Yoga:

Maharshi Patanjali, the father of Yoga in India who compiled 195 Yoga Sutras that became the foundation of Yoga philosophy. The commentary on these sutras is called Bhasya (Exposition). Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice and has its origin in India. According to Patanjali, Yoga is “योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध: yogah chitta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ” which means “Yoga is restraining of the modifications of mind”. Yoga is also called union of body and mind. It essentially leads one to a state of consciousness; free from all wandering of mind and achieving self consciousness, unalloyed with any other stimuli of thoughts or objects. Patanjali has advocated eightfold path (Ashtanaga Yoga), a step by step process comprising of eight parts for students of yoga to perfectly master it. The eightfold paths are;

1. Yama: Yama is restraining the unwanted, distracting and harmful thoughts and impulses.

2. Niyama: Niyama is cultivating good, positive and healthy thoughts.

3. Asana: Asana is performing physical exercises to keep the body strong and healthy to be able to sit in suitable postures for long hours of contemplation and meditation.

4. Pranayama: Pranayama is mastering the technique of rhythmic breathing for energizing the body and mind.

5. Pratyahara: Pratyahara is withdrawing the senses from objects of sense enjoyment and other distractions.

6. Dharana: Dharana is holding the mind on the object of contemplation.

7. Dhyana: Dhyana is uninterrupted contemplation. Dhyana is also called concentration or meditation.

8. Samadhi: Samadhi is the final step which leads to total absorption of mind in the object of contemplation or meditation.

The first two steps, Yama and Niyama purify and strengthen the minds through moral and ethical exercises. Yama essentially includes non-violence, not harming other living beings, truthfulness, & non-falsehood, non-stealing, and chastity, marital fidelity or sexual restraint, non-possessiveness and elimination of greed in thoughts as well as actions.

Niyama involves purity of body and mind, clearness of mind, speech and body, contentment, acceptance of others, acceptance of one's circumstances as they are in order to get past or change them, optimism for self, persistence, perseverance, austerity, study of scriptures, study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions and contemplation of the Ishvara, the God, the Supreme Being.

Asana covers wide varieties of exercises to strengthen the body to make it capable of sitting in meditative postures for long hours in contemplation. Pranayama is breathing techniques to control the mental and physical energies. Pratyahara is withdrawing the minds from all other objects other than the object of contemplation. Dharana is holding the mind with concentration on the object of meditation. Dhyana is is a step ahead of dharana, maturing it for uninterrupted meditation. Samadhi is the last stage where the mind becomes one with the object of meditation. Samadhi is also called as the spiritual state when one's mind is so absorbed in whatever it is contemplating on, that it loses the sense of its own identity. The thinker, the thought process and the object of thought get unified and become one. There is only “oneness” in Samadhi.

In order to master the Yoga, one has to have a step by step prolonged practice covering all the steps given above. Each step is a subject in itself for elaborate discussions but the basic objective behind the process is to lead one to purify and strengthen the body and mind. The regular practice helps the seeker to get rid of impure thoughts, actions and physical ailments to achieve the goal of a healthy, peaceful and joyful life.

Asana:

As physical fitness is of prime importance for any endeavor in life to succeed, the Asana is discussed below with more details.

There are number of scriptures available on Asanas (please also see references*). As per various scriptures on Yoga asanas, it is believed that there are thousands of asanas but main asanas are said to be a combination of 84 poses. One should perform these asanas (postures) under the guidance of a competent yoga teacher. Also a caution must be observed to start the asanas without crossing the physical limits of body i.e. without over stretching or over exerting the body. Yoga asana is called a balance of effort and ease. We put a little effort to get into the posture and then we relax. Relaxation also plays very important role in getting full benefits of asanas. Similarly, proper breathing, the process of inhaling and exhaling is also very important in performing asanas and it should be done as per the instructions of yoga teacher. Breathing should also be done with full awareness, i.e. while breathing the mind should focus on the breathing process. Yoga asana brings the balance in every aspect of our life and a sense of wellness. It teaches us to put an effort and then let go, get detached from the result. Yoga asana increases our physical flexibility and expands our mind. When we lift our hands for yoga, first we become aware of the arm and then we slowly lift it, synchronized with the breath. It is as graceful as a dance, gliding into one posture from another. The key is to stretch a little more, in each asana, than what we are comfortable and then relax and let go. This little effort to take the body beyond its agreeable limit expands our mind.

Following is a typical list of asanas. As cautioned earlier, beginners should practice a set of asanas best suited for individual physiology and under the proper guidance of a qualified Yoga teacher.

English Name Hindi/Sanskrit Name

Standing yoga asana:

Standing Sideways Bending One arm Konasana

Sideways Bending Using Both arm Konasana (another variant)

Standing Spinal Twist Katichakrasana

Standing Forward Ben Hastapadasana

Standing Backward Bend Ardha Chakrasana

Triangle Pose Trikonasana

Standing Forward Bend with Feet Apart Parsarita Padotanasana

Tree Pose Vrikshasana

Eagle Pose Garudasana

Sitting yoga asanas:

One-Legged Forward Bend Janu Shirasasana

Two-Legged Forward Bend Paschimottanasana

Upward Plank Pose Poorvottanasana

Sitting Half Spinal Twist Ardha Matsyendrasana

Butterfly Pose Badhakonasana

Lotus Pose Padmasana

Camel Pose Ustrasana

Mill Churning Pose Chakki Chalanasana

Lying down on stomach yoga asanas:

Side Plank Pose Vasisthasana

Downward Facing Dog Pose Adho Mukha Svanasana

Dolphin Plank Pose Makara Adho Mukha Svanasa

Bow Pose Dhanurasana

Cobra Pose Bhujangasana

Locust Pose Shalabasana

Lying down on back yoga asanas:

Boat Pose Naukasana

Bridge Pose Setu Bandhasana

Fish Pose Matsyasana

Wind-Relieving Pose Pavanamuktasana

Shoulder Stand Sarvangasana

Plow Pose Halasana

Corpse Pose Shavasana**

By practicing yoga asanas, not only one accrues large health benefits of strengthening the body but it also help in eliminating many physical ailments as well. Yoga asanas are practiced for all round physical and mental wellness. There are specific yoga asanas prescribed to cure specific physical ailments. With its innumerable benefits, Yoga is becoming more and more popular world over. On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21^st as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21^st as International Day of Yoga by Hon’ble Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. In Suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Mr. Narendra Modi had said that, "the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.

Meditation:

Meditation is a process by which we try to calm the mind by breathing slowly, effortlessly and naturally. The simple meditation techniques involve the following;

1. Choose a neat and clean place, preferably well ventilated allowing fresh air to enter the room if the place is indoor. The meditation should be practiced preferably after performing Yoga asanas.

2. Meditation can be practiced at any time but it is preferred to meditate early in the morning at sunrise or/and in the evening at sunset. It is advised to be on empty stomach which is also advised for performing yoga asanas also.

3. Keep a gentle smile on face and feeling of happiness within. Sit in a comfortable position cross legged or in lotus posture on a mat or soft blanket. One can sit on a chair also. It is not advisable to lie for meditation as one may fall asleep.

4. Close your eyes and take few deep breathes. Then breathe normally, make no extra effort to control the breathe; simply breathe slowly & naturally.

5. Mind will wander here and there; do not try to control the mind, allow it naturally to settle with attention drawn to the breathing process. Feel and observe mentally the inhalation and exhalation process. Gradually, the mind will settle and breathing process will become slower and calmer.

6. In the beginning to start with, do the meditation for five to ten minutes and gradually increase the meditation time to half an hour or forty minutes.

7. At the close of the meditation, do not hurry to open the eyes and move around. Rub your palms slowly for few minutes and keep the palms on your eyes. Keeping the palms on eyes, feel the warmth of palms, open your eyes slowly and gradually and take the palms away, put them on your laps. Take little time to become aware of yourself and your surroundings. Get up slowly and then you can move around slowly.

In deep spiritual terms, meditation is a process of connecting the self consciousness which is a spark of the infinite universal energy; with the supreme consciousness, the infinite universal energy itself; like connecting a small electric bulb with the infinite source of power by a live wire, a super conductive highway. This connection opens the door of infinite universal life energy (also called pranic energy) to the mankind which in normal sleep state, only a fraction of it is possible to be tapped.

To experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only a few minutes every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of your day!

Benefits of Yoga Asanas:

Regular practice of Yoga asanas acurues long term benefits for body and mind. It helps in reducing weight and gaining a strong and flexible body, glowing skin, peaceful mind, good health. The life journey becomes more calmer, happier and fulfilling. The major health benefits can be summed up as below;

· All-round fitness

· Weight loss

· Stress relief

· Inner peace

· Improved immunity

· Living with greater awareness

· Better relationships

· Increased energy

· Better flexibility & posture

· Better intuition

Health benefits of meditation:

With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This result in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.

Physical benefits of meditation:

· Lowers high blood pressure, lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks

· Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems

· Improves mood and behavior

· Improves the immune system

· Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy.

Mental Benefits of Meditation

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. It cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down. With regular practice of meditation:

· Anxiety decreases and stress management

· Emotional stability improves

· Creativity increases

· Happiness increases

· Intuition develops

· Gain clarity and peace of mind

· Problems become smaller

· Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation

· A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration

· An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress

· The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

· Meditation makes you aware - that your inner attitude determines your happiness.

Spiritual benefits of meditation

Meditation doesn’t have a religion and can be practiced by anybody regardless of the faith they follow.

· Effortless transition from being something to merging with the infinite and recognizing yourself as an inseparable part of the whole cosmos.

· In a meditative state, you are in a space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the Creation/planet.

· Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As you learn more about yourself, you’ll naturally start discovering more about yourself.

Yoga and meditation when practiced together strengthen the mind body connection, improving overall fitness and well-being. Many styles of yoga combine meditation with the physical routines, which use controlled breathing throughout the yoga poses. You can meditate without practicing yoga by simply relaxing, clearing your mind and concentrating on controlled breathing. Both yoga and meditation, when used consistently, have definite and proven health benefits.

Jai Gurudev