading Non-communicable disease today. It is a condition of excessive fat, either generalized or localized. A person who is 20% more than his Ideal Body Weight(IBW) is considered to be an obese person. Usually OBESITY is due to positive energy balance. That is, the intake of calories is more than the expenditure of calories.

Recognized since 1985 as a disease with serious health implications, OBESITY is a leading cause of preventable death, second only to cigarette smoking. Obesity has been established as a major risk factor for Hypertension, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus and some Cancers in both men and women. It affects a large number of urban population and its prevalence is increasing. Obesity is found in all age groups irrespective of sex, caste and creed, though it is still considered to be a disease of the upper class.

Obesity is now regarded as a chronic disease caused by a complex set of factors such as Hereditary factors, Improper eating habits, Lack of physical activity, Hormonal imbalance, Stress, Lifestyle disorder, etc.

Obesity of a person is determined by his Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the standard used by researchers to define a persons weight according to his height. An individual is considered to be overweight if his BMI is between 25 29. He is said to be obese if BMI is between 30 34. BMI more than 35 is significantly obese or grade II obesity, and so on. A person with BMI between 20 24 is considered to be ideal or healthy.

Increase in body weight leads to various other health hazards such as Hypertension, Diabetes, Cardiac Disorders, Hyperlipidemia, Infertility, Sexual Dysfunction, Bone Joint Disorders,etc,etc.

Loosing weight is a very lengthy process and it has to be done in a very systematic and natural way. Yoga along with proper eating habits and certain changes in our lifestyle gives excellent results in weight loss. As with all exercise programs, it is advised people consult their healthcare professional before beginning yoga and pranayama.

Various Asanas along with SuryaNamaskar (salute to the sun) and Pranayama (breathing exercises) are advised to reduce weight.

Any obese person is advised to start their regime with Pranayama i.e. deep breathing exercises. It is a well known fact that most obese people get tired easily on doing any sort of physical activity such as running or even brisk walking.

Hence it is necessary to increase the capacity of the body to perform physical activity. This is achieved with the help of Pranayama. Deep Breathing Exercise helps in increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the cells. It also improves Blood Circulation, providing more oxygen to each cell helps in combustion thus increasing the cellular activity and helping in burning of fat cells. It also helps in increasing the Lung capacity which help them to perform heavy activities in the future.

Pranayama is done in systematically to get better results. It is divided into 3 steps-Puraka (Inhalation of Air), Kumbhaka (Restoration of Air into Lungs) and Rechaka (Exhalation of Air).

Pranayama and yoga should be studied with qualified teachers as straining during these therapies can result in serious injury.

According to some authorities breath retention can be very dangerous, especially with any pressure health issues (e.g. HBP, ear/eye sinus pressure). Other professionals advise breath retention. Here is one view: a person closes their eyes and concentrate fully on the breathing process. Initially to begin with, all puraka, Kumbhaka, and rechaka can be of the same duration.

For e.g. say 5 counts or 5 seconds each,
i.e. puraka 5 counts
kumbhaka 5 counts
rechaka 5 counts.

After practicing this for about one week, the duration of kumbhaka is gradually reduced duration of rechaka increased, keeping puraka same.

i.e. 5 : 4 : 6
5 : 3 : 7
5 : 2 : 8
5 : 1 : 9
5 : 0 : 10

The final proportion should be Rechaka twice that of Puraka without any Kumbhaka (1 : 0 : 2).

It means that there is only extensive inhalation and exhalation of air. In addition to this, one can also do Abdominal Breathing , Thoracic Breathing and Clavicular Breathing under supervision of experts, for better results.

According to this system, after doing Pranayama for about 2 weeks, one can start with various asanas. It is advisable to start with 2 asanas per week along with Shavasana and increasing the number of asanas gradually.

People with high blood pressure and other health issues should discuss their issues with their teacher prior to beginning yoga.

Following is the list of asanas that can be performed in gradual descending order:

• Ekpada Uttan Asana.
• Dwipada Uttanpada Asana .
• Bhujanga Asana
• Shalabha Asana
• Santulana Asana
• Pawanmukta Asana .
• Suryanamaskar Asana .
• Dhanur Asana .
• Ardha Vakra Asana .
• Paschimottana Asana
• Supta Vajra Asana .
• Matsyendra Asana .
• Manduk Asana .
• Shava Asana .

Surya namaskar Asana ( salute to the sun god) is considered to be the best Asana for the wellbeing of a person. It consists of 12 different postures, each of which is associated with a sign of Zodiac.

It stretches the body in different ways thus reducing fat from different areas. It gives flexibility to the body and can be done even by children or elder persons irrespective of age and gender. SuryaNamaskar, if done with recital of a specific ?mantra of the Sungod? gives excellent results.

Along with Yoga practice, it is also very essential to follow certain dietary norms changes in lifestyle. Following an Ayurvedic food plan according to your dosh will go a long way to safely and quickly balance weight. According to this author, it is advisable to avoid rice, sugar, sweets, fermented and oily foods. Potatoes, corn, beetroot and peas are also to be avoided.

Intake of vegetables and salads should be more. One bowl of fruit servings such as apple, pear or orange (other than mango, banana, chickoo, grapes, custardapple, strawberry) can be had. Fruit juices are to be avoided but vegetable juices can be consumed. Paneer or tofu can be had in small quantities , but no cheese or butter.

Cereals such as bran , millet, soy should be included. Bread should be of whole wheat. It is better to stick to vegetarian food. If not possible, white chicken-grilled or roasted , fish such as tuna or salmon again grilled or roasted can be consumed. Red meat and shellfish such as lobsters, prawns, oysters are to be avoided. 1 or 2 egg whites can be included in breakfast.

Alcohol is better avoided but one can have white rum or vodka once in a while. Smoking should be totally stopped. 10 to12 glasses of water should be had daily.

There are many Ayurvedic herbs that help dissolve fat and improve digestion. These are best to discuss with an Ayurvedic practitioner who can determine your best herbs and food plan for your dosha.

Certain Do's Dont's:

• Make Lifestyle changes a priority .
• Motivate yourself, be focused.
• Set small goals try to achieve them first.
• Get up early in the morning.
• Do yogasanas and light exercises daily
• Have fixed lunch and dinner timings.
• Eat at regular intervals.
• Do not sleep in the afternoon.
• Do not sit immediately after dinner. Walk for at least 10 minutes post dinner.
• Do weekend chores the physical way-use a mop to clean the floor, wash your windows, wash your car manually.
• Play outdoor games with your children instead of just watching them play.
• Always consult your Doctor before starting any heavy exercise regime.
• Find and follow your life purpose
• Deepen your spiritual life
• BE POSITIVE.

Loosing weight is a long and tedious process. People get demotivated and frustruated easily. Hence it is the duty of each and every member of the family to see that he follows his new lifestyle religiously and patiently without getting dejected.

Last but not the least - Always keep Smiling ! it helps in burning a lot of calories.

Yoga

"Yoga" means union in Sanskrit.Yoga combines soul and mind with the body.It is both discipline leading to and the experience of return of the embodied Indivisual Soul (Jivatma) with the Universal Soul (Paramatma) of which it is a partial expression. This is the goal of the human life and endeavour.

The word "Yog" has been used in Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and mythological sciptues etc.since ancient times.It is a very important term in the Indian context.

Maharshi Patanjali defines "Yog" as 'Chittavrti Nirodha'(eradication of negative modes).With the practice of Yoga with dedication and devotion one can eliminate negative moods and mind finds solace in merging with the soul-This is Yoga.

Maharshi Vyas describes Yog as Samadhi.

Thus Yoga is science of Physical, Mental and Spiritual approach by which human- being can achieve harmonious development of life situation as we find it and suggests methods by which we can transcend human limitations.