INTRODUCTION—ASANAS, PRANAYAM, MEDITATION AND YOGIC KRIYAS Asanas Asanas are body postures. These have evolved over the centuries to exer...
INTRODUCTION—ASANAS, PRANAYAM, MEDITATION AND YOGIC KRIYAS
Asanas
Asanas are body postures. These have evolved over the centuries to exercise every muscle, nerve and gland of the body. The practice of asanas helps in:
1. Making our muscles strong
2 Developing flexibility
3. Increasing vitality
4 Ensuring freedom from diseases
5. Developing a balanced personality
6. Disciplining the mind
ln the past, developing all these qualities have helped the yogis make their body fit for the performance of other yogic kriyas. In fact, asanas are an essential element of the Achtaang Mare of Yoga There are hundreds of asanas Some amy, asanas are Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Halasana, Naukaasana, Shalabhasen, Vayraasana, Sarvangasana and Shirshasana.
Classification of Asanas
On the basis of their effects asanas are classified in the following three categories.
1. Meditative Asanas: These asanas help to improve environment for meditation Padmasana and Sidhacana are mainly performed during meditation Hones these asanas are known an meditative asanas.
2. Relaxative Asanas: These asanaa are used for relaxation purposes Shavaseny and Makarewna are known as relaxative aeanan There asanas are practinng after heavy workout to bring our body back to relaxed position
3. Corrective Acanas: These asanar are used to correct postural deformities Practice of these asanas make body movements graceful Halasana, Bhujangasang, Dharurasmma, Mavwresana, Shalabhasana and Chakrasana are the main ssenay Practised to correct postural deformities.
Pranayama
Pranayama is the scence of breath control. The word Pramavama is composed of two parts, i.e. 'pran' meaning vital breath and 'avam' meaning expansion, stretching or restraint. The technique of pranayama primarily includes three functions.
They are:
1 Inhalation or breathing in
2. Exhalation or breathing out
3. Retention or holding of breath after inhalation or exhalation.
These are the patterns of the process of breathing that help us in:
(i) strengthening the respiratory system
(ii) soothing the nervous system
(iii) developing the power of concentration.
The science of pranayama is an important asset of an individual or a yogi. The practice of pranayama is very useful in maintaining health and progress in life. Viloma, anuloma and pratiloma are concerned with the methods and techniques of inhalation and exhalation. Other forms of pranayama are bhastrika, kapaalbhati, thawn, sttali, sitakari, sama vritti and visam vritti.
Meditation
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| Meditation for relaxation of mind. Meditation is termed as dhyan in yoga and is the seventh element of yoga. It means the practice of focusing one’s mind on something for spiritual purposes for relaxation and relief from anxtety Meditation means Continours concentration on something This type of concentration is the key to success to accomplish anything in life Without concentration, we cannot achieve any wordly or religious objective Meditation can also be defined as the concentration of mind and its innate power to enter into another world. |
Definition of Meditation
‘Meditation is uninterrupted thinking of one thought” —Patanjali Meditation is the focusing of the mind on some object If the mind acquires concentration on one object, & can concentrate on any object whatsoever” —Swami Vivekananda
Is is increasingly being felt these days that meditation should form a part of gor daily routine to provide a counterbalance to the intensely fast pace of life.
The advantages of practising meditation are:
1. It calms the mind.
2. It develops the power of concentration.
3. It develops the mental power to resist all distractions of mind.
4 It leads to self-knowledge.
5 It leads to laying the foundation for mutual faith and understanding.
6. It leads to the restoration of one’s well-being—physical, mental and spiritual.
YOGIC KRIYAS
Besides asanas and pranayama, many other practices are employed in yoga for the purification of certain body systems. These kriyas are:
1 Neti 2. Dhouti 3. Vasti
4 Tratak 5. Nauli 6. Kapalbhati
1. Neti: There are different types of Neti. These are: (i) Jal Neti, (ii) Sutra Neti, (iii) Ghrit or Ghee Neti, (iv) ‘Tel’ or Oil Neti and (v) Milk Neti.
In jal neti, water is introduced into one nasal cavity of our body with the help of a nozzle of a tumbler. The water introduced would trickle down the other nostril which is below the level of the first one. Other forms of neti can also be performed under the guidance of a yoga teacher. Jal Neti helps in cleaning our inhaling system and throat and it is also said to improve eyesight.
2. Dhouti: For beginners only vastra dhoti is recommended. In this kriya four inches wide and 22 feet long sterilized strip of malmal cloth is gulped inside the mouth in a sitting pose. After attanding and employing nauli kriyas, the cloth strip is pulled out slowly. This kriya is said to be extremely worse for curing problems like acidity and bronchitis.
3. Vasti: In this kriya an attempt is made to clean the large intestine by taking in or sucking in water or at through the rectum
4. Tratah: This kriya involves sitting in padmasana in front of a lamp and look at the flame of the lamp without blinking the eyes This kriya should by performed till eves become teary It can also be done by drawing a dark circle on a wall and focusing eyesight on that spot It helps improve eyesight and solve many problems related to vision.
5. Nauli: In this kriya, after exhaling from a couch position, the stomach is contracted m such a way that the front abdominal wall almost touches the back wall. Thereafter, an attempt is made to draw out the two vertical muscles (recti- abdominis). With hands resting on the thighs, one should try % rotate these two vertical muscles clockwise and anticlockwise This kriya is useful m solving problems of gas, constipation and many intestinal problems.
6. Kapalbhati: The process of kapalbhati is somewhat similar to bhastrika, pranayama. In kapalbhati, air is inhaled slowly and after retaining it for a split second, it is quickly and forcefully exhaled. Kapalbhati invigorates and keeps the liver, pancreas, spleen and abdominal muscles healthy.
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