hints and cautions
1. Without firm foundations a house cannot stand. Without the practice of the principles of yama and niyama, which lay down firm foundations for building character, there cannot be an integrated personality. Practice of asanas without the backing of yama and niyama is mere acrobatics. 2. The qualities demanded from an aspirant are discipline, faith, tenacity, and perseverance to practice regularly without interruptions. 3. Before starting to practise asanas, the bladder should be emptied and...
Glossary
Negative particle meaning 'non', as in non-violence. Freedom from fear. Instinctive clinging to life and the fear that one may Constant and determined study or practice. Beyond measure, superior. The supreme one, the highest. Face downwards. The primeval Lord an epithet of Siva. Non-duality of the Universal Spirit with the individual soul. Testimony or proof of an acceptable authority when the source of knowledge has been checked and found trustworthy. Ego or egotism literally 'the I-Maker',...
Nadt Sodhana Pranayama
Nadt is a tubular organ of the body like an artery or a vein for the passage of prana or energy. A nadt has three layers like an insulated electric wire. The innermost layer is called sird, the middle layer damant and the entire organ as well as the outer layer is called nadi. Sodhana meaning purifying or cleansing, so the object of Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is the purification of the nerves. A little obstruction in a water pipe can cut off the supply completely. A little obstruction in the nerves...
Salabhasana
Salabha means a locust. The pose resembles that of a locust resting on the ground, hence the name. 1. Lie full length on the floor on the stomach, face downwards. Stretch the arms back. 2. Exhale, lift the head, chest and legs off the floor simultaneously as high as possible. The hands should not be placed and the ribs should not rest on the floor. Only the abdominal front portion of the body rests on the floor and bears the weight of the body. Plate 26 3. Contract the buttocks and stretch the...
Parivartanasana
Jatara means the stomach, the belly. Parivartana means turning or rolling about, turning round. 1. Lie flat on the back on the floor. Plate 98 3. Stretch out both arms sideways in line with the shoulders, so that the body resembles a cross. 2. Exhale, raise both legs together until they are perpendicular to the floor. They should remain poker stiff, so do not bend them at the knees. Plate 105 4. Remain in this position for a few breaths. Then exhale, and move both the legs sideways Plate 126...
Salamba Strssana I
S lamba means with support. Sirsa means the head. This is the head stand pose, one of the most important Yogi asanas. It is the basic posture. It has several variations, which are described later as the Strs sana cycle. Its mastery gives one balance and poise, both physically and mentally. The technique of doing it is given' at length in two parts the first is for beginners, the second for those who can remain balanced in the pose. Attention is specially directed to the hints on Sirs sana given...
Pranayama
Just as the word yoga is one of wide import, so also is prana. Prana means breath, respiration, life, vitality, wind, energy or strength. It also connotes the soul as opposed to the body. The word is generally used in the plural to indicate vital breaths. Ayama means length, expansion,, stretching or restraint. Pranayama thus connotes extension of breath and its control. This control is over all the functions of breathing, namely, 1 inhalation or inspiration, which is termed puraka filling up 2...
Padangusthasana
Pada means the foot. Angustha is the big toe. This posture is done by standing and catching the big toes. 1. Stand in Tadasana. Plate 1 Spread the legs a foot apart. 2. Exhale, bend forward and hold the big toes between the thumbs and the first two fingers, so that the palms face each other. Hold them tight. Plate 21 3. Keep the head up, stretch the diaphragm towards the chest and make the back as concave as possible. Instead of stretching down from the shoulders, bend forward from the pelvic...
What is Yoga
The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one's attention on, to use and apply. It also means union or communion. It is the true union of our will with the will of God. 'It thus means, says Mahadev Desai in his introduction to the Gita according to Gandhi, 'the yoking of all the powers of body, mind and soul to God it means the disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will, which that Yoga presupposes...
Marichyasana II
This is one of the sitting lateral twisting postures. 1. Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front. Plate 35 2. Bend the left knee, place the sole and heel of the left foot flat on the floor. The shin of the left leg should be perpendicular to the floor and the calf should touch the thigh. Place the left heel near the perineum. The inner side of the left foot should touch the inner side of the outstretched right thigh. 3. With an exhalation, turn the spine about 90 degrees to...
Sarvangasana I
Alamba means a prop, a support and sa together with or accompanied by. Salamba, therefore means supported or propped up. Sarvanga Sarva all, whole, entire, complete anga limb or body means the entire body or all the limbs. In this pose the whole body benefits from the exercise, hence the name. 3. Raise the hips from the floor with an exhalation and rest the hands on them by bending the arms at the elbows. Plate 100 Take two breaths. 4. Exhale, raise the trunk up perpendicularly supported by the...
Hints And Cautions 1
Read and digest thoroughly the following hints and cautions before attempting the pranayama techniques mentioned later. 1. Just as post-graduate training depends upon the ability and discipline acquired in mastering the subject in which one graduated, so pranayama training demands mastery of asanas and the strength and discipline arising therefrom. 2. The fitness of the aspirant for training and advancement in pranayama is to be gauged by an experienced Guru or teacher and his personal...
Baddha Padmasana
Baddha means caught, restrained. In this position the hands are crossed at the back and the big toes are caught from behind. The body is caught between the crossed legs in front and the crossed hands behind, hence the name. 1. Sit in Padmasana. Plate 53 2. Exhale, swing the left arm back from the shoulders and bring the hand near the right hip. Catch the left big toe, hold the position and inhale. 3. Similarly, with an exhalation, swing the right arm back from the shoulder, bring it near the...
Yama
The eight limbs of Yoga are described in the second chapter. The first of these is yama ethical disciplines - the great commandments transcending creed, country, age and time. They are ahimsa non-violence , satya truth , asteya non-stealing , brahmacharya continence and apa-rigraha non-coveting . These commandments are the rules of morality for society and the individual, which if not obeyed bring chaos, violence, untruth, stealing, dissipation and covetousness. The roots of these evils are the...
Matsyasana
Matsya means a fish. This posture is dedicated to Matsya the Fish Incarnation of Visnu, the source and maintainer of the universe and of all things. It is related that once upon a time the whole earth had become corrupt and was about to be overwhelmed by a universal flood. Visnu took the form of a fish and warned Manu the Hindu Adam of the impending disaster. The fish then carried Manu, his family and the seven great sages in a ship, fastened to a horn on his head. It also saved the Vedas from...
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Urdhva means upwards. Dhanu means a bow. In this posture the body is arched back and supported on the palms and soles. 1. Lie flat on the back on the floor. Plate 48 2. Bend and raise the elbows over the head, and place the palms under the shoulders. The distance between the palms should not be wider than the shoulders and the fingers should point towards the feet. 3. Bend and raise the knees, then bring the feet nearer until they touch the hips. Plate 141 4. Exhale, raise the trunk and rest...
Bhujahgasana I
Bhujanga means a serpent. In this posture, lie flat on the floor, face downwards, lift the body up from the trunk and throw the head back like a serpent about to strike. 1. Lie on the floor face downwards. Extend the legs, keeping the feet together. Keep the knees tight and the toes pointing. 2. Rest the palms by the side of the pelvic region. 3. Inhale, press the palms firmly on the floor and lift the body up from the trunk until the pubis is in contact with the floor and stay in this position...
Eka Pada Sarvangasana
Eka means one, single. Pada means the foot. In this variation of Sarvangasana, one leg is on the floor in Halasana, while the other is in a vertical position along with the trunk. 1. Do Salamba Sarvangasana I. Plate 102 2. Keep the left leg up in Sarvangasana. Exhale and move the right leg down to the floor to Halasana. Plate 117 It should remain stiff and straight and not bend at the knee. If it is not possible to touch the floor, lower the leg as far as possible. 3. While resting the right...
Parsvottanasana
Parsva means side or flank. Uttana ut intense, and tan to extend, stretch, lengthen means an intense stretch. The name implies a pose in which the side of the chest is stretched intensely. 1. Stand in Tadasana. Plate 1 Inhale deeply and stretch the body forward. 2. Join the palms behind the back and draw the shoulders and elbows back. 3. Exhale, turn the wrists and bring both palms up above the middle of the back of the chest, the fingers at the level of the shoulder-blades. You are doing...
Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Surya is the sun. Bhedana is derived from the root bhid meaning to pierce, to break or pass through. In Surya Bhedana Pranayama, the breath is inhaled through the right nostril. In other words the prana passes through the Pihgala or Surya nadi. A kumbhaka is then performed and the breath is their exhaled through the left nostril which is the path of the Ida nadi. 1. Sit in any comfortable position like Padmasana Plate 53 , Siddhasana Plate 38 or Virasana Plate 43 . 2. Keep the back erect and...
Purvottanasana
Purva literally means the East. It means the front of the whole body from the forehead to the toes. Uttdna means an intense stretch. In this posture, the whole front of the body is stretched intensely. 1. Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front. Place the palms on the floor by the hips, with the fingers pointing in the direction of the feet. Plate 35 2. Bend the knees and place the soles and heels on the floor. 3. Take the pressure of the body on the hands and feet, exhale...
Ustrasana
1. Kneel on the floor, keeping the thighs and feet together, toes pointing back and resting on the floor. 2. Rest the palms on the hips. Stretch the thighs, curve the spine back and extend the ribs. 3. Exhale, place the right palm over the right heel and the left palm over the left heel. If possible, place the palms on the soles of the feet. 4. Press the feet with the palms, throw the head back and push the spine towards the thighs, which should be kept perpendicular to the floor. 5. Contract...
Savasana also called Mrtasana
Sava or Mrta means a corpse. In this asana the object is to imitate a corpse. Once life has departed, the body remains still and no movements are possible. By remaining motionless for some time and keeping the mind still while you are fully conscious, you learn to relax. This conscious relaxation invigorates and refreshes both body and mind. But-it is much harder to keep the mind than the body still. Therefore, this apparently easy posture is one of the most difficult to master. 1. Lie flat on...
Dhanurasana
Dhanu means a bow. The hands here are used like a bowstring to pull the head, trunk and legs up and the posture resembles a bent bow. 1. Lie full length on the floor on the stomach, face downwards. 2. Exhale and bend the knees. Stretch the arms back and hold the left ankle with the left hand and the right ankle with the right hand. Take two breaths. 3. Now exhale completely and pull the legs up by raising the knees above the floor, and simultaneously lift the chest off the floor. The arms and...
Padmasana
Padma means a lotus. This is the lotus posture, one of the most important and useful asanas. It is the posture for meditation and the Buddha is often depicted in it. Verse 48 of the first chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes the posture and the practice of breath control while seated in it thus 'Assuming Padmasana and having placed the palms one upon another, fix the chin firmly upon the breast and contemplating upon Brahman, frequently contract the anus and raise the apana up by...
Ardha Navasana
Ardha means half. Nava is a ship, boat or vessel. This posture resembles the shape of a boat, hence the name. 1. Sit on the floor. Stretch the legs out in front and keep them straight. Plate 35 2. Interlock the fingers and place them on the back of the head just above the neck. 3. Exhale, recline the trunk back and simultaneously raise the legs from the floor, keeping the thighs and knees tight and the toes pointed . The balance of the body rests on the buttocks and no part of the spine should...
by Yehudi Menuhin
The practice of Yoga induces a primary sense of measure and proportion. Reduced to our own body, our first instrument, we learn to play it, drawing from it maximum resonance and harmony. With unflagging patience we refine and animate every cell as we return daily to the attack, unlocking and liberating capacities otherwise condemned to frustration and death. Each unfulfilled area of tissue and nerve, of brain or lung, is a challenge to our will and integrity, or otherwise a source of...
Urdhva Padmasana in Sarvangasana
Urdhva means above, high. Padma means a lotus. In this Sarvangasana variation, the legs, instead of being kept straight up, are bent at the knees and crossed so that the right foot rests on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh as in the lotus pose. Plate 53 1. From Salamba Sarvangasana, bend the legs at the knees and cross them. First place the right foot over the left thigh, and then the left foot over the right thigh. 4. Uncross the legs, return to Salamba Sarvangasana and...
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Australasia 1 Rickman Avenue Mosman 2088 NSW Montreal 919 Mont-Royal Oest Montreal PQ H2J 1X3 BKS Iyengar Yoga Association PO 65694, Station F Vancouver, BC V5N 5K7 Victoria Yoga Centre 3918 Olympic View Drive RR4, Victoria, BC V9B 5T8 Ontario c o 85 Glenforest Road Toronto, Ontario M4N 2A1 Centre de Yoga Iyengar de Paris also Association Fran aise de Yoga Iyengar 35 ave Victor Hugo 75116 Paris Centre de Yoga Iyengar de Lyon Clos de Fourviere 40 Rue Roger Rodisson 69005 Lyon Montpellier 5 bis...
Brahmacharyasana
Paschima literally means the west. It implies the back of the whole body from the head to the heels. The anterior or eastern aspect is the front of the body from the face down to the toes. The crown of the head is the upper or northern aspect while the soles and heels of the feet form the lower or southern aspect of the body. In this asana the back of the whole body is intensely stretched, hence the name. Ugra means formidable, powerful and noble. Brahmacharya means religious study,...
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana
Parsva means the side. In Eka Pada Sarvangasana Plate 117 the lower leg rests behind the head, whereas here it rests sideways in line with the trunk. 1. Perform Eka Pada Sarvangasana on both sides as described above and come back to Sarvangasana. 2. Exhale, move the right leg down sideways to the floor until it is in line with the trunk. Plate 118 Keep the right leg straight and stiff and do not bend it at the knee. If it is not possible to touch the floor, lower the leg as far as possible. 3....
Mukhaikapda Paschimottanasana
Trianga means three limbs or parts thereof. In this posture the three parts are the feet, knees and buttocks. Mukhaikapada a compound of three words, mukha face, eka one, and pada leg or foot corresponds to the face or mouth touching one extended leg. In Paschimottanasana Plate 81 the back of the whole body is intensely stretched. 1. Sit on the floor, with the legs stretched straight in front. Plate 35 2. Bend the right leg at the knee and move the right foot back. Place the right foot by the...
l Tadasana
Tada means a mountain. Sama means upright, straight, unmoved. Sthiti is standing still, steadiness. Tadasana therefore implies a pose where one stands firm and erect as a mountain. This is the basic standing pose. 1. Stand erect with the feet together, the heels and big toes touching each other. Rest the heads of metatarsals on the floor and stretch all the toes flat on the floor. 2. Tighten the knees and pull the knee-caps up, contract the hips and pull up the muscles at the back of the...
Appendix
I am giving the asanas in a serial order for practice and the possible time it may take to gain control of them. The figures within the brackets after the asanas denote the number. Tadasana 1 Utthita Trikonasana 3 and 4 Utthita Parsvakonasana 5 and 6 Salamba Sarvangasana 102 Halasana 113 Savasana 146 . Utthita Trikonasana 3 and 4 Utthita Parsvakonasana 5 and 6 Vlrabhadra-sana I and II 9 and 10 Parsvottanasana 13 Salamba Sarvangasana 102 Halasana 115 Savasana 146 . Utthita Trikonasana 3 and 4...
j Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
Ardha means half, baddha means caught, restrained and padma a lotus. Paschimottanasana Plate 81 is the posture where the back of the whole body is intensely stretched. 1. Sit on the floor, with the legs stretched straight in front. Plate 35 2. Bend the left leg at the knee, and place the left foot over the right thigh. The left heel should press the navel and the toes should be stretched and pointing. This is the half lotus posture. 3. Bring the left arm round the back from behind and with an...
Parsva Pindasana in Sarvangasana
Parsva means the side or flank. In this Pindasana variation of the earlier pose, both the bent knees are moved sideways and placed on the floor on the same side of the trunk. This is the lateral embryo pose in Sarvangasana. 1. After staying in Pindasana Plate 123 turn the hips sideways to the right, exhale and lower both knees to the floor. The left knee should be by the side of the right ear. Plate 124 2. The left shoulder will be raised off the floor in the beginning. Push the shoulder...