Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 (Director of Yoga Teacher Training at Aura Wellness Center) guides you through Dirga Pranayama, with demonstrations by guest Yong Yang.
Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 (Director of Yoga Teacher Training at Aura Wellness Center) guides you through Dirga Pranayama, with demonstrations by guest Yong Yang.
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
When the first Yogi practiced pranayama (Yoga breathing) to silence the mind, the results must have seemed magical. At times, calming the mind seems to be a miracle. The mind chatters so much during the course of a day, by creating waves of random and senseless thoughts. Thank heaven for Yogic breathing techniques, which manage to connect the mind and body in complete harmony, and enable us to silence, focus, and calm the mind, in the process.
In the time spent living our day-to-day lives, we all have stress that we must deal with in a rational way. The way we deal with our stress triggers can have a profound impact on our lives. Chronic stress has negative effects on the body, such as high blood pressure, so it must be dealt with in a healthy way. Whether we incorporate pranayama into daily activities, or we practice them during a Yoga session, they can be powerful tools for quieting the mind’s worries and reducing one’s stress levels.
Pranayama Ratio for Rhythm Breathing
One breathing technique many Yoga enthusiasts practice is called, “rhythm breathing.” This is a way to focus on your inhale and exhale ratio. It is a great method for clearing the mind and energizing the body. To perform this exercise, sit or stand, in any comfortable position you choose. Find the rhythm of your natural breathing ratio. This may take some time, and it must be realized that your natural ratio may not be found in a book, because it is unique to your body and mind.
The typical ratio Yoga practitioners are taught to target is one part inhalation to two parts exhalation (1:2). What if you discover you naturally inhale for four seconds and exhale for five seconds (4:5)? Should you stress out over making your breath match a “cookie cutter” ratio? The short answer is: “Absolutely not.” No worries – just enjoy your breath, as if you were a child in a candy store. If you decide you want to lengthen your inhale, just quietly practice Ujjayi on the exhale. Suddenly, your exhale increases to seconds, or many seconds, longer. You can do this form of pranayama any time or during any stressful situation. Try to do this in the morning, and night, to prepare yourself for the stresses of the day, or relieve them from your mind before sleep.
Breath Awareness Technique
Another way to practice Yoga breathing to silence the mind is the “breath awareness” technique. It can be practiced anywhere as a de-stressor. To do this, sit or stand up straight. Close your eyes, or if you are in a public place, choose a soft point to focus your eyes on, such as a tree or picture on the wall. Inhale deeply and concentrate on fully expanding your stomach, filling your lungs with oxygen. As you exhale, gently draw your stomach toward your spine, and imagine pushing out all the negative thoughts that you store in your mind. Repeat as many times as you need, until you feel relaxed and in control.
Practicing these techniques, regularly, creates a healthier body and stronger mind. It is important to get in the habit of practicing deep, relaxing breathing, whenever you are in a tense situation or whenever you feel your heartbeat begin to quicken. You will be much better able to handle stress in the future, silence negative thoughts, and have a secret weapon to get through anything.
© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please feel free to visit the following link.
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By Gopi Rao
As you continue to develop Yoga awareness, be mindful of your movements over the course of a day. Develop a deep awareness of your skeletal alignment, with special care for your spine. Begin to realize posture that causes your back and neck to compress, pinch nerves, or cause random aches and pains. Alignment of the spine depends upon how we project out from the center of the body.
Visualize the spine as an extension from the body’s center and try to draw out the straightest possible line. Yoga poses (asana) become dynamic when you move from this core. The movement and intensity of energy lines assist in undoing tight areas and help deepen the postures. Flexibility will improve as you learn how to move in alignment with your energy centre. New space will come in and your body will move gracefully into deeper postures.
The body is a tool that can function beyond the limitations of preconceived notions within the mind. By loosening the body, and loosening the mind, a new polarity occurs as you gain balance and begin to physically operate from your center and transcend previous mental limitations.
Hatha Yoga can be considered a human science that works to improve poor posture, body aches, faulty breathing, incorrect walking, and teach awareness of the body as a whole. Recognize all your body does for you and you may discover that you are capable of much more than you ever thought.
Take cues from your body as it tells you what it needs. In honoring your body, you are honoring yourself. In order to extend compassion to others you must first be compassionate to yourself. Set aside the time to reward yourself. Many people give time to others and will not take five minutes out of the day for meditation or pranayama.
Do not feel guilty in taking time to stretch, walk, meditate, practice poses or do journal writing. You owe it to yourself to do these things for your own good health. As you get into the habit of healthy living, negative habits will drop away. A short Yogic breathing (pranayama) session during the day can cleanse the mind and body just as much as asana practice.
Yoga asana is just one step on the pathway toward higher awareness and it all starts with the mind and body connection. Appreciate your body and you will be rewarded with optimum health. In the face of disease, recognize what resources are available to you to promote self-healing. Even when suffering a lengthy illness there are Yoga practices available to you. Yoga grants you the power of transformation and promotes healing from within.
© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 speaks to you in this short lecture about an interactive approach to breath awareness.
By Dr. Rita Khanna
The process of inhaling Pranashakti (Energy associated with Prana) and exhaling it out is called Pranayama. This Pranashakti can be achieved through the control of respiration. There are certain functions of the human body, which are both voluntary and involuntary.
For example: The action of the heart, the movements of the stomach and the intestines are involuntarily – influenced by emotions – and are normally beyond voluntary control. We cannot stop or modify them at will. The excretion of urine and feces, on the other hand, is partly voluntary and partly involuntary. One gets the urge for passing urine or stool, but we can still control it through willpower.
In the same way, the act of respiration, and the process of thinking and emotion, is also both voluntary and involuntary. It is the movement of lungs that produces the breath, and it is the Prana that moves the lungs. By diligently practicing the nerves and the muscles that control the process of breathing, it can be controlled at will. So Pranayama means not control of breath, but the control of the energy or force that controls the breath.
LUNG VOLUMES AND CAPACITIES
• The tidal volume (TV), about 500 ml, is the amount of air inspired during normal relaxed breathing.
• The inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), about 3,100 ml, is the additional air that can be forcibly inhaled, after the inspiration of a normal tidal volume.
• The expiratory reserve volume (ERV), about 1,200 ml, is the additional air that can be forcibly exhaled, after the expiration of a normal tidal volume.
• Residual volume (RV), about 1,200 ml, is the volume of air still remaining in the lungs, after the expiratory reserve volume is exhaled.
SUMMING SPECIFIC LUNG VOLUMES AND THE LUNG CAPACITIES:
• The total lung capacity (TLC), about 6,000 ml, is the maximum amount of air that can fill the lungs (TLC = TV + IRV + ERV + RV).
• The vital capacity (VC), about 4,800 ml, is the total amount or air that can be expired after fully inhaling (VC = TV + IRV + ERV = approximately 80% TLC).
• The inspiratory capacity (IC), about 3,600 ml, is the maximum amount of air that can be inspired (IC = TV + IRV).
• The functional residual capacity (FRC), about 2,400 ml, is the amount of air remaining in the lungs, after a normal expiration (FRC = RV + ERV).
• Some of the air in the lungs does not participate in gas exchange (150ml). Such air is located in the anatomical dead space, within bronchi and bronchioles—that is, outside the alveoli.
• The instrument that is used to measure the volume of air, inspired and expired by the lungs is called spirometer.
MUSCLES INVOLVED IN BREATHING
The main muscle of respiration is the diaphragm. Other muscles that aid in respiration include the external intercostals, scalenes, sternomastoids, abdominal muscles, and internal intercostals.
Diaphragm
In quiet, gentle inhalation, the diaphragm contracts, lowering air pressure inside the lungs and drawing air in. When exhaling quietly, the diaphragm relaxes and the pressure reverses, expelling air.
External Intercostals
The external intercostals are in between the ribs. During active inhalation, they expand the rib cage laterally, anteriorly, and posteriorly.
Scalenes/Sternomastoids
These are the shrugging muscles. They serve to lift the sternum and the upper ribs during active inhalation.
Abdominal Wall
In active exhalation, the muscles of the abdominal wall–rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, and transverse abdominis–contract, raising abdominal pressure. This, in turn, raises the diaphragm, raising pressure in the lungs and expelling air.
Internal Intercostals
The internal intercostals are deep to the external intercostals. Like their counterparts, they draw the ribs in, expelling air during active exhalation.
VERTICAL BREATHING (DIAPHRAGM BREATHING)
The vertical breathing is called diaphragmatic breathing and is considered a more efficient way to inhale air. It is also called Yogic breathing. Yogic breathing is more a vertical breathing than horizontal breathing. By this vertical breathing, all the alveoli (the functional units of lungs), of both lungs, open out evenly. Due to the even expansion of all the alveoli, a vast expanse of alveolar membrane is available for exchange of gases.
There are totally about 700 million alveoli in the two lungs of an adult human being. This effect is more obvious in the apical, central and basal alveoli. This surface is about 50 square meters in extent, which is 20 times the entire body surface. The larger the surface, available for the process of diffusion, the better would be the process of breathing.
HORIZONTAL BREATHING
In horizontal breathing, the alveoli, toward the periphery, expand more than optimum, while the centrally placed alveoli do not open out properly. This affords a lesser, and uneven surface, for diffusion of gases. If some alveoli remain unopened, they get stuck. There is a collection of secretion in them, and they are prone to disease formation. Moreover, if the peripheral alveoli open wider than is preferable, they lose their elasticity.
The interalveolar walls (the wall, which unites, as well as separates, two contiguous pulmonary alveoli) may be broken, damaging the capillaries and leading to diseases like emphysema or pulmonale. (Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxygenated blood from arteries to the tissues of the body and then feed deoxygenated blood from the tissues back into the veins).
PRANAYAMAS
Anulom-viloma (alternate nostrils), Ujjayi, Sheetali, and Sheetkari Pranayamas promote vertical breathing. In all these Pranayamas, we have seen that inspiration is done slowly and deeply, as much as possible. When we take the breath in, the lungs are expanded considerably and walls of the alveoli are stretched maximum. Therefore the alveoli in the upper pulmonary part are filled with air completely.
This has a beneficial effect on the gaseous exchange, which then works efficiently throughout the day. When we breathe out slowly, through one nostril only, (as in Ujjayi or Anulom-viloma) or through both the nostrils, by contracting the glottis partially at the same time, (another variety of Ujjayi) the exhalatory force is reduced, and the air is allowed to escape slowly. This helps in prolonging the exhalation and reducing the force of the outgoing air.
To feel the pressure of the inspired air in the lungs, and to experience the stillness of the mind during retention, or emptiness of the lungs while exhaling, one should do Pranayamas, with concentration and awareness. In short, during the practice of Pranayama, one tackles all the respiratory reflexes, on account of our volitional control on the respiration.
AUM SHANTI
If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: -
Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio.
A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.
Mobile: + 919849772485
Ph:-91-40-65173344
Dr. Rita Khanna
Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).
She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.
At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).
By Dr. Rita Khanna
Stress is an imbalance at the mental, physical, or emotional level. According to Yoga, one becomes a victim of stress, not on account of a stressful situation, but on account of one’s inability to cope with a changing condition. Stress hazards decrease the quality of life and can lead to many ailments, such as heart attacks, peptic ulcers, arthritis, allergies, sexual problems, bowel disorders, and so on.
There are two types of stress: Eustress (healthy, essential stress) and Distress (morbid stress); e.g. mental or physical strain, anger, frustration, tension. Irrespective of the cause, the effects of stress are seen at the highest level in the brain, and travel down the body, causing imbalances in the autonomic nervous system and in the endocrine system. Four distinct stress attack stages, or phases, are recognized: Psychic, Psychosomatic, Somatic, and Organic.
HOW TO COPE WITH IT
We need to develop, and enhance, our potential and capacity, to cope with the situation. It can be achieved by making attitudinal changes and other modifications in life. Change in attitude and modification of lifestyle are the two pillars on which the management of stress, through Yoga, is based. This includes Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Yoga-nidra, Diet, and a daily work schedule. It actually means living a self-disciplined life of Anasakti (non-attachment).
Anasakti is the middle path of Asakti (attachment) and Vairagya (detachment), which could be followed, in order to improve the quality of life and social well-being. This provides lasting happiness and peace, without being disturbed by Asakti (attachment). A person high in Anasakti, performs all his duties and acts, with a sense of responsibility and task involvement, without any additional expectation. He performs a task or serves a person, or institution, in the spirit of a Karma Yogi. Living in an air-conditioned house, with modern amenities, or in a mud house, on a mat, does not make any difference to him; and no stressful situation will harm or affect him.
THE YOGIC APPROACH
The Yogic approach towards stress is not to deal with the manifest symptoms, such as fear, anger, palpitation, sleeplessness, etc; but rather eliminate the root cause. Yoga balances, harmonizes, and brings integration between physical and mental health. Yogic methods of stress management include – maintaining the physical body through the practice of Asana, awakening the vital energy through Pranayama, and relaxation through Meditation and Yoga-nidra.
ASANAS
The definition of Asana, in traditional texts, is ‘Sthiram Sukham Asanam’. The word Sthiram means homeostasis or balance; Sukham means pleasure, and Asanam means physical posture. It is the posture that produces homeostasis in the system – restores endocrinal balance, balances the inhibitors and stimulator circuits, regulates secretions, and optimizes the functions of the entire system of the body. ‘Sukham’ also relates to the state of mind, which is relaxed. Muscles contain stretch receptors; the stretching movements of Asanas send relaxing impulses to the brain, which induce a relaxed state of mind.
HOW
When we stand, sit, or lie down, for prolonged periods, our muscles accumulate stress, and consequently, lactic acid, 
which causes a feeling of stiffness. To remove this stiffness – when we do Asanas with concentration and awareness, they activate tone and revitalize the organs, massage the joints, stretch and relax the muscles, optimize endocrine gland secretions, develop stamina, and promote internal awareness. The practice of simple Asanas, such as Tadasana, Tiryaka Tadasana, Kati Chakrasana, and flexibility exercises are very useful. They improve blood circulation, and as a result, toxins are drained away.
PRANAYAMA
Pranayama is generally defined as breath control. The word Pranayama is comprised of two roots: ‘Prana’ plus ‘Ayama’. Prana means ‘vital force’ or ‘life force,’ and Ayama is defined as ‘extension’ or ‘expansion’. Thus, the word Pranayama means ‘extension or expansion of the dimension of Prana’. The techniques of Pranayama provide the method, whereby flow of Prana, in the Nadis, is regulated, activated, and purified – inducing physical and mental stability.
HOW
Physical activities, such as exercise, work, sleep, intake of food, and sexual relations, all affect the distribution and flow of Prana in the body. Faculties of mind, such as emotion, thought, and imagination affect the Pranic body even more. Irregularities in lifestyle, dietary indiscretions, and stress, deplete and obstruct the Pranic flow. This results in what people experience as being drained of energy. Depletion of energy, in a particular Prana, leads to the devitalization of the organs and limbs, which Prana governs, and ultimately, to disease or metabolic dysfunction. The techniques of Pranayama reverse this process, energizing and balancing the different Pranas, within the Pranamaya Kosha.
RELAXATION AND CONCENTRATION THROUGH YOGA-NIDRA
One of the prime needs of today is to learn to relax. Sleep is not relaxation. Yoga nidra has the capacity to induce deep sleep in only twenty minutes. In Yoga nidra the experience of relaxation means moving from outside to inside, becoming aware of this introversion, and maintaining balance and stability. When we sleep consciously, then we become aware of how the mind and consciousness are interacting with the body, senses, and objects. When we attain this awareness, then existing turbulences and distractions will settle down in a natural way. Relaxing the disturbed, agitated mind can be achieved through the relaxation practice of Yoga -nidra.
FOOD
On the basis of thousands of years of experience, Yogis are emphatic on the point that non-vegetarian foods cause increasing tension in the body and mind. Rather, pure foods – such as fruits, milk and milk products, nuts, cereals, vegetables, and others, are more harmonious to the body and mind. An occasional fast on fruit diet, or a raw food diet, is also beneficial. These have proven very helpful in relaxing the body and recharging it with fresh Pranic energy.
EATING UNDER STRESS
A person under stress is normally rushed for time or tends to eat fast. His eating habits, and timings, become haphazard. As the stressful situation builds up tension within, his eating schedule gradually gets into disarray, till it is completely thrown out of gear. Therefore, eating under stress can create several complications – adding further to the burden of stress, which the body-mind complex is already bracing against.
A lackadaisical attitude to eating may starve the body of essential nutrition. Killing hunger with coffee, tea, cigarettes, or other substitutes is not a solution to the problem, but may actually contribute to it.
TRY VISUALIZATION
While eating, try to follow the ‘processes’ the food undergoes, until it reaches the stomach. When you are chewing, visualize how the taste buds convey the different tastes, via the taste ducts, to the brain; how, even before the food is served, your nose has already conveyed the aroma of the food, and how your mouth begins to salivate at the mere hint of the aroma. Visualize the chewing process, the mixing of the chewed food with your saliva, the smooth movement down the throat, after your tongue expertly pushes parts of the mouthful inside.
With a little knowledge of physiology, you can make a wonderful ‘odyssey’ down the stomach. It is only when we take such diverse perspectives in life, that we are able to be aware of the richness of life around us. We become aware that eating is not mere polishing off of the plate, or that cooking is mere adding salt and spices. We also realize that stress is partly due to our own inability to look at the world through a broader perspective.
CONCLUSION
Do not fight stress; and in the effort, fall prey to alcohol, cigarettes, or anxiolytic drugs. Instead, develop and enhance your potential, and capacity, to cope with stress. Anxiolytic/antidepressant drugs do not bring lasting relief; they only help manage some of the somatic and organic phase symptoms of stress – while Yoga is most useful in controlling and treating stress in the early psychic and psychosomatic phases.
The effect of Yoga is never evident immediately; in effect, it is experienced slowly. Slowly, one will start to experience that one’s power of concentration, and relaxation, has increased. The mental and emotional tensions, which are generated in day-to-day life, slowly start settling down.
Short sessions, of twenty minutes each – after one’s bath in the morning, in the afternoon, and at bedtime – can be devoted to Yoga practice. Learn to alter your attitude and lifestyle. Practice Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga- nidra regularly, to bring about a change in attitude, and to correct imbalances at the mental, physical, and emotional levels.
AUM SHANTI
If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: -
Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio.
A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.
Mobile: + 919849772485
Ph:-91-40-65173344
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Website: www.yogashaastra.in
Dr. Rita Khanna
Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).
She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.
At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).
By Sanjeev Patel, CYT
Sitting Yoga postures are valuable exercises in themselves – limbering the legs, hips, and pelvis, strengthening the back and improving posture. They provide a solid sitting position for practicing breath (Pranayama) control and meditation.
Diamond Posture (Vajrasana) – ‘Vajra’ means diamond. The body is rigid, as a diamond, in this posture. This is a basic posture for transitioning into many other asanas and meditation. Sit in the Dandasana (Staff) posture. Place the palms on the floor near the thighs. Supporting your weight on the right palm, bend the left leg at the knee and pull the ankle under the left buttock. Do the same with the right leg, by supporting the body weight on the left palm.
The toes point backwards, and towards the ground, while space is kept between the ankles. It relaxes your kneecaps, knees, ankles and feet, improves digestion, and reduces gas. This asana is said to relieve sciatica pain. Vajrasana is also a medicinal posture. If done for 10 minutes, after a full meal, Vajrasana relieves heaviness in the stomach, due to overeating. Breathing is practiced calmly and slowly.
Hero’s Pose (Veerasana) – This asana balances the mind, increases the power of concentration, allows more awareness of the unconscious realms, and induces physical and mental relaxation quickly. The thinking process becomes very clear and precise. It is useful for those who think too much or who have disturbed or uncontrollable thoughts. It is very good for the kidneys, liver, reproductive, and abdominal organs.
Sit in Vajrasana. Raise the right knee, and place the right foot flat on the floor, beside the inside of the left knee. Put the right elbow on the right knee, and rest the chin on the palm of the right hand. Make sure to close your eyes and relax. Keep the body completely motionless and your spine and head straight. Repeat with the left foot placed beside the right knee. Breathing should be done slowly and deeply.
© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / Aura Publications
Sanjeev Patel is a certified Yoga teacher and an exclusive author for Aura Wellness Center.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Yoga techniques, such as pranayama, asana, and meditation practice have been proven to reduce stress levels. High stress levels and chronic states of anxiety or panic cause many problems. Although we may think about heart and blood pressure problems first, cancer rates increase, within high stress environments.
According to the National Cancer Institute, “Studies have indicated that stress can affect tumor growth and spread, but the precise biological mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. Scientists have suggested that the effects of stress on the immune system may, in turn, affect the growth of some tumors (1). However, recent research, using animal models, indicates that the body’s release of stress hormones can affect cancer cell functions directly (2).”
Over the past 30 years, in various studies with animals and humans, chronic stress has been a major factor in cancer statistics. On top of the clinical information about the increased production of stress-related hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, there is behavior that results from working, or living, with constant anxiety.
Some of these behaviors would be self destructive; to name a few – smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, and abusive behavior patterns. One under-rated form of abusive behavior is obesity. There are many reasons why stress contributes to obesity. For example: Some people tend to over eat when they are nervous or feel depressed.
All of the above-mentioned problems can be overcome by regular Yoga practice. Yoga, of all kinds, reduces stress levels and helps practitioners develop a sense of self-worth. Yoga styles vary in their emphasis on the following four planes of existence: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Some styles do not address all four planes of existence.
One good example would be a Yoga class that is more or less a stretch session. In this type of class, students would initially reap the benefits of releasing tension and stress within muscles and joints. Over the long haul, these same students should feel mental benefits. As the body becomes relaxed, the mind is soon to follow.
If a student chose a more meditative style, the mind will become calmer and more focused, while emotional or spiritual benefits follow. Depending on a person’s personality, lifestyle, perspective, and awareness level, one style of Yoga will draw that person more than any other.
The objective is to find the best style to match the individual’s needs. In this way, stress will be reduced gradually. It is not very popular to say, “With steady practice…” However, it should be realized that there are no quick solutions to reducing high stress levels – other than prescriptions. Therefore, prescriptions have become the most popular solution.
Resources:
1. Andersen BL, Farrar WB, Golden-Kreutz D, et al. Stress and immune responses after surgical treatment for regional breast cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1998; 90(1):30–36.
2. Thaker PH, Han LY, Kamat AA, et al. Chronic stress promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a mouse model of ovarian carcinoma. Nature Medicine 2006; 12(8):939–944.
© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Yoga is a science of life. The quality of our lives is improved through Yoga practice. With that said, a Yogi is one who pursues a path of harmony, tolerance, peace, compassion, loving kindness, and the cultivation of positive energy. The path less traveled is indeed a difficult one.
It is easy to be swept up in the moment. The news media indicates these are the worst of times. Yet, it must be realized that bad news has never traveled faster than it does today. In an instant, we can become “Chicken Little.” Imagine being hit on the head with an acorn and believing that the sky is falling.
As children, we might laugh at this fable; but as adults, we easily “buy in” to bad news. Some adults wear bad news on their faces, and they envision life as a daily struggle, complete with traps and pitfalls around every corner. While it is true that we should be cautious in our actions, it is also true that we cannot sit down and enjoy a steady drone of sad events.
Most of us have come to the realization that the cultivation of positive energy is essential to having the best quality life. In Yoga, we cultivate vital energy through pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques). This is an excellent way to gather and store positive energy, as well.
Yet, the cultivation and storage of positive energy, within the mind, requires some additional techniques. One method is to focus on where you are and where you want to go. This may sound easy, but some Gurus will tell you this is their key to attainment.
One point you should not focus on is the one that will cloud your judgment. This will usually cause you to take your eyes off your objective. Our objectives should be realistic, and we should not place extreme pressure on ourselves to accomplish goals. All of the little things in life should be appreciated.
As an example of this: Attaining positive feelings requires quite a bit of mental focus, while attaining Samadhi is unusual. This does not mean that attaining Samadhi is impossible, but transcending into an advanced state of consciousness requires guidance, focus, study, and work.
Why should we make the journey into a competitive race? It’s human to want everything right now, but it is not realistic. Positive energy is abundant, and it is easy to cultivate it if we stop to enjoy our lives and appreciate those around us.
Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
Written Dr. Rita Khanna
INTRODUCTION
There are many paths of yoga for attaining clarity of mind. Raja Yoga is one of the paths that focuses on meditation and contemplation. Raja means king, and king is always in a state of enlightenment. The pursha (Man), or the king, is always hidden by the workings of the mind. It is avidya which conceals our pursha, and many of us are unaware of its existence. When this process is reversed, and mind becomes master of the senses, we find clarity of the mind and our pursha takes its rightful place. In the yoga sutra, it says that when there is no more restlessness in the mind, pursha will unfold and see. That is Raja Yoga.
THE YOGA SUTRA
The Yoga Sutras are built on a foundation of Samkhya philosophy and the Bhagavad Gita. There are 196 sutras (verses) – short aphorisms. Each sutra is presented in the Devanagari script, with a transliteration of Sanskrit, a transliteration in italics, and a commentary. The sutras of Patanjali are presented in 4 chapters. Chapter I (51 sutras) is known as Samadhipada. It gives us the famous definition of yoga and describes our state of mind in yoga and non-yoga. Chapter II (55 sutras), known as Sadhanapada, presents yoga as practice. III (56 sutras), known as Vibhutipada, discusses the results that those who practice yoga can achieve and also discusses the dangers of these changes. Chapter IV (34 sutras), known as Kaivalyapada, concerns the libration to which yoga can lead.
AUTHORS OF YOGA SUTRA
Yajnavalkya Smriti, dating back to some time between the second and fourth centuries, is the oldest texts that talk about pranayama, asana, and especially, kundalini. This text mentions that Brahma (Hiranyagarbha), the creator of the world, created Yoga. Therefore, the world and yoga came into existence together. This complete yogic science was not fully refined and was not into a definite system. It is Patanjali Maharishi, who formulated this science into a definite system under the name of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga. Here Patanjali describes the concept of Isvara (God). Ishvara is complete, perfect, and boundlessly glorious. He is a distinct Pursha, compared to human beings. God alone is recognized by the Pranava-aum. Aum is a Universal Sound and seeds from which all words and languages spring. The sacred syllable, Aum, is chanted while meditating and performing breathing exercises.
OTHER AUTHORS
There are various other authors, who have written commentaries on yoga, in various centuries. Vyasa’s Bhasya in the fifth century, Shankaracharys’s Vivrana, Vachaspati Mishra’s Tattvaisaradi, in the ninth century, a great king Bhojadeva’s Rajamartanda, around the tenth century, and Vijananabiksu’s Yogavarttika in the sixteenth century.
PATANJALI’S FOUR CHAPTERS
Chapter 1: Samadhipada
Samadhipada (the chapter on Samadhi) defines yoga and its characteristics; it discusses the problems encountered in reaching the state of yoga and the ways in which these problems can be handled.
Chapter 2: Sadhanapadah
It describes the qualities necessary to change the mind effectively, and gradually, from a state of distraction to one of attention. It also describes why these qualities are important and what the practice of these entails. In this chapter, Patanjali describes the first five components of yoga. They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and pratyahara.
Chapter 3: Vibhutipadah
In Vibhutipadah, Patanjali describes the capacity of the mind, which through the various practices, described in the earlier two chapters, can achieve a state = free from distractions. In this chapter, Patanjali describes the sixth, seventh, and eighth components of yoga. They are dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Chapter 4: Kaivalyapadah
In this final chapter, Patanjali presents the possibilities for a person with a highly refined mind. It explains how the mind is constructed, and how the primal building blocks of the mind resolve back into their cause – allowing final liberation.
BODY, MIND and SOUL
Chitta (the consciousness), buddhi (intelligence), ahamkara (ego or’ I’ consciousness), and manas (mind).
Three gunas (qualities)
Sattva (illumination), rajas (vibrancy), tamas (inertia)
These three gunas rule over the manas, buddhi, and ahamkara.
Five gross elements and their subtle elements
Earth, water, fire, air, and ether
Subtle elements
Smell (gandha), taste (rasa), shape (rupa), touch (sparsha), and sound (sabsha)
Out of five elements of our body, three elements ap (water), tej (fire) & vayu (air), and their qualities, play a role for life to function. These three elements, and their energies, create tridosha, sapta dhatu-s, and trimal.
Three humours of the body are:
1. Tridosha
Vata (wind), pitta (bile), kapha (phlegm)
2. sapta dhatu-s (seven ingredients)
Rasa (chyle), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscles), meda (fat), asthi (bones), majja (bone marrow), and sukra (semen)
3. Trimal (wastage of the body)
Sveda (sweat), purisa (faeces), mutra (urine)
The three humours of the body play a major role in the function and balance of the metabolic process.
Five vayus
Prana, apana, vyana, udana, and samana
Five upvayus
Naga, kurma, krkara, devadatta, and dhanamjaya
Five vayus, and five upavayus, activate and metabolise, the various systems in the body, as well as generate new energy.
Systems
Cellular, skeletal, muscular, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, excretory, reproductive, and glandular
The functions of theses systems, and their effects, leave their impressions on the mind and its activities to a great extent.
Five senses of perception
Eyes (seeing), ears (hearing), nose (smelling), tongue (tasting) & skin (touching).
The five organs of action
Hands (holding), legs (walking), mouth (talking), genitals (reproducing), and excretory (excreting)
Seven kosha (sheaths)
Annamaya (physical), pranayama (physiological), manomaya (psychological ), vijnanamaya (intellectual), cittamaya (consciousness), anadamaya (the body of joy), antahkarana / dharmendriya (conscience)
Antahkarana / dharmendriya links one to Aatmamaya (Self).
It shows us that a human being is made up of body, mind, and soul.
THE EIGHT LIMBS OF RAJA YOGA
Raja Yoga is based on the eight limbs of Yoga, which was discussed in the Maharshi Patanjali‘s Yoga Sutra. They are yama, niyama, asna, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
The five yamas
The principles of yama are ahimsa (non violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-greediness), brahmacrya (chasity or continence), and aparigraha (non possesion or desireless).
These principles of yama remind us that we are not only individual beings, but also social beings. Its code of conduct helps one to know how to behave with oneself and with others. As we expect others to behave with us, we need to check whether we behave with others in the same manner. Yama keeps the organs of actions (karmendriyas) clean.
The five niyamas
The principles of niyamas are sauch (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerity) svadhyaya (self-study), and Isvarapranidhana (devotion). The principles of niyama teach us as to how to interact with ourselves. In fact, the principles of yama, and the principles of niyamas, are inter-dependent and inter-woven with each other. We have to adopt these principles for the whole of our lives. Niyama keeps the senses of perception (jnanendriyas) clean.
Effects of yama and niyama
Patanjali mentions that, when the ten principles are firmly established in a person’s character, definite effects will begin to appear, such as absence of danger, effectiveness of speech, the arrival of unsought wealth, vigor of body and mind, understanding of life’s events, clarity of thought, steadiness of attention, control of the senses, great happiness, perfection of body and senses, intuition, and realization of one’s true self.
Asana
In order to develop tolerance in the body and the mind, asanas are introduced. Patanjali defines asana in yoga sutra as sthira sukham asanam. It means the presentation of an asana should be undisturbed, unperturbed, and unruffled at all levels of body, mind, and self. A correct practice of asana, with a pure mind and heart, gives immense benefits. Asanas guide the practitioner to peep inward, and this leads to a state where the dualities between prakriti and pursha come to an end, and Isvara pranidhana begins.
Pranayama
Patanjali defines that pranayama is the regulation of the incoming (svasa) and outgoing (prasvasa) flow of breath. Prana means wind, vital air, and also means will power. Ayama means stretch, expansion, and extension. It means the expansion and extension of life force, and the development of will power, is pranayama. Pranayama has four movements, puraka (inhalation), rechaka (exhalation), and kumbhaka (retention). Kumbhaka is divided into antara kumbhaka (retention after inhalation) and bahya kumbhaka (retention after exhalation). The whole science of pranayama has several varieties and methods, based on these four factors. Pranayama’s ratio is 1:4:2:4. Pranayama purifies and cleanses the mind and citta. Asana and pranayama prepare the body and mind for Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.
Pratyahara
Pratyhara evolves from pranayama. Pratyhara helps the mind to acquire knowledge of the self. It is a threshold between the first four and the last three aspects of ashtanga yoga. Though it is latent in the first four aspects, its study gets intensified in the last three aspects of yoga- dharana, dhyana, and Samadhi. As the mind always likes to go out towards pleasurable temptations, yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama, make the mind follow pratyahara; hence, the root of pratyahara is in yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama. Asana, pranayama, and pratyahara,are antaranga sadhana (inner). These are the gates of the yogic world.
Dharana
Fixing the consciousness on one point, or region, is dharana. One can choose a place either inside the body or outside the body. Inside the body – one can concentrate on the navel, the heart, the centre of the brain, the forepart of the nose or the tongue, and outside of the body – on any external object. Vyasa says choose heart, nose, tongue, forehead, etc., because all these parts are outside the body and also inside the body. A long uninterrupted length of time in dharana automatically changes into dhyana.
Dhyana
Dhyana means a steady, continuous flow of attention, directed towards the same point of region. The flow of attention is continuous, uninterrupted, and even. Dhyana is not a mechanical practice but an electrifying practice. The ego and arrogance become humble and then insignificant.
Samadhi
Samadhi means total absorption. This is the state of total bliss (Ananda) – free from all pains and misery. The yogi attains the highest gain of life, and there remains nothing more to be gained or accomplished. This stage is the culmination of Raja Yoga practice. It is a window to the divine experience – the ultimate goal of yoga. As described by Swami Sivananda, this is “The state of consciousness, where Absoluteness is experienced – attended with all-knowledge and joy; Oneness. Here – the mind becomes identified with the object of meditation; the meditator and the meditated, thinker and thought, become one in perfect absorption of the mind.”
The eight limbs of Raja Yoga help us to enter into the regime of the self. To attain this stage, we need two basic requirements to follow. These are Abhyasa (long constant practice) and Vairagya (detachment). When we do abhyasa intensely, vairagya becomes more automatically intense.
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