Exercise Without Movement

ManualOne AsTaughtby Sri SwamiRama of the Himalayas Exercise Without Movement Exercise Without Movement ManualOne AsTaughthy Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas Q ; . ,..; .... -.. ~ The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U .S.A. Honesdale, Pennsylvania Illustrations: Michael Smith Photographs: Dave Gorman Model: Doug Bill © 1984 Swami Rama The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy ofthe U.s.A. RD I, Box 88 Honesdale , Pennsylvania 184:11 All Rights Rcserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Catologing in Publication Data: Rama, Swami, 1925- Exercise without movement. (Manual: I) I. Yoga. Hatha. 2. Stretch (Physiology) 3. MuscIe tone. 4. Relaxation. I. Title. 11. Series: Manual (Himalayan Inter nationall nstitute of Yoga Science & Philosophy of the USA); I. RA781.7. R26 1984 613.7'046 84-20500 ISBN 0-89389-089-8 Contents Foreword ix Pre/ace xi Introduction 3 Part One Basic Relaxation 7 Part Two Tension j Relaxation Exercise 13 Part Three The Boat Pose 33 Part Four Aswini Mudra 37 Part Five The Child's Pose 41 Part Six Standing Tension j Relaxation 45 Part Seven Agni Sara 51 Part Eight Shavayatra 57 vii Part Nine Two to One Breathing 65 Appendix 1 Preparations for Practice 71 Appendix 11 Diaphragmatic Breathing 73 Appendix 111 Corpse Pose Relaxation 77 Appendix IV Summary at a Glance 81 Vlll List of Illustrations The crocodile pose 8 (2), 81 The corpse pose 10 (2),58,76,81 Right leg tensed 14,82 Left leg tensed 16 ,82 80th legs te nsed 18 ,82 Right side tensed 20, 83 Left side tensed 22, 83 Right arm tensed 24, 84 Left arm tensed 24, 84 80th arms tensed 28 , 84 All Iimbs tensed 30, 85 The boat pose 34 (2), 85 Aswini mudra 38 (2), 86 The child 's pose 42 (2), 86 IX Standing against a wall 46, 87 Agni sara 52 (2), 87 Pelvic contraction in agni sara 54 (2) 31 points 60 61 points 62, 88 Sitting on achair 66 (2), 88 The easy pose 68, 88 The auspicious pose 68 The diaphragm 74 (2) x Foreword There are many types of exercises known in both the East and the West. Each has a place in helping to make various aspects of the human organism healthy and vigorous. Aerobic exercises, isometrics, and yogic exer cises are each useful in their own way. After considering and experimenting with all such exercises, one is lead to the conclusion that they focus primarily on the physical body, strengthening muscles or improving the cardio vascular system, for example. The exercises in this book are unique, for all efforts are first mental, and then the body acts accordingly. Here mind and body are trained together. When a student learns to do these exercises it leads hirn to astate of mind in which he is able to control the so-called involuntary system at will. The exercises in this book prevent the occurrence of various psychosomatic disorders that orginate from the nervous system, bad breathing habits, or lack of concentration. A dissipated mind is a source of many disorders, but those disorders will be eliminated if one masters the program offered here. XI xii / Foreword These exercises were carefully designed by Swami Rama who came to the United States in the early 1970s and participated in extensive research on the voluntary control of internal states at the Menninger Foundation. Swamiji also pioneered in the development of biofeedback as a means for voluntarily controlling internal states. In this book he has brought together in a succinct form some of the most effective methods for mastering mind and body. These exercises have been developed and applied over thousands of years. At first glance they may appear deceptively simple for achieving such remarkable results. Sut as one goes on practicing and reaches new levels of awareness, he finds that even more subtle mastery ofmind and body are attained. While Swamiji was teaching students, Rolf Sovik, director of the Center for Higher Consciousness in Min neapolis, Minnesota, carefully compiled these exercises. They may be practiced by people of all ages, and through regular practice various aspects of the aging process will be arrested. They will help one to remain strong, youthful, and vigorous yet calm and serene. I hope that those who read this book will practice these methods systematically so that they can acquire and enjoy health and vitality on all levels of their being. S.AJAYA Preface Yoga is a word that has been repeatedly used in the most ancient scriptures of man, the Vedas. lt is found in the Yajurveda, and means "to unite" or "to join." Even tually we must all unite our individual souls with the cosmic One. To do this we must systematically understand our body, breath, senses, mind, and the Center of con sciousness within, from wh ich consciousness flows in various degrees and grades. Once you have known your seiL you have known the Self of all, and you comprehend the mysteries of life here and hereafter. To make such ajourney, however, we must start from the beginning. There are many kinds of physical exercises in yoga; these have varying effects on mind and body. One collection of exercises is considered to be the most subtle. These exercises are practiced internally, without move ment, and have a profound effect. They will help you understand your mind and its relationship with the breath and physical body. These exercises lead to mastery over the involuntary nervous system. You wililearn how your heart, intestines, XIII xiv I Preface and brain function. You can have mastery over all these functions, if you really know the body, breath, senses, and mind to be your instruments. You can and should have control over these instruments. All the functions of personality can serve the final goal of human destiny: liberation, or moksha. The exercises have many practical benefits, but to reap them, you will have to practice regularly. It is also important to practice in the proper way and never to exceed your capacity in performing the exercises. In electricity, ifthe current exceeds the capacity ofthe circuit through which the energy flows, a fuse will blow out. This is also the ca se with the human nervous system. In the body, the sign of excessive tension is shaking. When the body shakes from tension then the capacity ofthe nervous system has been exceeded. With practice a time will come when the discomfort of extreme temperature, the incapacities of aging, and the disruption caused by unexpected emotional turmoil will not effect you. Your body will become free from many diseases like coronary heart disease and others involving the nervous system. So, may your practice of these exercises progress without interruption. May you practice with full zeal and with full determination. Tell yourself from the very beginning that you will succeed. Don't fall back into old grooves. Y ou can create new grooves that will carry you along on your way. Simply fix a time, and practice at that time each day. You will enjoy these exercises very much. Exercise Without Movement Introduction At first thought it may seem incongruous to "exercise" without movement. Normally we associate exercise with physical activity like swimming, jogging, tennis, or walk ing. Each of these forms of exercise plays a role in maintaining good health. The exercises in this book, however, are yoga practices with benefits far exceeding ordinary muscular movement. In these subtle exercises one vitalizes muscles, respiration, senses, nervous system, and mind . What is "exercise without movement'~? Holding your arm straight out in front ofyou, you will find that you can alternately tense and relax the bicep muscle while creating very little movement of the arm itself. Y ou are flexing a muscle without moving the body part to which it is attached. When the mind sends the command, one feels the effect in the body, but normally, little more of the process than this is observed. Exercise without movement, how ever, is a systematic method of exercise that allows the practitioner to travel along the pathways of action, from mind to muscle. The tension/ relaxation process is carefully 3 4 Exercise Without Movement observed, and the health of each link In the process is promoted. Many parts of the body that do not normally receive much exercise are thereby stimulated. In the beginning of practice some simple discoveries are made. For instance, one finds that activity involving the system of museies and nerves has two boundaries. The first boundary is the upper limit of tension beyond which the museie begins to shake. Another boundary is the state of full relaxation, beyond which no more tension can be released. The following exercises lead to both of these boundaries through systematic tension and relaxation. Each exercise focuses on a particular group of muscles, and gradually, through mastery of the exercises, the capacity to tense and relax these museies is expanded. The student also begins to maintain the correct level of muscle tone for optimum health. It is very important to learn to discriminate while performing the exercises. If the right leg is to be tensed, then the left leg should be relaxed, and no sympathetic tension need arise in other parts ofthe body. You wililearn to tense one li mb so that it can hardly be lifted, while the other limbs remain limp and flexible. Accompanying the tension j relaxation exercises are a number of other yoga practices.

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