Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Characteristics of Asana ... Yogasana!


The first element of Sadhana is generally the Asana. A trained disciplined mind is our greatest friend. An undisciplined and untrained mind is our greatest enemy.  Sadhana is nothing but training and disciplining the mind.

To train and discipline the mind we need to work on the mind. To do this we need to understand, introspect and turn in. Thus a posture is essential to work on the mind.

Asana does not mean exercise but if any Asana contains certain exercise movements it is incidental and an add-on.

Asana is a posture at which point where all the energy levels of this system (psychophysical energy system - body) get harmonized and equilibrated.

For working on the mind it is essential that we are able to sit straight. A few questions may arise:
·      Why should we sit straight?
·      Why can’t we assume any posture?
·      Why can’t we sit like a question mark?
·      Why can’t we be sprawled in a sofa?
·      What is the necessity of any meditative posture?
·      Why is posture important?

The back must be in balance. That’s why we will find that excepting for Vajrasana, there will always be a triangle (triangle indicates stability) formation at the base.

The other most important characteristic of a posture for meditation is that the head, neck and back should be in straight line. This is what Sri Krishna refers to in the Gita as Samam Kaya Shiro grivam - essential.

A correct upright posture fosters alertness. It is an anti-dote for depression, mental inertia and laziness to a certain extent. We have already seen that depression is one of our enemies. Thus at the posture level itself we have tackled one of our enemies.

Head, neck and back straight is an easy recipe for cutting depression and fostering alertness.

It is a challenge that we cannot think of a depressing thought sitting straight. Our head will drop down the moment we encounter such a thought. Thus there is a connection between the mind, the body and the nervous system.

Ayurveda says, ‘Adi Vyadi’– Adi in the mind gives rise to vyadi in the body by the dislocation of the three - vatapitta and kapha.

For spiritual purposes Padmasana and Siddhasana are enough. As most of our systems are under repair, we need the other Asanas to flush out the toxins that are generated by wrong life style. This will reset the system, both at anatomical and physiological levels. There is also a connection between the Asana in the physical and the mental level. So the first level in Sadhana is Asana.
(extract from the notes of Shankarji's sessions)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012



1.  The earliest of the Yoga texts is the dialogue between Sage Yajnavalkya and Sage Gargi. We can safely conclude that all the Yoga texts owe their existence to ‘Yoga Yajnavalkya. ‘

2.  Yoga, like any other science, has reference texts for processes as well as guiding principles. The most referred Yoga processes texts are Gheranda SamhitaSivaSamhitaHatha Yoga PradipikaHatha Ratnavali etc., and the guiding principles are outlines in Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the crown jewel, Bhagavad Gita. In none of these texts, Yoga means ‘only postures.’ Today, mostly, Yoga is being construed as a set of physical movements and at best practiced as a form of exercise. If some physical benefits are obtained by the practice of Yoga, it is incidental. Practice of Yoga, gradually, in the long run, brings or should bring about a sense of heightened awareness.

3.  Any process done with complete awareness (of mind and body) comes under the umbrella of Yoga. It is awareness that facilitates understanding and defines the very purpose of any process. Without awareness, any process tends to become mechanical and feeds our emotions thereby resulting in inferiority or superiority complexes. Thus the terms ‘Yoga’ and ‘awareness’ are inseparable.

4.  Various Yoga schools have taken to an ideology and lifestyle aspired by their respective founders. As per the Indian traditional wisdom, any system that doesn’t provide an integral perspective of life has to be approached with concern. If any Yoga school ignores this fundamental principle and focusses on one aspect i.e. only postures or only meditation, then the aspirant or practitioner needs to check with themselves whether it is what they are looking out for.

5.  Yoga processes, in the tradition, were customized to the age, need, stage of life, lifestyle and the environment that one lives in. For example… most of us are aware that Pranayama is one of the great Yoga processes. Though we may know this fact and also learn to perform it, we cannot practice all the Pranayamaprocesses amidst city pollution. If done so, it turns counterproductive. Thus, it is a non-negotiable need to customize it to the location that we live in.

6.  Depending on our need, level of understanding and practice, the definition of Yoga changes. The meaning of Yoga is impregnate in its root, ‘yuj i.e. to unite. The collapsing of the wall between the individual soul and universal soul is termed as ‘real’ YogaSwami Vivekananda, in his lucid translation of Patanjali Yoga Sutras (aphorism 28), states, “By the practice of the different parts of Yoga the impurities being destroyed, Knowledge becomes effulgent up to discrimination.”

7.  The different parts of Yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. It is at the highest levels of Samadhi, one realizes the ‘real Yoga.’ To hasten the process of ‘real Yoga’ our tradition, apart from these different parts of Yoga, have left behind a wealth of scriptures like the Upanishads and the Gita as well as practical processes like Mudra, Bandha, Kriya, Mantra etc., We will get a glimpse into all these invaluable scriptures and processes at Shrimath Yoga Retreat.

8.  At Shrimath Yoga Retreat, we strive to provide an integral view of Yoga that enables proper assimilation of Yoga processes thereby assisting each and every participant to benefit spiritually, therapeutically, intellectually and emotionally. As we get older, the mind and body need a therapeutic touch in any activity. We take you through a structured, customized and easy to understand method that is all encompassing and allows you to experience peace and happiness, here and now…