YOGA-ASANAS

How many of you, sisters and brothers, find in yourselves the unmistakable signs of disease,

declining health, vim, vigour and vitality? How many of you, may I ask again, feel actually the grip of premature old age? Why do you unjustly throw the whole blame on heredity without for a moment realising that for nearly thirty or thirty-five years you have been flouting the laws of life? Thirty-five years of wrong living! Thirty-five years of wrong feeding! Thirty-five years of wrong breathing! Thirty-five years of wrong thinking! Thirty-five years spent in abject ignorance of the relationship between brain and brawn! Thirty-five years, in fact, spent in doing everything possible to develop the disease of “Old Age!”.

Now suppose the whole situation is reversed, and in place of wrong living, wrong feeding,
wrong breathing, etc., there is introduced right living, right feeding, right breathing, and so forth,
what will be the effect? Will physical and mental degeneration give place to physical and mental
regeneration? The answer given by the Seers of the East is an emphatic “YES”. The Indian Yogins have conclusively proved that by following a regimen it is quite possible to rebuild the human body, to reconstruct the human mind, to regain lost youth, strength and beauty. The key to accomplish this remarkable feat according to the Saints, Sages and Rishis of yore is to be found in Yoga-Asanas.

You know what the word ‘Yoga’ means. It is union of the individual soul (Jivatman) with the Supreme Soul (Paramatman). Asana is an easy and comfortable seat or pose or posture. Thus the term Yoga-Asanas means certain postures by assuming any one of which the individual soul is united with the Supreme Soul quite easily by the Yogic practitioner. The relationship between mind and body is so complete and so subtle that it is no wonder that certain physical training will induce certain mental transformations.

A good many of you might have come across several persons capable of demonstrating these Yoga-Asanas some of which may seem at first sight disgusting and tiring. At any rate such persons are not uncommon in India. Some of my own students who are specialists in this branch of Yoga can do the various exercises with amazing grace and finish. It is wrong to suppose that these Yoga-Asanas are merely physical exercises founded by the ancient Rishis of India just as so many systems of physical culture have cropped up now both in Europe and in America. There is something spiritual, something divine at the bottom of this system for it awakens the sleeping

Kundalini-Shakti, helps the Yogic student a lot in establishing himself fully in meditation and finally makes him taste the nectar of Cosmic Consciousness.

It is important to know what an ideal system of physical culture should be, so that you will be able to judge for yourself the value of Yoga-Asanas in the light of the ideal. That system can be safely said to be an ideal system which requires the smallest amount of energy to be spent in order to secure the greatest amount of benefit; which can effect a maximum increase in the vital index; which can build up a healthy nervous system; which can ensure health for the excretory organs of the body; which can take care of the circulatory system; and which can also develop the muscular system. Let us now see how far these few conditions are fulfilled by Yoga-Asanas.

Let me now prescribe a short but complete course of Yoga-Asanas which is more than sufficient for an average man (or woman) of health not only to maintain a high standard of health but also to achieve true success in Yoga. Yogic physical culture is only a means to an end, and not an end in itself. You need not, therefore, attach undue importance to this branch of Yoga alone to the gross neglect of the others. All the Asanas mentioned and illustrated in this book can be successfully practiced without the personal contact of a teacher. Thousands are benefited in various ways by regularly practising these Asanas. The various exercises given in this book have been so arranged that strict adherence is expected of you. All Asanas should be done invariably in the morning, and not in the evening as you will find in some books on the subject. The reason for this emphasis is that in the evening everybody is tired of a day’s work and as such will not be able to do the various exercises with a feeling of exhilaration and freshness which he or she would otherwise feel in the morning. There should absolutely be no feeling of depression or fatigue either before or during the performance of these exercises. This is an important point to remember, if you wish to enjoy the benefits of these exercises in the fullest measure. You need not go through the whole course everyday. but you must by all means be regular and systematic in the very little that you do, and be amaster of all the exercises given in this book. Another point to remember is that the amount of energy expended in these exercises should on no account strain your system. Those of you who wish to do muscular exercises may do so in the evening. All Yoga-Asanas must be done on an empty stomach; but there is no harm if a small cup of milk, light tea or coffee is taken before commencing the exercises.

Asana is the third limb (Anga) of Yoga. If you are firmly established in Asanas, you will not feel the body at all. When you do not feel the body, qualities of the pairs of opposites will not affect you. When you are free from the effect of the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, you will be able to take up the next higher step viz., Pranayama and practice it with an unruffled mind. Therefore you should select that posture which is easy and comfortable and in which you can remain long, say, three hours. Lord Krishna says: “Having in a cleanly spot established a firm seat, neither too high nor too low with cloth, skin, and Kusa grass thereon; making the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him, seated there on the seat, practise Yoga for the purification of the self. Holding erect and still the body, head and neck, firm, gazing at the tip of the nose, without looking around, serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of godly life, having restrained the mind, thinking on Me, and balanced, let him sit, looking up to Me as the Supreme.” (Bhagavad-Gita Ch. VI-11, 12, 13).

Yoga aims at developing, will-power. Aman of strong and dynamic will-power will always sit upright and walk with his chest thrown in front of his head; but a weak-willed person will change his posture often and often, while sitting or standing, will walk in a zigzag fashion, betraying infirmity and want of resolution of mind in every step. The practice of Asanas is of vital importance, and though the practice may be found to be painful and troublesome at the outset, when once the habit of sitting on one Asana for a considerable length of time is formed, you will feel a peculiar thrill and pleasure while seated there, and you will not like to change the pose on any account.According to Patanjali Maharshi, posture is that which is firm and comfortable. He does not lay any special stress on either Asana or Pranayama. It was only later on that the Hatha-Yogins developed these two limbs of Yoga, and, no doubt they are of tremendous help to the Yogic student.

While the Hatha-Yogins aim at the control and culture of the body, the Raja-Yogins aim at the control and culture of the mind. And as body and mind are interdependent, physical culture is a sine qua non to mental culture.It is wrong to suppose that Yoga-Asanas are purely meant for the Indians and that they are ideally suited to Indian conditions. That it is not the case is proved by the following few instances. Mr. Harry Dikman, the Director-Founder of the Yoga Centre in Riga, Latvia (Europe) is a good specialist in these Yoga-Asanas, Bandhas and Mudras and his opinion and advice to persons suffering from various kinds of diseases, curable and incurable, are increasingly becoming popular in Europe. I have not heard of another man either in Europe or in America, who takes such a keen and lively interest in this subject and is making researches in the same. You will be surprised to know that Mr. Harry Dikman is essentially a philosopher and a sage.

In California (U.S.A.) a young girl of about two and twenty, weighing 280 lbs., due to much adiposity and therefore feeling completely dejected and forlorn, finally took recourse to Yoga-Asanas on the recommendation of a friend of hers, and in the course of six months time, to the astonishment and wonder of all, was able to reduce her body-weight to 180 lbs., by following the instructions of a specialist! The photographs of the girl taken before, during and after the six months course were lavishly published in various American journals and high tributes paid to theremarkable efficacy of Yoga-Asanas as the means of building up a radiant and healthy body and eradicating all kinds of diseases.Mr. Ernest Haekel of Los Angeles, California, Mr. Boris Sacharow of Berlin and several others interested in acquiring psychic powers by awakening the Kundalini are all instances to prove that Yoga-Asanas can be practiced and are intended not only for India and the Indians but for the whole world and the humanity at large.

Practise either Padmasana or Siddhasana for meditative purposes and the various other Asanas, Bandhas, etc., for maintaining, a high standard of health, vigour, strength, vitality, and for keeping up Brahmacharya.

PRANAYAMA

WHAT IS PRANA?

Prana is the sum total of all energy that is manifested in the universe. It is the vital force,
Sukshma. Breath is the external manifestation of Prana. By exercising control over this gross
breath, you can control the subtle Prana inside. Control of Prana means control of mind. Mind
cannot operate without the help of Prana. It is the Sukshma Prana that is intimately connected with
the mind. Prana is the sum total of all latent forces which are hidden in men and which lie
everywhere around us. Heat, light, electricity, magnetism are all the manifestations of Prana. Prana
is related to mind; through mind to the will; through will to the individual soul, and through this to
the Supreme Being.
The seat of Prana is the heart. Prana is one; but it has many functions to do. Hence it assumes
five names according to the different functions it performs, viz., Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and
Vyana. According to the different functions they perform, they occupy certain places in the body.
The table given in the following pages will give you a clear idea.
Breath directed by thought under the control of the will is a vitalising, regenerated force
which can be utilised consciously for self-development, for healing many incurable diseases and
for many other useful purposes. Hatha Yogins consider that Prana Tattva is superior to Manas
Tattva (mind), as Prana is present even when mind is absent during deep sleep. Hence Prana plays a
more vital part than mind.
If you know how to control the little waves of Prana working through mind, then the secret
of subjugating the universal Prana will be known to you. The Yogin who becomes an expert in the
knowledge of this secret, will have no fear from any power, because he has mastery over all
manifestations of power in the Universe. What is commonly known as Power of Personality is
nothing more than the natural capacity of a person to wield his Prana. Some people are more
powerful in life, more influential and fascinating than others. It is all through this Prana, which the
Yogin uses consciously by the command of his will.
Having acquired a thorough knowledge of the seat of Nadis and of the Vayus with their
functions, one should begin with the purification of Nadis. A person possessed of Yama and
Niyama, avoiding all company, having finished his course of study, delighting in Truth and virtues,
having conquered his anger, being engaged in the service of his spiritual instructor and well
instructed in all the religious practices, should go to a secluded place for Yoga Abhyasa.
niyama, avoiding all company, having finished his course of study, delighting in Truth and virtues,
having conquered his anger, being engaged in the service of his spiritual instructor and well
instructed in all the religious practices, should go to a secluded place for Yoga Abhyasa.

Kapal Bhati Pranayam

 

Procedure : Push air forcefully out. Stomach will itself go in.
Duration : Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 mins max.
Benefits : aabha, tej, obesity, constipation, gastric, acidity, Croesus(liver), hepatitis B, uterus,
diabetes, stomach problems, cholesterol, allergic problems, asthma, snoring, concentration,
and even cancer and AIDS.
Tips : heart and high BP patients, and weak people do it slowly.
Swamiji says "dharti ki sanjivini hai kapal-bhati pranayam" and that it "cures all diseases of
world".

Bhastrika Pranayam

 

Procedure : Take deep breaths and then completely breathe out.
Duration : 2 mins atleast. 5 mins max.
Benefits : heart, lungs, brain, depression, migraine, paralysis, neural system, aabha

Weighing the Benefits of Yoga with Weights

 

Before you take the plunge and give yoga with weights a try, you may be

interested in knowing what the many health benefits of yoga with weights
are. Here’s a catalog of health benefits you may experience if you devote
yourself to yoga with weights.
Making you stronger
Yoga makes you stronger and tones your muscles, but by adding the weights,
you give additional boost to the muscle strengthening and toning powers of
yoga. When you stress a muscle with exercise or a repeated activity, the muscle
increases in strength and diameter as the muscle fiber expands. In other
words, the muscle is toned. The weight-bearing aspect of yoga with weights
improves the oxygenation of muscles, which promotes the muscles’ growth
and repair. The stretching improves the flexibility and health of muscles and
tendons. Yoga with weights also reduces the risk of muscle tears and strains
because weightlifting, when properly done, integrates the muscles closer to
the bones.
Building your core strength
You read a lot about your “core” and “core strength” in this book. When we
write about your core, we’re referring to the muscles of your trunk and torso
that support your spine. These muscles are the major players in balancing
and coordination. The core muscles also support your shoulders and hips.
Most people don’t know it, but the abdominal muscles, which are also core
muscles, are very important for supporting your spine.
Unless your core muscles are strong, you can’t develop the muscles of your
arms and legs to their fullest potential, in much the same way that tree
branches can’t grow big unless the trunk of the tree is strong enough to support
the branches.
Your core muscles are responsible for good posture. They keep your back
straight and your shoulders square, and they keep you from slouching. Your
core muscles also support and protect your internal organs. For example, if

the muscles around your back and abdomen aren’t strong, sitting up straight

for long periods of time is hard, because the muscles of your back and
abdomen take some of the weight-bearing stress off the smaller muscles in
your head, neck, and even your shoulders. Without strong core muscles,
you’re more susceptible to back problems.
When most people think of getting stronger, they imagine being able to lift
heavier weights or run faster. But before you can accomplish such feats, you
need to develop the core muscles of your trunk and torso. Deep strength
begins in these core muscles — your power source, the axis around which so
many muscles move. Yoga with weights is a superb program for reaching into
the center of your body to engage, utilize, and exercise the core muscles that
really matter.
Toning your muscles
Yoga-with-weights exercises are designed to work and tone all the muscles of
your body. If you think your arms are too flabby, if you want to develop your
abdominal muscles, or if you want to strengthen your legs, you can find many
yoga-with-weights exercises that target those areas. In traditional yoga, you
can tone and refine parts of your body with exercises. The addition of
weights makes it possible to really dig into a muscle or muscle group and
work it hard. Chapter 15 describes exercises that target different body areas.

Being more beautiful

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course. But beauty is also a matter of
confidence, poise, and bearing. We’ve seen older people with wrinkles and
thinning silver hair who don’t fit the standard definition of beauty but who
are nevertheless very beautiful. These people radiate an inner glow that has
ripened during the years. They have a light in their eyes that tells you that
they’re very much alive to the world around them and living their lives in a
way that’s full of enthusiasm. They have what’s sometimes called inner
beauty or an inspired state of being.

MIND AND BODY

BODY, THE MOULD FOR MINDS ENJOYMENT

The body with its organs is no other than the mind. The physical body is the outward manifestation of the mind. Mind is the subtle form of this physical body. The mind contemplating upon the body becomes the body itself and then, enmeshed in it, is afflicted by it. All the bodies have their seat in the mind only. Should the mind be paralysed, then the body will not evince our intelligence. Without water, can a garden exist? It is the mind which transacts all business and is the highest of the bodies. Mental actions are the real actions. The mind performs all actions very speedily in the Linga Sarira and fluctuates thereby. But, the gross body knows not anything and is inert. Even should this gross body be dissolved, the mind will assume fresh bodies to its liking very quickly. This physical body is the mould, as it were, made by the mind for its own enjoyment, for its outpouring of its energy and thereby gaining different experiences of this world through the five avenues or channels of knowledge, the five Jnana-Indriyas (organs of knowledge or perception).

THOUGHTS MAKE THE BODY

The actions of the mind alone are indeed actions; not so much those of the body. The body is really our thoughts, moods, convictions and emotions objectivised, made visible to the naked eyes. It is a point worthy to note with care that every cell in the body suffers or grows, receives a life-impulse or a death-impulse, from every thought that enters the mind, for you tend to grow into the image of that which you think about most.When the mind is turned to a particular thought and dwells on it, a definite vibration of matter is set up and often more of this vibration is caused, the more does it tend to repeat itself to become a habit, to become automatic. The body follows the mind and imitates its changes. If you concentrate your thought, the eyes become fixed. Every change in thought makes a vibration in your mental body and this, when transmitted to the physical body, causes activity in the nervous matter of your brain. This activity in the nervous cells causes many electrical and chemical changes in them. It is thought-activity which causes these changes.

What Yoga Can Do for You

Yoga is an ancient health-art developed and perfected over the centuries by the Sages and Wise Men of ancient India. Yoga is _not _a religion, a metaphysical doctrine, or a philosophy. It is not magic or mysticism, although the amazing improvements it can make in your health, your appearance and your youthfulness may often seem magical, even miraculous. For thousands of years the Yogis of India have used the simple, reasonable principles of Yoga to regain the zest and enthusiasm and good health of their youth, to preserve into middle age the clear-thinking and sound physique of manhood, and to continue enjoying _even in old age _ the resilience, healthfulness, and well-being of their younger years. Yoga can take years off your face and years from your body--and add years to your life. There are certain secret methods by which the Yogis keep the flexibility and "spring" of early youth in their joints and muscles and limbs well into the declining years. It is a common sight to see, in the crowded, colorful strets of Bombay or New Delhi, Yogis well into their seventies and even their eighties, with the straight, graceful posture of a boy, walking with the elastic, springy step of youth... with firm, healthy bodies, their hair dark and glossy and un-streaked with grey. Firm, unlined faces .. . clear, undimmed eyes. Not only does Yoga make you look and feel years younger, years healthier, but it lends your body superb healthiness. This system of Yoga does not demand difficult positions and postures, uncomfortable exercises or strenuous diets. This is where it differs from every other book on Yoga previously published. It describes the simple, easy, "common sense" secrets of _using the natural health God gave you. _It works like magic because it enables the body to realize its full potential of good health. You know that Nature built into your body certain natural safeguards against disease, certain "defense mechanisms" for self-repair. Well, modern Yoga helps the body's machinery function smoothly, efficiently, at pet performance. It encourages your body to derive every last possible atom of nutritive value from the food you now eat (so different from the natural diet of your ancestors) ... to get every second of refreshment and rest from your sleep ... to attain regularity, relief from little aches and pains, the ability to sleep deep and wake refreshed that can make the difference from feeling "pretty good" to feeling "terrific!" Yoga assists _all _your muscles and bones and organs to operate at top masculine or female vigor. Yoga stimulates into peak performance the latent abilities of your body to throw off the attacks of disease, the psychosomatic "nervous illnesses" that nag and plague millions. Do you suffer from insomnia, "nerves"? Are you without appetite? Do you find it hard to relax? Do you smoke too much, feel "worn out" by afternoon, find as you grow older that you cannot enjoy full life and day to day vitality? Yoga has the...............