LEARNING OBJECTIVES 5.1 Meaning andimportance of Yoga S52 Blementsof Yoga 53. Introduction to Asanas, Pranayama, Meditation and Yogic Kriyas S.4i Yoga for Concentration and Related Asanas (Sukhasana; Tadasana; Padmasana; ‘Shashankasana; Naukasana; Vrikshasaria and Garudasana) 5.5. Relaxation Techniques for improving Concentration—Yoganidra The history of yoga is indeed old. Nothing can & said firmly about the origin of yoga except that originated in India. The available eviden 7 that history of yoga is related to the Indus Vall Civilisation. At that time, people used to do v7 Usually, we depend on secondary oes about the history of yo seulptures and seviptur _— that voy 2. On the ba , we reach th 3A Was a part of this civilisation. Y also mentioned in Mahabharata, R u ads. Patanjali also wr in 147 BCE. Dy developed signi Yota—partof india culture ing this period, y antly, —E Pout yora in their writings. Yoga is SA.MBANING AND, IMPORTANCE OF YOGA Meaning of Yoga Yous is derived from a Sanskrit Word Vie) in vor § I ite ver form, which means t "1 is its noun form and means unic I the Absolute or Divine soul. Tt is a science of fever rene Tulsidas and Surd, the Indian culture, a8 had mentionec union of the indi lopment of an individe Heaume je Pye. aa the ‘unification of Aema with Parmiaym Bia i i i Witleo means the unilication of plysics Penta inealectual and spiritual aspects fun being. Th et jal tounderstand the meaning of yors following definitions can be ponefich of yoga: 1. (Checking the impulses of mind is yoga,”-Pétnnjali 9, "Yoga is attaining the pose.” Maharishi Ved Vyas 9, Yoga is spiritual Kan he knowledge abor i aand Shakti is yoga." 5. ‘Oneness of man with God is knowin as y Agam Stari Bharati Krishna Tirtha rd Krishna wad Gita, “Shill Lord E wad Gita, “Shillin actions or efficiency alone ts yoga." Importance of Youa jcisa universal truth that moderr age is the age of stress, tension and anxiety, Nowadays, ost of the people are not leading a happy and produetive life, They indulge in materialism, Their life is full of problems. At last, it eat be alluded that everybody, whether rich or poor, jenot happy in the present-day life, Kin Hubbard has rightly sald, "Ptis pretty hare to tell ibe brings happiness; poverty and wecllh have both failed.” Everybody is in a hurry. Eitamsan beings ha time to think about leisure. Everything is time-bound and we are chasing, y tense, In order to get rid of physical fatigue ind stress, we have devised certain moans. We attend parties aind tale drinks tisfaction and relaxation, hut instead of getting peace and relaxation we suey with more tension, stress and fatigue, Purchased relaxation toes not provide Us with) ction in real life: We further sink in various complex problems. Thatis Wht froare falling prey to various diseases, 's juncture, yoga can he significant for us. We vid lated problems by practising yoga. The following points clearly show tine. This makes us physically tire and mental tension nd me pee mportance of y |. Physical Purity: Internal organs of our bedy can be cleansed by various yoric: exercises, Basically, there are three substances in our body, i.¢., vaat, pitt and haph. If there is a proper balance of these substances in our body, we may Remain healthy. Neté, Dhouti, Nauli, Basti, Kapaiabhati, Tratak, etc, are yorie exercises Oe shatkarmas that keep the internal organs of our body in a clean state. Far proper clean and purity of our internal organs, we should perform these yogic exercises regularly Cure and Prevention from Diseases: There are varions diseases which usually hamper the smooth functioning of our body. Yous not only: protects as fam many diseases but algo cures them. Various yopic exercises increase the immunity power ofan ind individual performs yogic exercises regularly, he cannot fall Vajrasana helps control diabetes. Similarly, a laxge number of diseases such as bronchitis, sinusitis, arthritis, gastritis, dyspepsia, asthma, high blood pressure, leprosy, hay fever, heart attack, sciaties, menstrual disorders, stress, urinary disorders, back pain, hysteria, ete.,canbe prevented as wellaseuredby vatious yogic exercises. Reduees Mental Pension: Yoga can help in eo tee fact that most of the people remain under stress and tensioti: They 20nd Be anywhere. They aod and disturbed in the present-day life. They think that money can bring happinessand peace to theit life but it further intensifies their stress:ring Peace op and Dhyan pls re nd Bhujangasana a halabhasana, Suptas and tension. Pratyahar, Dha' mind, Makarasana, Shavasana, 5 beneficial for releasing stress and tension: ieee: 4. Healthy Body: Everyone in this world wants 10 have a healthy body. Various 9 asanas are best suited to get rid of many health problems and to stay fit. They make ‘our body strong. reenergize it and improve flexibility & Provides Relaxation: Rest and relaxation are essential for removing fatiguy Whoa we indulge in any physical or mental work, after some time we feel tre, this juncture, we cannot do further work. So, we need relaxation . Shavasana an Moharasana are beneficial for relaxation. Padmasana-arxl Nadam Sadhana are gag for reducing mental fatigue 6 Helps Maintain the Correct Postur eof Body: Nowadays, postural deformities: are common in individuals. Without good posture they are unable to do their work efficiently. They are not able to enjoy life. They usually put more energy in simple tasks. If we perform yogic asanas regularly, we can maintain the correct posture ofour body. Vajrasana, Sarvangasana, Mayurasana, Chakrasana, Bhujangasanay Dhemuirasana, ete., are not only preventive asanas but curative also. Through these yogic-exercises, we can keep our body in high spirits. 7. YogaCanBe Performed Easily: In present-day life, everybody seems to be in a hurry, ‘Life has become fast. Every individual complains of shortage of time. To do an exercis@ other than yogic exercises requires enough time and money whereas, yogic exercises can be performed easily, These exercises ean be done in a short duration and are not ‘expensive. Moreover, these exercises can be performed in less space 8. Spiritual Development: Through yoga, efforts can be made to attain spiritual development. We can have a good control on our mind by doing regular yogic exercises. Hfour mind is pure, we can make efforts to achieve spiritual heights. Padmasana ant Siddhasana are the best asanas for spiritual development. These asanas enhand? = 9. Increases Flexibility: Flexibility is significant for every pe: aa movements of body efficient anid graceful. [tis also helpful sefladgmel injury Various yogasanas increase flexibility of body. Chakrasana, Dhenurasana, Halasii Bhujangasana and Shalabhasana are beneficial for increasing flexibitity. Mustle™ also become flexible by performing these asanas. sing flexibility 10. Reduces Obesity: Obesity is a worldwide iseases. Youic v leer help rT Hpadally maliiauvccnscs sea? reducing obesity, For example, pranayama eee reduce obesity, Research studies have shown that dl {in slsoransed by mental tension meditative asan: and stress. So, by reducing mental tensidn thr problem. Obese people fall prey te-varl ee a a ae ad eaenoes Moral und Ethical Values: Now ‘and othical values. By following the fir ethical valu Ste tae, the ‘non-violence, truthfulness, aparigraha. the practice of gama and migama such shes an individual strong n-ste yg. Enh mort adays, the: isa declining trend in st two steps of astanga yoga, moral ling, stcadhyaya, santosh, ote Lothically oeally tshell, it ean be-coneluded that yo: ww a nt-day life. An individual can attain perfect ed anid producti ificant for mankind specially in the. alth and can lewd a happy, contented, sxercises regula’ e life, if he performa yo; guseenents OF YOGK i Prtanjali describe ees re ate of yoga in Yogasutras; These are called gh fole ais ge eps ees ete GF peek cane aaa union of our soul supreme soul. These elements of ore oga are stated below 1-Yama 2. Nivama 3. Asana 4, Pranayama 5, Pratyahara 6. Dharana 7. Dhyana 8. Samadhi nportant for attaining the goal of vega. After getting |d proceed to the next element. The elaboration of these ‘qhe practice of each element é profviency inone clement, we s plements is given subsequently Yama Yama is the first element of Astanga yoga. Through the practice of yama one can abstain things that keep one's mind involved in the inevitable struggle for survival. y from violence, Yama consists of five moral codes of conduct. ahrishi Patanja’ re five yama, ie., Ahimsa or Non-violence, Truthfulness, Asteya or Non-stealing, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha, The brief One Accordi Satyaor explanation of yamais given below. 1, Ahimsa or Non-violence: It m one must keep away from harm to any organism or human t Anxiety, jealousy, hi types of negative emotions are included 5, we must remain away e, anger and such n violence, S from these emotions. We must not injure anyone. We must not speak ill of others. We must not display any negative emotion. There must he love, affection and regard for human beings as well as forother creatures. 2. Satya or Truthfulness: Satya is an important yama. According to satya, We must be truthful in thought, word and . . deed, We must not tell a ie. We must abstain from falseness of any kind. We must not speak toothera ina deceitful manner. We must speak the truth at any coat, fight elements of yoga7 the propensity to use others’ objects, money, ns non-stealing. Tae must abstain from it. Even think " bonetite is ateniil-”7' josithes weal anything nor motiyae pm wes ¢ possess, 3. Asteya: Asteyam thoughts for aur own : about sveling something is wren. 0 tostea), We should feel satis to take a diet th lated literate ay ast keep the nbowe pai with what athe imislaten ‘eexaiel deitie, sigk4o 1 to indulge in sexual relations is calleq an 1 our mind oo that we can follow the 4. Bruhmacharya: N pornographic or sex Seah cache Wa shmacharya atho and property far self-interest ang, | a life with minimum requirettiente, Iti, | means to lent anything to be our own, We sheild a oe ga worms follow aparigroda cb mot 5. Aparigroha: Parigraha mew on the contrary, Aparigraka an attitude of mind th stesiro for physical pleasu Niyama d sonses. Niyamas are also ethical practices 4, to inlvidial's bot cha, Santosh, Tapa, Swadhyayaand Ishieoe n below We must be clean phivdically as Welt da toenail sosternally ae well as internally, A special emphasis ia given vans in yon, For the purity of internal organs there age gg vokevinas ia pope suck ca nel ety, egactaliiess Nee eta Niyamas are ri - s. There are five niyamas such a janation is Prat 1. Sauchia: Sacha im must keep to purity of in shudhi krivas or she keriva, et ‘ ; d iment. develop a feeling of satisCuetion in Santosh: Suntosh means contentment. We must develo c © atisications oi: We rut fel eased with what God he given us. We should notobsess after desires sine ffi les. plex situations easily in the way, 8, Tapa: To endure the difficulties, obstacles and comy Misting the objective and to go ahead continuously towards the goal is called Tapa. We chould accept the conflicts like pleasure and pain, loss and gain in the same spin 4) Swadhyaya: To stuiiy the great Vedas, Granths, Upanishads, Gita with devotion is called Swadhyaya. It is the first type of study is the study of self. To know about who ain I doing? What is the aim of my life? The above toswadhyaya. 5. Ishwara Pratidhana:Itisan important to God is called Ishwara Pranidhana, In whatever facilities and prosperity such ag Power, respect, ete., h /she has achiev she surrenders to. God arid removes x hissher mind Asana idharna. Their brief ex sar body Yogdarshan and of study. Second am I? What should I do? What two types of studies are related tage of Niyama. To dedicate all the deeds such a stage, a true devotee thinks that ly, mindl, youth, intelligence, position, din life are only due to God's grace. He! ‘nity, pride, ego and other impurities from After yami and niyama, asanascom © 0n the thi ‘pos: posture ; a ay non the third level. Asana me, S ‘pusitios ibe Italso oer tosit ineasy posture. Due toits popularity oan ronnie odta at Yoga is nothing but asana. They are not aware th os at In Saraswant Hearn Ant Prysicas Enucanoy-X] a wl of 8reducing inappropriate accumulation of fatin the body, There are various uch as corrective asands, relaxative aganas and meditative asanas: These ave different types of effects on various organs of body, These asanas ions of Various organs. ANAS Ci : a ‘gans. Asn “an be performed from young age ta old and exhalation, Basically there are three constituents of pranayama, ie. slation), Kumbhake (Retaining the breath) and Rechakea (Exbalation). There pranayama such as Ujjayi, Suryabhedi, Sheetkari, Sheetali, Bhastrika, Murcha and Plavini. Pranayama helps in regulating the metabolic activities functions of heart and lunge. Tealso provides longevity te life. a process of self-control in which an individualis able to exercise controlover deed, to control the mind and senses is called pratyahara, Tn pratyahard, longer respond to the external objects that hinder mental concentration. ment of varidus senses such as words, beatity, touch, taste, smell, ete,, diverts attachment idival from the way of self-welfare. The practitioner of pratyanhara starts feelings isireme pleasure inrémembering God, Dharana n of mind. Generally, itis seen that the mind has a tendency to gut scattered but if the scattered mind is brought under control and set to one focal point, fncentration is said to be achieved. The focal point can bein the centre of the forehead or navelora t thing light ata distance. Dharanais the first step towards samadhi. Infact, dharana ig a mental exercise which enables a yoei to go ahend towards dhyana Dhardna is the concentra lanii samadhi. Dhyana Diyanaisa process of complete constancy of mind. Itis a stage prior to samadhi. Generally, dhyana remains attached to our life at every moment. Whenever we perform any specific task in the family, itis usually advised to do that task with ‘dhyana’ (Dhyan se karana). But wedo not understand its appropriate meaning. In fact, dhyana is @ complete concentration i mind over a period of time without any distraction. Samadhi 4 hii of individual's soul with the Supreme soul is called samadhi, Samadhi is also Gils! hechecking or destruction ofall the impulses of mind. During the stage of dhyana, nt disappearance of self-awareness takes place, the yogior yogini attains the stage fsamadhi. He/She hegins to feel the real truth. He/She forgets himself completely, He! begins to experiance the divine pleasure.that position which sanain i6 ; se mfortable position eka ey gitina co panishad) {iqrate of body in which ity ording ay cana is that 070 an extended period gp Be apie anne ste ‘comforts ee js comfortan tina PP 9 si jg keptin warioue positions in such f or pate fT eof at ats BE come more efficient and finally) ",4 or opt easily: ASA OST sant nas of bod é beeps y position is col sad glands ee oe hat t it + montal developinent, Preventing nent al an Gesirod effects Of YORIC Mractleag v are the ¢ a 2 fact, 058 snd contro! ees ree eategorios on the bisis dll ification ¢ snto the followine s are Asai their effects: 1, Medit 2, Relax! g, Cultural w Corrective + : | — - Reluxative ) Asanas Cultural a or Convective Asal) jibiianse tee : Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, == pashankasana, } ae" a Matayasana, Halasana, ie h Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, [eomasana, Veerasana, Mokarasand, pour palms, Maintain ving your arms and leg down. Repeat it with deep € yform 3 to 5 reunds fe left. It completes one round. Pe ne time the number of rounds mudm wi may be of this asana, ased. inet Benefits Itstrengthons tho ligaments and tendonofthe feet, Veikshasana 1 2. Ithelpsinimproving concentration. 3. This asana helps in relieving pain due to sciatica, 4. Ithelps the body in establishing pelvic stability 6. Itimproves balances and stability in the legs 6, Itishelpful to those who are facing the problem of depression and anxi 7. Itenhances the flexibility of legs, back and chest muscles. — 8. Italsoreducesthe knee problems, Contraindications low or high blood pressure, acute If you axe sufferin, igrai i from migraine, insomni Yerin, , ia, problemand hip injury, you should avoid practicing this as: ana, Sarasivart Hear ap Prvsicat.. Eucirox XYsona comes from Sanskrit word garuda moans Indeed, Guruda is known as the anding balancing pose. standing position. Then be the right logand o left leg. The rig ° thigh should be in front of the er yanathe toporthe righ should rest on the-eil forthe vend the elbows ancl bring them on the front of the het v remaining ak, Slowly ‘pe loft knee and lower the body until the tip of the right e rouchos the floor. Stay in this position for 20 10.30 Ieee forearms around enc other, the left ot jace the palms together to resemble an cag conds ‘wadybreathing. Release the posture and return to standing ———_garudisane After that on the other side position Benefits |, Itstrenigthens the muscles, tones thonerves and lonsens the jofuts tthe ees sadaems thens ankles intes sciatica and rheu Contraindications ifyou have hada recent ankle or elbowinjitry, You should avoid performing © BSRELAXATION TECHNIQUES FOR IPROVING CONCERT YOGANIDRA Nowadays, human life has become fast and hectic. Every individual is trying to adjust world but all in vain. Ultimately, humam beings are facing varios problems. Yoganidra, as a technique of pratyabars, not only to body and mind but also has a number 6f benefits, Yoamidrs 1s vafurred to as Yogric sleep’. It is @ systematic method of guided relaxation that profound effect on body and mind: Yoganidra also means "Psychic sleep’, i.e., sleep »mplete awareness. In the practice of yoganidra, the body sleaps but the mind ins awa n psychology, the state of yoganidra is culled a state between sleep and cfulness. Yoganidia is performed in the: posture of shavasana, with the eyes closed. In ganidra isa very powerful physical and mental relaxation technique. Stages of Yoganidra:’The complete practice of yoganitira consiata ofthefollowing sages: 1. Preparation; Get ready for yoganidra. Lie down on your back on the floor and adopt the pose of Skavasana. In this position, the body, should be straight from head ta toe. Legs should be slightly apart and arme should be a litle ans should beupwards, Fea comfortable in this pasition, Clase youreyes anditake a deep reath.Yonanidra snkalpa according to your own Wish, 1 may be ‘I will enjoy example, sankalpa ): Take a esulve 0 or I, ete. ough the different body parts sis rotated thr 2 o relaxation in 3 ystematicand organised ce started in proper sequences Le , right side of mb and ending with the little toe of the lefvhand thumb tothe little toe ofthe head and lastly the front In this way, the sankalpal Intention (S2 hort, clear and p willeverbecheert ch orl §; Body Rotation: At this stage atic way, whi awaren e rotation ¢ manner, The the body, beginning wit right foot. Then, lef fe ck ofthe bi e hody, frum the o the back of the features to the legs. i. from fo wholebody is relaxed 4, Breath Aware atage.¥ oily become aware of the natural breath : ning any eff ‘hange the flow of the breatlt. Ir gives a deeper relaxation thavean be directed to.all the parts of the body. higherener allow yourself to experience pairs of opposite feelings like 3. Opposites or Feelings and Sensations: Atthis stag ised witl sensations. feelings an heat and cold, pain.and pleasure, love and hate, ete. induces mental reluxation. It develops self awareness |, controls the mind and 6. Visualisation: This stag and relaxes the mind strengthens concentr: different images, objects or situations. 7. Sankalpa, Once again sankaly ioned i rele : n sankalpa mentioned in'the second point is r with complete dedication. : opened aie removal of disturbing materi: ion ability. In fact, it is done by visualisation of variety of 8. Return or Finishing the Practice: This stage is important because if you move fast out of yoganidra you can feel discontented and uncomfortable. At ab stage, faWareness is externalised slowly so that you ti : ee seis you can be aware of the external location, Advantages of Yoganidra The main advantages of practising yoganidra are stated helow, 1. Reduces Tension: Nowada: unde! tension an v8, most peopl: i which usually create a number of physical amipgeapen kee Mein eka Ssxiswan Haunt avo Puvsica, Epvcatios-X1 ai.as we a ish ph ere eee that there are three kinds of tensions—muscular, d ' be progressively reduced through regular: tien of yoranidra ,xes the Mind: The br ei the linking mediator between mind, body and g the process of yoganitira the awareness of the body cumulates ¢he brain. When the awareness is rotated on the different parts of the ye inde both ph ind mental relaxation. Also, when awareness 18 t atod rupeatedly, t nt flow of p ‘anic energy in the brain, which ultimately Awakens Creativity: Regular practix f yoganiden helps in making a bridge mind. Slowly the individtial becomes and then the power of creativity ory and Learning Capa ity: The technique of yogal helpful in incre ih learning and memory capacities, When yoganidea sed in education, hoth hemispheres of the student's brain are involved it) learning the subject, whereas in classroom teaching, the left hemisphere functions re racts Stress: The practice of Ips in building up the coping it unteractstress 6. Mana ases: When tensions, conflicts and frustrations of those diseases are termed as, ng the suppressed and repressed reby relaxing the mind. psychosomatic dis idra aims atrelea nflicts fron a tec delin the meditation, yoganidra can be adopted a8 8 t ofcancer culing: Tn the practice of yoganidta, the subtle bioplasmie enérgy, is awakened and mobilized throughout the body. Gradually, this conscious imagination activates the self-healing capacity and thereby actual healing takes tient. This kind of healing is termed as pranic healing. In yoganidra, aling can also ated on the mental plane. When the body is visualized to 1 perfect health over and over again, the inherent potency of the mind actually. starts healing ce in the Promotes Willpower: Yoganidra helps in building up willpower and optimism in an individual beeause it is sowed in the subconscious and ‘unconecious mind repeatedly So, the technique of yoranidra has preventive, promotive and curative values. In aur Present modern lifestyle, where psychdlogical and paychosamatic problems are on the ite, che technique of yoganidra may serve as areal boon for mankind. Yooa