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Home , Asana, Dynamic meditation, Gomukhasana, Modern yoga, Raja Yoga (book), Siddhasana

BEYOND -

Manish Pole Founder: Manish@21stCentury. www.21stCentury.yoga

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE ...... 3 KEY CONCEPTS ...... 4 CONTENTS ...... 5 Meditative ...... 5 Types of Meditation ...... 8 covered in Beyond Asana Module ...... 9 ASSIGNMENT ...... 10 SWADHYAY (SELF STUDY) ...... 10 DISCLAIMER ...... 10

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE

In this module we will cover Meditation, as described in classical Yoga. We also explain the five different meditative asanas and the different types of meditative practices. We have also included meditations for you to enjoy and these include Gratitude Meditation, 108 chants Meditation, & Meditation and .

By the end of this module you will have practiced the different meditations and will be able to lead any of the meditation practices covered in the module. Use these as the base for you to lead a Meditation, and with time and experience, you will find that you use your own words and style making it special and unique.

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KEY CONCEPTS

The main premise of Meditation or Dhyan as it is known in classical is about setting your life in order so that your whole life becomes Meditative. This beautiful Practice allows you to experience the interconnectedness with every living thing.

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CONTENTS You may already know of 's Yog (eight-limbed system). These consist of Yama, , Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharana, Dhyan and . (we also have a module for the Beyond Asana - Yoga Sutras)

Meditation is Dhyan, in the yogic context, it is being in a state of pure consciousness. Of course in the modern day, it is a great practice to find a little bit of quiet and peace from the daily scribbles of thought and chaos that goes on in our mind. I am sure you have heard the use of the term “monkey mind” in that context. When you are able to sit still in peace and the mind moves away from worldly noise, it starts to look inward, making a connection to your pure inner self.

There are many techniques that can get you into that state of stillness which we will explore here. Before that however, it is important to understand that to be able to sit in meditation, in the classical yogic way, you will need to keep your back straight. It is said that all the asanas in Yoga exist primarily to help the develop the strength and flexibility to sit in one of the 5 classic meditative postures!

Meditative Asanas

To understand the meaning of Asana we again refer to the “Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras”; Asana is defined as “Sthiram Sukham Asanam” meaning “Steady Ease Asana”, meaning that one must be steady/ unmoving and at the same time at ease/ comfortable in Asana (also, posture). And it is to be able to achieve this, the yoga asanas help. A Meditation pose needs to fulfil one main criterion – that your back should be kept straight! The Meditation poses generally lock the legs so that there is less loss of Energy () through your feet, whilst your hands are held in a to conserve Prana inside the body for the purpose of Meditation.

There are five different Meditative Asanas.

Siddhasana OR Siddhayoniasana (Adept/Accomplished pose)

Siddhasana (for men) and Siddhayoniasana (for women) are the highest of the meditative postures. However, this is primarily for and renunciates. It is not advisable for family persons; since sitting for a long time on meditation in this pose daily may negate one’s sex drive – the same sexual energy is transmuted into meditational energy in Dhyaan. As a layman, always bear this in mind.

What makes Siddhasana so special? means accomplished and refers to success in the yogic path. However just accomplishing this asana does not mean that you have become an accomplished yogi. This asana can be used instead of Padmasana because it is easier to practice and achieve. Classic Yoga texts speak highly of this asana as the most important of them all for Meditation.

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To practice this asana,

Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. Sit on a small cushion or blanket so that your hips are higher than your . Bend your left and bring your left heel close to your body by your groin area (touching the perineum).

Bend your right knee and move it toward the front of the left ankle. From this position, lift your right foot and place it just above your left ankle. Bring your right heel into your groin area. This step should feel comfortable not forced. Slide the toes of your right foot into the space between the left calf muscles. This will help to keep your posture steady. See if you can pull up the left toes to tuck into the right thigh. Contra-Indications: The Siddhasana pose is generally safe for most fitness levels. However, if you have any knee, hip or sciatica issues, you should avoid this . Additionally, if you have issues with your ankles, make sure you address any discomfort or limited range of motion when performing this pose. If you feel any pain, do one of the modifications. Ease into the pose and avoid forcing the position as you lower your knees to the floor. It is normal to feel a stretch in the inner thighs, hips, and groin area, but you should never feel pain.

2. Padmasana (Lotus pose)

Padmasana is a classic Yoga Asana and is immediately identified with images of the Buddha, Agiyogi and other legendary Yogis throughout history! It’s also perhaps the first asana that comes to mind when one tries to imagine a Yogi. What makes Padmasana so special? Actually, more than the form of the pose; it is what Padmasana stands for that has defined it’s iconic status – the complete mastery over Body & Mind which Yogis are renowned for, and a certain Composure that we all aspire to! There are thousands of other asanas that we see all over Instagram, but nothing comes close to Padmasana if we were to attempt to encapsulate all of Yoga in a single posture. Significance of the Lotus in Eastern The ‘Lotus’ symbolises Transcendence, growing deep from the dirt and mud, yet rising out of it to full bloom and beauty beyond the water. It is symbolic of our Seeking to transcend our basal nature in our Journey of Life. Hence the Lotus finds repeated allegorical reference in ancient Indian and far Eastern philosophical writings. To practice this asana,

• Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. Sit on a small cushion or blanket so that your hips are higher than your knees if you need to. • Bend your right knee and bring your right heel as close to your navel as possible. • Bend your left knee and cross it over the right leg, bring your left heel as close to the navel as possible. • From this position, your ankles will make an X shape and your heels (ideally) will be towards your navel. This step should feel comfortable not forced. • Straighten your back, your knees should be touching the ground.

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• If this is too hard, you can start with Ardha Padmasana, where you have only one heel touching the navel whilst the other is under your hip.

Contra-Indications: If you have weak knees, be careful about doing Padmasana. You can take up if your knees continue to give you trouble. Here’s hoping most of you train yourself to take up Padmasana. Amongst Yogasanas, the two most beneficial I think are Padmasana and Sirsasana (headstand) – and it’s a view shared by the peerless ‘Father of ’ T Krishnamacharya! So there you have it, the Joy of sitting in Padmasana has INSPIRED countless yogis over the millennia – and hope it inspires you too!

3. (Thunderbolt pose)

Vajrasana is one of the most popular meditative postures, being used for five thousand years. And when Buddha attained enlightenment, Vajrasana was called the “Indestructible seat.” As, the posture helps in absolute stillness inside-out.

What is so special about Vajrasana? Vajrasana or Thunderbolt pose is considered to be the best sitting posture, for practicing breathing and meditation. Besides, in , a lot of people sit in this asana after eating their meals. This is a great posture for smooth digestion. To practice this asana, • Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. If your ankles hurt in this asana you can use a blanket over your ankles. Bend your right knee and bring your right heel as close to the bottom as possible. • Bend your left knee and bring your left heel as close to the bottom as possible. • From this position, you will be sitting on both your ankles. You might find that your blood flow to the ankles sometimes slows down sitting in this asana for long periods of time. • Straighten your back, your knees should be touching the ground. Your knees should be touching, not apart. • If this is too hard, you can practice Sukhasana. Contra-indications Avoid in case of severe knee or . Even on the busiest days, find time to sit in Vajrasana, especially after dinner. And many a times you will feel motivated to try a couple of other asanas.

4. Sukhasana (Comfortable pose)

Sukhasana is the easiest meditative posture to practice. You must look to master this only if you are unable to master Padmasana or Vajrasana; as it takes longer to slip into meditation in Sukhasana. Also the posture does not automatically straighten your back so you have to put in effort to keep your back straight.

What is so special about Sukhasana?

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This posture suits a lot of people with knee, hip and ankle pain. It can also be practiced on your bed if sitting on the floor is a problem. To practice this asana, • Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. • Bend one leg and place the ankle under your hip. Bend the other knee and place the ankle on the other leg; so you can sit comfortably. • Sit straight, place your palms on your thighs facing upwards and place your thumb and index finger together. 5. Swastikasana

• Swastikasana is a meditative posture. The word Swastik means auspicious. The asana allows the practitioner to sit straight in stillness. This pose also enhances the hip flexibility. It is the legs part of . • What is so special about Swastikasana • This is a meditative posture which stretches the hips and the thighs. The asana balances the lower body alignment, as the right-knee and left knee come on the top, alternatively. This is a great posture to induce calmness and meditativeness. • To practice this asana, • Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and hands at your sides. • Bend your right leg and bring your right ankle over the left leg to the outside of your left hip. • Bend your left leg and bring your left ankle to the outside of your right hip. • Your knees will be on top of each other, your right over your left. • If your legs are not warmed up, it might be that your knees cant overlap. That is OK. • Make sure you swap your legs and have your left knee on top. • You can place both your hands on the top knee, this will allow your back to be straight. Contra-indications • Avoid in case of severe knee pain and skip if you have got a hip surgery.

Types of Meditation

Once you have your back strong and can sit straight in your chosen meditative asana, there are various types of mediation you can practice.

1. Visualisation Meditation Visualisation Meditation is when you sit and look at a symbol, object or light like a candle flame and find stillness and focus through just viewing that object. It is ‘Dharana’ or one pointedness that brings about the meditative experience and you build up the concentration. This type of meditation is good for when people are starting off and to build up the ability to sit still and develop a good focus.

2. Meditation Mindfulness Meditation is when you sit and become mindful of a bodily rhythm. This could be your thoughts passing through the mind, breath awareness or the sound of your heart beating. This meditation

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is good to practice when you are practicing on your own without a teacher or someone to guide you. This is also a good meditation to practice wherever you are, because there are no props and all you need is your intention to meditate and your body. 3. Meditation Mantra Meditation is when you use repetitive words, chants or to create vibrations with your voice. The chanting can be done aloud or in your mind. The repetitive nature of the chants allow you to go into deeper states of awareness and clear the mind. One of the most commonly used and effective divine mantras is the universal sound of Om. People find Mantra chanting easier to practice than focusing on a bodily rhythm or an object.

4. Dynamic Meditation Dynamic Meditation can be when you get into a meditative state whilst doing a vinyasa yoga class, however, this practice can also include through the woods, gardening, , and other gentle forms of motion. It’s an active form of meditation where the movement guides you and is good for when people find peace in movement.

Meditations covered in Beyond Asana Module

• Meditation on the Yamas and Niyamas of Patanjali’s • Gratitude Meditation • Om Chanting Meditation

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ASSIGNMENT To complete your course, you will have to give 30 min. presentation on the learning from your chosen Module. This presentation will be done as a video recording uploaded / live on Online group so your peers can give you encouraging feedback. Manish will email you critical feedback to enhance your learning within 10 days.

SWADHYAY (SELF STUDY)

You will immediately have lifetime access to our closed online Community of fellow Yogis doing the Beyond Asana course. Every Saturday Manish be going Live for 2 hours on Zoom exclusively for this tribe- to teach and to answer questions on your practice. Even after the course the learning doesn’t END! and you can continue to attend the Saturday Live sessions.

DISCLAIMER

Yogis,

We have designed this course with complete sincerity. If there are any errors, please do forgive us and let us know. Learning Yoga is an ongoing process and in the years to come we will keep updating based on more information and wisdom that we are able to understand.

The PDFs supplied with each online module, are only support documents to the online content. As a student and learner, to get the best out of Beyond Asana which is a purely online course, please make your own notes to complement the PDFs

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