Introduction
to Yogasana
"Yoga is not
an ancient myth buried in oblivion. It is the most valuable inheritance of the
present. It is the essential need of today and the culture of tomorrow."
Yoga is the science
of right living and, as such, is intended to be incorporated in daily life. It
works on all aspects of the person: the physical, vital, mental, emotional,
psychic, and spiritual.
The word YOGA means
“Unity or Oneness” and is derived from the Sanskrit word “YUJ’, which means “to
join’. This unity or joining is described in spiritual terms as the union of
individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. On a more practical
level, Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and
emotions. This is done through the practice of Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha,
Shatkarma and Meditation, and must be achieved before union can take place with
the higher reality.
Asanas: “Sthiram, Suktham Aasanam”
Hathasya
prathamaangatvaadaasanam poorvamuchyate.
Kuryattadaasanam
sthairyamaarogyam chaangalaaghavam.
Prior to everything, asana is
spoken of as the first part of Yoga. Having done asana, one attains steadiness
of body and mind, freedom from disease and lightness of the limbs.
Hatha
Yoga Pradipika (1:7)
Through
observation, the rishis understood how animals live in harmony with their
environment and with their own bodies. They understood, through experience, the
effects for a particular posture and how the hormonal secretion could be
stimulated and controlled by it. For example, by intimating the rabbit or hare
in Shashankasana they could influence the flow of adrenaline responsible for
the fight or fight mechanism. Through imitating animal postures, the rishis
found they could maintain health and meet the challenges of nature for
themselves.
YOGASANAS AND
PRANA: Prana, vital energy which corresponds to ki or chi in Chinese-medicine,
pervades the whole body, following flow patterns, called nadis, which are
responsible for maintaining all individual cellular activity.
Stiffness of the
body due to blocked prana and a subsequent accumulation of toxins when prana
begin to move or flow, the toxins are removed from the system ensuring the
health of whole body. As the body becomes supple, postures, which seemed
impossible become in the Yoga sutra of patanjali there is a concise definition
of yogasana “Sthiram suktham aasanam” meaning that position which is
comfortable and steady. In this context, asanas are practiced to develop the
ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended period of time, ability
necessary for meditation. Raja yoga equates yogasana to the stable sitting
position.
The Hatha Yogis,
however, found that certain specific asanas, open energy channels and psychic centers.
They found that developing control of the body through these practices enabled
them to control the mind and energy. Yogasanas became tools to higher
awareness, providing the stable foundation necessary for the exploration of the
body, breath, mind and higher states. For this reason, asana practice comes
first in texts such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
In the yogic
scriptures it is said that there were originally 8,400,000 asanas, which
represent the 8,400,000 incarnations every individual must pass through before
attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. These asanas
represented a progressive evolution from the simplest form of life to the most
complex; that of a fully realized human being. Down through the ages the great
rishis and yogis modified and reduced the number of asanas to the few
hundred known today. Through their practice, it is possible to bypass many
evolutionary stages in one lifetime. Animal Postures: Many of yogasanas described
from movements of animals. Easy to perform, and steadiness and grace of
movement develop. When the quantum of prana is increased as great degree the
body moves in to certain postures by itself and asanas and pranayama occur
spontaneously.
YOGASANAS AND
KUNDALINI:
The ultimate purpose
of yoga is the awakening of kundalini Shakti,
the evolutionary energy in man. Practicing asanas stimulates the chakras,
distributing the generated energy of kundalini all over the body. About
thirty-five asanas are specifically geared to this purpose: bhujangasana for
manipura chakra, sarvangasana for vishuddhi, sirshasana for sahasrara and so
on. The other asanas regulate and purify the nadis facilitating the conduction
of prana throughout the body. The main object of hatha yoga is to create
balance between the interacting activities and processes of the pranic and
mental forces. Once this has been achieved, the impulses generated give a call
of awakening to sushumna nadi, the
central pathway in the spine, through which the kundalini shakti ascends to
sahasrara chakra, thereby illuminating the higher centers of human
consciousness.
Hatha yoga,
therefore, not only strengthens the body and improves health, but also
activates and awakens the higher centres responsible for the evolution of human
consciousness.
YOGASANA AND THE
BODY-MIND CONNECTION:
Best Yoga Teacher Training in Bali – Bali Yoga Ashram is Best Yoga School in Bali offers Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher Training in Bali. For more information visit our site https://www.baliyogaashram.com/
ReplyDeleteOur Yoga Courses:
100 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali
200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali
500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali