YOGA
‘Who am I or what am I’ is a perpetual question that troubles all of us. Philosophers, mystics, spiritual leaders and even scientists seek answers through different paths. Some kind of answer helps in leading a fruitful and peaceful life. Yoga is one such path established by ancient Indian thinkers about three thousand years back. We can think of our existence to be made up of our body, mind and the external world.
A peaceful living necessitates some kind of harmony among these three. Yoga enunciated by Indian sages and philosophers is a well structured prescription for achieving such harmony in life. It leads the seekers through different steps of varying difficulty. Patanjali (~ 400 BC) has compiled the knowledge developed up to his time in his famous book Yoga Sutra. Several commentaries have been written on Yoga Sutra to elucidate the meaning of the cryptic text written by Patanjali.
Sri Krishna the unique character in the great epic Mahabharata is considered to be the ultimate yogi. In Bhagavdgeeta he has taught Arjuna – his friend and devotee - all aspects of yoga. In the sixth chapter of Bhagavdgeeta he explains in great detail the practise of yoga, how a yogi looks at the world, how he interacts with fellow beings, how he controls his mind with unwavering concentration.
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A Yogi is always active and does his duties without keeping rewards in mind. (1) He looks at all – friends, foes, relatives, sinners, the pious etc - with equanimity. All are manifestations of the same God. (9) He sits in a stable position, in a clean place on a mat made of grass placed at a convenient height .(11) There he sits comfortably and concentrates to control his mind and senses for self purification. (12) He sits straight keeping head, neck and the body in a straight line and achieves concentration by focussing his sight on the tip of his nose and not looking in any other direction. (13) The yogi is peaceful in mind, fearless, practises celibacy, controls his mind and is absorbed in Me. (14) He regulates his actions, food, pleasures, sleep and wakefulness and thus frees himself from the sorrows of the world. (17) A yogi perceives himself in all beings and all beings within himself. He beholds unity every where. (29)
Thus yoga is a method of training the body and the mind. The two are thus integrated. This does not come in a single step. Patanjali says rÉÉåaÉ: ÍcɨÉuÉ×Ì¨É ç ÌlÉUÉåkÉ: - yoga is a technique to control the waywardness of the mind. He chalks out a path of eight steps called ashtaanga yoga. The first four steps are:
1.Yama 2.Niyama 3.Asana 4.Pranayama
Yama deals with ethics an individual has to follow. They include non violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non coveting and so on. Niyama is a set of rules to be followed. They include cleanliness and purity, contentment, self study, austerity and dedication to God. One can broadly say that yama and niyama refer to good character and conduct. They are the pre requisites for the practice of yoga.
Asanas are different physical postures of the body. A yogi meditates in one or the other asana. They are also called yogasanas. These asanas help a beginner in controlling the body and keeping it physically fit and strong. Pranayama is controlled rhythmic breathing. It enhances oxygen supply to the lungs and removes carbon dioxide produced in the body efficiently.
Sri B.K.S. Iyengar, the well known yoga teacher, says in his book ‘ Light on Yoga ‘ ( Unwin Hyman Ltd, 1988)
‘ My experience has lead me to conclude that, for an ordinary man or woman in any community of the world, the way to achieve a quiet mind is to work with determination on two of the eight stages of Yoga mentioned by Patanjali, namely, asana and pranayama.’
One, of course, also has to be observe both yama and niyama.
Yama, niyama, asana and pranayama prepare a person for further stages of yoga.
YOGASANAS
The first step in Yoga is to keep the body healthy and fit. A mind can rest peacefully only in a healthy body – a healthy mind in a healthy body. Body is akin to hardware of a computer while mind is like software. It is said - zÉUÏUqÉɱqÉç ZÉsÉÑ kÉqÉï xÉÉkÉlÉqÉç – yoga is the doorway for realization. The importance of body can not be over emphasized. Yogasanas help in keeping the body healthy and supple. Asanas in Samskrit denotes body postures. Each asana is designed to exercise and develop certain parts of the body. The seals found in the excavated sites of Harappa, Mohengadaro, Lothal and other places of the Indus (Harappan) civilization in the north western parts of India and the present day Pakistan indicate that yoga was being practised five thousand years ago. One such seal shown above depicts a yogi in Padmasana.
Hundreds of asanas have been developed to perfection by the ancient sages of India. They have survived to this day due to the guru-shishya parampara - a unique relationship between the teacher and the student – through which knowledge is passed on from generation to generation.
In the modern world this has taken a new shape. Today there are a number of dedicated yoga teachers available all over India. Even in this age of high speed life and hyper activity there are people who find some time to learn and practice yoga. Perhaps yoga is more needed today to relieve the stress of modern life and to get the right perspective of life.
Yoga classes in Mysore Vijayoga
Mysore is a beautiful little city at the foot of Chamundi hills in the state of Karnataka in the southern part of India on the Deccan plateau. This green city has nurtured music, art, culture and learning for hundreds of years.
Vijayoga is a place in Mysore where one would find a unique and dedicated instructor of yogasanas and pranayama. Here the student gets personal attention from the teacher.
Teaching methodology
Vijayoga is an ideal place for a beginner. People of all age groups are taught about twenty five to thirty asanas and pranayama.. First few classes stress on stimulating/loosening exercises. These help in performing asanas. Spiritual aspect is taken into consideration and following aspects are stressed upon. 1. Conative 2. Cognitive 3. Mental Action 4. Reflective Action
When the above four meet together it forms total awareness from the self to the skin and skin to the self. This oneness is essential achieving perfect poses. This is known as integration which Patanjali describes in his Yoga Sutra. Steady practice is required to reach this stage. Pranayama becomes easier when the body is controlled and asanas are perfect. Learning is made easy with the help of props like ropes, bricks, chairs etc which are available easily. Pranayama – is the art of regulating breath - inhalation, exhalation and retention - in precise time, space and number. The body should be in a stable and comfortable state in an asana ÎxjÉëU xÉÑZÉqÉÉxÉlÉqÉç . It takes a long time – months to years- to reach this stage of petfection. The teacher initiates the student by teaching the techniques of practising pranayama. Six to eight months of practice under the guidance of a teacher will enable the students to continue the practice on their own.
Students’ response
We were students of Vijayoga for 18 months. Till day we are in path of Vijayoga guidelines. She taught, guided and inspired us so well that, today in this atmosphere of mechanical life, we being part of sedentary life style, we can proudly say that, we are very much hale & healthy (by body & mind). The way she opts for teaching is different from other yoga classes as the classes are tailor-made for every student according to their abilities & capabilities. - Subramanya S Pushpa
Some yogasanas illustrated
Bhardwajasana
This simple asana helps in making the shoulders flexible. People with arthritis find this asana beneficial. Spine has a natural capacity to rotate either side. All twisting movements should be done with great care.
Janushirasana
Janushirasana is recommended for people suffering with low fever for a long time. This asana tones the liver and spleen and aids digestion. It also tones the activities of the kidneys. The effect can be felt while performing the asana.
Prasaritha Padothanasana
People who are unable to do Shirasasana can practise this simple asana which helps blood flow to the trunk and the head.
Sarvangasna
Sarvangasana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system. The importance of this asana can not be explained – it can only be experienced. This is the mother of all asanas.
Uttanasana
This asana cures stomach pain and tones the liver, spleen and the kidneys. The heart beats are slowed down and spinal chord is rejuvenated. The depression felt in the mind is removed if one holds the pose for two minutes or more.
Ardha matsyendrasana Regular practise of this asana helps in alleviating splitting back aches, lumbago and pain in the hips, and sprain in shoulders. It stimulates pancreatic gland.
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