Intro to Yoga

Jennifer Carmichael

The Beginning

• Definition: YOGA is a sanskrit word derived from the root yuj or “union”

• The union is understood to be between the mind-body-spirit, popularly

• They are joined harmoniously, more closely in perfect balance

• True meaning of YOGA is Jivatma or the joining of the human consciousness to the Divine Consciuosness

Religious Experience

• Out of respect for each other we will not be discussing the religious aspects of yoga, unless it is to better understand a point

• Everyone has different beliefs and part of the prejudice against yoga is that it is a religious class, instead of a fitness class

• I, personally am a Christian but believe in all aspects of yoga. While I do not chant, I do meditate in prayer.

• Religion is a personal experience for each individual and it will be respected in this class

Philosphy

• Who am I?• Why am I here?• What is the nature of suffering?• What is the method of escape during

suffering?• These are basic questions in regards to human

life

Union?

• Some believe that we have an impact on the universe and the universe has an impact on us.

• A perfect harmonious balance, yin and yang, black and white, for every action there is a reaction, positive and negative

• Some believe that whatever we do in this life is greatly impacted by how the universe responds

• Karma? God? Your understanding is accepted in this class for all intents and purposes

Types of Yoga

• Jnana: union by knowledge• Bhakti: union by love & devotion• Karma: union by action & service• Mantra: union by voice & sound• Yantra: union by vision & form• Laya & Kundalini: union by arousal of latent psychic

nerve-force• Tantric: union by harnessing sexual energy• Hatha: union by bodily mastery (mostly by breath)• Raja: union by mental mastery

Hatha Yoga

• Ha is sun & tha is moon• Most widely practised form of yoga in the

west• Benefits include nervous system, glands, and

vital organs health• The mind can become still and clear with this

form of yoga• Pathway to Raja yoga

Asanas

• Asana or posture are the way yogis purify the body of toxins, physical and mental

• Yogic breathing can relieve headaches and anxiety

• Proper breathing also assists practitioners of yoga in asanas

• The deeper the asana the more benefit one achieves

Savasana

• AKA corpse posture• Simply lying down, all limbs relaxed, neck open,

slowly breathing in and out through the nostrils, eyes closed

• All practices should end with this asana, find some benefit arriving early to class to lie in savasana to gain focus and clear my head of the days clutter; everything should be left at the door before class, do not bring it with you, most benefit when head is clear

Popular AsanasDemonstration

• Easy (Sukhasana): Sitting cross-legged, knees pulled towards the floor, neck & spine straight, hands on the knees palm up; eventually the knees touch the floor effortlessly

• Chair (Siddhasana): knees ankle width apart, arms extended parallel to the floor; squat; knees should not extend over the toes, butt pushed out, arms reaching to the front

Program planningDemonstration

• Corpse (Savanasa), realxation• Spinal rock, warm up• Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)• Incline-board or tilt chair• Plough Posture (Halasana)• Fish Posture (Matsyasana)• Back-stretch (Paschimottanasana)• Cobra Posture (Bhujangasana)• Bow Posture (Dhanurasana)• Corpse Posture (Savasana)

Meditation

• Uniting the spiritual self with the true self; free of ego

• Allows for the experience of the one true self with the religious entity of belief

• Untethering feeling• Absolute, Brahman, God, Reality, Ultimate reality,

Cosmic Mind, Universal Spirit, Buddha, Nature: all are acceptable forms of consciousness beyond the physical form and can be achieved through meditation

Demonstration with class participation

• Corpse• Tree• Fish• Pigeon• Warrior I• Warrior II• Warrior III• Downward dog• Upward dog• Chair• Triangle• BreathingEnsure all participants are in correct form

Questions

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End of Class

Resources

Hewitt, James (1977). The complete yoga book. New York, NY: Schocken Books.

Micozzi, Marc (2011). Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier