Principles of Yoga

Patanjali's Eight Principles of Yoga

Abstinence (yama)

Observance (niyama)

Posture (asana)

Regulation of breath (pranayama)

Withdrawal of Senses (pratyahara)

Concentration (dharana)

Meditation (dhyana)

Super Consciousness (samadhi)

Swami Sivananda's Modified Five Principles of Yoga

1. Proper relaxation

Releases tension in the muscles

Helps letting go of all worries

Ensures conservation of energy

2. Proper exercise

Yoga postures - to be performed as per body constitution.

Yogic consultation is a must.

Correct postures work systematically on all parts of the body. Stretching and toning the muscles & ligaments. Keeping the spine and joints flexible. Improving the blood circulation.

3. Proper breathing (pranayama)

Brings an extraordinary balance in the consciousness

Teaches you to control your mental state by regulating the flow of the life force.

4. Proper diet

Chart out a well-nourished balanced diet.

Keeps the body light and supple and the mind calm.

Resists ailments.

5. Positive Thinking & Meditation

Removes negative thoughts. Stills the mind.

You attain super-consciousness . A state beyond time, space and causation.

Curative YogaIntroductionMost people, specially from western worlds, think of yoga as merely an eastern exercise program. Nothing could be further from the truth. The underlying purpose behind the practice of yoga - the literal meaning of yoga is `joining' - is to reunite the individual self (Jiva) with the absolute or pure consciousness (Brahma).

Union with this unchanging reality liberates the spirit from all sense of separation, freeing it from the illusions of time, space and causation. Since according to yogic philosophy the human body and mind are part of the illusory world of matter, with a limited time span, while the soul /spirit is eternal and passes onto another world when this body wears out. Thus, central to yogic philosophy are the concepts of Karma (cause- effect relationships) and Reincarnation. Yoga is therefore regarded as a divine science of life, revealed to enlightened sages in meditation. First textual mention in the Vedas was corroborated by oldest archeological evidence of seals from the Indus Valley dating back to around 3000 B.C. The Upanishads that followed the Vedas provide the main foundation of Vedanta philosophy (that espouses the idea of an absolute consciousness called Brahma) and yoga teachings.Around the sixth century B.C. appeared the massive epic The Mahabharata written by sage Vyasa and containing The Bhagavad Gita. Apparently a set of battlefield instructions on one's duties in life, they are very allegorical in showing how the challenges of life have to be faced - so much so that it is often considered the best book on management ever written. The Gita contains yoga terms and concepts to enable the reader face life similarly.The backbone of Raja Yoga is furnished by Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, thought to have been written in the third century B.C. The classical text on Hatha Yoga, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika which describes the various asanas and breathing exercises which form the basis of the practice of modern yoga, was compiled much later by a yogi named Svatmarama.In the modern perspective, Yoga is one of the most effective and wholesome forms of experience to control the waves of thought by converting mental & physical energy into spiritual energy. Yoga eases away pent-up tension, rejuvenates the body & soul, enhances concentration, cures diseases and keeps a hold on the aging process.

Benefits of YogaPreventive Value

Yoga helps to bring natural order and balance to the neuro-hormones and metabolism in the body.

At the same time, these exercises improve endocrine metabolism, thus providing you with a preventive shield.

Curative Value Yogic postures activate the energies that have accumulated and stagnated in

the energy pockets of the body - since left inert, these energies create various ailments.

Yogic exercises cleanse your body, mind and consciousness by venting toxins from the body.

Yoga for Vata, Pitta and Kapha

There are different Yogic Postures for different body types. If you have not found your body type as yet then find your Body Type. (All postures should be performed while inhaling deeply)Yoga Asanas for VataAll postures should be performed while doing deep, quiet breathing.

AsthmaBackward Bend, Plough, Knee to Chest, Corpse

Backache Knee to Chest, Plough, Half Wheel, Backward Bend

ConstipationBackward Bend, Yoga Mudra, Knee to Chest, Shoulder Stand, Corpse. Belly should be drawn in while doing these postures.

DepressionYoga Mudra, Plough, Corpse, Palm Tree, Lotus

SciaticaKnee to Chest, Backward Bend, Plough, Yoga Mudra, Half Wheel

Sexual DebilityBackward Bend, Plough, Shoulder Stand, Elevated Lotus

Varicose VeinsHead Stand, Backward Bend, Corpse

Wrinkles Yoga Mudra, Backward, Bend, Head Stand, Plough

Rheumatoid ArthritisHalf Wheel, Bow, Plough, Head Stand, Backward Bend

Headache Plough, Yoga Mudra, Head Stand

InsomniaCorpse, Cobra, Backward Bend

Menstrual DisordersPlough, Cobra, Half Wheel, Yoga Mudra

Yoga Asanas for PittaAll postures should be performed while doing deep, quiet breathing

Peptic UlcerHidden Lotus,Sheetali (inhale through coiled tongue through mouth)

HyperthyroidismShoulder Stand, Ear Knee

MalabsorptionKnee to Chest, Fish, Locust

HypertensionShoulder Stand, Cobra, Half Bow, Quiet breathing

Anger or HateHalf Bow, Shoulder Stand, Hidden Lotus, Corpse

Migraine HeadacheSheetali, Shoulder Stand, Fish

ColitisFish, Ear Knee, Boat, Bow

Liver DisorderFish, Shoulder Stand, Ear Knee, Hidden Lotus

HemorrhoidsFish, Shoulder Stand, Bow

Stomatitis (Inflammation of the Tongue) - Sheetali

Yoga Asanas for KaphaAll postures should be performed while doing, deep, quiet breathing.

BronchitisHead Stand, Plough, Forward Bend, Backward Bend, Half Wheel, Fish

EmphysemaHalf Wheel, Shoulder Stand

Sinus CongestionFish, Boat, Plough, Bow, Breath of Fire (Bhasrika)

Sinus HeadacheLion, Head Knee, Fish

DiabetesBoat, Fish, Half Wheel, Backward Bend, Forward Bend

Chronic GastroIntestinal Disorders - Fish, Locust, Cobra

Sore ThroatLion, Shoulder Stand, Locust, Fish

AsthmaHalf Wheel, Bow, Boat, Shoulder Stand, Palm Tree, Fish, Cobra

So just steal away 15 minutes from your hectic schedule and devote those precious moments to Yoga!

The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)

The Sun Salutation or the Surya Namaskaar limbers up the whole body in preparation of the Asanas. Each position stretchs the body in a different way alternately expanding and contracting the chest to regulate the breathing . If practiced daily it will bring great flexibility to your spine and joints and trim your waist Description of the asana

1. Stand erect with feet together and palms in the prayer position in front of your chest. Make sure your weight is evently distrubuted. Exhale.

2. Inhaling, stretch your arms forward, then up and back over your head and bend back slowly from the waist.

3. Exhaling, fold forward, and press your palms down, fingertips in line with toes-bend your knees if necessary.

4. Inhaling bring the left (or right ) leg back and place the knee on the floor. Arch back and look up, lifting your chin.

5. Retaining the breath, bring the other leg back and support your weight on hands and toes. Keep your head and body in line and look at the floor between your hands.

6. Exhaling, lower your knees, then your chest and then your forehead, keeping your hips up and your toes curled under.

7. Inhaling, lower your hips, point your toes and bend back. Keep legs together and shoulders down. Look up and back.

8. Exhaling, curl your toes under, raise your hips and pivot into an inverted "V" shape. Try to push your heels and head down and keep your shoulders back.

9. Inhaling, step forward and place the left (or right ) foot between your hands. Rest the other knee on the floor and look up, as in position.

10. Exhaling, bring the other leg forward and bend down from the waist, keeping your palms as in position 3.

11. Inhaling, stretch your arms forward, then up and back over your head and bend back slowly from the waist, as in position2.

12. Exhaling, gently come back to an upright position and bring your arms down by your sides.

Leg RaisesDescription of the AsanaThe simple exercises prepare the body for asanas, strengthening in particular the abdominal and lower back muscles.Single Leg Raising

1. Inhaling raise the right leg as high possible; then, exhaling, lower it down. Repeat with the left leg. Perform three times.

2. Inhaling, raise the right leg, then clasp it in both hands and pull it toward you, keeping your head down. Take a few breaths.

3. Now raise your chin to your shin and hold for one deep breath; then exhaling, lower the head and, leg. Repeat three times each side.

Double Leg RaisingLie flat on the floor inhaling, raise both legs, keeping your knees straight and your buttocks on the floor ; then exhale and lower them. Repeat ten times.Note: Make sure that your lower back remains flat on the floor while you bring the leg down,to avoid injuring your spine.

 

 

 

Basic Breathing (Pranayama)Yogic breathing or pranayaam revitalises the body steadies the emotion and creats great clarity of the mind. Yoga breathing exercises are performed sitting down with the spine neck and head in a straight line in the lotus pose.Kalpabhati is a kriyas of purification besides being a pranayama. The forced exhalation rids the lower lungs of the stale air making way for a fresh intake of oxygen rich air in cleansing the entire respiratory system. This is a wonderfully invigorating exercise to begin your pranayam. By increasing the amount of oxygen in the body its effect is to clear the mind and improve concentration.KapalbhatiBenefits

1. Effective for cardiovascular problems. 2. To clear the mind and improve the concentration

Description of the asana1. Sit in ardha padmasana (lotus )--But if you have knee

ache,sit on a bench or chair.Keep the feet crossed on a rug or a carpet.

2. Take two normal breaths. 3. Inhale, Now exhale, pulling in your abdomen and inhale, relaxing your

abdomen. 4. Repeat 20 times, keeping a steady rhythm and emphasising the exhalation

each time. 5. Inhale fully and hold your breathe as long as you can. 6. Slowly exhale.

Anuloma VilomaIn this alternate nostril breathing exercise, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, then exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4. If you are really healthy, you the will breathe predominantly through the Ida nostril for about one hour and fifty minutes, then through the other nostril. But in many people this natural rhythm is disturbed. Anuloma Viloma restores an equal flow, balancing the flow of prana in the body. Description of the asana

1. Close your right nostril with your thumb and keeping it closed breathe in through the left nostril counting up to four.

2. Hold your breath and count to sixteen while opening the right nostril and closing your left with your third finger.

3. Breathe out slowly through the right nostril to a counterfiet. 4. Repeat the exercise but breathe in through the right nostril and out through

the left.

Brahmari

It's a kind of meditation which improves concentration memory and confidence. This extended exhalation makes it a very beneficial exercise for pregnant women, in preparation for labour. Sometimes known as the humming breath, Brahmari also gives a sweet clear voice and is highly recommended for singers.Description of the asanaTo practise Brahmari

1. You partially close the glottis as you inhale through both nostrils, making a snoring sound

2. Then exhale slowly, humming like a bee. 3. The inhalation clears and vibrates the throat area. 4. Humming while you breathe out, enables you to spin out the breath and make

a longer exhalation. 5. You should repeat Brahmari five to ten times.

 The Plough (Hala Asana)BenefitsEffective for Asthma, Back ache, Depression, Sciatica, Headache, Sexual debility Rheumatoid Arthritis, Bronchitis, Sinus, Congestion,Premenst rual tension etc.Description of the asana

1. Lie down on your back with your legs together and your palms on your sides.

2. Inhale & raise your legs up. 3. Exhale first and then inhale. 4. Bring your hips up off the floor. 5. Support your back with your hand, keeping your elbows as close to one

another as possible. 6. Without bending your knees, exhale and bring your legs down behind your

head. 7. If you cannot yet touch the floor with your feet, keep on breathing in this

position. 8. If your feet comfortably reach the floor, walk them as far behind your head

possible. 9. With your feet curled under, push your torso up and your heels back. 10. Now clasp your hands together. 11. Breathe slowly and deeply.

CautionIf you have breathing difficulties, hernia or are having nasal congestion, do not attempt this exercise.

 

Plz Sugest.Megha Shah