Yogr Thonpy - IV Prelude To Practice of Asanas 8y S, Ramasv/ami, Trustee,Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram Jivamani BhraiatphanaSahasra Vidhrura Vlgwam BhavatnandalayaAnantaya Nagarajaya Namaha | | It has bsn mentionedthat nal stimuli. They are, firstly helpsin one becominga fu- the goal of Yoga is total Ahimsa or non-violonceto- tu'ist.According to our Ach- independenceof Purushaand wards aff beingsand accord-larya, Brahmacharyais the is achievedby the c$sation ing to Patanjali,all beings "most beneficialand feasible of all mental changesthat reciprocategenuine non-vio- yamain Kaliyuga, one normallyexperiences. lt lance towafds the Abhyasi NIYAMAS requiresenormous practice of ond in his prasencsalso lose among thomselves. the mind to transcendtho enmity Thefive Niyamas include is thinkingand spoak- distracted states to become Satya Souchaor cleanlinesswhich Truth,which will lead aliveto stillness.The Ashtan- ing the lesds to a heathly life and to a perfect correlation bet- ..-.. ga Yogais the mesnsto redu- preventsdaseases arising out deedand results. As- ce th6 distractionsand is a ween of closecontact with people theya is non-stealing,or a logical,srep by stepapproach at large. towerdsthat end. trusteeshipapproach towards weatlh and. earning out of out of contontment(sato- Th6se distractionscan be hanest and prescribedduty sha) arises imm€nsgmental broadlyclassified into three. (Nijakarma). Paradoxically peace(sukha). lt is said in Those arising out of such a personcomes to man- Manusmritithat the happi- (a) external world (b) one's age wealth. Strongth is nessarisingout of fulfilqnent own body (c) the mindpreg- acquiredby Brahmacharyaor of desires- sithor here or nantwith previous samska- controlled sex within the hereafter- is not comparabla ras. Yama and Niyama ara institutionof marriage.Non- even to a sixtoenthpart (Sho- tho two angaswhich, if pra- possession or Aparigraha dasimKalaam) of that oxpe- ctis.d, roduc€ th€ sfflictions fraas the mind from the riencedby the reduction of (klera) arising out of sxter- worriesof losing w€olthand desire itseff. Yeth chdKama sukham Yogabhyasi, who is earnest, particular posturo-comforta- Loke he suggests keeping in the ble and steady. Yeth cha Divyam Mahat back of the mind that one sukham! Asanas are to be practised has taken to yoga as a deli- at quiet, place. TrushnaAkshaya Sukhas- a clean The berate attempt peace yete to attain beginning of summer, espe- of mind. Allactions inconsis- Na Arhatah Shodasim cially for those sufferingfrom Kalaam!! tent with the yama niyamas respiratory ailmentsand that are motivated by greed of rainy seasonare suggested (Lobha), Taoaswhich is moderatron enmity (Krodha)or fcr starting yogasanabh- (Mcha), in speechand food helps to infatuation and will yasa. make the body and senses leaJ.only to misery (Dukka), more sensitive. Swadhyaya confusion (Agnana), which ASANAS ARE MANY be (Anantapha- or study of the scriptures,the will endless It is said that asanas are la). All yogabh- Karma and Devata portions, attemptsat innumerable.Yoga texts men- yasa without prerequi- presumably,will help one get these tion that there are as many will direct perception of the sites be useless and asanasas there are species. Devata contemolated. And benefits,if any, will only be Asanani cha Tavanti out of temporary. Practice of mere an attitude of surren- Y€vanto Tivasasayah I der to the Universal Lord asanaswithout change in the presently, (lswara pranidhana),includ- food habits and other attitu- E ut about 80 perhaps asanasor so generally ing all dharmic actions and dinal changes are the are in their results, prepares the cause of disenchantmentof vogue. lt is said that our Acharya has mind for intense COncentra- many who attempt at yoga- in his repertory nearly tion (-amadhi). sanas. Of ithe yamaniyamas, 700 asanas. In olden Tapas and Brahmacharya are days, generally, people were perhaps the most important eradicating and preventing PREREOUISITES and relevant,as they haveal- diseases by means of asanas so a direct bearingon the ph- and pranayamas. lt is said Some reflection on the ysical condition of the Yoga- that those ailments-chronic- above Yamaniyamas will bhyasi. Without Tapas one that are not curable bv medi- indicate that these practices becomes obese, suffers from .cal sciences (Vaidya sastra) and attitudinal changes, are many ailmentsof stomach. lt and drugs, should be cured necessaryand sufficientpre- is not possible to do asanas by asanas and pranayamas. requisites belore the other with a sick stomach. Simi- Unfortunately, during the Bahirangasadhanasare con- larly without Brahmacharya- dark centuries in the past, templated. What is called for at least in the beginning-one may of our ancient scriptures is a deliberate attemDt to will not be able to do Mula- on Yoga and therapy are lost. practicethem so that one is bandha. which is the first It is recommended that disturbed minimally by the step in the higher benefits of practice of Yoga asanas external world. lt is however Yogabhyasa. should be started with a said than done. easier prayer possibly The n6xt set of distractions the one appearing at the Patanjalirecognizes such a are of the body and Patan- beginning of this article. difficulty as mainly due to iali uses Asanas to gst over our childhood habits and them. By means of practice, The practice of asanas is conditioning. To help the it is possible to remain in a getting to be popular again, t- aftef a lapse ofa number of a It is my Acharya's contention literally means infinity and years. The acceptance in ths that the disillusionment of certain schools suggest one west, especiallyamong scien- many yogabhyasis is due to should concentrateon infinr- tists and doctors, of Yoga as practice of asanaswithout the ty, which to say the least is a subject of great significan- yamas, niyamas, vinyasas' absurd for practice for a ce has. it is to be admitted' synchronous breathing, the yogabhyasi. Ananta is Naga- given a fillip to the practice accompanying bandhas and raja or Adisesha and since of asanas in India as well. with a greedfor quick results. Patanjali is the incarnation However, the mechanical of Adisesha,one shoutd con- approach to the practice of BREATHING PATTERNS template on the f igure of asanas,as achieving a parti- Nagaraja or Patanjali.This cular pose, - somehow - will Yet another factor of im- will bethetraditional approa- not givethe necessaryresults. portance in asanas is the ch. Thus while practising asanas, by means of purpose- The study of Vedas (adh- use of breath in all the vinya- Iul breathingand mind fixity, yayana) has to be done with sas and asanas, Here also, yoga one gets steadiness and rela- Udatta, anudatta and swarita many schools teach xation in asanapractice. From notes. Othefwise it is merely without any relationto brea- practice Asanasiddhi, one is not affec- prosaic, This saswarachant- thing in asanas and ted by pyreaiaor hypother- ing of Vedic texts has actually discourage the use plea mia, or any other opposing been going orr from time im- of breath,on the that the practice conditions, physical or men- memorial.Nobody can think of bteathing is a tal. of it otherwise.Similarly with separate aspect, dealt with in our musical system, it is Pranayama. However, it is practice TatahaDwandwan Anabhi- music, only if it is sung with found in ectual that patte- ghataha I ! shruti, layam,dhrutarn, anu- synchronous breathing dhrutam etc. For poetry, one rn in Vinyasaas an abhyasais IN ASANA PRACTICE has to stick to chandas,yati, necessaryto attain the desir- prasa lf takes ed results. Patanjali in the etc. one to There are four factors in the Yogasutrasmentions about it mantra upasena, various yogic breathing.First is Pura- kara, to achieveasana siddhi-which nyasasof anga, sarira, ka or inhalation. Then hold- Matruka, Tattwa is steadinessand comfort in kala, iiva, ing of breathafter inhalation. to be cbserved for asanas. etc. are called Antahkumbhaka.Con- the fruition of the upassanas. PreyatnaSaithilya Ananta trolled exhalation is called But in yogabhyasa, the samapathibhyam| ! Rechaka and holding the present day approach to the breath out-as it were-is Bah- pratciceof yoga asanasand By Prayatnais meant effort ya kumbhaka. pranayma is without the of li{e (Jivana F.rayatna) preparations and variations which is breath. Long and All the movementsin yoga- ot vinvasas. Without the fine breathing is therefore bhyasa are done deliberately Vinyasas, the asana 'practice P.ayatnaSaithilya. Texts like and with a specified aspect is only as good as any othet Yoga Kurantam, Vriddha Va- of breathing. There are some physical activity. lt is little use sishtam etc. emphasise this movements which are done if one learns a dozen well- aspect. Further, Patanjali also always while inhaling and known asanas and practises sugg€sts fixing of the mind there ars others which are them without the vinyasss. on Ananta. The word Ananta done only while breathing out. Then one could stay in a es much morE Purposbful. In abtnas, as on€ €dvanceS in posture while holding the fact the author of Yoga Rahas- ths assna practice,the use ol breath-in or out-or could do ya has 16 chapters, each Eandhas or contracting I controlled cycle of yogic called a kala and as such specific group of muscles is breathing in the posture. But Yoga is an art, as well. Like recommended for the higher there are some movements in music, one has to develop benefits of yoga. Of the many which can be done either a s€nsitivily with deliberate bandhas,three are importani, doing breathing in or breath- prsctice and intense concen- The Mulabandharequires the ing out, dependingupon the tration. Short yoga courses drawing in of the rectum, the condition of the abhyasi, and for a lortnight or so, done pelvic diaphragm and ths the desired results from the without the disciplines of lower abdomenas if to touch pfactice. Making the move- yama niyamas and without the backbone.