Yoga - Yoga Teacher Training School in Rishikesh, India

Holistic Approach to Yoga

by Sushant Pandey 0 Likes

Holistic Approach to Yoga: An Overview Today yoga is very much in the news and there are a lot of teachers and traditions. But are they all teaching authentic yoga? Are they teaching the classical yoga, as envisaged by the seers and sages? How does one know which one is the correct yoga? Correct and classical yoga can only be taught by a tradition, whose founder is a sage who has experienced the higher dimensions of the mind and see the entire situation in a holistic way. A traditional and authentic yoga is culmination of years of intense search and practice by the founding seers. At Rishikesh Yogis Yogshala, our team of the teachers has lived for more than 10 years in an ashram environment developing the experiential aspect of yoga. A few decades ago yoga was the subject of only philosophical debates and study, very few people knew the practical side of it. It was our Paramguru Sw. Sivananda (of Rishikesh) who completely changed the approach towards yoga. He presented before the people the practical and more scientific aspects of yoga. Indian culture has always been rich in terms of philosophical ideas, but teachings of Sw. Shivananda equipped the people with certain techniques and modalities through which they could lead a life full of health, creativity and mental, emotional as well as spiritual fulfilment. Sw. Sivananda gave a very clear mandate to his disciples to propagate yoga in society. Later on his disciple Swami Satyananda established Bihar School of Yoga and systematised the entire system of yogic practices and made them easy and graduated so that any person could benefit from the practices regardless of his state of health physical, mental or otherwise. Yoga became established as a therapeutic tool, as an aid in training, as the ideal lifestyle, as a means for total education. He made the practices easily intelligible to the modern mind. At Rishikesh Yogis Yogshala, we incorporated the teachings from most authentic and traditional schools in India such as Sivananda Yoga and Bihar School of Yoga. Salient features of a Holistic Yoga Tradition Yoga as a holistic science Yoga has been known to be the science, which addresses the issues like awakening the dormant faculties and refinement of the human mind. Any person feels that he needs to improve in certain areas, but then he finds himself helpless when he does not find an appropriate technique or a way out. There is no one science in the present education scenario, which can take care of this requirement completely. There are exercises for physical fitness, which again address limited parts of the body. And in spite of recent advances in psychology, there are no standard practices to improve the quality of the mind. Yoga is the only system, which provides a “complete” methodology for the development of total human being. Yoga as a “need based” tool In traditions like Satyananda yoga which we follow closely, has developed a series of graduated practices, called the pawanmuktasana, which makes it easy for a beginner to start the practices. A beginner on the path will not be able to do complicated postures, because his joints are stiff and his body is not flexible. Pawanmuktasanas are a boon for him. It is this system of graduated practices that makes “Satyananda Yoga” accepted so easily worldwide. It does not mean that the system caters only to beginners on the path, (and there are practices which are very advanced), but it means that an aspirant has to go step by step and cannot really take jumps. Yoga as a means for developing awareness Our approach makes one develop “awareness”; a quality of alertness, which makes a person stand apart. A person who is aware is balanced, awakened to life experiences, has clarity of mind under all situations and acts efficiently. Developing awareness through yogic practices is the hallmark of our endeavour to teach traditional and holistic yoga. Yoga for eliminating psycho-somatic overload One very important complementary practice of Bihar School of Yoga which we teach at our centre, is the practice of pratyahara or a process to withdraw the mind from the senses. The gross mind is normally totally extroverted in the waking or aroused state and is always busy in responding to the input from the senses in the form of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. In this way it gets overloaded and accumulates stress, because there is no knowledge of how to stop this process. In yoga there is a methodical process to stop this overloading so that the mind comes to a state deep rest and relaxation. Bihar School of Yoga has founded a very simple and highly effective practice of mental relaxation called Yoga Nidra. This practice has been instrumental in helping psychosomatic problems like hypertension, diabetes, asthma etc. The modern medical science has not been effective in treating these diseases because there is no technique available to ease the mental tensions. The practice of yoga nidra is complementary to the package of practices and it makes it easier for the other practices of asana and pranayama to take root. Only when the deeper tensions are removed can the body mind absorb or assimilate other practices better. Cleansing of toxins Traditional Hatha Yoga accepts that there can be gross impurities in the physical body, which can bar one’s progress on the path of holistic and positive living. Modern life style and habit patterns are the factors disturbing the equilibrium of physical and the mental health. The accumulated toxins in the physical body can be removed through the hatha yogic process of shatkarmas or the six cleansing practices which cleanse the digestive tract, the sinuses, the frontal lobe of the brain, the inner and the outer vision, the prana vayus and doshas. Thus through the collective practices of the holistic yoga one finds the centre of existence within oneself as awareness grows and there is spontaneous flowering of “inner discipline or Anushashanam, our approach to yoga does not restrict the yogic practices to the practice room only but it believes in the principle of taking yoga into one’s life and living yoga and life with awareness and fullness. Read More...

What is Pratyahara

by Sushant Pandey 1 Likes

Pratyahara is mentioned in Patanjali Yoga Sutra (one of the most powerful, authentic and spiritual texts available on yoga.) as the fifth Limb of eight Limbs yoga system of this text. The inner journey starts and Before Pratyahara, body is aligning and making its own fitness for the real meditative states. Bodily fitness and the meditative states has a link through Pratyahara. It is only after Pratyahara, the inner journey starts thereafter understanding self starts understanding the self happens through Pratyahara. Understanding Pratyahara Through Desire Lets understand this way. We all have desires and we want to fulfill them. Desire is nothing but to connect to a certain kind of energy in the outside world to fulfill ourselves. When you are done with one Desire, you have another desire waiting on the way. Fulfilling different kinds of desires, doing different kinds of work and feel attracted towards the outside world is the normal human tendency. when we start practicing yoga by following Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayam we would understand and realise that all our journey, our wantings, desires and cravings in the outside world has no meaning. What we are searching outside is already there within us. When we understand that something better, more meaningful, divine and the centre of ourselves lies within us suggests we are already in this phase. Inner Journey In Yoga Sadhana From Pratyahara, the journey of the inner world starts. After which 3 more limbs are mentioned and are termed as 1-Dharna, 2-Dhyan, 3-Samadhi. This is also called Rajyoga. Rajyog is a combination of three limbs. Dharna, dhyan and samadhi, which takes us in ourselves. if we don’t go through Pratyahara, dharna, dhyan and samadhi, these three limbs also doesn't work. I don't think it is you don't want to get into the Pratyahara. Pratihara is just a transition period. Also when you have a strong craving, to know yourself, to know the truth and to realise yourself, Pratyahara has already taken place because some of your energies have moved inwards.This is the reason you have been trying to understand yourself. This powerful craving happens when the energies start to move inwards.This is Pratyaharaa. Energy is one. It can be moved outwards or inwards. When it starts moving inward, you have less attraction in the outside world.The energy is moving less outside and inside and that is why when it happens. So knowing the self is only through Pratyahara. knowing the self means you take energy from the outside world and move towards your inside world. When it starts moving in your inner world, it is the journey of meditation. The journey to be close to our own selves starts. Where the conversion of the flow of energy from the outside world to the inside world happens is called Pratyahara. Pratyahara means most of your energy starts moving in your inner self and stops moving in the outside world and when all this energy starts moving into the innerself you go ,into the state of meditation. And when I talk about the movement of energy from the outside world towards inner world for a long period of time, it becomes the permanent state. It's the permanent state where your body energies are now bent inwards and you know now that there is also some inner world exists. Because you have been practicing it and thinking about it for a long time, your energy is now molded in a way that it flows inside and inwards and this permanent moulded state leads to the state of meditation. Conclusion Pratyahara is the molding of the energies which were previously flowing outside and now molded and flowing inside.The turning of the energies and the changing of direction is called Pratyahara In this evolution, all people are moving towards liberation and whosoever takes the path to self has to undergo Pratyahara. People who take meditation as a play and a recreational activity have no idea about Pratyahara and that is why these people even after a long time of meditation practice cannot succeed because meditation has to go through Pratyahara, knowingly or unknowingly. For the Pratyahara to take place, your will power to understand yourself and be close to yourself plays an important role. We now know that Pratyahara is more of a mental phase rather than a physical phase Read More...

Prana Mudra

by Sushant Pandey 1 Likes

Prana Mudra is a hand gesture which means a spirit of life. You need to maintain a balance in all energies, and Prana holds significant importance. It is an asana or mudra which does not require an exact time to perform. However, it is optional to perform this asana in privacy. It is better to perform it in a quiet room to awaken our senses. Prana Mudra is basic hand gesture of ancient Indian Vedic Culture that helps us to turn on the inner inactive energy of your body. Below here is a technique to performing steps, benefits, and precautions of Prana Mudra. What is Science Behind Prana Mudra? The human body is a combination of five main elements that include air, fire, space, earth, and water. As long as these elements are in balance, you will enjoy a disease-free and a healthy life. Prana Mudra is a hand gesture that is a part of yoga exercise. This mudra aims to activate the most inactive parts of your body. Our fingers are like wires of electric current. When we perform Prana Mudra, one or more than one fingers come in contact with our thumb. This hand gesture gives rise to inner body electric current. The life energy starts flowing through this circuit. It will balance all five essential elements as represented by fingers. Prana Mudra- A Mudra of Energy: Prana is defined as the energy of life. Prana Vayu is essential that helps to excite root chakra. This root chakra produces vibration and heat in the body, which energize an individual. Thus in this way, it stimulates the entire body and thus awakens each organ. Prana Mudra relates with a special link to your heart and soul. Along with this, Prana Hand Mudra is a widely practiced form of mudra to treat diseases. Prana Mudra is a part of yoga and meditation that helps you to control energy flow and unblock specific chakras. They are a standard part of yoga activities. Some people refer to Prana Mudra as a disease healing mudra. According to old medical consideration of India, Prana Mudra is basically a way to introduce Kapha and reduces Pitta Dosha. Both Pitta Dosha and Kapha are bio elements present in a human body. Read Also About Gyan Mudra Steps to perform Prana Mudra: According to the philosophy of yoga, our hands and fingers are considered to have much power to heal. Moreover, Prana Mudra is to improve people from specific digestive and liver issues. Perform Prana Mudra with the help of both hands Tips of little and ring finger are to join with lean of thumb. Rest of all fingers are to be in an extended position and keep them straight. Strengthen your spine, head, and back in an aligned position. Prana Mudra alters energy level of an individual and thus makes you fit in conscious breathing. While performing Prana Mudra, you need to make a profound and regular breath. Breath in and out at the same time duration While performing Prana Mudra a person can chant “so” while inhaling and “hum” on exhale. Initially, it is difficult to chant and breathe simultaneously, but with practice, you can be perfect. Perform inhale and exhale twenty to thirty times at once. Now pay attention to your mind. You will feel as if your body is floating in a particular situation. Many people even experience immediate results of Prana Mudra. Duration of Prana Mudra: Perform Prana Mudra for at least thirty minutes in your regular practice. It will bring you maximum benefits. The Technique of Prana Mudra: This Mudra works on the principle of victorious breathing. Thus victorious breath means this mudra brings in a camp of attentiveness. The performers experience divine peace and thus help you to broaden the mind. Performance of Prana mudra has introduced native beliefs in each individual. You can perform this mudra in various poses: Padmasana, Vajrasana, and Siddhasana Yoga. Other Names of Prana Mudra: Pran Mudra Kapha-Kaarak Mudra Pitta-Nashak Mudra Life Energy Mudra Energizing hand Yoga Prana Mudra reduces excessive heat from the body, and thus it sorts digestion related problems. Also, an increase in Kapha leads to excess energy, immunity, and strength. Precautions of Prana Mudra: Do not practice Prana Mudra when you suffer from rhinorrhea, cold, and cough. Do not perform this mudra if you have issues with the back. Be careful while performing Prana Mudra. It would help if you learned it properly. Do not press tips of your fingers very firmly. They need the gentle press. Perform Prana Mudra in Padmasana pose to have maximum benefits. It is a complementary therapy, not permanent or alternative medical treatment. Breastfeeding mothers should practise this mudra only after consulting a yoga expert. Benefits of Prana Mudra As per research in ancient times, Prana Mudra is an essential part of an individual lifestyle. It is not an alternative to medical problems but brings maximum benefits to cure physical, mental, and spiritual issues. Physical Benefits: Prana Mudra helps you to overcome chronic fatigue, exhaustion, and endurance. It strengthens your immune system that improves disease-fighting capacity. Prana Mudra improves the metabolism of your body that even aids the digestion process. It helps the body to extract specific essential vitamins and nutrients from the food that you eat. When you are fasting, practicing Prana Mudra helps to maintain energy level. It helps in improving painful sensation, muscle spasm, and weakness from legs. It improves blood circulation in the body of an individual. It is good to get rid of dry eyes, eyesight weakness, and water discharge from the eyes. Older adults, who find it challenging to perform yoga, can practice this natural hand gesture. Mental Health Benefits: Prana Mudra is best to get rid of negative feelings like fear, tension, nervousness, anger, and anxiety. It is to replace them all with self-confidence, mental clarity, inner stability, faith, joy, zeal, and happiness. Spiritual Benefits: It improves concentration, and thus, it brings a better meditation experience. With regular practice of Prana Mudra, you will feel a vibration in your body. Hence, when you practice Prana Mudra during the meditation process, it will keep up your meditation experience and spiritual awakening. Other Benefits of Prana Mudra: Prana Mudra assists in eliminating deficiencies of vitamins A, B, D, C, E, and K. It improves the regulatory power of your mind, which helps to tackle with unregulated habits. Prana Mudra decreases nervousness and improves self-confidence. Life Mudra assists you to get rid of chronic diseases and general weakness. Also, it helps us to manage emotions like anger, tension, tetchiness, pride, envy, delight, etc. Prana Mudra for Eye: You can perform Prana Mudra for eye related problems also. However, people who have low vision should carry Prana Mudra for every 15 to 30 minutes. It helps increase eyesight, especially if you wear specs. Prana Mudra for Healing: Prana Mudra is an essential gesture for healing. It boosts up your energy level.. Also, it helps in recovering the circulation of Prana Shakti in your body. You may try to perform it to improve circulation of energy level in the body. When your body runs out of energy, you can perform this Mudra. It would boost up the energy level and make you feel lighter. Prana Mudra Yoga: Prana Mudra is a part of yoga accompanied by padmasana. Most people call it "Mudra of life" as it is a very important life force. Your life gets empowered from inside out by Prana Mudra. Restoration of energy reserves take place by Prana Mudra. Muscular pains and aches get reduce with the help of Prana Mudra Yoga. You can perform this mudra either by sitting or walking. Read More...

Gyan Mudra

by Sushant Pandey 5 Likes

In this busy lifestyle, you need to ensure yourself with relaxation and stress-free days. Your body is like a mini world. Principal constituents of this mini world are five elements, including Air, Fire, Ether, Water, and Earth. However, when there is some disturbance in the balance between all these elements, it might lead to an imbalanced mind. It might cause severe problems in our body. Well, you can restore your body with physical postures. These postures draw your attention to bring awareness to your mind and body. You can stop the development of negative emotions and develop full knowledge mind with Gyan Mudra. Gyan Mudra- A Mudra of Knowledge: Also known as Chin Mudra, is used to perform meditation. It has been one among the essential mudras to improve your mental and physical health. Here Chin means consciousness according to Sanskrit. Mudra defines for gestures or a seal. It is a calming and spiritual awakening of your inner self. It helps stimulating air elements in your body. Thus it will automatically increase your memory power, pituitary gland production, and improves the nervous system. Gyan Mudra is a standard way to increase your mental concentration and to build spiritual power. Therefore it sharpens your brain. When you perform Chin Mudra regularly, you can control your emotions on stress, anger, depression, and anxiety. How You Can Perform Gyan Mudra Gyan Mudra is a powerful mudra that has been under consideration from thousands of years. It is a skill by thousands of yogis to bring quiet, peace, and spiritual progress. It relates humans with planet Jupiter. It has a large and diverse health profit, thus making it most skilful mudra among all. It is a Mudra of Knowledge. Thus it is like an open edition of self. It is a way to teach you lessons throughout life, along with knowledge. It is superior to all other once you speak to someone. It is prime mudra among all finger mudras. The additional name of Gyan Mudra is Vayu-Vardhak Mudra and Dhyan Mudra. It will assign you a step by step direction to perform Gyan Mudra. Its curative properties, fitness benefits, and other difference of Gyan Mudra. Ideal Time: It can be performed at any time of your day. It is better to perform it early in the morning. Duration: It takes thirty to forty-five minutes to perform Gyan Mudra. Also, you can perform it in three parts of fifteen minutes each. Steps to Perform: It is best to perform Gyan Mudra together with meditation asanas. Several measures to consider before acting this gesture are: Sit down in a meditative pose. It can be Easy, Lotus, or Diamond pose. Also, you can perform Gyan Mudra while standing in a Mountain Pose. Make sure you have a straight back while in a pose and head must be seized up high. Now relax down your hands on knees and palms must be opposite upwards. Now touch on the tip of your index finger with the advice of your thumb. Rest of the three fingers are to be held straight and stretched. These must be parallel to each other. Conduct Gyan Mudra with both hands. Now shut off eyes and further concentrate on your breath. If you want to better efficient results, then chant word Om with every exhale. Role of Fingers in Gyan Mudra Once you bring fingers in position, it defines to carry a balance in your life. Gyan Mudra is believed to possess electromagnetic currents inside the human body. Thus the union of fingers with thumb have a more significant effect on your body. As Mudras initiate currents in the human body, it conducts a balance in your body. This union of fingers brings an outcome in us. Index Finger: Air- It represents expansion, wisdom, and openness to change. Little finger: Water- It defines the power of an individual to relate and communicate. Thumb: Fire-It defines for ego or individual. Ring: Earth- It defines physical grace, health, vitality, and beauty. Middle: Aakash- It considers the conversion of emotion to patience and devotion. Variations of Gyan Mudra: Abhaya Gyan Mudra: To develop the virtue of fearlessness Vairagya Mudra: To lead a detachment of your mind from worldly things. Chin Mudra: To remind practitioner hid goal of yoga. Chinmaya Mudra: To create awareness of breath and prana energy flow. Purna Gyan Mudra: To obtain complete knowledge about all matters. Vayu-Vardhak Mudra: To build and revitalize tissues and increase vitality and endurance. Precautions: Your back must be straight, and your head and chest must be held up high. Your hands must rest on knees with palms facing upwards. Three fingers except the thumb and index finger must be adequately stretched. Benefits of Gyan Mudra Therapeutic benefits of Gyan Mudra: The primary therapeutic use of Gyan Mudra is that it increases the Vayu element. Air is an essential element according to Ayurvedic Vata Dosha. As Gyan Mudra affects Air, then this mudra is known as Vayu-Cardhak Mudra. According to research in past times, it has many therapeutic benefits in curing many health problems, especially for relieving a person from stress. This mudra is especially to cure Vata deficiency and heal diseases due to it. Impacts of Vayu-Vardhak Mudra: It primarily improves air element in your body. Also, it increases the functioning of the brain. The practice of Vayu Mudra is to stimulate the brain and nervous system to improve strength. It improves movements of inner body impulses. It strengthens muscles in your body and improves pituitary gland functioning. It functions vocal cords, heart, renders skin and mucous membranes to dry. Additional Benefits: To promote the flow of prana Addresses sleeping disorders Improves focus Relieves and prevents stress and anger Cures indigestion Enhances memory power Promotes a sense of balance It is convenient to solve the following problems: Dullness of mind Recklessness Lack of enthusiasm Loss of memory Drowsiness, mental retardation, and lethargy Neuropathy and Alzheimer’s disease It improves muscular disorders. Gyan Mudra- A suppleness for mind It is an ordinary way used by yoga practices and depicted by sages. It is acknowledged as a Seal of comprehension to inspire knowledge and authority to understand. It is a hand gesture used to relax your brain and thus the direct flow of energy of your body. In the first term, Gyan Mudra is a work out of your mind as a baby pose, chair pose, or crow pose. It is to bring flexibility in exercising a body. Read More...

Raja Yoga And Its Principles

by Rishikesh Yogis 1 Likes

योग: कर्मसु कौशलम्' is what Bhagavad Gita preaches as one starts to delve within the depths of yoga. Yoga has been a classical way of living since the beginning of time. Some say, it has been passed on by Adi nath to his disciples while some believe it was embedded deep into the traditional Indian vedic lifestyle. With various versions comes various symbolism and styles. While 'Yoga' itself means joining of the 'Atman' to the 'Parmatma', that is the amalgamation of one's self to the greatest being, goal remains the same despite the several interpretations. The vedic tradition denotes yoga as one of the six Hindu philosophical schools. The Bhagwat Gita has been specifically revolving around yoga as a way of existing on the path of dharma. The modern world however has come to relate yoga to 'Hatha' or the physical practices or asanas. With texts like Hatha Yoga Pradipika, yoga largely started revolving around self regulating practices. Texts like Patanjali Yoga Sutra came into existence much later which compiled not just physical practices but also internal assessments to reach the ultimate goal - Samadhi. But between these diversification, the term 'Raja Yoga' gained prominence. Beginning of Raja Yoga The first usage of Raja yoga can be traced back to Patanjali's Aphorisms or the yoga sutras. It later turned into a separate stream and found prominence in its culture. The retronym can be credited to the Modern Yogi Swami Vivekananda who found similarities between Patanjali's Yoga sutras and practices of Hatha yoga. He not only assimilated the two but also made it a practical entity which was entirely different from it's textual connotations. He believed that Samadhi wasn't just limited to tapas or just internal modifications. He wanted the world to change with the times but still be inclined towards their roots. He quoted_ "All the knowledge of God is confined to this or that book? How dare men call God infinite, and yet try to compress Him within the covers of a little book!" So to put his point forth he described the steps with which a person can attain the intended goal, the Samadhi. One could either pick what suits him best or practice it as a lifestyle. Eight Limb Path of Raja Yoga Raja yoga mainly consists of Ashtanga or the 'eight limbed path'. Ashta in Sanskrit means eight therefore the name came into existence. They are_ Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and eventually Samadhi. It starts off with Yamas. According to Sivananda, A man must remove all his brutal inhibitions first if he wants the ultimate freedom. In order to do so the Yamas_which one imposes on himself are similar to taking a pledge before pursuing ahead. One must become Non violent by nature ( Ahimsa), only then the animal instinct would die down within him. One must always try to be truthful ( Satya) when it comes to either himself or the cosmic world. One must always practice moral dignity or consciousness ( Asteya) which is loosely translated to Non stealing. Read Also: 8 Limbs of Yoga in Patanjali Yoga Sutra Righteousness should be integral to a yogi is what is prescribed. One must practice celibacy (Bhramacharya ) which however varies depending on the stage of a person's life. Even a grihastha can practice Brahmacharya by controlling his desires. And lastly (Aparigrah) being free from the hold of his wants and lusts of luxuries. After taking personal vows one must embark on the journey that is the next step towards the Niyamas. The arms to discipline one's life. It begins with_ Cleanliness (Shaucha), not just externally but also internally since purity of mind and body go hand in hand. A clean body is the abode of a healthy mind. Then comes Contentment (Santosha) which gives the satisfaction despite what may come. It settles the mind at peace and disregard any over ambition a person may hold. Now comes purity of an impure mind (Tapah), the rigorous penance or austerity one must go through to train the mind and the body to be under the control of one's self. It removes the Tamsic Pravritti and helps maintain balance. Next comes self study (Swadhyaya) which means not just textual study but also embodying the said education into one's life. It brings knowledge and experience which in turn ejects all doubts a person has thereby bringing clarity. And at last comes utter and complete devotion to the Lord (Ishwar Pranidhana). It is said that Shraddha paves way to success where one must surrender to the divine being for his destiny. These Yamas and Niyamas paves way for the next step "Asanas". Read Also: Yamas and Niyamas in Yoga The physical practices or postures to achieve the healthiest form. Patanjali denotes asanas as "Sitharm Sukham Asanam" meaning a position that a person holds for a long period of time, without moving and being pain free while holding it. It is said that Lord Shiva gave 84 lakh asanas derived from various living beings where as each text has a different number of asanas prescribed. Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists 15 while Gherand Samhita says 32 postures. Asanas has predominantly taken over the modern sense of yoga practices. Followed by Asanas comes Pranayama . Prana is the vital energy which sustains life. The Prana flows through a living being and leaves the body once it dies. This pranic force flows through various metaphorical channels called Nadis. There are about 72,000 known nadis as credited by many texts. However, Shiva Samhita credits 3,50,000 Nadis within a human body. Any blockage of Prana in these channels leads to diseases or malfunctioning of the body. The three main Nadis_ Ida is the lunar energy which flows through the left side of the body, Pingala is the solar energy which governs the right side and in the center of the spine lies Sushumna. The Ida is controlled through the left nostril, the Pingala through the right and when both Nadis balance, it leads to the activation of the Sushumna. The Sushumna connects the base of the spine to the crown of the head. It says when a person balances or activates his Sushumna it forms a a coil like serpentine structure which is the symbolism of Samadhi. But to achieve that state or gain mastery over the pranic energy, one must practice retention of breath. The breath being the source of life is quintessential to regulate Prana. Pranayama has several practices ( Nadi shuddhi, Anuloma Viloma, Surya and Chandra bhedan) which provides stimulation of both the nostrils and the lungs thereby improving the flow of Prana in the body. Medically it supplies oxygen to each and every part of the body for proper functioning. Asanas along with Pranayama is basically what modern yoga has been focusing on. And it’s quiet important to note that the energy created during asana practice must be generalized with Pranayama. Frankly it’s a stepping stone towards Samadhi. Then comes Pratyahara or the withdrawal of senses. Patanjali says they form a bridge between the Bahiranga Yoga ( Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama) with Antaranga Yoga (Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi). When a person has completely internalised his senses and their stimulation doesn’t emit reactions or inclinations, he isn’t affected by his surrounding. This forms the solid ground for the next step, that is Dharana. Dharana in Sanskrit means to emulate or hold. It requires steadfastness internally and externally. To hold onto an object or a thought for a prolonged period of time is what Dharana means in layman's terms. Dharana often mean the for going further internally and paves way for internal awareness. On the building blocks of Dharana one moves onto the next limb that is Dhyana. Dhyana is the part which leads to eventually Samadhi or the ultimate liberation. Dhyana is the contemplation one must perform after holding steady his object of Dharana. It's moving deeper to the core layer of consciousness where the object merges within one self and the Jeevatma forgets his humane submissions. Crossing these layers of consciousness, comes the ultimate bliss. The part where the physical form ends and the divine begins. The further a person goes, the closer he comes to Samadhi. The keyword is closer since Samadhi is a state rarely achieved and requires enormous strength and willpower. Conclusion However, Swami Vivekananda believed that the outer body experience isn't just limited to the finality of Liberation but by leading a life of a true yogi who performs his designated duties in life with dedication and adherence to the rules of nature. Hence Raja Yoga is a normal man's pathway to Moksha_ within the quarters of life or outside it. Read More...

What is Tridosha : Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas

by Sushant Pandey 3 Likes

Things can seem to be huge when eyed from human vision but is just barely visible element when viewed from the lens of universe. We are made from the same dust from which the universe is made up of, the same five elements- earth, water, ether, air and fire. We are not in any manner disconnected from the universe, whereas it lives within us, breathes with us. Science which still views every human from a single vision and perspective, has its roots emerged from the science of Ayurveda. Ayurveda has been serving the humans from past many years and holds the same perception that the creator had while the creation of human existence i.e. based on the five elements, just the degree of each element differs for different human. We all are different, have different skill sets, different identities, different perspectives and in a similar way our body consists of different energies. Ayurveda shows that the path to optimal health is different for different people, which is based on the nature of their body. The science of understanding the nature of our body or the energies consisted by it is known is Tridosha. Tridosha is made up of 5 elements (mahabhutas) air, ether, fire, water and earth. Each body is a composition of these five elements, ruled by any one of the elements. It is not possible for any element to be absent from the composition. When the imbalance happens, it signifies the dominance of any one of the doshas. Every Body Consists of all the Three Doshas Tridosha defines three different energies or principles called Vata, Pitta and Kapha consisted by our body and govern its function on physical and emotional levels. Each individual has a balance of these three Doshas and imbalance of these can lead to several diseases or sufferings such as diarrhea, weak nervous system, weak metabolism, constipation, anxiety, depression etc. Dominance of any of the dosha doesn’t signify the absence of other two doshas but defines the nature (prakriti) of that individual. Prakriti is pre-defined during the evolution of new human life in the womb itself. Tridosha Origin Ayurveda, the science of life and well-being has been dwelling on earth from past 5000 years. It’s practice is rooted in India and from many years people of India and surrounding nations are enjoying enormous benefits of natural science i.e. Ayurveda. Now Ayurveda has been recognized and practiced throughout the different parts of the world due to its mystical results. The basic structure of Ayurvedic treatment relies on the theory called, ‘Tridosha Tatva’. The word Tridosha is derived from the sanskrit word ‘Tri’ which means ‘three’ and ‘Dosha’, meaning ‘pollutant’. These three pollutants play a major role in the well-being and functioning of the human body. To be more precise, our body functions in harmony when these three Doshas are in balance. Types of Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha- are the three types of Doshas as described by Ayurveda. Vata Dosha consists of air and space and is known to govern the mind and body. Pitta Dosha consists of Fire and water and governs the metabolic activities within the body. Kapha Dosha consists of water and earth and governs the structural aspects and strength of the body. Vata Dosha: Vata Dosha is made up of air and space elements and possess qualities similar to these elements. Vata Dosha holds characteristics very similar to wind such as light , cool, unstable and dry. People with Vata dosha tend to have quite lean physical appearance due to thin bones, light body and they tend to have dry skin and hair. People with Vata Dosha move and speak quickly. They tend to be talkative, enthusiastic, creative, energetic and flexible. When out of balance, physically they tend to lose weight, become constipated and experience weakness in their immune and nervous system and mentally, suffer from anxiety and overwhelmed, have difficulty focusing and making decisions and tend to have trouble while sleeping. They cannot function under stress very well and the symptoms of imbalance becomes more apparent while suffering from it. Emotionally they are charged by cool emotions such as fear, worry and anxiety. In order to bring balance to Vata, emphasis on opposite characteristics is important such as moisture, stability, nourishment and warmth. Balance of Doshas can be achieved by the medium of diet, yoga, meditation and aromatherapy. All these aspects will be explained in detail further in the article. Pitta Dosha: Pitta Dosha is made up of fire and water elements, fire being the dominating one. Pitta Dosha holds characteristics very similar to fire such as hot, sharp and penetrating. People with Pitta Dosha tend to feel warm, have oily skin, sharp features and penetrating eyes. They have good musculature and moderate weight. People with Pitta are highly focused, competitive, capable, courageous, clear communicators and are generally known as problem solvers. When out of balance they tend to suffer from diarrhea, infections, skin rashes, odorous sweating, fever and weakness in liver, spleen and blood. They possess quite ignorant nature when in stress and tend to be overly intense and sharp with tongue. Emotionally they are charged with heated emotions of anger, resentment and jealousy. In order to bring balance to Pitta, emphasis on opposite characteristics such as coolness, heaviness (nourishing) and dryness is important. Balance of Doshas can be achieved by the medium of diet, yoga, meditation and aromatherapy which will be discussed further. Kapha Dosha: Kapha Dosha is made up of water and earth elements. Kapha Dosha holds characteristics very similar to water such as moist, cool, stable and heavy. People with Kapha Dosha tend to have heavy bone structure, supple skin; low metabolism and large body frame. They are not prone to quick fluctuations due to their stable personality and does not approve of change due to their comfort-prone nature. They are generally conservative and prefer to keep things the way they are. They possess soft and watery nature. When out of balance they tend to gain weight quite easily and suffer from weakness in liver, sinuses, depression and lethargy. Due to their comfort prone nature they can often feel a lack of motivation and feeling of being stuck. They are very good stress handlers and does not have any impact of stressful situations on their physical or mental health. In order to balance kapha Dosha, emphasis on opposite characteristics is important such as dryness, lightness and warmth. How to Balance Doshas using Meditation: Vata dominance: Jaap meditation: When vata dosha is at its dominance the person can feel unstable and suffer from restlessness and anxiety. Jaap meditation or mantra meditation is considered to be most effective when body needs a rhythmic hold or stability in life. Use of mala beads or rudraksh beads can be used while chanting the mantras as vata dominated people will find it difficult to contain the stillness while chanting. Rudraksha beads will work as an anchor to guide you through the mediation and be patient. There is also specific meditation technique such as Ajapa Japa, taught in our classes and teacher training courses. This is an excellent technique to help calm the nerves and reduce vata. Another meditation which may play a significant role is Trataka on flame. This steady gazing technique on flame helps a lot centering the mind and enhance the power of concentration and memory. Kapha Dominance: Hatha Yoga techniques of Asanas and Pranayamas: there are many poses which activates the vitality in the body. techniques like Sun Salutation and Shakti Bandha Series as taught in Bihar School of Yoga can help a lot to work of Kapha dosha. There are vitalising pranayamas and Kriyas which increases fire in the body and also help activate the metabolism such as Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Agnisara Kriya etc. which may play a key role in reducing and managing kapha. Walking meditation: As kapha dominance shows the signs of heaviness, lethargy and therefore it is very important for such people to have mobility in their lives. In walking meditation as the name suggests you have to be moving during the whole process, you can do this process in a garden, preferably barefoot, in your hallway, in your room while circling around it, any place where you feel more at peace and calm. Start the process by breathing and being conscious about your breath. After that, start moving while reciting a mantra which resonates with your intention. It is a great way for people with kapha dominance to have mobility and progress in life. Pitta dominance: Breath meditation: Pitta dominated people crave more peace and calm in their life as they tend to have more sharp responses, anger, irritation and frustration in them. Breath meditation helps pitta to divert from the sharp nature to a more calm and relaxing state by focusing on breath and using it as the anchor. Pitta tends to be more action prone and it is quite necessary to enjoy the stillness sometimes which is well delivered by the process of meditation. While performing breath meditation find a place which is quiet and doesn’t distracts you. Start with taking deep and slow breath to get into the flow and slowly develop the rhythm. Yoga Nidra: Techniques such as Yoga Nidra can help a lot to people suffering from excessive pitta or Vata predominance. These people need to calm down the energies and relax the digestive systems. Techniques like Yoga Nidra sets the tone to relax the energies and initiates relaxation response in the body. Yoga Nidra can be taught with proper techniques of breath awareness to relax the nerves and using relaxing visualisation methods. Read More...

Top 8 Sitting Yoga Poses and Their Benefits

by Sushant Pandey 1 Likes

Sitting can be hardest of a task when your prime role is to handle information and records, mailing and maintaining the daily ins and outs at your office. You are more vulnerable to have bad posture that even lead to ill effects on your physical wellness. Besides curing the pain and physical stress, Sitting Yoga Pose and their Benefits are to provide you with maximum flexibility and strength. Beneficial during pregnancy, some of these Easy Sitting Yoga Pose are also known for their efficacy. People from different professions are drawn to Yoga and its diversified forms to get a better outcome and alleviate their career further. With a limitless spectrum of purposes, the ancient techniques of Yoga are now emerging as a vital source of healing, curing, strengthening, and shaping humans. Lifestyle Today: Lifestyle today is unquestionably demanding, with stressful work hours. You stay seated at your desk filling customer data. Handling queries and emailing information is a bit of a challenging task as there is zero or no mobility at all. Time is shifting rapidly that there is barely moments for you to look at the rights and wrongs about your posture. It is in human nature we pay less attention to it unless it becomes severe. In the rush of the hours, many of us fail to notice whether we sit in the right pose or not. It is time to improvise further and look at Sitting Benefits of Yoga. Most important is How to Improve Posture through Yoga. Scope of Sitting Yoga Pose: Sitting Yoga is most beneficial for office-goers Athletes, and Choreographers, and is effective for women during pregnancy. Overall posture is retained to an optimum level and vulnerability to develop back and joint pains are reduced to almost zero. These Asana Pose benefits in maintaining flexibility and muscles and bones remain in action throughout the course. These aren’t just to provide strength to your spine, but also form the backbone of Yoga. Best 8 Seated Yogas and Their Benefits Since the stress and pressure on our spines are caused due to long hours of sitting, these asanas are performed while you sit in a particular posture for a given time. 1) Sukhsana (Easy Yoga Pose) It is known for bringing peace and joy to the practitioner as the main motive of performing this posture is to attain calmness and rid the stress. It is considered the foundation of all the Sitting Yoga Pose on which other Seated Asanas are based. This posture is easiest of all the 8 Best Sitting Pose of Yoga to strengthen your spine and cure anxiety. To practice Easy Yoga Pose, sit down crossed legs and slip your feet under the opposite knee. You must sit with an erect spine in such a way that your thighs and crossed legs should form a triangle. Your tailbone and pubic bone must be balanced in a manner that they stay equidistant from each other. Place your hands on the knees with palms facing down and inhale and exhale with eyes closed. Repeat inhaling and exhaling and keep in the same position for about 10 to 15 minutes. 2) Vajrasana (The Diamond Pose) This Sitting Yoga Pose can be practised moment after one finishes meals. It is best known for emulsifying the process of digestion. Performed for stronger spine and neck, this asana helps keep you stronger and healthier. [caption id="attachment_9354" align="alignnone" width="679"] Diamond Pose[/caption] You can start this pose by sitting on the floor and with legs folded. Keep your spine straight neck with the face at 90 degrees. Place the right palm at the right knee and left palm of the left knee. Inhale and exhale and repeat for about five to ten minutes initially. The Diamond Pose keeps the mind stable, calms the digestion system and gets rid of constipation and gas troubles. Vajrasana is known for clearing urinary tract and boosts functioning in reproductive organs. Vajrasana cures bloating and since thighs and knees are also in action, this pose strengthens the limbs and thighs. 3) Baddha konasana (Butterfly Pose) This is another pose from the Best and Easy Sitting Asanas that helps women during menopause and childbirth with several other benefits. The butterfly pose amplifies blood circulation, strengthens knees and thigh muscles, and stimulates prostate glands and kidneys. This Sitting Yoga Pose is performed on an empty stomach. [caption id="attachment_9355" align="alignnone" width="679"] ButterflyPose[/caption] To practice this pose, sit straight with erect spine, knees bent and bring your feet as close as possible. Hold your feet-ends by your hands and respire with your elbows pressing against the thighs. Flap your thighs like a butterfly and repeat it for about five to fifteen minutes with constant inhaling and exhaling. 4) Balasana (Child’s Pose) Balasana is one of the Easiest and Best Sitting Asana in Yoga which as mentioned is a childlike posture. This posture helps in improving back muscles and digestion. This Pose is performed to relieve back pain and is most recommended to the people suffering from such. It also helps in blood circulation and digestion. [caption id="attachment_9356" align="alignnone" width="679"] Childpose[/caption] To perform Balasana, sit on your knees with hips touching your heels and place your hands on the respective thighs. Sit in straight pose and bring your hands down forward leaning your chest between your thighs. Breathe slowly and hold still in the same position for 2 to 3 minutes. Recoil to the initial position and repeat the same for about five to ten times. 5) Dandasana (The Staff Pose) [caption id="attachment_9357" align="alignnone" width="679"] The Staff Pose[/caption] To get back muscles, chest, and spine in better shape Dandasana Pose is a perfect fit for people with ill posture. As the name suggests, “Dandasana” refers to a pose that is similar as Staff/Stick. Those with bad posture must practice it as an equal stretch is given to the spine and legs. To practice Dandasana, sit on the floor with erect spine and stretch your legs forth. Both the feet should be touching together with legs stretched straight. Bend your toes inward with your palms stretched straight and touching the ground without bending your Spine and head. Hold this position for 30 seconds and relax. Repeat this for about 5 to 10 minutes. 6) Simhasana (The Lion Pose) This pose comes means to seat in a posture as of the king of the jungle. The body is seated as a roaring lion hence, gets its name ‘The Lion Pose’. While practising this pose, Platysma (a flat muscle at the front of the throat) is also stimulated. This posture is beneficial for body posture, face muscles, throat, and bad breath. [caption id="attachment_9358" align="alignnone" width="799"] Lion Pose[/caption] To practice Simhasana, sit in the Vajrasana position and spread your knees placing your palms in front of the respective knees. Tilt your face backwards and stretch out your tongue. While inhaling try to focus on your eyebrows and while exhaling, make a sound like a Lion’s Roar (“Haa”). Hold this pose for about 20 to 30 seconds minimum after producing the sound. Repeat this process for about 5 to 8 times. One should not inhale quickly and needs to keep the spine straight but relaxed. 7) Bhadrasana (Gracious Pose) Bhadrasana is helpful for beginners and is also an effective asana to strengthen your legs hence providing them flexibility. Benefits of Gracious Pose also include strengthening the backbone, thighs, and immunes us against fatigue. This pose is proved to be helpful for digestion and developing brain power and calmness. For women, this pose is a blessing during childbirth as it eases the pain during contractions. [caption id="attachment_9359" align="alignnone" width="600"] Gracious Pose[/caption] To perform Bhardrasana, sit straight on the mat and stretch your legs outward. Fold the legs and bring them close to each other so that both the feet touch each other. Keeping your spine/neck/head straight, bring hold your toes with hands and rest the hips ad perineum flat on the floor. Keep taking a rhythmic breath and focus your eyes on your nose-tip. Keep up this posture for as long as it is possible. Once you feel tired eyes, take a break and repeat the process. 8) Paschimottanasana (Forward Bend Pose) Derived from the Sanskrit language, Pashima refers to back, and Uttana means to stretch. So the asana is centred at your back more hence providing flexibility and strength to the legs, abdomen, and increases height. The Forward Bend Pose Benefits in balancing the menstrual cycle as well. [caption id="attachment_9361" align="alignnone" width="679"] Forward bend pose[/caption] To perform the Forward Bend Pose, sit on the mat with legs stretched out forward and straight. Inhale with spine, neck and head erect, bend your head and trunk towards so as to catch your toes without bending your knees. Exhale slowly and try to bend your elbows so they can touch the ground. Recoil after staying in this position for at least 30 seconds. Upon release, inhale again and repeat the steps 3 to 4 times. Caution: This pose should not be practised during pregnancy. Practitioners can try any one or many from these Best Yoga Pose for Back Problems. Some of them may require prior consultation and guidance. Patients with Slip Disc and arthritis need to consult a Yoga Teacher prior to practising these Postures. The most vital benefit of performing these 8 Sitting Asana for Spine is you do not require to be any particular age to practice. Read More...

Yoga Philosophy: The Four Main Paths of Yoga

by Sushant Pandey 2 Likes

We as humans carry a uniquely identifiable set of qualities and paths that defines each one of us differently. Many of us must be the ones who once stepped into a Yoga class and never could do it again wondering, Nah it is not for us. It is because of the resonance of Yoga with at different levels. There are certainly different levels that people get inclined to Yoga. Though, the destination of all is the same, ultimate peace and happiness. This is why Patanjali derived The Four Paths of Yoga for further enlightenment of people. As per ancient studies conducted by Yogis and intellects, forgetfulness and separateness with self are the leading causes of suffering. This is known as Avidya which arises due to three main impurities of the mind, Vedanta says. These impurities are: Avavana –Which refers to forgetfulness or not having knowledge of True Self that separates us from life itself as an individual. Mala – Selfishness, working only for the benefit of oneself, to fulfil their needs. Vikshepa – it is the trait of a mind to be like fickle-minded or the mind that shifts from one thought to another. So in order to overcome these shortcomings in our lives, School of Hindu Philosophy, Vedanta also came up with the Four Paths of Yoga. The philosophy worked on the first cause of not knowing to correct which, the rest of the impurities will stop worrying us. The Four Paths of Yoga Explained: 1) Bhakti Yoga Bhakti is a Sanskrit word which means Blissful, Selfless, and overwhelming Love of God. It signifies selfless love and devotion which is based on the belief ‘Love is God and, God is Love’. Bhakti doesn’t just refer to love relationships between Gods or Goddesses or devotee and the Divine, but can also be referred to the bonds between family and friends. Bhakti has originated from the word ‘Bhaj’ which delivers a meaning ‘to participate’ hence the devotee's surrender and worship, and even sacrifice to the divine. The goal of Bhakti Yoga is to become one with the divine which can be achieved through regular practice. Bhakti Yoga can help remove jealousy, anger, and feelings of hatred towards others and replaces them with joy, love, ecstasy, and wisdom. Moreover, the divine could be the guru, a family member, or friend or vice-versa. Bhakti is the first of the Four Paths of Yoga that can be practised by anyone and is said to be the easiest one since it does not involve any tedious or strenuous practices. Bhakti is the only link between a pure heart and the Divine. One who reaches this purest level of love feels love deeply, has purest thoughts, speech, and actions for others. He always looks for the divine image in everything. He stays apart from egoism, and hatred for others but serves everyone with the same purity. 2) Karma Yoga Karma defines the action, during practising Karma Yoga, one has to remain detached from the outcome hence, devoting himself solely into the moment his actions are taking place. Karma Yoga teaches us to practice without expecting a result walking the path of selfless service. One way to achieve it is to keep up with humility and keep working as a servant to the divine. This selfless process helps purify the mind and encourages oneself to practice more for the good of others. This must be kept in mind that expecting or asking for return favour is counted as a selfish act. Those who practice Karma, are free from egoism, hatred, jealousy, and selfishness. They grow more humble, gentle, and empathetic with patience. Karma Yoga is the process of achieving the utmost level of satisfaction and perfection through action. Principle of Karma is to keep doing whatever may be the results without any expectations and recognition. 3) Jnana Yoga (Gyana Yoga) Jnana Yoga is considered the most difficult path the intellect comes to realize that they are one with the divine once they go beyond their own limits. It is the path of wisdom and knowledge that ultimately leads to enlightenment of self and others. Gyana Yoga empowers us to differentiate between the real and the unreal ones and helps us get to the level of self-realization. Through the path of Gyana Yoga, the questions we pose are reflected upon us to be answered by nobody but ourselves. This third Path out of 4 Paths of Yoga is one such path that helps us connect with inner-ourselves and assess out will power, patience, and resilience. Once an intellect realizes of himself, he no longer remains fettered with ego, selfishness, and entrapment, and delusions of being superior. 4) Raja Yoga The final Path of the Four Yoga Margs is Raja Yoga which refers to Royal Path. Raja Yoga mainly focuses on chanting of Mantras, Meditation Techniques, and Breathing Techniques. This Royal Path helps us to overcome pitfalls and downsides in our minds with the help of Meditation and Chanting. All the turbulence caused by different situations we come across daily can be balanced up by Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga can be practised by anybody to bring mind, body, and soul in harmony. It can be easily performed since no certain belief or faith needs to be practised prior. This Path helps vanish the mist of disturbing and deteriorating thoughts that affect your vast kingdom of mind. To achieve a pure state of bliss and divinity, this path is followed that results in illustrious willpower and shiny soul. This is the most practised path in western culture as it results in a balanced sleep, lifestyle, and work without any faiths to being followed. Mind, Body, and soul are in harmonic rhythm with nature and the regular practitioner develops conscience to take better decisions and feels stress-free of every pressurizing situations. We must choose a path for ourselves to first know who we are, what we can achieve with what we have and how we can overcome the stress, win over the negativity, and be better of who seem to struggle today. If one is still standing on the four-way wondering which way to choose, these Four Paths of Yoga are always opened wide. Read More...

A Comprehensive View on Yoga Tradition

by Sushant Pandey 0 Likes

Introduction Whenever we come across this term Yoga or hear about it, what is the first thing that comes to our minds? Some very difficult poses and complicated bodily movements right! In modern age, Asana which means Hatha Yoga Poses; captures the imagination of people’s mind. But in the tradition of Yoga Asana occupies very little space. Then the question arises what yoga is, if it is not primarily a discipline or tradition of asana? To understand that we have to understand the meaning of the term yoga. Yoga, in fact is a generic term which literally means Union. We also have to understand that fundamentally metaphysics of yoga is spiritual and it is not just a tradition of practical tools and techniques, rather it is a way of life. Traditionally, Yoga is treated as a lifestyle. Yoga simply denotes a path and a process which leads to an ultimate experience of self-actualization. To reach there, tradition of yoga presents us with various spiritual philosophies, methodologies which comprise of many different techniques and of course a recommended life-style which help establish harmony at various levels of human functioning. Yoga is not a Religion Some people may also have this misconception that Yoga is religious belief or system. On the contrary, Yoga is simply a philosophy which teaches us how to live a life with harmony, inner joy and fulfilment. And to attain this state of everlasting peace and harmony a lifestyle is recommended, which is comprised of following certain processes, instilling uplifting ethical values in life, living a healthy life-style and holding positive perspectives towards life events. All of these different guiding principles of Yogic life, aim at just one thing; as how to help an individual lead a harmonious life. A life which is full of spontaneity, inner freedom and joy. Historical sketch When you look at the development and evolution of Yogic tradition, you will find that evidences of yogic practices were found around 3000 BC. In ancient culture yogic methods and philosophy were practiced as a way of life by ancients. In Indian subcontinent, many different philosophies and cultures coexisted without having conflicts against each other. And each philosophy presented a very specific viewpoint or perspective towards reality and how to overcome human limitations and suffering. In essence collective consciousness of ancient Indian culture aimed at uplifting the quality of life through physical, mental, emotional and life-style education. Branches of Yoga Yoga is a path; a philosophy to harmonize the interactions and expressions of consciousness and energies in an individual. There are numerous methods and tools employed to reach a state of inner poise, balance and harmony. These interactions of energies and consciousness expresses on different layers of existence; creating various dimensions of human functioning and experiences. In our lives we express our energies on the physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and behavioural planes. From the grossest level; it is physical body where both energy and consciousness interact on the planes of gross energies, vitality and senses. Then on subtler plane we have the expressions of mental energies. Existence of emotional energies make us experience the emotional dimension of being. And then we do experience more subtle expressions of intellect in the form of clear, detached and refined perspective to life and events. The cumulative interactions of these various energies and consciousness present there result in the outcome of an uplifting behavioural patterns and interaction with the external environment. Establishing harmony at various planes of human existence is the goal of various yogic paths. A traditional path or branch of yoga looks after existing energies or expressions of consciousness present in certain dimension of existence. Each of these paths prescribes distinct methods to harmonize a particular level of human existence. For the purpose of understanding there are five distinct traditional branches of yoga which suit the different temperaments and help harmonize our beings. It is also to clarify before delving into this discussion that none of these levels of functioning exist in separation. There is definite interactions and interconnected amongst all of these planes of existence. This study will help the reader understand the subject matter and scope of these five traditional branches of yoga. Hatha Yoga Raja Yoga Bhakti Yoga Gyana Yoga and Karma Yoga Hatha Yoga Hatha yoga uses the body as an instrument to expand and liberate the mind. Philosophy of Tantras is the metaphysical background of Hatha Yoga. People, who see Hatha yoga merely as a system of physical discipline, should know this is one of those philosophies in India which established a direct link between Body, Mind and Energies. And secondly the founding principles of Tantras upon which Hatha Yoga tradition is based, is purely monistic, which sees a direct relationships and interconnectedness in all the different fabrics of creation. According to Tantras nothing exists in separation. All the different elements of manifestations have originated from the same source and essence of the same source of creation exists in all. The entire teaching of Tantras and Hatha Yoga focuses on tapping the essence or building blocks of creation; energy. Principles of Tantras propound that the creation is a pulsating or vibrant ‘Whole’ and very much alive. Based on the principles of interconnectedness and interaction between various levels of function, Hatha Yoga uses Body as an instrument to harmonize the mind. It says the states of body affect the mind and vice versa. But unlike Raja yoga it uses body and not mind as an instrument. Therefore most of the techniques of Hatha yoga work on the body to get the intended results. Practitioners of Hatha yoga should know that the ultimate purpose of Hatha yoga is not confined only up to body rather it works on expanding and releasing the energies of the mind-body complex. Practices of hatha yoga postures, breath-work (Pranayama), psycho-physical gestures (Mudra), psychic locks/contraction (Bandha) and cleansing practices, these all work together to harmonize the physical, mental and emotional energies of an individual. And in the due process one strives to liberate and expand the mind Results of all Hatha Yogic practices should take one to the state of elevated mind and awareness rather than getting identified/trapped within the field of body consciousness. To establish harmony at the physical and energetic planes; tradition of Hatha Yoga also emphasises on leading a very healthy life-style which consist of having sattvic foods. A food which is light on our systems, easy to digest and majorly consist of fresh and organic components. This sattvic food is consisted primarily of fresh vegetables, legumes, fruits, seeds and medicinal herbs. The wisdom says that fresh foods have enriched pranic energy which help nourish the body and harmonises mental and emotional energies. Tradition of Hatha Yoga follows the principles of Ayurveda, as far as one’s food and life-style are concerned. Just eating the food is not enough but the time you eat the food, how much you eat, what you eat, how you eat and mental attitude while you eat all these aspects are important. Even prevailing weather and climatic conditions are also considered. According to hatha Yoga and Ayurveda your foods change according to the changing weather. Following these principles one enjoys a state of health which is just a by-product of proper sync between you and the nature. Raja Yoga Raja Yoga, literally known as kingly yoga aims to tame the tendencies of the mind. Since mind is considered as the controller or master of all our behaviors and endeavor, Raja yoga is called kingly because with its help one learns to rule over the mind and its tendencies. Therefore its philosophy and practices make the entire orientation of its teaching very meditative and mindful. The teachings in this yogic philosophy create very incisive insights into the nature and tendencies of the mind. This approach of teaching makes one watch and understand the mind from the standpoint of an observer. The principles and methods discussed in the manual of this branch are highly psychotherapeutic. Techniques of meditation emphasizing on developing meditative awareness in one’s day-to-day life have roots in Raja Yoga. The metaphysical background of Raja Yoga is Samkhya Philosophy which is one of the oldest existing philosophies in India. Bhakti yoga Bhakti yoga is the path of harnessing and channeling emotional energies. In the process practitioner nurtures and develops refined and uplifting emotions, which later are directed towards divine self, deity or guru. In bhakti yoga, singing kirtan (a group devotional song), bhajan (solo devotional song) or even mantra chanting are used as tools to create and channel devotional energies towards divine principle. For the followers of bhakti yoga, it is one of the quickest ways to transcend ego and uniting with the higher self. One quote of Ramana Maharshi on Bhakti yoga sums it up very nicely. When asked; what is bhakti yoga? He says; ‘to thinks of God. That means only one thought prevails to the exclusion of all other thoughts. That is of God which is the self or it is the self-surrender unto God; when he has taken you up nothing will assail you. The absence of thoughts is bhakti. It is also mukti (liberation).’ Gyana or Jnana Yoga Jnana Yoga is the path of self-enquiry. This path of yoga seeks answers to the most fundamental queries to find truth and purpose to life. One of the most fundamental questions, a seeker contemplates upon in this path is; ‘who am I?’ Who am I' is an enquiry which shapes the journey of a spiritual aspirant. In traditional yogic discipline, Jnana yoga discusses the fundamental questions pertaining to spiritual truths, nature of reality, existence of suffering, causes of suffering and yogic processes to eliminate suffering.' In this path of Jnana yoga through listening (shravana), contemplation and meditation on pure essence i.e. self; knowledge is attained. There are methods recommended in this path to refine one’s intellect which helps cut through the layers of identification with ever changing field of reality. Karma yoga Karma is translated as action. In this path or discipline of yoga one learns harmonize one’s attitude towards actions and fruits of actions. This branch of yoga teaches us how to let go of the attachments and egoistic desires associated with our actions and their outcomes. Therefore, it involves behavioral components and ‘awareness in action’. It resets our ego driven actions and transforms them into selfless work and actions, which are more liberating and uplifting. Essentially path of karma yoga teaches to drop the attitude of doer ship and dedicating all actions to divine self. According to Swami Sivananda, having motive to serve without expectations, attitude of service, dedication in action and letting go the attachment towards the fruit of actions are the qualities one imbibe following the path of Karma Yoga. Read More...

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: 8 Limbs of Yoga

by Rishikesh Yogis 10 Likes

In today’s technology-ridden world, Yoga is swiftly growing attention among the western world to heal the mind, body, and spirit. There are 8 Limbs of Yoga that constitute to the completeness of healing and liberation from any entanglement. Adapted widely as a way of living by millions of people, Yoga, as an ancient technique is now accepted by medical practitioners as well. So, what are these 8 Limbs of Yoga that lead to Moksha (Liberation or Freedom from all kinds of entanglements and bounds from within)? In accordance with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Principles or writings), an 8-fold path that leads to liberation is referred to as Ashtanga (‘Ashta’ meaning to ‘Eight’ and ‘Anga’ referring to ‘Limbs’) Yoga System. These are famously known as 8 Limbs of Yoga. Eight Limbs of Yoga Chart 8 Limbs of Yoga Explained There are different interpretations of these 8 Limbs of Yoga Patanjali as per different Yoga guides and ancient definitions. However, these interpretations are in accordance with Patanjali Yoga Sutra. 1) Yamas - Ethical and Social Codes Ahimsa (Non-Violence or non-harming), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (Non-Stealing), Brahmacharya (Restraint), Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness). As said, Yamas are at the top of The 8 Limbs of Yoga and are ethical considerations to assist you with social interactions and centre yourself towards your behaviour. Ahimsa translated as, Non-Violence, teaches us work towards practising non-violence in all the forms whether deeds or thoughts and teaches oneself to self-love. Satya, meaning to truthfulness, encourages us to practice remaining truthful no matter what the circumstances are. Asteya, in English, refers to non-stealing, guides us towards non-stealing and in all the ways or forms such as material or immaterial mentioned as Stealing or withholding information. Hiding some information for self-gain is also considered as stealing. Brahmacharya is to restraint our sexual desires and gains self-control over the energy flow wisely that it does not cause any harm to others. In English, Brahmacharya is translated as Celibacy, which correctly defines the purpose of using the energy rightly. Aparigraha is to practice letting go of any greed and possessiveness. In other words, practising Aparigraha brings contentment in you also known associated with Santosha hence, constraining you from greed and lust. Lack of practice of Aaparigraha can give access to Asatya and Himsa to slide in and stake over your minds. 2) Niyamas - Moral and Personal Observance Saucha (Purity and cleanliness) Santosha (Contentment) Tapas (Austerities) Svadhayaya (Self-study and self-assessment) Ishvara Pranidhana (constant devotion to the divine source of life and existence). The Niyamas teach us to practice self-discipline and worldview and are centred inward for internal purity and sanctity whilst observing self in terms of moral and personal aspects. Saucha is to leave the state of self or surroundings pure and clean. One needs to have a pure physical, mental, and Spiritual State in order to banish the negativity as the initial step. Santosha teaches us to practice contentment with whatever we have hence, eliminating the possibilities of using inappropriate methods to seek happiness. Those who practice Santosha are far away from being touched by Greed and Himsa as they have learned about Contentment and have no greed or harsh feelings against anyone for lacking the amenities that others have. Tapas Enables us to work on self-discipline and will power. Whether our mind is ready to accept what our body does and vice-versa. Tapas is not just referred to as strenuous physical exercise, it must be practised with an aim to sustain both mental and physical hardships. Svadhyaya enlightens our path to learn about ourselves, to study ourselves and assess our deeds. A deep study of what you are, what you lack, and what you can be, is observed deeply when we practice Svadhyaya. Ishvara Pranidhana helps us to have humility and devotion to the divine power and the creator of life. Ishara Paridhana is a practice of faith and patience to meet the divine state while one frees himself from ego and merges into the Universal Force. 3) Asana - Physical Exercises Asana word is originated from the Sanskrit which means “Seat” and Physical Postures to practice in Yoga. It aims at preparing the body and mind seated correctly for meditation. Asana is also an ancient tradition to be seated near your Yoga Teacher and is based on the principle that life is filled with opportunities despite numerous hindrances. The reason why Teacher is mentioned in Asana is one needs a Teacher to learn from and bring stability amidst the ups and downs of life. Asana is a physical medium and just not a simple exercise that extends our comfort level. 4) Pranayama - Breathing Techniques Through Pranayama we practice attaining breath control just through breathing and movements of muscles in and out. Pranayama being another Sanskrit term refers to cultivating the use of Universal Life Force Prana. Pranayama is practised to improvise concentration, creativity, and clarity of focus. Different energies are required by different physical layers of our body to survive and sustain external forces. A certain amount and quality of life force need to flow through different energy channels ‘Nadis’ and energy junctions ‘Chakras’ to determine our state of mind. To give our body a smooth and constant flow of energy, pranayama is practised. 5) Pratyahara - withdrawal of the Senses Pratyahara refers to simply getting rid of distractions and attaining the utmost level of internal awareness. One who practices Pratyahara withdraws from external stimuli and elevates his senses. Constant practice of Pratyahara resultantly grows our consciousness and ability to see things as they are disregarding our perspective. It is not to silence out senses, but to quiet them to have a better and far vision. In simpler words, the energy we let go of by touching and sensing outside us gets directed back to us just by withdrawing our outward senses. 6) Dharana - One-pointed Concentration Dharana is concentrating intensely on a particular object, for example, a candle flame, a pointed object, or round small figure/image. Through Dharana you achieve stillness of mind and learn to focus on your surroundings better. Practising Dharana is a better way to realize the things, experience them, and let them go. Those practising Dharana regularly have a tendency to introspect self as well as the surroundings. Moreover, Dharana helps us bring our attention and focus to the present surroundings by allowing us to gaze deeper into thoughtfulness playing a crucial role in the next of the 8 Limbs of Yoga, ‘Meditation’. 7) Dhyana - Meditation It is rarely possible to be untouched by stress in today’s modernized world. Meditation comes in as a remedy for all sorts of stress we meet daily. Dhyana means Meditation and is an easy way to achieve peace of Mind and calm state. There are some moments when we are taken down by daily life stress and worries of the past and the future. Dhyana helps us bring ourselves into the present state and accumulates our focus calmness and clarity. Sitting in stillness, waiting for nothing to happen, and expecting nothing are the states of meditation which grows our consciousness and improvises inner strength with sound and deep sleep. Those who practice Dhyana frequently, are less prone to mental stress and depression since they have attained a level that most required to reach the state of calmness and being still despite the stress. 8) Samadhi - Merging With the Divine Source Samadhi is a state where you connect yourself with divinity going beyond the limits. It is a state where mind and body integrate to conjoin with the Universal oneness. Samadhi is the final state that is attained beyond “Dharana” and “Dhyana”. Samadhi is considered a serene and pious state where one has an absolute absence of ego since the energy of Universal Oneness emerges out of Samadhi. While meditating during Samadhi, the memory is still awake and but free from all the forces and happenings. Samadhi is one the ancient of Yogik practice that Tapasvis had been performing to reach the utmost spiritual state. Through Samadhi, fuses three the thinker, the process of thinking, and the thought into one subject. No doubt there is interlinking between all these Eight Limbs of Yoga, let us not overlook the fact that these are stringent to practice and implicate such rigidity. It is not necessary to have mastered all the Niyamas in order to perform the asana. One can still easily gain growth. The 8 Limbs of Yoga also known as Ashtanga Yoga are the root as well as the tip of the hierarchy of the ultimate Moksha even in this age. Read More...

Yoga Philosophy: Yamas and Niyamas in Yoga

by Rishikesh Yogis 15 Likes

Yoga not only means to encourage limiting oneself to physical involvement. It is rather a path centered at the philosophy of mental and spiritual wellness. The process of Yoga itself moves from a restricted sense to move towards enlightenment. Yoga is about balancing the opposites, making oneself learn to transcend them. Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs in the Ashtanga Yoga Where both the terms are inherited from Sanskrit. Definition of Yamas and Niyamas: Yamas has its roots in Yam- which refers to, ‘to harness’, ‘to hold’, ‘to submit’, or ‘to rule’. Niyamas, on the other hand, refers to the Dos which, one has to practice in order to nurture the good spirit within. Niyamas is translated as “Observances” and both of the Yamas and Niyamas contribute to a better state of Awareness and consciousness in us as humans. Yoga tends not to impose a set of rules instead, it helps us lead an enlightened way to live our lives letting us question ourselves. Origin and Purpose: The question is not whether something is good or bad, it is to avoid us or restrain us from the deeds that put us in the circumstances eventually making us question our own actions. This is where Yamas and Niyamas step in, where we get to decide how to aid the good and positive and how to neglect the bad and negative. Yamas are the guidelines that enable to maintain social balance with people surrounding us and focus on our social life (Social Ethics) whereas Niyamas enable us to focus on our personal practices assisting us to develop our inner selves. The motive is to pull or push ourselves (the inner and outer) to a balanced level to bring ourselves into order and contented state. Consider the example of balancing the growing needs and escalating the level of our working capacity here, what can we do ourselves to improvise the working capacity and reducing the needs. The purpose should be an ideal state since we are emphasizing on both to overcome this state of imbalance. The purpose of Yama-Niyama is to bring ourselves into a state of mental or emotional stability hence retaining the physiological state in the state of equilibrium with the former. The state achieved then, is called Sukha Sthanam. As Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad Gita that the one who has reached the state of equilibrium or outgrown the pairs of opposites, he has overcome the obstacles of the extremes situations he had faced. We do not solve a problem, we outgrow one. As said in The Bhagavad Gita. And the one who has conquered the first and last five jewels of Yamas and Niyamas has truly achieved the state as described in the Bhagavad Gita in verse II : 48 as, “Yogastha Kurukarmani Sangham Tyaktva Dhananjaya, Siddhaya Asiddhayo Samabhutva, Samatvam Yoga Uchyate”, which refers to a balanced approach to any and every situation (whether success or failure) as Samatvam (Equanimity). The Five Yamas of Yoga: The Pancha Yamas or (the five jewels) are: Ahimsa (Non-Violence), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (Non-Stealing), Brahmacharya (Continence/Walking with God), Aparigraha (Non-Possessiveness). Ahimsa: Ahimsa is not harming or injuring any living being which aims at banishing the trait of a beast from our humans which conforms to not hurting any kind of living creature neither no just killing. The latter jewels are all based on the first one Ahimsa. One who practices Ahimsa, must not even possess unkind thoughts towards others. It is contrary to Himsa which can be any form viz. mistreating your inferiors or bad mouthing about others. Satya: The second of the five Yamas is Satya which refers to truthfulness. Thoughts must harmonize with words and words with actions. Suppose you are in a temple or at a funeral and at the same time you think of copulating with someone, and you calm people with condolences at the same time. The self is the truth which can only be achieved by speaking of truth which cannot be achieved by lying as it disturbs your subconscious mind. It is said that if you speak of truth for twelve continuous years, you acquire Vaak Siddhi (Whatever you say comes to pass). Your influence will be over many people as you achieve great power in your speech. Asteya: This is a form of restraint that means to non-stealing. This puts to question ourselves why do we steal? We do so to gain something using illegitimate means since we lack the ability to get it through legit means. The reason could be any of greed, desire, or lust that triggers us to steal. A nibble of bread, or a stack of money, stealing is stealing. Besides, eating more than required, hoarding too much money, or serving to your cravings is also a form of stealing. Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya is practicing continence and when controlled, the part of human energy which is expressed in the sexual union gets channelized into special spiritual energy called ojas shakti and is stored up in the brain. Brahmacharya is a term composed of two different words “Brahma” and “Charya” referring to having a routine as of God. What its literal meaning refers to is to have restrained the sexual desire and not to suppress it. Restraint works towards spiritual consciousness whereas suppressed sexual desire works towards nothing but downfall as sooner or later these desires outgrow your conscience and may harm you or others. Aparigraha: The fifth of Yamas is Aparigraha which, on the contrary means, abstinence of covetousness or greed. This, in other words, refers to kill the craving or the traits that lead you towards anxiety, fear, anger, etc. Aparigraha assists oneself to achieve a contented and enlightened life diminishing the fear, anger, jealousy, and or depression. Aparigraha walks along while practicing Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya. When Craving is uncontrolled, anger takes over and when you are unable to possess something, you try to steal it or grow envious of anyone who has it. Even, you try stealing or lying in order to attain it. Aparigraha banishes all these and is treated as the foundation of all Yogas. The Five Niyamas of Yoga: Niyamas consist of five limbs that are Shaucha (Purity; Internal and External), Santosha (Contentment), Tapas (Austerity/ Asceticism), Swadhyaya (Self-Study), and Ishwara Parnidhana (Surrender to Divinity). Shaucha: Shaucha is attaining a state of purity, both internal and external. External purity generates internal purity and internal purity nurtures the external one, hence, both are correlated. Removing lust, greed, or anger, contributed to internal purification. For instance, a morning bath helps one to adapt to a calm and peaceful mood as compared to not taking bath early in the morning. Our mind becomes unidirectional and cheerful instilled with love and patience. Santosha: Santosha is the key to cut all the craving and desires and to gain satisfaction. The one in practice of Santosha succeeds in all the walks of life as he is untouched by Himsa, Greed, Lust, and jealousy. He remains the same in whatever condition he is put in. Contentment is accepting things as they are and to make the best of whatever comes. Tapas: It is practicing Yoga through dynamic methods. It talks years of practice to turn oneself into a Tapasvi (The one who has mastered his senses through meditation) as this is to do something that your will is against but you have to do it to have a positive effect on your life. When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal “fire” are created which burns up our mental and physical impurities. It results in full control of the mind which also builds endurance and strength (both mental and physical). Mental Tapas are considered more powerful than Physical Tapas. It is obvious from the difference as one who bears physical stress may not seem to bear an insult or argument. Swadhyaya: Swa means self and Adhyaya means study hence completing the meaning of this word to Study of Self in other words, Introspection of self. In practice of Swadhyaya, you inquire yourself about yourself and in your context only. Swadhyaya is an indirect Satsang where only you are in the company of yourself and pose questions to self about yourself only. In this scenario, you are the wise and you are a seeker. Swadhyaya gives a pointed direction and helps us meditate and focus on inner-self including the surroundings. Ishwara Pranidhana: Surrendering all the fruits of efforts to God or the superior power with selflessness and devotion. Through this simple act of dedication we become reminded of our relationship with our higher power, and what we practice becomes sacred and graceful, filled with inner peace, unbound love. While surrendering his will to the Divine power the devotee’s will is in confluence with the lord. The divine influence streams into his existence and transforms it into a fit medium for divine realization and divine instrumentality. Note: We must bear in mind that all five Yamas and Niyamas are not separate but different entities. Indivisible but connected with each other, all the Yamas and Niyamas are inter-linked and codependent on each other. As a practitioner of Yamas and Niyamas, we go along a journey taking one step at a time. Without expecting results, one needs to have patience and be selflessly compassionate of what he practices. Read More...

5 Tips Yoga Teacher Training Certificate in Rishikesh

by Sushant Pandey 1 Likes

Millions of people around the world have shown great inclination towards the Yoga teacher training certificate in Rishikesh. Here are the 5 Tips which can come handy when you go for your Yoga TTC course in India. Yoga TTC in Rishikesh Tip No. 1: Great opportunity to Earn: Globally. Share your knowledge at global scale provides you opportunity to Earn well in the market you operate in. Through a yoga teacher certification, you get the golden ticket to serve millions of distressed lives with the yogic power. In return, along with the inner satisfaction and great contentment, you also earn a great amount of money. There is hardly any career that gives you the opportunity to help others and pay you well for that. Yoga teacher is one such rewarding career. So, earn your yoga teacher certification in the splendid city of Rishikesh and start living a meaningful and purposeful life. Yoga TTC in Rishikesh Tip No. 2: Perspective Change: Completing your training in the spiritual and scenic atmosphere of Rishikesh helps you in understanding the impermanence of everything around you and make you realise the joy and beauty of what you have in your life. You learn to be in the present moment. Yoga teacher training under the supervision of great yoga masters of Rishikesh can change your attitude and teach you to live an optimistic lifestyle. You forget the bad experiences of the past and worries of the future and learn is to live each and every moment of life to its fullest. Yoga TTC in Rishikesh Tip No. 3: Provide you with a whole new outlook on life: Being the hub of yoga learning and yoga teacher training schools, Rishikesh is visited by thousands of yoga enthusiasts from different parts of the world throughout the year. The city is often the first choice of individuals seeking authentic learning of yoga. When you embark on your path of earning your yoga teacher certification in Rishikesh, you meet many different and like-minded individuals from whom you get to learn prominent lessons of life. By the end of the training, you learn to deal well with the ups and downs of life and live a successful, joyous, and peaceful life. Yoga TTC in Rishikesh Tip No. 4: Take your practice to a new level: Taking you yoga teacher training in the pure, sacred, and yogic atmosphere of Rishikesh can improve your asana practice. The guidance of traditional renowned yoga masters helps you in knowing your body in the best way possible. During your yoga teacher training, you get an authentic knowledge and deeper understanding of yogic science, and the correct method of performing asanas by properly adjusting and aligning your body that saves you from getting hurt or injured while performing them. Yoga TTC in Rishikesh Tip No. 5: Make you a better person: Rishikesh is the city of good-natured, kind-hearted and innocent people. The residents of this city are very humble, friendly, and supportive. They are always ready to give loads of help no matter its day or night. During your month-long training, you get the opportunity to be in the company of such people which instills and enhances the feeling of love, and compassion in your personality. Read More...

Concept of Mind Management in Yoga

by Rishikesh Yogis 0 Likes

Goals and Strategies of Psychotherapy Whenever we deal with the term “psychotherapy”, we are dealing with a systematic methodological process based on well defined paradigms of psychology. The most classic definition of psychotherapy is any intentional application of psychological techniques by a clinician to the end of effecting sought after personality or behavioral changes. All systems of psychotherapy start from the fundamental assumption that human behavior can be changed. The goal of therapy has been put in terms of removing symptoms, restoring earlier levels of functioning, freeing the person to be self realizing( in Roger’s term, “a fully functioning person” and according to Gita, becoming a “sthita prajna personality”), helping the person find personal meaning and values or restructuring defenses and character. The behavioral transformation is the main concern of both eastern and western therapists. The dissimilarity we may find in the approach to look at the problems. Mind in western therapy is considered as a clinical entity whereas in yoga it is used as a tool to actualize one’s essential state of being. In both systems of yoga and psychotherapy the following may be instrumental for a change or transformation of personality: Insight: To increase awareness and understanding of how and why we act as we do is fundamental to many therapeutic approaches like Psychoanalysis, Analytical psychology, Gestaltism, Existentialism etc. In yoga therapy different tools are used to expand the range of awareness. Developing self understanding and knowledge is what aspired in yoga. Developing emotional stability: There are different approaches to deal with the emotional experiences of the individual. To relive the traumatic experiences and to give a safe vent to the feelings are important features of the psychotherapeutic process. Reeducation: In both yoga and psychotherapy reeducation is emphasized. It is accomplished by replacing an infantile, pathologic or maladaptive attitude by more mature and healthier ones. Growth: Successful therapy removes the obstacles to growth and permits the process of self actualization to continue. Yoga is surely a system of psychotherapy, for its whole aim and purpose is to lead man from unhappiness and suffering to the state of lasting peace and harmony. In this pursuit, yoga psychology has put forth many of the theories and methods now being rediscovered by modern psychology. All the different branches of yoga aim at establishing harmony at different levels of human functioning. In yoga, the body, energy, emotion, and mind are considered as the different facets/ levels of human functioning and all the different practices/techniques available in different branches of yoga, aim to establish harmony at all these different levels. Psychotherapeutic transformations through yogic techniques: As it has already been mentioned that yoga is a system of psychotherapy. And the various tools which are employed in the yoga therapy are potentially capable to bring about a change in one’s thinking, feeling and behavior. Working with the body is an important aspect of yoga therapy. Through the appropriate postures, breathing techniques, and cleansing practices, the therapist tries to transform the physical, mental, emotional and energetic beings of the individual. Relaxation practices such as Yoga Nidra, Antar Mouna and other meditation practices help to release mental and the emotional tensions. It has been a well-accepted fact nowadays that mind and the body are intimately interrelated. Therefore tension carried in the body is intimately related to emotional and mental tension. When one works on the body through asanas, pranayama or Shatkarma (a group of six bodily cleansing practices), one experiences that the long-held tensions (both muscular and the emotional) are released from the body and the feeling of ease and comfort developing from inside. As one learns to become more aware of the experiences of his body while doing the yogic practices, he becomes increasingly aware or sensitive to the body’s tensions and its ‘dis-ease’. He experiences the states of physical, mental and the emotional well being. Psychotherapeutic significance of asana As we all know that psychotherapy is all about behavioral modification and inner transformation in an individual. The goal of therapy has been put in terms of removing symptoms, restoring earlier levels of functioning, freeing the person to be self-realizing (in Roger’s term, “a fully functioning person” ), helping the person find personal meaning and values or restructuring defenses and character. Earlier in the era of Freudian psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychology used a model of the human personality that is limited to biography and to the individual unconscious as described by Sigmund Freud. But in the modern field of psychotherapy the approach to treat the individual slowly and gradually becoming more holistic. Today’s therapists believe in the eclectic approach of therapy rather than restricting themselves to one system of psychotherapy. The earlier psychotherapeutic technique of self-exploration used to rely heavily on a verbal exchange such as free association or face to face interviews. But now therapists have realized that by solely relying on one such technique will not help them to understand the dynamics of emotional and mental problems and their elimination from the personality. So now we find that there are some therapies available which work on the mind through the body. Therapies such as Bioenergetics, Reichian therapy, Rolfing, Psychedelic therapy, Shiatsu, Yoga etc. has added another dimension to the system of modern psychotherapy. In this article, the main focus will be on the psychotherapeutic values of asana (posture) in the light of some of the body-centered therapies. Asanas along with pranayama is the central technique of hatha yoga; a branch of yoga that aims to change the mental patterns by working through the postures. In yoga mind, body and energy are considered to exist in one continuum. In hatha yoga the individual work on the body through different posture to alter the patterns of energy, and by altering the flow of energy one changes the patterns of awareness. The science of hatha yoga says that the gross physical body has its subtle counterpart in the form of energy and mental bodies and the conditions of energy body determine the state of physical and mental bodies. Like the other schools of psychotherapy the goal of hatha yoga is also to transform the consciousness and personality. Asana aims to expand the feelings and awareness. Through the different postures, an aspirant of yoga brings about a change in his attitudes, feelings, and behavior. Through the technique of asana the practitioner of yoga uses the body as an instrument to transform the mental and the energetic patterns in the body. Sw. Ajay in his book writes; “posture is an expression of a psychological state. Modern psychologists know that a person’s posture can tell a great deal about his inner feelings and his attitudes about himself and others”, he further writes “and this is also true that assuming a specific posture can also bring about a particular mental-emotional state”. We all know on the basis of our own experiences that we do express our attitudes, feelings and emotions through our postures and gestures. A specific posture reflects a particular state of mind and feeling. Therefore if we adopt a posture we not only change the mental and emotional states but we also change the energy dynamics, because specific mental and emotional state corresponds with the specific pattern or state of energy in the body. Today all different available techniques of bodywork use body to bring about a desirable change in personality. Body as a log book Body-centered psychologists who employ body-work techniques, claim that we store lots of information about our past experiences, inner tendencies, attitudes etc. in our body. Alexander Lowen a renowned body-centered therapist who developed the system of bioenergetics says in his book, “A person’s attitude towards life or his personal style is reflected in the way he holds himself, his carriage and in the way he moves”, again he writes, “a person is the sum total of his life experiences, each of which is registered in his personality and structured in his body. Just as a woodsman can read the life history of a tree from a cross section of the trunk showing its annual growth rings, so it is possible for a bioenergetics therapist to read a person’s life history from his body.” Now we reach a point from where we can say that listening to the body means attending to the messages of the mind which are encoded in the language of the body. Because mind expresses itself in the body, through the language of sensations, feelings, breath, gesture, posture and movements. Concept of body armoring It has been the observation of the body-centered therapists that we store emotional tensions in the muscles of the body. And as this tension escalates our natural expression in the form of gestures and movements is disturbed. It makes us off balance and destabilize physically and mentally as well. Wilhelm Reich, who developed Reichian Therapy in the 1940s, which is a deep emotional release therapy, found in his therapeutic sessions a functional identity of a person’s character with his bodily attitude or muscular armor. Armoring refers to the total pattern of chronic muscular tensions in the body. They are defined as armor because they serve to protect an individual against painful and threatening emotional experiences. Reichian therapy and Bioenergetics, a therapy developed by Alexander Lowen, both study the human personality in terms of the energetic processes of the body. Reich believed that neuroses exist only when there is repressed excess energy. The relation of energy to personality is clearly manifested in a depressed person. Alexander Lowen writes in his book Bioenergetics; “although the depressive tendency result from the interplay of complicated psychological and physical factors, one thing is absolutely clear. The depressed individual is energetically depressed.” They (Lowen and Reich) emphasize that the lack of free flowing energy causes many emotional and mental problems. The blocking of this bio-energy is due to the armoring that results from energy being bound in a muscular contractions/tensions and not being allowed to flow through the body. This armoring is the natural pattern of muscular tensions that manifest when we are threatened or feel to be threatened. In response to threatening emotional conditions, our bodies get tensed in preparation for the fight or flight. But it becomes a problem only when it becomes chronic or permanent. In this condition, we suppress our natural feelings and emotional expressions. To further explain this I would use the expression that the suppressed feelings and emotions crystallize in the form of muscular armoring. It has also been seen by these therapists that the neurotic tendencies are anchored in the armor and that as the armor dissolves, the suppressed emotional energy is released and once again the individual starts to feel the flow of energy. Asana and the character armor As per the system of depth psychology we cut off ourselves from the most vulnerable aspect of our mental contents (through suppression or repression), which are the chief source of anxieties, tensions and conflicts in our psycho-physiological system in order to maintain the level of integration or to keep ourselves centered. At the physical level, we do suppress our emotions/feelings in different areas of the body. In day to day life a tensed and stressed person uses characterological body posture, gesture and arrhythmic, labored breathing to remain in the self-created a defensive mode of speech, action, and behavior. In people with neurotic behavioral patterns, it has been seen that at the physical level, using their posture and the breath they cut off themselves from reality and their own feelings. Self expression is the expression of one’s own feelings. Depressives, for example, suppress their expressions excessively, which means they suppress their feelings as well. It is well known that the depressed person is closed off and the closing off is also reflected through his posture. And in this state by constricting the muscles and holding the tension in the body he wards off any feeling or sensations that flow through the body. In this condition, the natural expression of feelings and the flow of energy are blocked. Therefore their immediate requirement is that of movement of the body and its energies. Different postures of yoga evoke specific attitude, mood and feeling in the practitioner. Once a posture is adopted and is sustained immediately the patterns of thought, attitude, feelings, and the breath start to weave around the posture. And there is a distinct shift in the quality of awareness as the energies within start to move. Each posture of yoga work at a specific region of the body and the pattern of breath which is specific to the posture concerned, affect the energy of those concerned parts of the body. As it is known to both body-centered therapists and hatha yoga practitioners, the breath is the main mobilizer of energy in the system. Through asanas we work on the mind, by assuming repetitive gestures, postures, and movements of the body and the breath. Secondarily postures are also used to release the tensions that we store in the muscles. As a result of that sensitivity and awareness expand, and one responds to his life events in a more balanced, and efficient way. Asana as a re-centering tool Like all the other practices of yoga the goal of asana is also to expand the awareness, to deepen the understanding of one’s own self. Through asanas, we work on the muscles, joints, and organs of the body and bring them into the state of health. And in due course we release the tensions stored in the body, bring the breath back to its natural rhythm and harmony and allow the energy to flow freely through the psycho-physical systems. Once a natural and spontaneous free-flowing movement of energy is initiated, there lies a possibility that the individual would enjoy the state of spontaneity, freedom, and harmony that he failed to enjoy before. One of the chief features of asanas is that they enhance the level of flexibility in the body. Asanas are done slowly with awareness and the aspirant tries to hold the final position without creating any discomfort in the body. Therefore they become a handy tool to increase the level of awareness and relaxation, which ensue when the points of tension are diluted or removed from the body. Secondarily, asanas help to ground the awareness of the practitioner in the ‘here and now’ situation, in this way it helps the individual to shift his awareness and energy out of the vicious pattern of obsessive thoughts which revolve around one issue all the time. Sw. Satyananda Saraswati says in his book ‘Asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha’; “in hatha yoga asanas refer to specific body positions which open the energy channels and psychic centers (also known as Chakras or vortices of energy). They are tools to higher awareness and provide the stable foundation for our exploration of the body, breath, and mind and beyond. The Hatha Yogis also found that by developing control of the body through asana, the mind is also controlled.” In yoga psychology an asana represents a state of consciousness and a qualitative state of awareness. In yogic tradition it is said that there were 8,400,000 asanas which represents 8.4 millions incarnations. And if we go for the symbolic meaning of the statement we would find that symbolically they represent the broadband of awareness. The somatic psychology of hatha yoga says that assuming a gesture brings about a specific state of awareness, which is free from the trouble created by the pairs of opposites (dvandvānabhighatāh). The above statement makes it clear that asanas help to overcome the habitual tendencies, by overcoming the effort (pŗayatna śaithalyam) and releasing the tensions and signs of stress points from the body. As mentioned earlier, the body is the instrument through which we act out our desires and exercise our will. The gestures and the postures are the revealed states of feelings and the mind. When we practice asana and get established into it by repeated practice, it helps us to create and fixed a repetitive postures and the gestures which can snap us out of the instinctual habit patterns and establishes a more refined awareness. Therefore it is proven to be a very reliable tool to remold the personality. Awareness as a centering tool. Another therapeutic benefit, as mentioned earlier is its role in enhancing and deepening the sensitivity and awareness of the body. People who are chronically stressed, they lose contact with their body and hence with reality in the condition of a complete breakdown. The heightened tension and stress dramatically reduce the level of sensitivity and physical awareness. Christine Caldwell explains in her book ‘Getting our bodies back’; “…tensing a muscle will, in the short run, increase sensation in that area. The nerves in the muscles get very active… giving the brain sensory feedback about the contraction. However, if the tension continues and become chronic, the nerve will tend to exhaust themselves and will only send sensory messages if there are large changes in the amount of tension. In other words, when tension becomes chronic our nervous system begins to ignore it and pay attention to other things.” Here, in this case, asanas can help to refocus the attention of the practitioner onto the present moment. And enabling him to be one with the body and start to relive the body. Asanas bring the body into the listening mode. Once the movement is initiated and rigid armoring is broken there is free movement of feeing and the breath. And as the two starts to flow together, the entire body becomes alive, the sensations are again triggered. As Caldwell says, “movement, sensation, and breath are the offspring of aliveness/awareness. They can form the basis of curiosity, responsiveness, openness, and participation with life.” Read More...

The Concept of Three Gunas in Yoga – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas

by Rishikesh Yogis 1 Likes

Concept of Guna in Yoga To understand the philosophy of mind management in yoga; it’s highly important to know the dynamics of samkhya; one of the oldest philosophical systems. Meaning and Theory of Guna The core dynamics of samkhya psychology is based on the theory of the gunas. The sanskrit word guna means qualities. There are three gunas each representing the qualities which govern the nature on macro as well as micro dimensions. Three gunas sattva (quality of effulgence, balance), rajas (quality of transformation/movement/dynamism) and tamas (quality of maintaining status quo/staticity/passivity), are the essential principles which are the constituents of nature and are instrumental in differentiation. The entire theory of gunas is very relevant. One can relate it to day to day experiences every moment without failure. On the mental plane these three gunas create various tendencies which can be classified into positive and negative categories. And most importantly the permutations of gunas which constitute nature; can be harmonized; there come yogic practices, tools and principles. The various yogic tools physical and non physical help the individual to harness these subtle essential potencies of nature. All three gunas are contrary and yet complementary to each other. Transient reality as function of Guna The nature known as prakriti refers to the state of absolute potential before any differentiation starts. Gunas are the substance and the forces of nature. When they are in a state of equilibrium there is absoluteness and state of non creation. Equilibrium means sattva transforms into sattva; rajas into rajas and tamas into tamas. Once the equilibrium is broken the process of differentiation is nature (prakriti; the creatrix) starts. Then the mutual permutations of the gunas start which starts evolution and differentiation in nature. These three principles of nature keep nature or manifest phenomenal reality always in flux. But despite these changes and transmutations and permutations the consciousness principle remains unchanged and immutable. Influence of Guna on Human Behaviour According to Samkhya, human psyche is immensely affected and influenced by interplay of gunas. As one guna becomes predominant we observe corresponding qualities of that specific guna in the personality of the individual. The human being and its nature, relies heavily on the combination and inter-permutation of three gunas. These gunas are the basic essences of one’s personality and because of the different combinations of these gunas, we are shaped into a specific personality type. The three gunas are the causal sources of the various tendencies, qualities or psychological temperaments in human personality. A specific combination of gunas can give rise to a particular personality type. In Samkhya Yoga and Gita as mentioned repeatedly that gunas influence the human behaviour and personality; and with the transformation of gunas, transformation of personality is possible. The study of the gunas is of immense importance from the view point of understanding the dynamics of human behaviour. If we see through Samkhya perspective we find that the different typologies of personality found in any part of the world could easily be reduced to the presence of a definite combination of gunas. We have seen that there are basically three types of personality found in the world according to Gita and Samkhya. These personality types are determined because of the presence of one predominant guna. Here predominance of one guna does not indicate that the other two gunas are eliminated from the personality rather it indicates that the two other gunas are present in subdued state, but in that state also they may be available in different proportions in personality which ultimately can result in shaping the individual into a specific personality type. Each personality type shows a range of personality traits, the clustering of these traits together mould the personality in a particular type. Gunas in Indian Psychology are the basic sources of all the traits known to psychology. Hence these three are considered the forces determine the personality types. In one personality type the traits of sattva, Rajas and Tamas might be found in varying proportion, depending on the nature of their combinations. Types of Personality based on Guna Sattva predominant personality Sattva guna is the quality of effulgence, knowledge and wisdom. A person with Sattva predominant has mental clarity, mind is not deluded by any confusions, has clear intention and focused attention all the time. Such a person performs every action diligently, steadily and with relaxed alertness. In behaviour of such a person one may see lots of patience and moderation. Samyam (inner restraint) and Viveka (ability of discrimination) are the predominant qualities in such a person. According to Yoga Psychology, a Sattva dominant person has Ekagrata mind (one-pointed). This indicates that a Sattvik person has lots of control over one’s lower mental tendencies and desires which are required in spiritual sadhana. Rajas predominant personality Chief characteristic of Rajas guna is dynamism and potential to transform/change. One who has rajas guna predominantly active in their nature are very dynamic, passionate and energetic on the positive side. But predominance of rajas often leads one into spirals of varied emotional upheavals. Due to the quality of Rajas guna one becomes highly competitive, ambitious and at time stubborn and authoritative as well. Guided by intense desires to achieve something in life also at times becomes cause of frustration, disappointments, jealousy and anger once one fails to achieve. Person with Rajas predominance always in alert mode and often they find it very difficult to relax. They are very susceptible to heart conditions, hypertension and digestion related issues in life. In Yogic term mental state of a typical Rajas predominant person is of vikshipta (oscillating) mind. These people enjoy physical activities but find sitting still and meditating very challenging. Tamas predominant personality Tamas is the quality of ignorance, inertia, status quo or staticity. This is one quality which holds one down from taking any initiative in life. Tamas is predominantly coloured by the characteristics of lethargy and languor. Mind is always clouded by confusion and indecisiveness. There is complete lack of control over one’s speech, thought and actions. There is absence of Viveka as a result such a person is mostly guided by impulsive and instinctive tendencies. In Yoga, such a state of mind is defined as Mudha avastha (indolent state). While studying the characteristics of personalities we should always understand that we all have these gunas in us. It is predominance of a particular guna defines a specific set of personality traits. Read More...

5 things that you need to know before you enroll for a Yoga Teacher Training

by Sushant Pandey 0 Likes

Yoga nowadays has become a fad. Being a resident of Rishikesh and yoga teacher for 18 years, I know that a lot of aspirants visit this city to enroll in Yoga Teacher Training courses. Often I get a very valid and basic question from aspirants; “which one is the right yoga teacher training course to attend?” For someone who has started learning yoga recently, this is a very valid and important query. Because teaching during an initial period of learning leaves a very strong and deep impression in practitioners’ psyche. So here I will shed light on some of those ingredients which make a yoga teacher’s training course very fulfilling, stimulating and exploring. Yoga Teacher Training rooted in Tradition One should look for a center which offers yoga teachings based on traditional wisdom and philosophies. As a teacher as well as a practitioner of yoga I believe that initial driving force in the practitioner helps a lot in shaping his/her quest for yoga. I have been trained throughout my professional career in a very traditional teaching environment of yoga. The approach of teaching was very integrative and holistic with a lot of focus on mindful practices and their effects on mind-body complex. Traditional and holistic approaches in teaching help one not only to learn but explore deep inside as well. Mindfulness or awareness in practice is one of the underlying currents on traditional and traditional yoga teachings. Always remember yoga teaching is not just about learning a set of techniques; it’s also about self-exploration as a practitioner and student of yoga. Get the concept of ‘Yoga’ right Exploring the course contents of yoga teacher’s training program, one should see whether the school is presenting the holistic understanding of yogic philosophies or not. Currently practicing yoga is reduced to merely performing postures and stretches in class. In fact, yoga is a generic term which stands for Union, Connection or harmony. Literally, it means ‘Union’. In traditional sense Yoga also stands for a path, a methodology or a system to actualize one’s spiritual self. To have a broad and deeper understanding it is important to understand the major branches of yoga in the light of their philosophical roots. For example, techniques of meditation emphasizing on developing meditative awareness in one’s day-to-day life have roots in Raja Yoga. The metaphysical background of Raja Yoga is Samkhya Philosophy which is one of the oldest existing philosophies in India. One can never fully understand the concepts of Raja Yoga until Samkhya metaphysics is understood or taught well in the class. Similarly, Hatha yoga loosely termed as physical yoga, on the other hand uses the body as an instrument to expand and liberate the mind. Philosophy of Tantras is the metaphysical background of Hatha Yoga. People, who see Hatha yoga merely as a system of physical discipline, should know this is one of those philosophies in India which established a direct link between Body, Mind, and Energies. And secondly, the founding principles of Tantras upon which Hatha Yoga tradition is based, is purely monistic, which sees a direct relationship and interconnectedness in all the different fabrics of creation. Classes igniting Self reflecting analysis or Swadhyaya Teaching in an ideal yoga class is incisive, stimulating and self-transforming. Any contents taught in the class can enhance or deepen self-awareness or self-reflection only when it is relevant. If teaching cannot help one to relate with one’s own life experiences and circumstances then it loses its purpose and relevance. An ideal class creates an environment which helps aspirants to connect with one’s experiences through insightful teachings and philosophy. A good yoga teacher will always motivate and guide you to develop self-reflecting awareness not just inside the class but also in the day to day life situations. A detached self-reflecting awareness brings poise, balance, and clarity in adverse situations in life. Through the yogic practices whether it is a technique or philosophical discussion, a yoga class should create a facilitating environment to develop an ability of immersive and mindful self-analysis in students. The entire purpose of yogic teaching is to help an individual to evolve at physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Teaching correct methodology A lot of practitioners get attracted to nice advanced and ego boosting posters of yoga poses of teachers and yoga teacher’s training centers. Sometimes these can be deceptive. What an aspirant should check if yoga teacher training center dedicates a fair amount of time in teaching the correct methodology of class teaching. This includes – In-depth understanding of body anatomy and physiology in light of yoga practices Ideal class presentation Deepening understanding to respect the body Helping to understand the vulnerability of an individual or a specific group How to use the words, expressions, voice modulations, demonstrations, various props, visual or audio aides Teaching ethics, use of hands of body adjustments, respecting personal space of practitioners Teaching adjustments (not necessarily physical) for specific individuals and groups Ways to teach meditations and philosophical principles in most relevant ways Paying individual attention to aspirants/students to nurture or groom them to become a complete teacher and many more… In-House experienced team of teachers Last and not least, to accomplish all the above areas of teaching a center needs a team of highly experienced and dedicated teachers. Teachers having experience of working with diverse groups or organizations can give you teachings based on their own personal experiences. A lot of schools in Rishikesh hire rookie teachers, who have secured their certification of 200 hours yoga teacher training program. As result teachings in these centers are very superficial and bookish. So next time when you look for a yoga teacher training course make sure to do a proper investigation and then chose a center to avoid any disappointments. Author : Yogi Sushant, Yoga Philosophy, Meditation Yoga has always been a part of Sushant’s family. He has a profound understanding of both practical and theoretical aspects of the yogic traditions and is a very spontaneous and skillful teacher of Hatha yoga, meditation, and relaxation. Know More about Yogi Sushant Read More...

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