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KRISHNA KANTA HANDIQUI STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY

Yoga Education - II Course Code - 18 Block - 1 (Theory)

DIPLOMA IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION Subject Experts

Bali Narayan Phukan, Professor and Head, Dept. of Yogic Science, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva Viswavidyalaya, Nagaon, Assam

Santanu Roy Chowdhury, Associate professor, Dept. of Bangla, Pandu College, Guwahati, Assam

Anandaram Burhagohain, Associate Professor, Dept. of Mathematics, Jagiroad College, Jagiroad, Assam

Course Coordinator : Devajani Duarah, Dept. of Teacher Education, KKHSOU

SLM Preparation Team UNITS CONTRIBUTORS

1 - 6 Prof. Bali Narayan Phukan Dept. of Yogic Science Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva Viswavidyalaya, Nagaon, Assam

Editorial Team Language : Prof. Rabin Goswami, Retd. Professor, Dept. of English, Cotton College Format : Devajani Duarah & Dopati Choudhury, KKHSOU

January, 2017

© Kanta Handiqui State Open University. This Self Learning Material (SLM) of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike4.0 License (international): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ For the avoidance of doubt, by applying this license KKHSOU does not waive any privileges or immunities from claims that it may be entitled to assert, nor does KKHSOU submit to the jurisdiction, courts, legal processes or laws of any jurisdiction.

Printed and published by Registrar on behalf of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University.

Headquarters : Patgaon, Rani Gate, Guwahati - 781017 City Office : Housefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati-781006; Web: www.kkhsou.in COURSE INTRODUCTION

This course on “ Education - II” is the eighteenth course of the D.El.Ed. programme. Yoga is an exact science. It promotes harmonious development of the body, and the . The Practice of yoga takes care of the all-round development of an individual’s personality- moral, physical, mental and spiritual. Keeping these facts in mind, this course on yoga education has been included in the D.El.Ed. programme so as to equip the teacher trainees with proper training on yoga, so that they in turn are able to provide such training to their students. In this way, the teacher trainees will be able to bring about an all-round development in their students along with their own development.

The course comprises two blocks. The first block contains the theoretical component of Yoga Education, whereas the second block comprises the practical components.

BLOCK INTRODUCTION

This is the first block of the course on “Yoga Education - II”. There are six units in this block. The first unit of this block deals with the principles of Yogic Practices. This unit also throws light on the different kinds, components and the benefits of yogic practices.The unit aims at helping you to understand the historical development and ideas related to yogic practices. The second unit tries to acquaint you with the concept and types of as one of the important components of Yoga. This unit also discusses the benefits to be derived from the practice of Asanas and explain the important instructions given for practicing Asanas. The third unit throws light on the concept of , kinds, components and effects of Pranayama in different parts of the body. This unit also deals with the differences between Pranayama and Deep Breathing. The fourth unit of this block discusses the concept of Satkarmas, and Bandhas, familiarising the learner with their types and effects. Besides, this unit also deals with the Hatha-yogic processes and their divisions for the purification of the inner body. In the fifth unit, you will learn about the concept, components and benefits of Dhyana. The unit takes into account some important issues related to the effect of . The sixth and the last unit deliberates on the holistic approach of yoga which is very helpful in the development of human resource and in the treatment of different diseases. This unit will introduce you with the various issues of yoga education and yoga in the form of sports activities, as well as, skill in action.

While going through a unit, you will notice that at the end of each section, there are some “CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” questions. These have been designed to self-check your progress of study. It will be better if you solve the given problems in these boxes immediately, after you finish reading the section in which these questions occur and then match your answers with “ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” given at the end of each unit. CONTENTS BLOCK - 1

UNIT 1: Principles of Yogic Practices (Marks 6) Page : 5-15 Concept of Yogic Practices, Kinds of Yogic Practices, Components of Yogic Practice.

UNIT 2: Asanas (Marks 10) Page : 16-33 The Concept of , Purpose of Asana Practice, Pre-preparation for Asana Practice, Joint Movement and Warming Up, Surya Namaskar, Classifications of Asanas, Important Instructions to be followed for Asana Practice, Sequences of Asanas for practice, Differences between Asana and Exercise.

UNIT 3: Pranayama (Marks 10) Page : 34-48 The Concept of Pranayama, The , Forms of Prana, The Nadis,The , Breath Control and Usefulness of Pranayama, Preparation prior to Pranayama practice, Phases of Pranayama Practice, Kinds of Pranayama, Differences between Pranayama and Deep Breathing.

UNIT 4: Satkarma, and (Marks 8) Page : 49-58 The Satkarmas and their divisions, The Mudras and their kinds, The Bandhas and their kinds.

UNIT 5: Dhyana and Yoga Nidra (Marks 6) Page : 59-68 Meaning and Concept of Dhyana,Types of Dhyana, Benefits of Dhyana, Yoga Nidra.

UNIT 6: Holistic Approach of Yoga (Marks 10) Page : 69-79 Holistic Approach, Holistic approach of Yoga, Yoga and Human Resource Development, Yoga and Treatment of Disease, Yoga and Education, Yoga as Sports, Yoga as Skill in Work, Yoga-a Holistic Subject.

REFERENCE FOR ALL THE UNITS Page : 80 Principles of Yogic Practice Unit 1 UNIT 1: PRINCIPLES OF YOGIC PRACTICE

UNIT STRUCTURE

1.1 Learning Objectives 1.2 Introduction 1.3 The Concept of Yogic Practices 1.4 Kinds of Yogic Practices 1.5 Components of Yogic Practice 1.6 Let us Sum up 1.7 Further Reading 1.8 Answers to check your progress 1.9 Model questions

1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit you will be able to –  state the concept of yogic practices  explain the different kinds of yoga  identify the components of yogic practices  discuss the benefits of yogic practices.

1.2 INTRODUCTION

This is the first unit of the theory course Yoga Education-II. In this unit, we are going to discussed the principles of Yogic Practices. We are, more or less, aware of the fact that the practice of yoga, in some way or the other, had been prevalent in different parts of the world since time immemorial. The practice started with the development of intellect in man and is as old as human civilization. As soon as intellectual development started in man, he became curious to know the secrets behind the perceptual things and happenings of this material and mortal world and aspired to acquire super-human, super-sensual and super-natural spiritual powers. From this inquisitiveness and eagerness to know beyond this perceptual world and to acquire super normal powers started the

Yoga Education - II 5 Unit 1 Principles of Yogic Practice

practice of yoga. Though some kinds of yoga were practiced in different parts of the world in different civilizations, the present form of yogic practice, popularly prevalent throughout the world today, has originated in and is practised since very ancient times, even from the time before Indus Valley Civilization, which is about 5000 years old. Yogic practice was a very important practice in ancient India. That it was given a very high status in ancient India can easily be ascertained from the expressions () in the ancient scriptures, like the Puranas, Itihasas, Smritis, Sutras, etc. It is said in the ‘Brahmanda Purana’ that those who practice yoga are thousand times greater than the house-holders and the celibates, and a hundred times greater than the ascetics (Banaprasthis). In the ‘Srimad Bhagavadgita’. Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to be a , as the yogi is greater than an ascetic, he is an intellectual genius (Jnani) and a man absorbed in worldly duties. Yoga was given so high a position in Indian culture that it was said that without the practice of yoga even the gods could not attain salvation. In the Vedic and later-Vedic Brahmana period, yogic practices were part of the rituals and sacrifices (yajnas). In spite of that, there were some ascetics like the Dheeras, Vratyas and Kesins, who practised yoga without any link with rituals. It was , a sage of about second century B.C. who gave a systematic and scientific shape to yoga, delinking it from religious rituals. Since the prehistoric days, dating back to 5000 B.C. or beyond till the present day, yoga has a long journey, with ups and downs, sometimes flourishing and sometimes declining but keeping its continuity throughout the years. While crossing over the periods with social, cultural, religious, political and economic changes, yogic practices have undergone lots of structural changes, keeping the spirit intact. Till a century back, yoga was a practice confined mostly to hermitages, where the teachers (gurus) taught the practice only to the worthy disciples and the art was kept secret. The ‘ Pradipika’, a very important treatise on hatha yoga, states that the knowledge of yoga is to be kept secret, because it becomes potent by concealing and impotent

6 Yoga Education - II Principles of Yogic Practice Unit 1 by exposing. The teachers (Gurus) initiated to yoga only those disciples who proved themselves to be worthy for initiation to it. But, now-a-days, it has become open for all. It has come to again the status of commercial commodity and a very profitable profession for some people, particularly in the west.

1.3 THE CONCEPT OF YOGIC PRACTICES

Though yoga practice has gained universal popularity, the concept is more misunderstood than understood in the proper sense. Yoga is mostly misunderstood as some kind of physical, breathing and mental exercises, meant for physical and mental wellbeing (for details, kindly refer to Yoga Education I’, Unit 1, Section 1.7). No doubt, the practice of yoga helps in bringing physical and mental wellbeing and also develops mutual understanding, fellow-feeling and goodwill among the members of the society, but it has a deeper and much higher purpose behind. The ultimate goal of yoga is to realize the Self, to manifest the talents and the divinity, latent within, and the merger of the individual Self with the Eternal Self. It is a journey from the perceptual world to the transcendental, searching for the Absolute Truth,- the Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute. Yogic practices are the processes of physical and mental culture to arrive at the Absolute Truth by getting liberation from the illusions and delusions of the worldly life. Yoga is a holistic science. It concerns with the holistic development of the individual personality, physical, moral, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual, all together. In yoga, there are practices which are to be practised regularly in order to develop these different aspects of personality. Yogic practices are meant not only for development of individual personality but also for the development of mutual understanding, fellow-feeling, love and respect, among the members of the society, among the communities, among the nations of the world and, thereby, maintain peace and amity in the human society at large. The word ‘yoga’ has originated from the root ‘yuj’ which means ‘to unite together’. In the ‘Rig Veda’, it is defined as- ‘yujyate anena.

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iti yogah’ meaning ‘that which brings unity is yoga’. Bringing together or living together is not unity; it is simply a conglomeration. Unity comes only when there is mutual understanding, fellow-feeling, love and respect towards each other, and working together, with one mind. Regular practice of yoga enkindles in the heart of the practitioner the feeling of the unity, not only towards fellow human beings, but also towards all things and beings of the animal and plant kingdoms. He starts realizing that all, including him, are the creations of God, the Almighty and we all together form a great family of brothers and sisters. As such, yogic practices develop in the practitioner fraternal attitude towards all creatures, the attitude to live peacefully and happily and let others also live in the same way. The physical and mental practices of yoga first prepare the practitioner physically, morally, mentally and spiritually and then gradually take him in the internal world deeper and deeper to go beyond the conscious state and enter into the super-conscious state and, at last, merge in the ‘Turiya’ state where he gets the vision of the real Self and can realize the supreme Truth. He gets the realization of the Atman (the real individual self) and the Paramatman (the universal cosmic self). He realizes that the Atman is nothing but a spark of the Paramatman; one is ‘Bindu’ and the other is ‘Sindhu’. He feels himself one with the Almighty and that he is one with every other of His creation. Yogic practices increase physical and mental efficiency of the practitioner. He starts working with devotion and full concentration in the work he takes up. As a result, his efficiency in work increases; he starts getting the skill of doing the work, because of which he not only becomes successful but also excels others in the work. That’s why it is said in the ‘Srimad Bhagvatgita’ that skill for excellence in work is yoga (Yogah karmasu kausalam). Sincere and regular practice of yoga makes a student a talented student, a house-holder an ideal house-holder, a service-holder an efficient service-holder, a businessman a successful businessman with honesty and diligence, a player, an expert player, a musician an accomplished musician, and so on and so forth. Yogic practices help the practitioner to develop his talents to the fullest extent.

8 Yoga Education - II Principles of Yogic Practice Unit 1

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: Fill in the blanks: i) Yoga is a ...... science. ii) Yogic practices increase ...... and ...... efficiency. iii) Yogic practices help the practitioner to develop his ……… talents to the ...... extent.

1.4 KINDS OF YOGIC PRACTICES

In order to climb the Mount Everest – the highest peak in the world, different adventurous mountaineering parties come from different countries. Though their goal is same, to reach the top of the peak, they hardly take the same routes to reach their destination. Some take the traditional route and the others venture to find new routes. In the same way, the yoga practitioners take resort to different paths of yoga in their pilgrimage to reach their supreme goal, some proceed in the conventional paths and others venture to take new paths, leaving the conventional ones. The treatises on yoga mention about different kinds of yogic practice. ‘Srimad Bhagavadgita’ describes four different kinds of yoga for four different categories of people, for persons dominated by the element of willingness to do, Yoga for persons dominated by the element of feeling, emotion and devotion, for persons of analytical mind and Dhyana or for persons of contemplative mind. Important treatises on yoga, like ‘Yoga Tattwa Upanishad’ ‘Yoga Sikha Upanishad’, ‘Siva Samhita’ etc. mention about another four kinds of yogic practices – Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. There are even more other traditional kinds of yogic practices like Yoga, Yoga, , etc, but they are more or less, off-shots of Hatha Yoga. Over and above these theistic traditional systems, two other atheistic systems of yogic practice have been found to have developed in the soils of India. They are : the Buddhist system and the Jaina system. Outside India, we find the development of the Persian Sufi Yoga and Sino-

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Japanese Zen-Yoga systems. With the increase of variations in life-styles of man, newer and newer styles of yogic practices also have been evolved by the yoga teachers in order to fit in the changing life-styles. Most of the present-day styles of yoga are offshoots of Hatha yoga with different nomenclatures, something like the old wine in a new bottle. The number of new styles are innumerable. Some important new styles of yogic practice are as follows :-  , developed by Bellura Krisnamachari Srinivas Iyengar.  Astanga-vinyasa yoga of Krishna Pattabhi Jois.  Swastha yoga of A. G. Mohan.  Vinyasa yoga popularized by Srivastava Ramaswami.  Vini yoga, developed by T.K.V. Desikachar  Anusara yoga founded by .  Vikrama yoga designed by Vikram Choudhoury  Ista yoga of Yogi Mani Finger and Alan Finger.  Kripalu yoga developed by yogi of Harbhajan Singh Yogi.  of Baron Baptiste  of Judith Lasssater.  , designed by Swami Visnudevananda  Kriya yoga of Babaji-pupularised by Paramhansa Yogananda  yoga of Swami Muktananda  of Swami  Tri Yuga of Kali Ray  of  Integral Yoga of Swami Satchidananda  Jiva Mukti Yoga, developed by and David Life  Sahaj yoga of Mata Nirmala Devi  Sahaj Raja yoga of Dada Lakhraj  Sahajmargi Raja yoga of Samarth Guru Ramchandraji  Anahata yoga of Ana Coster  Swarup yoga of swami Nityananda Saraswati.  Yantra yoga’ of Chogyal Namkhai Narbu

10 Yoga Education - II Principles of Yogic Practice Unit 1

 Kun Nye yoga – a Tibetan yogic practice  Japanese yoga of Nakamura Tempu  Taoist yoga  Bandu yoga or Burmese yoga. The propounders of the first five yoga styles given on the above list were the disciples of Tirumulai Krishnamacharya, the great yogi of southern India, who is regarded as the father of modern Hatha yoga. It was Tirumulai Krishnamacharya who has given a new dimension to the traditional Hatha yoga popounded by the great teachers like Matchyendranath, , Yogi Swatnarama and others. Most of the modern styles of yogic practice are based on the modernized Hatha yoga of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.

1.5 COMPONENTS OF YOGIC PRACTICE

Hatha yoga practices are not independent of the Raja yoga practices. Yogi Swatmarama writes in ‘’ that the steps of Hatha Yoga are the staircases to ascend to the pinnacle of Raja yoga. All the methods of Hatha yoga are meant for gaining success in the Raja yoga. Raja yogic practices have been systematically and scientifically organized by sage Patanjali. He has arranged the components of yoga in such a way so that a person is properly equipped with moral physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual practices and can proceed on in his hazardous spiritual journey, overcoming all odds faced on the way and can arrive at his destination. The components of Patanjal Yoga are – 1. the , the restraints like Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (maintenance of celibacy) and Aparigraha ( non-acceptance of what is not due), 2. the , the observances like Saucha (purity), Santosa (satisfaction), (austerity), Swadhyaya (self-analysis) and Iswara-Pranidhana (complete surrender to God); 3. the Asana (posture), 4. the (breath-control), 5. (internalize the senses by writhdrawing them from sense- objects), Yoga Education - II 11 Unit 1 Principles of Yogic Practice

6. Dharana (concentration), 7. Dhyana () and 8. (Super- or Trance). In Hatha yoga, the body is given the highest importance. It is a microcosm, a miniature edition of the macrocosm, the universe. There is nothing in the universe which is not there inside the body. All the energies are latent within the body. What is required is to set in motion the latent energies, by mastering certain physical practices. As an earthen pot is required to be backed on fire so as to make it hard and usable for water- keeping purpose, so also, the body is required to be baked hard in the fire of yoga so that it becomes immune to diseases and difficulties in life. Sage Gheranda, in the ‘’, a very important treatise on Hatha yoga, prescribes seven practices (Sapta- sadhana) for this purpose. These practices are - (1) Satkarma (Six purificatory practices) for purification of the inside of the body, (2) Asana (postures) for strengthening the body, (3) Mudra for bringing steadiness, (4) Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) for calming down the mind, (5) Pranayama (breath control) for lightness of the body, (6) Dhyana (meditation) for perception of the Self (pratyaksha) and (7) Samadhi (super-consciousness) for non-attachment (nirliptata). Yogi Swatmarama’s ‘Hath Yoga Pradipika’, mentions about Asana, Pranayama, Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha and Samadhi as means of Yoga sadhana. Yogi Swatmarama has not left behind the moral codes of Yamas and Nyamas, to mention as tools of Hatha yoga practices. Rather he has mentioned about ten Yamas and ten Niyamas.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 2: Fill up the blanks: (i) Over above the Theistic traditional systems, two other systems of Yogic practices have developed in India. They are ...... and ......

12 Yoga Education - II Principles of Yogic Practice Unit 1

systems. (ii) The propounders of the first five yoga styles in the list were disciples of ...... , the great yogi of southern India who is regarded as the father of modern ...... Q 3: How many components of yoga have been mentioned in the ‘Gheranda Samhita’? ......

1.6 LET US SUM UP

 Yogic practices are as old as human civilization. Though in different parts of the world some kinds of yoga were practiced in different civilizations, the present form of yogic practice, popularly prevalent throughout the world today, has its origin in India, even before the time of the Indus Valley Civilization.  Yoga is mostly misunderstood as some physical, mental and breathing exercises. But it is not so. It has a higher purpose, the purpose to realize the Real Self within as part of the Universal Self.  Yoga is a holistic science and has an integrated approach for holistic development , i. e., physical, mental, moral, intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. Yogic practices develop humane feelings, manifest the latent talents to the optimum and increase efficiency at work.  Four important types of Yoga are mentioned in the Srimad Bhagawat Gita. They are -, Karma Yoga, , Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga. Different Yoga scriptures have mentioned about some more kinds of Yoga, e.g., Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Kriya Yoga etc. The teachers have coined innumerable styles of yoga, according to their own conveniences, reshaping the traditional types.

Yoga Education - II 13 Unit 1 Principles of Yogic Practice

 The components of yoga, according to Patanjali are, Yama. , Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharna, Dhyana and Samadhi. The Hatha have added components like Sat-Karmas and Mudra- Bandhas to Patanjali’s prescription.

1.7 FURTHER READING

1) Anand, Sri (1981). Yoga: Develop Your Latent Powers, Honesdale, Pennsylvania: The Himalayan International of Yoga Science and Philosophy. 2) Burley, Mikel(2000). Hatha-Yoga; Its Context, Theory and Practice, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass. 3) Phukan, Bali Narayan.(2012) Yog Vijnan Parichaya,North Lakhimpur, Author.

1.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (i) holistic (ii) physical, mental (iii) latent, fullest Ans to Q No 2: (i) Buddhist, Jaina (ii) Tirumulai Krishnamacharya Ans to Q No 3: seven

1.9 MODEL QUESTIONS

A. Very short questions Q 1: What are the different types of yoga?

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Q 2: What are the Yamas? Q 3: What are the Niyamas? B. Short questions (Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Why should we practice yoga ? Q 2: Discuss, in short, the components of yoga C. Long questions (Answer in about 300-500 words) Q 1: Discuss the effects of yogic practices. How does the practice of yoga enhance the skill in action? Q 2: Explain elaborately the concept of yoga. Q 3: Describe the different kinds of yogic practices.

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Yoga Education - II 15 Unit 2 Asanas UNIT 2 : ASANAS

UNIT STRUICTURE

2.1 Learning Objectives 2.2 Introduction 2.3 The Concept of Asana 2.4 Purpose of Asana Practice 2.5 Pre-preparation for Asana Practice 2.5.1 Joint Movement and Warming Up 2.5.2 Surya Namaskar 2.5.2.1 Benefits of Surya Namaskar 2.5.2.2 Some useful instructions for the practice of Surya Namaskar 2.6 Classifications of Asanas 2.7 Important Instructions to be followed for Asana Practice 2.8 Sequences of Asanas for practice 2.9 Differences between Asana and Exercise 2.10 Let us Sum up 2.11 Further Reading 2.12 Answers to check your progress 2.13 Model Questions

2.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit, you will be able to -  acquaint yourself with Asana, one of the important components of Yoga  state the benefits to be derived from the practice of Asanas  describe the classifications made of the different Asanas  follow the preparatory phases for practicing Asanas  explain the important instructions given for practicing Asanas.

16 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2 2.2 INTRODUCTION

In the previous unit, we have learned about the principles of Yogic practices. As we all know, the most popular component of yoga, in the present day yogic field, is Asana. This unit tries to acquaint you with the concept and types of Asanas. Many article-writers, research-scholars and authors have been found to use the word ‘yoga’ in their writings to mean the ‘asana’ though ‘asana’ is only one of the components of yoga. Patanjali, in his ‘Yoga Sutras’, mentioned about eight components of yoga, among which ‘asana’ is the third component. Yogi Swatmarama, in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ has mentioned five components, among which he places ‘asana’ in the first place. He states, ‘Being the first accessory of Hatha Yoga, asana is described first. (Hathasya prathama anga tad asanam purvam ucchyate). Sage Gheranda in the ‘Gheranda Samhita’ has mentioned about seven limbs of yoga, among which he places ‘asana’ as the second component, giving the first place to ‘Satkarma’ (six purification processes) as, for him, purification of the internal body is the pre-requisite for starting practices of yoga.

2.3 THE CONCEPT OF ASANA

Asanas are some kinds of bodily postures meant for bringing steadiness, poise, flexibility, and mobility and strength of the joints, for maintaining balance in the functioning of the internal systems of the body, and for aiding in concentration of the mind. The ancient sages and saints of India found out and developed the physical postures, called ‘Asanas’ after lots of experiments done for ages together, in order to keep the body and the mind healthy and strong, so that both become fit to take up the spiritual journey and proceed in it safely to reach the ultimate goal of human life. While preparing and giving shape to the Asanas, the founding fathers were inspired and influenced by the world of nature. Many asans are found to be named after different species of the animal kingdom, like (Cobra posture), (Frog posture), (Grasshopper posture), (Camal posture),

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Simhasana (Lion posture), Vyagrasana (Tiger posture), (Crocodile posture), Marjarasana (Cat posture) etc. and different species of the plant kingdom, like (Palm-tree posture), (Tree posture), Padmasana (Lotus posture) etc. Asanas have been named after heroes, like , Veerabhadrasana, Veerasana etc.; some after sages and saints, like Matchyendrasna, Goraksasana, Mariichchyasana etc.; some others after things and materials, like , , , Naukasana, , etc. Some asanas have been named after parts of the body also, like Padahastasana, Karnapeethasana, Padangusthasana, Sirsasana, etc.

2.4 PURPOSE OF ASANA PRACTICE

Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that asanas are practised for gaining steadiness, for keeping the body free from diseases and for gaining lightness of the limbs of the body. (Kuryat Asanam sthyaryam, Arogyam cha Angalaghavam). After a number of experiments conducted with sophisticated instruments, on regular yogasana practitioners, it has been established that the practice of asana removes lethargy and stiffness, makes the vertebral column flexible and strong, increases strength and sensibility of the nerves, makes the functioning of the endocrine glands natural and regular, increases the vital power of the lungs, keeps the heart, arteries, veins, and the vaso-motor centres healthy due to which there is regular circulation of sufficient amount of blood to different parts of the body, strengthens the digestive system and the excretory system due to which the body gets proper nutrition and the wastes and poisonous materials are removed from the body, makes the skeletal muscles strong, stout and well-built, removing extra-fat. After attaining perfection in asana by practicing it for a long period , the practitioner becomes immune to hunger and thirst , pleasure and pain, heat and cold, happiness and sorrow. Hormones secreted by the endocrine glands, not only control the functioning of the body systems, but also influence the thinking process of the mind. Depending upon the hyper and hypo functioning of the glands, the nature and character of an individual becomes cruel, criminal- minded, peevish,

18 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2 unruly, meek, kind-hearted and honest. By regulating the secretion of hormone from the endocrine glands, the mentality and character of a man can be changed from a devilish one to a divine one. This transformation is possible by regular and correct practice of asanas for a longer duration, because asanas have positive effect on regulation of hormone secretion from different endocrine glands. Asanas activate the Chakras or nerve-centres and thereby bring balance among Vata (air), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) in the body, due to which there prevails homeostasis (equilibrium) in the body system. The body becomes free from disease and remains healthy. Practice of asana regularizes and strengthens the breathing process and thereby prepares the body for starting pranayama. The purpose or goal of asana practice is not just to make the body strong and stout and to keep it fit and healthy. The ultimate goal of this practice is to transform the human life to a divine life, by manifesting the divine qualities lying dormant within. According to sage Aurobindo, the goals of asana practice are-  to conquer the body, i.e., to acquire full control over the limbs, systems and the sense-organs, because the conquest of the body system, including the sense –organs, is the prime requisite for divinizing the body.  to conquer the inclinations of the body towards worldly desires;  to develop yogic power by inflaming the fire of yoga, so that the body becomes fit for higher austerities in yoga.  to become a celibate (Urdhareta), by complete conquest over sexual lust, transforming semen (Veerya) into vital energy (Ojah) . For spiritual practices like concentration, meditation and super- consciousness, one must be able to sit steadily for a long time, without any bodily disturbance like pain and discomfort. For that, what is required is a sound body, free from disease, with flexible and strong vertebral column and limbs, so as to allow the practitioner to sit erect for a long time without body consciousness.

Yoga Education - II 19 Unit 2 Asanas

Asanas prepare the body for the purpose of higher sadhanas like pranayama and meditation, by making the body, particularly, the spinal column flexible and strong enough to keep the body erect, without discomfort, for a long period of time. Asanas prepare the practitioner, not only physically, but also mentally, by bringing concentration of the mind with full awareness, first, on the parts of the body involved in the asana practice and, finally, merging the mind in infinity. Sage Patanjali states in the ‘Yoga Sutras’ that, in the final stage of asana, the limbs are required to be carefully relaxed and the mind be merged in the infinity (2/47). As a result, a calm and blissful feeling comes to the body-mind complex.

2.5 PRE-PREPARATION FOR ASANA PRACTICE

2.5.1 Joint Movement and Warming up

Asanas are bodily postures. While performing an asana the different parts of the body are moved by bending at the joints in different directions for which the joints are required to be kept flexible. With stiff joints, movement of the body-parts in different directions become very difficult. Pain is felt in the joints. Practicing asana with stiff joints may lead to sprain in the joints. So, it is required to make the joints flexible, by warming up and systematic joint- movements, before going to take up asana session. During winter season, warming up of the body and joint movements are very much necessary. Joint movements are to be done from toes to the neck and fingers to the shoulders. The vertebral joints are to be moved forward, backward, sideways and twisted by bending the trunk in respective directions. Warming up of the body, which is required, particularly during the winter season, is to be done by light jogging for a few minutes, so long the body is not warmed up. After jogging, rest is to be taken for few minutes to allow the internal functioning of the body to come to normalcy. After that only, asans are to be

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practiced, starting with standing, stretching, balancing and trunk- bending asanas- like Tadasana, Vriksasana, , Standing Ardha-chakrasana, Padahastasana, Ardha-kati chakrasana, , Parivarta Trikonasana, Parsva Konasana, Parivarta Parsva Konasana, Sira-padangusthasana etc. Before starting asana session, one may practice a few rounds of Surya Namaskar in order to make the body more flexible and favourable for asana practice.

2.5.2 Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)

In the Rig-veda it is said that it is the Sun which gives nourishment to all beings in this world. It is the main body of our solar system, from which all the planets, including the earth in which we live, have originated and centering round which they are revolving continuously. All the living beings on earth from the plant kingdom to the human beings take birth, grow and at last die due to the influence of the light and heat of the sun. It is upon the quality and quantity of light and heat of the sun that the increase and decrease of vitality of the living world depend. We find different climatic seasons like summer, winter, spring and autumn and different climatic zones like equatorial, frigid, temperate and torrid, different kinds of plants and animals due to the differences of light and heat of the sun in these regions. Even the shape, size, life- span and food-habits of beings on the planets are dependent upon solar rays. For our solar system, the sun is like God, because without it, it is not possible to think of the existence of things and beings, even the existence of the planet we live in. In the Indian cultural tradition, the sun is regarded not just a gigantic luminary but also as a conscious super-power being which controls creation, preservation and destruction of all things and beings on this world. Therefore the sun is being worshipped as a powerful god since ancient days. In ancient civilizations, other than Indian also, like the Civilizations of Inca, Maya, Mesopotamia, Egypt etc the sun was worshipped as one of the important deities. It has Yoga Education - II 21 Unit 2 Asanas

been proved by the discoveries of modern science that the sun- rays have tremendous effect on the natural happenings like earthquake, eruption of volcano, events happening in human society like battle and warfare, socio-political unrest, natural calamities, increase of diseases like hypertension, diabetes, asthma etc, and even on rise and fall of stock market. After knowing the influence of the sun on the determination of the flow of life and life-style, it can easily be appreciated the reason why our forefathers gave importance to the sun as a powerful god and prayed to it as a deity. The influences stated above are the influences of the external sun. Solar power is flowing within our body also, which energizes our body system. We collect vital powers form the outside world with the help of two main nadis (channels), called Surya- (pingala) and Chandra- nadi (Ida) and fill our body with vitality. By practicing the series of exercises called Surya Namaskar it is possible to activate the solar energy within the body and by tuning the vital energy within with the solar energy outside it is possible to keep the body and mind healthy and full of vitality. Surya Namaskar is a series of twelve dynamic cultural postures, shaped by the ancient sages of India, after lot of experiments. With the help of these postures the limbs of the body are systematically bent forward and backward so that the joints of the body become flexible, there is free flow of blood to all the parts of the body and the whole body is rejuvenated (Details of how to practice Surya Namaskar is given in Yoga Education II (practical)

2.5.2.1 Benefits of Surya Namaskar

Regular practice of Surya Namaskar-  Keeps both the body and the mind healthy, energetic and enterprising;  Gives a good shape to the body by working upon all the limbs equally;

22 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2

 Makes all the skeletal muscles strong, stout and well shaped;  Drives away unwanted fat from different parts of the body;  Activates the nerve-centres, thereby increases the working Peristaltic: The power of the nerves; wavelike movements of  Normalizes the functioning of the endocrine glands; the intestine etc. caused  Brings flexibility to the vertebral column; when the muscles  Increases the vital index of the two lungs and the heart; contract and relax.  Helps in peristaltic activities of the stomach and intestine, thereby helps in proper digestion of food and excretion of waste materials from the intestine;  Increases mental concentration.

2.5.2.2 Some useful instructions for the practice of Surya Namaskar

 Surya Namaskar is to be practised as far as possible, in the open air, in clean, dry and lighted place, just immediately after sun-rise. The rays of the early morning sun are very useful for the body. Vitamin D is absorbed by the body from the morning sun.  Clothing should be as light and as loose as possible so that air and sun-light can enter through the dress to the body. But, during winter ,when there is chill, one should not wear clothes so light that one shivers while practising Surya Namaskar.  Practice Surya Namaskar on empty stomach. The gap between a meal and Surya Namaskar should be four hours in case of heavy meal and two hours in case of light meal. If there is no asana and or pranayama session after Surya Namaskar, light meal may be taken after half an hour and heavy meal after one hour of practice of Surya Namaskar.  Surya Namaskar should be practiced after clearing the bowel in the morning. One can take bath before as well as after practicing Surya Namaskar but there should be a gap of half an hour in between the two.

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 Surya Namaskar may be practiced by people of any age irrespective of sex, after attaining the age of eight years. Considering age and physical capability Surya Namaskar should be pracised carefully. Persons suffering from hypertension, heart-diseases, stroke, hernia and tuberculosis should not practice Surya Namaskar. But people suffering from Sciatica, spondylitis, disc prolapse etc should avoid forward bending postures and should not practice it without the advice of medical expert and without the guidance of a yoga therapy expert. Woman should refrain from practicing Surya Namaskar during menstruation period. Pregnant woman must avoid this practice after twelve weeks of pregnancy till fortieth day after child-birth.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: Fill in the blanks : (i) Yogi Swatmarama, in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ has mentioned five components, among which he places ‘asana’ in the ...... place. (ii) ...... secreted by the endocrine glands, control not only the ...... of the body systems but also ....………… the thinking process of the mind. (iii) Sage Patanjali states in the ‘Yoga Sutras’ that, in the final stage of asana, the limbs are required to be carefully relaxed and the mind be merged in the ...... (iv) Surya Namaskar is a series of ...... dynamic cultural postures, shaped by the ancient sages of India, after lot of experiments. Q 2: What bodily preparations one has to do before practicing asanas ? Write a brief answer......

24 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2 2.6 CLASSIFICATIONS OF ASANAS

No classification was made of Asanas in the ancient treatises on yoga, like ‘Goraksha Paddhati’, ‘ Hatha Yoga Pradpika’, ‘Gheranda Samhita’ etc. These scriptures mention that there are as many asanas as there are living beings on earth. Out of these innumerable asanas, the Yoga Expert Committee of the ‘Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’ has identified, till 2010, 900 traditional asanas which have been preserved in the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library. Basing upon their usefulness, asanas are classified into three major groups: Dhyanasanas (Meditative Postures), Swasthyasanas (Cultural Postures) and Visranti Asanas (Relaxing or Resting Postures). (i) Dhyanasanas (Meditative postures): For practice of meditation one is required to sit in such a posture where the trunk, the head and the neck remain erect and perpendicular to the floor. Steadiness, ease and erection of the trunk and the head are very important in meditation. The asanas in which these features are prominent and which facilitate meditation are called Dhyanasanas (Meditative Postures) . The Dhyanasanas are- ,Swastikasana, , Padmasana, Vajrasana and Veerasana. Bhadrasana and Gomokhasana may also be used as meditative asana. When they are used for meditation, they are termed as meditative postures; otherwise, they are termed as cultural postures; (Description of meditative postures have been given in yoga Education 1- practical) (ii) Visranti Asanas (Relaxative or Resting postures) : These asanas are meant for relaxation of the body. These are used for taking rest after practicing the cultural postures. In these asanas, all the limbs and muscles of the body are fully relaxed. The mind is also made tension- free and relaxed. and Makarasana are the two important relaxing postures. In these asanas, particularly in Savasana, breathing rate of the lungs, heart-rate and the metabolic activities in the cells, all become slow; the frequency of the brain-waves come down to the minimum. The body

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and mind get maximum relaxation, which facilitates conservation of energy. The body-mind complex is so rejuvenated that it can start working with new zeal and enthusiasm. (Description of Visranti Asanas has been given in ‘Yoga Education I- Practical.) (iii) Swasthyasanas (cultural postures): Living aside the Dhyasanas and Visranti Asanas, all other asanas are called Swasthyasanas (cultural postures). These asanas are mostly concerned with the health and culture of the limbs of the body. The cultural postures may be divided, on the basis of body position at the time of starting the asanas, as – standing postures, sitting postures, lying-down postures. Lying on floor postures may be divided into supine posture and prone-on postures. Some examples of these postures are as follows:  Standing postures : Tadasana, Vrikasana, Padahastasana, Ardha- kati chakrasana,Trikonasana, Parsva-konasana etc.  Sitting Postures : All meditative postures, Pachimottanasana, Yoga mudra, Akarna – Dhanurasana, Ustrasana, Chandrasana, Sasangasana etc.  Lying on (spine) Postures : Viparit karani mudra, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Uttan padasana, Pavan-Muktasana, etc.  Lying on (Prone-on) postures: Bhujangasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Naukasana etc. Basing upon the way of bending of the spinal column, asanas may, again, be divided into forward-bending asanas, backward-bending asanas, sideward- bending asanas and spine-twisting asanas. Example of these categories are as follows:  Forward-bending asanas : Padahastasana, Pachim-, Halasana, Sasanga- sana, Sira-Padangusthasana etc.  Backward-bending asanas : Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Chakrasana, Setubandh-asana, Ustrasana, Supta-Vajrasana, Naukasana etc.  Sideward bending asanas : Ardhakati Chakrasana Trikonasana, Parsva-konasana etc.

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 Spine-Twisting asanas : Parivarta Parsvakonasana, Vakrasana, Matchyendrasana, Markatasana etc. Some asanas are termed as Balancing asanas. For example : Vriksasana, Veera Bhadrasana, Mayuarasana, Sirsasana, Vyaghrasasana etc. Some other asanas are called Topsy-turvy asanas viz- Sirsasana, Viparit Karani Mudra, Sarvangasana etc. (Description of cultural standing postures have been given in ‘Yoga Education I – Practical’. Asanas practiced on supine and prone-on position will be described in Yoga Education -II (Practical)

2.7 IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOLLOWED FOR ASANAS PRACTICE

 Place: The best place for practicing asana is open air meadow or lawn. Asanas may be practiced inside a room also, but the room should be well-ventilated, spacious and neat and tidy. The place chosen for practicing asana should not be changed frequently.  Time: For practicing asana, morning is the best time. One may practice in the evening also, if time does not permit in the morning hours. The practitioner should fix the time and period for asana, after considering his convenience. Once prepared, the routine should be adhered to seriously, unless change of time and period is necessitated by unavoidable circumstances.  Clothing: Asana practitioner should wear light and loose-fitted cotton clothing. One should not use belt, ornaments, watch etc during practice, which disturb the free practice of asana. Moreover, one may get injury due to wearing of ornaments etc.  Materials for spreading for asana practice: It is better that a folded blanket or cotton bed cover is used for the purpose of practicing asana. The cloth used should be kept very clean. One should use his/her own material for the purpose. Now a days, yoga-mats and yoga-carpets are used. In case mats and carpets are used, these should be always kept clean. Yoga Education - II 27 Unit 2 Asanas

 Bodily requirements: Asana should be practiced after emptying the bowel by evacuation of stool and urine. After morning toilet one should take bath, wear clean dress meant for yoga-practice and then start the practice of asana.  Gap between meal and asana practice: For practicing asana a gap of four hours is needed between a heavy meal and the practice, and two hours gap between light-meal and practice. After asana session one should wait for half an hour to take light meal and one hour to take heavy meal.

2.8 SEQUENCE OF ASANAS FOR PRACTICE

For practice, the sequence of asanas should be arranged in such a way that easy asanas are practiced first and, then, gradually start practicing the difficult ones. While practicing an asana, if the asana is done by using one side, it should be done by using the other side also. For example, when a backward bending asana is performed, a forward bending asana is also to be performed. When left side of the body is used in the asana, the right side also is to be used equally. In the same way, in practicing the body- twisting asanas the body is required to be twisted in both the directions alternatively.

2.9 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ASANA AND EXERCISE

Though the postures of many of the asanas look like free-hand exercises, in actual practice they are not exercises. There are lots of differences between asana and exercise. The purpose of practicing asana is mostly spiritual and partly physical. The road of spiritual journey is not easy, it is very strenuous. For the spiritual journey, the body is the most important vehicle, which is required to be trained and prepared to undertake the strenuous journey non-stop, without tiredness and without failure. Asanas prepare the body to complete the pilgrimage successfully.

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There are many differences between asana and physical exercise. Some of the important differences are as follows:  The fundamental difference between asana and exercise is that the goal or purpose of both are different. The purpose of exercise is confined to the physical aspect only. It is to make the body strong, stout and well-built. In asana though the body is cultured, yet is not its goal. Its goal is to make the body fit for spiritual journey by purging and divinizing it, by enflaming yogic fire in it.  The state of a posture in which the body is kept motionless and at ease is called asana. While going to asana and coming back from asana, the limbs of the body are moved very slowly and rhythmically. In asana, emphasis is given on the static position, where the body is kept relaxed, with usual breathing. On the other hand, movement is the characteristic feature of exercise. In exercise, the limbs of the body are moved in quick motion.  Calories of energy required for performing an asana, is minimum, from 0.8 to 3 calories; whereas, in exercise, calories consumed is from 2 to 14. In strenuous exercises, it is much more than that also. As a result, in practicing asanas, no tiredness is felt by the practitioners, but in doing exercise one gets tired and requires to take rest.  In asana, the joints get strength and poisonous elements and calcium cannot be deposited in the joints, whereas it is not so in case of exercise. Physical culturists are prone to sufferring from joint pain, arthritis, rheumatism and gout in later years.  In physical exercise importance is given on the culture and development of the external muscles; on the other hand, in asana, importance is given on the strengthening of the muscles of the internal organs.  In asana, vital energy (Prana Shakti) is gained and preserved, but in exercise this energy is spent, not preserved.  Practice of asana brings balance in the functioning of the internal organs like heart, lungs etc, but the practice of physical exercise

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brings unsteadiness, and, so, we gasp.  Practice of asana affects the mind. In the ‘Yoga Sutras,’ Patanjali mentions that in asana the practitioner relaxes the body-mind complex with care and submerges his mind in the eternity. While doing so the mind becomes calm and quiet. Mental stress and strain fade away. Awareness and attention increase. In physical exercise, mental aspect is not taken care of.  In asana, utmost importance is given to cleanliness of dress, place and body-external as well as internal, and purification of the mind. In exercise, this aspect is not paid heed to.  In case of diet, the practitioners of exercise require high-caloried diet, rich in carbohydrate, protein and fat. But asana-practitioners require simple swattic diet, full of vitamins and minerals. Because of the burning of more energy in exercise, a physical culturist generally becomes a voracious eater. He eats for enjoyment (bhoga). On the other hand, a yoga-practitioner becomes a moderate-eater; he takes food for the nourishment of his body.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 3: Fill in the blanks: (i) Basing upon their usefulness, asanas are classified into three major groups: ...... , ...... and ...... Asanas. (ii) The purpose of practicing asana is mostly ...... and partly ...... (iii) In asana, ...... is gained and preserved, but in exercise this energy is ...... , not preserved. Q 4: What instructions are to be followed for practice of asanas? ......

30 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2 2.10 LET US SUM UP

 Asanas are some kinds of bodily postures which develop steadiness, flexibility and strength of the body and the mind. During practice alertness and awareness are important.  Regular practice of asanas increases strength and sensibility of the nerves, makes the endocrine glands function efficiently, increases the lung-capacity and circulation of blood to the different parts of the body, strengthens the digestive and the excretory systems. The practitioner becomes balanced in opposite situation, like hunger and thirst, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc.  The purpose of practicing asanas is not just to make the body fit and healthy, but also to transform the human life to a divine one, manifesting the divine qualities lying dormant within.  For spiritual sadhana one is required to sit steadily for a long time without any disturbance. Asanas prepare the body for this purpose.  For starting asana session one needs to mobilize the bone-joints. During winter season warming up of the body is also required, because due to coolness during winter the body remains stiff. For bringing more flexibility to the body, one may do a few rounds of Surya-namaskara before starting asana session.  Though no classifications of asanas had been given in the ancient yoga treatises, based upon their usefulness the asanas are classified into three major groups, viz., Meditative asanas, Cultural asanas and Relaxing asanas. Cultural asanas may again be divided into standing, sitting, lying down, forward-bending, backward-bending, twisting, balancing and topsy-turvy asanas.  While going to start practicing asanas the practitioner is to take care of some important factors like Place, Time, Clothing, Materials for use in asana-practice, Bodily Requirements, Gap between meal and asana- practice etc.

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 Asanas and physical exercises are not same. There are many differences between the two systems. The basic difference is that the goal of physical exercise is confined to the development and strengthening of the body only, while the goal of asana is primarily spiritual and the physical aspect is only secondary.

2.11 FURTHER READING

1) Iyengar, B. K. S.(1974). , Mandal Books 2) Kuvalayananda, Swami. Asana, Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, Maharastra 3) Phukan, B. N.(2013). Yog Vijnan Parichaya, North Lakhimpur, Author. 4) Yogeswar.(2004). Textbook of Yoga, Penguin Books India (P) Ltd.

2.12 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (i) first (ii) Hormones, functioning, influences (iii) infinity (iv) twelve Ans to Q No 2: The practitioner has to do some joint movements, i.e., mobilization of joints from the toes to the neck and the fingers to the shoulders, and some warm up exercises, like jogging, in order to make the muscles and joints flexible. Ans to Q No 3: (i) Dhyanasanas, Swasthyasanas, Visranti. (ii) spiritual, physical (iii) vital energy (Prana shakti) Ans to Q No 4: Instructions to be followed for practicing asanas are : (1) choosing a clean and airy place, (2) fixing a time and adhering to that, (3) wearing light and loose and airy dress, (4) using clean material for spreading, (5) clearing of bowel before asana session, (6) maintaining of sufficient gap in between meal and asana practice,etc.

32 Yoga Education - II Asanas Unit 2 2.13 MODEL QUESTIONS

A. Very short questions Q 1: State the purpose for practicing asanas mentioned in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’. Q 2: Who should avoid forward-bending postures ? Q 3: Name three important scriptures on Hatha Yoga B. Short questions(Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Write about the goals of practicing asanas, according to Aurobindo? Q 2: State what preparations are required for starting Asana session? Q 3: Write about the benefits of Surya Namaskara. C. Long Questions(Answer in about 300-500 words) Q 1: Describe the classifications of asanas. Q 2: Write a note on the differences between asana and physical exercise. Q 3: Write briefly about the concept of Asana and purpose of Asana practice.

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Yoga Education - II 33 Unit 3 Pranayamas UNIT 3 : PRANAYAMAS

UNIT STRUCTURE

3.1 Learning Objectives 3.2 Introduction 3.3 The Concept of Pranayama 3.3.1 The Prana 3.3.2 Forms of Prana 3.3.3 The Nadis 3.3.4 The Chakras 3.4 Breath Control and Usefulness of Pranayama 3.5 Preparations prior to practice of Pranayama 3.6 Phases of Pranayama Practice 3.7 Kinds of Pranayama 3.8 Differences between Pranayama and Deep Breathing 3.9 Let us sum up 3.10 Further Reading 3.11 Answers to ‘Check your progress’ 3.12 Model Questions

3.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit you will be able to –  state the meaning of Pranayama in the real sense of the term  describe the components of Pranayama  explain the effects of Pranayama in different parts of the body  describe what preparations are to be made before going to practice Pranayama;  explain the different phases of Pranayama;  describe the kinds of Pranayama;  explain the differences between Pranayama and Deep Breathing.

34 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3 3.2 INTRODUCTION

This unit discusses the concept of Pranayama. There is a misconception prevailing among a large number of people, even in the days when yoga has gained global recognition and popularity, that yoga and pranayama are two different entities. Many books and articles are also being written on yoga and pranayama, many of which can create either confusion or misconception among the readers. As hands and feet are inseparable parts of the body, not separate from it, so also pranayama is an inseparable part of yoga, not a separate entity. Pranayama is a very important and indispensable component of yoga – whether that yoga be Raja Yoga or Hatha Yoga. This component of yoga was associated with religious rituals during the Vedic and post-Vedic period. Even now, the Hindu priests are found to practice some kind of pranayama while performing rituals. It is believed that the practice of pranayama gives more vitality and dynamism to the ritualistic activity and the ritual becomes more effective. Apart from its association with ritualistic performances, pranayama was practised, without linking it with religious performances, by a section of sages and saints, like the Dheeras, the Vratyas, the Kesins etc. in the ancient days. By regularly practising pranayama along with other components of yoga they not only maintained good health and increased life-span, but also acquired super-human and super-natural powers. Their boons and curses were becoming effective, word by word. They could become ‘Trikalagya’ – the knower of past, present and future.

3.3 THE CONCEPT OF PRANAYAMA

The word ‘Pranayama’ is a combination of two Sanskrit words – ‘Prana’ and ‘Ayama’, which means collection, accumulation and extension of vital force. In simple words, pranayama is the control of breath. Sage Patanjali states that the cessation of flow of inhalation and exhalation is pranayama (Yoga-Sutras 2/49). In the Srimad also it is said that pranayama is the restraining of movement of incoming and

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outgoing breaths. Collection, accumulation and extension of prana, no doubt, starts with the cessation of the flow of incoming and outgoing breath, but that is not all of pranayama. That is just the tip of an iceberg floating on the sea. ‘Prana’ is much more than breathing, though breathing is the medium with the help of which it is acquired by the body from the outside world. If it is not breathing, then question comes, what is ‘Prana’?

3.3.1 The Prana

The Prana is that conscious energy which, flowing inside the animal and plant kingdoms, as well as the Universe, keeps all of them working consciously with vigour and zeal. It is Prana which is responsible for creation, preservation, growth and destruction of all things and beings of this world. All living beings on earth, from unicellular amoeba to the multi-cellular gigantic whale, from tiny insect to the highly intellectually developed creature, called man, are existing because of Prana alone. All the vehicles of consciousness, whether they are physical or mental, depend upon Prana for their vitality and energy to work. It is stated in the ‘Katha Upanishad’ that the things and beings of the world have come into being out of Prana and it is Prana which keeps them dynamic. The ‘Prasna Upanishad’ mentions that whatever is there in the three worlds are all under the control of Prana. The ocean of Prana, i.e. Mahaprana, is pervading throughout the Universe and the living beings collect Prana-Shakti required for their dynamic existence from it. Flowing through our Pranamanya (vital seath) the small fraction of the Mahaprana Shakti is controlling and conducting our physical and mental activities. In Pranayama it is attempted to manage the Mahaprana- shakti by getting full control over the Prana-shakti inside the body. Though the amount of Prana-shakti inside the body is too small in comparison to the Mahaprana Shakti, it is pervading throughout the (Sukshma Sarira) with the help of the three and a half lakhs of nadis’ (channels) spread to all the parts of the body. 36 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3

3.3.2 Forms of Prana

The prana, inside the body, is manifested in ten different forms. Out of these, five are major and five minor (upa-prana). The five major are – Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana, and the five minor Pranas are – Naga, Kurma, Krikara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya. The ‘Siva Samhita’ states that the seat of the ‘Prana’ is the heart, of the ‘Apana’ is the anus, of the ‘Samana’ is the region about the naval, of the ‘Udana’, the throat while ‘Vyana’ moves all over the body. The five minor Pranas are associated with the following functions of the body. - Naga with belching, - Kurma with blinking of the eyes, - Krikara with hunger and thirst, - Devadatta with yawning and - Dhananjaya with hiccup.

3.3.3 The Nadis

The Pranas spread to all the tissues and cells of the body through the ‘nadis’, which, according to the ‘Siva-Samhita’, are three lakhs fifty thousands in number. Of them fourteen are principal. They are Susumna, Ida, Pingala, Gandhari, Hastijihvika, Kuhu, Saraswati, Pusa, Sankhini, Payaswani, Varuni, Alambusa, Vishwodari and Yasaswami. Among these fourteen, three ‘Nadis’ – Ida, Pingala and Susumna, are very important and among the three, the Susumna is the chief nadi.

3.3.4 The Chakras

There are seven principal nerve-centres (Chakras) in the human body. These are Muladhara at the perineum, Swadhistan at the roof of genitals, Manipura at the naval region, Anahata at the cardiac region, Visuddha at the neck region, Ajna at the region between the two eye-brows and at the cerebral region. Yoga Education - II 37 Unit 3 Pranayamas

The central nadi – the Susumna starts from the Muladhara and flows through the Swadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha and Ajna Chakras and ends at Sahasrara . The two other principal nadis on the two sides of the Susumna, the ‘Ida’ and the ‘Pingala’ start from the Muladhara Chakra, criscros through the Swadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha and Ajna Chakra and end in the two nostrils – the Ida in the left and the Pangala in the right nostril. The rest eleven principal nadis rise from the Muladhara Chakra and go to the various organs of the body. From these fourteen nadis, all other nadis originate and branch off to cover all parts of the body. These nadis, through which Prana-Shakti flows, cannot be found in the gross body (Sthula Sarira). Yogic literatures mention about three bodies and five sheaths. The three bodies are (1) Gross body (Sthula Sariva), (2) Subtle body (Sukshma Sarira) and (3) Causal body (Karana Sarira); and the five Sheaths () are (1) Sheath of Flash and Blood (Annamaya Kosha), (2) Vital Sheath or Sheath of Bio-energy (Pranamaya Kosha), (3) Mental Sheath (Manomaya Kosha), (4) Intellectual Sheath (Vijnanamaya Kosha) and (5) Sheath of Bliss (Anandamaya Kosha). The place of existence of the nadis is the Pranamaya Kosha. (Vital Sheath).

3.4 BREATH CONTROL AND USEFULNESS OF PRANAYAMA

The vehicle for transporting the Prana-Shakti from the outside world to the inside of our body is respiration or breathing. So, the process of control over Prana starts with the control of the breathing process. In Pranayama, first of all, the channels through which Prana-Shakti flows, are cleansed so that there is no obstruction for free flow of Prana. Thereafter, it is attempted to bring, under control, the incoming and outgoing breaths, i.e., the process of inhalation and exhalation. When it is achieved, the two flows – incoming and outgoing – are separated by stopping the breathing process (), and the Prana-shakti is extended throughout the body with the help of the nadis flowing in the vital sheath 38 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3

(Pranamaya Kosha). On breathing depends our life, our health and our life-span. So long we are inhaling and exhaling we are alive. As soon as the process stops we die. The process of breathing starts with our birth and ends with our death. The health and vitality of our cells and tissues depend upon the amount of oxygen we take into our cells through inhalation and the amount of carbon-di-oxide we expel from the body through exhalation. If the cells don’t get sufficient amount of oxygen they cannot manufacture sufficient amount of energy and become weak. As a result, the body loses immunity against disease. Even the life-span of the body depends upon respiration. Animals with high frequency of respiration have shorter life-span while animals having low frequency of respiration have longer life-span. Human beings take fifteen to twenty rounds of breath per minute in normal circumstances. It is possible to reduce the frequency of breathing by practicing pranayama and thereby it is possible to increase the life-span by its regular practice. Process of breathing influences not only our physical health but also our mental conditions. It is observed that the flow of breath becomes uneven when we become emotionally agitated and it comes to normalcy as soon as our mind calms down. Reversely, it is possible to bring tranquility of the mind by controlling the breath and making it flow evenly. In pranayama, the breathing process is controlled in such a way that it remains rhythmic and slow. As a result, the mind also remains in a calm and quiet state. Then agitation, anxiety, depression etc cannot disturb the mind and it becomes free from all kinds of stress and strain. After a series of scientific experiments conducted on the pranayama practitioners in India and abroad, it has been established that the practice of pranayama increases the lung-capacity, moves the vital index upward, strengthens and energizes the nervous system and the internal organs by acting upon the brain and the root of the nerves. Pranayama brings under control the centres of emotion in the brain, as a result of which stresses and strains cannot disturb the mind. The mind remains calm in different difficult situations also.

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Because of willful control of breathing, the will power of the practitioner increases tremendously and he develops the mental strength to face the difficult challenges coming to his life and can walk ahead successfully in the journey of his life.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: State the meaning of Prana......

...... Q 2: How many Nadis are there in our body ? ...... Q 3: How many bodies do we have ? ...... Q 4: How many main Chakras are there in our body ? ......

3.5 PREPARATIONS PRIOR TO PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA

In pranayama, the usual breathing is sought to be brought under control of the practitioner by stopping inhalation and exhalation. It may be as dangerous as that of taming a wild ferocious animal like the lion, the tiger etc. Hasty practice may even be fatal for the practitioner. Yogi Swatmarama mentions in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ that pranayama practised properly eradicates all diseases, while an improper practice generates diseases like hiccup, asthma, cough, headache, pain in the ears and eyes and other various diseases. So, the practitioner is required to proceed with utmost care, caution, tactfulness and patience. Pre-Preparation is a must for all pranayama practices. For the pranayama practice certain qualities and healthy habits like stability,

40 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3 tolerance and internal purification of the body, cleanliness of the nadis, steadiness of the flow of breathing are necessarily required. So, the practitioner is required to prepare himself/herself by practicing Yama, Niyama and Asana before starting the pranayama practice. In the , like ‘Trisikhi Brahmanopanishad’, ‘Sandilya Upanishad’ etc. it is said that one should start the practice of pranayama only after the practice of Yama, Niyama, Asana and Nadisuddhi. Yogi Swatmarama, in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’, also emphasizes upon getting mastery over asana, getting control over the senses and the habit of moderate eating prior to the practice of pranayama which is to be started only under the guidance of an expert teacher (Guru). The following preparations are required prior to practicing pranayama :  First, one must learn how to sit. For practicing pranayama one is required to sit in a meditative posture, keeping the spine erect and the body steady and comfortably for a long time.  Then, learn how to breathe. Breathing is a natural process which continues from our birth till death. But our usual breathing is not a regulated breathing; it is autonomic. It is not always rhythmic. Generally, we use a small part of our lungs – usually one third of our lungs- in our normal breathing. Most of us do not have control over sectional breathing where only one lobe of the lungs is used and over complete breathing where all the lobes of the two lungs are filled. Before practicing Pranayama, therefore, one is to learn how to breathe properly with rhythm and continuity, having control over the process.  For practicing Pranayama both the nostrils are to be kept healthy and clean so that there is free flow of air through both of them. For that purpose, all kinds of measures are to be taken; if required, one is to take resort to ‘’ – a Yogic cleansing process for keeping the nasal passages and the sinus clean.  Before starting pranayama, the interior part of the body is to be cleaned by doing ‘Sat karma’ – the six measures for purging the interior of the

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body.  ‘Mudras’ and ‘Bandhas’ are associated with pranyama practice. So one has to learn the practice of ‘Mudras’ and ‘Bandhas’ which are necessary for practicing some of the pranayamas.  One must take resort to moderate diet for practicing pranyama. The ‘Gheranda Samhita’ mentions that those who start practicing Yoga (particularly pranayama) without moderate diet, suffer different kinds of diseases.  Before starting the practice of pranayama one must cleanse the ‘nadis’ in order to allow the Prana-shakti move freely to different parts of the body. It is the ‘nadis’ through which the Prana Shakti flows to the entire body. In the two important treatises on hatha yoga – ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ and ‘Gheranda Samhita’ it is written that with dirty channels of the ‘nadis’ where air cannot pass it is not possible to practice pranayama. So, practise ‘nadisuddhi’ first, and then, practise pranyama.  For the practice of pranayama, the mind is required to be prepared in such a way so that it remains free from tension and instability. Stress and strain due to anxiety, anger, lust etc. agitate the mind and makes it emotionally unsteady. Emotional instability affects the flow of breathing; it becomes abnormal and uneven. Emotional tranquility is an important factor in keeping the breathing even and normal. It is possible only by changing the mental attitude. Mental attitude is possible to be changed by practising Yamas and Niyamas – the first two components of Astanga Yoga, with seriousness.  Asana practice is a necessary pre-requisite for pranayama practice. The Practice of Asana makes the spine strong, all the joints of the limbs, including the vertebral column flexible and the nerves strong and energetic enough to allow the practitioner to sit erect and steadily for a long time without any discomfort. Famous Yoga-teacher of the twentieth country, B.K.S. Iyengar, emphasizes the mastery over asana prior to the practice of pranayama.  In the ‘Gheranda Samhita’ four kinds of preparations for the practice of pranayama have been prescribed. These are –

42 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3

(a) Selection of a right place – a place which is airy, free from all kinds of pollution, away from the din and bustle and safe. (b) Selection of a suitable season and time. For commencing yoga practice, the beginning should be made in spring or autumn season, not in winter (Hemant), cold (Sisira), Hot (Grisma) or Rainy (Varsa) seasons. (c) Correct and frugal diet (Mitahara) (d) Cleansing of the nadis (Nadisudhana)

3.6 PHASES OF PRANAYAMA PRACTICE

Pranayama has four phases of breathing. While going to practice pranayama, first of all, the lungs are to be made empty of air by long exhalation. This phase is called ‘Sunyaka’. After ‘Sunyaka’ starts the three phases of Pranayama – ‘Puraka’, ‘Kumbhaka’ and ‘Rechaka’. Puraka is filling the lungs by inhaling air from outside, Kumbhaka is retention of the inhaled air in the lungs and Rechaka is empting the lungs by exhalation of air from it to the outside world. In pranayama, inhalation and exhalation are to be rhythmic and long. The ratio of duration for Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka is 1:4:2, i.e., if one minute is spent for ‘Puraka’ the time spent for Kumbhaka and Rechaka should be four minutes and two minutes respectively. ‘Kumbhaka’ is the central and most important phase of pranayama. In the yoga treatises, like ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’, ‘Gheranda Samhita’ etc. the word ‘Kumbhaka’ is used to mean pranayama. ‘’, are generally of three types, viz., Antara-kumbhaka, Varya-kumbhaka and Kevala-kumbhaka. Retention of breath after inhalation i.e. after ‘Puraka’, is called ‘Antara-Kumbhaka’, retention after exhalation i.e. after ‘Rechaka’, is called ‘Varya Kumbhaka’ while the retention of breath without inhalation (Puraka) and exhalation (Rechaka) is called ‘Kevala- Kumbhaka’.

3.7 KINDS OF PRANAYAMA

There are different kinds of Pranayama. Based upon the nature of inhalation (Puraka) and exhalation (Rechaka) Yogi Swatmarama and Yoga Education - II 43 Unit 3 Pranayamas

Gheranda have mentioned about eight different kinds of Pranayama, out of which six are common to both. The common six are – Suryabheda, , Sitali, , Bhramari and Murcha. The uncommon are – Sitkari and Plavani of Swatmarama and Sahita and Kevali of Gheranda. (Description of pranayama is given in ‘Yoga Education 2’-Practical).

3.8 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRANAYAMA AND DEEP- BREATHING

For the practice of all kinds of pranayama, breathing is the medium and in most of the pranayamas inhalation and exhalation are long. So, many people misunderstand pranayama to be some kinds of deep breathing. But pranayamas are not deep-breathing exercises. There are significant differences between Pranayama and deep breathing as shown below-  In deep-breathing exercises, though both the inhalation and exhalation are long and deep, no importance is given to measurement and ratio of inhalation and exhalation. But, in pranayama, both the inhalation and the exhalation are measured ones and the ratio of the two is properly calculated. The ratio of inhalation and exhalation should be 1:2. It means, the length of exhalation should be double of that of inhalation.  In deep-breathing there is no retention of breath while in pranayama holding of breath, i.e. Kumbhaka in between Puraka (breathing in air) and Rechaka (breathing out air) is an indispensable part. The ratio of Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka should be 1:4:2, that means, retention of breath (Kumbhaka) should be four times lengthier than Puraka and two times longer than Rechaka.  Pranayama is accompanied by ‘Mudras’ and Bandhas whereas these two components of Yoga are not associated with deep-breathing.  All the pranayamas, except Bhramana Pranayama which is practiced while walking, are practised by sitting in a meditative posture, keeping the spine erect and relaxing all the muscles of the body. In deep- breathing, these aspects are not taken care of.

44 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 5: Fill in the blanks - (i) ...... is a must for all pranayama practices. (ii) ...... and ...... are associated with pranayama practice. (iii) ...... is the filling of the lungs by inhalation of air from outside. Q 6: What are the kinds of pranayama that are not common to Swatmarama and Gheranda ? ......

3.9 LET US SUM UP

 Pranayama is a very important and indispensable part of yoga- whether that yoga be Raja Yoga or Hatha Yoga;  Pranayama is a combination of two Sanskrit words – ‘Prana’ and ‘Ayama’ which means control and extension of vital energy. Patanjali states that the cessation of the flow of inhalation and exhalation is pranayama.  Prana is the vital energy which is flowing inside all beings and the universe and is keeping all of them working consciously. It is responsible for the creation, preservation, growth and destruction of all beings.  The Prana is manifested in the body in ten different forms; out of them five are major and five, minor.  According to ‘’ there are three and a half lakh of nadis in us. Through these nadis, prana-shakti spreads to all the tissues and cells of the body. Principal nadis are fourteen in number out of which

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three nadis- Ida, Pingala and Susumna- are most important. Among the three, Susumna is the chief.  According to Yogic physiology, we have three bodies, viz., Sthula Sarira, Sukshma Sarira and Karana Sarira, five sheaths, viz., Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha and seven nerve-centres, called Chakras, viz., Muladhara Chakra, Swadhistana Chakra, Manipura Chakra, Anahaata Chakra, Visuddha Chakra, Ajna Chakra and Sahasrara Chakra. Prana-shakti works in the Sukshma Sarira and Pranamaya Kosha. The principal nadis which carry prana to the different parts of the body flow through the Chakras.  By regular practice of pranayama one can not only possess a sound physical and mental health, but can also can acquire super-human and super-natural powers.  Practice of pranayama can make the nadis free from all obstructions and, as a result, prana can flow freely.  Control of prana starts with the control of the breathing process. Breathing process influences our physical as well as mental health. Due to the control of breathing process in pranayama the mind becomes calm and quiet. Pranayama increases the lung capacity, strengthens and energizes the nervous system and the internal organs. The body and the mind become capable of facing the challenges coming to life.  Before practising pranayama one needs some preparations, like mastering some asanas, acquiring some control over breath, cleaning of internal organs with the help of Satkarma, learning some Mudras and Bandhas etc.  Pranayama has four phases- Sunyaka, Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka.  Swatmarama in ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ and Gheranda in’Gheranda Samhita’ mention about eight kinds of pranayama, of which six are common and two uncommon to both of them.  Pranayama is not deep-breathing; both are basically different. In deep-

46 Yoga Education - II Pranayamas Unit 3

breathing, retention of breath is absent, while retention of breath (kumbhaka) is the most important part of pranayama. Many yogic texts use the term ‘Kumbhaka” to represent pranayama.

3.10 FURTHER READING

1) Joshi, Dr. K. S.(1983). Yogic Pranayama. Delhi, Orient Paperbacks. 2) Nagendra, Dr. H. R.(2003). Pranayama-The Art and Science. Bangalore, Yoga Prakashana. 3) Saraswati, Swami Satyananda.(2009). Asana, Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Munger, Yoga Publication Trust.

3.11 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: Prana is the vital force which is flowing inside the animal and plant kingdom as well as the universe. Ans to Q No 2: Three and a half lakh Ans to Q No 3: We have three bodies- Gross Body, Subtle Body and Casual Body. Ans to Q No 4: Seven Ans to Q No 5: (i) Pre-preparation (ii) Mudras and Bandhas (iii) Puraka Ans to Q No 6: The uncommon pranayamas are Sitkari and Plavani of Swatmarama and Sahita and Kevali of Gheranda.

Yoga Education - II 47 Unit 3 Pranayamas

3.12 MODEL QUESTIONS

A. Very Short Questions Q 1: What is pranayama? Q 2: Give the names of the fourteen nadis. Q 3: What are the five Sheaths ? B. Short questions (Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Write about the different kinds of pranayama. Q 2: Explain the phases in pranayama practice. C. Long questions (Answer in about 300-500 words) Q 1: Define pranayama. Discuss the effects of pranayama on our body and mind. Q 2: Describe the preparations to be made prior to the practice of pranayama. Q 3: Explain the differences between pranayama and deep-breathing.

*** ***** ***

48 Yoga Education - II Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha Unit 4 UNIT 4 : SATKARMA, MUDRA AND BANDHA

UNIT STRUCTURE

4.1 Learning Objectives 4.2 Introduction 4.3 The Satkarmas and their divisions 4.4 The Mudras and their kinds 4.5 The Bandhas and their kinds 4.6 Let us Sum up 4.7 Further Reading 4.8 Answers to check your progress 4.9 Model Questions

4.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit you will be able to –  explain the concept of Satkarmas, Mudras and Bandhas  describe the Hatha-yogic processes and their divisions for the purification of the interior of the body  describe the concept of Mudras, their types and effects  explain the Bandhas, their kinds and effects  discuss the relation between ‘Granthis’ and ‘Bandhas’.

4.2 INTRODUCTION

In order to keep the body healthy and free from diseases it is required to keep the inside of the body very clean by removing the waste materials and toxins produced within the body in different forms – solid, liquid and gaseous due to metabolic, digestive and other activities of the systems of the body. Deposition of waste materials inside the body for longer time is the root cause of all diseases. A healthy human body has the natural capability to drive out the wastes from the body- the solid as stool through the anus, the liquid as urine through the urinary passage and as sweat through the pores of the skin, the gaseous as Carbon-di-

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oxide through the two nasal passages. Even after natural evacuation of the waste-materials daily and regularly, there remains some amount of wastes deposited inside the body which are required to be removed by cleansing the canals and the channels inside the body, every now and then. Hatha Yoga prescribes certain techniques and measures for this purpose. They are called Sat Karmas (six purification techniques). The ‘Gheranda Samhita’ mentions seven components of Hatha yoga, called Sapta Sadhana, in order to give the body made of five ‘Bhutas’ (soil, water, heat, air and sky/ether) a firm foundation, like an earthen pot given solidity and made usable by baking in fire, so that it becomes immune and resistant to all kinds of diseases and calamites coming to it. These seven Sadhanas are – Satkarma, Asana, Mudra, Pratyahara, Pranayama, Dhyana and Samadhi. Among all these Sadhanas (austerities), sage Gheranda places Satkarma in the first, because, for starting Yogic practices like Asana, Pranayama etc., first of all, it is necessary to purge the internal organs of the body. Like the Sat Karmas, equal importance is given to the Mudras and the Bandhas. These two components of yoga are practices of higher stage than that of asana. These are to be practiced under the guidance of an expert teacher, after attaining some amount of mastery over asanas. Traditionally, these two components of yoga were not treated separately. The Hatha yoga and the Tantra Yoga treatises dealt with both Mudras and Bandhas together. Bandhas were regarded as parts of Mudras. Bandhas are incorporated in the pranayama techniques also. In Hatha yoga, the ‘Kundalini Shakti’ (Serpent power), lying dormant in the Muladhara Chakra, is attempted to awaken and move it dynamically upward to reach the Sahasrara Chakra, passing it through the different intermediary Chakras and mergeing with the Shiva-Shakti. The Mudras and the Bandhas, along with Pranayama, are instrumental in the act of awakening and raising the Kundalini Shakti till it reaches the Sahasrara. This unit will acquaint you with the concept of Satkarmas, Mudras and Bandhas.

50 Yoga Education - II Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha Unit 4 4.3 THE SATKARMAS AND THEIR DIVISIONS

The Sat-Karmas are six different practices for the purification of the different internal organs of the body. These are practiced to bring balance among the three ‘Doshas’ or humours in the body – Vata (air), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm). In and Yoga, it is believed that the imbalance among these three ‘doshas’ results in illness and balance a healthy among them enables the body to maintain good health. Satkarmas, by bringing a balance of the ‘Tridosha’, helps in maintaining sound health. Satkarmas also create harmony between the two major ‘pranic’ flows – ‘ida’ and ‘pingala’, thereby bringing physical and mental purification and balance. The Satkarmas are – (i) , (ii) , (iii) Neti, (iv) or Lauliki, (v) Trataka and (vi) Kapalbhati. These practices are used for keeping the internal canals of the body clean, so that waste materials cannot remain accumulated in the internal body. These are also used to remove excess of phlegm and fat from the body. Now let us discuss the Satkarmas in detail: (i) Dhauti : Dhauti is a process for cleansing the upper part of the alimentary canal, from mouth to the stomach. Though ‘dhautis’ are for cleansing the upper part, one process of cleansing the lower part of the alimentary canal viz., the rectum, is also called ‘dhauti’. The ‘Gheranda Samhita’ mentions four kinds of internal dhautis. They are – (A) Antar-dhauti (internal washing), (B) Danta-dhauti (cleansing of teeth), (C) Hrid Dhauti (cleansing of the Heart) and (D) Mula- sudhanam (cleansing of the rectum). (A) Antar Dhauti is sub-divided into four parts – Vatasara (purification with air), Varisara (purification with water), Vahnisara or Agnisara (purification by producing heat) and Vahiskrita (cleansing by bringing out the rectum through the anus). (B) Danta Dhauti includes – (i) Danta Dhauti, (ii) Danta-mula Dhauti, (iii) Jihva-dhauti, (iv) Jihva mula Dhauti, (v) Karma-dhauti, and (vi) Kapala-randhra dhauti. (C) Hrid Dhauti is of three kinds – (i) Danda dhauti, (ii) Vamana-

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dhauti and (iii) Vastra dhauti. (D) Mulasodhana is the process of purification of the large intestine. (ii) Basti : Basti is a yogic process of cleansing the colon. Basti is of two kinds – Jala Basti (Basti with water) and Sushka Basti (Dry Basti). Jala Basti is done in water, by sucking and expelling water through the anus to and from the colon. Suska Basti is done on land or outside water by sucking and expelling air through the anus to and from the colon. Suska Basti is also called Sthala Basti (Basti on land). (iii) Neti : Neti is the yogic process of cleansing the nasal passages and the sinus. Netis are of three varieties – (i) Sutra Neti, (ii) Jala Neti and (iii) Catheter Neti. In Sutra Neti, a cord, made of threads, is passed through a nasal passage and taken out through the mouth and by holding the two ends by the two hands moved to and fro so that the nasal passage is cleansed. Both the nostrils are cleansed in the same process. In Jala Neti , water is snuffed through the two nostrils and expelled through the mouth. Now-a-days, a thin rubber catheter is used in place of cord of threads. This kind of neti is named as Catheter neti. (iv) Nauli or Lauliki : Nauli is a process of massaging and strengthening the abdominal organs and muscles by contracting and moving the abdominal muscles. There are three variations of Nauli. They are – Madhyama Nuli (Nauli for massaging the middle part of the stomach), Vama Nauli (Nauli for massaging the left side of the stomach) and Dakshina Nauli (Nauli for massaging the right side of the stomach). Nauli strengthens the abdominal muscles, increases the power of digestion and helps in removal of toxins and waste materials from Dyspepsia:Pain the stomach. Nauli removes dyspepsia, increases appetite, thereby, caused by difficulty in helps in curing all diseases of the stomach. digesting food. (v) Trataka : Trataka is gazing at a small object or point without winking the eyes until tears begin to flow. Trataka destroys all diseases of the eyes and removes sloth. The eyes become lustrous. One should practice Trataka with caution and care. Otherwise, the practice may affect the ocular nerves.

52 Yoga Education - II Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha Unit 4

(vi) Kapalbhati : Kapalbhati is a breathing technique for cleansing the sinus region - the frontal region of the brain. Kapalbhati is of three kinds – Vama- Karma, Vyuta-karma and Sita-Karma. The practice of Kapalbhati destroys the disorders of phlegm. As a result, the flow of air through the nostrils becomes free, the body becomes healthy and full of vitality.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: Fill in the gaps – (i) The Mudras and the Bandhas, along with ...... are instrumental in the act of awakening and raising the Kundalini Shakti till it reaches the ...... (ii) ...... are six different practices for ...... of different internal organs of the body (iii) ...... is a process for cleansing the upper part of the alimentary canal, from mouth to the stomach (iv) ...... is a yogic process of cleansing the colon (v) ...... is the yogic process of cleansing the nasal passage and the sinus Q 2: What is Nauli ? Narrate its different variations......

4.4 THE MUDRAS AND THEIR KINDS

The word ‘Mudra’ has been derived from the two Sanskrit words- ‘Mud’ and ‘Dru’. ‘Mud’ means ‘pleasure’ or ‘delight’ and ‘Dru’ means ‘to draw forth’. This word is generally used to mean ‘gestures’ to express certain psychic, emotional, devotional and aesthetic attitudes and feelings of mind. In religious rituals (Pujas or Yajnas) ‘mudras’ are certain modes of inter-winging of fingers, used, along with chanting of Mantras, in order to propitiate the gods and goddesses. In dance, mudras are gestures done with hands and fingers and body postures to express different emotional Yoga Education - II 53 Unit 4 Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha

attitudes and feelings. They are a combination of subtle gestures and postures which alter mood, attitude and perception and which deepen awareness and concentration. In yoga, mudras are certain gestures and movements of the body which control the emission of electro-magnetic energy from the body. Proper performance of mudras allows the practitioner to gather cosmic energy by closing a circuit of nerve-current in the body and leads him to gain mystical experience. It is stated in the ‘Siva Samhita’ that the Kundalini Shakti, sleeping in the Muladhara Chakra, gets awakened, if mudras are practiced with great care. In the Hatha Yoga texts, the ‘mudras’ are regarded as a limb of yoga, independent of the other limbs, like Asana, Pranayama etc. Mudras are to be practiced only after attaining some amount of proficiency in asana, pranayama and removal of gross blockage of the nadis. From the descriptions given in the different ancient yoga and tantra texts, it can be easily ascertained that the mudras were in use among the yogis and the tantriks since long time past. However, the techniques of the mudras have not been described clearly or in detail in the texts, as it was intended that these practice were to be learnt under the personal guidance of a Guru, not indirectly from books or other sources. Kinds of Mudras: ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ and ‘Siva Samhita’ mention ten kinds of mudras, which the ‘Siddha-Siddhanta Paddhati’ mentions twelve kinds of mudras, and ‘Gheranda Samhita’ gives description of twenty five kinds of mudras. The twenty five kinds of mudras described in the ‘Gheranda Samhita’ are – Maha-mudra, Nabho-mudra, Uddiana, Jalandhar, Mulabandha, Mahabandha, Mahavedha, Khechari, Viparit kari, Yoni, Vrajoli, Shakti Chalani, Tadagi, Manduki, Sambhavi, Panchadharana (Parthivi, Ambhasi, Vayavi, Agneyi and Akasi), Asvini, Pasini, Kaki, Matangi and Bhujangini. Swami Satyanada Saraswati, in his book ‘Asana, Pranayama, Mudra Bandha’ categorizes Yoga-Mudras in five groups, viz., 1. Hasta (hand) Mudras – Jnana, Chin, Yoni, Bhiravi and Hridaya; 2. Mana (head) Mudras – Shambhavi, Nasikagra Dristi, Khechari, Kaki, Bhujangini, Bhoochari, Akashi, Shanmukhi and Unmani Mudra;

54 Yoga Education - II Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha Unit 4

3. Kaya (postural) Mudras – , Pashini, Prana, Yoga, Manduki and Tadagi Mudra; 4. Bandha (lock) Mudras – Maha-bandha, Mahabheda, Mahavedha; 5. Adhara (periheal) Mudras – Aswani, Vrajoli/Sahojoli.

4.5 THE BANDHAS AND THEIR KINDS

‘Bandha’ is a Sanskrit word which means ‘to hold’, ‘to lock’, ‘to tie’ or ‘to bind’. Bandhas are some mudras which aim at locking the pranas in particular areas and redirect their flow into Susumna nadi for the purpose of spiritual awakening. With the help of bandhas, it is attempted to awaken the Kundalini Sakti. Kinds of Bandhas and their relationship with the Granthis: There are four ‘bandhas’ – Jalandhara bandha (Chin-lock), Moola- bandha (Perineum-lock), Uddianabandha (Abdominal-lock) and Maha Bandha (Great-lock). The last bandha is a combination of the first three bandhas. The bandhas are directly associated with the ‘granthis’ (knots). The ‘granthis’ are knots/locks which prevent the free flow of ‘prana’ along the ‘susumna nadi’ and obstruct the awakening of the ‘kundalini shakti’ and passs through the ‘chakras’. There are three Granthis – the Brahma Granthi, the Granthi and the Rudra Granthi. The first ‘granthi’ is Brahma Granthi. The position of this Granthi is in between Mooladhara Chakra and Swadhistan Chakra. The Vishnu Granthi is the second ‘granthi’ and it is located between Manipura Chakra and Anahata Chakra. The last ‘granthi’, the Rudra Granthi is located in the place between Visuddhi Chakra and Ajna Chakra. Mula Bandha is associted with Braham-Granthi, Uddiana- Bandha is associated with Vishnu Granthi and Jalandhara Bandha is associated with Rudra Ganthi. By practicing the three ‘bandhas’ a favourable environment is created for the meeting of Prana and Apana Vayus and thus help in activating the sleeping serpent power (Kundalini Shakti) which is the master key to open the door towards attaining the ultimate goal of yoga, kaivalya.

Yoga Education - II 55 Unit 4 Satkarma, Mudra and Bandha

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 3: Fill in the gaps – (iii) ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ and ‘Siva Samhita’ mention ...... kinds of mudras, the ‘Siddha- Siddhanta Paddhati’ mentions ...... kinds of mudras (iv) With the help of the bandhas, it is attempted to awaken the ...... (v) The position of the Brahma Ganthi is in between Mooladhara Chakra and ...... Chakra. Q 4: Narrate the different kinds of Mudras mentioned in the Gheranda Samhita......

4.6 LET US SUM UP

 The Satkarmas are practices for internal purification of the body. Along with the purification of the interior parts of the body, these practices bring balance of the three Doshas, i.e., Vata (air), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) as a result of which the body becomes healthy and free from diseases.  The Satkarmas are six in number. They are: (1) Dhauti, (2) Basti, (3) Neti, (4) Nauli, (5) Trataka and (6) Kapalbhati.  Dhauti cleanses the upper part of the alimentary canal, Basti cleanses the colon, Neti cleanses the nasal passages and the sinus and Kapalbhati cleanses the frontal portion of the brain, the sinus. Nauli massages and strengthens the abdominal organs and muscles, Trataka destroys all diseases of the eyes and removes sloth.  The Sanskrit word ‘Mudra’is generally used to mean ‘gestures’ to express certain psychological, emotional, devotional and aesthetic

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attitudes and feelings of mind. Mudras are profusely used in religious rituals, dances and Tantric and Hatha-yogic practices.  In Yoga, mudras control the emission of electro-magnetic energy from the body.  Bandha means ‘to hold’ ‘to tie’. In Yoga, it is locking of ‘prana’ in particular areas and redirect to the Susumna nadi.  Scriptures on Yoga has described different kinds of Mudras and Bandhas. The Bandhas are associated with three Granthis, viz. Brahma Granthi, Vishnu Granthi and Rudra Granthi.

4.7 FURTHER READING

1) Basu, Sirsa Chandra (Tr.)(1975). The Gheranda Samhita, 1975, New Delhi, Oriental Books Reprint Corporation. 2) Saraswati, Swami Satyananda.(2009) Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Munger, Yoga Publication Trust. 3) Iyengar, LK. Rangaraja.(2011) The Mudras. Bangalore, Sapna Book House.

4.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (i) pranayama, Sahasrara (ii) Sat karmas, purification (iii) Dhauti (iv) Basti (v) Neti Ans to Q No 2: Nauli is a process of massaging and strengthening the abdominal organs and muscles by contracting and moving the abdominal muscles. There are three variations of nauli. They are –

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Madhyama Nuli, Vama Nauli and Dakshina Nauli. Ans to Q No 3: (i) ‘Mud’, ‘Dru’ (ii) Mudras (iii) 10, 12 (iv) Kundalini Shakti (v) Swadhistana Ans to Q No 4: Gheranda Samhita has mentioned twenty five kinds of mudras. They are – Maha-mudra, Nabho-mudra, Uddiana, Jalandhar, Mulabandha, Mahabandha, Mahavedha, Khechari, Viparit kari, Yoni, Vrajoli, Shakti Chalani, Tadagi, Manduki, Sambhavi, Panchadharana (Parthivi, Ambhasi, Vayavi, Agneyi and Akasi), Asvini, Pasini, Kaki, Matangi and Bhujangini.

4.9 MODEL QUESTIONS

A. Very Short Questions Q 1: Name the Sat Karmas. Q 2: Classify the Netis. Q 3: Mention the Tridosas. B. Short Questions (Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Write the different kinds of Mudras. Q 2: Name the different kinds of Bandhas. Q 3: Identify the location of the Granthis. C. Long Questions (Answer in about 300-500 words) Q 1: How does the Satkarmas help in keeping the body healthy and disease-free? Discuss. Q 2: Describe the different groups of Mudras mentioned by Swami in his book, ‘Asana, Pranayama Mudra, Bandha’. Q 3: Describe the different kinds of bandhas. How are they related with the granthis? *** ***** *** 58 Yoga Education - II Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra Unit 5 UNIT 5 : DHYANA (MEDITATION) AND YOGA-NIDRA

UNIT STRUCTURE

5.1 Learning Objectives 5.2. Introduction 5.3 Meaning and Concept of Dhyana 5.4 Types of Dhyana 5.5 Benefits of Dhyana 5.6 Yoga Nidra 5.7 Let us Sum up 5.8 Further Reading 5.9 Answers to check your progress 5.10 Model Questions

5.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit, you will be able to –  state the meaning of Dhyana  explain the differences of Dhyana and other components of Yoga  describe the different types of Dhyana  explain the benefits of Dhyana in our life  discuss the meaning of Yoga Nidra

5.2 INTRODUCTION

Dhyana is the most important component of Yogic practice. In Patanjali’s Raja Yoga, it is the seventh limb of yoga. The practice of all the components prior to it, viz., Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara and Dharana are only the preparations for achieving success in Dhyana (meditation). The goal of meditation is to arrive at the super-conscious state, called Samadhi, where the practitioner attains self-realization and God-realization, and ultimately gets salvation (Kaivalya). The practitioner becomes Jivan-Mukta, by making himself free from all cares and anxieties of earthly life.

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Yoga Nidra, i.e., Yogic sleep, is another very important practice in yoga where the mind-body complex gets complete relaxation, remaining in a conscious state. It is neither a complete sleep nor a completely awakened state, but a state of complete rest. Both the body and mind get rejuvenated after practicing Yoga Nidra.

5.3 MEANING AND CONCEPT OF DHYANA (MEDITATION)

The English word ‘meditation’ has been derived from the Latin root ‘meditation’ meaning ‘to think’, ‘to contemplate’. In the present day, when Yoga has become a popular practice throughout the world, the term has been introduced as a translation for the Eastern spiritual practice, referred to as ‘Dhyana’ in , and Jainism. The Sanskrit word ‘Dhyana’ has come from the root ‘Dhyai’ meaning ‘to contemplate’. The term is widely used to refer to the contemplative process that prepares the ground for ecstatic state (Samadhi). The word ‘Dhyanam’ appears in the Vedic literature, such as the Rig Veda (4.32.2) and Taitiriya Aranyaka (10.11.1). The term, in the context of ‘contemplation’, appears for the first time, in the earlier Upanishads, like the Chandogya, Kausitaki, Brihadaranyaka, Maitri etc. where the word was referred to as one of the means to acquire knowledge of the Self. Dhyana (meditation) is steadfastness of mind in a particular point, matter, object or thought. It is, according to Patanjali, a stage in ‘’. ‘Samyama’ is constituted of Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (super-consciousness). He defines the three stages as follows: Dharana is holding of the mind on some particular object (Yoga Sutra 3/1). An unbroken flow of cognition therein is Dhyana (Yoga Sutras 3/2). When that object of meditation only appears in true form, emptying everything and the meditator, the meditation and the object meditated upon, all merge into one, that state is called Samadhi (Yoga Sutra 3/3). The mind, which is, by nature fickle, does not remain constant in a particular place. In Dharana, it is attempted to keep it concentrated on the particular

60 Yoga Education - II Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra Unit 5 object or thought, by bringing it back again and again from its distractions. After continuous and regular practice of Dharana, the mind comes under control and remains concentrated on the object or thought, for a long time, without any distraction. This state is called Dhyana (Meditation). If meditation is practiced regularly with seriousness a time comes when the meditator’s mind is totally absorbed in the object or thought meditated upon. This is the stage of Samadhi. (Super-conscious state). In this state, the mind goes to the super-conscious state crossing the barriers of consciousness which, in yoga, is called ‘Turiya’ state.

5.4 TYPES OF DHYANA

There are different types of Dhyana or meditation. The types vary from man to man, group to group, depending upon their taste, temperament, capability and type of mind. A Bhakta (devotee) meditates on his tutelary deity or Ista Devata/Devi. A Raja Yogi meditates upon special Purusha called Iswara, untouched by afflictions, desires and karmas. A Hatha Yogi meditates on the Chakras and their presiding deities. The Jnana Yogi meditates on Atman (self) or Paramatman (God, the Almighty). Again, meditation may be Japa-Sahita Meditation (meditation with Japa of certain mantra) and Japa-Rahita Meditation (meditation without Japa). The types of meditation may be classified broadly into – 1. Hindu Types 2. Buddhist type 3. Jain type 4. Chinese type 5. Other types On the Basis of variation of the processes of practice, meditation may be broadly classified into the following types –  General types : i. Focused Attention Meditation. ii. Open Monitoring Meditation. iii. Effortless Meditation.  Buddhist types : i. Zen Meditation () Yoga Education - II 61 Unit 5 Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra

ii. Vipasana Meditation iii. Tibetan Vajrajana (Tantric) meditation. iv. Mindful Meditation. v. Metta (Loving Kindness) Meditation.  Hindu types : i. Mantra Meditation ii. Transcendental Meditation iii. Yoga – (a) Third Eye Meditation (b) Chakra Meditation (c) Kundalini Meditation (d) Trataka Meditation (e) Kriya yoga Meditation (f) Nada (sound) Meditation (g) Tantra Meditation (h) Sahaj Raja Yoga Meditation (i) Pranayama Meditation iv. Self enquiry and ‘I am’ Meditation  Jaina type : i. Preksha Meditation  Chinese types : i. Taoist Meditation a) Emptiness Meditation b) Breathing (zhuangi) Meditation. c) Neiguan Meditation. ii. Qigong (chi kung) Meditation.  Sufi type of Meditation : Muraqaba

5.5 BENEFITS OF DHYANA

There are immense benefits to be derived from Dhyana. These are as follows-  In order to attain success in any kind of work what is required is steadfastness of the mind in the work. But the general nature of the mind is marked by unsteadiness. Like mercury, it does not remain stable in one place, moves hither and thither. Though the mind has immense energies, the energies remain scattered due to its instability. 62 Yoga Education - II Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra Unit 5

If the energies are brought together and engaged, as a united force in some work, it can create wonder. There is nothing impossible for man if he can bring all his mental energies together and use one- pointedly as unified force to a task. It is with the help of meditation that the unstable mind can be made tranquil and one-pointed by bringing together all the scattered energies. It is mentioned in the Yoga treatises that a yoga practitioner can acquire the strength of an elephant by unifying all his mental energies and meditating upon the strength of an elephant. It is possible to convert an impossible task to possible by practising meditation very seriously.  Meditation brings rest to the mind by minimizing the frequency of the brain-waves from ‘beta’ wave to ‘delta’ wave. The brain getting rest, the nervous system- central, peripheral as well as autonomic, becomes more efficient and energetic. It can help the functioning of the other systems more efficiently. As a result, balance prevails in the functioning of the systems of the body and health becomes sound.  Meditation brings discipline in the thinking process and increases concentration power due to which memory-power increases.  Over and above all these, meditation does a great job in the brain. We conduct all business of our life using only a part of the brain; major areas of the brain remain dormant, which are called silent areas. They practice of meditation activates the silent areas and, as a result, the practitioner gets super-natural, super-human powers. By constant and serious practice of meditation, the yogis attain powers like clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, telepathy, spiritual insight etc.  Patanjali, in the ‘Yoga Sutras’ (2/11) states that meditation helps in the elimination of the Vrittis (modifications) of mind, produced by the Kleshas (afflictions), viz, Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism), Raga (attachment), Dvesha (aversion) and Abhinivesa (longing for life). Meditation is helpful in resolving the effects of Karma and ending the chain of transmigration.  Finally, we generally keep ourselves busy in the din and bustle of the

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external material world and hardly pay attention to the world inside our mind. Dhyana (Meditation) takes us to the interior world and facilitates us to be self-aware and to observe and analyze minutely our feelings, emotions, thoughts, reactions, responses, motives etc. that lie inside and thereby to learn to control our thoughts and emotions and cultivate responses to stimuli from outside, with thoughtful and reasoned consideration.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: Fill in the blanks : (i) The Sanskrit word ‘Dhyana’ has come from the root ...... meaning ‘to contemplate’ (ii) ...... is holding of the mind on some particular object (iii) Meditation brings rest to the mind by minimizing the frequency of the ...... from ‘beta’ wave to ...... wave. Q 2: What is Samadhi? ......

5.6 YOGA NIDRA

Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep is a very deep stage of conscious sleep. It is different from both ‘Deep Sleep’ and ‘Meditation’. In deep sleep, one goes from ‘awake’ stage to ‘dream’ stage, then he goes beyond and reaches a stage where dreams disappear and sleep becomes very deep without any sort of disturbance. In meditation, the meditator does not go to sleeping stage; his mind remains fully awakened, but in a very calm and quiet state, undisturbed by any stress or tension, pin-pointed on a particular object, focusing all the mental energies on the object meditated upon. Yoga Nidra is a kind of very deep sleep where the mind becomes incredibly calm, quiet and still; but it is not sleep, because here the mind remains awake and alert, as in meditation. Judged from its awakened, calm, quiet and stillness state Yoga Nidra is same as Meditation, but it is different from 64 Yoga Education - II Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra Unit 5 meditation in the sense that, here, the mind is not concentrated on any object as is done in meditation. It is just a very peaceful resting stage of mind. It may be said to be a very high stage of ‘Savasana’. In Yoga Nidra all the organs and the tissues of the body are fully relaxed, the frequency of the brain-waves comes to the minimum. At all times, whether in awake or in sleep, some waves flow in the brain. Depending upon situations and circumstances, the flow of the waves becomes swift or slow. On the basis of frequency the waves are divided into four groups: (i) ‘Alfa’ wave whose frequency is 8 to 13 times per minutes; (ii) ‘Beta’ wave whose frequency is 14 to 25, sometimes up to 50, per minutes; (iii) ‘Theta’ wave whose frequency is 4 to 7 per minutes; and (iv) ‘Delta’ wave whose frequency is 3 or even less per minute. With the increase of wave-frequency the activities of the brain equally increase, and energy is wasted. As a result, the brain gets tired. The power of analysis and understanding as well as memory decreases. The over-activity of the brain increases the metabolic activities, disturbs the balance in the working of the body systems and the body is attacked by disease. In a state where the frequency of brain waves are low, the brain gets rest and gathers energy. Due to getting rest by the brain, analytical power, understanding capacity and memory increase, metabolic activities of the body decreases. Load of work of the systems of the body decreases; they get rest and gather energy. The body becomes healhy and energetic. In Yoga Nidra, the frequency of the brain waves comes down to the ‘Delta’ waves. As a result, within a few minutes, freshness comes to the whole body as well as to the mind; the practitioner, with the mind-body complex, gets rejuvenated. In meditation, the mind goes beyond conscious stage to the super- conscious stage, called Turiya stage where light of knowledge unfolds; in Yoga-Nidra, the mind remains neither in unconscious nor in conscious stage, but in sub-conscious stage, without any disturbance from dream or other elements. There are four stages of Consciousness- Waking, Dreaming, Sleep and Turiya. In meditation, the meditator, remaining in the Waking state of

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consciousness, focuses his mind, to the sub-conscious and unconscious states, gradually unfolds their layers, allows the dormant thought-patterns, emotions, sensations and images to appear in the conscious level and then let them disappear, expanding the waking state with one-pointed concentration and non-attachment to the streams of impressions flowing in the field of mind. He, then, gradually takes his mind to the Turiya state of consciousness. In Yoga Nidra, the practitioner leaves the Waking state of consciousness, and goes to the Deep Sleep state of consciousness, yet, paradoxically, remains fully awake. It is an extremely relaxing state of the body and the mind in which samskaras of attachment and aversion, the driving force behind karma, are made weaker in strength.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 3: Fill in the blanks : (i) Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep is a very deep stage of ...... sleep (ii) In Yoga Nidra all the organs and the tissues of the body are fully ...... , the frequency of the brain-waves comes to the ...... (iii) There are four stages of ...... , Waking, Dreaming, Sleep and Turiya. Q 4: What is Yoga Nidra ? ......

5.7 LET US SUM UP

 Dhyana (Meditation) is the most important component of yogic practice.  The word ‘Dhyana’ means contemplation. It is one of the three stages of ‘Samyama’. 66 Yoga Education - II Dhyana (Meditation) and Yoga-Nidra Unit 5

 Dhyana is the base for ecstatic state (Samadhi).  There are different types of meditation. The types vary from man to man, depending upon their taste, temperament, capability and type of mind.  To attain success in life, steadiness of mind is the prime factor. With the help of meditation unstable mind can be tranquilized and made one-pointed by bringing together all the scattered energies.  Practice of meditation minimizes the frequency of the brain waves. Meditation is so effective in tranquilizing the brain-waves that in deep meditation the high frequency ‘beta’ waves are transformed into low frequency ‘delta’ waves.  According to Patanjali, meditation helps in the elimination of the Vrittis i.e., modifications of the mind.  Yoga-Nidra is a kind of conscious deep sleep, different from Deep Sleep and Meditation.

5.8 FURTHER READING

1) Chakraburtty, Sneh. (2009) The Science of Meditation. New Delhi, Ew Aage Books. 2) Chodron, Pema.(2016) How to Meditate. Mumbai, Jaico Publishing House. 3) Chinmoyananda, Swami. (1980). Meditation and Life. Mumbai, Central Chinmoya Mission Trust. 4) Saraswati, Swami Satyananda. Yoga Nidra. Munger,Bihar: Yoga Publications Trust.

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5.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (i) Dhyai (ii) Dharana (iii) frequency, ‘delta’ Ans to Q No 2: Samadhi is the highest stage of Patanjali’s ‘Samyama’. This stage is attained in deep meditation where the object of meditation, meditator and meditation – all merge into one. The mind goes beyond consciousness which is called ‘Turiya’ state in yoga. Ans to Q No 3: (i) conscious (ii) relaxed, minimum (iii) consciousness Ans to Q No 4: Yoga Nidra is a very deep stage of conscious sleep, different from deep sleep as well as meditation.

5.10 MODEL QUESTIONS

A. Very short questions Q 1: Define Dhyana. Q 2: Give the meaning of Dharana. Q 3: Mention the five ‘Kleshas’. B. Short questions (Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Explain ‘Samyama’ Q 2: Write the Hindu types of Dhyana. C. Long questions (Answer in about 300-500) Q 1: Give a description of the different types of Dhyana Q 2: Discuss the effects of meditation on the body and the mind Q 3: Write the meaning of Yoga Nidra. Narrate its differences with ‘Deep Sleep’ and ‘Meditation’ *** ***** *** 68 Yoga Education - II Holistic Approach of Yoga Unit 6 UNIT 6 : HOLISTIC APPROACH OF YOGA

UNIT STRUCTURE

6.1 Learning Objectives 6.2 Introduction 6.3 Holistic Approach 6.4 Holistic approach of Yoga 6.4.1 Yoga and Human Resource Development 6.4.2 Yoga and Treatment of Disease 6.4.3 Yoga and Education 6.4.4 Yoga as Sports 6.4.5 Yoga as Skill in Work 6.5 Yoga, a Holistic Subject 6.6 Let us Sum up 6.7 Further Reading 6.8 Answers to check your progress 6.9 Model Questions

6.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this Unit, you will be able to –  state why men in the present-day world are leading stressful life  explain the meaning of holistic approach of yoga  describe how holistically Yoga approaches to the life’s problems in order to tackle them  discuss how Yoga helps in the development of human resource and in the treatment of different diseases  state how Yoga education is helpful in formal education  explain how yoga can be used as Sports  describe how Yoga works as skill in action.

Yoga Education - II 69 Unit 6 Holistic Approach of Yoga 6.2 INTRODUCTION

In the present-day human society, the people in many parts of the world are greatly influenced by the western materialist ideology. These people are madly running after money and material wealth, political and economic power, name and fame. In order to achieve all these, there are cut-throat competitions and everybody is trying persistently to win the race by surpassing others. Influenced by the materialistic science of the west, they are becoming more and more hedonistic. Their goals of life have shifted from being spiritualistic to materialistic. Materialistic aspirations are, Rampant: If you by nature, insatiable, they are luring the people so much that they are putting describe something bad, aside the human values in favour of opting any kind of means- fair or foul-to such as a crime or get their desires fulfilled. As a result, corruption, violence, deception and disease, as rampant, you mean that it is very any other immoral activities are becoming rampant in the society, making common and is the human values non-existent. Divisive tendencies among individuals and increasing in an groups of individuals in the society are increasing leading into separatist uncontrolled way. movement is in many regions. Peace in all spheres and at all levels-individual, family, community, regional, national as well as international-is fast disappearing yielding place to restlessness. All these developments have severely affective of the people with immense stress and strain. In Accrue: It may be such a state of affairs, Yoga, with its holistic approach, has been found to received by someone act like a panacea to combat all the ills that accrue from the problems and in regular or increasing challenges being faced by men in the present day world. Yoga has been amounts over time. proved to be immensely helpful in its holistic approach for a positive, healthy and balanced development of human personality.

6.3 HOLISTIC APPROACH

The English word ‘Holism’ has been derived from Greek root, ‘holos’, which means ‘whole’ or ‘entire’. It is an important concept in the sciences and social sciences, especially in medicine. It has come to use since the third decade of the last century (from 1926). The concept emphasizes the importance of the whole instead of compartmentalization into parts. It believes that the parts are not independent, they all are interdependent;

70 Yoga Education - II Holistic Approach of Yoga Unit 6 and the whole is greater than the sum-total of the parts. Holistic approach is that approach in which a problem is dealt with as a whole, taking all its aspects and applying all possible means at a time. Man is a multi-dimensional being. He has conscious, subconscious, unconscious, rational and irrational aspects. He is a body-mind-soul complex with physical, mental emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual aspects. When we talk about human resource development, we are to take care of the development of all these aspects of the personality at a time, adopting all possible measures. That approach is called a holistic approach.

6.4 HOLISTIC APPROACH OF YOGA

Yoga is a multi-dimensional discipline. It is a science, a systematic study and a practice for the realization of the Truth Absolute, based not on belief and pre-supposition but on experiment and proof. It is an art, a practical discipline, which teaches us to regulate the day- to- day physical and mental activities for a healthy living. It is a philosophy which teaches us to go deeper and deeper into the inner self and realize the essence of life, the Real Self, free from all modifications. Yoga takes the problems of human life holistically and approaches the problems also holistically in order to solve them. In yoga, all possible measures are taken in order to tackle the multifarious problems faced by men in the journey of life. In the worldly life, problems are there. Nobody can avoid them; but the magnitudes of the problems depend upon the mental attitudes towards the problems. The root of all problems is the mental attitude of the individual. Yoga attempts to root out all problems by changing the mental attitudes with the help of its different practices. Yoga, with the help of systematic practice of its limbs, takes the practitioner’s mind gradually away from the external worldly things to the internal spiritual world, deeper and deeper, and makes him vitualize the ocean of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute and finally drink the necture from it. Once he tastes the necter, he starts getting disinterested in the transitory worldly things and beings, and with that the uncountable problems he faces in the

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worldly life vanish. He becomes ‘Sthitaprajna’ - immune to all opposites - happiness and sorrow, success and failure, and hardship and easiness.

6.4.1 Yoga and Human Resource Development

Human being is the most important resource for the development of a nation. Without developing this most valuable resource, the development of other resources are meaningless. It is possible to manage all other resources provided this resource is properly developed. Considering its importance, the Government of India is having a separate ministry, called Ministry of Human Resource Development, under a Cabinet Minister. For yoga, the development of human resource is not confined to the development of one or few particular aspects only; it is the development of personality as a whole, without neglecting any aspect. Yoga not only believes in holistic development of the personality, but also approaches it in a holistic way, applying all possible measures for the purpose, in a systematic manner. The moral practices of Yama-Niyama, physical practices like Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha and Satkarma, mental practices like Pratyahara and Dharana and spiritual practices like Dhyana and Samadhi are the components of Yoga which are capable of developing the varied aspects of human personality as a whole. By practicing the components of yoga it is possible to acquire a sound physical and mental health, get a stable and peaceful mind, free oneself from all stresses and strains, unfold one’s latent talents to the maximum extent and excel in the work one takes up. With the practice of yoga, balance comes not only to the functioning of physical systems in the individual body, but also, virtues like love, kindness, magnanimity, benevolence, honesty etc are developed, among men. Thereby, good understanding, fellow feeling, peace and amity etc. can be made to prevail in the society, in the nation and in the international community. With this end in view, the present Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, proposed in the General Assembly

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meeting of the United Nations Organization, for popularization of the practice of Yoga throughout the world, by observing a common Yoga day by the nations of the world, in a befitting manner. As a result of his proposal, the General Assembly of the U.N.O. has passed a resolution to declare 21st June as the International Day of Yoga.

6.4.2 Yoga and Treatment of Disease

One of the very important dimensions of Yoga is its ‘Therapy’ dimension. Yoga, in the present-day world, has become a very popular procedure for treatment of different kinds of diseases, particularly in case of the psycho-somatic diseases like hyper- tension, diabetes, insomnia, heart-diseases, asthma etc. In Yoga Therapy, the approach to treatment of diseases is holistic, not partial. Unlike medical science, where the body is compartmentalized for treatment of diseases, in Yoga Therapy, the body is taken as a whole, not as parts, and measures are taken to purge the whole internal body, to bring balance in the functioning of the internal systems and to increase the natural immunity of the body, so that the diseases automatically disappear. After lots of scientific experiments conducted in India and abroad, this system has proved to be a very efficient therapy system in driving away diseases and keeping the body and mind in good health. In India, it is a very important component of AYUSH. AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. Till 2014, AYUSH was included as a branch in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Later on, in 2014, the Department of AYUSH has been created, separating it from the Dept. of Health and Family Welfare and a separate Ministry has been created under a State Minister with independent charge.

6.4.3 Yoga and Education

Another very important dimension of Yoga is Yoga Education. Yogic practices, by now, have been introduced in the school

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curriculum of the Central Board of Secondary Education and in the curriculum of many State Education Boards, as a compulsory component of the subject - Health and Physical Education. The programme is yet to be introduced in the academic curriculum of many states, though it is in the process. Instead of teaching yoga as a part of the subject, ‘Health and Physical Education’, it is required to be introduced as an independent subject, well emphasis on its holistic approach in providing education to the children. Because yoga education includes not only physical and health education, but also moral, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual education. Yogic practices not only improve the health of the students, but also develop their personality as a whole. Regular yogic practice in the educational institutions increases awareness, attentiveness, discipline and punctuality among the students, improves their conduct and character, develops their devotion to their work, improves their power of understanding as well as the memory power and, above all, brings out the talent latent in them. The students can learn how to get excellence in work. Yogic practices gradually take the student’s attention away from the external material world to the internal spiritual world. They start analyzing their inner self, begin to learn how to be stress-free by controlling emotions. By practicing Yoga regularly, a student builds up his personality with good character, healthy body and sound mind, filled with spiritual fervour. He becomes an asset for the family, for the society, for the nation and for the world as a whole.

6.4.4 Yoga as Sports

Yoga has another dimension which was, till recently, not very popular, but it has gained increasing popularity among the children and youths, and even among the adults. It is Yoga as Sports. Since a few decades ago, there have been attempts to popularize Yoga among the children and youths, and even among the adults as a kind of sports. In this case, only one component of yoga i.e. Asana,

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has been selected. In order to use Asana as sports, different organizations – yoga organizations as well as sports organizations and institutions-are offering training and organizing competition at regional, state, national, and even, international levels. The Indian Yoga Federation and many other Yoga Federations in different countries of the world are raising voice to include yoga (Asana) as one of the items for competition in the Olympic games. Yoga, as sports, is creating interest among the children and youths who want to practice it regularly with enthusiasm, and thereby, helping themselves to keep their body and mind flexible and fit. Yoga is also helpful in increasing adjustability and friendly atmosphere among the children and youths.

6.4.5 Yoga as Skill in Work

Another very important dimension of Yoga is its use as the measure for increasing efficiency at work. Practice of Yoga, as a successful measure for increasing efficiency at work, has gained its popularity in many fields of activity. The sportsmen, musicians- dancers, singers and instrumentalists, cinema-actors, even executives in the corporate companies have started practicing Yoga, for keeping their body and mind healthy and stress-free and for increasing efficiency in their respective fields of engagement.

6.5 YOGA, A HOLISTIC SUBJECT

Yoga is a holistic subject – Science, Art as well as Philosophy- which covers all aspects of life of a human being, his individual life – physical, mental, moral, intellectual and spiritual, as well as social, environmental, national, and international wellbeing. It is a matter of regret that of this holistic subject only a few components – viz. Asanas, Pranayamas, and Meditation, are being popularized by most of the Yoga teachers and organizations, pushing some very important components like Yamas and Niyamas in the dark. A subject whose ultimate goal is spiritual attainment has been found to be practiced only for attaining some physical

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goals. What is required is the holistic development of the individual personality and for that all components of Yoga are to be practiced. Then and then only, the purpose of practicing Yoga will be fulfilled.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Q 1: Fill in the blanks : (i) ‘Holism’ is a word which has been derived from Greek root, ...... , which means ‘whole’ or ‘entire’. (ii) Yoga is a ...... discipline (iii) Yoga, in the present century, has become a very popular procedure for treatment of different kinds of diseases, particularly in case of the ...... diseases like hyper- tension, diabetes, insomnia, heart-diseases, asthma etc. (iv) Yogic practices, not only improve health of the students, but also develop their ...... as a whole. Q 2: What is AYUSH ? ...... Q 3: Name some psycho-somatic diseases......

6.6 LET US SUM UP

 Men, in the present-day world, are increasingly losing their peace of mind. They are suffering from various stresses and strains, in every walk of life due to the influence of materialistic ideology. It is yoga which has been found to have offered the panacea to the ills suffering by men as a result of the unconquerable problems and challenges faced by them. Yoga enables them to turn away from the agencies of

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the external materialistic world to the peace and tranquility of the internal spiritual world.  The word ‘Holism’ has come from the Greek word, ‘holos’ which means ‘whole’. Holistic approach is that approach in which problems are dealt with as a whole, not as parts, and it is believed that the whole is greater than the sum-total of the parts.  Yoga is a multi-dimensional discipline. It is science, art as well as philosophy- all in one. Yoga is useful as a measure for tackling our life’s problems and for the development of the total personality of a man.  Human resource is the most important resource for the development of a nation. In yoga, care is taken for the all-round development of the human personality, applying all possible measures, in a systematic way.  As a component of AYUSH yoga is an important alternative system of medicine for the treatment of diseases, particularly, the diseases of psycho-somatic origin.  Yoga has been included in the academic curriculum of the C.B.S.E. and some of the State Education Boards. Yogic practices in the schools help the students in improving discipline, punctuality, sincerity in work, conduct and character as well as their memory-power.  Yoga, of late, has been developed as a kind of sports, which has created interest among the children and youths for its practice. Attempts are being made to include Yoga-sports in the Olympic games.  Yoga, as an important measure for increasing efficiency in work, has gained popularity among the professional groups- the sportsmen, the musicians, the cinema-actors, corporate-executives etc.

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6.7 FURTHER READING

1) Anand, Sri (1981). Yoga: Develop Your Latent Powers, Honesdale, Pennsylvania: The Himalayan International of Yoga Science and Philosophy. 2) Burley, Mikel(2000). Hatha-Yoga; Its Context, Theory and Practice, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass. 3) Basu, Sirsa Chandra (Tr.)(1975). The Gheranda Samhita, 1975, New Delhi, Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.

6.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: Fill in the blanks : (i) ‘holos’ (ii) multi-dimensional (iii) psycho-somatic (iv) personality Ans to Q No 2: AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. Ans to Q No 3: Some of the psycho-somatic diseases are hyper-tension, diabetes, insomnia, heart-diseases, asthma etc.

6.9 MODEL QUESTIONS

A) Very short questions Q 1: Define holism.

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Q 2: Write the meaning of Yoga as Sports. Q 3: Mention the yogic practices for spiritual development. B) Short questions (Answer in about 150 words) Q 1: Explain the meaning of holistic approach. Q 2: Write the constituents of AYUSH. C) Long questions (Answer in about 300-500 words) Q 1: Explain how yoga helps in the development of total personality. Q 2: Discuss Yoga as part of academic curriculum.

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REFERENCES

Unit 1 to 6

 Anand, Sri (1981). Yoga: Develop Your Latent Powers, Honesdale, Pennsylvania: The Himalayan International of Yoga Science and Philosophy.  Burley, Mikel(2000). Hatha-Yoga; Its Context, Theory and Practice, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass.  Basu, Sirsa Chandra (Tr.)(1975). The Gheranda Samhita, 1975, New Delhi, Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.  Chakraburtty, Sneh. (2009) The Science of Meditation. New Delhi, Ew Aage Books.  Chinmoyananda, Swami. (1980). Meditation and Life. Mumbai, Central Chinmoya Mission Trust.  Chodron, Pema. (2016). How to Meditate. Mumbai, Jaico Publishing House.  Devi, Indra. (1948). Yoga, The Technique of Health and Happiness. Allahabad, Kitabistan.  Dey, Harvey.(1953). The Study and Practice of Yoga. London, Thorson Publishers.  Iyengar, B. K. S.(1974). Light on Yoga, Mandal Books.  -do- , Light on Pranayama,  Iyengar, LK. Rangaraja.(2011) The Science of Yoga Mudras. Bangalore, Sapna Book House.  Mahtani, Dr. Renu.(2016). Power Pranayama. Mumbai, Jaico Publishing House.

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