THE YOGA ASANAS
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SVADHYAYAD-ISTA-DEVATA SAMPRAYOGAH
FROM SELF-STUDY (ARISES) UNION WITH THE INTENDED DEITY.
THROUGH SELF-STUDY, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, STUDY OF THE SELF, ONE REACHES UNION WITH THE SOUGHT AFTER DEITY. ISHTA DEVATA IS GENERALLY EXPLAINED AS YOUR FAVOURITE DEITY, BUT IN THE YOGIC CONTEXT, THE WORD "ISTA" COULD MEAN YOUR SOUGHT AFTER DEITY, ISHWARA.
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SAMADHI-SIDDHIR-ISWARA-PRANIDHANAT
PERFECTION IN SAMADHI (ABSORPTION) COMES FROM DEDECATION ONE-POINTEDLY TO ISHWARA.
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STHIRA-SUKHAM-ASANAM
ASANA IS (SITTING) WITH STEADINESS AND COMFORT.
IN THE UPANISHADIC CONTEXT, ASANA IS SHAD IS SHAD OR TO SIT DOWN WHERE NOT ONLY THE BODY BUT ALSO THE MIND SETTLES DOWN WITH NO DISTRACTION AND IS AT EASE.
SINCE STHIRA COMES FROM THE ROOT STHA (STAND), IT COULD MEAN THAT STEADINESS IS EXPECTED NOT ONLY WHEN YOU SIT, BUT ALSO WHEN YOU STAND.
BASED ON THIS, A NUMBER OF POSTURES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, SOME SITTING POSTURES FOR MEDITATION AND SOME NON-SITTING ONES THAT AIM TO BRING ABOUT PROPER COORDINATION OF BLOOD CIRCULATION, BREATH, MUSCLES, INNER ENERGY CHANNELS CALLED NADIS AND THE CHAKRAS WHICH CORRESPOND WITH THE PLEXUSES.
HORMONAL IMBALANCES, WHICH DESTABILISE THE MIND, PHYSICAL ILL-HEALTH AND IMPROPER POSTURE, ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE DEALT WITH BY THE PRACTICE OF THE ASANAS.
FOR A STANDARD LIST OF ASANAS, PLEASE REFER TO THE YOGA PRADIPIKA OF SWATMARAMA. ANY ASANAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LIST ARE OF DOUBTFUL ORIGIN, SOMETIMES PERHAPS GYMNASTICS WHICH HAVE BEEN ADDED ON.
I HAVE LISTED A FEW ESSENTIAL ASANAS IN APPENDIX A WITH PHOTOGRAPHS. ATTEMPT ONLY WHAT YOU CAN. THE SITTING ASANAS ARE FAIRLY SIMPLE. IF YOU NEED TO LEARN IN DETAIL, CONTACT A YOGA ASANA TEACHER. I WOULD RECOMMEND A COURSE AT THE KAIVALYADHAMA YOGA INSTITUTE AND RESEARCH CENTRE IN LONAVALA OR THE YOGA VEDANTA FOREST ACADEMY AT THE SIVANANDA ASHRAM IN RISHIKESH.
DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY OF TIME, I CAN ALSO TEACH ASANAS SINCE I HAVE BEEN PRACTISING THEM FOR MANY YEARS.
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PRAYATANA-SAITHILYA-ANANTA-SAMAPATTI-BHYAM
FROM EFFORTLESS AND RELAXED POSTURE (WHICH COMES FROM STEADY AND CONSTANT PRACTICE) THE MIND EXPERIENCES ENDLESS UNITY (NON-CONFLICTED)
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TATO DVANDVA-ANABHIGHATAH
THUS (THE MIND) IS NOT ASAILED BY PAIRS OF OPPOSITES.
BECAUSE IT IS NO MORE CONFLICTED AND HAS LEARNT TO RELAX, THE TRANQUIL MIND IS NOT AFFECTED BY OPPOSITES THAT TEND TO PULL IT IN TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
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TASMIN SATI SVASA-PRASVASYOR-GATI-VICCHEDAH
PRANAYAMAH
IN THIS ABIDING THERE IS CONTROL OF BREATH, BREAKING AWAY FROM IN BREATH AND OUT BREATH
THERE IS DESCRIPTION OF PRANAYAMA. ABIDING BY THIS MEANS THAT WHEN ONE IS EFFORTLESS, RELAXED AND NOT ASSAILED BY OPPOSING THOUGHTS, THE BREATH BECOMES CALM AND ALMOST STILL AND THE IN-BREATH AND OUT-BREATH ARE IMPERCEPTIBLE. THIS IS CALLED KEVAL KUMBHAK, KUMBHAK WITHOUT ANY EFFORT.
HOWEVER, THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMA HAS SEVERAL BREATHING TECHNIQUE THAT ARE TO BE LEARNT FROM AN AUTHENTIC TEACHER WHO WILL TELL YOU HOW TO BALANCE THE PRANA AND APANA BREATHS, THE IDA AND PINGALA CHANNELS AND TO ACTIVATE THE SUSHUMNA. I ONCE AGAIN RECOMMEND THE YOGA PRADIPIKA FOR A COMPREHENSIVE THEORITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF PRANAYAMA.
THE AIM IS TO HELP YOU REACH A STAGE WHERE THERE IS NO NEED TO INHALE OR EXHALE OR TO HOLD YOUR BREATH FORCIBLY. HOLDING THE BREATH FORCEFULLY FOR AN INORDINATELY LONG TIME CAN CAUSE HAEMORRHAGE OF THE LUNGS
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