From Blog to Book.

STHIRA - BHAGA . BLOGSPOT. COM . ES

Contents
1 2013 1.1 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.3 1.1.4 1.1.5 1.1.6 1.1.7 1.1.8 1.1.9 1.1.10 1.1.11 1.1.12 1.1.13 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.2.5 1.2.6 1.2.7 1.2.8 1.2.9 Sri K Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) (2013-05-21 14:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The lineage of Ashtanga Yoga (2013-05-21 17:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fundamento del Foco. Toni Romero (2013-05-21 17:19) . . . . . . . . . . Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya photos (2013-05-22 15:03) . . . . . . . . . Fragmentos del libro Pranayama de Andr Van Lysebeth (2013-05-23 00:18) Encouraging Words by Zen Master Guishan (2013-05-24 10:20) . . . . . Krishnamacharyas Legacy (yoga journal, By Fernando Pags Ruiz)
(2013-05-25 10:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 9 9 38 72 74 83 92 93 102 103 103 108 121 122 122

El hilo de la mente. Toni Romero (2013-05-25 20:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . Tristana from the book ashtanga yoga by John Scott (2013-05-27 15:14) . . Intervew with K. Pattabi Jois: Practice Makes Perfect By Sandra Anderson (2013-05-28 14:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yoga as Self-Transformation by Joel Kramer (2013-05-30 12:00) . . . . . . La intencin siembra los benecios de la prctica. Toni Romero (2013-05-30 12:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guestbook (2013-05-31 14:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"3 GURUS, 48 QUESTIONS" Sri K Pattabhi Jois excerpts (Namarupa magazine) by R Alexander Medin (2013-06-02 12:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Ashtanga Yoga As It Was By Nancy Gilgoff (2013-06-03 14:32) . . . . . . . Reconectarse con la Divinidad. Toni Romero (2013-06-05 14:34) . . . . . Quotes from The mirror of yoga by Richard Freeman (2013-06-05 20:32) . . Nauli kriya Part 1 (1/3) (2013-06-08 14:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . interview with David Swenson "how it all began..." wildyogi.com
(2013-06-10 17:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

132 138 141 142 145 156 156 159 3

Mudras internos. Toni Romero (2013-06-10 23:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nauli kriya Part 2 (2/3) (2013-06-11 12:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nauli kriya Part 3 (3/3) (2013-06-12 13:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.2.10 1.2.11 1.2.12 1.2.13 1.2.14 1.2.15 1.2.16 1.2.17 1.2.18 1.2.19 1.2.20 1.3

Samudra Manthan - The Churning of the Milk Ocean (2013-06-13 17:01) . . Las buenas intenciones. Toni Romero (2013-06-15 13:25) . . . . . . . . .

160 174

Hatha Yoga Should Be Practiced as Raja Yoga Interview with Richard Freeman from wildyogi.info (2013-06-17 11:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 A letter from Sri.K. Pattabhi Jois to Yoga Journal, Nov. 1995 183
(2013-06-19 13:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Eight Limbs, "Agni" and The origin of yoga from the book The intermediate Series by Gregor Maehle (2013-06-20 11:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Pranayama by Sri K Pattabhi Jois from "Yoga Mala" (2013-06-22 13:40) . . Entrevista a Toni Romero para Yoga Sala (2013-06-22 21:27) . . . . . . . . Ajay Tokas interview for Sthira&Bhaga (2013-06-25 22:30) . . . . . . . . . The Antiquity of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga from the book Intermediate serie by Gregor Maehle (2013-06-27 20:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pranayama and the respiratory system part1 (1/2) from the book Light on pranayama by BKS Iyengar (2013-06-28 16:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pranayama and the respiratory system part2 (2/2) from the book Light on pranayama by BKS Iyengar (2013-06-29 16:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . El suelo plvico como muelle interno. Toni Romero (2013-07-01 13:11) . . Ahamkara and the myth of Rama from the book "The mirror of yoga" by Richard Freeman (2013-07-02 19:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mula bandha, Uddiyana Bandha from the book Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy Gregor Maehle (2013-07-05 14:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) (2013-07-08 10:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SHIRSHASANA From the book Yoga Mala by Sri K Pattabhi Jois
(2013-07-10 14:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

187 193 196 197 203 205 209 209 210 213 216 222 225 226 227

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.1 1.3.2 1.3.3 1.3.4 1.3.5 1.3.6 1.3.7 1.3.8 1.3.9

Bandhas and granthis From the book Moola bandha the master key
(2013-07-13 11:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

La inteligencia del miedo . Toni Romero (2013-07-15 10:24) . . . . . . . . Shushumna nadi y los sntomas de las ansiedad (2013-07-15 22:43) . . . . .

Dropping into asana (Richard Freeman Studio Talk, April 14, 2013) // Dharma Talk with Richard Freeman "Ganeshs Secret: The Obstacles to Yoga" (2013-07-18 15:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Mental ill and moola bandha from the book moola bandha the master key
(2013-07-20 13:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3.10 1.3.11 1.3.12 1.3.13 1.3.14 4

230 232 232 232 233

Guru Purnima Sri K Pattabhi Jois birthday celebration (2013-07-22 11:38) . Ashtanga vinyasa mix Toni Romero (2013-07-23 16:31) . . . . . . . . . . . Sharaths Moscow Workshop Broadcast July 28 (7-9am Moscow Time)
(2013-07-26 18:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ultimate drishti. Toni Romero (2013-07-26 18:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3.15 1.3.16 1.4

Vayus from the book Ashtanga Yoga by Lino Miele (2013-07-29 11:53) . . . You Want to Know What Inspires Me? (2013-07-31 17:52) . . . . . . . . .

234 235 236 236 237

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.1 1.4.2 1.4.3 1.4.4 1.4.5 1.4.6 1.4.7 1.4.8 1.4.9 1.4.10 1.4.11 Pranayama in the Bhagavad Gita (Pranayama the breath of yoga Gregor Maehle) (2013-08-01 12:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . El valor del dolor. Toni Romero (2013-08-07 12:55) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Meditation with Sattvic mind (Pranayama the breath of yoga Maehle) (2013-08-10 14:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Ashtanga Yoga and the Path to Purication by Govinda Kai (2013-08-10 19:12) Pranayama practice and stage of life (ashrama) From the book Pranayma the breath of yoga G.Maehle (2013-08-13 14:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . El amor y la honestidad. Toni Romero (2013-08-16 13:59) . . . . . . . . . Gregor 239 239 241

Maehle Interview from http://loveyogaanatomy.com/ (2013-08-18 14:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 "La unin del amor" Toni Romero (2013-08-20 12:06) . . . . . . . . . . . Asthanga Yoga As It Is Excerpt Matthew Sweeney (2013-08-21 16:20) . . . 243 244

The ve states of the mind, Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga yoga practice&philosophy (2013-08-23 14:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 "El camino medio" Toni Romero (2013-08-30 11:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 262 262 262 262 271 273 274 275 278 279 280 280 280 281 287 288 5

1.5

September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5.1 1.5.2 1.5.3 1.5.4 1.5.5 1.5.6 1.5.7 1.5.8 1.5.9 1.5.10 3 serie, advanced A Sthira Bhaga (2013-09-06 16:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . Sthira Bhaga, Advanced A 3 serie ashtanga yoga vinyasa (video)
(2013-09-10 20:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ilya Zhuravlev: "Mysore 1978" Interview with Mark and Joanne Darby (wildyogi.info) (2013-09-17 10:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pranayama chant from Bhagavad Gita (2013-09-23 20:07) . . . . . . . . . . Interview with Alexandros (2013-09-24 19:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Four verse on yoga by Shankaracharya (Mula bandha) (2013-09-26 20:47) . From Yoga Taravali by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-09-27 14:00) . . . . . . . From Aparoksanubhuti by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-09-28 20:12) . . . . . Yoga in the Mirror of Buddhism by Richard Freeman (2013-09-30 10:45) . . cards (2013-09-30 13:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.6

October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.1 1.6.2 1.6.3 1.6.4 Interview with Soa Xirotiri (2013-10-02 21:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buscando Mula bandha Toni Romero (2013-10-03 18:25) . . . . . . . . . . Advanced Ashtanga practice with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois 1987 / 1989
(2013-10-14 10:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Talking with Alex Medin. Deborah Crooks+demo (2013-10-16 19:58) . . .

1.6.5 1.6.6 1.6.7 1.6.8 1.6.9 1.6.10 1.6.11 1.6.12 1.6.13 1.6.14 1.6.15 1.6.16 1.6.17 1.7

interview with Sarath for the magazine yoga octuber 2011 (2013-10-16 21:54) Short text by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (2013-10-17 22:48) . . . . . . . . . . . Extract from Meditation on the Mind Itself by Lama Thubten Yeshe (2013-10-18 12:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Gary Lopedota interview for Sthira&Bhaga (2013-10-19 15:00) . . Richard Freeman Quote (2013-10-19 19:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finding Mula Bandha, article in elephant journal (2013-10-20 08:27) . . . . Interview with Dany S (2013-10-23 15:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yoga Taravali (full text) by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-10-23 18:01) . . . . . Padmasana: Right Leg First (Ashtanga Yoga, Practice & Philosophy by Gregor Maehle ) (2013-10-24 13:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the One Thousand Names of Lalita (2013-10-26 12:07) . . . . . . . . Finding Mula Bandha. Toni Romero (2013-10-30 09:55) . . . . . . . . . . intense ashtanga practice by Anthony Gary Lopedota (2013-10-30 10:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The three gunas from the Bhagavad Gita (2013-10-31 11:28) . . . . . . . . . Food for

288 292 293 295 299 299 300 303 306 307 310 313 313 314 314 318 320 321 323 324

November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7.1 1.7.2 1.7.3 1.7.4 1.7.5 1.7.6 1.7.7 1.7.8 1.7.9 1.7.10 1.7.11 1.7.12 1.7.13 1.7.14 1.7.15 1.7.16 1.7.17 1.7.18 Yoga Sikha Upanishad (2013-11-01 13:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The three granthi from the Hatha yoga pradipika (2013-11-02 21:25) . . . . Yoga Taravali&Yoga Sutras sanskrit audio (2013-11-06 13:54) . . . . . . . . Interview with Matthew Sweeney (2013-11-08 07:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . Some asana in the beach (2013-11-10 18:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the samkhya karika by ishvara krishna (2013-11-12 14:42) . . . . . . .

Are You Prepared to Enter the Yoga Matrix? An Interview with Richard Freeman (2013-11-13 20:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 Some verses from the Shiva Samhita II,1-5 (2013-11-14 12:14) . . . . . . . Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part one (1/4) (2013-11-16 12:10) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part two (2/4) (2013-11-16 21:13) Molts gracies por tu trabajo y investigacin que i... (2013-11-16 22:40) . . . Muchas gracias por toda tu ayuda e inspiracin ;) (2013-11-16 22:43) . . . . Sat chakra 327 328 333 338 338

nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Three (3/4) (2013-11-17 18:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Four (4/4) (2013-11-17 21:42) Krishnamacharya: His Legacy and Teachings (2013-11-18 11:24) . . . . . . Invocation from the Taittiriya Upanishad (2013-11-18 13:58) . . . . . . . . Richard Freeman video library (2013-11-20 12:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shiva Samhita Chapter II, verses 13-23 (2013-11-23 10:48) . . . . . . . . . 343 345 345 347 347

1.7.19 1.7.20 1.8 1.8.1 1.8.2 1.8.3 1.8.4 1.8.5 1.8.6 1.8.7 1.8.8 1.8.9 1.8.10

Sanskrit Terminology from the book Vinyasa Krama by Matthew Sweeney (2013-11-25 12:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Muchas gracias por compartir tus experiencias y co... (2013-11-28 19:59) . . Bindu part 1 (1/2) (2013-12-03 18:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bindu part 2 (2/2) (2013-12-04 12:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shiva samhita chapter IV,1-5 (2013-12-06 19:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Hamsa Upanishad (2013-12-08 19:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quotes from the Dyhanabindu upanishad (2013-12-13 13:52) . . . . . . . . The nadis or psychic passages (2013-12-14 19:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January Ashtanga workshop in Tarragona, Spain (2013-12-21 16:45) . . . .

349 350 350 350 352 355 357 358 359 363

December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ashtanga vinyasa practice advanced A fragmentos grabados en el centro Biorritmes de Tarragona (2013-12-23 13:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 Sandilya Upanishad quotes (2013-12-28 09:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yoga and Therapy From http://ayny.org/category/blog (Eddie Stern)
(2013-12-28 17:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

364 367 371

2 2014 2.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6 2.1.7 2.1.8 2.1.9 2.1.10 2.1.11 2.1.12 2.2 Varaha Upanishad quotes (2014-01-01 21:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sri K Pattabhi Jois clips (2014-01-06 09:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two Roads Diverged- Richard Freeman (2014-01-07 09:13) . . . . . . . . . Sharing the Mat: The Synergy of Yoga & Buddhism- Richard Freeman (2014-01-08 23:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part1 (1/3) (2014-01-12 13:34) . . . Ashtanga 2nd Series with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois - Solana Beach, CA 89 part 1
(2014-01-13 14:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

371 371 373 373 375 377 380

artwork from the book "The Mirror of yoga" (2014-01-14 11:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 Pada Bandha by Mark Stephens (2014-01-16 12:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 de enero Tarragona Escuela de Danza Indra (2014-01-16 13:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (2/3) (2014-01-20 17:58) . . . From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (3/3) (2014-01-27 12:14) . . . Mental problems and illness from the book Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2014-01-28 14:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clase Jueves 384 386 387 391 393 396 7

Susan

Chiocchi

February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6 2.2.7 2.2.8 2.2.9 2.2.10 2.2.11

Yoga Sutras, Patanjali. Chapter 1 Sam dhi P da (2014-02-01 15:33) . . . . Some videos from the practice (2014-02-03 14:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

396 400

Ashtanga Yoga Q&A with Richard Freeman BY Yoga International ON February 4, 2014 (2014-02-05 11:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 about anxiety Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2014-02-06 19:43) . . . . . . . Richard 402

Freeman Interview: Quiet Connection (yoga journal) (2014-02-11 19:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Ashtanga is Bhakti David Garrigues (2014-02-15 14:37) . . . . . . . . . . . BKS Iyengar Hatha yoga pradipika foreword (2014-02-15 18:56) . . . . . . Dosha by Hans Ulrich Rieker (2014-02-16 14:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 1 (2014-02-17 14:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 2
(2014-02-17 15:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

405 405 407 409 411 411

From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 3 (2014-02-17 15:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 1 2013
1.1
1.1.1

May
Sri K Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) (2013-05-21 14:41)

Tom Rosenthal 9

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1.1.2

The lineage of Ashtanga Yoga (2013-05-21 17:16)

Richard 38

Freeman

Richard

Freeman Danny Paradise

39

Richard Freeman

Richard Freeman

40

Richard Freeman

Sri K Pattabhi Jois y Richard Freeman

41

Richard Freeman

Sri K Pattabhi Jois yRichard Freeman

Richard Freeman

42

Richard Freeman

Richard Freeman

Richard

Freeman

43

Anthony Gary Lopedota

Sri K Pattabhi Jois y Sharath

44

Anthony Gary Lopedota

Chuck Miller

45

Chuck Miller Maty Ezraty

Chuck Miller Maty Ezraty

46

Anthony

Gary

Lopedota

David

47

Williams

Tim

Miller

48

Chuck Miller

Sri K Pattabhi Jois y Sharath

Lino Miele

Sharath

Ronald

Steiner

49

Sri K Pattabhi Jois Tim Miller, Anthony Gary Lopedota, Chuck Miller

Sri K Pattabhi Jois Tim Miller, Anthony Gary Lope-

dota, Chuck Miller Tim Miller,

Anthony

Gary

Sri K Pattabhi Jois Lope-

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dota, Chuck Miller

Kino MacGregor

Chuck Miller

David Swenson Tom Rosenthal

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John Scott

Maty 52

Ezraty

Richard

Freeman

David Williams

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Sri K Pattabhi Jois and Richard Freeman

Gregor Maehle

54

Chuck Miller

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Chuck Miller

David Williams

David Williams

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Sharath Tom Rosenthal

David Williams

57

David Williams

David Williams

David Williams

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Sri

Pattabhi

Jois

Sharath

Matthew Sweeney

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Sri K Pattabhi Jois y Anthony Gary Lopedota

Rolf 60

Naujokat Sharath jois

Sharath

jois 61

Richard Freeman

62

Mark Darby

63

Derek Ireland

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MacGregor

Tom

Kino Rosenthal

Kino Mac-

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Gregor Chuck Miller

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Richard

Freeman Sri K Pattabhi Jois Chuck Miller Richard Freeman

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Matthew sweeney

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Richard Freeman

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Macgregor Tom Rosenthal

Kino

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Doug

Swenson 71

David Garrigues

Richard Freeman

1.1.3

Fundamento del Foco. Toni Romero (2013-05-21 17:19)

Hace unas semanas estaba hablando con una amiga sobre las diversas formas de expresin dentro de la prctica del yoga: Bhakti yogis, Hatha yogis, etc& Recuerdo que le dije riendo que me vena a la memoria la divisin social de la edad media. Los estamentos, como me contaba mi profesora de lengua cuando era un nio, los que luchan, los que rezan y los que trabajan& algo hay de eso en la manera que cada uno siente como conectar con el mundo. En el fondo muchos

Toni Romero en Parsva Bhuja Dandasana 72

empezamos a practicar yoga porque tenamos algn problema de salud, curiosidad, otros lo toman como una gimnasia muy saludable, algunos como un acto de amor. Llegado un momento hay un escaln donde si quieres seguir profundizando en el conocimiento debes cambiar el concepto preestablecido que tenas en tu mente al empezar para obtener resultados para uno mismo. Convertir tu prctica en un acto que no te benecia a ti, sino como un ritual de agradecimiento a la vida. Tomar cada respiracin como una bendicin, cada asana y todo el esfuerzo como un regalo recproco haca la conectividad entre el universo el propio ser y todos y cada una de las formas de vida ms all de los conceptos de espacio-tiempo. En ese momento es cuando la devocin ocupa el sitio de la curiosidad, la soberbia. Donde la sabidura intuitiva orece y da paso a otro nivel de compresin. Sin ese paso evolutivo el yoga llega a poder estancarse en un simple festival de circo o exhibicionismo narcisista que simplemente alimenta justo lo que pretende eliminar. En occidente particularmente jugamos en ese breve lmite que puede separar esos dos polos. Quizs en ningn otro lugar del mundo dos opuestos pueden ser tan fcilmente confundidos. Muchas veces he visto la celeridad con que alguien quiere ser profesor, parece que tomamos eso como la nalidad del proceso. El resultado de todo depende de la intencin con la que ejecutas la accin. Recoges lo que siembra ms que nunca, el yoga es una puerta a un estado de comunin. El resultado solamente depende de la honestidad con la que ests enfocando no solamente el tiempo que pasas en la colchoneta, sino tu vida. Hacia dnde quieres ir y de qu forma.

Personalmente solamente puedo entender ese camino con el esfuerzo y la paciencia para comprender la complejidad de la vida y al nal qu ms da si llego o no. Para m es mucho ms importante tomar el viaje, si no tienes la suerte de alcanzar el puerto al menos fuiste sincero en el trayecto. Eso ya es un gran logro. Si obras con buenos sentimientos solamente puedes recoger sabidura, no importa tanto si prcticas yoga cada da, la habilidad fsica. Realmente todo se detiene el foco y su pureza, quizs el viaje es un retorno a la visin infantil, donde el concepto de mundo aparece con la simplicidad propia que la vida nos ofrece. Es posible que esa sea la puerta para volver a casa 73

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Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya photos (2013-05-22 15:03)

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Fragmentos del libro Pranayama de Andr Van Lysebeth (2013-05-23 00:18)

Kumbhaka Kumbhaka de 3 a 20 segundos El efecto principal de esta categora de retenciones, al alcance de todos, es permitir una mejor utilizacin, una mejor digestin del aire inspirado. Si se recoge y analiza el aire espirado (respiracin normal), se constata que el organismo ha absorbido tan slo un 6 por ciento del 21 por ciento de oxgeno que contena el aire inspirado. Es decir que el aire espirado contiene an un 14 o 15 por ciento de oxgeno, lo que permite reanimar a una vctima mediante la respiracin boca a boca. Prologando el tiempo de contacto del aire con la membrana pulmonar, los intercambios se hacen en ptimas condiciones: aumenta la absorcin de oxgeno y tambin la expulsin de anhdrido carbnico (CO2). La respiracin se realiza as en condiciones ptimas. Esta categora de 83

kumbhaka puede practicarse en cualquier momento: no tiene contraindicaciones y constituye una preparacin indispensable para el estudio siguiente. Kumbhaka de 20 a 90 segundos Cuando la retencin del aliento sobrepasa los 20 segundos, produce reacciones mucho ms notorias. No es peligrosa si se efecta en las condiciones que detallaremos en la parte ejercicios. En principio, el occidental no debera ir ms all, salvo excepciones y entonces bajo la direccin de un gua calicado. Estas retenciones del aliento se

prolongan hasta el momento en que los mecanismos reejos se sobreponen a la voluntad y ponen en marcha la espiracin. El aliento se retiene hasta el lmite soportable, sin esfuerzo exagerado de voluntad y sin reacciones violentas del organismo. Mediante una progresin lenta y regular, apoyada en una prctica diaria, estos ejercicios an son accesibles al occidental, con algunas precauciones y... buen sentido. Hay contraindicaciones. Kumbhaka de 90 segundos a varios minutos Esta categora conduce al yogui hasta estados precomatosos controlados, acompaados de reacciones siolgicas muy profundas que pueden llegar hasta una revitalizacin completa (suscitando, sin duda, en el organismo la produccin de los bioestimulines descubiertos por Filatov). En 1933,el profesor Filatov, miembro de la Academia de Medicina de la URSS, especialista en trasplantes de crnea, trabajaba en la realizacin de un procedimiento de conservacin de crneas por refrigeracin. Se sorprendi al constatar que los injertos que haban experimentado una congelacin prolongada arraigaban mejor que las crneas frescas. Este hecho inesperado fue el punto de partida de investigaciones sistemticas de los fenmenos que se producen en los 84

tejidos vivos durante su congelacin, por una parte, y las reacciones del organismo beneciario del injerto, por otra. Tambin aqu una sorpresa aguardaba a los investigadores: las crneas conservadas tenan una accin estimulante sobre la TOTALIDAD del organismo receptor del injerto. Filatov supone que las clulas del injerto sometidas a la accin del fro, amenazadas de muerte, producen, en su lucha por sobrevivir, una substancia estimulante. Despus de largas investigaciones, formul su clebre teora: Cuando un tejido separado del organismo se mantiene en condiciones de supervivencia desfavorables, pero mantiene en condiciones de supervivencia desfavorables, pero no mortales, su actividad bioqumica se modica con produccin de bioestimulines no especcos, por lo tanto capaces de estimular todas las reacciones vitales de los organismos en los que son injertados. Si un organismo entero se encuentra en esas condiciones desfavorables, pero no mortales, no hay produccin de bioestimulantes sin necesidad de separar los tejidos del organismo? Esta hiptesis es plausible. Es cierto que una interrupcin del aporte de oxgeno crea muy pronto condiciones desfavorables que, prolongadas, conduciran a la asxia y por ltimo a la muerte. La teora de Filatov explicara y hara plausible a nuestros ojos racionalistas la armaciones de los Rishis, segn las cuales el pranayama hecho a fondo constituira una fuente de juventud. Por cierto que el pranayama, llevado a tal grado, constituye una acrobacia siolgica, no exenta de peligro, y que slo puede practicarse bajo la direccin de expertos calicados. Cuando los yoguis de la India arman que el pranayama es peligroso y debe practicarse con un gur, piensan en las formas avanzadas de esta disciplina. Ciertamente tienen razn.

Jalandhara banda

Bandha, como tantos otros trminos del vocabulario yguico, es intraducible en nuestra lengua occidental. Bandha signica a la vez: anudar, controlar, retener, mantener, unir, contraer. En la prctica del yoga, en particular en el pranayama, Bandha designa diversas contracciones musculares destinadas a inuir en la circulacin de la sangre, el sistema nervioso y las glndulas endocrinas. Casi todas las Bandas aseguran especialmente el control de un oricio del cuerpo. Desde el punto de vista yguico, las Bandas tienen por objeto despertar y controlar las energas sutiles, prnicas, que se asientan en nuestro cuerpo. Ya conocemos en detalle Uddiyana Bandha. En la ptica del pranayama, Jalandhara Bandha es probablemente la Bandha ms importante, porque acompaa necesariamente toda retencin un poco prolongada de aliento (Kumbhaka con los pulmones llenos). ETIMOLOGA Jala signica red, redecilla de mallas, enrejado de listones. El mentn debe apoyarse en el pecho, cerrando la red de arterias del cuello; a esto se 85

Toni Romero en Jalandhara bandha le llama la Contraccin de la Red, difcil incluso para los mismos dioses (Shiva Samita,IV,60,61,61), citado por Alain Danilou, quien precisa: El mentn se apoya contra la cavidad triangular de la unin de las clavculas, lo que produce una presin sobre el Centro de Extrema Pureza(Visdhuddha Chakra), situado en el cuello. Convenientemente ejecutada, esta contraccin obstruye el aparato respiratorio e impide, cuando se retiene el aliento (Kumbhaka), que el aire produzca una presin por encima de la glotis. Segn otros autores, Jala quiere decir nervios que pasan por el cuello y van hacia el cerebro. En cuanto a Dhara, signica traccin hacia arriba. La tcnica dar ms luz a la etimologa, en la cual no nos detendremos ms tiempo. TCNICA Antes de abordar la descripcin tcnica detallada, consultemos a los clsicos. El Hatha Yoga Pradipika describe someramente la tcnica en sus versculos III,70-71: Despus de haber contrado la garganta, el adepto jar rmemente el mentn sobre el pecho. Esta Bandha se llama Jalandhara. Previene la vejez prematura y la muerte. Se llama > porque comprime las arterias que van al cerebro y detiene el ujo de nctar que corre hacia abajo. Este texto es muy conocido; pero generalmente se ignora que Jalandhara aparece citado en los Upanishads (Yoga-ChudamanyUpanishad, Sloka 51): Gracias a Jalandhara Bandha, que contrae la cavidad de la garganta, el nctar que desciende del Loto- de-los-milptalos (el cerebro) no se quema en el fuego de la digestin y, controlando las fuerzas vitales, despierta la Kundalini. Si nos atenemos a estas descripciones, bastara con contraer los msculos de la garganta y apoyar el mentn contra el pecho para realizar Jalandhara. En la prctica, no es tan sencillo; pero olvidemos que los tratado clsicos de Hatha-Yoga eran sobre todo ayuda memoria, no manuales tcnicos completos y detallados. MODO DE PROCEDER Aunque Jalandhara pueda practicarse en cualquier fase del acto respiratorio, vamos a describirlo con los pulmones llenos: inspirar, retener el aliento y tragar la saliva; al trmino del movimiento de 86

deglucin, los msculos de la garganta se contraen de un modo particular; mantenerlos en esta posicin, despus colocar el mentn en la horquilla del esternn (escotadura cncava en la parte superior del esternn, entre las clavculas). Es esencial colocar correctamente el mentn en este lugar preciso para realizar una de las condiciones principales del Jalandhara, EL ENTIRAMIENTO DE LAS CERVICALES, y para asegurar la compresin ideal del cuello. Por lo tanto, los tres puntos clave son: la compresin de la garganta; la contraccin de los msculos del cuello; el estiramiento de las cervicales. Los msculos del cuello contrados durante toda la duracin de Jalandhara Bandha. Si trata de espirar o de inspirar, constatar que es imposible, y que Jalandhara sella verdaderamente el aliento en el trax. Esta imposibilidad es, por lo dems un test de correccin para Jalandhara Bandha. En algunos casos, Jalandhara Bandha se mantiene durante la inspiracin y/o la espiracin. Entonces se hace necesario relajar un poco Jalandhara Bandha y dejar libre la glotis para dejar paso al aire, que puede producir, al pasar, el ruido caracterstico de Ujjayu. CUANDO UTILIZAR JALANDHARA BANDHA Ya hemos dicho que Jalandhara puede acompaar todas las fases del pranayama; pero, repitmoslo, AC0MPAA OBLIGATORIAMENTE TODA RETENCIN PROLONGADA DEL ALIENTO. Jalandhara, practicado en unin de Mula Bandha y Uddiyama, constituye Bandha Traya, la triple Bandha. POR QU JALANDHARA? Desde el punto de vista yguico. Jalandhara Bandha modica la corriente prnica en 16 centros vitales, que es superuo detallar aqu. Dirige el prana hacia los centros vitales situados cerca de la base de la columna vertebral. Volveremos a hablar de esto cuando estudiemos los Chakras.Por el momento, las siguientes explicaciones siolgicas bastarn para justicar la prctica de Jalandhara, que tiene como efectos : 1) Sellar el aliento en el trax Durante una retencin del aliento con los pulmones llenos, es posible sellar el aire inspirado, por ejemplo colocndose una pinza en la nariz y manteniendo la cabeza derecha, sin cerrar el paso en la glotis. Ensaye y vea qu sucede (no ofrece peligro si se hace a ttulo ocasional y experimental) y deje que la presin del aire se ejerza hasta las fosas nasales. Experimentar una sensacin particular en las orejas, lo que no le extraar, dado que nariz, garganta y odos estn unidos y son solidarios. En la prctica del pranayama, hay que evitar que la presin de aire se establezca ms all de la glotis, especialmente en las trompas de Eustaquio: es una prescripcin absolutamente formal. Sin inclinar la cabeza, es posible retener el aliento contrayendo la garganta y la glotis. Es suciente para las retenciones de corta duracin. Para las de larga duracin, Jalandhara, cierre de seguridad, sella el aliento en el trax. 2) Actuar sobre el corazn Durante las retenciones de aliento, hemos precisado que el corazn no 87

debe partir a la carrera. Por el contrario, los latidos deben frenarse y establecerse a un ritmo poderoso, tranquilo y regular. Para comprender cmo Jalandhara Bandha regula la actividad cardiaca, debemos representarnos el cuello, regin estratgica con un nmero impresionante de arterias, venas, centros nerviosos, sin olvidar las glndulas tiroides, de la que hablaremos ms lejos. Se necesitaran muchos captulos para agotar el tema! Vamos a los esencial. Sabemos que la arteria cartida pasa por el cuello y que constituye el conducto sanguneo ms importante para la irrigacin del cerebro (de donde su importancia vital). De hecho, hay tres arterias cartidas a ambos lados del cuello; constituyen ramicaciones de la cartida primitiva. En el cuello, la arteria madre se bifurca y forma as el seno cartido, que tiene paredes muy delgadas, lo que lo hace muy sensible a cualquier presin. De los senos cartidos (uno a cada lado del cuello) arrancan varios nervios, y los yoguis saben que al comprimir este lugar, se modica considerablemente la actividad del cerebro, y por tanto tambin el estado de conciencia. El Shiva Shamhita describe una prctica muy peligrosa, que no puede realizarse sino bajo la vigilancia directa y personal de un Gur experimentado. Citamos este texto para demostrar que los yoguis de la India antigua tenan conocimientos precisos de las repercusiones psicosiolgicas de Jalandhara Bandha: El yogui debe comprimir los dos nervios cartidos (a ambos lados del cuello). As se maniesta el puro Brahamn y el adepto conoce la felicidad. Nuestra siologa nos ensea que en los senos cartidos, hay centros nerviosos y barorreceptores ultrasensibles a cualquier modicacin de la presin en esta zona, y especialmente que todo aumento de presin produce, por va reeja, un descenso de la tensin arterial y una disminucin de los latidos del corazn. Ahora bien, las retenciones prolongadas del aliento traen como consecuencia precisamente un aumento de la tensin arterial y una aceleracin de las pulsaciones del corazn, que puede llegar hasta provocar palpitaciones. Jalandhara Bandha tiene por misin, pues, proteger el corazn y el sistema vascular contra los efectos nocivos de las retenciones prologadas del aliento. Esta es la explicacin siolgica de Jalandhara. Los yoguis han constatado que la comprensin del nervio en relacin con el seno cartido, adems de su inuencia en la tensin arterial y las pulsaciones del corazn, crea un estado de inconsciencia que no es ni un adormecimiento ni un desmayo, sino ms bien un estado de trance hipntico. Controlado por expertos, este trance interioriza la conciencia humana y se hace posible la percepcin extrasensorial. Se abren mundos sutiles, y al hacerse cada vez ms na la conciencia individual, esta percepcin va hasta el umbral en que desaparece la conciencia individual y el individuo se confunde con el innito (Yoga Mimansa, IV, 316). La comprensin mecnica, realizada por lo yoguis mediante los dedos, debe ser muy ligera para no tocar sino el nervio: hay que evitar tocar la arteria misma, lo que provocara una anemia del cerebro, con lesiones 88

irreversibles si fuese un poco prolongada. Tal como la practican los yoguis, la comprensin del nervio, no afecta sensiblemente la irrigacin del cerebro y no puede, por consiguiente, causar dao. En Jalandhara Bandha, la contraccin de los msculos del cuello acta suavemente sobre esos nervios, y se maniestan los fenmenos que acabamos de mencionar, pero muy atenuados. Jalandhara permite percibir la circulacin del prana y tranquiliza la mente. La descripcin de los diversos estados de conciencia que acabamos de indicar no debe asustar ni atraer. En la prctica, estos estados no se maniestan sino despus de un entrenamiento tan prolongado que queda fuera del alcance del Occidental, por falta de tiempo disponible. 3) Estirar la regin cervical de la columna vertebral Cuando el mentn est correctamente colocado en la horquilla del esternn, el adepto percibe un ntido estiramiento de la nuca- por lo tanto, de las cervicales-, que se propaga hasta los msculos dorsales. Si el resto de la columna vertebral se encuentra en la posicin correcta, el estiramiento de la nuca ejerce una traccin sobre la mdula espinal, que estimula todos los centros nerviosos raqudeos. Gracias a Jalandhara, el estiramiento cervical libera los nervios del crneo- tan importante- y acta sobre el bulbo cefalorraqudeo, que incluye los centros respiratorios y cardiacos, centros que regulan la vasomotilidad y algunos metabolismos esenciales. Es el nudo vital, en el cual basta un pinchazo para provocar la muerte. Es tambin el punto de partida del parasimptico. Jalandhara ejerce as, por la posicin misma del cuello estirado, una accin sobre el centro respiratorio, fuertemente excitado durante las retenciones del aliento. Sin entrar en detalles anatmicos avanzados que slo interesan a los especialistas, el adepto capta la importancia de Jalandhara y adivina las profundas repercusiones que esta Bandha produce en todos estos dominios. Puede conar, pues, en los yoguis, grandes empricos y acompaar toda retencin de aliento de Jalandhra Bandha 4) Comprimir la tiroides Una leccin importante debida a la compresin del cuello por el mentn se produce al nivel de la glndula tiroides. Los hipertirodeos declarados (y por consiguiente en tratamiento, porque un mal funcionamiento de la tiroides no pasa desapercibido) debe abstenerse de Jalandhara e incluso de la prctica del pranayama, pero quedando bien en claro que les est autorizada, e incluso recomendada, la respiracin yguica completa. JALANDHARA BANDHA y SARVANGASANA ms HALASANA La prctica de los asanas deben preceder necesariamente al pranayama. Jalandhara Bandha slo se puede realizar correctamente y sin fatiga si el adepto practica regularmente Sarvangasana (la vela) y Alazana (el arado). Estas dos posturas provocan automticamente la toma de posicin de Jalandhara y el estiramiento de la nuca que resulta de sta. Los adeptos que practican el pranayama deben consagrar ms tiempo que los otros a estas dos posturas, y efectuarlas de modo ms intenso, es 89

decir, colocando las manos lo ms cerca posible de los omplatos y acercando los codos para colocar la parte cervical de la columna vertebral perperdicularmente al resto de la espina dorsal. Koshas ANANDAMAYA KOSHA Anandamaya Kosha, causa de las dems cosas, se caracteriza por lafelicidad (ananda) absoluta que aureola a Jivatman. Jivatman estcompuesto por Jiva, que signica hombre en snscrito , y atman,que correspondera bastante bien al concepto de alma. Jivatman es elalma del hombre, es nuestra esencia misma. Es el S, con mayscula, delser humano, Jivatman es el Espectador profundo y al Arquitecto ocultode todas las dems estraticaciones. Su naturaleza es la conciencia pura,concepto que escapa a nuestro pensamiento occidental. AnandamayaKosha est fuera del tiempo y ms all del espacio. Jivatman est situadoms all de las contingencias y de los pares de opuestos. alma que se ha fabricado un cuerpo, lo que no est en oposicin con elpensamiento cristiano. La nica diferencia fundamental reside en que,para el pensamiento cristiano, el alma slo tiene contacto una vez con lamateria, una sola encarnacin. Para el pensamiento indio, el alma escogida en la ronda eterna de sucesivos nacimientos y muertes y cada vezvuelve a tomar contacto con la materia al disolverse en la muerte susinstrumentos corporales. El lector podr objetarme que esta nicadiferencia es de monta. De acuerdo, pero si nos atenemos a la estructurade un individuo bien determinado, a una encarnacin, no es mucho lo queesto cambia desde el punto de vista estructural. Podemos, pues, olvidaresta diferencia de concepcin... A partir de este centro dinmico van amaterializarse los sucesivos estratos. Este estrato causal, al situarse fuerade lo maniesto, no podr nunca ser objeto de ciencia. Nuestrapsicologa no habla de l. VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA En su proceso dinmico de materializacin, Jivatman, o el alma, creapara s primero un centro individual y experimenta una primeradensicacin: Vijnanamaya Kosha. Esta Kosha se estructura en torno al concepto Ahamkara, quesignica El sentido del ego. Es el Si(con mayscula) de la psicologamoderna. Es la facultad misteriosa que me hace tomar conciencia queyo soy un individuo, un centro de conciencia separado de los dems.Es el principio de la individualizacin. El yo es el centro de referencia al cual se reeren todas las experiencias de la vida, como los rayos deuna rueda se reere al eje. Al nacer, yo era muy diferente, fsica ymentalmente, de lo que yo soy ahora. Y dentro de algunos aos yoser tambin muy diferente. Y, sin embargo, yo estar presente. Estesentido profundo de la individualizacin, este centro permanente dereferencia es el pivote en torno del cual se organiza Vijnanamaya Koshaquese podra traducir en forma bastante aproximativa por el intelecto, larazn-. (YO) pienso, luego (YO) existo, se sita en el VijnanamayaKosha. Tambin en este nivel se encuentra la conciencia, entendiendo poresto lo que no da el sentido del bien y del mal, es decir, la concienciamoral. Y tambin se localiza aqu la razn (Buddhi). MANOMAYA KOSHA Vijnanamaya Kosha y Manomaya Kosha se solapan e interpenetran.Manomaya Kosha es toda la actividad psquica no incluida en elconcepto Vijnanamaya Kosha. Encierra todos nuestros instrumentospsquicos de percepcin del mundo exterior. Constituye nuestropsiquismo (es decir, el que estudia la psicologa moderna), queevoluciona paralelamente al cuerpo. Incluye nuestros instintos, heredadosde nuestros antecesores, y todos los condicionamientos individualesadquiridos desde nuestro nacimiento. Comprende nuestros complejos,nuestras sensaciones conscientes y nuestros inconsciente individual. Eseste estrato el que pretende alcanzar el psicoanalista. Incluye tambintodos los contenidos de nuestra memoria, acumulados desde nuestronacimiento. Cuando yo sueo, estoy consciente y mi memoriafunciona, puesto que al despertarme puedo recordar el contenido de mis sueos. Yo puedo experimentar sentimientos mientras sueo, estarasustado o alegre segn la naturaleza del sueo. Todo lo que participa enese sueo, es decir, mi inconsciencia, mi facultad de crear imgenesmentales, todo cuanto condi90

ciona el contenido de mis sueos (mispulsiones inconscientes, mis recuerdos, mis deseos reprimidos, etc.)forma parte de Manomaya Kosha. Cuando yo sueo, mi intelecto nofunciona, ni tampoco mi razn. Yo puedo soar que vuelo como unpjaro, sin extraarme de ello. Porque ni mi razn ni mi intelecto(Vijnanamaya Kosha) funcionan durante el sueo. Manomaya Koshacomprende tambin mis instrumentos psquicos de accin. Yo quiero expresarme, actuar en el mundo exterior. Detrs de mi cuerpo que semueve, est lo que anima, una mente con sus motivaciones profundas.Vijnanamaya Kosha y Manomaya Kosha pueden considerarse, paramayor facilidad, como el estrato psquico. Constituyen lo que losocultistas llaman el cuerpo astral, expresin ambigua que no nos gustautilizar. En tanto que la kosha causal (Anandamaya Kosha) se sita fuera deltiempo y del espacio (el alma es inmortal), el cuerpo psquico tiene unasola dimensin. No es espacial, sino temporal. Mientras yo duermo, misueo no ocupa X metros cbicos. Pero el sueo se sita, sin embargo, enel tiempo, puesto que un encefalograma puede decirme al instante,mediante la observacin del trazado encefalogrco, en qu momentocomenz y en cual termin el sueo. Entre parntesis, el tiempo delsueo es muy diferente del tiempo del reloj. Un sueo que segn elreloj dura muy poco, puede darme la impresin de ocupar muchas horas.Nuestros sentimientos tampoco ocupan lugar, no tienen volumen ni peso.Cuntos gramos pesa una clera? Cuestin Absurda, evidentemente. Porlo dems, por ser nuestro psiquismo unidimensional, puede reunir en unamisma percepcin global sensaciones producidas en diversas partes dela corteza cerebral correspondiente a los centros de percepcin. PRANAMAYA KOSHA Y ANNAMAYA KOSHA Pensemos en movernos, e inmediatamente nuestros msculos ytendones se anima. Es muy natural, sin duda, pero cun misterioso parala reexin! Cmo puede el pensamiento, inasible, poner enmovimiento esas partculas materiales? Es lo que vamos a ver.Examinemos primero la capa ms densa, el estrato corporal,Annamaya Kosha. El anlisis de un cuerpo humano nos ensea que se componeaproximadamente de 65 % de oxigeno, 18 % de carbono, 10 % dehidrgeno, 3 % de nitrgeno, 2 % de calcio, 1 % de fsforo. Lo querepresenta un 99 % aproximadamente. El 1 % restante se reparte entre 23elementos, que van desde el hierro al titanio, pasando por el cobalto, elnquel y el molibdeno. Estos son los constituyentes de nuestro cuerpo.De dnde provienen? De nuestros alimentos, por cierto, incluyendo enstos a los slidos, lquidos y gaseosos (aire). Por denicin, estoselementos materiales son inertes. Lo que les da movimiento, son las energas que los agrupan y los animan. El conjunto de esas energas(pranas) constituye PRANAMAYA KOSHA (cuidado: no pranayama),nuestro cuerpo prnico sutil, pero todava material. Son todas las energaselctricas, magnticas y otras que estn en accin en nuestro cuerpo y ledan la apariencia de la vida. El estrato material (Annamaya Cosa) estrecorrida por corrientes elctricas energticas que siguen lneas de fuerzay conductores materiales: encontramos aqu los nadis. conductores materiales: encontramos aqu los nadis.Annamaya Cosa, por ser la ms densa, es a menudo menospreciada:error que Occidente ha cometido durante siglos. Y, sin embargo,Annamaya Kosha, el cuerpo molecular, es la nica Kosha en que seencuentran todas las dems. Es la escena sagrada en la cual se desarrollael drama csmico que representa una existencia humana. Sin ella seraimposible la manifestacin humana en el plano terrestre. Condicional elaspecto y la perfeccin de la manifestacin del hombre en su totalidad.Est penetrada, impregnada de psiquismo (del cual es la expresin). Lanalidad del yoga es perfeccionarla al mximo y espiritualizarla. Peropor s misma estas dos capas son inertes. Son cuatridrimensionales.Existen en el tiempo y el espacio y se disuelven enteramente en la muertepara retornar inmediatamente al mundo psquico. El verdadero motor queest detrs de los movimientos de Annamaya Kosha (el estrato formadopor la alimentacin) y Pranayama (el estrato energtico) es el psiquismo (Manomaya Kosha y Vijnanamaya Kosha). El lugar en que estas energaspsquicas actan sobre las capas inferiores y entran en contacto con ellas son los chakras.

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1.1.6

Encouraging Words by Zen Master Guishan (2013-05-24 10:20)

Some day you will die. Lying on your sick bed about to breathe your last, you will be assailed by every kind of pain, Your mind will be lled with fears and anxieties and you will not know where to go or what to do, Only then you will realize you have not practiced well. The skandhas/aggregates (matter, sensations, conceptions, impulses and consciousness) and the four elements in you will quickly disintegrate, and your consciousness will be pulled wherever your ancient, twisted karma leads it. Impermanence does not hesitate. Death will not wait.

You will not be able to extend you life by even a second. How many thousands times more will you have to pass through the gates of birth and death. If these words are challenging, even insulting, let them be an encouragement for you to change Practice heroically Do not accumulate unnecessary possessions. 92

Dont give up. Still your mind, end wrong perceptions, concentrate and do not run after the objects of your senses. Practice diligently. Be determined not to let your days and months pass by wastefully.

1.1.7

Krishnamacharyas Legacy (yoga journal, By Fernando Pags Ruiz)

(2013-05-25 10:31)

Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the rened alignments of B.K.S. Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa of Viniyoga, your practice stems from one source: a ve-foot, two-inch Brahmin born more than one hundred years ago in a small South Indian village. He never crossed an ocean, but Krishnamacharyas yoga has spread through Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Today its difcult to nd an asana tradition he hasnt inuenced. Even if you learned from a yogi now outside the traditions associated with Krishnamacharya, theres a good chance your teacher trained in the Iyengar, Ashtanga, or Viniyoga lineages before developing another style. Rodney Yee, for instance, who appears in many popular videos, studied with Iyengar. Richard Hittleman, a well-known TV yogi of the

Sri T. Krishnamacharya1970s, trained with Devi. Other teachers have borrowed from several Krishnamacharya-based styles, creating unique approaches such as Ganga Whites White Lotus Yoga and Manny Fingers ISHTA Yoga. Most teachers, even from styles not directly linked to Krishnamacharya Sivananda Yoga and Bikram Yoga, for example have been inuenced by some aspect of Krishnamacharyas teachings. Many of his contributions have been so thoroughly integrated into the fabric of yoga that their source has been forgotten. Its been said that hes responsible for the modern emphasis on Sirsasana (Headstand) and Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand). He was a pioneer in rening postures, sequencing them optimally, and ascribing therapeutic value to specic asanas. By combining pranayama and asana, he made the postures an integral part of meditation instead of just a step leading toward it. In fact, Krishnamacharyas inuence can be seen most clearly in the emphasis on asana practice thats become the signature of yoga today. Probably no yogi before him developed the physical practices so deliberately. In the process, he transformed hatha once an obscure backwater of yoga into its central current. Yogas resurgence in India owes a great deal to his countless lecture tours and demonstrations during the 1930s, and his four most famous disciples Jois, Iyengar, Devi, and Krishnamacharyas son, 93

T.K.V. Desikachar played a huge role in popularizing yoga in the West. Recovering Yogas Roots When Yoga Journal asked me to prole Krishnamacharyas legacy, I thought that tracing the story of someone who died barely a decade ago would be an easy job. But I discovered that Krishnamacharya remains a mystery, even to his family. He never wrote a full memoir or took credit for his many innovations. His life lies shrouded in myth. Those who knew him well have grown old. If we lose their recollections, we risk losing more than the story of one of yogas most remarkable adepts; we risk losing a clear understanding of the history of the vibrant tradition weve inherited. Its intriguing to consider how the evolution of this multifaceted mans personality still inuences the yoga we practice today. Krishnamacharya began his teaching career by perfecting a strict, idealized version of hatha yoga. Then, as the currents of history impelled him to adapt, he became one of yogas great reformers. Some of his students remember him as an exacting, volatile teacher; B.K.S. Iyengar told me Krishnamacharya could have been a saint, were he not so ill-tempered and self-centered. Others recall a gentle mentor who cherished their individuality. Desikachar, for example, describes his father as a kind person who often placed his late gurus sandals on top of his own head in an act of humility. Both of these men remain ercely loyal to their guru, but they knew Krishnamacharya at different stages of his life; its as if they recall two different people. Seemingly opposite characteristics can still be seen in the contrasting tones of the traditions he inspired some gentle, some strict, each appealing to different personalities and lending depth and variety to our still-evolving practice of hatha yoga. Emerging From the Shadows The yoga world Krishnamacharya inherited at his birth in 1888 looked very different from that of today. Under the pressure of British colonial rule, hatha yoga had fallen by the wayside. Just a small circle of Indian practitioners remained. But in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a Hindu revivalist movement breathed new life into Indias heritage. As a young man, Krishnamacharya immersed himself in this pursuit, learning many classical Indian disciplines, including Sanskrit, logic, ritual, law, and the basics of Indian medicine. In time, he would channel this broad background into the study of yoga, where he synthesized the wisdom of these traditions. According to biographical notes Krishnamacharya made near the end of his life, his father initiated him into yoga at age ve, when he began to teach him Patanjalis sutras and told him that their family had descended from a revered ninth-century yogi, Nathamuni. Although his father died before Krishnamacharya reached puberty, he instilled in his son a general thirst for knowledge and a specic desire to study yoga. In another manuscript, Krishnamacharya wrote that "while still an urchin," he learned 24 asanas from a swami of the Sringeri Math, the same temple that gave birth to Sivananda Yoganandas lineage. Then, at age 16, he made a pilgrimage to Nathamunis shrine at Alvar Tirunagari, where he encountered his legendary forefather during an extraordinary vision. As Krishnamacharya always told the story, he found an old man at the temples gate who pointed him toward a nearby mango grove. Krishnamacharya walked to the grove, where he collapsed, exhausted. When he got up, he noticed three yogis had gathered. His ancestor Nathamuni sat in the middle. Krishnamacharya prostrated himself and asked for instruction. For hours, Nathamuni sang verses to him from the Yogarahasya (The Essence of Yoga), a text lost more than one thousand years before. Krishnamacharya memorized and later transcribed these verses. The seeds of many elements of Krishnamacharyas innovative teachings can be found in this text, which is available in an English translation (Yogarahasya, translated by T.K.V. Desikachar, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 1998). Though the tale of its authorship may seem fanciful, it points to an important trait in Krishnamacharyas personality: He never claimed originality. In his view, yoga belonged to God. All of his ideas, original or not, he attributed to ancient texts or to his guru. After his experience at Nathamunis shrine, Krishnamacharya continued his exploration of a panoply of Indian classical disciplines, obtaining degrees in philology, logic, divinity, and music. He practiced yoga from rudiments he learned through texts and the occasional interview with a yogi, but he longed to study yoga more deeply, as his father had recommended. A university teacher saw Krishnamacharya 94

practicing his asanas and advised him to seek out a master called Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari, one of the few remaining hatha yoga masters. We know little about Brahmachari except that he lived with his spouse and three children in a remote cave. By Krishnamacharyas account, he spent seven years with this teacher, memorizing the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, learning asanas and pranayama, and studying the therapeutic aspects of yoga. During his apprenticeship, Krishnamacharya claimed, he mastered 3,000 asanas and developed some of his most remarkable skills, such as stopping his pulse. In exchange for instruction, Brahmachari asked his loyal student to return to his homeland to teach yoga and establish a household. Krishnamacharyas education had prepared him for a position at any number of prestigious institutions, but he renounced this opportunity, choosing to honor his gurus parting request. Despite all his training, Krishnamacharya returned home to poverty. In the 1920s, teaching yoga wasnt protable. Students were few, and Krishnamacharya was forced to take a job as a foreman at a coffee plantation. But on his days off, he traveled throughout the province giving lectures and yoga demonstrations. Krishnamacharya sought to popularize yoga by demonstrating the siddhis, the supranormal abilities of the yogic body. These demonstrations, designed to stimulate interest in a dying tradition, included suspending his pulse, stopping cars with his bare hands, performing difcult asanas, and lifting heavy objects with his teeth. To teach people about yoga, Krishnamacharya felt, he rst had to get their attention. Through an arranged marriage, Krishnamacharya honored his gurus second request. Ancient yogis were renunciates, who lived in the forest without homes or families. But Krishnamacharyas guru wanted him to learn about family life and teach a yoga that beneted the modern householder. At rst, this proved a difcult pathway. The couple lived in such deep poverty that Krishnamacharya wore a loincloth sewn of fabric torn from his spouses sari. He would later recall this period as the hardest time of his life, but the hardships only steeled Krishnamacharyas boundless determination to teach yoga. Developing Ashtanga Vinyasa Krishnamacharyas fortunes improved in 1931 when he received an invitation to teach at the Sanskrit College in Mysore. There he received a good salary and the chance to devote himself to teaching yoga full time. The ruling family of Mysore had long championed all manner of indigenous arts, supporting the reinvigoration of

Sri T. KrishnamacharyaIndian culture. They had already patronized hatha yoga for more than a century, and their library housed one of the oldest illustrated asana compilations now known, the Sritattvanidhi (translated into English by Sanskrit scholar Norman E. Sjoman in The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace. For the next two decades, the Maharaja of Mysore helped Krishnamacharya promote yoga throughout India, nancing demonstrations and publications. A diabetic, the Maharaja felt especially drawn to the 95

connection between yoga and healing, and Krishnamacharya devoted much of his time to developing this link. But Krishnamacharyas post at the Sanskrit College didnt last. He was far too strict a disciplinarian, his students complained. Since the Maharaja liked Krishnamacharya and didnt want to lose his friendship and counsel, he proposed a solution; he offered Krishnamacharya the palaces gymnastics hall as his own yogashala, or yoga school. Thus began one of Krishnamacharyas most fertile periods, during which he developed what is now known as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. As Krishnamacharyas pupils were primarily active young boys, he drew on many disciplines including yoga, gymnastics, and Indian wrestling to develop dynamicallyperformed asana sequences aimed at building physical tness. This vinyasa style uses the movements of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) to lead into each asana and then out again. Each movement is coordinated with prescribed breathing and drishti, "gaze points" that focus the eyes and instill meditative concentration. Eventually, Krishnamacharya standardized the pose sequences into three series consisting of primary, intermediate, and advanced asanas. Students were grouped in order of experience and ability, memorizing and mastering each sequence before advancing to the next. Though Krishnamacharya developed this manner of performing yoga during the 1930s, it remained virtually unknown in the West for almost 40 years. Recently, its become one of the most popular styles of yoga, mostly due to the work of one of Krishnamacharyas most faithful and famous students, K. Pattabhi Jois. Pattabhi Jois met Krishnamacharya in the hard times before the Mysore years. As a robust boy of 12, Jois attended one of Krishnamacharyas lectures. Intrigued by the asana demonstration, Jois asked Krishnamacharya to teach him yoga. Lessons started the next day, hours before the school bell rang, and continued every morning for three years until Jois left home to attend the Sanskrit College. When Krishnamacharya received his teaching appointment at the college less than two years later, an overjoyed Pattabhi Jois resumed his yoga lessons. Jois retained a wealth of detail from his years of study with Krishnamacharya. For decades, he has preserved that work with great devotion, rening and inecting the asana sequences without signicant modication, much as a classical violinist might nuance the phrasing of a Mozart concerto without ever changing a note. Jois has often said that the concept of vinyasa came from an ancient text called the Yoga Kuruntha. Unfortunately, the text has disappeared; no one now living has seen it. So many stories exist of its discovery and content Ive heard at least ve conicting accounts that some question its authenticity. When I asked Jois if hed ever read the text, he answered, "No, only Krishnamacharya." Jois then downplayed the importance of this scripture, indicating several other texts that also shaped the yoga he learned from Krishnamacharya, including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Yoga Sutra, and the Bhagavad Gita. Whatever the roots of Ashtanga Vinyasa, today its one of the most inuential components of Krishnamacharyas legacy. Perhaps this method, originally designed for youngsters, provides our high-energy, outwardly-focused culture with an approachable gateway to a path of deeper spirituality. Over the last three decades a steadily increasing number of yogis have been drawn to its precision and intensity. Many of them have made the pilgrimage to Mysore, where Jois, himself, offered instruction until his death in May, 2009. Shattering a Tradition Even as Krishnamacharya taught the young men and boys at the Mysore Palace, his public demonstrations attracted a more diverse audience. He enjoyed the challenge of presenting yoga to people of different backgrounds. On the frequent tours he called "propaganda trips," he introduced yoga to British soldiers, Muslim maharajas, and Indians of all religious beliefs. Krishnamacharya stressed that yoga could serve any creed and adjusted his approach to respect each students faith. But while he bridged cultural, religious, and class differences, Krishnamacharyas attitude toward women remained patriarchal. Fate, however, played a

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Sri T. Krishnamacharya Y Sri K Pattabhi Joistrick on him: The rst student to bring his yoga onto the world stage applied for instruction in a sari. And she was a Westerner to boot! The woman, who became known as Indra Devi (she was born Zhenia Labunskaia, in pre-Soviet Latvia), was a friend of the Mysore royal family. After seeing one of Krishnamacharyas demonstrations, she asked for instruction. At rst, Krishnamacharya refused to teach her. He told her that his school accepted neither foreigners nor women. But Devi persisted, persuading the Maharaja to prevail on his Brahmin. Reluctantly, Krishnamacharya started her lessons, subjecting her to strict dietary guidelines and a difcult schedule aimed at breaking her resolve. She met every challenge Krishnamacharya imposed, eventually becoming his good friend as well as an exemplary pupil. After a year-long apprenticeship, Krishnamacharya instructed Devi to become a yoga teacher. He asked her to bring a notebook, then spent several days dictating lessons on yoga instruction, diet, and pranayama. Drawing from this teaching, Devi eventually wrote the rst best-selling book on hatha yoga, Forever Young, Forever Healthy. Over the years after her studies with Krishnamacharya, Devi founded the rst school of yoga in Shanghai, China, where Madame Chiang Kai-Shek became her student. Eventually, by convincing Soviet leaders that yoga was not a religion, she even opened the doors to yoga in the Soviet Union, where it had been illegal. In 1947 she moved to the United States. Living in Hollywood, she became known as the "First Lady of Yoga," attracting celebrity students like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Arden, Greta Garbo, and Gloria Swanson. Thanks to Devi, Krishnamacharyas yoga enjoyed its rst international vogue. Although she studied with Krishnamacharya during the Mysore period, the yoga Indra Devi came to teach bears little resemblance to Joiss Ashtanga Vinyasa. Foreshadowing the highly individualized yoga he would further develop in later years, Krishnamacharya taught Devi in a gentler fashion, accommodating but challenging her physical limitations. Devi retained this gentle tone in her teaching. Though her style didnt employ vinyasa, she used Krishnamacharyas principles of sequencing so that her classes expressed a deliberate journey, beginning with standing postures, progressing toward a central asana followed by complementary poses, then concluding with relaxation. As with Jois, Krishnamacharya taught her to combine pranayama and asana. Students in her lineage still perform each posture with prescribed breathing techniques. Devi added a devotional aspect to her work, which she calls Sai Yoga. The main pose of each class includes an invocation, so that the fulcrum of each practice involves a meditation in the form of an ecumenical prayer. Although she developed this concept on her own, it may have been present in embryonic form in the teachings she received from Krishnamacharya. In his later life, Krishnamacharya also recommended devotional chanting within asana practice. Though Devi died in April, 2002 at the age of 102, her six yoga schools are still active in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Until three years ago, she still taught asanas. Well into her nineties, she continued touring the world, bringing Krishnamacharyas inuence to a large following throughout North and South America. Her impact in the United States waned when she moved to Argentina in 1985, but her prestige in Latin America extends well beyond the yoga community. You might be hard-pressed to nd someone in Buenos Aires who doesnt know of her. Shes touched every level of Latin society: The taxi driver who brought me to her house for an interview described her as "a very wise woman"; the next day, Argentinas President Menem came for her blessings and advice. 97

Devis six yoga schools deliver 15 asana classes daily, and graduates from the four-year teacher-training program receive an internationally recognized college-level degree. Instructing Iyengar During the period when he was instructing Devi and Jois, Krishnamacharya also briey taught a boy named B.K.S. Iyengar, who would grow up to play perhaps the most signicant role of anyone in bringing hatha yoga to the West. Its hard to imagine how our yoga would look without Iyengars contributions, especially his precisely detailed, systematic articulation of each asana, his research into therapeutic applications, and his multi-tiered, rigorous training system which has produced so many inuential teachers. Its also hard to know just how much Krishnamacharyas training affected Iyengars later development. Though intense, Iyengars tenure with his teacher lasted barely a year. Along with the burning devotion to yoga he evoked in Iyengar, perhaps Krishnamacharya planted the seeds which were later to germinate into Iyengars mature yoga. (Some of the characteristics for which Iyengars yoga is noted particularly, pose modications and using yoga to heal are quite similar to those Krishnamacharya developed in his later work.) Perhaps any deep inquiry into hatha yoga tends to produce parallel results. At any rate, Iyengar has always revered his childhood guru. He still says, "Im a small model in yoga; my guruji was a great man." Iyengars destiny wasnt apparent at rst. When Krishnamacharya invited Iyengar into his household Krishnamacharyas wife was Iyengars sister he predicted the stiff, sickly teenager would achieve no success in yoga. In fact, Iyengars account of his life with Krishnamacharya sounds like a Dickens novel. Krishnamacharya could be an extremely harsh taskmaster. At rst, he barely bothered to teach Iyengar, who spent his days watering the gardens and performing other chores. Iyengars only friendship came from his roommate, a boy named Keshavamurthy, who happened to be Krishnamacharyas favorite protg. In a strange twist of fate, Keshavamurthy disappeared one morning and never returned. Krishnamacharya was only days away from an important demonstration at the yogashala and was relying on his star pupil to perform asanas. Faced with this crisis, Krishnamacharya quickly began teaching Iyengar a series of difcult postures. Iyengar practiced diligently and, on the day of the demonstration, surprised Krishnamacharya by performing exceptionally. After this, Krishnamacharya began instructing his determined pupil in earnest. Iyengar progressed rapidly, beginning to assist classes at the yogashala and accompanying Krishnamacharya on yoga demonstration tours. But Krishnamacharya continued his authoritarian style of instruction. Once, when

Sri T. Krishnamacharya y BKS IyengarKrishnamacharya asked him to demonstrate Hanumanasana (a full split), Iyengar complained that he had never learned the pose. "Do it!" Krishnamacharya commanded. Iyengar complied, tearing his hamstrings. Iyengars brief apprenticeship ended abruptly. After a yoga demonstration in northern Karnataka 98

Province, a group of women asked Krishnamacharya for instruction. Krishnamacharya chose Iyengar, the youngest student with him, to lead the women in a segregated class, since men and women didnt study together in those days. Iyengars teaching impressed them. At their request, Krishnamacharya assigned Iyengar to remain as their instructor. Teaching represented a promotion for Iyengar, but it did little to improve his situation. Yoga teaching was still a marginal profession. At times, recalls Iyengar, he ate only one plate of rice in three days, sustaining himself mostly on tap water. But he single-mindedly devoted himself to yoga. In fact, Iyengar says, he was so obsessed that some neighbors and family considered him mad. He would practice for hours, using heavy cobblestones to force his legs into Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) and bending backward over a steam roller parked in the street to improve his Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward-Facing Bow Pose). Out of concern for his well-being, Iyengars brother arranged his marriage to a 16-year-old named Ramamani. Fortunately for Iyengar, Ramamani respected his work and became an important partner in his investigation of the asanas. Several hundred miles away from his guru, Iyengars only way to learn more about asanas was to explore poses with his own body and analyze their effects. With Ramamanis help, Iyengar rened and advanced the asanas he learned from Krishnamacharya. Like Krishnamacharya, as Iyengar slowly gained pupils he modied and adapted postures to meet his students needs. And, like Krishnamacharya, Iyengar never hesitated to innovate. He largely abandoned his mentors vinyasa style of practice. Instead, he constantly researched the nature of internal alignment, considering the effect of every body part, even the skin, in developing each pose. Since many people less t than Krishnamacharyas young students came to Iyengar for instruction, he learned to use props to help them. And since some of his students were sick, Iyengar began to develop asana as a healing practice, creating specic therapeutic programs. In addition, Iyengar came to see the body as a temple and asana as prayer. Iyengars emphasis on asana didnt always please his former teacher. Although Krishnamacharya praised Iyengars skill at asana practice at Iyengars 60th birthday celebration, he also suggested that it was time for Iyengar to relinquish asana and focus on meditation. Through the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Iyengars reputation as both a teacher and a healer grew. He acquired well-known, respected students like philosopher-sage Jiddhu Krishnamurti and violinist Yehudi Menuhim, who helped draw Western students to his teachings. By the 1960s, yoga was becoming a part of world culture, and Iyengar was recognized as one of its chief ambassadors. Surviving the Lean Years Even as his students prospered and spread his yoga gospel, Krishnamacharya himself again encountered hard times. By 1947, enrollment had dwindled at the yogashala. According to Jois, only three students remained. Government patronage ended; India gained their independence and the politicians who replaced the royal family of Mysore had little interest in yoga. Krishnamacharya struggled to maintain the school, but in 1950 it closed. A 60-year-old yoga teacher, Krishnamacharya found himself in the difcult position of having to start over. Unlike some of his protgs, Krishnamacharya didnt enjoy the perks of yogas growing popularity. He continued to study, teach, and evolve his yoga in near obscurity. Iyengar speculates that this lonely period changed Krishnamacharyas disposition. As Iyengar sees it, Krishnamacharya could remain aloof under the protection of the Maharaja. But on his own, having to nd private students, Krishnamacharya had more motivation to adapt to society and to develop greater compassion. As in the 1920s, Krishnamacharya struggled to nd work, eventually leaving Mysore and accepting a teaching position at Vivekananda College in Chennai. New students slowly appeared, including people from all walks of life and in varying states of health, and Krishnamacharya discovered new ways to teach them. As students with less physical aptitude came, including some with disabilities, Krishnamacharya focused on adapting postures to each students capacity. For example, he would instruct one student to perform Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) with knees straight to stretch the hamstrings, while a stiffer student might learn the same posture with knees bent. Similarly, hed vary the breath to meet a students needs, sometimes strengthening the abdomen by 99

Sri K Pattabhi Jois y BKS Iyengaremphasizing exhalation, other times supporting the back by emphasizing inhalation. Krishnamacharya varied the length, frequency, and sequencing of asanas to help students achieve specic short-term goals, like recovering from a disease. As a students practice advanced, he would help them rene asanas toward the ideal form. In his own individual way, Krishnamacharya helped his students move from a yoga that adapted to their limitations to a yoga that stretched their abilities. This approach, which is now usually referred to as Viniyoga, became the hallmark of Krishnamacharyas teaching during his nal decades. Krishnamacharya seemed willing to apply such techniques to almost any health challenge. Once, a doctor asked him to help a stroke victim. Krishnamacharya manipulated the patients lifeless limbs into various postures, a kind of yogic physical therapy. As with so many of Krishnamacharyas students, the mans health improved and so did Krishnamacharyas fame as a healer. It was this reputation as a healer that would attract Krishnamacharyas last major disciple. But at the time, no one least of all Krishnamacharya would have guessed that his son, T.K.V. Desikachar, would become a renowned yogi who would convey the entire scope of Krishnamacharyas career, and especially his later teachings, to the Western yoga world. Keeping the Flame Alive Although born into a family of yogis, Desikachar felt no desire to pursue the vocation. As a child, he ran away when his father asked him to do asanas. Krishnamacharya caught him once, tied his hands and feet into Baddha Padmasana (Bound Lotus Pose), and left him tied up for half an hour. Pedagogy like this didnt motivate Desikachar to study yoga, but eventually inspiration came by other means. After graduating from college with a degree in engineering, Desikachar joined his family for a short visit. He was en route to Delhi, where hed been offered a good job with a European rm. One morning, as Desikachar sat on the front step reading a newspaper, he spotted a hulking American car motoring up the narrow street in front of his fathers home. Just then, Krishnamacharya stepped out of the house, wearing only a dhoti and the sacred markings that signied his lifelong devotion to the god Vishnu. The car stopped and a middle-aged, European-looking woman sprang from the backseat, shouting "Professor, Professor!" She dashed up to Krishnamacharya, threw her arms around him, and hugged him. The blood must have drained from Desikachars face as his father hugged her right back. In those days, Western ladies and Brahmins just did not hug especially not in the middle of the street, and especially not a Brahmin as observant as Krishnamacharya. When the woman left, "Why?!?" was all Desikachar could stammer. Krishnamacharya explained that the woman had been studying yoga with him. Thanks to Krishnamacharyas help, she had managed to fall asleep the previous evening without drugs for the rst time in 20 years. Perhaps Desikachars reaction to this revelation was providence or karma; certainly, this evidence of the power of yoga provided a curious epiphany that changed his life forever. In an instant, he resolved to learn what his father knew. Krishnamacharya didnt welcome his sons newfound interest in yoga. He told Desikachar to pursue his engineering career and leave yoga alone. Desikachar refused to listen. He rejected the Delhi job, found work at a local rm, and pestered his father for lessons. Eventually, Krishnamacharya relented. But to assure himself of his sons earnestness or perhaps to discourage him Krishnamacharya required 100

Desikachar to begin lessons at 3:30 every morning. Desikachar agreed to submit to his fathers requirements but insisted on one condition of his own: No God. A hard-nosed engineer, Desikachar thought he had no need for religion. Krishnamacharya respected this wish, and they began their lessons with asanas and chanting Patanjalis Yoga Sutra. Since they lived in a one-room apartment, the whole family was forced to join them, albeit half asleep. The lessons were to go on for 28 years, though not always quite so early. During the years of tutoring his son, Krishnamacharya continued to rene the Viniyoga approach, tailoring yoga methods for the sick, pregnant women, young children and, of course, those seeking spiritual enlightenment. He came to divide yoga practice into three stages representing youth, middle, and old age: First, develop muscular power and exibility; second, maintain health during the years of working and raising a family; nally, go beyond the physical practice to focus on God. Desikachar observed that, as students progressed, Krishnamacharya began stressing not just more advanced asanas but also the spiritual aspects of yoga. Desikachar realized that his father felt that every action should be an act of devotion, that every asana should lead toward inner calm. Similarly, Krishnamacharyas emphasis on the breath was meant to convey spiritual implications along with physiological benets. According to Desikachar, Krishnamacharya described the cycle of breath as an act of surrender: "Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God." During the last years of his life, Krishnamacharya introduced Vedic chanting into yoga practice, always adjusting the number of verses to match the time the student should hold the pose. This technique can help students maintain focus, and it also provides them with a step toward meditation. When moving into the spiritual aspects of yoga, Krishnamacharya respected each students cultural background. One of his longtime students, Patricia Miller, who now teaches in Washington, D.C., recalls him leading a meditation by offering alternatives. He instructed students to close their eyes and observe the space between the brows, and then said, "Think of God. If not God, the sun. If not the sun, your parents." Krishnamacharya set only one condition, explains Miller: "That we acknowledge a power greater than ourselves." Preserving a Legacy Today Desikachar extends his fathers legacy by overseeing the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, where all of Krishnamacharyas contrasting approaches to yoga are being taught and his writings are translated and published. Over time, Desikachar embraced the full breadth of his fathers teaching, including his veneration of God. But Desikachar also understands Western skepticism and stresses the need to strip yoga of its Hindu trappings so that it remains a vehicle for all people. Krishnamacharyas worldview was rooted in Vedic philosophy; the modern Wests is rooted in science. Informed by both, Desikachar sees his role as translator, conveying his fathers ancient wisdom to modern ears. The main focus of both Desikachar and his son, Kausthub, is sharing this ancient yoga wisdom with the next generation. "We owe children a better future," he says. His organization provides yoga classes for children, including the disabled. In addition to publishing age-appropriate stories and spiritual guides, Kausthub is developing videos to demonstrate techniques for teaching yoga to youngsters using methods inspired by his grandfathers work in Mysore. Although Desikachar spent nearly three decades as Krishnamacharyas pupil, he claims to have gleaned only the basics of his fathers teachings. Both Krishnamacharyas interests and personality resembled a kaleidoscope; yoga was just a small part of what he knew. Krishnamacharya also pursued disciplines like philology, astrology, and music too. In his own Ayurvedic laboratory, he prepared herbal recipes. In India, hes still better known as a healer than as a yogi. He was also a gourmet cook, a horticulturist, and shrewd card player. But the encyclopedic learning that made him sometimes seem aloof or even arrogant in his youth "intellectually intoxicated," as Iyengar politely characterizes him eventually gave way to a yearning for communication. Krishnamacharya realized that much of the traditional Indian learning he treasured was disappearing, so he opened his storehouse of knowledge to anyone with a 101

healthy interest and sufcient discipline. He felt that yoga had to adapt to the modern world or vanish. An Indian maxim holds that every three centuries someone is born to re-energize a tradition. Perhaps Krishnamacharya was such an avatar. While he had enormous respect for the past, he also didnt hesitate to experiment and innovate. By developing and rening different approaches, he made yoga accessible to millions. That, in the end, is his greatest legacy. As diverse as the practices in Krishnamacharyas different lineages have become, passion and faith in yoga remain their common heritage. The tacit message his teaching provides is that yoga is not a static tradition; its a living, breathing art that grows constantly through each practitioners experiments and deepening experience. By Fernando Pags Ruiz [EMBED]

1.1.8

El hilo de la mente. Toni Romero (2013-05-25 20:47)

La expansin de nuestra conciencia, del nivel de conectividad con el universo a lo divino, transita en direcciones opuestas circulares. Son dos grados de compresin que se retroalimentan en orientaciones opuestas, pero de ningn modo puede llegar a entrecortase. Tomando una forma metafrica de una galaxia elptica donde nalmente convergen los puntos en un centro terico donde todo es succionado en s mismo. El cultivo del autoconocimiento va llevando a la experiencia interna de los movimientos casuales que se suceden de forma espontnea y sin control. Adentrando en la mente uno va tomando conciencia de esos procesos internos, a la vez de los reejos externos en las capacidades fsicas del propio cuerpo. Eso va creando un cordn conectivo hasta la extensiva universal, uno puedo sentirse parte integral de todo el sistema universal tejido como una telaraa a nuestra alrededor. Ese ujo de conocimiento se constituye con el latido divino. Podemos remover ese hilo como una serpiente que rompe todas las ataduras emocionales, sociales que nos sujetan en la pasividad de la verdadera naturaleza de la mente. Llegado a un punto de extrema conexin es cordn o atadura entre el yo y el ujo mismo del universo es succionado por el ncleo elemental hasta que el continente-contenido son identicados con lo mismo e innombrable por innito.

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1.1.9

Tristana from the book ashtanga yoga by John Scott (2013-05-27 15:14)

La verdadera esencia de vinyasa se experimenta cuando se alcanza el estado de tristana, que es la unin de los tres principales centros de atencin del Ashtanga Yoga: la sincronizacin avanzada de la respiracin y el movimiento, los bandhas y los dristis. Cuando esta unin orece, una poderosa ola de uidez y elegancia emerge de la prctica, y la qumica resultante despliega las energas de los cinco elementos:

Tierra: mula bandha que produce base de apoyo,estabilidad y fuerza. Agua: la uidez de vinyasa que produce sudor. Aire: la respiracin ujjayi y los bandhas que aportan agilidad. Fuego: el fuego digestivo puricador de agni. ter:.el sutil prana que todo lo invade.

Tristana se alcanza con la repeticin; slo as seconsigue la familiaridad necesaria para realizar las transiciones y las posturas de forma sutil, natural y elegante.

1.1.10

Intervew with K. Pattabi Jois: Practice Makes Perfect By Sandra Anderson (2013-05-28 14:40)

Happiness on the face, light in the eyes, a healthy body-these are the signs of a yogi, according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the classic Sanskrit text on hatha yoga. Such a description ts K. Pattabi Jois, who at the 103

age of 78 has the straight spine and smooth face of a much younger man. He laughs easily, beaming when we are introduced in a steamy New York studio, and asks if I would take yoga with him. According to the Pradipika, hatha yoga is taught for the attainment of raja yoga, also known as ashtanga yoga, the complete, eight-limbed path to self-realization, but few emphasize the importance of attaining perfection in posture and breathing as a means of achieving the other limbs as clearly as Jois does. Born in 1915 in southern India, K. Pattabi Jois met his guru, Krishnamacharya, who was also B. K. Iyengars teacher, while still a young boy. He has been teaching yoga since 1937, and students from all over the world come to study with him in his home in Mysore, India. He has visited the United States several times, and although this is his rst visit to New York, most of the students in this mornings class seem to know the sequence he teaches. Its hot. The windows are closed, and the already humid air is thick with the labored breathing of 35 sweating bodies. The students groan and sigh. For some, the sequence appears to unfold effortlessly, but still their bodies glisten with sweat. Jois is everywhere encouraging-a hand here, a foot there, a joke wherever it is most needed. He calls out the sequence of postures in a strong deep voice, using their Sanskrit names. Theres no laziness here: only determined hard work and a grace born of strength and exibility, as the class moves from one posture to the next, pausing only to hold the pose, and linking the postures with a spine-exing sequence reminiscent of the sun salutation and similarly coordinated with the breath. "Exhale, chatwari (chaturanga dandasana), inhale, pancha (urdhva mukha svanasana)." Jois establishes discipline but tempers it with gentle humor and affection, as he teases students, verbally and physically, into places they didnt realize they could reach. And if the coaxing, the energy in the room, and the peer pressure arent enough, theres the heat. In spite of the mats, theres hardly a dry spot left on the crowded hardwood oor at the end of this rigorous two-hour 104

session. The sequence of postures continuously owing with the breath is designed to stoke the re of purication-to cleanse the nervous and circulatory systems with discipline and good old-fashioned sweat. "Practice, practice, practice," Jois says later, addressing a small group of students gathered in a loft in Soho. He spoke at length about the method he uses, emphasizing that he has added nothing new to the original teachings of his teacher and the Yoga Sutra. Where did you learn yoga? From my guru, Krishnamacharya. I started studying with him in 1927, when I was 12 years old. First he taught me asana and pranayama. Later I studied Sanskrit and advaita philosophy at the Sanskrit College in Mysore and began teaching yoga there in 1937. I became a professor and taught Sanskrit and philosophy at the College for 36 years. I rst taught in America in Encinitas, California, in 1975. Now Im going all over America. I will teach anyone who wants the perfect yoga method-ashtanga yoga-just as my guru taught me. Do you also teach your Western students Sanskrit? No, only asana and pranayama. You need Sanskrit to understand the yoga method, but many people, even though they would like to learn Sanskrit, say they have no time. It is very important to understand yoga philosophy: without philosophy, practice is not good, and yoga practice is the starting place for yoga philosophy. Mixing both is actually the best. What method do you use to teach asana and pranayama? I teach only ashtanga yoga, the origi105

nal method given in Patanjalis Yoga Sutra. Ashtanga means "eight-step" yoga: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. The Yoga Sutra says "Tasmin sati svasa prasvasayor gati vicchedah pranayamah (II.49)." First you perfect asana, and then you practice pranayama: you control the inhalation and the exhalation, you regulate the breath, you retain and restrain the breath. After asana is perfected, then pranayama can be perfected. That is the yoga method. What is perfect asana, and how do you perfect asana? "Sthira sukham asanam (YS II.46)." Perfect asana means you can sit for three hours with steadiness and happiness, with no trouble. After you take the legs out of the asana, the body is still happy. In the method I teach, there are many asanas, and they work with blood circulation, the breathing system, and the focus of the eyes (to develop concentration). In this method you must be completely exible and keep the three parts of the body-head, neck, and trunk-in a straight line. If the spinal cord bends, the breathing system is affected. If you want to practice the correct breathing system, you must have a straight spine. From the muladhara [the chakra at the base of the spine] 72,000 nadis [channels through which prana travels in the subtle body] originate. The nervous system grows from here. All these nadis are dirty and need cleaning. With the yoga method, you use asana and the breathing system to clean the nadis every day. You purify the nadis by sitting in the right posture and practicing every day, inhaling and exhaling, until nally, after a long time, your whole body is strong and your nervous system is perfectly cured. When the nervous system is perfect, the body is strong. Once all the nadis are clean, prana enters the central nadi, called sushumna. For this to happen, you must completely control the anus. You must carefully practice the bandhas-mulabandha, uddiyana bandha, and the others-during asana and pranayama practice. If you practice the method I teach, automatically the bandhas will come. This is the original teaching, the ashtanga yoga method. Ive not added anything else. These modern teachings, I dont know. . . Im an old man! This method is physically quite demanding. How do you teach someone who is in bad shape physically? Bad shape is not impossible to work with. The yoga text says that yoga practice makes you lean but strong like an elephant. You have a yogic face. A yogic face is always a smiling face. It means you hear nada, the internal sound, and your eyes are clear. Then you see clearly, and you control bindu [the vital energy sometimes interpreted as sexual energy]. The inner re unfolds, and the body is free of disease. There are three types of disease: body disease, mind disease, and nervous system disease. When the mind is diseased, the whole body is diseased. The yoga scriptures say "Manayeva manushanam karanam bandha mokshayoho," the mind is the cause of both bondage and liberation. If the mind is sick and sad, the whole body gets sick, and all is nished. So rst you must give medicine to the mind. Mind medicine-that is yoga. What exactly would mind medicine be? Yoga practice and the correct breathing system. Practice, practice, practice. Thats it. Practice so the nervous system is perfect and the blood circulation is good, which is very important. With good blood circulation, you dont get heart trouble. Controlling the bindu, not wasting your bindu, is also very important. A person is alive by containing the bindu; when the bindu is completely gone, you are a dead man. Thats what the scriptures say. By practicing every day, the blood becomes puried, and the mind gradually comes under your control. This is the yogic method. "Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah (YS: I.2)." This means that yoga is control over the modications of the mind. Weve been talking mostly about yoga practice as asana and pranayama. How important are the rst two limbs of ashtanga yoga, the yamas and niyamas? They are very difcult. If you have a weak mind and a weak body, you have weak principles. The yamas have ve limbs: ahimsa [nonviolence], satya [truthfulness], asteya [non-stealing], brahmacharya [continence], and aparigraha [non-possessiveness]. Ahimsa is impossible; also telling the truth is very difcult. The scriptures say speak that truth which is sweet; dont speak truth which hurts. But dont lie, no matter how sweet it sounds. Very difcult. You tell only the sweet truth because he who speaks the unpleasant truth is a dead man. So, a weak mind means a weak body. Thats why you build a good foundation with asana and pranayama, so your body and mind and nervous system are all working; then you work on ahimsa, satya, and the 106

other yamas and niyamas. What about the other limbs of ashtanga yoga? Do you teach a method of meditation? Meditation is dhyana, the seventh step in the ashtanga system. After one step is perfect, then you take the next step. For dhyana, you must sit with a straight back with your eyes closed and focus on the bridge of the nostrils. If you dont do this, youre not centered. If the eyes open and close, so does the mind. Yoga is 95 percent practical. Only 5 percent is theory. Without practice, it doesnt work; there is no benet. So you have to practice, following the right method, following the steps one by one. Then its possible.

The term vinyasa is used to describe what you teach. What does it mean? Vinyasa means "breathing system." Without vinyasa, dont do asana. When vinyasa is perfect, the mind is under control. Thats the main thing-controlling the mind. Thats the method Patanjali described. The scriptures say that prana and apana are made equal by keeping the ratio of inhalation and exhalation equal and by following the breath in the nostrils with the mind. If you practice this way, gradually mind comes under control. Do you teach pranayama in the sitting postures also? Yes. When padmasana [the lotus sitting posture] is perfect, then you control your anus with mulabandha, and also use the chin lock, jalandrabandha. There are many types of pranayama, but the most important one is kevala kumbhaka, when the uctuations of the breath-the inhalation and exhalation-are controlled and automatically stop. For this you must practice. Practice, practice, practice. When you practice, new ways of thinking, new thoughts, come in your mind. Lectures sound good; you give a good lecture and everyone says youre so great, but lectures are 991/2 percent not practical. For many years you must practice asana and pranayama. The scriptures say "Practicing a long time with respect and without interruption brings perfection." One year, two years, ten years . . . your entire life long, you practice. After asana and pranayama are perfect, pratyahara, sense control [the fth limb of ashtanga yoga], follows. The rst four limbs are external exercises: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama. The last four are internal, and they automatically follow when the rst four are mastered. Pratyahara means that anywhere you look, you see God. Good mind control gives that capacity, so that when you look, everything you see is Atman (the God within). Then for you the world is colored by God. Whatever you see, you identify it with your Atman. The scriptures say that a true yogis mind is so absorbed in the lotus feet of 107

the Lord that nothing distracts him, no matter what happens in the external world. What is your parting advice for those who have a desire to pursue yoga? Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal. Yoga is not mine. But dont approach yoga with a business mind-looking for worldly gain. If you want to be near God, turn your mind toward God, and practice yoga. As the scriptures say "without yoga practice, how can knowledge give you moksha [liberation]?"

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Yoga as Self-Transformation by Joel Kramer (2013-05-30 12:00)

For thousands of years, yoga has been a tool to open the mind and body, bringing transformation. At its core, yoga is a process that involves confronting your limits and transcending them. It is a psychophysical approach to life and to self-understanding that can be creatively adapted to the needs of the times. Yoga transforms you by opening up the physical and mental bindsthat block your potential, limiting yourlife. Transformation is a process that brings newness and interest. You might think that changing deeply could

make you so different that youd lose touch with those you love and even yourself. Actually, the transformation that yoga brings makes you more yourself, and opens you up to loving with greater depth. It involves a honing and re ning which releases your true essence, as a sculptor brings out the beauty of form in the stone by slowly and carefully chipping away the rest.Doing yoga brings many concrete bene ts: its a powerful therapeutic tool for correcting physical and psychological problems; it retards aging and keeps you opened sexually; it gives strength and exibility for other physical activities; it can enhance your looks, posture, skin and muscle tone, and vitality; and it can give your life a sense of grace and overall well-being.At its deepest level, yoga involves generating energy. Energy is often thought of as a mysterious force which is either there or not, and out of your control. But through yoga, you can actually change its quality and generate more of it, by enlarging the bodys capacity as an energy transformer. Everyone has experienced different qualities of energy.Sometimes scattered or agitated youre off in different directions at once. Yet, at othertimes, you may also have great energy and be very focused and calm. Yoga involveslearning to generate energy, and also to focus it into different parts of your body. This enables you to break through physical and psychological blocks, increasing energy, which allows new interest to come into yourlife. At any instant, the quality of your life is directly related to how interested you are in it. Yoga involves far more than either having or developing exibility. Being able to do complicated postures doesnt necessarily mean you know how to do yoga. The essence of yoga is not attainments, but how awarely you work with your limits wherever and whatever they may be. The 108

important thing is not how far you get in any given pose, but how you approach the yogic process, which in turn is directly related to how your mind views yoga.There are different basic frameworks of mind what I call headsets that people bring to yoga. One involves viewing a posture as an end to be achieved, a goal: how far you get in the posture is what counts. Another one views the posture as a tool to explore and open the body. Instead of using the body to get the posture, you use the posture to open the body. Whichever framework youre in greatly in uences how you do each posture.Approaching postures as goals makes you less sensitive to the messagesthe body issending.If your mind is primarily on the goal, the gap between where you are and where you want to be can bring tension and hinder movement. You push too hard and fast instead of allowing your body to open at its own pace. Paradoxically, if youre oriented toward the process instead of the end results, progress and opening come naturally. Postures can be achieved through struggle, but the struggle itself limits both your immediate opening and how far you ultimately move in yoga.Valuing progress is a deep part of our conditioning. Its natural to enjoy progress, but problems come when your yoga is attached at its core to results, instead of to the daily process of opening and generating energy. This attachment imposes one ofthe real limitsto your yoga.Many of you have probably noticed how your yoga is cyclical, in the sense that youre into it, then out of it, then into it again, and so on. One reason for thisinvolves being subtly hooked into accomplishments. When youre improving, it turns you on, and youre motivated as long as you continue to improve. When you plateau as we all on occasion do you need all the energy it took to improve just to maintain where you are. If your main incentive is progress, the lack of improvement can cause you to lose interest. Consequently, you may do less or no yoga until you close up and your body complains. Then you do yoga to feel better, and again you improve until once more you hit a plateau.The quality of mind that you bring to yoga is of utmost importance. In fact, most of the real limits that you confront in yoga live in the mind, not the body. People think they are limited by their bodys endurance that tiring is purely physical.I have found it is usually not the body that tires rst, but rather, themind which losesthe stamina required for attention.When your mind tires, your attention wanes and begins to wander, and sensitivity to your bodys messages diminishes. You

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treat the body with less care, and this Toni Romero in Durvasanatires it more quickly. Yoga involves a balance between control and surrender between pushing and relaxing, channeling energy and letting go, so the energy can move you. I have found there are basically two personality types in yoga. I call them the pushers and the sensualists. The pushers are more into control and progress the sensualists into surrender and relaxation. As yoga truly means balance, if your tendency is to push, you must also learn to let go, relax, and enjoy the sensuality of the stretch. If your tendency is to relax, and be laid back, you must learn to experience the turn on of pushing your edges and using control to generate energy.The art of yoga liesin learning howto focus and generate energy into different parts of the body, in listening to the bodys messages(feedback), and in surrendering to where the energy leads you. The bodys resistance should be respected, since it is useful feedback. Trying to conquer resistance and push past pain is actually another form of resistance resistance to your own limits, to what and where you are now.When you change your focus from resisting resistance to channeling energy into where the limits lie, your body can follow its own ow and open on its own, with minimal resistance. Trying forcibly to push past your limits actually creates more resistance and tension, whereas surrendering to the posture ultimately draws you into far greater depth. The body will tell you when to move and deepen if you listen to it.Another important aspect in my approach to yoga involves understanding conditioning. Just as doing yoga is playing the edge between control and surrender, there is also an interplay between transformation and resistance to change. Theres no way to remain the way you are now: you either become more rigid and crystallized, or you break out of 110

patterns and transform. The conditioning process brings habitsin the mind and body that accumulate over time. These patterns de ne you the way you move, hold your body, what you think and even when you think. As you age, the habit taking-on process makes you more rigid both physically and mentally. Your internalsystemsfunction less ef ciently and your bodys movements are more limited.I amnot presenting conditioning as a villain to be done away with, for itservesimportant functionsin peopleslives, as well asin the universe. Conditioning and its ensuing habits are part of the universal process of individuation. Individual entities, all of us, are systems with self-protective mechanismsthat de- ne boundaries and keep them intact. The way we build security in our life involves habits that we are often not conscious of. Some habits are necessary. They become dangerous if we unconsciously let them direct our lives. Repeating habits over time tends to put you on automatic like a machine, and lters how you relate to the present. If your habits are rigid and deep in the unconscious, the lter is very cloudy and you miss the present. If you missthe present, you miss all there really is.Experience conditions you, leaving a mark, an imprint. Memory lives in the cells, in the systems of the body, in the brain, and in thought itself. The paradox of experience is that it both teaches you and limits you. It expands your horizons, and is the ground or matrix from which transformation can occur. At the same time, it also builds habits in the mind and body which narrow and con ne you. For instance, if you pull a muscle in yoga, this experience can teach you how applying too much force may stem from greed or inattention. It can also create habitsin your yoga. You can consciously or unconsciously avoid the area. Or, if you approach the injuredmuscle, the fear of hurting yourself againmay bring tension that closes itfurther. Asthisisrepeated, the muscle learnsto close to protect itself from anticipated pain. A habit isformed.There are habits in yoga as in everything you do repeatedly, but awareness of the nature of habits helps you avoid being automatically pushed by them. Doing postures like

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mechanical exercises turns yoga into calisthenics, which dulls the adventure and passion that is part of the transformative process. Resistance to doing yoga is often feedback that your practice has become stale and habit-bound. Feedback-sensitivity isthe capacity to listen to and understand the messages the different parts of the body are sending. This sensitivity is not only crucial in avoiding injuries or healing them, but it enables you to have greater control over the yogic process. For example, it is only through feedback sensitivity that you can know when to move deeper into an area or when to back off the pose. Physical Aspects Before going into my approach to doing physical yoga, I would like to describe how yoga affects your wellbeing. Infants are exible; their bodies move easily. As you age, you tighten and this tightness surrounds the nerves, glands, circulatory system, the spine and energy systems. The body then becomes less ef cient; energy wanes as systems slow down or get blocked. The body is less sensitive and less in touch with itself more coated and dulled. Since a basic dimension of life is movement on all levels, the very quality of life is dimmed.The word disease means what it literally says: dis-ease. As the body becomes less easy in itself, it begins to break down. The process of yoga keepsthe physicalsystems opened and energized which prevents breakdown and illness. Yoga also has great curative potential since the postures are highly re ned tools. They enable you to get into different bodily systems in very speci c ways, strengthening and healing them. Yoga gives you the possibility of taking your health into your own hands.Many people only concern themselves with health when its gone. They lack the interest or the ability to stay in touch with the state of their various systems, until its too late and breakdown occurs. Doing yoga can alert you when yourreservoir of energy rst begins to go down, as well as give you the means to replenish it. The preventative power of yoga is greatly aided by the fact that yoga builds sensitivity to internal feedback, helping you detect early warnings. You can then, through yoga, learn to heal yourself long before breakdown occurs.Yoga has been called a fountain of youth because it brings health and vitality, but this is a misnomer. The search for a fountain of youth, whether through magic, drugs, or techniques, indicates a resistance to the aging process. I prefer to call yoga a fountain of life. Aging isinevitable. Yoga allows you to approach it awarely as a transformative process that can bring growth and new depths with maturation. Resisting aging is actually resisting transformation and growth. Paradoxically, the resistance to aging, which includes holding on to old, inappropriate ways of living, exacerbates the very aging process you fear.In yoga you confront the living/dying processthat expresses itself in aging. Youth is a time of innocence when the body maintains and even increases its energy fund automatically. Then there comes a time, usually in the late 20s or 30s, when this process reverses so that the body, left to its own devices, begins gradually to lose energy. Its possible, however, to age with continued increase in the power and ef ciency of your energy. This does not happen by itself. You must deal consciously and awarely with the automatic tendencies of closure (entropy) in your body. Yoga not only counters the entropic process of breakdown, but it opens you up in new ways, bringing a way of maturing and developing with elegance, depth and richness.Doing yoga in the morning puts you in direct touch with how you have been treating yourself on the previous day. You learn to read subtle differences in exibility, endurance, and energy. The body has its own intelligence, and being able to listen to and learn from that intelligence is an essential part of yoga. Through this paying attention, yoga can align and remold the structure of your body according to an innersense of what it needs. Techniques of Yoga Yoga, both as an accumulated body knowledge and as an art, involves learning and re ning technique. Teachers are useful in helping expand your technical repertoire, which in turn enhances your potential for creative self-expression in yoga. Technique enables you to work the body in deeper ways, and it also helps hone focus and attention. However, it is important to keep in mind that although technique has its own aesthetic quality its own beauty it is a meansfor transformation, not an end in itself. Attention & Focus The essence of yoga is focus and attention attention to breath, to the bodys messages, to energy, and even to the quality of your attention. Over the years, I have found that the way I do yoga is continually changing. Deepening your practice is notso much learning to do more ad112

vanced postures, but rather increasing your understanding of how to do yoga. Precision in technique can make yoga, even in very basic postures, more focused and exciting, and can deepen your understanding of what yoga is about.Learning to do yoga is, among other things, learning to love doing it. Not necessarily all the time, but as a general presence in your life. You can love someone who on occasion frustrates or angers you, yet the love remains underneath.

Toni If Romero in Pungu Kukkutasanayouve been doing yoga forsome time and you dont love doing it, thisin itsels an indication that the way you are approaching itshould be questioned. At any place in a posture, are you turned on, interested in being there? If you nd youre not, this most likely means your mind issomewhere else.Perhaps youre stoically enduring the pose so you can feel youve done what you should or whats good for you. You could also be struggling to achieve the nal goal, which may be a completed posture, or yesterdays level of exibility. If your attention and interest are not in the body, you are not fully present in the posture.Attention in yoga involves letting go, a relaxation that surrenders to the what is of the posture. Here you are alert and watchful, but not passive. Its the body that decides when to hold, when to back off, when to deepen, and when to come out of the posture.Yoga developsthe ability to focus energy into speci c areas, which generates energy whether youre stretching or relaxing in a pose. Learning to focus energy with great depth and precision is a vital part of yoga that is often not emphasized. This ability does not depend on exibility, but rather on a quality of mind that is able consciously to sense the body for tightnesses and blocks, and then focusinto them.By attention I mean a broadening of the spectrum of awareness, which occurs when the mind lets go of control and 113

direction. Focus is more one-pointed than attention and, of course, involves control. Although focus and attention are different, they are intimately connected.It isthrough being attentive that you learn where to focus, and deeper focus brings a capacity for a greater attention. This is another way that yoga plays between control and surrender. Breath Breath is the fuel of life (traditionally called prana). In yoga it serves as a bridge between the mind and the body, since it operates on automatic and can also be consciously controlled.Breath is a cornerstone of technique. Learning to use it effectively is a key to deepening your yoga, since it directly increasesstretch,strength, endurance and balance. I use a variation of ujjayi, which is deep-chest breathing that lengthens the breath through glottal control. The pull of lungs across the glottis on inhale and the push of lungs on exhale help you move in the postures and deepen them, while at the same time relaxing you.In posturesthat involve folding, compacting, and forward-bending, you move and stretch on the exhale while holding and relaxing, or aligning on the inhale. Conversely, stretches that expand the lungs and chest are done on the inhale, relaxing or aligning on the exhale.Breath itself is an interesting lesson in control and surrender. By using breath, instead of the mind, to guide and control movement and stretch, the body can let go,surrendering to the posture more easily. When breath and body are coordinated, so they are moving as one, energy owsinto the musculature, totally changing the quality of yoga. The proper use of breath gets you out of yourmind and into your body, bringing a grace and sensuality to movement impossible when the mind is in control. This way of using breath gives a relaxed and centered attention to the whole organism, and can also be used to focus energy into different parts of the body. Playing Edges Another important dimension in yoga is learning how to play the edge. The body has edges that mark its limits in stretch, strength, endurance, and balance. The exibility edge can be used to illustrate this. In each posture, at any given time, there is a limit to stretch that I call the nal or maximum edge. This edge has a feeling of intensity, and is right before pain, but it is not pain itself. The edge moves from day to day and from breath to breath. It does not always move forward; sometimes it retreats. Part of learning how to do yoga is learning how to surrender to this edge, so that when it changes you move with the change. It is psychologically easier to move forward than to back off. But its as important to learn to move back if your edge closes, as it is to learn to move forward slowly asthe body opens.There is a subtle psychological addiction to a completed pose, or at least to our maximum extensions. The tendency to push toward maximum extension quickly, puts you out of touch with the bodys feedback and makes you come out of the posture sooner. Out of the memory of how exible I was yesterday,I can be unconsciously pushing toward thatremembered level of exibility, being content if I meet it, enthused if Isurpassit, and disappointed if I cannot reach it.Each posture ideally involves the whole body, even though postures usually have one or more major areas where the stretch is most deeply felt. If you reach for your maximum edge too quickly, you bypass many areas. This givesthe illusion of a completed stretch, but the body may not be properly aligned, nor really as open asit can be. Opening the ancillary areas of the body before you reach for maximum extension, helps insure proper alignment and ultimately deepens the major stretch.There is another less obvious edge that is very easy to miss: I call it the rst or minimum edge. This edge occurs while moving into the posture where the body meets its very rst resistance. In beginning a pose, initially you move with ease until the rst hint of the sensation of blockage or holding appears. This is the rst edge, and its very important to stop here to acclimatize yourself, realign the posture, and become aware of your breath and deepen it. Your attention should be in the feeling, waiting for it to diminish, at which point the body will automatically move to greater depth and a new edge will appear. This process repeats itself until you eventually reach your nal edge. By thistime, your body has opened with minimal resistance or effort. Often the more slowly and carefully you treat your early edges, the deeper your nal edge will be. Building endurance involves staying longer at the early edges and moving slowly toward intensity, for the closer you are to your nal edge, the less endurance you tend to have. Also learning to hold the posture at intermediary edges until you can deepen and slow the breath, enables you to relax along the way. Playing edges slowly in this fashion 114

has the advantage of giving you better alignment throughout the whole process, and a sharper capacity to listen to feedback, which enables you to enjoy greater levels of intensity without pain, and minimizes the possibility of injury. Edge-playing also allows you to get in touch with the sensual nature of the posture and the quality of feeling in the stretch,so that each pose can become an aesthetic experience. Pain & Feedback It is vital to know the difference between pain and intensity. The line between them might sometimes appear nebulous, but it is actually well de ned by the state of your mind. Pain is not only physical, but psychological, too, for it involves a judgment of discomfort not liking to be there. If you are running from the feeling, its pain. Intensity that is not pain generates an energy and sensuous quality that turns you on.Fear and ambition can often cloud the difference between pain and intensity. If youre afraid of hurting yourself, low levels of feeling can be interpreted as pain and therefore avoided, whereas ambition can make you ignore or tolerate pain. If you are fearful in a posture, it is wise not to try to override the fear in orderto be courageous, since thismakesinjuring yourself more likely, creating a self-ful lling prophecy. Instead you can play on the edge of fear: nd a place in the posture where youre not afraid, but near where the fear comes in; hold this position, deepen the breath, and wait for relaxation to come and the body to open. Only then do you move forward. If you are aware of being ambitious in a posture, I strongly recommend you stay with your rst edge longer and move through your intermediary edges slower. This will bring a feedback sensitivity that can help counter the tendency to ignore the bodys messages.Pain is often hard to recognize as it isnt necessarily sharp or intense, nor does great intensity always mean pain. If the feeling issuch that you are trying to get away from it, its pain. If you are afraid, even at relatively low levels of intensity, this is your edge, by de nition. You can become less fearful by opening slowly, rather than pushing past psychological limits.Running away from pain can take different forms: stoically enduring, waiting to get the posture over with, thinking of something else, or rushing the posture. These states are often feedback indicating discomfort. Pain causes inattention in the pose, actually increasing the likelihood of overextending the body and pulling a muscle. Most injuries in yoga are brought about by ambition or inattention usually both. Ambition in a posture takes many forms: holding it a prescribed length of time, trying to stretch as far as someone else, unconsciously reaching for remembered levels of exibility, or trying to achieve or reproduce psychic states. Ambition is a characteristic of thought, and therefore a fact of life, as is comparison. You cannot eliminate ambition through effort, for the very effort is ambition. Awarely playing the different edgesturns your attention away from ambition to the bodys feelings. Ideally a posture should not bring pain. Pain is feedback if you ignore it or try to push past it, you will eventually hurt yourself. Doing yoga with habitual discomfort colors your attitude toward yoga, making you more reluctant to do it. It also turns yoga into a chore, instead of the joy it could be. Lines of Energy In addition to breath and playing your edges, there is a third dimension to physical yoga.This dimension involves channeling energy to different parts of the body by creating whatI call lines of energy.These lines of energy are vibratory currents that move in different directions within each posture. Descriptions of internalstates are approximations at best. Even the word energy, when it is used to signify an inward level of activation, may seem vague. Yet we are aware of having more or less energy. If you pay attention, you may notice that some parts of the body seem alive and vital, while others feel dead and blocked. You may also notice subtle currents moving in the body. This should not be surprising since the body has a hydraulic (circulatory) and an electrical (nervous)system.Most of the stretching done in postures primarily involves muscles and tendons. But there is another kind of stretching that I call stretching in the nerves. Here you use the muscles to stretch the nerves, creating an energy ow, instead of to gain extension in the posture. The focus is on creating an internal current in the nerves that can be felt and intensi ed. The intensity of this current in the nerves can be controlled by the muscles and has a vibratory feeling, usually moving in an outward direction. For example, you can create an internal line of energy by holding your arm parallel to the oor and stretching it outward. This brings a vibration that moves from the shoulder out the arm, through the ngers. Each posture has its own lines of energy which can be created at differ115

ent stages in the posture, and which complement one another and work together to involve the body as a whole.These lines of energy affect your yoga in several ways by: 1) increasing energy within the posture, 2) toning and relaxing the nervous system, 3) decreasing the likelihood of injury through over extension of muscular stretch, 4) increasing strength and endurance in postures, and 5)internally aligning the body in the pose.Concern for proper alignment in a posture is important; however, many people exclusively use external methods to get aligned such as having another person, who hopefully knows alignment. adjust their body, or trying to approximate a picture or ideal of a completed pose. External methods are useful at times, but I feel it is only when alignment is done internally, by the bodys own intelligence, that a posture is truly understood.In the Triangle pose, the arrows in gure one mark the direction of ve lines of energy. Strengthening the ow of the current along each of the lines automatically aligns the body from the inside. When the posture is properly aligned, the currents of energy ow more freely. This can be felt. These lines of energy break through blocksin the body without forcing the posture and ultimately give greater extension.If in the Triangle, you emphasize the line from shoulder through the raised arm to the nger tips, it opensthe chest and aligns the pelvis. The back leg line moves from the hip down the leg into the outside of the foot, raising the arch. This line also alignsthe pelvis and freesthe hip.The front leg linemoves from the buttock down the leg to the foot, aligning the front knee in a plane with the pelvis. The line moving up the spine outward elongates the spine, giving it room to move. This also unlocks the hip and works in opposition to the back leg line. The fth line, from the shoulder down to the ngertips of the lower arm, helps keep the shoulders in the same plane as the pelvis, and also helps move the posture to greater depth.These lines are actually moving the energy in ve directions and creating different oppositions of musculature. Using muscle sets in opposition can allow you to separate different parts of the body (and in other postures, even vertebrae of the spine) from each other, creating control, extension, energy and release. It islearning to create and channel lines of energy that makesthis possible. In gure 2 the extension is much less than gure 1. Assume this is the place of rst resistance the rst edge. By deepening your breath and consciously increasing the ve lines in the posture, you are doing what I call stretching within the pose or nerve-stretching, instead of muscle-stretching, which isreaching for greater extension. This alignsthe body throughout the pose, helping you let go onitial resistance, and allowsthe body to draw you in more deeply. Levers There are three basic kinds of levers orforcesthat help move the muscles: 1) external levers ( oor, wall, and other objects), 2) body-on-body levers (where one part of the body moves another), and 3) internal levers (where the muscleslearn to lever themselves without external aid).External levers are the easiest to use and internal levers are the hardest to learn. But it is important whenever possible to use internal levers, since they teach you how to move yourself from the inside. This builds sensitivity in the tissue and also gives the kind of control necessary to deepen your yoga. It is easiest to injure yourself using external levers because you are applying force to the body from the outside. Body-on-body levers also exert force from the outside, but allow more sensitivity to feedback.It is hard to injure yourself using internal levers because its dif cultforthe body to push itself beyond itslimits from the inside. All internal levers depend on lines of energy to work properly. (However, not all lines of energy are internal levers.) Learning how to use these levers opens yet another dimension in yoga.Understanding the PostureIhave foundthat amore importantframeworkthanmentally aiming to get the nal pose, is understanding how the posture works. When attention and focus, edge-playing, levers, and lines of energy interweave so that these seemingly disparate elements become one, then you understand how the posture works. Understanding a posture is not just knowing with your mind how to place the body. The understanding comes when the muscles and nerves, and even the cells themselves, know how to work the posture.There are many different ways of using breath, edges, lines of energy, alignment and levers in combination and separately. For example, you can focus on deepening and lengthening breath at the rst edge; when breathing becomes regular, change your focusto creating one line of energy.Assoon asthe body holdsthisin a relaxed way, you can add a second line of energy.You could also let go of one energy line and turn your attention to a different line. Another technically more dif cult way of approaching the 116

same posture is slowly to create and intensify all the lines of energy at once, using breath to control the intensity. Lines of energy bring whatI call a dynamic relaxation to the muscles, for although the nerves are generating a current of energy, the muscleslet go and eventually move to greater extension. When you understand how the posture works and follow where the energy of the body leads you, often you nd that what you think is a completed pose hasfurther extensions and possible variations. Psychological Aspects Resistance Transformation, change, growth, actualizing potential - these are very positive sounding idealsthatmost people who do yoga strive for. Yet all of us who are involved in any growth process face resistance. In yoga there is resistance in the tissue, resistance to doing yoga, resistance to changing the habits and lifestyles that impede growth. As a person who has been involved with yoga and growth-oriented activitiesfor years, itseemingly would be nice if I could tell you that I have conquered resistance. I have not. I do not feel that it can be totally conquered, although it need not be a signi cant problem either. You can learn to use it as a teacher, for resistance can teach you where your habits and attachments lie. It can also teach you where you block yourself and where you are selfprotective. In order to go into this, I would like to discuss more of the psychological aspects of yoga.That the mind and body affect each other is obvious. Psychological tensions live in the musculature: when you are up tight, you are literally tightening the muscles and blocking energy. Through years of accumulated tensions, the body becomes a repository for the unconscious, in that it learns to close off different physical areas that affect emotional states. For instance, a compressed chest literally makes it harder to experience deep emotions. The strength of the emotions that may come from opening your chest can make you uncomfortable,so you may resist opening that area.So much of what limits our yoga practice is not in the body itself, but rather mental attitudes and habits. Resistance in posturesisin the mind as well asin the body.Mental resistance can take many forms forgetting, excuses, so-called laziness, even illness and injuries. If you can minimize mental resistance, that is the key to eventually working through the physical resistance. As you get deeper into Hatha (physical) Yoga,it becomes increasingly necessary to get to know the nature of the mind.Mostofustotallyidentifywithourmind, callingitourselves. Without realizing it isjust one of the systemsthat makes up a human being. The importance of the mind is enormous, and its power so great, that it often ignores, subverts, or overrides the other systems that have their own intelligence. Our body may tell us were not hungry, yet we eat; or when tired, we push ourselves. Though yoga can make us more attuned to the wisdom within the tissue, it isthe mind that must interpret this. How the mind interprets is directly related to its nature and its experience (conditioning). We dont usually think of the mind as structured and conditioned, because our mind is like a lens that we view ourselves and the world through a given, that we rarely question. Yet there are principlesto how the mind works, just like there are principlesto how the body works. Understanding them opens up the mind and body to hitherto unimagined possibilities, and is a doorway to transformation.Looking at resistance can reveal the nature of mind, for what we are resisting is often the very thing we say we want. Why do I do yoga at all? How much of my yoga is fueled by fear of aging, of dying, of losing energy? How much of my yoga is driven by ambition for accomplishment, for higher states of consciousness,for youth and health,for vibrancy? Of course, we all have fears and ambitionsthat we bring to yoga. The problem is not that we have them, but rather that they take over our yoga, often unconsciously. When this happens, the mind is oriented either to the past or the future, and loses contact with the living process of yoga: how the musclesfeel, the energy being generated, the subtle changes which require great attention. If you become aware of how the motives that underly fear and ambition can limit your practice, this does not necessarily eliminate them or your other reasons for doing yoga.It can, however, help you put them aside during your practice,so that you can be less mechanical and more present and attentive. Habits Have you ever asked yourself why you do things that you know arent good for you? Not, how do Istop? but, why do I do them at all? Another way of asking is, What is the nature of self-destructiveness? Most of us think we would like to have more energy, but if we look carefully and honestly, we see that we 117

keep our energy controlled within safe boundaries. If our energy gets too low, the fabric of our life falls apart. We need a certain amount of energy to keep it together. Less obviously, if your energy gets too high, it can push you out of your habits and the security and pleasures they are linked to. Many activities take a certain energy level some high, others low. For example, you cant watch television if your energy is too high, for you become restless. If, for whatever reason, you are attached to TV, you may overeat to bring your energy down. Here you are unconsciously controlling your energy with overeating, which is self-destructive, in order to preserve a pleasure. Doing yoga properly increases energy, which pushes against mental and physical habits, while the habits, by their nature, resist change.Bad habits can be looked upon as a way of resisting change by hooking you to immediate grati cation, which is a powerfulsource of conditioning. The taste of food, for example, can give immediate pleasure. The power of taste makes it dif cult not to let it rule you, which puts you out of touch with using food for energy and nourishment. The feeling of being out of control, unable to resist temptation, is usually a sign of physical or psychological addiction, and has mechanical aspects that keep you on automatic. Though you know the pleasure is not worth the pain it will cause, it is still often surprisingly dif cult to resist it. Self-destructivenessinvolves, among other things, going for an immediate pleasure, even though the end result is pain. Part of the resistance to doing yoga stems from a deep reluctance to let go of the pleasures within the addictions. Doing yoga awarely can unhook you from those habits and addictions.When you recognize what an important role mind plays in yoga, you can see why exploring the mind is essential. As conditioning in the body narrows the bodys movements, so do habits in the mind tend to make you more narrowminded. A narrow mind involves more than just being attached to a particular set of beliefs. It narrows the whole eld of perception and also cuts off emotional responsiveness and empathy. Rigidity in the mind constricts mental movement and consequently limits the eld of what is possible for you in life. The beliefs, values, headsets, and even the wants that live in thought create self-images that determine what you think, imagine, and therefore what you do. In physical yoga, the process of confronting and nudging the bodys limits, blocks, and conditionings opens and transforms you. So, too, as you get to know your mind, how it works and where your psychological limits are, the process opens the mind and literally expands consciousness.How much do memory, expectation, and immediate grati- cation affect the way you do yoga? What thoughts come up during your yoga practice? Are there postures you look forward to doing, while you avoid others? Do you hurry the ones you dont like to get them over with? Does your mind wander? Do you contemplate what posture to do next, how long you have left to go, or what youre going to do after yoga? These types of thoughts may cross your mind while doing yoga. Naturally, they greatly in uence how you do the pose and the quality of energy generated.Most of us involved in yoga tell ourselves we want to grow. If we look honestly at this, what we generally mean by growth is keeping everything about ourselves and our lives that we like, getting rid of what we dont like, and getting more of what we think were going to like. Real growth and transformation move you not only from things you dont like, but also from pleasures and habits youre attached to. You cannot be certain how you would be if you were different or in what direction growth will take you. Real growth has aspects of unpredictability in it that can not only alter your habits, but even the very likes and dislikes, or preferences, that underlie them.People often ask this kind of question: To do yoga, will I have to give up wine and steak? Its important to understand that the fear of giving up or losing certain pleasures (whatever they may be) can bring the reaction of holding on more tightly, which limits your yoga and growth. There are so many pleasures and habits that de ne your life your very personality. The old, by its nature, has a comfort. Even your problems and hang ups are a form of security against change. Some habits and pleasures are appropriate only during certain periods of life. Others can remain tting, if modi ed, while still others might meaningfully stay with you over your lifespan. Whether what you are doing is in fact right for your life is a basic question that cannot be answered through formulas. One of the real gifts yoga gives you is more sensitivity to life, which moves you toward what is appropriate for you.In the process of yoga, habits and ways of being can leave or modify on their own. This is not to say there is no resistance to letting go of old pleasures, or that you do not have to use intelligence to free yourself from aspects of your life that are no longer appropriate. Rather, the energy 118

of yoga, and the awareness it brings, make more obvious what is and is not conducive to your well-being. The day-to-day practice of yoga gives you messages that are very dif cult to ignore.There is an edge that each of us must confront between growing, which is an adventure, and holding on to security. Some security is necessary as a base to move from, while too much dampens growth and dullslife by keeping newness out. One of the remarkable things about yoga is that it generates energy that opens you, while building both the physical and psychological strength to assimilate change into your life. This gives an entirely different kind of security the security of knowing that you can respond to whatever challenges life may bring. Competition & Comparison Have you ever noticed how much of your day-to-day life you spend thinking? Thought can be very mechanical and repetitive. In different situations you have certain thought patterns which are so much like tapes that I call them mental cassettes. They serve many purposes. For example,some mental tapesreduce tension, others channel anger to hurt or hurt to anger (depending on which youre used to and more comfortable with). Many of these tapes also evaluate and judge. How much of your life do you spend feeling either better than or worse than? What thoughts bring these feelings? We use our minds to control how we feel as best we can. Often controlling how we feel gives immediate relief or grati cation, but causes more severe long-term problems. For example, if I am envious of you and also think envy is bad, or a sign of how unevolved I am, I suppress it with thought. I talk myself out of feeling it consciously, or pretend I dont feel it at all,and hide it from myself by burying it deep within the bodys tissues. This is the stuff of tension.Yoga is usually presented as being noncompetitive. At its heart, this is true, but that doesnt mean yoga is free from competition at all times. As you get more deeply into yoga, the competitive aspect of mind must be looked at, for if you dont explore it, competition can occur automatically, and take you over unawarely. Either you channel yourself toward accomplishment, ultimately resulting in injuries, or you try to suppress competitiveness, which closes you to the learning that can only come through comparison. If you subscribe to a value system that judges competition to be bad, it makes it harder to see it should it arise in you. This impedes selfknowledge, and closes and tightens you.If you look very carefully at competition,you will nd that its roots lie in comparison, which is a basic mode of thought. The very notion of progress implies comparison. You may say that you can be competitive with yourself without comparing yourselfto others. Thisis partially true, but it is important to see that being competitive with yourself has aspects of competitiveness with others in it. Standards of excellence or progress do not exist in a vacuum, but arise in the context of what other people are doing.The mind that compares is a useful and necessary tool, for day-to-day comparison is a basisforfeedback. Doing yoga daily is a very direct way of tuning in on how you have been treating yourself on the previous day, as well as seeing long-range trends. Diet, emotions, con ict, stress, and relationships affect you and your yoga. These aspects of life can be used as feedback that can help you learn how things affect each other. Reading feedback of thissort is based on comparison.Wanting to progress has a self-competitive aspect wanting to be as good as or better than yesterday, or last year. Also, comparing yourself with others, whether you like it or not, is inevitable. Comparison, and its extension competition, cannot be eliminated through effort, no matter how much you might want to. Trying to be non-competitive is competing with yourself or others on how non-competitive you are.If you think you are succeeding, (and the mind can convince itself of anything), this can feed feelings of superiority, which is competition. The meditative state of mind that is essential for the necessary attention in yoga transcends competition, not by ghting it, but rather by seeing its place asfeedback, and also seeing itslimits and dangers.Comparison is an integral part of perceiving change, but I can subtly begin to compete with myself or others in how much or how fast I am changing and transforming. In this way, even the idea of transformation can become yet another goal to be achieved. Transformation is an endless process to be lived, that cannot be captured or possessed you can only participate in it. Evolution Yoga, at its core, is looking within to understand the timeless question, Who am I? As you delve into the deep regions of your being, the knowledge that comes is not merely about you, the individual, but 119

includes the understanding of yourself as part of the total fabric of life.When the parts ofthe whole open up to each other, breaking the boundaries ofseparateness, real communication, which is communion, occurs.Movement is at the core of energy, relationship, growth it is at the heart of life itself. Evolution is the way movement expresses itself throughout the universe. Evolution can be looked upon asthe movement of formstoward

greater complexity and adaptability. This is, however, only the external form, the skin, of evolution, which makes possible the most basic movement: the evolution of awareness. Maturation and evolution come when the spectrum of awareness broadens, becoming more inclusive.Yoga brings opening and movement deep within the very -ber of your being, and expands consciousness, enlarging your capacity for depth of communication. This self-transformation opens you to a more profound relationship with life, and also to an aware participation in the evolutionary process. In the last analysis, these two things are one. 120

1.1.12

La intencin siembra los benecios de la prctica.

(2013-05-30 12:09)

Toni Romero

Todo en la vida puede ser una actividad de salvacin o condena. Tambin el yoga puede darnos el efecto inverso al que buscamos. Es algo que aprend practicando sirsasana. Supongo que eso es consecuencia de no haber tenido ningn profesor y haber aprendido por libre, no te benecias de la gua, ms que en el mbito fsico, sobretodo en el emocional. As que te dejas llevar por el enorme deseo del principiante de hacerlo bien, de hacerlo perfecto. De ah repites una y otra vez, ese proceso anula todos los benecios, no ests disfrutando de la prctica, sino alimentando el ego, buscando esa auto-satisfaccin rpida. Es algo que en mayor o menor grado

todos hacemos en distintas facetas. Es parte de nuestra naturaleza, pero ese deseo no controlado, es el fruto en gran medida del dolor y sufrimiento. Ese sobreesfuerzo te hace luchar contra tu cuerpo. Patanjali en los yoga sutras, si mal no recuerdo, dice que una asana es perfecta cuando se hace sin esfuerzo. El tema es que si te limitas a la plasticidad, ests valorando el cuerpo por encima de la mente y el espritu, en ese momento es cuando el yoga se convierte en circo y es una absoluta prdida de tiempo. Contrariamente si en este proceso aprendes a ser paciente, a no concebir una desmesurada importancia en los resultados, sino en sentir que has dado el mximo esfuerzo y as recibes todos los benecios, la frustracin desaparece. Tu cuerpo se desbloquea y realmente las asanas se abren como ptalos de ores. Las asanas uyen y se perfecciona a la vez que la importancia que le das a ese hecho cada vez es menor y te centras ms en la calidad de los benecios, en una correcta respiracin. Creo que ese es un punto importante en el aprendizaje. Es un momento crucial para ver lo que realmente ests buscando. 121

1.1.13

Guestbook (2013-05-31 14:38)

1.2
1.2.1

June
"3 GURUS, 48 QUESTIONS" Sri K Pattabhi Jois excerpts (Namarupa magazine) by R Alexander Medin (2013-06-02 12:38)

WHAT IS YOUR THEORY ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF YOGA? K. Pattabhi Jois: We cannot know for sure the original nature of yoga, but according to what tradition tells us, Shiva rst taught it to Parvati, then Parvati taught it to Shannmuka and Shannmuka taught it to Narada. And the rst yoga found before the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali was when Adinatha incarnated in this world to provide yoga as a means to liberating man from the world of suering. Also yoga is found in the shastras [scriptures], in the Bhagavad Gita, and in dierent Upanishads. 122

AND HOW IS THIS REFLECTED IN THE SCRIPTURAL, AS WELL AS IN THE LIVING, TRADITION? Pattabhi Jois: In India, tradition is rooted in faith. Without faith, our whole tradition would collapse. And it is the greatness and wisdom of our forefathers that guides us on our path to perfection. To come to realize the depth of their knowledge and wisdom, we need to gain an experience of that to which they testify. This can be very difcult in the times we live in, but to gain this experience, we need to have faith in what they taught and a willingness to follow their methods with consistent dedication and hard work. It is not easy, but for every sadhaka [ardent seeker], there is profound spiritual wisdom to be rediscovered from our tradition. India has a great history of trying to understand the human mind and its theories of moksa [release; liberation of soul from further transmigration] are something other religious traditions cannot ignore. Some living teachers are good representatives of our great heritage, while others are less concerned with tradition, and do as they please, making up rules and regulations of their own. HOW DOES PATANJALIS CLASSICAL YOGA STAND IN RELATION TO HATHA YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: Hatha yoga means the union of the opposing energies of the body and the channeling of these energies into the central pathway. And this comes about when the surya nadi [right nostril] and chandra nadi [left nostril] are controlled, and the vital energy of these two channels merges in the central pathway of the spine. So, when the prana is nally at rest and no longer moved by the various sense organs, we then realize God inside. That is our Self, our true identity. So, Hatha yoga is experiencing God inside. WHO WERE THE ORIGINATORS OF HATHA YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: I dont know for certain. I only know what my guru taught me. But many texts mention the

Dattatreya, Guru of all Gurusrishis Matsyendranath, Goraknath, Vamana, but before them, there were other maharishis. Yoga is at least two to three thousand years old, if not older WHAT DISTINGUISHES HATHA YOGA FROM OTHER PHYSICAL FITNESS EXERCISES? Pattabhi Jois: [Laughs] Yoga is not physical very wrong! Hatha yoga can, of course, be used as external exercise only, but that is not its real bene t. Yoga can go very deep and touch the soul of man. When it is performed in the right way, over a long period of time, the nervous system is puri ed, and so is the mind. As the Bhagavad Gita is telling us. Yatato hyapi Kaunteyapurshasya vipashcitahindriyani pramathini haranti prasabham manahTani sarvani samyamya yukta asita matparahVase hi yasyendriyani tasya prajna pratishtita BG 2:60-61 [Controlling all the senses, the selfcontrolled one should sit meditating on Me. Verily, his wisdom is steady whose senses are under control. The turbulent senses, O son of Kunti, forcibly lead astray the mind of even the struggling wise person.] 123

The whole purpose of Hatha yoga is to purify and control our senses. It is the ultimate science of helping us discover what lies behind the apparent reality of body and mind. But look at the world today! There are so many different ways of doing yoga. Everybody says that they are doing it the right way, but what is the right way unless it produces a certain change in people, unless a certain energy is awakened within them? As Swatmarama is telling us, in the last verse of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika Yavan naiva pravishati caran maruto madhyamarge Yavad bindur na bhavati drdaprana vata prabandhat |Yavad dhyane sahajasadrsham jaayate nanva tattvam Tavaj jnanam vadati tadidam dambhamithyapralapah ||HYP 4:113 [Until the prana enters and ows in the middle channel and the breath becomes rm by the control of the movements of prana; and until the mind assumes the form of Brahma without any effort in contemplation, up to then, all talk of knowledge and wisdom is merely the nonsensical babblings of a mad man.] So, we must follow the method that is correct and practice it for a long time. Sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara sevito dridhabhumih [A practice over a long period of time, consistently, humbly, with the best intention, becomes the rm foundation for cultivating a cessation of the uctuations of the mind.] This can take many lifetimes of practice even 100,000 years! CAN YOU DESCRIBE KRISHNAMACHARYA IN THREE WORDS? Pattabhi Jois: A very good man, a strong character. A dangerous man.

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T.Krishnamacharya WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF KRISHNAMACHARYAS LINEAGE AND TEACHERS? Pattabhi Jois: His teacher was Ramamohan Brahmachari, a very good man, a strong man, who taught Krishnamacharya many things. All my information comes from my guru and he told me that he studied with him for close to seven years. When he nished his studies, his teacher told him to go and teach yoga, so he left and started giving demonstrations and teaching in various places around India. That is how I met him for the rst time in Hassan in 1927 HOW LONG DID YOU STUDY WITH KRISHNAMACHARYA? Pattabhi Jois: I studied with him from 1927 to 1953. The rst time I saw him was in November of 1927. It was at the Jubilee Hall in Hassan and, the next day, I found out where he lived and went to his house. He asked me many questions, but nally accepted me and told me to come back the next morning. Then, after my thread ceremony in 1930, I went to Mysore to learn Sanskrit and was accepted at the Maharajas Sanskrit College. There, I was reunited with Krishnamacharya in 1931, when he came to do a demonstration. He was very happy to nd me studying at the college. WHAT DID KRISHNAMACHARYA TEACH YOU? Pattabhi Jois: What my teacher taught me is exactly the same method I am teaching today. It was an examination course of primary, intermediate, and advanced asanas. He also taught me philosophy. For ve years, we studied the great texts. He would call us to his house and we would stand outside and wait 125

to be called in. Sometimes, we would wait the whole day. He would usually teach us for one or two hours every day: asanas early in the morning and, around 12 oclock, philosophy class. He also taught us pranayama, pratyahara [sensory withdrawal], dharana [concentration], and dhyana[meditation]. And, in addition to the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, he also taught Yoga Vasishta, Yoga Yajnavalkya, and Samhita. And all in Sanskrit. COULD YOU DESCRIBE KRISHNAMACHARYAS TEACHING METHODS? Pattabhi Jois: Very strict. If you came one minute early or one minute late, you would not be allowed into class. He demanded total discipline and was very, very tough. People were fearing him, but he had a very good heart. DID IT EVER CHANGE? Pattabhi Jois: I dont know. As long as I was with him, he always taught the same. DID KRISHNAMACHARYA TEACH EVERYBODY THE SAME WAY? Pattabhi Jois: Yes. WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT KRISHNAMACHARYA? Pattabhi Jois: He was not just a great yoga teacher, but also a great Sanskrit scholar. He had studied and completed his examination in all the six darshanas[schools of ancient Hindu philosophy]. He was known as Mimamsa Tirtha [ford across the river of human misery], Vedanta Vagisa [lord of speech], Sankhya Yoga Shikhamani [jewel among Brahmins]. WHY DO YOU THINK KRISHNAMACHARYA BECAME SUCH A LEGEND? Pattabhi Jois: Because of his knowledge and wisdom. WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING KRISHNAMACHARYA TAUGHT YOU? Pattabhi Jois: When he left for Madras he told me, Make this yoga method the work of your life. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIS PERSONAL PRACTICE? Pattabhi Jois: No, only that he was a master at what he was doing. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH KRISHNAMACHARYA? Pattabhi Jois: A normal guru-sisya[disciple] relationship DID YOU EVER GET TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY? WHAT KIND OF PERSON WAS HE? Pattabhi Jois: Dangerous, but kind. Proud, but very knowledgeable CAN WESTERNERS EVER DO JUSTICE TO THE GREAT HERITAGE OF YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: Yoga is very good if it is taught with the correct method. Unfortunately, a lot of Westerners are thinking more about making money than about teaching this correct method. And I dont know how

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bene cial that can be for people. When yoga is only for business, it is of no use. People oer fteenday courses, even one-week courses, to become a yoga teacher. [Laughs] How good for yoga that is, I dont know WHAT HAS THE WESTERN WORLD CONTRIBUTED TO YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: Nobody can contribute anything to yoga, but yoga can contribute something to everybody. HOW IS THE WESTERN MENTALITY DIFFERENT FROM THE INDIAN? Pattabhi Jois: Indian people are used to following tradition, to having faith in the system, and to believing in moksha, or liberation. But for Western people, moksha is not very important. They practice yoga primarily for their health, which is okay. But to really understand the heritage of India, one must also understand its ancient traditions, which gave rise to our spiritual tradition. Some Westerners overlook this great heritage and have no idea what the roots of yoga are. IS THERE ANY DANGER THAT THE YOGA TRADITION COULD BE DILUTED? Pattabhi Jois: Yes, if people dont appreciate and take care of the great teachings that have come down to us. SOME PEOPLE SPEAK OF PHYSICAL YOGA, MENTAL YOGA, SPIRITUAL YOGA. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? Pattabhi Jois: Yoga is one. God is one. Yoga means sambandaha, which is atma manah samyogah, or knowing God inside you. But using it only for physical practice is no good, of no use just a lot of sweating, pushing, and heavy breathing for nothing. The spiritual aspect, which is beyond the physical, is the purpose of yoga. When the nervous system is puri ed, when your mind rests in the atman [the Self], then you can experience the true greatness of yoga. WHY IS YOGA SO BENEFICIAL FOR MANKIND? Pattabhi Jois: Yoga is good for man because the physical body improves, the nervous system improves, the mind improves, the intellect improves so, how can yoga not be good? WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS ON ALL THE MODERN SCHOOLS OF YOGA IN THE WEST TODAY? Pattabhi Jois: Let other forms of yoga be there, I teach only Ashtanga yoga, which is real. I know that it is real and everybody who practices it correctly will come to know that it is real also. The essence of yoga is to reach oneness with God. The ego must be understood, contemplated, and released. If you only 127

try to boost the ego, you will miss the greatest fruit of yoga. IS IT OKAY TO CAPITALIZE ON YOGA? IS YOGA AS A BUSINESS ACCEPTABLE? Pattabhi Jois: That is the way of Westerners. They are always thinking to make more money. Unfortunately, it is not good when the goal of yoga is money rather than God. Real yoga is not about money. If yoga comes your way, be happy about it. People ask me so many questions: Guruji, what should I do about this? How should I do that? I say, Dont take your mind other places. Think only of God, then do yoga. Let things come. If you want to bene t, think only of God, dedicate all your actions to God, and whatever comes your way is a gift is His gift to you. WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD YOGI? Pattabhi Jois: Dedication to yoga and a steady faith in yoga. And a willingness to do hard work and to continuously think of and concentrate on yoga. WHAT MAKES A GOOD YOGA TEACHER? Pattabhi Jois: Primarily, you have to learn the practice properly, you have to know yoga properly, before you can start to teach. If you think, I want to become a teacher, before you have a good understanding, that is not good. You need to be a student for many, many years. It is important to have a good teacher to guide you and then, when your teacher thinks you are ready, you can start to teach. WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA TO BECOME A GOOD YOGA TEACHER? Pattabhi Jois: As I said, be a dedicated student for many years before you even start to think about teaching IS THERE AN ELEMENT IN YOGA THAT CAN NEVER BE TAUGHT? Pattabhi Jois: Only your guru can truly guide you only someone who has studied the path before you and is aware of all the dangers can truly direct you. And the blessing of the guru is very important too. Without the gurus blessing, you cannot really progress as a student. And this blessing is to listen to the guru, to what the correct method is, and to have faith in him to follow and let yourself be guided by him. This blessing cannot be explained. It can only be experienced with the energy and strengths that will ow from within you. This strength from within you will make you rmer, more secure, and stronger. WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR STYLE OF YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: What is particular to Ashtanga yoga practice is what we call vinyasa, which brings together breathing with physical movement. Each posture is connected with a certain breathing sequence, which comes before and after it. This keeps the ow of energy through the spine open. It also safeguards against injury and prevents energy from stagnating in the body. Vinyasa puries the body, the nervous system, and cultivates the proper energetic eld in the body. It is essential to yoga, we believe, and gives people a direct inner experience of their potential. To feel the energy continually owing through the spine is the effect of vinyasa. But there is nothing that comes instantly. One needs to practice this system for many years a minimum of ve to ten years to begin to experience these deep subtle changes in the body. HAVE YOUR TEACHING METHODS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? DO YOU FOCUS ON THINGS NOW THAT YOU DIDNT WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED? Pattabhi Jois: No, they have not changed. They have remained the same the whole time. Our method from the beginning has been that a posture needs to be perfected before you move on to more dicult ones. Each posture works progressively to increase the energy level and the opening of the body. WHAT IS THE BEST REMEDY FOR HELPING PEOPLE? DO YOU TREAT EVERYBODY EQUALLY? Pattabhi Jois: Taking practice! And to make people aware of yama [the rst limb of Ashtanga yoga] and niyama [the second limb of Ashtanga yoga], and of how to control their bodies these are the best remedies. When they are aware, controlling the senses becomes easier. But, primarily, yama and niyamaare the best remedies for anybody with an interest in the practice. WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK? Pattabhi Jois: It is to see the growth and development of students, and to experience the love and grati128

tude they have when they come here to Mysore, year after year. We see so many students who come from all over the world to study with us. Some of them have full-time jobs and get only four weeks vacation per year, but they choose to devote that time to coming here to practice with us. To see this dedication and to see the happiness in people that is what is truly rewarding. WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL YOGA PRACTICE LIKE THESE DAYS? Pattabhi Jois: I continue to practice pranayama and recite the Vedas for an hour and a half to two hours every day WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY TO YOU? Pattabhi Jois: Spirituality means energy and to meditate on that energy is spirituality. So, developing and having faith in this energy is spirituality. What the shastras tell me is what I believe, which is the Indian custom: Tasmat shastram pramanam te karya akaryavyvasthitauJnatva shastravidhanoktam karma kartum iharhasi BG 16:24 [Therefore let the scriptures be your authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Knowing what has been prescribed by the scriptures, you should act in this manner.] So, the sacred scriptures are the whole foundation of our spiritual tradition. Without them, we are left to our own impressions. But with the scriptures, we are given a guide to follow. In the absence of belief, we can never really lift the veil of our own ignorance and discover what lies beyond it. Thus spirituality is believing. WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ABOUT THE PHYSICAL PRACTICE? Pattabhi Jois: Behind the strength of the body, there is an energy that is spirituality, and that is what keeps us alive. To gain access to the spiritual, you need to understand the physical. The body is our temple and inside that temple is atman, and that is God HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE PURUSA? Pattabhi Jois: Purusa is light, the light that is atman, which is all and everything. Purusa is jiva [the individual soul], whereas prakriti[nature] is maya, or delusion. Due to the confusion that comes from living in the world

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Mula-Prakriti from a 19th century Rajasthani paintingof samsara [the cycle of rebirth], we fail to see the difference between purusa and prakriti, and treat them, instead, as one. But they are not one. Purusa is the pure, inner awareness of all that is, yet It is never subject to the uctuations of the mind. DOES YOGA CULTIVATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PURUSA? Pattabhi Jois: Only indirectly. Directly, it is the vrittis [thought patterns] which we come to control by the practice of yoga. It is not the purusa, which is constant and always there, though the practice does give one a clear mind, which may lead to an awareness of It. The actual understanding being facilitated, however, is of the thought patterns, or the vrittis. How they operate, how they bind you, and how you can gradually learn to experience what lies beyond them that is what we come to understand by the practice of yoga. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE YOGA SUTRA YOGA CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA? Pattabhi Jois: Patanjalis de nition is simple: Yoga is the process of ending the de nitions of the eld of consciousness. But to actually understand this in ones being is of a wholly dierent order. To understand words and concepts is easy, but to let the experience of yoga penetrate deep into ones heart, to realize fully what one is made of, and, nally, to establish the mind in the Self these are very dicult. Manushyanam sahasreshu kaschidyatati siddhayeYatatamapi siddhanaam kascinmam vetti tattvatah BG 7:3 [Among thousands of men, one perhaps struggles for perfection. Among thousands of those that struggle, maybe one becomes perfect, but among thousands of men that are perfect, perhaps one knowsMe in reality.] HOW DOES YOUR SYSTEM FACILITATE THE EXPERIENCE OF YOGA? Pattabhi Jois: To practice asanas and pranayama is to learn to control the body and the senses, so that the inner light can be experienced. That light is the same for the whole world. And it is possible for people to experience this light, their own Self, through correct yoga practice. It is something that happens through practice, though learning to control the mind is very dicult. Most important though is the practice. We must 130

Sri K Pattabhi Joispractice, practice, practice for any real understanding of yoga. Of course, philosophy is important, but if it is not connected and grounded in truth and practical knowledge, then what is it really for? Just endless talking, exhausting our minds! So, practice is the foundation of the actual understanding of philosophy WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE YOGA SUTRA TADA DRASTUH SVARUPEAVASTHANAM? Pattabhi Jois: The atman [individual soul; inner Self] is the same in all people, but we give a name and form to It according to the nature of our mind and sense organs. Taking yoga practice helps control the mind and sense organs so that awareness eventually goes inside, toward this atman. There are two types of yoga, external and internal. Yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama are external. Pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi are internal. As you take practice, you come to see God inside. The Katha Upanisad tells this: Paranci khani vyatrnat svayambhuhTasmat paran pasyati nantaratmanKasciddhirah Pratyagatmanam aiksatAvrtacaksur amrtatvam icchanKathopanisad 4.1 [The self-existent Lord aicted the senses so that they go outward. Therefore, one sees outer things and not the inner Self. A discriminating man, desiring immortality, turns his eyes away (from sense objects) and then sees the indwelling Self.] So, when the sense organs are controlled, you will come to see your true Self, that is atman. IS GOD IMPORTANT TO A PHYSICAL PRACTICE? WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF THE 131

YOGA SUTRA ISHVARAPRANIDHANAD VA? Pattabhi Jois: The reason we do yoga is to become one with God and to realize Him in our hearts. You can lecture, you can talk about God, but when you practice correctly, you come to experience God inside. Some people start yoga and dont even know of Him, dont even want to know of Him. But for anyone who practices yoga correctly, the love of God will develop. And, after some time, a greater love for God will be theirs, whether they want it or not. It is true and that is why yoga is real. It develops inside you and helps you to realize the inner light of the Self. full article> http://www.namarupa.org/magazine/nr03/downloads/NamaRupa _03 _02.pdf

1.2.2

Ashtanga Yoga As It Was By Nancy Gilgoff (2013-06-03 14:32)

The following is the way in which Guruji taught me, Nancy Gilgoff, the Primary and Intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga during my rst trip to Mysore, in 1973. David Williams and I stayed for four months that trip, and had two classes per day (excluding Saturdays and Moon days).In the rst class, I was taught to do ve Surya Namaskara A, plus the three nishing postures Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana. The second class, later that day, was ve Surya Namaskara A and ve Surya Namaskara B, plus the three nishing. In the next class, Guruji told me to only do three each of Surya Namaskara A and B, and to keep it that way in my practice, and then began adding on at least two postures per class, always with the three nishing at the end.Guruji taught me the standing postures through Parsvottanasana, with no Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana. After Parsvottanasana he had me jump through to Dandasana. In the seated postures, there were a minimal number of vinyasas. There were no vinyasas between sides. Moreover, there were no vinyasas between variations so all of Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C were done together (right side, left side of A, right, left of B, right, left of C), then a vinyasa before Marichyasana. Then all of the Marichyasana variations, A, B, C, and D, were done together, without vinyasas between sides or variations; then a vinyasa before three Navasana. Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana were also grouped together without vinyasas between them. Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana were also done together, with no vinyasa between we were taught to simply change the hand position after Ubhaya Padangusthasana and go right into Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana. After Setu Bandhasana, Guruji added in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana but to be put in the series back in the standing sequence, after Parsvottanasana. (Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana were not in the series at this point, nor were Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana, all of which were added in later. Once Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana were taught and added into their place in the standing sequence, after Setu Bandhasana, Intermediate began immediately with Pashasana. In fact, David and I had no idea that there were two separate series until the end of that rst four-month trip, when we were leaving, at which point Guruji gave us a sheet of paper with a list of the postures, which were listed as Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, and Advanced B. At this point he told us to practice one series a day, and only once a day. While we had been with him in Mysore, we had learned both Primary and Intermediate series in the rst two months. He had us practice both series, together, in entirety, twice a day. Intermediate Series also contained fewer vinyasas back then. There were no vinyasas between sides (in Krounchasana, Bharadvajasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana, Parighasana, and Gomukhasana). From Shalabhasana through Parsva Dhanurasana, the asanas were done in a group, with a vinyasa only at the end. Ushtrasana through Kapotasana also were done all together, with a vinyasa only after Kapotasana. The same went for Eka Pada Sirsasana through Yoganidrasana there were no vinyasas until the Chakrasana after Yoganidrasana. 132

The Intermediate series, as Guruji taught it to us during that rst trip, included Vrishchikasana after Karandavasana. We were taught to hold Pincha Mayurasana for ve breaths, bring the legs into lotus and lower down into Karandavasana, hold ve breaths, inhale up, and then exhale right into Vrishchikasana for ve breaths. The series ended with Gomukhasana. David asked for more, and so, per his request, Guruji added Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana as well as the seven headstands Baddha Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C, and D were taught rst, with Mukta Hasta Sirsasana A, B, and C following. Guruji said these were from Fourth Series. Backbends from both the oor (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and standing (drop-backs) were taught after Intermediate Series, as was the rest of the nishing sequence (Paschimottanasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana, Urdhva Padmasana, Pindasana, Matsyasana, Uttana Padasana, and Sirsasana). Up until this point, we had just been doing Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana at the end of our practice. Guruji taught us Pranayama after we had learned the entire Intermediate Series (at the end of our third month in Mysore, about a month after learning all of Intermediate). I think it was when Guruji came to teach on Maui in 1980 (in Paia) that he added in so many vinyasas, while teaching led classes. When I asked him whether or not to do them in my own practice, as I had been practicing without as he had taught me, he told me to add in the vinyasas to build my strength. By that trip in 1980 there was still no Parivritta Trikonasana, Parivritta Parsvakonasana, Utkatasana, or Virabhadrasana in the practice. (During another, later trip to the States, Guruji added in Parivritta Trikonasana and Parivritta Parsvakonasana. The next time he came back to Maui to teach, he saw us doing Parivritta Parsvakonasana, asked why we were doing it, and said that this was crazy posture and that we should take it out. But the whole Maui crew loved it so much that he said we could leave it in. (Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana were perhaps added in at some point in the late 19802s.) Originally there were ve series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fth was the rishi series.

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1.2.3

Reconectarse con la Divinidad. Toni Romero (2013-06-05 14:34)

En la ltima estacin que te vi habas desterrado la noche de tus ojos incurables. Esos versos los escrib hace un tiempo, despus comprend que era yo viendo mis ojos atravs de un 138

Toni Romero en Pungu mayurasanaespejo. Son el recuerdo de un tiempo donde todo se derrumb completamente. Me senta morir cada segundo, realmente eso me estaba sucediendo. Una forma de entender, de pensar, todo se estaba consumiendo y mi cuerpo en el punto medio del trnsito sufra y mi mente se debilitaba gravemente. La ansiedad me llev a perder peso, apenas poder levantarme de la cama, subir unas escaleras haca sentir mi corazn estallar en pulsaciones. El alma, el cuerpo y la mente se haban desconectado completamente, o quizs nunca haba sido consciente de esa trinidad interna y al despertar me hizo enfermar. No saba en ese momento que eso sera mi nuevo origen, puricado nacera otra comprensin otra forma de respirar. Fui levantando y cayendo. En la vida si quieres algo tienes la posibilidad de luchar por ello. Quizs consigas el objetivo, pero sin disciplina no hay camino. Si realmente alguien vino al mundo sin querer esforzarse su existencia ser plenamente ausente de un conocimiento real. El universo te va mostrando la direccin una y otra vez, si la contradices caes de nuevo, esos ciclos de aprendizaje, es la vida misma. No tiene porqu ser fcil, aunque la dicha de haber salido adelante es la dulce miel de los dioses. En la bsqueda casualmente descubr el yoga. Demasiado enfermo para poder asistir a clases, tener un maestro &desde pequeo fui un lector insaciable y ese fue el punto de partida, los libros luego los videos de grandes maestros y as descubr la tradicion de Ashtanga yoga. Al padecer de ansiedad tener que estar

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noventa minutos, dos horas, mesurando la respiracin es un reto. El punto de partida de un ataque de pnico muchas veces parte de una respiracin irregular, caos, pensamientos irracionales. Es difcil, pero una vez empiezas a ser consciente que tomas el control del momento presente, de tu vida, que ests en el universo respirando a Dios y reconectando con l, con la divinidad interna. Puedes empezar a vislumbrar tibiamente el camino para salir de la oscuridad, todo vuelve a su cauce la mente acalla. En el Hatha Yoga Pradipika dice: b hya-v yuryath l+nastath madhyo na sa[aya | sva-sth ne 140

Toni Romero en Eka pada Rajakapotasanasthirat metipavano manas saha || 51 || IV _51. Cuando cesa la respiracin exterior tambin lo hace la interior entonces, la corriente de pr a y la corriente mental se detienen en el lugar apropiado.

1.2.4

Quotes from The mirror of yoga by Richard Freeman (2013-06-05 20:32)

"[...] The prana, wich controls inhaling, can then be offered into the apana, wich controls exhaling, and we can then turn around and offer the apana back into the prana.[...]" Richard Freeman, The Mirror of yoga "We nd that when we do yoga asana and pranayama this balance naturally occurs (*equilibrio del oricio nasal dominante en la respiracin), and at the end of a good practice there is a sense of internal balance, as if 141

the breath owing evenly between the ida and pingala or posibly it is resting in the susumna nadi" The Mirror of yoga, Richard Freeman "For this reason it is perfectly normal that as we exhale, a feeling anxiety arises because the apanic patterns stimulates physical sensations associated with change and dissolution" Richard Freeman- Mirro of yoga "When the school or practice becomes difcultwhich is precisely the entry point into reality it is at this crisis point that you really have to drop your pretenses and keep digging deeper into the experience" Richard Freeman, The Mirror of Yoga "[...]Upon this full awakening (la fundicin de los opuesto que permite la liberacin de la energa Kindalini en el canal central del cuerpo sutil), the moon (identicada fsicamente con la glndula pituitaria en el plano fsico y el ajana chakra en el stil) at the root of the palateWhich collects nectar (se reere al "amrta" de ah el proposito de la inversiones es preservar su descomposicin en el sol. Manipura chakra identicado con el poder gstrico. Tnicas como el kechari mudra tratan estimular para poder ingerirlo al presionar la zona del paladar alto con la lengua) from the thousand-petaled lotus at the crown of the head (se reere al 7 chakra) begins to melt and shower(dentro de todos los nadis)[...]" Richard Freeman The Mirror of yoga "Aligment is a steady ame of intelligence" Richard Freeman "Yoga practice itself is a simple collection of techniques for observing what is in the present moment. These techniques lead to a pure attention to the subtleties, movements and forms of whatever is present, including ones own thoughts and freedom." -Richard Freeman

1.2.5

Nauli kriya Part 1 (1/3) (2013-06-08 14:11)

*from the book: "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati 142

Nauli is one of the six main groups of shatkarmas or cleansing techniques, three of which have already been described1. Most of

the practices of dhauti have already been explained as well as jala neti, sutra neti and trataka-. In this topic we propose to explain

the rst part of nauli3.

General information

Nauli is a yogic technique of massaging the entire abdomen and stomach by contracting and rolling the abdominal muscles (specically the rectus abdominii). It is very benecial for the health of the digestive system and in factthe health of the whole body. Of all yogic practices, nauli gives the most profound massage of the inner organs. It is quite difcult

for beginners but with determination and regular practice it can be done by almost even one.

Denition

The Sanskrit word nauli comes from the root word nala or nali, which means: a tubular vessel, vein or nerve of the body; a reed or hollow stalk (perhaps of a lotus). The word nala is also Sanskrit for the rectus abdominii muscles (in the Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary it is literally dened as the navel string). The rectus abdominii are the two muscles which act as

pillars supporting the abdominal organs between the pelvic region and the chest. Thus nauli is the technique that is concerned with

manipulation of the rectus abdominii muscles. It is also interesting to note that the Sanskrit word nau means ship. When nauli is perfected 143

Gregor Maehlethen the abdominal muscles seem to ow like the rolling waves of the ocean. The muscles create the same wave-like motion produced by a ship gliding through the water. Nauli is also called lauliki karma. The word lauliki is derived f r om the root word lola which means to move hither and thither, rolling and agitation. And this is exactly what the technique of lauliki (or nauli) does. It rolls, rotates and agitates the entire abdomen and associated muscles and nerves. The word karma here means process or technique. Thus lauliki karma is the technique of rotating the abdominal muscles and stirring up the inner organs. Scriptural references Nauli is mentioned in various yogic scriptures but with little detail. In the Gherand Samhita it says: "Vigorously rotate the abdomen from side to side. This practice eliminates all types of disease and increases the digestive re." (v.1:53) Nothing more is explained. From the description given it is completely impossible for a beginner to learn and practise nauli. Personal guidance is necessary. In the HathaYoga Pradipika it says: "Bending the shoulders forwards, the abdomen should be rotated fromright to left and then left to right. This practice is called nauli by yogis. Nauli removes abdominal ailments, increases the digestive reand brings happiness. This is the greatest practice of hatha yoga." (v. 11:33, 34) Again the description is valid, but too brief for learning nauli. These short verses in the scriptures are intended more as a method of remembrance than as instruction. Instructionshad to be learned directly from the guru. Rectus abdominii 144

In nauli various muscles are utilized in the abdomen, back, legs, arms, etc. However, the practice is primarily concerned with contraction of the rectus abdominii muscles. These are two long vertical muscles located in front of the abdomen. The top ends are xed under the centre of the ribcage near the diaphragm and the bottom ends are xed at the pubic bone just above the genital region. The two muscles are wider at the top than the bottom. The rectus abdominii function in conjunction with other abdominal muscles. The main ones are called the external and internal obliques and the transverse abdominii. These muscles, together with the rectus abdominii, are arranged in sheets in such a way as to give maximum strength and control. They protect the inner abdominal organs. When they are insufcient then hernia can result. These muscles also contract and massage the internal organs and aid one another in the process of micturition (passing of urine), defecation, vomiting and also childbirth in women. It is these muscles that are directly manipulated during the practice of nauli. Preparation Before attempting nauli you should master the practices of agnisar kriya4 and uddiyana bandha5. Without mastering these two preparatory techniques you will nd nauli difcult, if not impossible. Body position Stand with the feet a little less than one meter apart. Bend the knees slightly. Lean forwards. Place the hands rmly on the thighs just above the knees. The ngers can point inwards or outwards; choose the position that you nd from experience to give the greatest contraction of the abdominal muscles during nauli. The arms should be straight throughout the whole practice. Bend the head forwards and gaze at the abdomen. This position of the body is clearly illustrated. Summary of full practice Time and practice are required in order to master nauli. Also, one should progressively develop control over the abdominal muscles. For this reason we have divided nauli into two stages, as follows. Stage 1: abdominal contraction In this preliminary stage one must master the following: 1. Madhyama nauli where both the rectus abdominii muscles are contracted centrally. 2. Vama nauli where only the left rectus abdominus muscle is contracted. 3. Dakshina nauli where only the right rectus abdominus muscle is contracted. These three practices are done separately one after the other. When they are perfected then one proceeds to stage 2 Stage 2: abdominal rotation This second stage is the full form of nauli. It consists of two parts: 1. Rolling movement of the abdominal muscles from left to right. 2. Rolling movement of the abdominal muscles from right to left. For a beginner this rolling or churning movement has to be seen to be believed. It appears as if the rectus abdominii muscles are rolling across the front of the abdomen. In this topic we will describe stage 1 and in the following lesson, stage 2. Do not attempt stage 2 without rst of all mastering stage 1.

1.2.6

interview with David Swenson "how it all began..." wildyogi.com

(2013-06-10 17:01)

Hot July 2010, David Swenson visits Moscow for the rst time. Those were unforgettable seven days. A seminar in Moscow was the teachers training for Ashtanga Vinyasa instructors. It lasted from Monday to Sunday and was a cheerful mix of practical instructions, vigorous enthusiasm, performance of asanas with a partner, live dialogue, and, of course, a fair quantity of yogic humor. 145

From the very beginning it was amazing how David does all his best in classes, he managed to make the seminar very sated and humanly warm. Intensive information and exercises were alternated by laughter and jokes. David shared his long-term experience in correcting asanas of the rst series of Ashtanga, he was showing techniques, checking quality of asanas and sometimes asked students to correct himself, remarkably simulating a clumsy beginner to the general joy. Ilya Zhuravlev: The rst question is traditional, but the answer is always interesting to know. How did you start to practice yoga? David: My elder brother Doug introduced me to yoga. He found it in America. Do you remember, once, we have been talking about books, which inspired people in early years, books like Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda? My brother Doug was surng near the beach below ashram of Self-realization Fellowship, the one originating from Paramahamsa Yogananda. Many guys called that surng spot Swamis because there were many swamis living in that ashram on the top of the cliff, above the beach. And, after surng, my brother could see these guys doing yoga, meditation, and things like that. So he became interested in the idea of yoga, healthy food and similar things. Then, he came back to Texas with all these ideas. He is my big brother, so I have always wanted to be like him. I started doing yoga and started to grow my hair long. At that time, there were no yoga studios. There were no yoga clothes, there were no yoga mats. There was just yoga. And if you were lucky, you could nd a book. We found books written by Americans. Those were Yoga, Youth and Reincarnation by Jess Stearn and Yoga: 28 day exercise plan by Richard

Doug Swenson / Laurie Swenson / David SwensonHittleman. Then, Swami Satchitananda came out with his book called Integral yoga and B.K.S. Iyengar with Light on Yoga. With my brother we practiced outdoors under the trees. Usually we had karate-like pants made of white cotton. Or sometimes we put on little Speedo like bathing suits, as if we were doing swimming. And we would go into a park and put down a towel under a tree and did asanas from yoga books. All this was in Texas, you need to remember this. One day my brother and I were in the park doing yoga. Suddenly, we heard approaching police car siren, the police ran to us and harshly asked what we were doing. We told them we were breathing and stretching, and kindly asked them not to shoot us. As they explained then, some people from the neighborhood had called them saying: There are some hippies worshiping the Devil in the park! At that time both of us had long hair, and on that day we were under a tree doing strange movements. This incident did not make us worried, we continued doing yoga. n high school I was still growing my hair long. This was an average kind of school, not a private or a privileged one. School administrators, who were very conservative people, told me that boys cannot have long hair. I was thirteen and there were four years of studies ahead. Luckily, my father was a Defense Attorney, a lawyer, and after that message he went to the board of the school to give advocacy presentation to them. He explained them that Jesus had long hair, Moses had long hair, Einstein had long hair and the Founding Fathers of America - they all had long hair! So my sons are in good company. 146

I will not force them to cut their hair. But still, for three years, I was carrying a wig with short hair in my pocket to put it on in case I see the Principal. My hair was hanging out from the back while the wig was on the top and they could not understand what was happening in fact. I became a vegetarian, I was doing yoga, I was growing my hair long, - and once one of my teachers looked at me and told me: Boy, you seem like a pretty nice fellow to me, but I heard you are a communist! But this is only the way they were thinking and this is what never bothered me. I loved my parents, and after three years of studies, I wrote a letter to them: Dearest mother and father, I

David Swenson and Doug Swenson love you. But I cannot go for one more year to this crazy school. I am leaving home. I am sixteen years old and I go away by myself. I went to California which was 1500 miles away from Texas; my parents were very upset and worried. But at the end they acknowledged that they have raised their children to be independent thinking people, and did not force me to come home. Together, we agreed that I have to nish school and have to be able to support myself, because, if I wanted to live by myself, they would not send me money. At that time I was already working and supporting myself, so that was not an issue. When I came to a new school in California, I was told that as I was only sixteen years old I needed to bring an adult who would be legally responsible for me, otherwise they could not accept me. This was a little bit of a problem, but then I found whom to ask for this. I asked the manager of my very cheap rented apartment, Rudy Olivares from Mexico, who was twenty two years old and also was a surfer. He signed everything and I went to school. That was the school that I had never experienced before. There, 147

I had art classes, surng classes, music classes. This was great, I liked that school. Once, I missed some days at school and they called my legal guardian, Rudy Olivares, to ask if everything was alright with me. And he answered: Oh, well& well&David is sick& he is really sick... maybe hes gonna die soon& I was really enjoying that school. Another day, my friend told me about some other yoga classes. In the early morning hours I came up a long path of wooden steps to an old church, opened the door, looked in - and thought that walls were breathing. But those were not the walls, but the people who were doing yoga like I had never seen before. I could hear the sound of their breathing, they were moving in a ow. That was a class of Ashtanga yoga, and I had never seen Ashtanga before that time. I was astonished. There was no heating in the room, early morning, and sun was coming through the window. I was watching people in downward dog and the steam was rising from

Pattabhi Jois, Nancy Gilgoff, Brad Ramsay, Paul Danaway, Sally Woker, David Swenson, David Williams. Encinitas, California, 1975their buttocks. That was terric. There was a hippie couple, walking around, teaching the class. One of them came up to me, from his accent I could hear that he was from North Carolina, and he said: Haaai, Maaay naaame is Daaavid. Those were David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff. David is one of the rst Americans ever to study Ashtanga. He went to India in 1970 with Norman Allen, and traveled all over India, staying in ashrams. Once, they saw Pattabhi Joiss son, Manju, doing a yoga demonstration in an ashram and it blew their mind. So, then David started to go to Mysore to study and later came back to California to teach. The rst day he taught me Surya Namaskar A, Surya Namaskar B and the nal sequence postures. I was tired, my body was hot, and when I laid down in Shavasana, I looked up and saw the steam. That was so unforgettable. Something special was happening to me. Those were very joyful people. The people doing yoga around that time were all just hippies. And it was fun to be with them. In 1975, David and Nancy brought Pattabhi Jois to America for the rst time. David and Nancy explained who was coming to us, so that we were ready to give him respect. Pattabhi Jois arrived

Sri K Pattabhi Jois and David Williamswith his son, Manju. At that time Pattabhi Jois was nearly sixty years old and Manju was nearly thirty. Pattabhi Jois spoke English very little then. When Pattabhi Jois came, he began to introduce his son and said: This is my son, Swamiji Manju looked at his father and said in proper English: Im not Swamiji. My name is Manju and we came here to break your backs. He was small like Micky Mouse, but very strong, he could walk up the whole 148

ight of stairs on his hands. That time they stayed in America for four months and all this time they were teaching us. And we really had no idea what we were doing, but we loved it. Pattabhi Jois liked it as well, because there were a lot of young energetic students, while in India nobody wants to do yoga. Young Indians want to be engineers, doctors, lawyers, and we just wanted to be yogis. And he thought that was great. During that long stay of Pattabhi Jois I was involved in one project for my school. I got David Williams to come with me to an elementary school and do a yoga demonstration there. We did that for children that were six-eight years old. When I was a little boy, there were no hippies coming to my school and doing yoga demonstrations. And in 1975 there was David Williams and me doing this. So, Pattabhi Jois stayed for several months and during this time some interesting things happened. It is difcult to explain because some events had specically American character. That state of America where we were, California, is located very close to Mexico. A lot of people from Mexico come to America and stay. Many come illegally. That was year 1975 and the police in California thought that anyone who had brown skin was an illegal from Mexico. One day we were driving home from our yoga class. We looked like typical hippies. Our car was old, there were surfboards on its top, and Pattabhi Jois was sitting in the back seat. Suddenly the police approached us, and took us to the side of the road. They looked in and saw a man with a very dark skin and asked politely: Have you come here illegally from Mexico? Pattabhi Jois smiled and said: Yes, Mexico, very good! We tried to explain that he is not from Mexico, but Pattabhi Jois was repeating all the time: Yes, yes, Mexico. It continued for a few minutes. We were lucky that time. The police nally realized that as hippies we were not even nearly organized enough to do anything like illegal border crossing and they let us go. Then, Pattabhi Jois went back to India and his son Manju stayed in America. Manju decided that he did not want to go back to India. One of the students marry him, and he could reside in America. And Pattabhi Jois had to go home and explain to his wife why their son stayed in America. I think his wife was not very happy to hear that. It happened that after Pattabhi Jois left to India I returned to Texas again. Soon David Williams called me from Hawaii and offered to come and teach all of his classes. David wanted to go to India again. That was in 1976. I went to Hawaii to teach his classes. We used to do yoga in a park there. Usually I taught for donations but not a xed rate. And before leaving David told me that things are not very good with those donations. Students were mainly hippies with no money. There was a basket for donations. I have a class for many students and after classes I look into a basket and see one mango, one banana, and one half of a joint in it. I needed money a lot but they were leaving me just this. And then some guy offered me to teach at his place. But there was no yoga room and we built it ourselves. We had no money. Weve built a yoga room but the oor was ground and dirty. Later we put a carpet over it. There were many hotels at Hawaii, and when a hotel has remodeling, they throw away old carpets. We decided it could be a great yoga room oor! We cut rolled carpet into smaller pieces to make yoga mats. We built a room with eighth walls. Four walls were made of wood, where one could practice hand stands. The other four walls were made of screen to keep the bugs out. We cut down a small tree and put it in the middle of the room. It was supposed to be the central column for our roof but there was no roof because there was no money. We started to think what the roof might be made of. We took clear plastic and stapled it onto the roof. The roof was transparent and it was in a Hawaii city called Lahaina, which means a place with relentless sun. In a result weve got a yoga room with a clear plastic roof in a place called Forever the sun! Unless you went in really early, it was so hot. Now, when I hear in a class someone saying it is hot, I understand that it is not hot, it is even chilly. The oor was made of dirt; every time you jump back your feet hit that kind of a oor. There was fourty or fty people coming everyday day for practice. Every day we had to roll down the carpet. Then, we lled in the holes in the ground, raked the dirt, and then put the oor back. 149

It was a great time. Every one leaved in tree houses. By the time David went to India, I had learned up the 3rd and 4th series of Ashtanga (in America they call it Advanced A &B). David Williams used to interview people who came for classes for the rst time. Usually people just came and said that they would like to do yoga. And he said: No you dont. A person would insist that he wants to practice. David would tell them: No, yoga is not for everyone, it is very difcult. I want you to think this decision through very carefully,

David Swenson before starting yoga. When you start yoga, it would mess up your whole life, because it would make you feel good. It may happen so that your wife or your partner do not do yoga, while yoga becomes very important to you. Yoga could ruin your relationships. When you start yoga you could probably quit your job and go to Mysore. This is why please think before starting to do yoga! By the end of such speech people were giving him money and saying: We denitely want to do yoga. Probably, for yoga studios promotion a sign should be put up saying: You are prohibited to do yoga. Well, David Williams went to India, and I stayed as a senior. One of my students came to me once. He said that he likes my classes very much. In a word, I have no money, but I would like a lot to continue to practice - added the guy. And I told him: Sure, no problem, come for classes. Probably, in hot Hawaiian air information extends especially quickly - in two weeks everyone stopped paying. More and more people were coming for classes, but there were no money at all. Then I have decided that I need to nd a job because nancial issues were going absolutely bad. And I started to look for job. I should tell you that Hawaii is such a place where basically it is not accepted to work. After many attempts, I found a guy who had a store of healthy food. The store was called: Mr. Proper Food. The guy was not absolutely proper - he was a drug addict. He told me that he had problems with the law in New York. He urgently should start doing something legal and consequently he has opened this store of healthy food. I came to him to know whether there is a job, and passed through the shortest interview in my life: What is your name, guy? I told him: David. He said: , you are hired, David. I was hired at once. I was very much surprised, why he gave me a job right after I told my name. The trick is that in Hawaii party-goers have some type of names like Star Child or Fiery Rain& Well, the director of the store decided that as my name is just David, instead of somehow else, I would at least come to work. I started to work, to earn money. Not a lot, of course, but sufcient for living. Then David and Nancy came back. And I decided when they return, I will go to Maysor. But I had not enough money for that. I have borrowed money from one person. When David and Nancy came back, I told them, that the good news is that there are many people coming to classes, and the bad news is that no one pays money. David and Nancy said: It is ne, no difference, and the next day everyone again started to pay money. Later I have realized that people said that they have no money for yoga and at the same time they went for rock-concerts and did not refuse themselves in whatever. t was 1977 and I left for Maysor. When I arrived there Pattabhi Jois had only two students besides me. Pattabhi Jois was sixty, but he was like a teenager. He was full of energy, but there were only three of us... And he was teaching us as though there were twenty of us. Every day he gave us three, four or ve 150

new asanas. Once he has decided what it is not enough to practice once a day and we began to practice twice a day. Then we have started to do the 1st and the 2d levels in the morning and the 1st, 3d and 4th levels in the evening. And we did everything he said. We came home, ate, slept, and then again went for classes. Then he has added one hour of pranayamas. Then he has started to teach us shatkarmas. He was showing just two - nauli and neti. Traditionally neti is made of three weaved cotton strings, its tips are dipped in wax and after that the lace is inserted into a nose and is pulled out from a mouth. In general, it is not a funny procedure. Rubber tubes with wax ends were used sometimes. When it reached the wax end, it felt like a bicycle chain in a nose. Once we have told Guruji that we want to do everything according to the rules, with a rubber tube. Then he asked us to nd a tube from a bicycle pump. He sent us to a bicycle shop, and there we bought tubes for bicycle pumps. They were very dirty. For three days we were boiling tubes from the pumps. Then Guruji did neti for us himself. We loved Guruji very much and allowed him to do with us everything. We were like dogs for experiments. In old yoga shala there was a small sink at the steps. We were standing next to the sink; he inserted a tube into ones nose, pushed it to the throat, and then accurately with two ngers pulled it out of the mouth. Standing with a tube in his hands, he used to say in a terrible voice: Next! We tried to explain that an individual tube is needed for everyone, but he did not listen to us. Once he was pushing a tube into a nose, it was going further and further... but it was not coming out. Then Guruji said: Something wrong is here and took the tube out. The second attempt failed, and the tube came out of a mouth only from the third attempt. It has lasted for four months. By the moment I had to leave, I have studied all asanas and all pranayamas. Before returning to America, I went to have a rest on Sri Lanka. On Sri Lanka I was living in the cheapest room I could nd. I got acquainted with one surfer, he gave me his board and I started to surf. But everything was going wrong: I cut my foot in a coral reef, and a very strong inammation has begun. The place I lived in was really cheap: at rst I was bitten by a tick, and then I got dysentery. I lost patience - I sat on a plane and left home. And here such monster arrived to America. I came back home to Texas. And I got strongly confused. What does it all mean in my life? I lived in Hawaii and in India; I was doing yoga and was teaching the others. Somehow, gradually a joy from returning home became poisoned with problems: rst, I needed to nd a job, but the most important thing is that I did not know: What should I do further? I went to a farm and started to look after horses; however lots of questions were constantly crowding in my head. Once, I could not bear more, I sat down and wrote a letter: Dear Guruji, we were only doing asanas and pranayamas, and where is Samadhi? And here is a couple of questions:Who is the God, who am I and, in general, what for I am on this planet? And I sent him this letter. He never answered me. I was upset a little bit and understood that I should look for the answers myself. So, I have begun my searches. I was studying palmistry, astrology. I was fasting. Once I did not eat anything for fourty days, except for grapes and drank only grape juice. I was meditating, reading books on philosophy. When I stopped to eat grapes too, I felt that Im hungry. And I went to a temple of Krishna. I went there because they were distributing free meals. I had lots of questions. And they have answered all my questions there and conrmed answers with various scripts and ancient texts. And then I thought: Yes, I have to try. I shaved my head but left a small tail behind and began to live as a monk. Complete celibate. For two hours every day: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna... you should make sixteen circles: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare... They told me that my yoga asanas are illusion - maya. Also they told me that these asanas will attach me more to a material world. They demanded that I refused everything and was involved only in Bhakti Yoga. I said: and began to do that they say. I started to travel all over the world opening Hare Krishna centers, I became a monk. Gradually I have realized that they have a really big business worldwide. We had to earn money as much as possible, but business partners should not know that we are Krishnaits. 151

What do you think I had to do? I had to carry a wig! I could not understand why do people cling to me with this wig? One day I remember very well. I went to the street in Krishnaits clothes and with my plait. My mother came to me. She said that nobody will buy books from me, and that is why she bought one book herself. I came back to a temple, and there they started to shout at me, because I did not bring enough money that day. And I understood that something is wrong here. Some people in a temple seem spiritual enough, and some denitely do not suffer of spirituality. Some are nice, some are malicious, some are modest, and some are selsh. But whatever I did in my life only my parents were giving me unconditional love. My parents did not read any prays, they did not carry special clothes, but they gave me everything they could, and they loved me. And when I have counted a parity of spiritual people in a temple and spiritual people who live a usual life, I have left this Hare Krishna centre. My God, I have spent ve years for that! I left the centre; I did not have money because all the money I have earned, I gave to Krishnaits. I was supposed to look for job again. And I realized that again I do not know what to do in life. Unexpectedly I thought: No, David, you know what to do, you have nished Krishnaits business school. They have taught you to sell. Think about it, David! If you could sell Bhagavad Gita to a cowboy in Texas, you can sell everything and to everybody. And I have opened a picture gallery. I thought that it is much easier than to sell Bhagavad Gita. And again I started to practice yoga. I was wearing imposing suits, carrying portfolio in hand and was trading pictures. It was successful enough. But there was something. After a while, I understood that I want to return to Hawaii. I have left to Hawaii, to Maui Island and found a job in picture gallery. I began to visit classes again. Again those were classes of Nancy Gilgoff. Then there was a miracle. In 1989 Pattabhi Jois came to Hawaii. Twelve years have passed since I sent him the letter, and I did not see him for these twelve years. Nancy has invited Pattabhi Jois for a seminar. On the rst day she brought me to Guruji and said: Guruji, here David has come. He said: So many students, I do not remember all of them. I have thought that for twelve years I have changed strongly, then I had long hair, and I dressed in another way, well it is not terrible that he does not remember. On the second day I was waiting when Guruji will come and will help me with bends. He approaches me, puts his foot between mine, and grasps me for hips. I start to bend back but as soon as he touched me, he shouts: >>! David Swenson! I made bends ve times. And each time I was rising up I was very close to a face of the teacher. He had a huge smile, pink cheeks, his eyes were shining. He looked into my eyes and started to sing: Hare Krishna, Hare Rama... I still do not know whether he has received that letter from me or not. But it did not matter anymore. I made a huge circle and returned to the place where I have started. It is like in a book by Paulo Coelho Alchemist. He makes a huge way and comes back to a place where he has found a treasure. Then I have clearly realized that everything that I was looking for was in front of me. I have understood that my parents were my teachers, those were they who taught me an unconditional love. My brother has opened yoga to me. David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff have taught me Ashtanga yoga and acquainted with Pattabhi Jois. And Pattabhi Jois has told: Practice and all is coming! I understood that what I was looking for actually lays in practice. All I have to do is to use practice as a tool that will help me to understand myself. At that moment I have realized what makes one practice spiritual. I have understood that meditations, prays, asanas are just the tool. And this tool can be used to plough the soil and to make it fertile. This is what practice does it makes the soil fertile. If a person fulls difcult asanas or prays constantly it does not mean yet that this person is spiritual. It simply means that inside him there is a fertile soil. And what the person plants into this soil will grow. . Therefore, the more intensively we practice, the more cautious we should be. If you plant an ego into this fertile soil it will grow up much more, than an ego of a usual person. Therefore spirituality is not dened by practice. Spirituality is dened by concentration, intention and actions of a practitioner. And the conclusion can be the following: there is a denition of a yogi and it sounds like: A yogi is a person who after his leaving makes the place better than it was. Nobody says, that yogi is a person who 152

does certain practices or difcult asanas. Yogi is a person who makes this world better, simply being present in it. All our actions in this world create certain impulses of energy and these impulses can be either positive, or negative. And each of us can ask ourselves a question: whether we make the world better by our presence. What do you think now about Bhagavad Gita? David: It is a good book. All ancient texts are good. The problem is different: people often take information from ancient texts and deform it. I consider that there is a difference between religiousness and spirituality. Message of Bhagavad Gita is good. But I do not understand how the message of Bhagavad Gita was connected with my selling the books in the street with a shaved head. As in any religion, in sect of Krishnaits as well there are spiritual people. I heard very often how people say: I do not do physical yoga any more, I am doing spiritual yoga. I was asking:What particularly are you doing? I pray they answered. But is it true that all of those who pray are spiritual? Someone can pray and someone can do exersises to show how strong he is. But this is not yet a certicate of spirituality. In the same way as people can do asana to get strong, or can do asana as an act of devotion. It seems to me, Bhagavad Gita is a good book. And it seemed to me even that Krishnaits initially had a good intention, but then something has gone wrong. Probably, you will understand now, why I teach yoga in this way. You should be very cautious not to transform Ashtanga yoga into a religion. People like to strengthen their importance, saying: Ashtanga Vinyasa is real yoga, and those who practices other kind of yoga, they have everything wrong. Actually yoga remains to be yoga. If you like Ashtanga it is very good, if you like the other style it is good too. It seems to me, the world of yoga would be better, if we would take out from all systems a word which goes before the word yoga. Then people would not say:Im doing Ashtanga yoga, I am doing Iyengar yoga, they would simply say I am doing yoga. And instead of being involved in one system or another, you are simply doing the yoga which you like the most. But it seems to me, that sometimes it is very important for people to feel that what they are doing is the best system. I love Ashtanga yoga. But there are different systems of yoga. And even Ashtanga is taught differently by different teachers. It is not necessary for everyone to be absolutely identical. But in Ashtanga yoga there are some borders, that people would know, what can be done and what is not. If you once were at classes by Pattabhi Jois, his son Manju, his daughter Saraswati or his grandson Sharat, you got four absolutely different experiences of practice. Irrespective of who teaches, the system remains the same. It is very important that we respect each other and it is very necessary to remember that there are various generations of people. There is information that in due time Pattabhi Jois has changed several asanas in the rst series. Probably, he as a keeper of the tradition had right for that. But there is a tendency that some teachers think they can change some asanas as well. Does David think that it is not absolutely correct and creativity in yoga should begin a little bit later? David: Those teachers are not Pattabhi Jois. Here is what I think concerning this matter. I knew Pattabhi Jois for a long time, and the changes that he has brought I can count on ngers of one hand. It never happened that in thirty years the system looked absolutely different. The sequence had the same very asanas and changes were very insignicant. Pattabhi Jois was practicing according to this system for sixty years. It seems to me if in a couple of years of practice a person starts to change something it means that he has insufcient depth of understanding of the system. Certainly, a person can do with yoga whatever he wants: to join the rst and second levels, to do everything vice versa - really, what he wants. Do what you want but name your system differently, otherwise you confuse people. When Ashtanga Yoga tradition is being kept then coming for class in Moscow, in America or in Australia you will get the same very yoga. There may be some insignicant differences but there would not be a big difference. And if you say that you are teaching Ashtanga yoga in tradition of Pattabhi Jois you need to respect this tradition. If you wish to change something in yoga call it by a different name: Vinyasa Yoga, Flow Yoga or somehow else. Look at all systems of yoga which have 153

come from Ashtanga. Everything that is called Power Yoga has come from Ashtanga. Do you know who used the term Power Yoga for the rst time? Where does this name come from? Two persons in the USA, one in New York and another in Los Angeles used this name simultaneously. The rst is Bryan Kest from California. He was practicing Ashtanga yoga. Bryan has got Ashtanga yoga from two people: rst he was taught by his father, and then he was taught by Pattabhi Jois. Bryan took the main principles of Ashtanga yoga and slightly changed the sequence and xing time and named it Power Yoga. Beryl Bender Birch from New York was studying Ashtanga yoga with Norman Allen and then with Pattabhi Jois. This woman wrote a book, but the publisher told her that the name Ashtanga Yoga does not suit, it is not clear and she had to change the name, so it turned into Power Yoga. But they can be respected already for naming the system in another way. The list can be continued: there is a well known teacher in America, her name is Shiva Rea, she was doing Ashtanga yoga. She has altered the system and named it Vinyasa Flow. You, of course, heard about Jivamukti yoga. David Life and Sheron Gannon are well known experts of Ashtanga yoga in the past. You have heard about Anna Forest, it in all photos she does handstands. Initially she practiced Ashtanga yoga, then she has created own system and named it Forest Yoga. It seems to me that all systems of yoga mentioned above do not have anything bad. People who have created them change something in yoga and together with it they change the name and it is normal. I think that teachers of yoga should not spend their energy and time for saying badly about other systems of yoga. You should be simply devoted to the system, to what you teach and if someones system is worse, just say nothing about it. What seems bad to you may seem good for someone else. Do you know what the most popular system of yoga in the world is? Bikram Yoga. In China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, America and in Europe. It is even more popular than Iyengar Yoga. You may agree with it or not, but many people benet from it. Many people use Bikram yoga as tness because it does not have any difcult asanas, it has no lotuses. People sweat, and loose excess weight. And Bikram himself is a very outstanding person. In general, sometimes it is easy to judge other people. Take a detached look at yourself, and probably you will see that you have the same problems. It is very difcult to get rid of weeds in your own garden. It is very easy to notice problems in others, but not to solve your own same problems. I have already mentioned that there are various generations of Ashtanga. Now we can speak about three various generations of Ashtanga, probably the fourth generation is already coming. Also there is an old school of teachers. And you will feel that teachers of old school have the same philosophy, the same life outlook, as I have. There is a question: if you wish to be involved in it till the end of the days then why should you complicate it? Simplify! Concentrate on breath, on locks; well, you cannot make a difcult asana it is not so terrible. There are young teachers who say that if you practice Ashtanga, you should do everything accurately. And in some sense I can understand them; people want the practice to be correct, supervised. But even Pattabhi Jois has slightly changed some things during these years. Pattabhi Jois was a very understanding and loving person. Though I knew him for a very long time, there are many people who spent more time in Mysore, than I did. But every time when I saw him, he started to shine and smile: O! David Swenson! Veeery old student! I will tell to you about the most touching thing that he did in my regards. On his 90th birthday he invited me to his home, called me in his room and took out a beautiful silk shirt out of a wall case. He wanted me to put on this shirt for his birthday. Has looked in my eyes and said: I want you never forget me. Do not forget me. I said: Guruji, how can I forget you. And it seems to me that concerning yoga each of us has a certain purpose. It was always clear that Sharat should become a successor of Pattabhi Jois. But Sharat knows that he cannot become Pattabhi Jois, he is his successor. After all Pattabhi Jois was the only one. As well as B. .S Iyengar is the only one. When he leaves who will take his place? Pattabhi Jois was precisely the same person for Ashtanga. One thousand of teachers are required to take his place. To understand Pattabhi Jois you need to look at my generation of teachers, because we are parts of Pattabhi Jois. 154

Actually all this is very interesting, because there are different generations of students, teachers, people in general. When I was teaching Ashtanga yoga, I was always putting a lot of efforts to be something like Switzerland. In all wars Switzerland remained neutral. It was always interesting to be with Pattabhi Jois but when I was visiting Mysore, I was going to classes of Saraswati as well. Sometimes I could call Manju and go for his class. I was practicing with Sharat in Mysore and on his retreats in Goa. I am in friendly relations with everyone, I love all the family. And it seems to me normal that various teachers have different ideas, own opinions. It seems to be correct, it is natural. I think the system becomes more complete when students can think independently. But what the other teachers teach is not my business. My duty is to teach with my heart, to respect my teachers and to try to live keeping the integrity. And to say things I believe in. What other people do is a part of their way. And I try to respect everyone I meet on the way. It is an unusual time now because Pattabhi Jois is not here anymore and there are students of Sharat appear. It looks like a real family, in real family children not always are able to nd the common language. Sometimes there are quarrels between them. But in the end of the day you understand, that this is your family and you love all of them. In a life it is very important to understand each other and yoga teaches that. Ashtanga Yoga is more than a person, is more than a city. Ashtanga Yoga lives, when people are practicing it, instead of speaking about it. And it seems to me that the teacher has one main objective, one basic role is to inspire his students, to inspire them to practice. It is not necessary to inuence peoples lives, it is important to show them how to use the certain tool and how it is possible to change their life by means of this tool. will tell you something that David Williams has told me. You probably saw my DVD which is called Advanced A &B, and in the beginning of this disk there is a small interview, and I ask him in this interview: David how did you come to Yoga? He says: When I was young, I heard about yogis in India who become wiser with years. I looked around myself in America and have not found any person who became wiser with years. I have found only that with years they become more and more sick. Then I went to India and as a police dog started to look for the best, the most classical system of yoga which can only exist on the earth. When I found Ashtanga yoga, I have realized it is what I was looking for. I have decided to practice this yoga for 50 or 60 years and to look, what will be an effect. And it is true yoga needs to be given decades. We are the rst outside of India who have started to practice it. Some time should be given to understand: whether we develop, whether we grow. In the end of life, probably, I will look back and I think: it did not worth this. But so far I consider that Ashtanga yoga is great. In conclusion of our meeting I want to tell you that it is a great honor and great pleasure for me to be here in your house. The best advice which I can give concerning the practice is the following: nd a way to get pleasure from it. Sometimes people tend to complicate everything. Show them how to get pleasure from yoga and they will want to do it for all their life.

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1.2.7

Mudras internos. Toni Romero (2013-06-10 23:23)

Con el uso de mula y uddiyana bandha se comprime prana y apana en la regin de manipura chakra. Con el tiempo y cultivo de las facultades, se va claricando el camino que atraviesa el foco desde la raz hasta la coronilla. El cuerpo se vuelve ligero y fuerte y la mente acallada junto con una suave y armnica mirada permite el ujo del pensamiento puro.

1.2.8

Nauli kriya Part 2 (2/3) (2013-06-11 12:39)

*from the book: "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati NAULI - STAGE 1 ABDOMINAL CONTRACTION 1. Madhyama nauli (central contraction) Take the correct standing position. Exhale deeply, emptying the lungs as much as possible. To obtain the fullest exhalation you should contract the abdominal muscles by doing uddiyana bandha5.Look at the abdomen. Hold the breath. Try to 156

contract the rectus abdominii muscles so that they form a central arch running vertically in front of the abdomen. This position is clearly shown in the gure. Hold the contraction for as long as you are able to comfortably retain the breath. Try to contract the muscles as much as possible,but dont strain. Then relax the muscular contraction so that you return to uddiyana bandha. Breathe in slowly and let the abdomen expand.Relax your whole body. This is 1 round. Breathe normally a number of times, allowing the pulse beat to return to normal. Then repeat the practice. You should practise madhyama nauli until it is perfected; this may take a number of weeks, oreven months. Then proceed to vama nauli. 2. Vama nauli (left isolation) Do not attempt vama nauli until you have mastered madhyama nauli. Take the correct standing position. Do madhyama nauli as described under the previous heading. Then tiy to relax the muscles on the right side of the abdomen, especially the right rectus abdominus muscle.Maintain contraction of the left side muscles; this will pull the rectus abdominii muscles tothe left hand side as shown in the above gure. Contraction of only the left hand muscles is not easy for beginners.You will nd that this practice is easier if you press your straight left arm rmly against the thigh, while reducing the pressure of the right arm on the other thigh. Also the practice becomes easier if you lean slightly forwards and towards the left side of the body. You should try this for yourself. Contract the muscles to the left side as strongly as you can without straining. Then return to madhyama nauli. Relax the muscles and do uddiyana bandha. Breathe in and let the abdomen expand. This is 1 round. Breathe normally a number of times until the pulse returns to normal. Then do dakshina nauli. 3. Dakshina nauli (right isolation)Do madhyama nauli. Then try to relax the muscles on the left side of the abdomen, especially the left rectus abdominus muscle. Contract the right abdominal muscles. The rectus abdominii muscles will form an arch or a ridge on the right hand side of the abdomen. You will nd this practice easier if you lean slightly forwards and to the right side of the body, and press the right arm rmly on the right thigh while releasing the pressure of the left arm on the left thigh. Hold the contraction as tightly as possible while retaining the breath. Do not strain. Then return to madhyama nauli. Relax the muscles and do uddiyana bandha. Inhale slowly. Breathe normally a number of times. Let the heartbeat return to normal. Repeat vama and dakshina nauli a number of times according to available time and energy. Do not strain yourself by attempting to do too many rounds. Breathing Normal breathing in the starting position. Deep exhalation combined with uddiyana bandha before isolation of rectus abdominii muscles. Hold the breath while contracting the abdominal muscles. Controlled inhalation after releasing the muscular contraction. Normal breathing before the next round. Successive contractions In order to develop muscular control, beginners can if they wish successively contract and relax the muscles in the nal position. That is, quickly contract and relax the abdominal muscles while retaining the breath. This applies mainly to madhyama nauli, though it can also be performed for vama and dakshina nauli. Awareness You should pay full attention to the control of the muscles. If you watch the muscles you will nd that control becomes easier. Time of practice Nauli should only be practised when the stomach is empty; that is, at least ve to six hours after meals. The best time to practise is early in the morning before breakfast. Precautions If you feel any pain in the abdomen duringnauli you should immediately stop the practice. Try nauli the 157

following day or when the pain subsides. If the pain persists then you should seek proper guidance from an experienced yoga teacher or doctor. Limitations Nauli should not be attempted by people suffering from any serious ailment such as: " high blood pressure " gallstones " hernia " peptic or duodenal ulcer If you are in doubt seek the advice of a yoga teacher. Pregnant women should not practise nauli. However, after childbirth we suggest the practice of nauli (under the guidance of a qualied yoga teacher) in order to strengthen the abdominal and pelvic muscles and to reshape the body and readjust the position of the inner organs. Duration At rst you should not do too many rounds. If you are trying to master madhyama nauli then ve or six rounds is more than sufcient at rst. With practice you can do a maximum of about ten rounds If you are trying to master vama and dakshina nauli then three to ve rounds each is sufcient. Do not strain under any circumstances. You must pay attention to your body and stop if you feel even a little tired.

Toni Romero: uddiyana bandha, Madhyama nauli, 158

Dakshina and Vama nauli Nauli kriya Part 1 (1/3)

1.2.9

Nauli kriya Part 3 (3/3) (2013-06-12 13:05)

*from the book: "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati Hatha Yoga: Nauli (Stage 2) Nauli gives many benets. It massages the entire abdomen and stomach in a way that is unmatched by any other practice. It also massages the heart and lungs. This inducesmpositive repercussions at both the physical,mpranic and mental levels. The following is amvery brief summary of the benets: " Improves digestion and helps to remove various malfunctions. " Directly helps to remove constipation. " Harmonizes the functions of the solar plexus and adrenal glands. " Helps to alleviate diabetes by improving the efciency of the pancreas. " Speeds up the blood circulation and reduces blood stagnation. " Puries the blood. " Strengthens the abdominal muscles; this ensures that the abdominal organs are supported properly. " Prevents hernia. Hernia is caused by weak and inefcient abdominal muscles. Nauli strengthens these muscles and therefore prevents the occurrence of hernia. (Note: if you actually suffer from hernia you should not do nauli.) " Nauli massages the external organs and tones up the associated nerves. This helps to remove and prevent sexual deciency of various types. " Increases general vitality of the whole body. " Directly inuences the manipura chakra trigger point and kshetram. The manipura is the centre of energy distribution, both gross and subtle, in the whole body. Nauli helps to remove blockages in the energy ows of the body. This leads to better healtb and more energy. Indirectly, nauli helps to increase mental clarity and power by harmonizing the energy ows in the body. NAULI - STAGE 2 ABDOMINAL ROTATION Preparation Only if you have mastered the preparatorystage, nauli, stage l1, should you begin to practise stage 2 as described here. Otherwise continue to practise stage 1. Do not attempt stage 2 prematurely. Body position You should stand with your hands on your thighs, legs slightly bent and feet slightly apart. Technique Stand in the correct position. Relax the whole body. Breathe out deeply. Accentuate the exhalation by contracting the abdominal muscles into uddiyana bandha. Hold the breath. Do madhyama nauli1. Then do vama nauli (contraction on left side). Then uddiyana bandha. Do dakshina nauli (contraction on the right side). And nally madhyama nauli again. This is 1 complete rotation of the abdominal muscles. The whole movement should be smooth and rhythmical. Do more rolling movements or rotations. Do as many rotations as you can with one breath retention. Do not strain. Stop the churning movement. Relax the abdominal muscles. Breathe in. This is the end of 1 round. Wait for a short time while allowing the heartbeat to return to normal. Then again breathe out and do uddiyana bandha. Hold your breath. Rotate the abdominal muscles in the opposite direction; that is, madhyama, dakshina, uddiyanya, vama and 159

nally madhyama again. Do more rapid rotations, while retaining the breath. Then release the contraction of the muscles and slowly breathe in. This is the end of the second round. Do some more rounds if you have the energy, rotating the muscles rst anticlockwise and then clockwise. Do not strain. At rst you will nd rotation difcult, but with practice it will become easier; you will gain more and more conscious control over the muscles. Breathing Breathe out deeply before doing madhyama nauli. Hold the breath while rolling the abdominal muscles. Breathe in after releasing madhvama nauli. Breathe normally for a short period between rounds. Speed of rotation The speed can be very rapid or slow; it does not matter. The important thing is that the rotation should be rhythmical and combined with a strong contraction of the abdominal muscles. Number of rounds and rotations At rst you should do no more than 10 rotations in each round. The rotations can be slowly increased up to a maximum of about 25 Beginners should only do 2 or 4 rounds, no more. As you gain more control over the muscles the number of rounds can be increased up to a maximum of 10. This is sufcient for most people. Utility in other techniques Nauli is an integral part of basti2 and vastra dhauti1. These are two important hatha yoga techniques (shatkarmas) which will be fully explained in the near future. Nauli is not an easy practice to describe nor learn from a book. If you have any problems we suggest that you contact an experienced local teacher or ashram.

[EMBED] Nauli kriya Part 1 (1/3) Nauli kriya Part 2 (2/3)

1.2.10

Samudra Manthan - The Churning of the Milk Ocean (2013-06-13 17:01)

THE MAHABHARATA ASTIKA PARVA XVIII "Sauti said, There is a mountain called Mandara adorned with cloud-like peaks. It is the best of mountains, and is covered all over with intertwining herbs. There countless birds pour forth their melodies, and beasts of prey roam about. The gods, the Apsaras and the Kinnaras visit the place. Upwards it rises eleven thousand yojanas, and descends downwards as much. The gods wanted to tear it up and use it as a churning rod but failing to do so same to Vishnu and Brahman who were sitting together, and said unto them, Devise some efcient scheme, consider, ye gods, how Mandara may be dislodged for our good. Sauti continued, O son of Bhrigu! Vishnu with Brahman assented to it. And the lotus-eyed one (Vishnu) laid the hard task on the mighty Ananta, the prince of snakes. The powerful Ananta, directed thereto both by Brahman and Narayana, O Brahmana, tore up the mountain with the woods thereon and with the denizens of those woods. And the gods came to the shore of the Ocean with Ananta and addressed the Ocean, saying, 160

O Ocean; we have come to churn thy waters for obtaining nectar. And the Ocean replied, Be it so, as I shall not go without a share of it. I am able to bear the prodigious agitation of my waters set up by the mountain. The gods then went to the king of tortoises and said to him, O Tortoise-king, thou wilt have to hold the mountain on thy back! The Tortoise-king agreed, and Indra contrived to place the mountain on the formers back. And the gods and the Asuras made of Mandara a churning staff and Vasuki the cord, and set about churning the deep for amrita. The Asuras held Vasuki by the hood and the gods held him by the tail. And Ananta, who was on the side of the gods, at intervals raised the snakes hood and suddenly lowered it. And in consequence of the stretch Vasuki received at the hands of the gods and the Asuras, black vapours with ames issued from his mouth. These, turned into clouds charged with lightning, poured showers that refreshed the tired gods. And owers that also fell on all sides of the celestials from the trees on the whirling Mandara, refreshed them. Then, O Brahmana, out of the deep came a tremendous roar like unto the roar of the clouds at the Universal Dissolution. Diverse aquatic animals being crushed by the great mountain gave up the ghost in the salt waters. And many denizens of the lower regions and the world of Varuna were killed. Large trees with birds on the whirling Mandara were torn up by the roots and fell into the water. The mutual friction of those trees also produced res that blazed up frequently. The mountain thus looked like a mass of dark clouds charged with lightning. O Brahmana, the re spread, and consumed the lions, elephants and other creatures that were on the mountain. Then Indra extinguished that re by pouring down heavy showers. 161

After the churning, O Brahmana, had gone on for some time, gummy exudations of various trees and herbs vested with the properties of amrita mingled with the waters of the Ocean. And the celestials attained to immortality by drinking of the water mixed with those gums and with the liquid extract of gold. By degrees, the milky water of the agitated deep turned into claried butter by virtue of those gums and juices. But nectar did not appear even then. The gods came before the boon-granting Brahman seated on his seat and said, Sire, we are spent up, we have no strength left to churn further. Nectar hath not yet arisen so that now we have no resource save Narayana. On hearing them, Brahman said to Narayana, O Lord, condescend to grant the gods strength to churn the deep afresh. Then Narayana agreeing to grant their various prayers, said, Ye wise ones, I grant you sufcient strength. Go, put the mountain in position again and churn the water. Re-established thus in strength, the gods recommenced churning. After a while, the mild Moon of a thousand rays emerged from the Ocean. Thereafter sprung forth Lakshmi dressed in white, then Soma, then the White Steed, and then the celestial gem Kaustubha which graces the breast of Narayana. Then Lakshmi, Soma and the Steed, eet as the mind, all came before the gods on high. Then arose the divine Dhanwantari himself with the white vessel of nectar in his hand. And seeing him, the Asuras set up a loud cry, saying, It be ours. And at length rose the great elephant, Airavata, of huge body and with two pair of white tusks. And him took Indra the wielder of the thunderbolt. But with the churning still going on, the poison Kalakuta appeared at last. Engulng the Earth it suddenly blazed up like a re attended with fumes. And by the scent of the fearful Kalakuta, the three worlds were stupeed. And then Siva, being solicited by Brahman, swallowed that poison for the safety of the creation. The divine Maheswara held it in his throat, and it is said that from that time he is called Nilakantha (blue-throated). Seeing all these wondrous things, the Asuras were lled with despair, and got themselves prepared for entering into hostilities with the gods for the possession of Lakshmi and Amrita. Thereupon Narayana called his bewitching Maya (illusive power) to his aid, and assuming the form of an enticing female, coquetted with the Danavas. The Danavas and the Daityas charmed with her exquisite beauty and grace lost their reason and unanimously placed the Amrita in the hands of that fair damsel."

THE RAMAYANA CANTO XLV QUEST OF THE AMRIT High and more high their wonder rose As the strange story reached its close, And thus, with Lakshman, Rama, best Of Raghus sons, the saint addressed: Most wondrous is the tale which thou Hast told of heavenly Ganga, how From realms above descending she Flowed through the land and lled the sea. In thinking oer what thou hast said The night has like a moment ed, Whose hours in musing have been spent 162

Upon thy words most excellent: So much, O holy Sage, thy lore Has charmed us with this tale of yore. Day dawned. The morning rites were done And the victorious Raghus son Addressed the sage in words like these, Rich in his long austerities: The night is past: the morn is clear; Told is the tale so good to hear: Now oer that river let us go, Three-pathed, the best of all that ow. This boat stands ready on the shore To bear the holy hermits oer, Who of thy coming warned, in haste, The barge upon the bank have placed. And Kasiks son approved his speech, And moving to the sandy beach, Placed in the boat the hermit band, And reached the rivers further strand. On the north bank their feet they set, And greeted all the (illegible) they met. On Gangas shore they lighted down, And saw Visadas lovely town. Thither, the princes by his side, The best of holy hermits hied. It was a town exceeding fair That might with heaven itself compare. Then, suppliant palm to palm applied, Famed Rama asked his holy guide: O best of hermits, say what race Of monarchs rules this lovely place. Dear master, let my prayer prevail, 163

For much I long to hear the tale. Moved by his words, the saintly man Visalas ancient tale began: List, Rama, list, with closest heed The tale of Indras wondrous deed, And mark me as I truly tell What here in ancient days befell. Ere Kritas famous Age had ed. Strong were the sons of Diti bred; And Aditis brave children too Were very mighty, good, and true. The rival brothers erce and bold Were sons of Kasyap lofty-souled. Of sister mothers born, they vied, Brood against brood, in jealous pride. Once, as they say, band met with band, And, joined in awful council, planned To live, unharmed by age and time, Immortal in their youthful prime. Then this was, after due debate, The counsel of the wise and great, To churn with might the milky sea The life-bestowing drink to free. This planned, they seized the Serpent King, Vasuki, for their churning-string, And Mandars mountain for their pole, And churned with all their heart and soul. As thus, a thousand seasons through, This way and that the snake they drew, Biting the rocks, each tortured head, A very deadly venom shed. Thence, bursting like a mighty ame, A pestilential poison came, Consuming, as it onward ran, The home of God, and end, and man. Then all the suppliant Gods in fear To Sankar, mighty lord, drew near. To Rudra, King of Herds, dismayed, Save us, O save us, Lord! they prayed. Then Vishnu, bearing shell, and mace, And discus, showed his radiant face, And thus addressed in smiling glee The Trident wielding deity: What treasure rst the Gods upturn From troubled Ocean, as they churn, Shouldfor thou art the eldestbe Conferred, O best of Gods, on thee. Then come, and for thy birthrights sake, This venom as thy rstfruits take. He spoke, and vanished from their sight. 164

When Siva saw their wild affright, And heard his speech by whom is borne

The mighty bow of bending horn, The poisoned ood at once he quaffed As twere the Amrits heavenly draught. Then from the Gods departing went Siva, the Lord pre-eminent. The host of Gods and Asurs still Kept churning with one heart and will. But Mandars mountain, whirling round. Pierced to the depths below the ground. Then Gods and bards in terror ew To him who mighty Madhu slew. Help of all beings! more than all, The Gods on thee for aid may call. Ward off, O mighty-armed! our fate, And bear up Mandars threatening weight. Then Vishnu, as their need was sore, The semblance of a tortoise wore, And in the bed of Ocean lay The mountain on his back to stay. Then he, the soul pervading all, Whose locks in radiant tresses fall, One mighty arm extended still, And grasped the summit of the hill. 165

So ranged among the Immortals, he Joined in the churning of the sea. A thousand years had reached their close, When calmly from the ocean rose The gentle sage with staff and can, Lord of the art of healing man. Then as the waters foamed and boiled. As churning still the Immortals toiled, Of winning face and lovely frame, Forth sixty million fair ones came. Born of the foam and water, these Were aptly named Apsarases. Each had her maids. The tongue would fail So vast the throngto count the tale, But when no God or Titan wooed A wife from all that multitude, Refused by all, they gave their love In common to the Gods above. Then from the sea still vext and wild Rose Sura, Varuns maiden child.

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A tting match she sought to nd: But Ditis sons her love declined. Their kinsmen of the rival brood To the pure maid in honour sued. Hence those who loved that nymph so fair The hallowed name of Suras bear. And Asurs are the Titan crowd Her gentle claims who disallowed. Then from the foamy sea was freed Uchchaihsravas, the generous steed, And Kaustubha, of gems the gem, And Soma, Moon God, after them. At length when many a year had ed, Up oated, on her lotus bed, A maiden fair and tender-eyed, In the young ush of beautys pride. She shone with pearl and golden sheen, 167

And seals of glory stamped her queen. On each round arm glowed many a gem, On her smooth brows, a diadem, Rolling in waves beneath her crown The glory of her hair owed down. Pearls on her neck of price untold, The lady shone like burnisht gold. Queen of the Gods, she leapt to land, A lotus in her perfect hand, And fondly, of the lotus-sprung, To lotus-bearing Vishnu clung. Her Gods above and men below As Beautys Queen and Fortune know. Gods, Titans, and the minstrel train Still churned and wrought the troubled main. At length the prize so madly sought, The Amrit, to their sight was brought. For the rich spoil,twixt these and those A fratricidal war arose, And, host gainst host in battle, set, Aditis sons and Ditis met. United, with the giants aid, Their erce attack the Titans made, And wildly raged for many a day That universe-astounding fray. When wearied arms were faint to strike, And ruin threatened all alike, Vishnu, with arts illusive aid, The Amrit from their sight conveyed . That Best of Beings smote his foes Who dared his deathless arm oppose: Yea, Vishnu, all-pervading God, Beneath his feet the Titans trod Aditis race, the sons of light, slew Ditis brood in cruel ght. Then town-destroying Indra gained His empire, and in glory reigned Oer the three worlds with bard and sage Rejoicing in his heritage. VISNU PURANA CHAPTER IX Legend of Lakshmi. Durvasas gives a garland to Indra: he treats it disrespectfully, and is cursed by the Muni. The power of the gods impaired: they are oppressed by the Danavas, and have recourse to Vishnu. The churning of the ocean. Praises of Sri. PARASARA.But with respect to the question thou hast asked me, Maitreya, relating to the history of Sri, hear from me the tale as it was told to me by Marichi. Durvasas, a portion of Sankara (Siva), was wandering over the earth; when be beheld, in the hands of a nymph of air, a garland of owers culled from the trees of heaven, the fragrant odour of which spread throughout the forest, and enraptured all who dwelt beneath its shade. The sage, who was then possessed by religious phrensy, when he beheld that garland, demanded it of the graceful and full-eyed nymph, 168

who, bowing to him reverentially, immediately presented it to him. He, as one frantic, placed the chaplet upon his brow, and thus decorated resumed his path; when he beheld (Indra) the husband of Sachi, the ruler of the three worlds, approach, seated on his infuriated elephant Airavata, and attended by the gods. The phrensied sage, taking from his head the garland of owers, amidst which the bees collected ambrosia, threw it to the king of the gods, who caught it, and suspended it on the brow of Airavata, where it shone like the river Jahnavi, glittering on the dark summit of the mountain Kailasa. The elephant, whose eyes were dim with inebriety, and attracted by the smell, took hold of the garland with his trunk, and cast it on the earth. That chief of sages, Durvasas, was highly incensed at this disrespectful treatment of his gift, and thus angrily addressed the sovereign of the immortals: "Inated with the intoxication of power, Vasava, vile of spirit, thou art an idiot not to respect the garland I presented to thee, which was the dwelling of Fortune (Sri). Thou hast not acknowledged it as a largess; thou hast not bowed thyself before me; thou hast not placed the wreath upon thy head, with thy countenance expanding with delight. Now, fool, for that thou hast not innitely prized the garland that I gave thee, thy sovereignty over the three worlds shall be subverted. Thou confoundest me, Sakra, with other Brahmans, and hence I have suffered disrespect from thy arrogance: but in like manner as thou hast cast the garland I gave thee down on the ground, so shall thy dominion over the universe be whelmed in ruin. Thou hast offended one whose wrath is dreaded by all created things, king of the gods, even me, by thine excessive pride." Descending hastily from his elephant, Mahendra endeavoured to appease the sinless Durvasas: but to the excuses and prostrations of the thousand-eyed, the Muni answered, "I am not of a compassionate heart, nor is forgiveness congenial to my nature. Other Munis may relent; but know me, Sakra, to be Durvasas. Thou hast in vain been rendered insolent by Gautama and others; for know me, Indra, to be Durvasas, whose nature is a stranger to remorse. Thou hast been attered by Vasisht?ha and other tender-hearted saints, whose loud praises (lave made thee so arrogant, that thou hast insulted me. But who is there in the universe that can behold my countenance, dark with frowns, and surrounded by my blazing hair, and not tremble? What need of words? I will not forgive, whatever semblance of humility thou mayest assume." Having thus spoken, the Brahman went his way; and the king of the gods, remounting his elephant, returned to his capital Amaravati. Thenceforward, Maitreya, the three worlds and Sakra lost their vigour, and all vegetable products, plants, and herbs were withered and died; sacrices were no longer offered; devout exercises no longer practised; men were no more addicted to charity, or any moral or religious obligation; all beings became devoid of steadiness; all the faculties of sense were obstructed by cupidity; and mens desires were excited by frivolous objects. Where there is energy, there is prosperity; and upon prosperity energy depends. How can those abandoned by prosperity be possessed of energy; and without energy, where is excellence? Without excellence there can be no vigour nor heroism amongst men: he who has neither courage nor strength, will be spurned by all: and he who is universally treated with disgrace, must suffer abasement of his intellectual faculties. The three regions being thus wholly divested of prosperity, and deprived of energy, the Danavas and sons of Diti, the enemies of the gods, who were incapable of steadiness, and agitated by ambition, put forth their strength against the gods. They engaged in war with the feeble and unfortunate divinities; and Indra and the rest, being overcome in ght, ed for refuge to Brahma, preceded by the god of ame (Hutasana). When the great father of the universe had heard all that had come to pass, he said to the deities, "Repair for protection to the god of high and low; the tamer of the demons; the causeless cause of creation, preservation, and destruction; the progenitor of the progenitors; the immortal, unconquerable Vishnu; the cause of matter and spirit, of his unengendered products; the remover of the grief of all who humble themselves before him: he will give you aid." Having thus spoken to the deities, Brahma proceeded along with them to the northern shore of the sea of milk; and with reverential words thus prayed to the supreme Hari: "We glorify him who is all things; the lord supreme over all; unborn, imperishable; the protector of the mighty ones of creation; the unperceived, indivisible Narayan?a; the smallest of the smallest, the largest of the largest, of the elements; in whom are all things, from whom are all things; who was before existence; the god who is all beings; who is the end of ultimate objects; who is beyond nal spirit, and is one 169

with supreme soul; who is contemplated as the cause of nal liberation by sages anxious to be free; in whom are not the qualities of goodness, foulness, or darkness, that belong to undeveloped nature. May that purest of all pure spirits this day be propitious to us. May that Hari be propitious to us, whose inherent might is not an object of the progressive chain of moments or of days, that make up time. May he who is called the supreme god, who is not in need of assistance, Hari, the soul of all embodied substance, be favourable unto us. May that Hari, who is both cause and effect; who is the cause of cause, the effect of effect; he who is the effect of successive effect; who is the effect of the effect of the effect himself; the product of the effect of the effect of the effect, or elemental substance; to him I bow. The cause of the cause; the cause of the cause of the cause; the cause of them all; to him I bow. To him who is the enjoyer and thing to be enjoyed; the creator and thing to be created; who is the agent and the effect; to that supreme being I bow. The innite nature of Vishnu is pure, intelligent, perpetual, unborn, undecayable, inexhaustible, inscrutable, immutable; it is neither gross nor subtle, nor capable of being dened: to that ever holy nature of Vishnu I bow. To him whose faculty to create the universe abides in but a part of but the ten-millionth part of him; to him who is one with the inexhaustible supreme spirit, I bow: and to the glorious nature of the supreme Vishnu, which nor gods, nor sages, nor I, nor Sankara apprehend; that nature which the Yogis, after incessant effort, effacing both moral merit and demerit, behold to be contemplated in the mystical monosyllable Om: the supreme glory of Vishnu, who is the rst of all; of whom, one only god, the triple energy is the same with Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva: oh lord of all, great soul of all, asylum of all, undecayable, have pity upon thy servants; oh Vishnu, be manifest unto us." Parasara continued.The gods, having heard this prayer uttered by Brahma, bowed down, and cried, "Be favourable to us; be present to our sight: we bow down to that glorious nature which the mighty Brahma does not know; that which is thy nature, oh imperishable, in whom the universe abides." Then the gods having ended, Vrihaspati and the divine Rishis thus prayed: "We bow down to the being entitled to adoration; who is the rst object of sacrice; who was before the rst of things; the creator of the creator of the world; the undenable: oh lord of all that has been or is to be; imperishable type of sacrice; have pity upon thy worshippers; appear to them, prostrate before thee. Here is Brahma; here is Trilochana (the three-eyed Siva), with the Rudras; Pusha, (the sun), with the Adityas; and Fire, with all the mighty luminaries: here are the sons of Aswini (the two Aswini Kumaras), the Vasus and all the winds, the Sadhyas, the Viswadevas, and Indra the king of the gods: all of whom bow lowly before thee: all the tribes of the immortals, vanquished by the demon host, have ed to thee for succour." Thus prayed to, the supreme deity, the mighty holder of the conch and discus, shewed himself to them: and beholding the lord of gods, bearing a shell, a discus, and a mace, the assemblage of primeval form, and radiant with embodied light, Pitamaha and the other deities, their eyes moistened with rapture, rst paid him homage, and then thus addressed him: "Repeated salutation to thee, who art indenable: thou art Brahma; thou art the wielder of the Pinaka bow (Siva); thou art Indra; thou art re, air, the god of waters, the sun, the king of death (Yama), the Vasus, the Maruts (the winds), the Sadhyas, and Viswadevas. This assembly of divinities, that now has come before thee, thou art; for, the creator of the world, thou art everywhere. Thou art the sacrice, the prayer of oblation, the mystic syllable Om, the sovereign of all creatures: thou art all that is to be known, or to be unknown: oh universal soul, the whole world consists of thee. We, discomted by the Daityas, have ed to thee, oh Vishnu, for refuge. Spirit of all, have compassion upon us; defend us with thy mighty power. There will be afiction, desire, trouble, and grief, until thy protection is obtained: but thou art the remover of all sins. Do thou then, oh pure of spirit, shew favour unto us, who have ed to thee: oh lord of all, protect us with thy great power, in union with the goddess who is thy strength." Hari, the creator of the universe, being thus prayed to by the prostrate divinities, smiled, and thus spake: "With renovated energy, oh gods, I will restore your strength. Do you act as I enjoin. Let all the gods, associated with the Asuras, cast all sorts of medicinal herbs into the sea of milk; and then taking the mountain Mandara for the churning-stick, the serpent Vasuki for the rope, churn the ocean together for ambrosia; depending upon my aid. To secure the assistance of the Daityas, you must be at peace with them, and engage to give them an equal portion of the fruit of your associated toil; promising them, that by drinking the Amrita that shall be produced from the agitated ocean, they 170

shall become mighty and immortal. I will take care that the enemies of the gods shall not partake of the precious draught; that they shall share in the labour alone." Being thus instructed by the god of gods, the divinities entered into alliance with the demons, and they jointly

undertook the acquirement of the beverage of immortality. They collected various kinds of medicinal herbs, and cast them into the sea of milk, the waters of which were radiant as the thin and shining clouds of autumn. They then took the mountain Mandara for the staff; the serpent Vasuki for the cord; and commenced to churn the ocean for the Amrita. The assembled gods were stationed by Krishn?a at the tail of the serpent; the Daityas and Danavas at its head and neck. Scorched by the ames emitted from his inated hood, the demons were shorn of their glory; whilst the clouds driven towards his tail by the breath of his mouth, refreshed the gods with revivifying showers. In the midst of the milky sea, Hari himself, in the form of a tortoise, served as a pivot for the mountain, as it was whirled around. The holder of the mace and discus was present in other forms amongst the gods and demons, and assisted to drag the monarch of the serpent race: and in another vast body he sat upon the summit of the mountain. With one portion of his energy, unseen by gods or demons, he sustained the serpent king; and with another, infused vigour into the gods. From the ocean, thus churned by the gods and Danavas, rst uprose the cow Surabhi, the fountain of 171

milk and curds, worshipped by the divinities, and beheld by them and their associates with minds disturbed, and eyes glistening with delight. Then, as the holy Siddhas in the sky wondered what this could be, appeared the goddess Varuni (the deity of wine), her eyes rolling with intoxication. Next, from the whirlpool of the deep, sprang the celestial Parijata tree, the delight of the nymphs of heaven, perfuming the world with its blossoms. The troop of Apsarasas, the nymphs of heaven, were then produced, of surprising loveliness, endowed with beauty and with taste. The cool-rayed moon next rose, and was seized by Mahadeva: and then poison was engendered from the sea, of which the snake gods (Nagas) took possession. Dhanwantari, robed in white, and bearing in his hand the cup of Amrita, next came forth: beholding which, the sons of Diti and of Danu, as well as the Munis, were lled with satisfaction and delight. Then, seated on a full-blown lotus, and holding a water-lily in her hand, the goddess Sri, radiant with beauty, rose from the waves. The great sages, enraptured, hymned her with the song dedicated to her praise. Viswavasu and other heavenly quiristers sang, and Ghritachi and other celestial nymphs danced before her. Ganga and other holy streams attended for her ablutions; and the elephants of the skies, taking up their pure waters in vases of gold, poured them over the goddess, the queen of the universal world. The sea of milk in person presented her with a wreath of never-fading owers; and the artist of the gods (Viswakerma) decorated her person with heavenly ornaments. Thus bathed, attired, and adorned, the goddess, in the view of the celestials, cast herself upon the breast of Hari; and there reclining, turned her eyes upon the deities, who were inspired with rapture by her gaze. Not so the Daityas, who, with Viprachitti at their head, were lled with indignation, as Vishnu turned away from them, and they were abandoned by the goddess of prosperity (Lakshmi.) The powerful and indignant Daityas then forcibly seized the Amrita-cup, that was in the hand of Dhanwantari: but Vishnu, assuming a female form, fascinated and deluded them; and recovering the Amrita from them, delivered it to the gods. Sakra and the other deities quaffed the ambrosia. The incensed demons, grasping their weapons, fell upon them; but the gods, into whom the ambrosial draught had infused new vigour, defeated and put their host to ight, and they ed through the regions of space, and plunged into the subterraneous realms of Patala. The gods thereat greatly rejoiced, did homage to the holder of the discus and mace, and resumed their reign in heaven. The sun shone with renovated splendour, and again discharged his appointed task; and the celestial luminaries again circled, oh best of Munis, in their respective orbits. Fire once more blazed aloft, beautiful in splendour; and the minds of all beings were animated by devotion. The three worlds again were rendered happy by prosperity; and Indra, the chief of the gods, was restored to power. Seated upon his throne, and once more in heaven, exercising sovereignty over the gods, Sakra thus eulogized the goddess who bears a lotus in her hand: "I bow down to Sri, the mother of all beings, seated on her lotus throne, with eyes like full-blown lotuses, reclining on the breast of Vishnu. Thou art Siddhi (superhuman power): thou art Swadha and Swaha: thou art ambrosia (Sudha), the purier of the universe: thou art evening, night, and dawn: thou art power, faith, intellect: thou art the goddess of letters (Saraswati). Thou, beautiful goddess, art knowledge of devotion, great knowledge, mystic knowledge, and spiritual knowledge; which confers eternal liberation. Thou art the science of reasoning, the three Vedas, the arts and sciences: thou art moral and political science. The world is peopled by thee with pleasing or displeasing forms. Who else than thou, oh goddess, is seated on that person of the god of gods, the wielder of the mace, which is made up of sacrice, and contemplated by holy ascetics? Abandoned by thee, the three worlds were on the brink of ruin; but they have been reanimated by thee. From thy propitious gaze, oh mighty goddess, men obtain wives, children, dwellings, friends, harvests, wealth. Health and strength, power, victory, happiness, are easy of attainment to those upon whom thou smilest. Thou art the mother of all beings, as the god of gods, Hari, is their father; and this world, whether

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animate or inanimate, is pervaded by thee and Vishnu. Oh thou who puriest all things, forsake not our treasures, our granaries, our dwellings, our dependants, our persons, our wives: abandon not our children, our friends, our lineage, our jewels, oh thou who abidest on the bosom of the god of gods. They whom thou desertest are forsaken by truth, by purity, and goodness, by every amiable and excellent quality; whilst the base and worthless upon whom thou lookest favourably become immediately endowed with all excellent qualications, with families, and with power. He on whom thy countenance is turned is honourable, amiable, prosperous, wise, and of exalted birth; a hero of irresistible prowess: but all his merits and his advantages are converted into worthlessness from whom, beloved of Vishnu, mother of the world, thou avertest thy face. The tongues of Brahma, are unequal to celebrate thy excellence. Be propitious to me, oh goddess, lotus-eyed, and never forsake me more." Being thus praised, the gratied Sri, abiding in all creatures, and heard by all beings, replied to the god of a hundred rites (Satakratu); "I am pleased, monarch of the gods, by thine adoration. Demand from me what thou desirest: I have come to full thy wishes." "If, goddess," replied Indra, "thou wilt grant my prayers; if I am worthy of thy bounty; be this my rst request, that the three worlds may never again be deprived of thy presence. My second supplication, daughter of ocean, is, that thou wilt not forsake him who shall celebrate thy praises in the words I have addressed to thee." "I will not abandon," the goddess answered, "the three worlds again: this thy rst boon is granted; for I am gratied by thy praises: and further, I will never turn my face away from that mortal who morning and evening shall repeat the hymn with which thou hast addressed me." Parasara proceeded.Thus, Maitreya, in former times the goddess Sri conferred these boons upon the king of the gods, being pleased by his adorations; but her rst birth was as the daughter of Bhrigu by Khyati: it was at a subsequent period that she was produced from the sea, at the churning of the ocean by the demons and the gods, to obtain ambrosia. For in like manner as the lord of the world, the god of gods, Janarddana, descends amongst mankind (in various shapes), so does his coadjutrix Sri. Thus when Hari was born as a dwarf, the son of Aditi, Lakshmi appeared from a lotus (as Padma, or Kamala); when he was born as Rama, of the race of Bhrigu (or Parasurama), she was Dharan?i; when he was Raghava (Ramachandra), she was Sita; and when he was Krishn?a, she became Rukmini. In the other descents of 173

Vishnu, she is his associate. If he takes a celestial form, she appears as divine; if a mortal, she becomes a mortal too, transforming her own person agreeably to whatever character it pleases Vishnu to put on. Whosoever hears this account of the birth of Lakshmi, whosoever reads it, shall never lose the goddess Fortune from his dwelling for three generations; and misfortune, the fountain of strife, shall never enter into those houses in which the hymns to Sri are repeated. Thus, Brahman, have I narrated to thee, in answer to thy question, how Lakshmi, formerly the daughter of Bhrigu, sprang from the sea of milk; and misfortune shall never visit those amongst mankind who daily recite the praises of Lakshmi uttered by Indra, which are the origin and cause of all prosperity.

1.2.11

Las buenas intenciones. Toni Romero (2013-06-15 13:25)

La sensacin energtica que se maniesta en el plano psquico-fsico es consecuencia en gran parte de las propias acciones. Con la prctica de yoga (en todas sus vertientes) esclarece la mente de forma que puede percibirse de una

Toni Romero en Sayanasana 174

forma ms precisa, ni mejor ni peor, ms serenamente comprensible. Cada accin tiene una respuesta fsica y emocional ms o menos poderosa y eso repercute en la energa propia que uno siente. Algo con calidad destructiva, por decirlo de un modo, rige ese movimiento del apana y algo con calidad creativa asciende al prana. Al adentrarse en el camino del yoga uno se hace ms permeable de lo correcto y lo inadecuado y con el tiempo puede sentir de una forma mucho ms objetiva la transformacin que efecta una accin positiva o negativa ms all de las consideraciones ticas del bien o del mal.

1.2.12

Hatha Yoga Should Be Practiced as Raja Yoga Interview with Richard Freeman from wildyogi.info (2013-06-17 11:51)

Questions: I.Zhuravlev, K. Degtyar. Interview: Kateryna Degtyar. Kateryna: How did you start to do yoga? Richard: I was 18 years old, when I got interested in yoga, I just went to college then. I have read about Indian philosophy, so I was interested in it, but there was no yoga teacher, so my rst teacher was a Buddhist teacher of a Chicago center. So, I was on my own than. Kateryna: We have read that you used to follow Hare Krishna movement and also that you were in Iran for some time, that you studied under Pattabhi Jois and Iyengar. Tell us about those years please. Richard: When I was in Iran, I rst studied under Iyengar teacher. I was not very impressed rst, but I was impressed by Iyengar. That was in the year 1974, a long time ago. Probably, 13 years I had been in Iyengar yoga and then there was Pattabhi Jois

Richard Freeman And what made you change your way? Why did you change the school of yoga? Richard: Meeting Pattabhi Jois made me change the school. He gave me more things to do internally, 175

but I dont think that I have left Iyengar, because my way of doing Ashtanga yoga is very internal. This is what I do: I take two systems and put them together and so, you know, when, people think I do Ashtanga yoga, what they are thinking is not really same thing that I am doing. We often see now that Western teachers, even those Western teachers who were starting to study yoga in the 1970-80s, try to teach the classical, say 1st, series of Ashtanga yoga in their own way. They seem like people who lack space for creativity, who want to make their teaching somewhat special, but have to stay within the boundaries of certain set of asanas. Richard: I do not know a lot about what teachers are trying to do, but, I think, a lot of people are marketing themselves. They have not really studied with the Teacher, or Guru, very deeply which is very difcult, because Teachers often make you do the things you do not want to do. A lot of people are becoming inventive before they have actually studied. I consider myself also inventive but I try to study, you know, Tradition, various scriptures in Sanskrit; also I have studied with a number of different Teachers, because I do not think there have been a lot of points of view transmitted by one teacher. Its very difcult to feel this edge where you can follow the series given by the teacher, and where you can be creative. How do you dene the readiness to teach in your own way, to be creative? Richard: Sometimes, people want to be creative, but this is mostly external. The thing is that we have to be creative anyway, because if you just follow the system blindly - you miss the main point of it. The systems are actually the tools, they have the lineage and you have to follow those through the schools, all the way up through the history. Many teachers also teach meditation now, they teach kirtan, and many other practices while they do not maintain any traditional practice transmission lineage. Richard: Yeah, they should be dangerous people)))) May be some kind of Western Hinduism is starting to emerge? Richard: May be they are inventing a new religion. But we have to look at each one individually to see what they are actually doing. Because you cant really tell from the advertisement. You have to nd, how they

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Richard Freemanactually relate to other people - their husband, their wife, and their children)))) What they are actually doing to their students in the long run. And some teachers are good, and some teachers are ok, and some teachers are dangerous)))) But when you come as a student for your rst class of yoga, how do you know what kind of a teacher this is? When you come to a rst class of yoga you trust everybody Richard: I do not know how you can understand this at once. Sometimes you have to use your intuition. How about your gut feeling that something is wrong? Sometimes you just know in your belly that something is wrong. And sometimes this something is wrong. But also there are a lot of people, who are just taking advantage of innocent students. But when you started to do yoga - how did you know which teacher to follow and which not to? Richard: Well, I have met many teachers who I thought were great. But then I was very disappointed with them after some time. And these were usually Indian teachers. But I have known many friends who became Western teachers and degraded, because, for example, they could not resist the sexual advantage that they have over their students. And then some Indian teachers have had the same problem. The others were good teachers except they did not have a deep understanding. Because they are more or less religious fundamentalist and they want to convert you to become a Hindu or something. This experience was not really as deep as you were hoping that this experience would be. Other teachers are destructed 177

by money and fame. And even if they are good teachers, may be though, something will happen to them; someone will come and offer them too much money or fame. And they will loose their quality after all. Its a dangerous world right here. One day this happened to Jesus. Satan came to Jesus and offered him a kingdom. And, I think, this happened to all yoga teachers in different times. This is how temptation comes. This is why a teacher should have friends or other people who give him feedback, who criticize them. Those friends, who are not their students, friends who make fun of them. They need to have that. But sometimes they cut their friends off and they almost drawn themselves better on students. And they become what we call Narcissus - people, who fall in love with themselves. And they cannot bear any criticism; they are, you know, like Gadda, they do not allow any criticism. While in a healthy yoga lineage they always have at least the one who is equal to you, who laughs with you, or who tells you that you are doing something stupid. And even if you look at the Buddhists today they all have, even the big lamas, have other lamas who are the teachers, so they laugh at each other, and that helps them going way off. What was the most useful criticism that you have heard from your friends? Richard: Let me think. May be, that I am too strange as if I came from a different planet, you know. Oh, Richard, he can do all the things, he is an alien. And so, I need people to bring me back down to earth so that I could communicate better. I always have people around to tell me that I have to make it more simple, or make it more practical, - and thats good for me. There are people who make mystication or a big secret of yoga. Richard: It is enough of a secret in it anyway, and you dont have to make it. Its a very ne art. But people like to hold it to themselves like a big secret to have power over the people who may want to know this secret. But, you know, its kind of like physics or mathematics, its difcult to understand and so its meant like secret. But anybody can understand this if they are interested. Many Western teachers start giving meditation of Vipasana, a Buddhist meditation, while traditional Indian yoga has its of meditation techniques. What can be the reason, when we cannot align asana, pranayama, and meditation into one lineage? Richard: I think maybe its ne. Because if you are going to practice meditation in Hindu lineage you are probably going to be chanting a specic mantra that goes around a Deity, in other words you have to believe in Deity, and you would have to go very deeply into that specic technique to get to deeper stages of meditation. In Buddhist tradition they are much more skilled in teaching meditation just for what it is, so its much more in line with the way that Yoga Sutra teach this meditation. So, I think, the introduction of Buddhist meditation techniques into the basically Hindu yoga is cool. Its actually good, because I think its like a revival or reawakening of Hindu or Indian philosophy through the Buddhist practices. I have a friend, who says that Buddhism is really Hinduism that has been simplied down so that it could be exported, so that anyone could do it because you become free, free of your religious believes. And from my experience Buddhists have practices that are really simple, very row, and it really helps. I am very grateful to my Buddhist teacher. So, if people really want to get into a deep and grounded meditation, probably the best thing for them is the Buddhist teacher, or someone that had been inuenced by Indian or Hindu teachers and that have been through revivalism understanding of a Buddhist tradition. Is it true only for the Western people, or is it good for any mentality? Richard: It goes through all over. Basically Hatha yoga practices are Tantric practices and so the meditation on mantra is Tantric, because it makes you meditate on a specic sound or a specic form. And this is all well and good except for if you do not understand the greater context, the greater picture, it does not really get underneath your ego structure, it does not get to you to see the way, how your mind works. And so the basis of mindful practice and the basis of higher meditation described in Sutras allows you to watch your mind, how it constructs the thoughts, constructs problems. I think, where these two traditions meet each other thats where you get into this stage in fact. Just the same way a lot of Buddhists are very interested in Hatha yoga, because thats not a very developed part of their tradition or it is kind of a lost part of it. I think, in general, the Hindu tradition needs to bring those Buddhist brothers and sisters back. And the same thing with any two religious groups if they communicate, they learn from each other; 178

they all have weak sides, weak points. Do you think there could there be some holistic tradition, lineage that would have everything within itself? Richard: Well, they are such in fact, but then the ego comes. As soon as that happens, they are not such any more. And if you look at the Yoga Sutra, there is an attempt to make a description of a universal pattern in all religions and so as it was a non-divided Vedanta into all religions. But then teachers come, who dont really understand it. So that they become sectarian and they start ghting, and they try to take over other schools, which they have not really studied. And a lot of people would criticize other schools that they have never studied. Its just like the Christians criticize Jews, others criticize Muslims... If you dont know traditions very deeply, criticizing them is stupid. So, within the Buddhist and Hindu worlds there are these broader holistic schools that people are often unaware of how they operate, because they are impatient and they want to teach too soon and then the ego comes and says: I have these realizations. Shiva is everything. And then they want to teach that. Then, they all gonna learn that we all are in a hard way.)))) But I think its good when people communicate, when they study back and forth between traditions, they will become much more intelligent. Otherwise there will be those small groups with cult. And it happens in a lot of places, where one teacher becomes a powerful cult-leader. And its very sad. Is there any way to avoid this? Richard: Communication. You just said that people want to teach too fast. But we see that in the Western yoga there are so many teacher training courses that stimulate beginners to jump into teaching. Richard: Yeah, taught by people, who never studied correctly. You know, this is the danger of what we call relativism. This is an idea, that states that everybody is already enlightened, so that you should just do what makes you most money :) And gives you the most power. It means that yoga as a tradition has no doubts. And there are so many teachers out there, who have never really studied or they studied about one week or something under a traditional teacher. And they have never read any of the traditional literature. Hundreds of years before people would study Upanishads for 19 year before the teacher would actually teach them the deeper kinds of yoga. Thats the value of studying, the actual history of different lineages. But now, you know, you do a week-long training to become certied. As long as people communicate, this wont create a total disaster. Particularly, in America, there have been simply sects, that we all consider kind of tragic, where people have been very much cheated or exploited by the teachers, who have fallen from the path. And so many Indian teachers have fallen so that they have created cult, because they had all of these new foreign students so eager that they could not resist exploiting them. But I think, now we are entering a different age, a different time. For there is so much more communication because of the Internet, because of the Facebook. As soon as we speak of the different age, they say now it is Kali Yuga now, the new era that inuences how we develop, how we study yoga. What do you think about it? Richard: Oh, Kali Yuga. There is medieval teaching saying that this is the iron age, the dark age, the Kali Yuga. And it was actually an idea that was created after the time of Buddha and after the time of Upanishads. And I think it was a teaching tool for kind of scaring people to keep them from abandoning their inner Dharma. And I am sure it is a terrible time, but it also is a great one. According to some teachers Kali Yuga is over, but if you are a Hindu fundamentalist it is just the beginning of the Kali Yuga. The Buddha started it, Krishna left the planet, and Buddha started the Kali Yuga, and all these terrible teachings. But the Christians have some scary things too, about Apocalypse, and that also helps to scary people. And what is beautiful about yoga now is that so many people are interested, even though they dont know a lot about it. There are quite a lot of them around the world. Thats really going to help people, and to help yoga a lot too.. As soon as there are so many interested people and we have so many teachers, who really are into yoga why doesnt it look like yoga in India, why do we still have a well distinguished Western type of yoga? 179

Richard: There are a lot of people in India who say that if you really want to learn yoga, you should go to the West! Because, when I rst went to India, no one was very interested. There were a few ashrams for yoga. Mostly, there was very little interest in it. But all of a sudden, in India, in the last 10 years all of these new teachers, fancy Ayurvedic spas, its coming to the TV now. It is coming back from the West, back to India. And it no longer belongs just to India. But still, people have to go back to the source material, which are the Indian scriptures, the Sanskrit scriptures, the Buddhist pallet scriptures. Because they have so much information, because there is so much practice. Because people with so much practice in the past shared so much information they had saved with the foreigners. And I hope, I think, people outside of India are just starting to learn enough about philosophy and history to actually get started to study the traditions. And one day they will reinvent it and will do their job. Speaking about the texts and the books, what kind of a book would you advise to read to every person, who practices yoga, to go into yoga more deeply, to be more conscious of not only the physical aspect of yoga? Richard: It depends on the person. Because some people have a stomach for philosophy, while the others just cant stand it. We have a reading list on our web-site, quite a long one. Some of the books are easy and friendly, some of the books are very technical, difcult, and then - its a question of which translations you can get. Because on our web-site we have things that have been translated into English. But there are so many more languages. But the Upanishads, I think, have been translated a lot into various languages. And those are kind of the base, the earliest yoga texts, the Upanishads. And they are difcult to read. And what was the rst book that you read about yoga? Richard: Oh, I rst read two of the American philosophers in the 1840s - Henry David Thoreau and the Emerson. They got the rst translation of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. So, it was from Thoreau that I got the idea, and then from them I read the Gita and the Upanishads. At that time I was in a high school, a teenager. But I was also reading philosophy, all kinds of Western philosophy. So, I had, you know, the stomach for it. And how many times have you read these books again after the rst reading? Richard: Probably, three or four times I read the Upanishads. I teach the courses, and so I re-read them whenever I teach the courses. This must have already been 20-30 times. There exists a tradition, when a student would memorize the text, so that he would know it by heart, and then he would study what it means, - thats the traditional way of learning in Buddhist schools. And what is the book that you are reading currently? Richard: I have a friend who did a translation of a Tibetan book and he is a Tibetan scholar. And he has sent it to me. Its called The Five Eliminations and it is translated by Robert Berthon, a great scholar, who knows Tibet really well. And I am also reading a book on early Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism. Which is a very dense book and I dont think anybody would read it. At the beginning of the interview you said that your friends advised you to be more simple, to make things understandable, and at the same time you speak very valuable things from the very deep books. Richard: Yeah, thats the way my brain works. That is something that I can do. I found, when I grew up, some people have a talent for philosophy, for mathematics, - and they can see things. And once you understand it, its very simple. Sometimes, while comparing schools back and forth you have to enjoy dwelling into technical details. Because, if you go to a university, and you go to the philosophy department, anywhere in the world there are only a couple of old professors and ten or fteen students, and they have the least money of all the departments in the university. Money go to engineering or computer science, where they have huge buildings, because all these people are interested in it. So, yoga actually belongs to the philosophy department. And it is amazing that its so popular. But, I think, thats the beauty of the asana, because it allows you to explore the body, the depth of the mind, and that is what everybody has. It does not matter, where you are to share those same things. You go to any culture in the world and then, if you can get someone to do a little bit of yoga, they would love it, they would 180

understand it. Even if they cant explain it with the words, they understand it with their heart. Its pretty amazing. I was teaching in Israel, a really crazy place for religion, but the yoga students in Israel are great, they love it. This is the way they can escape the atmosphere of so many religious people being around them. Can we say that yoga teaches how not to be religious? Richard: Thats exactly what I think, it frees you from religion. Recently, I happened to come across a very old scanned cover page of Yoga Journal somewhere in the Internet. This was the one from 80s or 70s, and there was not as much glamour as there is now in many magazines about yoga. Seems like they were absolutely different 30 years ago. Richard: Yoga Journal was very much an Iyengar thing. And then nally the people, who started it, sold it. Then the man, who took it over, John Abbott, was more Iyengar oriented. Also he was a businessman, and he hired someone, who he knew was a marketing professional and who did not know yoga. She completely changed the magazine, so that the whole idea as you write the articles was to spot the advertisers. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I dont like it. It encourages people to start their own schools of yoga after one week of practice. Its very soft, soft yoga. We call it Eight Great Girl Yoga. You know, the thirteen year girls talk like a giggle to each other, - it that the feeling to get from yoga? But the other thing that we see that it does it promotes yoga, it creates interest to yoga. Richard: It does, and thats the great thing. So, I criticize them and I love them at the same time. Because if it were my kind of magazine, you know, there wouldnt be very many people interested in it. But, you know, its a great experiment yoga in the modern world. Its a new experiment and I hope it works out. What are your own personal goals in yoga currently? Richard: My goals, besides becoming a more simple teacher and more effective one, are& I am trying to rene my own pranayama practice, and my asana practice that I am working on. Because I am getting older I have to be more precise in how I do asana, and then my meditation practice is very important. And I am enthusiastic to keep meditating, thats something that is valuable for me. And then, Ill probably die, sooner or later. I am coming up) Speaking of death, everybody in the yoga world is now trying to make a comment about Sri Sathya Sai Baba and that he left this world not so long ago. And I have seen many different comments, I should say. Richard: Sri Sathya Sai Baba was never interesting to me, except for the social phenomenon or religious phenomenon. I never had any attraction to him. Though, I know that a lot of people were interested in him. And then, I know that Pattabhi Jois, in particular, considered him to be a fraud. May be he was true, I do not know, I never met him. But I have friends, who are magicians, you know, they can do magic tricks, and they can do all of the tricks that Sai Baba did making things appear out of stakes, a very good magician. Even one of them went to him and got kicked out, because he could do all of those things. So, there is a lot of controversy. If you read or make a search ower the Internet, you will nd out very strange things. But he was a big phenomenon in India. Particularly, he won so many people and so much money came in. Wealthy businessmen, you know, were going to him to get a blessing from him for their companies and corporate relations. Pretty crazy time. Giving that much attention to meditation and pranayama, you are currently more close to Raja yoga, arent you?

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Richard FreemanRichard: Well, I think, Hatha yoga should be done as Raja yoga. Thats the way to do it. And I still love asana and continue to practice asana. But, I think, the way to go inside out is very interesting. And my master, Iyengar, has always had that opinion. People treated doing asana as if it equals the body and then he feels like nobody understands him. The trick of doing asana as not a spiritual one. So, he got very angry&Being spiritual and being understood could be a good combination. As a teacher, what would be your wishes to the readers of the Wild Yogi magazine? Richard: Well, one of my wish is that they take their strong spirit and get to practice!

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1.2.13

A letter from Sri.K. Pattabhi Jois to Yoga Journal, Nov.

(2013-06-19 13:50)

1995

Sri K Pattabhi Jois "I was disappointed to nd that so many novice students have taken Ashtanga yoga and have turned it inot a circus for their own fame and prot (Power Yoga, Jan/Feb 1995). The title "Power Yoga" itself degrades the depth, purpose and method of teh yoga system that I received from my guru, Sri. T. Krishnamacharya. Power is the property of God. It is not something to be collected for ones ego. Partial yoga methods out of line with their internal purpose can build up the "six enemies" (desire, anger, greed, illusion, infatuation and envy) around the heart. The full ashtanga system practiced with devotion leads to freedom within ones heart. The Ashtanga yoga system should nevere be confused with "power yoga" or any whimsical creation which goes against the tradition of the many types of yoga shastras (scriptures). It would be a shame to lose teh precious jewel of libiration in teh mudof ignorant body building. K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore, South India The Yoga Sutra II.28 conrms this "Yogaanganusthanat asuddiksaye jnanadiptih avivekakhyateh", which means "practicing all the aspects of yoga destroys the impurities so that the light of knowledge and discrimination shines". It is unfortunate that students who have not yet matured in their own practice have changed the method and have cut out teh essence of an ancient lineage to accommodate their own limitations. 183

1.2.14

The Eight Limbs, "Agni" and The origin of yoga from the book The intermediate Series by Gregor Maehle (2013-06-20 11:19)

The Eight Limbs Patanjali had achieved the state of samadhi, which refers to an experience of oceanic or divine ecstasy. Today the term ecstasy often connotes a drug-induced stateof euphoria or the peak of sexual pleasure, but there is a passage in the scriptures where in samadhi is said to have about a trillion times the intensity of sexual pleasure. In other words, it is far beyond anything you can imagine in normal experience. Because he existed continually in this state of absolute freedom, Patanjali described a path that could lead all of us to it. He asked himself, Which state immediately precedes divine ecstasy? The answer was meditation (dhyana). Samadhiis our true nature, but we cannot receive it if our minds are too busy to listen, he reasoned; therefore, the path to samadhi lies in quieting the mind, which isaccomplished when one achieves the state of relaxed openness that occurs in meditation.Patanjali then asked himself, Which state immediately precedes dhyana? The answer was concentration (dharana). Concentration is the state that enables one tostay in meditation (or in any other state, for that matter). Many people achieve a spontaneous meditative state for split seconds only. The goal is to perpetuate that state, and that is made possible by dharana.What does one need for concentration to arise? One needs inward focus (pratyahara), answered Patanjali; concentration is destroyed by outward distractions.Patanjali then inquired, What state is the prerequisite for inward focus? The answer was easy. Since the mind goes wherever the breath or its subtle equivalent,prana, goes, one needs breath regulation (pranayama) to achieve inward focus.Which 184

state is necessary for one to practice breath regulation? asked Patanjali nally. Since breath and prana are dispersed in an unhealthy body, and health is produced by the practice of postures, the answer was asana. Patanjali saw that these six steps had to be placed on a foundation of ethical guidelines governing ones inner and outer life. On this basis he stipulated the rsttwo limbs, the restraints (yamas) and observances (niyamas). Without these limbs as the foundation for the others, all the benet accrued by practicing the other sixlimbs would likely be lost.Although Patanjali conceived of the eight limbs from the top down, we must practice them from the bottom up, starting with the ethical precepts of yama and niyama.

Agni Agni represents the inner re in yoga. Accordingly, the sushumna, visualized red, is called the re nadi. Inner re is created through ritualistic practice (tapas)such as asana. The term tapas is derived from the verb root tap, to cook. Inner heat, produced by correct forms of exertion, is used to burn toxins and impurities.such as asana. The term tapas is derived from the verb root tap, to cook. Inner heat, produced by correct forms of exertion, is used to burn toxins and impurities.Any such activity brings about sweat, which is the water produced by the heated body.14 Sweat has an important function in yoga. Shri B.N. S. Iyengar repeatedly instructed me that sweat goes to the next life. This means, on one hand, that the fruit produced by right exertion is not lost when the mortal body is shed; and onthe other hand, that creative power is ascribed to the sweat itself. In the Puranas there are several incidences of procreation happening when a drop of sweat falls offthe brow of a celestial or rishi, and a new powerful being springs up from it. Procreation in the Golden Age (Satya Yuga) was thought to be possible withoutintercourse; the father merely wiped the sweat off his brow and rubbed it on the skin of his wife. Finally, the medieval Hatha texts inform us that the sweat producedby practice should not be wiped off but rubbed back into the skin. By this method, inner glow (tejas) is restored. Tejas is another form of Agni. The origin of yoga The Supreme Being in the form of Lord Shiva is credited with the authorship of yoga (in the Mahabharata, Shiva is called Yogeshvara, Lord of Yoga) because many myths about the origin of yoga start with a dialogue between him and the mother of the universe, Uma Parvati, often called Shakti.On one 185

occasion when the Lord was teaching, the serpent of innity, Ananta, was hiding close by and eaves dropped on the secret teaching. (Of course,Ananta is yet another aspect of the same Supreme Being, manifesting for the promulgation of the eternal teaching.) After he had heard enough, Ananta tried to slither away undetected, but Shiva apprehended him, having been aware of his presence all along. For his transgression, he sentenced Ananta to the task of relating this secret teaching (yoga) to the human beings. Ananta, the one-thousand-headed celestial cobra, then approached the next human village in his new found role as ambassador of yoga.

However, the Indian villagers who didnt take too kindly to the appearance of normal, oneheadedcobras, much less one-thousand-headed ones pelted Ananta with stones. Ananta returned to Lord Shiva for advice, and the Lord suggested he take ona human form. After doing so, he succeeded in teaching yoga to human beings. This incident is still remembered today in the second pada of the opening prayer of the Ashtanga Vinyasa practice. It says, abahu purushakaram, which means, to him who is of human form from the arms upward. It also says, sahasrashirasam shvetam, which means one thousand white heads. This is to acknowledge the fact that Ananta, the one-thousand-headedserpent of innity, took on a human form and was called Patanjali. To reect this, Patanjali is depicted as a human 186

torso placed on the coils of a serpent.

1.2.15

Pranayama by Sri K Pattabhi Jois from "Yoga Mala" (2013-06-22 13:40)

There are many kinds of pranayama. Sri Shankara Bhagavadpada speaks of a thousand and explains their methods, while Swatmarama names but eight: Suryabhedanamujjayi sithkari shithali tatha Bhastrika bhramari murccha plaviniti ashtakumbhakah. [Suryabedana, ujjayi, sitkari, shitali, bhastrika, bhramari, murchha, and plavini are the eight kumbhakas.] Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 44 Of these, only four pranayamas are suitable for us. Some pranayamas are useful for curing diseases, some for the purication of the nadis, and some for the arrest of the mind. All are important, however, though their practice requires that the preceding step namely asana be practiced, as well. If asana is practiced, then bodily and sensory diseases will be destroyed. If pranayama, conducive to concentrating the mind, strengthening the sense organs, and enabling the mind to be stilled withoutbecoming unstable, is practiced, then diseases present in the body, sense organs, and mind will be cured, allowing the mind to achieve concentration and perceive the Inner Self. Only then will human birth, which results from the penance of many previous lives, be fullled, and not by living lives like animals. In this scientic age, we accept only what we see and reject what we do not. We make no effort to perceive the Universal Self, which is the Indweller that witnesses all actions, that is the cause of the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the universe, and that is of the nature of consciousness. Great scholars and intellectuals who attract attention by using pedantic Vedantic terms which mean that all things are transitory and that only the Supreme Self is real, are only impressing themselves and their listeners for the moment. But soon, the net of delusion is sure to bind them. Therefore, those who want intensely to lift themselves out of the ocean of samsara, and to stop wallowing in it and experiencing pleasure and pain, and thereby becoming depressed, should practice yoga, and experience its bliss.33 Nothing happens in the world according to our will; that is denite. Everything in the universe occurs in accordance with the will of the Universal Self, not mans desires. If we properly understand the wise gospels of the Bhagavad Gita, however, and bring them daily into practice, we will be able to accomplish our goals in life. In no other way can human beings fulll their wishes. Therefore, performing our dharma and karma free from desire and attachment is our duty.34 This duty requires us to perform our actions without any worries and to offer all dharma and karma to God, with no expectation of reward. It is difcult to please the Lord by lecturing others on spiritual matters or by attaining popularity or fame. If He is to be pleased, yoga must rst be achieved through the relinquishment of the sense of I and mine. From this, we can very shortly attain supreme bliss. In the Gita, the Lord says, Purvabhyasena tenaiva hriyate hyavashopi sah, which means that, like a magnet, the mind will be effortlessly attracted to the practice of yoga in this birth by tendencies developed in past births.35 In other words, if the mind is to develop a love for the practice of yoga, a tendency must already exist from a prior life. Given the earthly and heavenly benets to be derived from yoga, it would be a great blessing if all people, men and women, were to achieve the practice of the limbs of yoga, which gives happiness both here and hereafter, and is the fulllment of human experience. This is the noble objective of the author of this book. 187

Whatever work we attempt cannot be perfectly done unless our minds are tranquil and calm; happiness cannot be attained from it. Ashantasya kutah sukham [For one who is without peace, where is there happiness]?36 How can a disturbed mind enjoy comfort? Surely, a human being cannot derive peace and happiness from material objects. Such happiness, even when it does occur, is short-lived, though the suffering that follows is eternal. Disease is the sole consequence of the enjoyment of pleasure, and yoga cannot be attained. Yet yoga liberates us from the devil known as disease. Even bhoga [pleasures] become yoga for a mind established in yoga. If ones mind is impure and overtaken by I and mine, then ones true nature of bliss will be spoiled, and one will become miserable. But the one whose mind is pure will experience eternal bliss. To discover the Inner Self, one should thus practice yoga. Yet, just as a gramophone entertains people by repeating the music sung by others, so too can we attract innocent people by repeating what we have read or heard, and thus win their esteem. When this happens, we soon come to think of ourselves as scholars beyond compare and fall prey to lust and rage. The method for bringing the mind into focus instead and dissolving it in the Atman should be learned under the tutelage of a Guru.37 Only through the achievement of the yogic limbs, and through the practice of them, can we come to be uplifted and in no other way. Focusing the mind in a single direction is extremely important. Since the mind is very unsteady, it is difcult for it to maintain itself in this way. To enable it to stay xed and in place, pranayama is essential. If the breath that moves in and out of the body is arrested, then the mind becomes arrested, as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika attests. Thus, the nature of pranayama should be known properly and practiced. In this world, many things have been created for the pleasure and enjoyment of human beings, and we desire each and every one of them. Yet from these objects of enjoyment come diseases without our desiring them. We should thus know their real nature and develop a detachment from them. By this kind of detachment and by the practice of yoga, our minds will become focused on nding the path to the Supreme Self, whose nature is bliss. When the mind is not attached to things, such as the objects of the senses, it will be able to dissolve itself into the Self. This is what is known as the state of jivanmukti [liberation while in the present life]. To be properly learned, pranayama must be practiced according to the directions of a Guru. No one should attempt it who thinks that a reading of the scriptures has made him an expert in its knowledge. Rather, an aspirant must carefully learn the rules of pranayama rst, and avoid haste. Yatha simho gajo vyagro bhavedvashyah shanaih shanaih Tathaiva sevito vayuranyatha hanti sadhakam. [Just as a lion, elephant or tiger may be gradually brought under control, so is prana attended to. Otherwise it destroys the practitioner.] Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 15 In the same way as, with zeal and enterprise, a trainer catches hold of a dangerous animal that wanders the forest freely, such as a tiger, lion, or elephant, and very slowly tames and nally brings it under control, so too will the breath be brought under control, little by little, by the strength of ones practice. Very difcult though this is, it is possible. If, however, an aspirant engages in this practice while violating the rules or with an air of pride and feigned expertise, then he puts himself in danger. Aspirants should bear this fact in mind. In short, there is no doubt that, through the practice of yoga, one can attain the peace and bliss one desires, the capacity to discriminate between Self and not-Self, peace of mind, and freedom from disease, death, and poverty. A man cannot achieve anything in the world if his sense organs are weak. The 188

experience of the Self, for the weak, is simply not possible. Nayam atma balahinena labhyah Na medhaya na bahunashrutena. [The Self cannot be attained by the weak, by the intellect, or by much learning.] Mundaka Upanishad So say the Vedas. Here the word bala means strength, both physical and mental. The body must be free from diseases of any kind, which divert the mind elsewhere. Physical strength, mental strength, and the strength of the sense organs all these are very important. Without them, one cannot attain spiritual strength. But intellectual power and a knowledge of the scriptures alone do not lead to Self-realization; the analysis of commentaries and their various explanations do not lead to Sel-fattainment. Indeed, it is not even enough to study Vedanta at length under the guidance of a Guru.38 Practice alone is the path to atma labhah [gaining the Self]. The aspirant who follows the precepts and instructions of a Guru with a subdued mind unshackled from the external and internal sense organs, will realize the authentic form of the Universal Self. This is the true nature of yoga. Body and mind are inseparably related, one to the other. If pleasure and pain are experienced by either the physical body or the sense organs, the mind will experience them as well. This is known to all. If the mind is in pain, the body loses weight, becomes weak and lusterless; if the mind is happy and at peace, the body thrives and develops a strength and luster beyond compare. Hence, the body and sense organs are linked to, and depend upon, the strength of the mind. It is for this reason that the method for concentrating the mind should be known. To learn how to achieve such concentration, the body rst must be puried, and then mental strength developed. The method for purifying and strengthening the body is called asana. When the body is puried, the breath also becomes puried, and the diseases of the body are eliminated. Once the asanas have been learned well enough to be practiced with ease, the next limb to be practiced is that of bringing the breath under control. It is this that is known as pranayama. Yet simply sitting, taking in the breath, and letting it out through the nostrils is not pranayama. Pranayama means taking in the subtle power of the vital wind through rechaka [exhalation], puraka [inhalation], and kumbhaka [breath retention]. Only these kriyas, practiced in conjunction with the three bandhas [muscle contractions, or locks] and in accordance with the rules, can be called pranayama.39 What are the three bandhas? They are mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, and jalandhara bandha, and they should be performed while practicing asana and the like.40 Through the practice of pranayama, the mind becomes arrested in a single direction and follows the movement of the breath, a fact known from the scriptural statement Chale vate chalam chittam. It is common knowledge that we lift heavy objects more easily if we hold our breath and concentrate on the objects we are lifting. By controlling the breath through the processes of rechaka, puraka, and kumbhaka, it becomes possible to establish the mind in a single direction. In hatha yoga, there are thousands of methods for pranayama. Some purify the nadis, others purify and strengthen the body, still others cure diseases and purify the seven dhatus, while still others are the means to the knowledge of Brahman through the cessation of the mind.41 Among these, only the kumbhaka pranayama, which is puricatory and useful for Self-realization, is very important. Even Pujya Shankara Bhagavadpada calls it the most important of the pranayamas: Sahasrashah santu hatheshu kumbhah sambhavyate kevala kumbha eva. [Among the hathas, there may be a thousandfold kumbhas. The pure kumbha alone is highly esteemed.] Yoga Taravalli 10 189

On the subject of kumbhaka pranayama, texts such as the Yoga Yagnavalkya, Sutasamhitakara, Devi Bhagavata, Yoga Vashishtha, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads follow, on the whole, the opinion of Srimad Acharya Shankara Bhagavadpada. However, because, in general, views about pranayama tend to differ, it is important that this yogic limb be learned and practiced under the guidance of a Guru. For the practitioner of yoga, the rules regarding food, sex, and speech are very important. Among the foods, those called sattvic [pure] are the best. Vegetables, however, should not be consumed much. As the Ayurvedic pramana, Shakena vardate vyadhih [By vegetables, diseases expand] and the yoga pramama attest, vegetables are unpleasant for practitioners of yoga.42 Wheat, snake gourd, half-churned curds, mung beans, ginger, milk, and sugar, on the other hand, are best. Indeed, foods that extend the life span; foods that increase sattvic qualities, as well as strength, health, happiness, and love; foods that are easily digested; and foods that are natural, genuine, and follow the seasons these are the most suitable, as they are worthy of being offered to God. Sour, salty, or spicy foods, on the other hand, are not good for any part of the body and should not be consumed much. If a persons food is pure, then his mind becomes pure, since the mind assumes the qualities of whatever food is consumed, as an Upanishadic authority states: Ahara shuddhau sattva shuddih / Sattva shuddhau druvasmrtih [When the food we take in is pure, our minds become pure / When our minds become pure, memory becomes steady].43 The practitioner of yoga should therefore eat only food possessed of sattvic qualities. Foods that give rise to passions and mental darkness, or that are eshy and fattening, should never be consumed, and intoxicating substances, smoking, and the like should also be relinquished. Only half the stomach should be taken up by the food that is eaten. One quarter of the other half should be given over to water and the remaining quarter left to the movement of air. Consuming too much food or no food at all; sleeping too much or not sleeping at all; having too much sexual intercourse; or mixing with undesirable or uncultured people all these should be given up as much as possible, as they are obstacles to the practice of yoga. Moderation in regards to eating, sleeping, and the like is thus important to follow. Similarly, it is not good to talk too much. By talking too much, the power inherent in the tongue decreases and the power of speech is destroyed. When the power of speech is destroyed, our words, too, lose their power, and whatever we utter has no value in society at all. Talk of spiritual matters, however, increases the tongues power, and is thus helpful to the world. But speech related to mundane matters destroys the power of the tongue, and shortens our life spans. The shastrakaras have reected on and described this fact, so it is better if man follows their path. Too much sex leads the body, sense organs, and mind to become weak. If the mind and sense organs are weak, we can achieve nothing; our minds grow unsteady and are unable to do anything at all. Therefore, too much sex is to be avoided. Yoga should neither be practiced in the open air, in a place that is unclean or malodorous, in a basement, nor on a roof. Instead, the place of its practice should be spotlessly clean and level, have windows, and be suitable for smearing with cow dung.44 Sweat formed during practice should be wiped dry by rubbing the body with the palms of the hands. If this is done, the body will become lighter and stronger, as a scriptural authority asserts: Jalena shramajatena gatra mardhanam acharet Drdhatha laghuta chaiva tena gatrasya jayate. [One should practice rubbing the body with the perspiration that comes from exertion. As a result there occurs a rmness and lightness of the body.] Hatha Yoga Pradipika ii : 13 But the body will be sapped and its power exhausted if, in an effort to dry the sweat of practice, it is 190

exposed to the outside air. When this occurs, a practitioner grows weaker and weaker over time. Thus, the sweat generated by yoga should be gradually dried by rubbing it into the body with the hands, and not by exposing it to the air or by drying it with a towel or cloth. As this is borne out by the experience of yoga practitioners, aspirants should bear it in mind. The body should not be exposed to the open air for a period of one half hour after practicing. After half an hour, it is good to bathe in hot water. In addition, for the rst three months of practice, bathing in cold water and fasting are to be avoided. But, after a practice has become steady and established, these restrictions no longer apply. During the period of yoga practice, it is advisable to take in much milk and claried butter, or ghee. Those that cannot afford these should pour a little cold water into some warm cooked rice, mix it together, and eat it before taking any other foods. In this way, the essence that results from using milk and ghee will be generated, and the body will be energized and nourished. Aspirants should be mindful to follow the above-mentioned rules regarding food, sexual habits, bathing, and practice. They should also be devoted to God and Guru. Practicing yoga for the sake of ones health, a rm body, or enjoyment is not the right approach. Only the purication of the body, sense organs, and mind, and the dedication of all actions and deeds to the Almighty, is the true way. If our minds are offered to the Supreme Self in this way, our hopes and aspirations will be fullled by Him at the appropriate times. Aspirants should thus guard against those things that would disrupt their mental equilibrium. To be able to practice yoga, one must possess enthusiasm, zeal, courage, and a rm faith in tattvajnana [philosophical knowledge]. One should also not mingle with the crowd. With these qualities, an aspirant can attain yoga. Yogis describe the path to yogic attainment in this way: Utsahatsahasadhaivyattattvajnansh cha nischayat Janasanghaparityagat shadbiryogah prasiddhyate. [By means of enthusiasm, boldness, rmness, discrimination of truth, conviction, and the avoidance of public gatherings, by these six things, is yoga accomplished.] Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : 16 Aspirants should learn the rules outlined above. They should not listen to, nor become discouraged by, the words of those who have no knowledge of yogic practice, or who are too lethargic to bring their own bodies under control. There is no age limit for the practice of yoga and it can be practiced by anyone by women, men, the weak, and by those who are sick or disabled as the shastrakaras afrm: Yuva vrddhothivrddho va vyadhito durbalopi va Abhyasat siddimapnoti sarvayogeshvatandritah. [Whether young, old or very old, sick or debilitated, one who is vigilant attains success in all the yogas, by means of practice.] Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : 64 Thus do the experts give their unanimous approval to this idea, and experience also conrms it. Indeed, only lazy people nd the practice of the yogic limbs useless. Otherwise, yoga is very important for anyone eight years or older, regardless of sex. Pregnant women who have crossed into the fourth month should abstain from doing asanas. They can, however, practice ujjayi pranayama, samavritti pranayama, and vishamavritti pranayama, without kumbhaka, until the seventh month. In this way, if they regularly practice deep rechaka, or exhalation, and puraka, or inhalation, while sitting in Padmasana [lotus posture] or Mahamudra [the great seal], they will have a smoother and easier delivery. It is good for women to keep this in mind. For people over fty, it is enough to practice some of the easier and more useful asanas, as well as some of the pranayamas. Those who have been practicing for many years, however, can do any asana or 191

pranayama without a problem. Older people who want to start yoga, however, will nd practicing the following ten asanas sufcient [see Chapter 2 for detailed descriptions of individual asanas]: rst, the Surya Namaskara (types 1 and 2); then Paschimattanasana; Sarvangasana; Halasana; Karnapidasana; Urdhva Padmasana; Pindasana; Matsyasana; Uttana Padasana; and Shirshasana. It is preferable to do these in concert with the vinyasas [breathing and movement systems], but if this is not possible, then practicing while focusing on rechaka and puraka will sufce. Shirshasana should be practiced for at least ten minutes, and the rest, for at least ten rechaka and puraka while in the state of the asana [see fn. 39]. By practicing in this way, the body and sense organs will become rm, the mind puried, longevity will be increased, and the body will be lled with fresh energy. For the middle-aged, it is best to do all the asanas. The more they are practiced, the stronger the body becomes, and obstacles such as disease cease to be a problem. Pranayama is easier, the mind becomes more harmonious as the quality of sattva [purity] comes to predominate, and intellectual power and longevity are augmented. For the very old, however, who nd the practice of Sarvangasana, Halasana, Uttana Padasana, Shirshasana, and Padmasana too difcult, it is enough to practice mahabandha daily, as well as rechaka kumbhaka pranayama, puraka kumbhaka pranayama, samavritti vishamavritti pranayama, and sithali pranayama. These will help them live happier and longer lives, and will insulate them from disease. The weak and the sick, too, should gradually practice suitable asanas and pranayamas, and over time, as their strength increases, their practices should also increase. In this way, the diseases of the sick and the strength-lessness of the weak will be eliminated, leaving them healthy and vigorous. The aspirant that goes to a Guru will nd that the Guru will tailor his practice to his particular bodily constitution. Yoga should never be learned from reading books or looking at pictures. It should only be learned under the guidance of a Guru who knows the yogic science and is experienced in its practice. If this is ignored, it is possible for physical and mental problems to occur. For while it is true that all the diseases that afict the body and mind of a human being can be eliminated by the practice of the limbs of yoga, it is also true that this will only occur if the science is brought into practice under an experienced Guru who knows the yoga shastra properly and who implements it in practice. Only in this way can the body, mind, and senses be puried, just as gold is in a crucible. Through the practice of yoga, many types of incurable ailments, such as asthma, can be cured, and the body, mind, and senses will come to radiate with new energy. Indeed, some physicians who condemn the science of yoga have been dumbfounded to nd former patients of theirs being cured of their diseases by yoga. This is borne out by experience. Diseases that cannot be cured by medicine can be cured by yoga; diseases that cannot be cured by yoga cannot be cured at all. That is denite. A doctor can nd remedies for illnesses that result from an imbalance of the three doshas, but no dhanvanthari [doctor dealing in medicine] has a remedy to offer for mental illness.45 Yet yogis say that even for this, there is a yogic cure. Indeed, the practitioner that keeps faith in and practices the limbs of yoga can achieve anything in the world. He can even redo creation.46 The world is full of falsehood, deceit, and exploitation. A yogi has the power to correct this and to attract people of the world to the right path. It is therefore necessary to stress again the importance of practitioners of yoga keeping faith in, and showing devotion to, the yogic limbs and the Guru. But neither faith in nor devotion to the Guru is common among young people today. The weakness of the mind and sense organs accounts for this. And yet knowledge learned without devotion to God and Guru is like pouring the milk of a sacred cow into a bag of dogs skin, or the undrinkable milk of a donkeys udder. But if young men and women genuinely pursue knowledge, practice true faith and devotion, and do not yield to mental unsteadiness or sham piety, then the divine power will confer knowledge on them in abundance 192

knowledge which will make them theists of rm bodies and strong minds who are freed from lust and the like; there is no doubt about it. There is also no doubt that a country privileged enough to have the majority of its young people be possessed of minds devoted to God, in addition to rm bodies and mental power, will be blessed with bounty. This is on Vedic authority. Thus, let it be emphasized again that if practitioners know the path described above, and practice it, they will attain happiness here as well as hereafter. As the bodily constitution of each human being is different, it is important to practice the asanas accordingly. The benet to be had from one asana or pranayama can be derived just as well from another that better suits the structure of a persons body. Some asanas are not suitable for particular people and may be painful. A Guru will understand this and be able to explain it, so the practitioner of yoga must be certain to follow his guidance. To begin the practice of yoga, an aspirant should rst do the Surya Namaskara [Sun Salutations], and then proceed to the asanas. The Surya Namaskara and asanas must be practiced in the correct sequence and follow the method of vinyasa. If they are not, or the movement of rechaka and puraka is neglected, no part of the body will become strong, the subtle nadis will not be puried, and, owing to the resulting imbalance, the body, sense organs, mind, and intellect will not develop. They may even come to be further imbalanced. If the asanas and the Surya Namaskara are to be practiced, they must be done so in accordance with the prescribed vinyasa method only. As the sage Vamana says, Vina vinyasa yogena asanadin na karayet [O yogi, do not do asana without vinyasa].47 When yoga is practiced with a knowledge of its proper method, it is quite easy to learn, but practiced without such knowledge, it becomes a very difcult undertaking. Therefore, aspirants should not forget to learn the method of vinyasa, as well as of rechaka and puraka, and to follow it in their practice. The asanas described in the next chapter belong to the curative aspect of yogic practice. They will be discussed systematically, and aspirants should be careful to practice them in the order in which they are described, and not to skip one posture in preference for another. This must be borne in mind. Winter is the best time of year to start yoga and an aspirant should practice before ve oclock in the morning. Warming up by the re or by jogging during the winter is to be avoided, however, as is too much sexual intercourse. These are things an aspirant should not forget. Stirairangais tushtuvagumsastanubhih Vyashema devahitam yaddayuh Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. [While praising, may we of strong and steady limb enjoy the life given by the Gods Om Peace Peace Peace.] Shanti Mantra from the Rg Veda [EMBED]

1.2.16

Entrevista a Toni Romero para Yoga Sala (2013-06-22 21:27)

www.ashtangadetails.blogspot.com Paula: Qu lugar ocupa la prctica de yoga en tu vida? Toni: El camino del yoga, es el camino de la vida en s mismo. A veces por las experiencias o circunstancias ntimas y sociales es muy fcil perder el rumbo. La sabidura del yoga abarca todo un inmenso abanica de tcnicas y rituales para despertar todas las cualidades que nos hacen seres plenamente vivos y conscientes del sagrado proceso de la existencia. Me parece que nadie que haya probado el nctar del yoga se puede plantear dejar de lado totalmente la prctica en todas sus formas y seguir adelante. En mi 193

vida es un acto tan natural como comer, dormir&es una parte ms del progreso de existir en este mundo. Paula: Has tenido maestros? Toni: Desgraciadamente no he tenido maestros en el concepto ms fsico de la palabra. Yo llegu al yoga muy enfermo de ansiedad, me era imposible salir de casa. Estaba muy dbil, padeca agorafobia. Mi mente estaba totalmente perdida. Me recomendaron probar y con toda mi fe fui descubriendo los vdeos y libros de grandes maestros como Richard Freeman, David Swenson, Matthew Sweeney entre otros que me inspiraron a esforzarme, progresar y creer en el Maestro interno que todo llevbamos dentro. Tambin he

sido afortunado de poder tener contacto con gente ms experimentado que me han aconsejado y acompaado en esta investigacin interna. No es el mtodo recomendable, es muy importante tener un profesor a tu lado que pueda aconsejarte, aunque tampoco los practicantes no deben olvidar que en su interior est al gran Gur, solamente hay que aprender a escucharlo. Paula: Estudiaste otros metodos antes de Ashtanga? Toni:Antes de llegar al Ashtanga vinyasa, no s si se podra denir como otros mtodos, Como muchas personas el primer libro que me lleg a las manos fue Luz sobre el yoga de BKS Iyengar. Yo trataba 194

de comprender y aplicarme las asanas que me parecan ms apropiadas para mis problemas de salud. Descubrir la vinyasa fue toda una revelacin, Ashtanga como dice Sri K Pattabhi Jois son ejercicios de respiracin. Controlas la respiracin, la mente se purica y el cuerpo como reejo se cura. Las enfermedades de tipo mental (ansiedad, depresin) se expresan en unos patrones respiratorios descontrolados que afectan a la salud del cuerpo. Es el mismo camino tomado al revs. Paula: Por qu elegiste nalmente Ashtanga y no otro? Toni: Como dije antes el trabajo con la respiracin, los bandhas&todo el mundo interno que conlleva un autoconocimiento de cmo inuye el prana, los nadis y los aspectos sutiles reejados en el cuerpo fsico. No dudo que no se pueda llegar a un estado de autoconciencia extrema desde otros puntos de partida, otros linajes, otras escuelas. Ashtanga me cautivo por esa toma de conciencia del propio ser, seguramente fue una de la razones principales por las que sigo en esta prctica. Paula: De qu manera piensas que el yoga puede ser un catalizador y un transformador en la vida de quien lo practique? Toni: La vida es como un gran espejo delante de nuestra cara y muchas veces al tratar de ver nuestro rostro se hace casi imposible. El proceso del yoga aclara el reejo de esa imagen, para no solamente ver, sino sentir ahora y aqu quienes somos. Me parece que para cualquier persona es una forma de conocerse profundamente. En la vida pasamos muchas horas tratando de saber sobre la persona que tenemos al lado, pero no siempre sobre la nica que realmente podrs conocer plenamente que es uno mismo y a travs de la cual puedes conectar desde lo singular a lo plural. Es decir comprenderse mejor a uno mismo, ayuda a perfeccionar la relacin con los dems. Paula: Te has lesionado alguna vez practicando? De qu manera continuaste? Toni: No s si se le puede llegar a llamar lesin. Hace medio ao tuve algunas molestias en la vrtebra L1, posiblemente haciendo kapotasana o eka pada kapotasana. En esos casos me parece importante volver a lo bsico, volver a la respiracin a los bandhas y estudiar cmo ests ejecutando la tcnica y como debes ajustarla. Sin duda si te hace dao o te lesiones, algo est mal. La prctica de yoga jams debe ser desagradable, pero a veces una lesin puede ser una gran leccin para mejorar. Paula: Cual o cuales fueron los libros que te ayudaron a integrar lo losco a la prctica? Podras recomendar alguno para quienes recin comienzan? Toni: Me parece que todos los practicantes de cualquier escuela de yoga debera leer The mirror of yoga

195

de Richard Freeman. Me impact tremendamente ese libro y me abri todo el aspecto del yoga en una dimensin que hasta ese momento no haba encontrado en ningn otro lugar. No explica posturas, ni fotos&nada de eso. Es el pleno funcionamiento de la mente y como se va transformando. No es un libro de yoga, es un libro sobre el ser humano. Paula: Consideras que el "avance" en la prctica de asanas est realcionado con la profundidad que un estudiante pueda tener en relacin a su bsqueda espiritual? Toni: S, me parece que la mayora de todos nosotros llegamos al yoga por una razn ms o menos fsica como puede ser una lesin, enfermedad u otros aspectos ms superciales. Pero la real profundizacin en los aspectos fundamentales del yoga es imposible sin una honesta entrega y devocin a la prctica misma. Eso sin una actitud espiritual es imposible. Muchas gracias a Yoga Sala, fue un placer.

1.2.17

Ajay Tokas interview for Sthira&Bhaga (2013-06-25 22:30)

Thanks a lot Ajay for your time, you are a great yogi and inspiration! 1-How did you start to do yoga? 196

I suffered badly with sinus of nose and due to the same had an operation done in the year 2000. But to my surprise operation did not work and I got the same problem after an year , so, I was told by a close friend of mine about JalNeti, shatkriya of Yoga. I started doing Jalneti and felt a big difference from day one, that was day I felt I should learn more about this deep science of Yoga. 2 -Do you think that the Ashtanga yoga series can be practice whole life? Yes , I believe that Ashtanga Yoga series can be practice whole life. Its a beautiful practice with different series and sequence of asanas that makes you learn more about yourself each time you practice. 3-what does Kundalini means to you ? Kundalini to me is the supreme energy lies at the base of the spine which can be awakened through various

Ajay Tokaspractices and can rise up from the muladhara chakra through Sushumna( the central nadi between Ida & Pingla) running through the spine and when it reaches the crown of the head that is Sahasrara chakra the Yogi is detached from the body and mind in other words we call this self realization or enlightenment. 4 Do you think that after all this years of practicing, you already have found Mulabandha (in the full sense physical / energetic) or you are still looking? All I feel that through out my practice I stay strong and feel the joyful experience holding on to a force cant be describe in words. I am still exploring Mulabhadha.

1.2.18

The Antiquity of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga from the book Intermediate serie by Gregor Maehle (2013-06-27 20:14)

Frequently I have been approached by students who were disturbed by modern scholars claims that Ashtanga Yoga is a modern invention. This brief chapterasserts that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is in fact an ancient practice and offers evidence supporting this conclusion. I consider this a vital point because to realize thatyour sadhana (practice) is handed down by a living ancient tradition and to energetically connect with this tradition will elevate the quality of your practice to acompletely different level; that is, it will transform you not just physically but spiritually.Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga has grown out of the 197

fertile ground of the Vedas, which form a vast body of ancient knowledge. As noted in chapter 1, there are fourmain Vedic texts, the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda. There are also four Upavedas (ancillary Vedas) addressing the subjects of medicine(Ayurveda), economy (Arthaveda), military science (Dhanurveda), and art (Gandharvaveda). The Vedas have six limbs called Vedangas, namely Sanskrit grammar(Vyakarana), astrology (Jyotisha), etymology (Nirukta), phonetics (Shiksha), meter (Chandas), and ritual duty (Kalpa).

The Vedic teaching is divided into sixsystems of philosophy, called darshanas: logic (Nyaya), cosmology (Vaisheshika), creation (Samkhya), psychology (Yoga), Vedic ritual (Mimamsa), and ultimatereality (Vedanta).Yoga, the ancient Vedic branch of psychology, does not compete with the other ve darshanas but rather works in conjunction with them. Accordingly, Yogauses the ndings of the Samkhya darshana as its philosophy;1 in this regard Yoga may be seen as the psychological branch of Samkhya. Yoga also uses the ndingsof the Nyaya darshana in regard to logic. All the other darshanas, however, look to the Yoga darshana as the authority on meditation.Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutra, contributed to the Yoga darshana; he also contributed to the Vedic limb of Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar) by writing hisGreat Commentary (Maha Bhashya) on Paninis grammar. Furthermore, he compiled a treatise on 198

one of the Upavedas, namely, the Ayurvedic text CharakaSamhita. Vyasa, the compiler of the Brahma Sutras, the authoritative text on Vedanta, also authored the most important commentary on Patanjalis Yoga Sutra.Patanjalis Yoga Sutra is the basic text accepted by all forms of Ashtanga Yoga. We thus nd a thorough interweaving of yoga in general and Ashtanga Yoga inparticular with the other branches of Vedic science.What, however, is the origin of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga? The vinyasa method is only one of the schools that come under the general name of PatanjalisAshtanga Yoga, and strictly speaking, the terms Ashtanga Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga are not identical. Some modern Western scholars have argued thatAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga must be a recent invention because it has a multitude of asanas and because there appears to be no scriptural evidence indicating that it hasancient origins. Both of these arguments are invalid, as I explain below. The Dwindling Number of Asanas Some scholars who argue that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a modern invention claim that asanas have accumulated over time. They base this claim on the fact thatmedieval texts such as the Gheranda Samhita or the Hatha Yoga Pradipika mention relatively few postures, while our system today includes many.They argue thatAshtanga Yoga must therefore be a nineteenth-century invention, as it contains too many asanas to be truly ancient. This argument is awed. From the number ofpostures given in particular scriptures, it is not

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possible to gauge the antiquity of its system or lack thereof. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, for example, does not givean exhaustive list of postures, and it was never its intention to do so. The Pradipika does not list all the asanas explicitly because they were to be learned throughpersonal instruction from a teacher and not from merely reading a text.In fact, the older the yoga system is, the more asanas you will nd. Under the inuence of entropy (disorder), over time we have lost not only more and moreSanskrit treatises and knowledge but also more and more asanas. The shastras state that originally there were 8,400,000 asanas, equaling the number of livingspecies in the universe, which were known in their entirety only by the Supreme Being in the form of Lord Shiva.2 This passage states that at the outset of time, webegan with a virtually innite number of asanas. The nineteenth- to twentieth-century yogi Ramamohan Brahmachary reportedly knew seven thousand asanas andtaught three thousand of them to Shri T. Krishnamacharya.3 Most modern asana systems contain only a few dozen or in some cases in excess of one hundredpostures. Over time, therefore, the numbers of asanas has decreased, not increased. The Lack of Scriptural EvidenceUnfortunately, most yogic schools did not leave any scriptural evidence behind. Even the Vedas werent committed to paper until the nineteenth century. Thetraditional view was that a body of knowledge could be read and sullied if it was written down. Most yogic schools kept their teachings secret 200

and conned tomemory. Asanas were learned only through personal instruction from someone who had mastered them. Some Western scholars discount all aspects of Indianspirituality that were not recorded in books. This is often due to the fact that they see themselves merely as observers and do not want to get their feet dirty on theground. But Indian spiritual traditions are mainly oral traditions. If you wanted to learn something, you needed to get the trust and acceptance of somebody whoknew what you wanted to learn. Most knowledge that was conned to texts was considered so general that it was hardly usable. The mere absence of scripturalevidence, therefore, does not prove that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is not ancient or that a large number of postures came into existence only recently. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as a Vedic Adjunct The Ashtanga Vinyasa system, authored by the Vedic seer Vamana, is not a modern creation but follows the most ancient of Vedic designs. It is in fact a Vedicadjunct. The oldest of the systems of philosophy (darshanas) is probably the Mimamsa darshana. Mimamsa describes and analyzes Vedic rituals. The elaborateVedic rituals are not senseless jumbles, as some Westerners have stated, but symbolic representations of the entire cosmos.Although the practice of yoga does not include any traditional Vedic rituals, it is nevertheless closely connected to and inuenced by them, as we can see fromthe following dialogue recorded in the Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad, the oldest of the philosophical portions of the Veda:4Yajnavalkya, the foremost of the Upanishadic rishis, nds himself invited to a dialogue with the emperor Janaka. First, however, he has to undergo a crossexaminationby nine learned court priests. The priests are hostile to this outsider from the forest, as they are worried that he might gain inuence over the emperor,so they try to keep the upper hand in the dispute.Yajnavalkyas rst opponent, Ashvala, erroneously assumes that Yajnavalkya has no deep understanding of ritual and asks him how a performer of the Vedicritual attains mukti (emancipation, freedom). Yajnavalkya answers by noting what the four priests who ofciate the ritual represent: re and speech for the Hotrpriest, the eye and the sun for the Adhvaryu priest, the wind and breath for the Udgatr priest, and mind and the moon for the Brahmana priest. Fire, sun, wind, andmoon are represented by the Vedic deities Agni, Savitri, Vayu, and Soma, which partake of the ritual. Wind (vayu) is symbolic for the life force (prana), and thevarious forms of prana are called vayus. Yoga holds that the location of the sun in the body is the stomach and the location of the moon is the so-called somachakra, located at the soft palate in the head. But re, moon, and sun represent together the three main energy channels: ida (moon), pingala (sun), and sushumna(re). Fire, moon, and sun also represent the six chakras: re, the muladhara and svadhishthana chakras; sun, the manipuraka and anahata chakras; and moon, thevishuddha and ajna chakras.In this way, Yajnavalkya interprets the ofces of the four priests as having the functions of speech/sound, sight, breath, and mind. Through those four powers, theperformer of

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the Vedic ritual attains freedom, he says. Signicantly, sound, sight, breath, and mind are the dening factors in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.Producing the Ujjayi sound and listening to it represents sound. Keeping ones focus on drishti (focal points) represents sight. Breath, anatomical and pranic, isthe permanent core focus of the practice (correct practice is to let movement follow breath rather than vice versa). When all these are bound together throughbandha (bandh means to bind), then the mind is stilled. The stilling of the mind eventually reveals consciousness, since the mind is what veils consciousness inthe rst place because of its clouded, opaque nature. As the Brahmana is the chief priest of the four in the Vedic ritual, so is the mind the chief ingredient inAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga. We can thus see from Yajnavalkyas ancient discourse that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is an exact application of the esoteric principles of theVedic ritual. Even today we can perform our daily Vedic ritual by means of the Ashtanga Vinyasa method, giving us the opportunity to invoke the wisdom andmight of the ancient Vedic sages, who lived as long ago as ten millennia before our time.While practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, many of us have intuitively felt that we were partaking in a truly ancient practice, but we never knew its exact origins.The Yajnavalkya discourse shows that its principles were conceived at the dawn of time. For modern practitioners it is important to realize that Ashtanga Yoga is not just the latest exercise craze, newly developed just to get your body into shape. Whenyou practice this yoga, you become part of an ancient tradition that has weathered many a storm. Connect with this age-old wisdom and honor its founders andmany contributors. Know that when this practice was conceived, many concepts and ideas that make up our life and society today did not exist. And this traditionwill still exist when many of these ideas are gone. In the meantime, continue your practice mindfully and respectfully of the ancients and dont worry too much 202

whatmodern scholars, who barely dip their toes into the ocean of yoga, have to say about it.

1.2.19

Pranayama and the respiratory system part1 (1/2) from the book Light on pranayama by BKS Iyengar (2013-06-28 16:30)

During normal inhalation, an average person takes in about 500 cubic centimetres of air; during deep inhalation the intake of air is about six times as great, amounting to almost 3000 cubic centimetres. The capacities of individuals vary according to their constitution. The practice of pranayama increases the sadhakas lung capacity and allows the lungs to achieve optimum ventilation. The second chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradfpik deals with pranayama. The rst three verses state: Being rmly established in the practice of asanas, with his senses under control, the yogi should practice pranayama as taught by his Guru, observing moderate and nutritious diet. When the breath is irregular, the mind wavers; when the breath is steady, so is the mind. To attain steadiness, the yogi should restrain his breath. As long as there is breath within the body, there is life. When breath departs, life also departs. Therefore, regulate the breath. The practice of pranayama helps to cleanse the nadis, which are tubular organs of the subtle body through which energy ows. There are several thousand nadis in the body and most of them start from the areas of the heart and the navel. Pranayama keeps the nadis in a healthy condition and prevents their decay. This in tum brings about changes in the mental attitude of the sadhaka. The reason for this is that in pranayama breathing starts from the base of the diaphragm on either side of the body near the pelvic girdle. As such, the thoracic diaphragm and the accessory respiratory muscles of the neck are relaxed. This in turn helps to relax the facial muscles. When the facial muscles relax, they loosen their grip over the organs of perception, namely, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin, thereby lessening the tension in the brain. When tension there is lessened, the Sadhaka attains concentration, equanimity and serenity. 203

BKS Iyengar In the arambha stage, the sadhakas interest in pranayama is awakened. In the beginning he is hasty and by reason of his exertion and the speed with which he wants results, his body trembles and he perspires. When by perseverence he continues his practice, the tremors and perspiration ceaseand the sadhaka reaches the second stage of ghatavastha. Ghata means a water pot. The body is compared to a pot. Like an unbaked earthen pot, the physical body wears away. Bake it hard in the re of pranayama to gain s stability. In this stage the ve kosas and the three sariras are integrated. After this integration, the sadhaka reaches the parichayavastha, where he obtains intimate knowledge of pranayama practices and of himself. By this knowledge he controls his qualities (gunas) and realises the causes of his actions (karma). From the third stage, the sadhaka goes forth towards nispatti avastha, the nal stage of consummation. His efforts have ripened, the seeds of his karma are burnt out. He has crossed the barriers of the gunas and becomes a gunatita. He becomes a jivanmukta a person who is emancipated (mukta) during his lifetime (itvana) by the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit. He has experienced the state of ecstasy (ananda). 204

1.2.20

Pranayama and the respiratory system part2 (2/2) from the book Light on pranayama by BKS Iyengar (2013-06-29 16:27)

It is knowrn tlur the basic energy needs of the human bady are met predominantly by oxygen plus glucose. The former aids in the process of elimination by oxidising the waste matter, while glucose supplied with oxygen nourishes the body cells in the ow of respiration. The purpose of pranayma in to make the respiratory system function at its best. This automatically improve the circulatory system, without which the processes of digestion and elimination would suffer. Toxins would accumulate, diseases spread through the body and ill-health becomes habitual. The respiratory system is the gateway to purifying the body, mind and intellect. The key to this is pranayama. Respiration is essential sustaining all forms of animal life from the single-celled amoeba to man. It is possible for to live without food or water for a few days, but when respiration ceases so does life. In the Chandogyopan-

isad it is said: Even as the spokes are fastened to the hub, so on this life breath, all is fastened. Life moves with the life breath, which gives life to a living creature. Life breath it ones father, . . . ones mother, . . . ones brother, . . . ones sister, and ones teacher, . . . the Brahman. . . . Verily, he who sees this knows and understands this becomes the excellent speaker. (S. Radhakrishnan: The Principal Upanisads, VII, I5, I-4.) The Kuasitaki Upanisad says One can live deprived of speech, for we see the dumb; one deprived of sight, for we see the blind; of hearing, for we see the deaf; and of mind, for we see the childish; one can live without arms and legs, for thus we see. But now it is the breathing spirit alone, the intelligence-self that seizes hold of this body and makes it rise up. This is the all obtaining in the breathing spirit. What is the breathing spirit, that is the intelligence-self. What is intelligence-self, that is the breathing spirit, for together they live in this body and together they go o-..t of it. (S. 205

Radhakrishnan: The Principal Upanisads, III, 3.) Breathing starts with independent life outside the mother and ends when life ceases. When the child is still in the womb its oxygen is supplied through its mothers blood, and its lungs are not required to function. When it is born, the rst breath of life is started by command from the brain. During most of ones life, the depth and rate of breathing are selfregulated through the nervous system to meet the purposes of breathing, to supply in a regulated and controlled way the fresh oxygen which is constantly needed by the cells and to discharge the carbon dioxide accumulated in them. Most of us assume that because breathing is usually automatic, it is beyond our active control. This is not true. In pranayama by arduous training of the lungs and nervous system, breathing can be made more e icient by changing its rate, depth and quality. The lung capacity of great athletes, mountain climbers, and yogis is far greater than that of ordinary men, allowing them to perform extraordinary feats. Better breathing means a better and healthier life.

The act of breathing is so organised that the lungs are normally in ated sixteen to eighteen times a minute. Fresh air containing life-giving oxygen is sucked into them, and gases 206

containing carbon dioxide from the body tissues are sent out in exchange through the breathing passages. The rhythmic in ation of the soft, honey-combed bellows of the lungs is maintained by the movements of the rib-cage and diaphragm. The latter in turn are driven or powered by impulses sent down by the respiratory centre in the brain to the relevant muscles through the nerves. Thus the brain is the instigator through which the respiration and the three mental functions of thought, will and consciousness are regulated. The breathing cycle consists of three parts: inhalation, exhalation and retention. Inhalation is an active expansion of the chest by which the lungs are lled with fresh air. Exhalation is a normal and passive recoil of the elastic chest wall by means of which the stale air is exhaled and the lungs are emptied. Retention is a pause at the end of each inhalation and exhalation. These three form one cycle of breathing. The breathing afects the heart rate. During the prolonged holding of breath, a slowing of the heart rate is observed, which ensures increased rest to the heart muscle. Respiration may be classi ed into four types: (a) High or clavicular breathing, where the relevant muscles in the neck mainly activate the top parts of the lungs. (b) Intercostal or midbreathing, where only the central parts of the lungs are activated. (c) Low or diaphragmatic breathing, where the lower portions of the lungs are activated chie y, while the top and central portions remain less

active. (d) In total or pranayamic breathing, the entire lungs are used to their fullest capacity. In pranayamic inspiration, diaphragmatic contraction is delayed until after the conscious contraction of the muscles of the anterior and lateral abdominal wall. These muscles are diagonally connected to the ribcage above and the pelvis below. This action lowers and stabilises the dome-shaped diaphragm which originates at the lower rib margin; it pushes up the abdominal organs and increases the capacity of the thorax. This prepares the diaphragm for a subsequent contraction of maximum extent and e iciency by reducing the centripetal pull. This minimises interference with the next action of the sequence, the elevation and expansion of the lower ribcage in ascending upwards. This is accomplished by the vertical pull of the diaphragm followed by the sequential activation of the intercostal muscles to allow the fullest caliper-like movements of the oating ribs, bucket-handle like movements of the individual ribs, elev207

ation and full circumferential expansion of the ribcage as a whole from its origin at the spine. Finally the highest intercostals and the muscles connecting the upper ribs, sternum and clavicles to the neck and skull are contracted, enabling the upper part of the lungs to be lled. Then the already expanded thoracic cavity expands further forwards, upwards and sideways. This series of movements of the abdomen, chestwall and neck, in which each step of the sequence prepares the ground for the next, results in a maximum lling of the lungs, to create space for the incoming air to reach every corner of each lung. The sadhaka must rst direct his body-conscious awareness speci cally and intelligently at the lower anterior abdominal wall just above the pelvis. To accomplish this, he has to move the lower abdominal wall towards the spine and against the diaphragm as if massaging from the skin to the muscles and muscles to the inner organs. This sense of active conscious contraction is associated with visible movements of the abdominal wall from the surface skin to its deepest layers, and can be directed

at will. After that, direct your attention to expand the lateral and posterior regions of the chest. Elevate the lower chest wall simultaneously expanding the top chest wall with its skin and muscles. The diaphragm gradually and smoothly resumes its domed shape as it starts to relax towards the end of inspiration. During exhalation the dome moves up again. It is active at the start of expiration to encourage a smooth slow start to the elastic recoil of the lungs. The fresh oxygen which is sucked in percolates the minute sacs (the alveolar sacs) which fonn the basic unit of the lungs. The membranes round these alveoli convey this oxygen into the blood stream and then the carbon dioxide from the blood into the air of the lungs for its disposal through exhalation. The blood with fresh oxygen is carried by arteries from the left side of the heart to cells in every nook and corner of the body, thus replenishing their store of life-giving oxygen. The waste products (mainly the carbon dioxide) thrown out by each sac are then taken by the venous blood stream from the right side of the heart to the lungs for disposal. The heart pumps this blood through the body at an average rate of seventy times per minute. Hence to breathe properly we need the smooth co-ordination 208

of all the relevant parts of the body, the power or controlhouse (the nervous system), the bellows (the lungs), the pump (the heart) and the plumbing system (the arteries and veins), besides the driving motor of the rib cage and the diaphragm.

1.3
1.3.1

July
El suelo plvico como muelle interno. Toni Romero (2013-07-01 13:11)

Toni Romero,urdhava KukkutasanaEn el desarollo de la inteligencia musculatur relacionada con el pc se convierto en una toma conciencia de la fuerza interna. El cuerpo se extiendo, estira y se eleva con suma facilidad desde la fuerza interna que produce ese muelle muscular a nivel fsico y prnico en el marco sutil. Al producir esa contraccin en el plana primero, abre los canales internos para un ujo libre de las fuerza prnica y apnicas dentro del canal central. Uddiyana en el ascensor del cuerpo, al retornar el ujo energtico en los canales chackras mueve todo el espacio interno y exterior como las piezas de un reloj extendiendo y replegando el cuerpo desde ese axis que mantiene toda la estabilidad esqueltica y 209

muscular. Una forma muy efectiva de empezar es estudio de mulabhanda es el control muscular al orinar, cerrando y abriendo el paso para ir tomando conciencia de una forma del tejido interno del suelo plvico. Con un traccin ms profunda del Mulabhanda, Uddiyana (una ligera succin del txido justo encima del "pubic bone") es automticamente conectada, ya que son dos aspectos inseparables del mismo grupo muscular encadenado uno al otro.

1.3.2

Ahamkara and the myth of Rama from the book "The mirror of yoga" by Richard Freeman (2013-07-02 19:03)

The next thing that evolves out of buddhi is called ahamkara the

I-maker or the ego function. Though essential to establishing form and organisms in this world, it can become the stem of endless suffering and loneliness. Within the Samkhya system ahamkara is considered to be a sacred process that occurs within prakrti. It has been called the cit-acit granthi, the knot that ties together that which is cit or pure consciousness (purusa) with that which is acit or unconsciousness (prakrti). The knot forms as a mysterious sense of a subjective If which continuously collects images, theories, and beliefs about itself as separate from others and from its environment. It arises from basic ignorance, the confusion of purusa with prakrti. It causes us to quickly create subject-object relationships in the sense elds by endowing countless small sections of prakrti with self, thereby pulling objects out of their backgrounds. The ahamkara, the ego, then accepts or rejects the objects according to its perceived need to protect and maintain itself as a separate organism, blocking the inherent ow of information within the buddhi that would lead to truer perception and insight. This confusion of ego, this blocking of the intelligence of interdependence, is still ultimately the 210

gunas acting on the gunas and is every bit as sacred as any of the other manifestations of prakrti, any other perception or insight, and any of the other processes of the buddhi. In fact the ego is essential to life because it allows us to at least temporarily draw boundaries and identify particular things this body, this thought, this object as separate from everything else. To understand the importance of ahamkara, imagine it as a seed. Generally a seed has a hard outer surface, which keeps it separated from what is outside of its exterior shell. At a certain point, if it is a lucky seed, it falls into the ground, and with the presence of moisture, the outer casing begins to soften until it is suciently supple and becomes porous. At this point there is communication between the inside of the seed which has information and the external environment. It is that exchange of information that stimulates the growth of the seed so that transformation, life itself, can begin to occur. Likewise, we have an ego that is like a shell that allows our potential, the manifestation of our

truest self, to develop. At certain junctures of interaction with others or with the environment which are usually points of illumination, transformation, or insight our ego becomes porous. If we stay present with the process of change that we are encountering, and if we stay tuned into the process of the gunas acting on the gunas, then we are carefully able to let go of those things we identify as ourselves and release the perceptions that falsely or partially identify others and other things as separate For us and From each other. In this way we are able to assimilate things that lie beyond our immediate system, whether they are outside our philosophical system or the physical system of our body. This assimilation process allows us to experience transformation or growth, and in witnessing our own process of change there is the possibility of discovering what we really are deep at the core. Yoga actually makes the 211

ego Function porous. Periodic letting go of ego positions and images keeps the Function useful and healthy, allowing insights to occur. Having no ego function would mean the death of our physical organism, but learning to become uid within our ego system leads to insight. The ego, the ahamkara, is useful in that it always gives us stuff to let go of. It is sacred in that when its contracting Function arises in us or in others, it should be observed as it is. Another function of the ahamkara is to facilitate a shift offocus away from pure consciousness by turning the activity of the buddhi outward in a relentless attempt to create a false self, or a false purusa. This process is represented in the myth of Rama, in which Ramas beloved consort Sita was captured by the demon Ravana, who carried her away to Sri Lanka. This event set off the yogic cycle of activity that is part of the ancient epic tale the Ramayana. In the story the demon Ravana is the ego, the false purusa, who steals the buddhi, or Sita, away from pure consciousness, Rama, the true purusa. Rama then enlists the son of the wind god, Hanuman who represents prana, and which cleans and integrates the buddhi. Hanuman steals Sita back and burns down the city, which represents the structures around the in ated ego, Ravana. Ultimately Rama defeats Ravana in an incredible battle, and this defeat necessitates all of the other events that happen within the story and which are symbolic of the yoga process. The story should be read by all students of yoga.

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1.3.3

Mula bandha, Uddiyana Bandha from the book Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy Gregor Maehle (2013-07-05 14:39)

The term bandha is related to the English word bonding. We bond breath, movement, and awareness together. The rst bandha is called Mula Bandha,which translates as root lock. The root referred to here is the root of the spine, the pelvic oor or, more precisely, the center of the pelvic oor, the perineum.The perineum is the muscular body between the anus and the genitals. By slightly contracting the pubo-coccygeal (PC) muscle, which goes from the pubic bone to the tailbone (coccyx), we create an energetic seal that locks prana into the body and so prevents it from leaking out at the base of the spine.Mula Bandha is said to move prana into the central channel, called sushumna, which is the subtle equivalent of the spine.Locating the PC muscle might be difcult at rst.It has been suggested that one should tighten the anus, or alternatively contract the muscle that one would use to stop urination, but these indications are not entirely accurate: Mula

Bandha is neither of these two muscles but located right between them.These suggestions have their value, however, offering some guidance until we become more sensitive and are able to isolate the PC 213

muscle more precisely.For females it is essential not to mistake Mula Bandha for a contraction of the cervix. This con -traction tends to occur especially during strenuous activity. Should a woman do this on a daily basis when engaged in two hours of yoga practice, she could experience difculty in giving birth.In the beginning we employ mainly a gross muscular lock, which works mainly on the gross body. Through practice we shift to an energetic lock,which works more on the subtle or pranic body.When mastered, Mula Bandha becomes exclusively mental, and works on the causal body.To become familiar with Mula Bandha, sit tall and upright in a comfortable position and focus on slightly contracting the perineum, which is the center of the pelvic oor. With the exhalation, visualize the breath beginning at the nostrils and slowly reaching down through the throat, the chest, and the abdomen until it eventually hooks into the pelvic oor, which contracts slightly. As the inhalation starts, there will be an automatic reaching upward.Since we keep the breath hooked into the pelvic oor through contracting the PC muscle, we create suction and an energetic lift upward through the entire core of the body. This is Mula Bandha. With this movement the rst step is taken to arrest the downward ow of life force, which increases with age and invites death, disease, and decay like the withering of a plant, and convert it into an upward ow that promotes growth and further blossoming.Mula Bandha is held throughout the entire breathing cycle and during the whole practice. Every posture needs to grow out of its root. This is only nally released during deep relaxation in complete surrender.The second bandha is Uddiyana Bandha. It is sometimes confused with Uddiyana, one of the shat karmas or six actions, also called kriyas, of Hatha Yoga. This Uddiyana is a preparation for nauli, the stomach roll.Nauli is practiced by sucking the entire abdominal content up into the thoracic cavity. It is done only during breath retention (kumbhaka), and it is very different from the technique practiced in VinyasaYoga. The Uddiyana Bandha of Vinyasa Yoga is a much gentler exercise. It consists of lightly contracting the transverse abdominis muscle, which runs horizontally across the abdomen and is used to draw the abdominal contents in against the spine.To successfully switch on Uddiyana Bandha, it is important to isolate the upper transverse abdominismuscle from the lower part and use only the part below the navel. Doing other wise impinges on the free movement of the diaphragm. If the movement of the diaphragm is restricted for a long time, aggressive,boastful, egotistical, and macho tendencies can develop in the psyche. This is not endorsed by traditional teaching, however. Shankara and Patanjali provideus with the following explanations. True posture,according to Shankara, is that which lead seffortlessly to meditation on Brahman and not to pain and self-torture. Patanjali says that asana is perfected when meditation on the innite (ananta) is achieved through the releasing of excess effort.Some have claimed that Ashtanga Yoga is warrior yoga, and that warriors used it to psych themselves up for battle. This is a very sad misunderstanding.Those who have had a true experience of the practice will have come away feeling tired and happy and denitely not psyched up for battle. Rather, one feels more like hugging ones enemy and, incomplete surrender, handing them whatever they demand perhaps even imparting genuine adviceas to how to enjoy life and not waste it with suchbstupidities as aggression and warfare. There is no warrior yoga. War and yoga exclude each otherbecause the rst yogic commandment is ahimsa nonviolence.Richard Freeman says that Uddiyana Bandha is infact only a slight suction inward just above thepubic bone. The more subtle Uddiyana Bandha becomes, the more blissful, peaceful, childlike, and innocent becomes the character of the practitioner.I suggest starting by rming the abdominal wall below the navel and then, as awareness increases with years of practice, allow Uddiyana Bandha to slide downward. Again, the more subtle it becomes,the more inuence Uddiyana Bandha will have on th esubtle body.As I have mentioned in the previous section, a lot of emphasis has been placed on abdominal breathingin our culture in the last forty years. This has its place in the performing arts especially dance and theater and for therapy. It is certainly helpful for singers and actors, and for someone undergoing psychotherapy. Abdominal breathing, with complete relaxation of the abdominal wall, is recommended a suseful when ever we want to connect to our emotionsand bring them to the fore. In the New Age movementin particular, emotions are seen as something sacred that one needs to follow and live out. Abdomina lbreathing is a good idea whenever one wants to intensify ones emotions.In many other situations, though, it is not helpful to heighten ones emotions. After all, emotions are only a form of the mind. To be emotional means to react to a present 214

situation according to a past conditioning.For example, if I am rejected in a certain situation that is new to me, I will feel hurt. If i nd my self in a similar situation again, I will become emotional even before any new hurt has been inicted. I will emote hurt before I actually feel it. An emotion is a conserved feeling that arises because the original feeling has left a subconscious imprint in the mind. Patanjali calls this imprint samskara. The theory that being emotional is being more authentic is awed, since an emotional person is as much in the past as a person who is constantlyin his or her head.Besides the fact that it makes one emotional,constant abdominal breathing also has negativ ephysical repercussions. It leads to sagging, collapsing abdominal organs with enlarged, weak blood vessels and stagnant blood. Then follow a lack of oxygen supply, a decrease in vitality, and eventually the development of chronic disease.If the lower abdominal wall is kept rm and the upper wall is relaxed, the diaphragm moves up and down freely and the whole abdomen functions like the combustion chamber of an engine, with thediaphragm as the piston. This produces a strong oscillation of intra-abdominal blood pressure, and it is exactly this mechanism that produces healthy abdominal organs. When the diaphragm moves down and the abdominal wall is held, the pressure in the combustion chamber will rise. When the diaphragm moves up, all the blood is sucked out of the abdomen and blood pressure drops. This strong oscillation of abdominal blood pressure constantly massages the internal organs and leads to strong,healthy tissue.We look now at the subtle mechanics of Uddiyana Bandha. Uddiyana means ying up. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that, because of Uddiyana Bandha, the great bird of prana ies up incessantly through the sushumna. Sushumna is the central energy channel,which lies, albeit in the subtle body, roughly in front of the spine and originates at the perineum. It terminates within the head some sources say at the highest point of the head, but more often it is described as ending where the head is joined to the spine. The sushumna is usually dormant. It is accompanied by two other nadis (energy channels), which wind around it like the snakes of the caduceus.These are the lunar (ida) and solar (pingala) channels.There are certain parallels between solar and lunar energy channels on the one hand and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on the other, but we cannot say that the one is the other.The Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains that prana should be directed into sushumna by closing the ida and pingala. The same text states that, by practicing MulaBandha, prana will enter sushumna. In a later stanza of the text a great truth is revealed: time (which we perceive as the uctuation of night and day) is produced by the sun and moon.In other words, it is the illusion of time that prevents us from recognizing deep reality (Brahman), which is timeless and is fabricated by the moment of inner breath (prana) int he pingala (solar) and ida (lunar) energy channels.The stanza goes on to reveal the key to all physical yoga, which is that the sushumna devours time.In other words, if prana is made to enter the centralchannel it will devour time, which is itself a creation of the uctuating mind and which keeps us from abiding in deep reality, the timeless consciousness(Brahman). Time is the operating system of th ehuman mind; to go beyond time is to go beyond mind. This is possible when the great bird of prana ies up in sushumna, and sushumna devours time.For this the use of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha is prescribed.Even the great Shankara says that Mula Bandha should always be practiced, since it is t for raja yogins. In other words, even raja yogins those who practice mind suspension and who are sometimes disparaging about Hatha yogins and their preoccupation with their bodies should take up the practice of Mula Bandha, since it leads to going beyond mind.If we remember now Patanjalis denition of yoga being the suspension of mind, we begin to understand the importance of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha.

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1.3.4

Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) (2013-07-08 10:10)

http://kpjayi.org/biographies/k-pattabhi-jois Childhood Yogacharaya Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) was born on the full moon of July 1915, in Kowshika, a small hamlet located 150 kilometers from Mysore in the southern state of Karnataka. His father was an astrologer and a priest in the village of nearly seventy families. Guruji was the middle of nine children, and from the age of ve, like most Brahmin boys, began to study the Vedas and Hindu rituals. At 12, he attended a yoga demonstration at his middle school that inspired him to learn more about the ancient practice. He was so

excited about this new discovery, he arose early the next morning to meet the impressive yogi he had seen, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, one of the most distinguished yogis of the 20th Century. 216

After questioning Guruji, Krishnamcharya agreed to take him on as his student, and for the next two years, unbeknownst to his family, Guruji practiced under the great yogis strict and demanding tutelage every day before school, walking ve kilometers early in the morning to reach Krishnamacharyas house. He was ambitious in his studies and driven to expand his knowledge of yoga. When he would read the Ramayana and other holy books on the veranda of his house, his family members would say, Oh, look at the great pundit. Why are you wasting your time with books? Go tend to the cows! Mysore When Guruji turned fourteen, he was given the Brahmin thread initiation the ceremony in which a Brahmin boy becomes a man and is initiated into the spiritual life. Soon after the signicant ceremony, and with two rupees in his pocket, Guruji secretly ran away from home to seek Sanskrit study at the Sanskrit University of Mysore. After getting off the train, he went straight to the admissions department, showed his thread as proof of being Brahmin [this would gain him free admission], and was accepted to the school. He dutifully attended classes and his studies, and continued his yoga practice, even giving demonstrations that secured him food privileges at the university mess. With little money, life in the beginning was difcult for Guruji, who also begged for food at Brahmin houses. It was three years before he wrote to his father to tell him where he was and what he was doing. In 1932, he attended a yoga demonstration at the university and was pleased to discover that the yogi on stage was his guru, Sri Krishnamacharya. Having lost touched after Guruji left Kowshika, they recommenced their relationship in Mysore, which lasted twenty-ve years. The Maharaja During this time, Mysores Maharaja, Sri Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, fell suddenly ill. Informed of a remarkable yogi who might help him where all others had failed, he sent for Krishnamacharya, who cured him through yoga. In gratitude, the Maharaja established a Yoga shala for him on the palace grounds, and sent him, along with model students like Guruji, around the country to perform demonstrations, study texts, and research other yoga schools and styles. Some one hundred students were schooled at the palace yoga shala. The Maharaja was especially fond of Guruji and would call him to the palace at four in the morning to perform yoga demonstrations. In 1937, he ordered Guruji to teach yoga at the Sanskrit University, in spite of

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his desires to remain a student. Guruji established its rst yoga department, which he directed until his retirement in 1973. The department was permanently closed after that. The Maharajah died in 1940, bringing an end to Krishnamacharyas long patronage. By the time the esteemed teacher left for Madras in 1954, he had only three remaining, very dedicated students: Guruji, his friend C. Mahadev Bhatt, and Keshavamurthy. Guruji was the only one who considered teaching his lifes work, and carried on Krishnamacharyas legacy in Mysore. Family While Guruji was studying with Krishnamacharya, a young and strong-willed girl began to attend his yoga demonstrations at the Sanskrit University, accompanied by her father, a Sanskrit scholar. One day, after one of the demonstrations, Savitramma, who was only fourteen at the time, announced to her father, I want that man in marriage. Agreeably, her father approached the 18-year-old Guruji and invited him to their home in the village of Nanjangud, twenty kilometers away. Guruji respectably accepted. After learning more about the young yogi and his Brahmin and family background, Savitrammas father agreed to the union, as did Gurujis father despite the couples horoscope report of unsuitability. Suitable or not, I want to marry him, declared Savitramma, who later came to be affectionately known as Amma [mother]. They were married that year in a love match on the fourth day after the full moon of June 1933, Ammas birthday. After the wedding, Amma returned to her family and Guruji to his room at the University. They didnt see each other for three to four years, until 1940, when Amma joined her husband in Mysore to begin their life 218

together. They had three children Manju, Saraswathi and Ramesh each who became great yoga teachers themselves. Amma was Gurujis rst yoga student, and was also given a teaching certicate by Krishnamacharya. Amma was like a mother to Gurujis students, both Western and Indian; her presence cherished as much as his. She was kind and loving, always ready with an invite for coffee or an encouraging word. Because she was also well-versed in Sanskrit, she was often nearby to correct Gurujis mistakes or remind him of a forgotten Sanskrit verse much to the amusement of all present. She passed away suddenly in 1997. Her loss was devastating to the entire family, as well as to the family of yoga students. Teaching Life during the early years was not easy. Although Guruji had a yoga teaching position at the Sanskrit University, his ten-rupee-a-month salary was barely adequate to maintain a family of ve. [Their circumstances eased somewhat in the mid-fties when he became a professor.] In 1948, Guruji established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in their tiny two-room home in Lakshmipuram with a view toward experimenting with the curative aspects of yoga. Many local ofcials, from police chiefs to constables and doctors, practiced with him. Local physicians even sent their patients to Guruji to help with the treatment of diabetes, heart and blood pressure problems and a variety of other ailments. In 1964, Guruji added an extension to the back of his house, consisting of a yoga hall that held twelve students, and a resting room upstairs. That same year, a Belgian named Andre van Lysbeth arrived at the AYRI on the recommendation of Swami Purnananda, a former student of Gurujis. For two months, Guruji 219

taught this foreigner the primary and intermediate asanas. Soon after, Van Lysbeth wrote a book called Pranayama in which Gurujis photo appeared, and introduced the Ashtanga master to the Europeans. They eventually became the rst Westerners to seek him out and study in Mysore. Americans followed soon after in 1971. Guruji had already traveled widely in India with Krishnamacharya and with Amma, meeting yogis, debating with scholars and giving yoga demonstrations. He met with Swami Sivananda, and the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, and befriended Swami Kulyananda and Swami Gitananda, both renowned for their scientic research in yoga. Gurujis ashtanga had extended throughout India, but didnt reach the overseas community until 1973 (the very same year he retired from the Sanskrit University), when he was invited to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The following year he went to Encinitas, California, the rst of many teaching trips abroad, including France, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, England and Australia. Over the next twenty years, word of Pattabhi Jois and ashtanga yoga slowly spread across the globe, and the number of students coming to Mysore steadily increased. In 1998, Guruji shifted his residence to Gokulam, a suburb of Mysore, but continued teaching from the Lakshmipuram institute. By then, he was receiving more international students than the small room could handle, so he began construction of a much larger hall, just opposite his house in Gokulam. The new shala ofcially opened in 2002, with 220

several days of pujas and ceremonies. Four years later, his dream of opening a school in the United States was realized with the launch of an institute in Islamorada, Florida. Guruji conducted the opening ceremonies there in 2006, which served as his nal trip abroad. The Passing of the Lineage In 2007, Guruji became gravely ill, bouncing back just enough to teach a bit more yoga. By the end of the following year, after seven decades of continuous teaching, he had gradually retired from his daily classes, leaving the institute in the capable hands of his daughter Saraswathi and grandson Sharath. Guruji passed away at home in Mysore on May 18th, 2009 at the age of 93. His death came as a tragic loss

to the worldwide yoga community. His entire life was an endeavor to imbue his students with commitment, consistency and integrity and to actualize in his own life the conduct of a householder yogi. It is by virtue of his undying faith and enthusiasm that the practice that he learned from Krishnamacharya has remained alive. And thus, by his devotion to the daily teaching of yoga, his legendary works will remain alive too. [EMBED] 221

1.3.5

SHIRSHASANA From the book Yoga Mala by Sri K Pattabhi Jois

(2013-07-10 14:51)

While coming from the 6th to the 7th vinyasa of the rst Surya Namaskara and doing puraka, sit on theknees, lock the ngers together and place the elbows on the oor; this is the 7th vinyasa. Then, doingrechaka and then puraka, place the crown of the head on the oor, interlocked hands cupping the back ofthe head and, doing rechaka and puraka again, straighten the legs and, keeping them together andstraight, lift them up with the power of the arms, tighten the body, point the toes, and keep the bodyerect using the strength of the arms; this is the 8th vinyasa, during which rechaka and puraka should bedone slowly and as many times as possible. Then, doing rechaka slowly, bring the feet back down ontothe oor, rest with the buttocks on the heels and the head on the oor for two minutes. Next, doingpuraka and then rechaka, jump back into the 4th vinyasa of the rst Surya Namaskara; this is the 9thvinyasa. The next vinyasas are as those described above.Aspirants should note that merely putting the head down and legs up, and then standing upside downis not Shirshasana; very simply, this is wrong. Indeed, no one should be deluded into thinking thatShirshasana is an easy asana. The proper method for it must be carefully learned. For example, the entirebody must stand upside down on the strength of the arms alone. If the full bodily burden is carried by 222

Toni Romero Headstandthehead, the circulation of the blood from the heart, which is owing properly to the limbs, will be preventedfrom making its way to the subtle nadis in the crown of the head, which is pressed to the oor. Then,following the descent from the state of the asana, there is the possibility that the subtle nadis in the braincould become spoiled by the inrush of blood when the head is lifted. This could impede bodily andintellectual growth, and lead to delusions, mental abnormalities, illness, or a shortened life. Aspirantsshould therefore practice this asana knowledgeably and with great care. Some people, ignorant of theproper method, practice Shirshasana after seeing it in a book or photograph, and so subject themselvesto numerous problems, and even inspire fear in others who practice the asana correctly, as I havewitnessed from my own experience. I have also come across situations in which many ailments resultingfrom the improper practice of this asana have been cured by an aspirants learning the method properly.Thus, let me repeat again that aspirants should take great care with Shirshasana.Some say that practitioners should stay in this asana for only two to ve minutes; otherwise, harmcould come to them. It must be stressed, however, that this is not correct, as the following scripturalsaying attests: Yama matram vashe nityam [We can dwell in (Shirshasana) for three hours]. This is aview supported by experienced and learned people well-versed in the scriptures. It is also the right one.One yama equals three hours. To be able to stay in Shirshasana for three hours, an aspirant should beginby practicing it rst for ve, then ten, and then fteen minutes, that is, he should gradually increase thetime in the state 223

of Shirshasana by increments of ve minutes. In this way and by force of slowlypracticing over many days, months, and years, an aspirant should be able to stay in the asana for a fullthree hours. Practiced in this way, Shirshasana will nourish the body, sense organs, mind, and intellect,and thereby promote their evolution. However, if an aspirant stays in the state of Shirshasana for one tove minutes, or even less than a minute, he will not get the specied benets.In Shirshasanas state, both the lower abdomen and the anus should be taken in fully and held tightly in other words, mula bandha should be done. In addition, the entire body should be kept erect andrechaka and puraka performed deeply, without kumbhaka.BENEFITSThrough the practice of Shirshasana, the subtle nadis of the head that is, those related to the brain andsense organs, such as the eyes are puried by an inow of warm blood, and the power of memory isincreased. Eye disease is destroyed, the eyes glow, and long-sightedness improves. The ve senseorgans, too, become puried. Moreover and by means of this asana only the bindu that results fromthe transformation of food into blood and is preserved through pure food and fresh air (both of which areneeded for the bodys survival) is able to reach the sahasrara chakra (the seventh and highest chakra,where spiritual illumination occurs). Knowledgeable people regard the attenuation of amrita bindu asdeath and its preservation as life. It is better, therefore, to preserve it. As long as there is pure bindu inour bodies, fresh youthfulness will be manifest in us. As experience demonstrates again and again,practicing without fail for a long time not only endows the body with power and brightness, but increasesintellectual power. This is afrmed by the yoga shastra: Maranam bindu patena / Jivanam bindudharanat / Tasmat sarvaprayatnena / Bindu dharanam abhyaset [Loss of bindu is death / and thepreservation of it, life / So, by all means / is the holding of bindu to be preserved].To repeat, with bindus loss comes death; with its retention, life. Thus men should practice to preserveit with all their might. And preserving bindu is what Shirshasana does. Yet no amount of writing canconvey the utility of this asana. An aspirant can only enjoy its happiness through its practice. It isimpossible to try to describe the sweetness of sugar. Only by tasting sugar can the experience of itssweetness be had, even for Brahma [God]. Just as people feel the sweetness of sugar by eating it, so toowill they experience the happiness of this asana by practicing it.As I mentioned earlier, there are differences of opinion about the practice of Shirshasana and otheryogasanas. According to some, delusions and other afictions result from the over-practice ofShirshasana, and it may also weaken the heart. Indeed, it is claimed that it is harmful to practice for anyamount of time. This, at least, is the theory propounded in books written by publicityhungry people whomay or may not practice yoga, or who call themselves yogis out of some attachment to the yogic science.And, to some extent, their words are true, at least for those who think they are practicing Shirshasanawhen they put their heads down on the oor and their legs up in the air whenever the fancy strikes them.Not surprisingly, such theories create great fear in people who have the zeal, godly devotion, and desireto practice yoga, and those that advance them gain names for themselves and great fame. After all,when someone achieves something others have not, can fame not come as a result? But there are nogrounds for such wrongheaded notions whatsoever. Indeed, if there were any danger in yoga, peoplelong ago would have lost interest in the science, become indifferent to its practice, and declared itssayings, the sayings of the greatest of the great yogis, such as Patanjali, to be a bundle of myths.

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1.3.6

Bandhas and granthis From the book Moola bandha the master key
(2013-07-13 11:47)

To further understand bandhas we must extend our view so as to see them not only as locks but also as removers of locks or blockages, in the form of physical and mental impurities. According to the scriptures there are granthis or psychic knots, located at mooladhara, anahata and ajna chakras. Granthis represent blockages in mans awareness of himself at the different levels of consciousness; they obscure the true image of man: essential nature. Traditionally, bandhas were prescribed as one of the most effective means of untying these knots or blockages, existing as tension, anxieties, repressions and unresolved con icts, thereby allowing us to rediscover our true nature. The force generated from the bandhas may be likened 225

to that of increased pressure in a tube. Imagine a piece of tubing resting vertically to the ground. This tube represents sushumna nadi (the main pranic energy channel which runs up the spine). 1. Moola bandha represents the sealing of the lowest portion of the tube, thus preventing the downward motion of prana. It stimulates energy in mooladhara, awakening kundalini shakti. 2. jalandhan handha seals off the top portion of the tube. Prana is now locked within this tube. 3. Uddiyana bandha completes maha bandha. It further increases pranic pressure by stimulating the solar plexus (manipura chakra), lling and expanding the closed tube. Thus, when maha bandha is performed, prana is compressed in sushumna. The locks prevent its downward and upward movement at the same time stimulating energy. Release of the bandhas ushes prana through the whole body, and as prana is by nature vital, life-giving energy, the body is relaxed, toned and rejuvenated. The granthis can then be pierced and untied. expanding consciousness.

1.3.7

La inteligencia del miedo . Toni Romero (2013-07-15 10:24)

El miedo controlado puede ser una excelente vara para ir mesurando las posibilidades de uno mismo e ir explorando las fronteras externas e internas. Como el nio que aprende a andar y cae una y otra vez el dolor a veces te ayuda a corregir, a endurecerte y obligarte a ir paso a paso en una escalera lgica de evolucin. Las prisas no son buenas, menos cuando tratas con formas de energa que hace millones de aos que 226

Toni Romeroexisten. Aunque hayan sufrido miles de transformaciones, todo ese poder de vida lleva mucho tiempo dando vueltas en el universo hasta forma tu ser. Hay una inteligencia implcita que debe ser escuchada, hay un maestro dentro de cada uno de nosotros que nos puede guiar mejor que todos los libros o consejos que puedan darte. Como deca Lao Tse, conocer a los dems es sabidura. Conocerse uno mismo es sabidura superior. Por ese motivo en la prctica es bueno escuchar el cuerpo, ir dejando que las energas que habitan dentro de cada uno de nuestras clulas sea liberada una a una y nos permita ir tomando consciencia de la propia capacidad.

1.3.8

Shushumna nadi y los sntomas de las ansiedad (2013-07-15 22:43)

En la tradicin del yoga sitan shushumna nadi en el centro del cuerpo como un canal vacio en el cuerpo sutil, donde la energa kundalini al ser despertada asciende hasta ms all del sptimo chakra a travs de los siete chackras y perforando los tres granthis (Brahma, Visn, Shiva) o nudos que obstruyen los diferentes niveles de conciencia. En el Hatha yoga Pradipika dice: When the Brahma granthi (in the heart) is pierced 227

through by Prnyma, then a sort of happiness is experienced in the vacuum of the heart, and the anhat sounds, like various tinkling sounds of ornaments, are heard in the body. In the rambha, a Yogs body becomes divine, glowing, healthy, and emits a divine smell. The whole of his heart becomes void. In the second stage, the airs are united into one and begin moving in the middle channel. The Yogs posture becomes rm, and he becomes wise like a god. By this means the Visnu knot (in the throat) is pierced which is indicated by highest pleasure experienced, And then the Bher sound (like the beating of a kettle drain) is evolved in the vacuum in the throat. In the third stage, the sound of a drum is known to arise in tie Snya between the eyebrows, and then the Vyu goes to the mah[nya, which is the home of all the siddhs. Conquering, then, the pleasures of the mind, ecstacy is spontaneously produced which is devoid of evils, pains, old age, disease, hunger and sleep. When the Rudra granthi is pierced and the air enters the seat of the Lord (the space between the eyebrows), then the perfect sound like that of a ute is produced. The union of the mind and the sound is called the RjaYoga. The (real) Yog becomes the creator and destroyer of the universe, like God. Tomando ahora en consideracin la ansiedad como una alteracin del prana producida por la oscilacin de pensamientos irracionales atados a sensaciones o vivencias pasadas que provocan una extensa lista de manifestaciones fsicas de ese proceso interna de inestabilidad. Hay una curiosa coincidencia con el mapeo del nadi central y los chackras. En referencia a eso Osho comento que Buddha jams haba hablado de kundalini, chackras, porque sus canales energticos internos era tan limpios que simplemente jams lo sinti. En ese contexto, se puede interpretar que cuando puedes expresar fsicamente la sensacin de un chackra representa, tal vez, un

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Toni Romerobloqueo en la movilidad de este. Si situamos esta teora paralelamente al recorrido de las expresiones ansiosas desde el suelo plvico hasta la coronilla de la cabeza tenemos un curioso camino ascendente. Desde la simple incomodidad cuando uno est nervioso y va al wc diversas veces antes de salir de casa, no por necesidad fsica, sino por una sensacin psicosomtica en la zona genital-plvica. Ese es un tejido muy sensible a las uctuaciones del prana y el apana, ya que se sita como si fuera el tapn de salida y subida de la energa sutil. Otra sensacin muy comn en el dolor en la barriga, el corazn acelerado, sensacin de nudo en la garganta-paladar, dolor de cabeza y lo que sera y en el ltimo chackra pensamientos de prdida de control o muerte. Si se observa el dibujo donde tradicionalmente se sita los siete chackras se ver una curiosa coincidencia con esa sintomatologa.

1.3.9

Dropping into asana (Richard Freeman Studio Talk, April 14, 2013) // Dharma Talk with Richard Freeman "Ganeshs Secret: The Obstacles to Yoga" (2013-07-18 15:13)

Dropping into asana (Richard Freeman Studio Talk, April 14, 2013) Dharma Talk with Richard Freeman "Ganeshs Secret: The Obstacles to Yoga" Click about name 229

Richard Freeman

1.3.10

Mental ill and moola bandha from the book moola bandha the master key
(2013-07-20 13:52)

Moola bandha is therefore an important tool in the treatment of physical diseases of the lower abdomen e.g. digestive ailments and sexual disorders. Because the body and mind are inextricably interlinked, as in the body, so in the mind, an effect on one cannot pass unnoticed by the other. Accordingly, moola bandha has the immediate effect of creating a deep sense of mental relaxation, thereby relieving most mental and psychosomatic disorders which are the direct or indirect effect of stress, tension and anxiety. As a mental relaxant, moola bandha has been found extremely useful in the treatment of such mental disorders A as depression, neurosis, some phobias, hysteria and mania. 230

Little experimental evidence exists to substantiate the elfects of moola bandha on psychosis. However, because of its effects on the brain and by virtue of the fact that moola bandha is effective in the treatment of both mania and depression, it has proved useful in correcting the extreme moods characteristic of manic-depressive psychosis, and in some cases of schizophrenia, especially in the early stages.

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1.3.11

Guru Purnima Sri K Pattabhi Jois birthday celebration (2013-07-22 11:38)

Sri K Pattabhi Jois "Guruji" photos Sri K Pattabhi Jois Biography [EMBED]

1.3.12

Ashtanga vinyasa mix Toni Romero (2013-07-23 16:31)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/nsXV6aLQLEQ

1.3.13

Sharaths Moscow Workshop Broadcast July 28 (7-9am Moscow Time)

(2013-07-26 18:12)

http://ashtangamoscow.com/ July 28 (7-9am Moscow Time) 232

[EMBED]

1.3.14

Ultimate drishti. Toni Romero (2013-07-26 18:24)

Sri K.Pattabhi Jois deca que tras aos y aos de practicar en un momento dado ver a dios era posible. Ese es el Atman Drishti. La mirada ya pierde por completo la calidad focal, porque es absorbida por completo hacia el interior para reejar hacia el exterior la unin del observador y el objeto que realiza la accin de observar. Me parece que llegado a ese punto las cadenas se rompen y permiten dejar conocer la divinidad que hay dentro de uno que es solamente parte de todo el cosmos que nos rodea. Vamos a mirar con persistencia y compasin, quizs un da encontrar a dios en todos los lugares sea posible. 233

Toni Romero

1.3.15

Vayus from the book Ashtanga Yoga by Lino Miele (2013-07-29 11:53)

VAYUS Vayu means "air" but it does not refer only to the gross element of air and its chemical properties. It also lefers to Pranic air. Prana Vayu moves through the body in a wave like motion and can be likened to the electromagnetic eld. where the energy is in constant motion. The Vayu in the body is divided into ive elementary parts (Pancha Maha). They are Pranaa Vayu. Udana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Apana Vayu and Vyana Vayu. Prana Vayu pervades the region from the larynxx (throat) to the diaphram.It is the force by which the breath is drawn into the body (inhalation). The function of this vayu is Pranic absorption, it directs all the other vayus in the body. UdanaVayu pervades the region rom the throat upwards to the head. lt controls organs above the throat, eyes, nose, ears and brain. All sensory receptors are activated by the vayu. Through it we are concious of the outer world. SamanaVayu pervades the region between the heart and the navel. It controls the digestuve system and all digestive functions "Rasa" the essence of food is assimilated and carried to the entire body. It also activates the heart and circulatoly system. Apana Vayu pervades the region below the navel. It governs all 234

downward moving impulses of elimination: menstruation and child birth,urinaton,excretion of wastes and semen from the male. lt also governs exhalation. Vyana Vayu pervades the entire body. It govern the circulatory system and through it, the muscles and joints. It is responsible for erect posture. movement and coordination.

1.3.16

You Want to Know What Inspires Me?

(2013-07-31 17:52)

You Want to Know What Inspires Me? by David Garrigues http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/07/you-want-to-know-what-inspire s-me/ 235

David Garrigues

1.4

August

1.4.1

Pranayama in the Bhagavad Gita (Pranayama the breath of yoga Gregor Maehle) (2013-08-01 12:48)

The Bhagavad Gita is the most inuential of the Indian scriptures. Containing the teachings of Lord Krishna, it denes pranayama in two ways.16 Firstly it says that some practice pranayama by offering apana (vital down-current) into prana (vital up-current) and prana into apana, and thus arrest the breath. The Gita uses the term prana apana gati. Frana gati is the inner down movement, which is contained in the rising inhalation. Apana gati is the inner rising, which is contained in the descending exhalation. This implies the profound teaching that each force in the universe contains its own counterforce. The pranic movement here is stopped by focusing on the gati, which is the inner opposite of the apparent outer force. Apana gati, the inner upward movement contained in the exhalation, is one of 236

the main motors to drive Kundalini (the coiled life force propelling spiritual liberation) upwards. The second denition of pranayama mentioned in the Gita is the sacrice of the senses into prana. During the movement of prana, i.e. inhalation and exhalation, the senses reach out and attach themselves to various objects of desire or aversion. During kumbhaka the senses are naturally drawn inwards and the yogi supports this by focusing on the Divine at the time of kumbhaka. The yogi forsakes and surrenders the normal outgoing activity of the senses and thus offers it to the prana suspended and arrested through kumbhaka. Hence, like the Yoga Sutra, the Gita sees pranayama both as perfecting the process of inhalation and exhalation and as mental operations performed during the time of kumbhaka (breath retention).

1.4.2

El valor del dolor. Toni Romero (2013-08-07 12:55)

Es terriblemente fcil dejarse fascinar por el propio progreso. Es una droga para el ego que te motiva, a la vez que te hace perder el rumbo. Eso te puedo llegar a cegar de tal modo que llega un punto que no sabes ni dnde ests. Equivocarse, caer, hacerse dao positivamente te devuelve a la realidad del presente y te hace ver que si pierdes el control, te ests dejando llevar por la mente no al revs. De vez en cuando es bueno pisar el suelo. Volver a empezar de nuevo una y otra vez. 237

Toni Romero

1.4.3

Meditation with Sattvic mind (Pranayama the breath of yoga Maehle)

(2013-08-10 14:26)

Famously, the Ramayana shows the dangers of meditation when not done with a sattvic mind. Of the three demon brothers, the demon king Ravana practised meditation with a rajasic mind and wrath became his undoing. His brother Kumbhakarna meditated with a tamasic mind and fell into a deep slumber from which he only rarely woke up. Only the third brother, Vibhishana, meditated with a sattvic mind, and it was only his intellect that gravitated towards the Divine. The Ramayana, although written down after the Mahabharata, contains one of the most ancient orally-handed-down epics of humanity. It delivers many subtle teachings on meditation, which, although mastered by sages of a bygone era, are not understood any more by modern practitioners. Hence more and more are heading down the road taken already by Ravana and Kumbhakarna. It is not a general lack of meditation that gnaws at the foundation of this world, for this whole world meditates with profound expertise on Mammon, the mighty dollar. It is what you meditate on that will determine your destiny, for what you meditate on you will attract and become. Before embarking on the voyage of meditation, the intellect has to be 238

made sattvic through pranayama.

1.4.4

Ashtanga Yoga and the Path to Purication by Govinda Kai (2013-08-10 19:12)

http://ashtanganews.com/2006/11/

Govinda Kai

1.4.5

Pranayama practice and stage of life (ashrama) From the book Pranayma the breath of yoga G.Maehle (2013-08-13 14:26)

T. Krishnamacharya said that in ancient society all members were adept in yogic practices . Although, considering the speed with which modern life unfolds, it appears difcult to get back to this state, the following paragraphs look at ways of integrating yoga into ones life, looking at the Vedic categories of ashrama (stage of life). The purpose of this information is to give modern yogis the ability to fade in the complete practices of yoga over their entire lifetime. The most important quantitative consideration for pranayama is how to integrate it slowly into our lives. The Yoga Rahasya talks 239

about limbs of yoga as applicable to ashrama. According to the Vedas, life unfolds in four stages. The rst stage, brahmacharya, takes up approximately the rst 25 years of life. During this time (brahmacharya ashrama) we learn and study everything that we need for the rest of our lives. The Yoga Rahasya recommends that one focus during this stage on asana practice interspersed with certain mudras such as Maha Mudra and Tadaga Mudra. The next phase of life, according to the Vedas, is the householder ashrama (Grihastha ashrama). During this phase we generally marry, start a family and enter professional life or run a business. As a rough guide, Grihastha ashrama lasts from age 25 to 50. The Yoga Rahasya suggests pranayama as ones main form of practice during this phase, while maintaining the level of asana practice one had when entering the ashrama. If during the householder stage you added 30 minutes of pranayama per day to your asana practice, you would nd yourself well prepared to enter the next phase of your life. The Vedas consider it imprudent, during the householder stage, 240

to reduce the attention dedicated to your family and professional, mercantile or administrative services rendered to society. Please note that the Vedas did not advise dropping out of society to nd spiritual freedom. Instead, they accepted that there were four human goals (purusharthas): artha (acquisition of wealth), kama (sexual pleasure), dharma (right action) and moksha (spiritual liberation). Fullment of all four goals makes for a fullled life. Generally speaking, as one progresses through the ashramas there is a progression of focus from goall to goal4, whereas dharma (right action) applies at all times, particularly when pursuing artha (wealth) and kama (sexual pleasure). The situation changes somewhat when entering the Vanaprastha ashrama, which lasts from age 50 to 75 approximately. Vanaprastha means forest dweller, referring to the fact that in the ancient days one would move with ones partner into the forest and build a cabin. Today we would call this a sea or tree change; the term empty nester refers to the same stage in life. The Vanaprastha is still available to family and society in a counselling role, but ones yoga practice time is now signicantly increased due to reduced professional duties and the fact that ones children are taking care of themselves. The emphasis on asana may become less, while time spent practising pranayama may double or triple. A signicant meditation and devotional practice is also introduced here. The main focus of the Vanaprastha stage of life is spirituality and preparation for samadhi. The nal ashrama, Sannyasa (renunciate), lasts from approximately 75 to 100 years of age. At this point one surrenders all material attachment and focuses solely on ones practice and service to the Divine. When we read of extreme forms of pranayama practice, this usually takes place during this stage of life. The Vedic idea of yoga is that, rather than plunging head-on into extreme forms of practice when young, one should develop ones practice slowly while transiting through the various stages of life fullling ones duties to family and society. This view is taken not only in the Yoga Rahasya but also, for example, in yogic treatises such as the Yoga Yajnavalkya and Vasishta Samhita.

1.4.6

El amor y la honestidad. Toni Romero (2013-08-16 13:59)

El amor y la honestidad son dos conceptos muy importantes. Debes amar tu jardn, regarlo con buenos propsitos si quieres que la hierba crezca sana y fuerte. En ese espacio no hay lugar para el autoengao. En occidente desde pequeos nos preparan para correr, para competir, para fracasar. Nos muestran que hacer al fracasar, nos ensean un camino de vergenza y desengao, pero ni siquiera nos inculcan eso en la posibilidad de triunfar. Importa ganar, para evitar el dolor, ms que para alcanzar el xito. Eso nos convierte en unos competidores compulsivos por despecho. En casi todos los aspectos de la vida tendemos a comparar, a competir con/ contra otros y hasta uno con mismo. Entonces aparece el yoga y eso rompe los esquemas que tenemos en la cabeza. No hay competicin posible, es un camino autoconocimiento y autoexploracin. No hay mejores o peores, quizs hay honestos, esos son los que realmente practican de corazn disfrutan y abren mente al universo. Luego siguen por otro lado los competidores que se machacan sin saber bien cul es el motivo, ni el porqu. 241

1.4.7

Gregor

Maehle

Interview

from

http://loveyogaanatomy.com/

(2013-08-18 14:12)

http://loveyogaanatomy.com/gregor-maehle-interview-2/

242

1.4.8

"La unin del amor" Toni Romero (2013-08-20 12:06)

En las fases iniciales de la prctica se desarrollan las races donde todo el rbol es completo hasta dar el fruto. Con el cultivo de las posturas abramos la conciencia y autoconocimiento para dominar la respiracin. Ese es la puerta interna para entrar en el canal central sushumna nadi i suspender el ujo de pensamientos dispersos en la mente, hasta una plena absorcin espacio-temporal en la verdadera naturaleza tal y como es. En ese tramo entra en acto la devocin o Bhakti y por lo tanto todas las distintas ramas del yoga son mutuamente disueltas en el ocano de la pura consciencia. 243

1.4.9

Asthanga Yoga As It Is Excerpt Matthew Sweeney (2013-08-21 16:20)

Introduction Astanga vinyasa yoga is a system of postures connected by the breath. It combines sequential, owing movements with focused internal awareness. Through self practice and self observation a nonjudgmental attitude is cultivated. This peaceful quality is manifested by focusing on the owing nature of the breath. The breath is the vehicle by which the body and mind are observed, puried and transcended. Astanga Yoga As It Is provides an exploration of both the physical and mental aspects of the Astanga yoga practice. The following introduction attempts to shed light on some core yoga concepts and relevant self development principles. The photographic section depicts both the asana of the traditional sequences and all of the relevant vinyasa. However, this book is not a "how to do it" manual. It does cover the main points of the tradition including many of the unwritten rules that dominate the Mysore-method. I have attempted to expand on why these rules are important, including the benets of the traditional practice and also some of 244

Matthew Sweeneythe possible drawbacks. In order for an individual to integrate the tradition a complete therapeutic and holistic approach is also necessary. Some criticisms can be made in order to understand the practice in terms of yoga rather than merely asana. As It Is aims to promote a questioning attitude to the practice, to help examine and integrate many of its qualities. As the physical practice evolves there should be a natural and healthy interest in the mental and emotional processes that go with it. The text uses a number of phrases in Sanskrit. It is helpful to understand a little of this language as it adds depth to the practice and a personal connection to the living history of yoga. Where possible the most accurate use of Sanskrit to English transliteration has been used. None of the material in this book is new, I merely present it in my own fashion. Om Santi Matthew Sweeney Sri K.P.Jois Any introduction to the practice of Astanga yoga should mention Sri Krisna Pattabhi lois and his cultivation of the vinyasa method. He is affectionately called Guruji by his students. The meaning for guru is heavy one, someone replete with the weight of yoga. Born in 1915, K.P. Jois introduction to yoga began at the age of twelve with Sri T. Krisnamacharya, with whom he studied from 1927 to 1945. He studiedSanskrit sahitya veda and advaita vedanta in the Mysore Maharaja Sanskrit College from 1930 to 1956. In 1937 he was elected Professor and Head of Department and was honoured by the title Yogasana Visarada by Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Puri in 1945. In 1948 he established the Astanga Yoga Nilayam in Mysore, India, to practice, rene and teach this method. Many students have since come to Mysore, bringing Astanga yoga to most parts of the world. For many years Guruji taught from a small room in the downstairs area of his house, the Nilayam in

245

Sri K Pattabhi JoisLakshmipuram, Mysore. This room could hold a maximum of twelve students with a bare hand-span between their mats: ve students in front, ve in the back, and two sideways, facing each other in the middle. If one had a loose practice it became more controlled in such minimal space. It is from the method taught in this room that the phrase "Mysore-style" was coined. Starting at about Sam the rst set of twelve students would begin their practice. They would repeat the prayer after Guruji and then start Suryanamsakara A. Once nished back bending and receiving a squash in Paschimottdnasanafrom the guru the student would be sent upstairs to do the nishing sequence on his or her own. Depending on the length of the practice the student could be anywhere from half an hour to two hours in the downstairs sala. Other students would then be waiting on the stairs until their spot became available and Guruji called them down, "Yes, yes! You come!" Any adjustment received from Guruji could be a life-changing and cathartic experience. Upon Gurujis approach, this usually quiet and unassuming man of below average height suddenly becomes a giant, the weight of over seventy years of yoga behind him. Despite the seeming grumpiness, his comments of "bad lady!" or "bad man!" came with a smile. As one female student confronted him: "I have discovered your secret Guruji. Bad ladyreally means good lady." "Oh, haha," he laughed, "Smartlady." The Mysore self-practice is unique compared to other asana classes. You practice at your own pace, by and large without interruption. There could be occasional comments from Guruji, such as, "Put it your head down!" or "No, No! Grab it your foot ngers!" or more rarely "Uh... correct." There is little noise except for deep breathing and the occasional grunt. Mysore-style practice has both an intense quality and a quality of inward looking, of meditation. You simply do your practice, receive certain adjustments and wait for the next posture. Sometimes it is a long wait. Some students would come to Mysore, saying they were doing Intermediate and some Advanced, only to nd that with Guruji half of the Primary sequence was where they were stopped. Guruji would not allow a student to progress without being able to successfully complete every posture. Frustrating for some, educational for others. It all depended on your mind-set. (See page 8 for further details of this aspect of the tradition.) Another potentially frustrating element was the hierarchy of the stairs. Guruji would often reserve a spot for a long term student, or a student would jump the queue and simply grab the spot they wanted. There were many disgruntled stair-waiters. In the end it never really mattered, for once in that tiny space, the practice humbled everyone. Sri T. Krisnamacharya Professor Sri Trimulai Krisnamacharya is considered by many to be the grandfather of modern yoga. By and large it is through his teachings that the systems of Astanga yoga (K.P. Jois), lyengar yoga (B.K.S. lyengar) and Vini yoga (T.K.V. Desikachar) were each developed. In the early years of his teaching Krisnamacharya used the vinyasa kramamethod, that of linking postures together in sequence by numbers. (Now called Astanga vinyasa yoga by K.P. Jois.) Later Krisnamacharya reportedly discovered a copy of the "Yoga Korunta" in Calcutta University, an ancient text written by Risi Vamana. It was a conrmation of the vinyasa method. Apparently Krisnamacharya used the book to solidify his understanding of vinyasa. However, as there is no modern form of this book it is not possible to verify its legitimacy. It seems to have passed with Krisnamacharya. 246

Written evidence or not, the proof of the benets are in the practice.

Sri T KrishnamacharyaAs time passed Sri T. Krisnamacharya developed and rened his teaching with different methods for different individuals. As well as thevinyasa krama, he used specic props for therapeutic purposes and he advocated individual yoga programs, oneon-one tuition with gentlepranayama being introduced from the start. Family life was important to Krisnamacharya, so much so that he refused the honour of becoming Head Swami of the Parakala Math, a respected lineage. His reply to each of the three times that he was asked was that he wished to spend time with his family. As brahmacharya or monk-like celibacy is considered ideal for yoga practice, this view of Krisnamacharyas was remarkable. At one time Krisnamacharya demonstrated his siddhis, or abilities, for the Maharaja of Mysore, who was also one of his students. He had wires attached to his head and the electric light switch and turned the palace lights on and off. At another time in the 1930s, with a foreign medical team in attendance, he stopped his heart for a full two minutes. Although these abilities may seem an attractive incentive for doing yoga, for thisyogacharya they were merely the bi-product of many years of practice, not the goal. It was only after practicing for over twenty-ve years that Krisnamacharya began to teach yoga. T.K.V. Desikachar describes his fathers practice when Krisnamacharya was over ninety: Whether you believe it or not, this old man gets up at one oclock in the morning... He practices his yogasana and pranayama every day... And at ve oclock the bell rings and we know he has started hispuja... He makes his own breakfast. Then I go to see him at seven o clock in the morning and we chant for one hour. The Yoga ofT. Krisnamacharya Krisnamacharyas teacher was Ramamohana Brahmacharl. He lived with his teacher for over seven years learning asana and vinyasapractice, yoga therapy and yoga philosophy. Krisnamacharya passed away in 1989 at the age of one-hundred. Beyond these scant details it is impossible to further track the history of the living vinyasa method. Most of the older tradition (some say stemming back to Patanj all) is unveriable and largely based on hearsay and conjecture. The Practice: Ujjayi Pranayama The starting point for any asana practice is the breath and for Astangayoga the starting point of the breath is ujjayi pranayama. Ujjayi is dened as extended victory. Prana is variously dened as "breath, respiration, wind, life force, life, energy, strength, the hidden energy in the atmospheric air." Pranayama is most clearly dened as the development (ayama) of life-energy (prana) rather than the restraint(yama) of breath (prana). The breath is the rst component of thetristhanam, or three places of attention. It is through the breath that the other two components, the body and mind are transformed. Respiration being disturbed, the mind becomes disturbed. By restraining respiration, the yogi gets steadiness of mind. So long as the (breathing) air stays in the body, it is called life. Death consists in the passing out of the (breathing) air... Ujjayi: having closed the opening of the larynx, the air should be drawn in such a way that it goes touching from the throat to the chest and making a noise while passing. 247

The Hatha Yoga PradipTka, 2: 2, 3, 51. By gently contracting the glottis area at the back of the throat, one can breathe in a controlled manner. This contraction creates a deep, sonorous sound, which increases the movement of the diaphragm and lengthens the spine. Initially, the sound of the breath may be a little exaggerated and raspy by over squeezing the glottis, eventually becoming both soft and steady. A soft, consistent sound aids the consistent ow of breath and helps to build heat in the body, ideal for any asana practice. The heat produced is not only conducive for stretching, but cleans and puries the body through the sweat. It should be noted that the breath should be as gentle as possible to keep it natural and organic. Avoid being forceful, otherwise this imposition will develop constraints rather than freedoms. In yogic physiology the sun represents the re element in the body, the inhalation (puraka), the heart and the life force. The moon represents the cooling element, the exhalation (rechaka), the lungs and the death force. By controlling the breathing, one inhibits the death force. The re,agni, increases and the life force increases. Ujjayi pranayama is the victory of life. There are three main areas where the sound of the breath resonates: the nostrils, the palate, and the throat (Figure 1). Only when the sound is at the back of the throat can il begin to resonate in the chest cavity, giving the diaphragm full range of movement. Experiment with the following exercises:

1. First breathe through the nose and accentuate the breath there. Flare the nostrils. The breath sounds quite airy. There is a common tendency to either gasp the air ir with the nose, or through inattention not realise that this sound is in the nose and is noi traveling to the throat and chest. This indicates a state of unconsciousness or lack ol awareness and is more common on the inhalation. 2. Clench the teeth and try to use the ujjayi breath. With the jaw locked, the sound hisses inside the mouth and bounces off the upper palate. When particularly tense in an asana there is often an unnecessary reection of this tension in the jaw and face This indicates a state of hyper-tension, or awareness 248

that is pushy and xed and is more common on the exhalation. 3. Drop the lower jaw, creating a sizeable gap between the upper and lower teeth and again create the ujjayi sound. With the face relaxed in this way the sound becomes smoother, softer, more resonant and less harsh. Focus both the exhalation and the inhalation with the jaw dropped and the face relaxed. The feeling is a little like breathing through the ears: the inner ear presses, and the cavern of the skull echoes with the sound. The mind becomes empty. There is a direct relationship between dropping the lower jaw (softly increasing the ujjayi sound), lengthening the spine and the freedom of movement of the diaphragm. That is, the correct application of the ujjayirestriction at the base of the throat subtly activates the jalandhara bandha, increasing the uddiyana bandha diaphragmatic movement. Theuddiyana likewise increases the rising mula bandha. The owing process of ujjayi pranayama promotes all three bandha equally. See the bandhasection (page 14) for more details. It is common for the sound of the breath to be louder and longer on the exhalation, and quieter and shorter on the inhalation. Try to balance the breathing between lack of awareness (exercise one) and xed awareness (exercise two). Generally the sound of the inhalation should be increased, or more sound through the base of the throat, and the sound of the exhalation should be more relaxed, or softer sound through the base of the throat. With the ujjayi sound consistent, the breathing lengthens evenly throughout the practice. Awareness of your body s needs of the moment will increase and injury will be unlikely. A combination of inattention and facial contortion causes most injuries. If the breathing is both soft and secure it is almost impossible to push too hard. Do not push if the breathing becomes secondary to achieving a posture. If the face stays relaxed, the breathing naturally becomes softer. It is not necessary for the whole room to shake when you maintainujjayi! Experienced practitioners generally have much quieter breathing. For beginners it is normal and useful to emphasise the exhalation and the ujjayi sound on exhalation: to let go, extend and breathe out for longer. For more experienced students, it is also helpful to emphasise the out-breath when learning a new, unfamiliar asana. There is a natural tendency for the inhalation to be shorter than the exhalation, particularly with upward dog, other back arching movements and twists. When the diaphragm is restricted by a posture, try to keep the start of the inhalation soft and subtle, rather than abrupt. When out of breath the inhalation is often drawn in too quickly out of panic, further aggravating the tension. Relax what is possible to relax and the breath and body will then be harmonious. One way to facilitate the extension of the inhalation in all asana is to count the breath. For example, inhale for a count of ve and exhale for a count of ve. At a certain point, however, this type of practice becomes laborious, particularly if maintained for the whole sequence. It can also take you away from the natural tendency of the breath, become too much of a physical strain and be potentially injurious. Lengthening the inhalation increases the ery nature of the practice, produces greater sweat, with the exhalation removing toxins. The inhalation brings energy (tension) in, the exhalation releases it. It should be noted that the air one draws in is not strictly speakingprana. The inhalation brings in both air and prana. Prana is the vital, life-giving aspect of the incoming air, not the whole thing. The air portion often has a degree of toxicity, various forms of physical or energetic pollution. The exhalation removes this toxicity, but also pushes outprana and energy is depleted. As the breathing becomes more rened, improving the individuals boundaries, the system only takes in that which is nourishing and rejects only that which is toxic. Also, it may be said that the practice of pranayama does not actually increase energy. It is awareness of prana that is already there that increases. It is accessing your full potential that is difcult. If the inhalation brings excessive tension with it, then a more relaxed breath will be necessary. The breath should always be owing. By avoiding holding the breath and bearing down or locking at the end of either inhalation or exhalation, injury can be avoided. This is not the same process as locking the bandha, but the symptom of "ght or ight", of the parasympathetic nervous system. It is with the inhalation that the spine lengthens, particularly accentuating the tension around the three granthi, the three knots. The three granthi are linked to various illnesses. See the section on the granthi (page 27). 249

As a general rule strength (the inhalation) takes longer to develop than exibility (the exhalation). As the two are inextricably linked, however, one cannot fully develop one without the other. Men tend to be more strong than exible and women more exible than strong. If these tendencies are exaggerated then imbalance occurs. The practice should balance these polarities. However, if there is a tendency to be more one way than the other, then the tendency should be accepted. It is useful to let the breathing be softer throughout the practice from time to time. Allow the breathing to dictate the practice rather than the other way around, doing all postures with less effort, working back from the ideal asana rather than towards it. This allows greater ease in the practice, less heat is involved and it is less draining. Every breath, every posture, every sequence has its own particular ebb and ow. To resist this ow and try to control all of it is detrimental. The state of health, general energy, mood, which sequence is being practiced, the cycle of the moon etc, are all inuencing factors. Totally controlling the breath is basically impossible. One surrenders control tothe breath, not the other way around. To let the breathing be completely passive and unconscious is also undesirable. Some practices will simply be more one way than the other. Eventually the two extremes of control/tension (inhalation) and relaxed/sloppy (exhalation) will become balanced. Astanga Pranayama Astanga pranayama is generally not taught until a student has at least completed Advanced A postures. That is, until the body has reached a point of stability with the asana, pranayama is inadvisable. The pranayama practice taught in traditional Astanga differs from the more gentle practices usually taught. The long inhalation, exhalation and retention requires complete steadiness of body and mind: sthira bhaga or steady strength. When the whole system of nadis which is full of impurities is cleaned, then the yogi becomes able to control the prana... Just as lions, elephants and tigers are controlled by and by, so the breath is controlled by slow degrees, otherwise (i.e., by being hasty or using too much force) it kills the practitioner himself. HYP, 2: 5, 15 It is detrimental to learn pranayama from a book. If it is advisable to have a teacher to guide with asana practice, with pranayama it is doubly so. Not only is the science of pranayama physically demanding, so too are its subtle effects. The ratios of breath retention to inhalation to exhalation and the numerological progression of this practice should be intimately understood. One does not cross the threshold of life and death lightly and one who rushes untimely toward this end does so at his or her own peril. What is achieved in life, the abilities that are accumulated, are never as important as realisation of what is. Focus on the process rather than the goal. Once, when using the term Savasana in Gurujis presence I was told off. "Not Savasana! No. Corpse pose advanced practice. You take rest." The practice of "being dead" is a highly esoteric and dangerous process. It has been described earlier by Krisnamacharyas ability to stop the heart beating. This may be a result of pranayama practice, but it is not the goal. In this light h pranayama viewed. Not until one is ready, which may be never in this life. Therefore, for the purpose of this book the ner details of pranayama practice have been omitted. Astanga Yogasana The asana are the second component of the tristhanam, or the body aspect. However, the traditional method of learning Astanga yogasanabegins with the mind as much as the body. When a complete beginner learns Suryanamaskara, he or she repeats it until it is committed to memory, that is, body memory rather than just intellectual memory. Self-practice begins with the rst class. It does not really matter how well (physically) the individual does it: there should be no judgement on how it looks. Memorising the practice is vital. This is often more confronting for a beginner than physically doing it. After Suryanamaskara and possibly one or two of the rst standing postures the beginning student sits down, attempts some version of Padmasana (sitting and breathing) and then lifts up in Utpluthihih. Practice is nished in less than half an hour. Day by day, adding a maximum of one posture per day, a student learns the sequence. This is the traditional Mysore method. Utpluthihih should always be done at the 250

end of a practice, no matter how long or short the practice is. In particular the student should remember the essentials of what he or she has been taught before learning new postures. This is not to say that this is the only way to teach Astanga yoga. It is common for many students to do led classes for the rst few years as a way to become physically acclimatised. However, self practice is the most effective way for a student to remember. If beginning students are shown thirty postures in the sequence, they will only remember the rst and the last posture (maybe). If they do just two postures at their own pace, they will remember them both. The slower it goes in, the deeper it penetrates. Repetition is a key aspect of learning. As the postures are committed to memory there is a corresponding level of trust in the body: you know what you are doing, you know what comes next. There is no anxiety anticipating what the next thing will be. The physical aspect begins to develop with a gradual increase of exibility and strength as the body and mind synchronise. It is most important to focus on the process rather than the outcome. After a certain time practicing the Primary sequence, and if the ability is there, a student might begin learning the Intermediate postures. One by one these asana are added to the Primary asana, the total practice getting longer and longer. Eventually the student would practice only Intermediate. This is referred to as splitting the practice, that is, when a sequence is then practiced separately without adding those postures on to the previous sequence. From one day to the next a student goes from regularly practicing all of Primary and at least half of Intermediate per session (usually over two hours) to just doing Intermediate (maybe one hour). The Primary sequence is then practiced once a week. Depending on the student, this can be a relief or a shock. The same process occurs when learning Advanced asana. See the vinyasa section (page 12) for more details. The traditional method is relatively linear and methodical. Keep adding asana, remembering the vinyasa as you go, until you come to something you cannot do. You keep practicing up to the asana that is difcult or impossible but you do not add new postures until you can do it effectively. This can be a little limiting but it does establish the bodys capacity in the asana. You become settled in the "seat". An unfortunate side-effect of this format is the tendency in Astanga to ask the question "What posture are you up to?" as if this indicates some kind of personal development. It is normal to want to move ahead, particularly as far as positive motivation and liveliness is concerned. The practice should never be lifeless, something new can be experienced every day, even if it is just a changed attitude. This forward looking attitude, however, should always be tempered with present tense awareness: stay in contact with what is rather than what should be. Warming Up Traditionally the very rst action of practice is to stand inSamasthitihih, chant the mantra and then continue with Suryanamskara A. The body may not be warm and might feel particularly stiff. To launch into the rst Suryanamaskara without prior warm-ups may be daunting, particularly psychologically. This is often because of a desire to get it right rst time, to look perfect. It is better to make it simpler, bend the knees, step back lightly etc, rather than injure oneself by doing ying jumps and full bends. This does not discount the validity of warming up, but credits the validity of not doing so. To begin without warming up is a matter of applying a relaxed state of awareness rather than a perfect state of body. On the other hand, stretching before practice allows the body to wake up a little and renews awareness of any blind or weak spots. Of all the so called warm-ups that one may attempt, uddiyana bandha and nauli kriyaare considered the most traditional and practical (see page 16). If it helps to warm up, use whichever routine suits of the endless variations and feel free to experiment. Alignment Alignment is the ability to balance the various levels of the body and the mind into a working whole. Increasing your capacity to be straight in a posture should be encouraged, but there are limits to where the body can go. Alignment should never place undue pressure on the breath. If it does, this is the bodys clear signal that there is too much pushing going on. If the breathing becomes truly unrestricted in a posture, then for that moment this is the best and most natural alignment possible, no matter how it looks. 251

It may take a great deal of learning, or unlearning, to stop pushing and encourage open behaviour. If there is a doubt or question as to what the correct alignment is, generally defer to the signals from your own body and breath even if it conicts with external advice. It can be common, however, for a students view of what is occurring to be different from what is actually occurring. A teacher is often necessary to point out this difference. To aid the development of awareness do not allow your breath to slide into complete apathy: attempt to be both active (inhalation) and relaxed (exhalation). To force alignment on the body is a mistake. Your bodys limit with anasana is what it is, attempt to maximise your alignment from there. Accept how it is and be in your centre. The blind areas of misalignment, disease, discomfort and so on, will inevitably come to the surface and the body will heal what is possible to heal. Without continuous practice however, or consistency of awareness, the capacity to change is limited. The belief that there is an anatomical or universal correct alignment is a judgement of right versus wrong. There are only tendencies. Every individual has a unique structure, the differing possibilities may be worlds apart. However, every individual needs some sense of alignment, or centredness in each posture to effectively develop awareness. Balance the breath between aliveness and alignment in a posture and the tranquility of accepting it as it is. Be aware that the body usually has a very good reason for creating the so called mis-alignment or dis-ease in the rst place. To try to force it back in to place is potentially more damaging than the original problem. Through acceptance change occurs, but only so far as is appropriate. Trust will develop as the body and mind begin to communicate more effectively and change will occur to the level that is needed. Do not seek to change: allow it to occur. Core Postures There are only three distinct asana sequences in Astanga yoga. They are Primary, Intermediate and Advanced. However, as there are many more Advanced asana than the others, the Advanced series has been organised into four sections, A, B, C and D. That is, six sequences in total. Each sequence starts with Suryanamaskara and standing postures, though some of the nal standing asana are left aside when practicing the later sequences. Each has the same end: back bends and nishing postures. Each sequence has around thirty sitting postures. The Primary sequence is called yoga chikitsa, meaning body therapy. There are two main areas which distinguish it from the other sequences: the emphasis on the hamstrings (forward bends) and the number of jumps. The repetitious nature of the sequence may become problematic. However, as the hamstring is a muscle, it tends to adapt and change more readily. If the hamstrings lengthen and the legs become stronger the lower back generally becomes more secure and supple. Conversely if the hamstring is over emphasised this will commonly destabilise the spine. Due patience should be observed in order not to push: focus on the process rather than the goal. All forward bends contract the front of the body in some manner, purifying the internal organs. That is, body therapy. If the Primary sequence began with back bends, the overstimulation of the spine and nervous system would be premature: there would be many more complaints. The number of jumps in the Primary sequence can be problematic and initially exhausting. Some students tend to avoid the strength and jumping aspect of the Primary sequence by practising Intermediate prematurely. Overall strength and endurance is best developed in the Primary sequence. In the Primary series there are a few core postures which are common stumbling blocks. They are Marichyasana D, Kurmasana, Garbha Pindasana and Baddha Konasana. All of these postures can be quite confronting and some time and patience is usually necessary for the body to adapt. It is quite common for a student to practice (or be taught) the whole sequence prior to exploring these core asana thoroughly. The

252

Marichyasana Dnal section of Primary is often more than a little messy as a result. Generally it is better to focus on these core postures rst, rather than skimming over them to get to the nish line. There are some basic requirements in these postures. For example, binding the hands in Marichyasana D. In this posture the front knee and both sit-bones may not go at to the oor for some time, if at all. Binding the hands is the rst crucial step. Being able to get the feet approximately behind the head in Kurmasana is important. This posture may require an adjustment from the teacher most of the time. Many students, particularly those with shorter limbs, may not be able to bind the hands and keep the legs behind the head at the same time. Also of note is the previous posture to Kurmasana: Bhuja Pidasana. This posture requires a degree of strength which counterbalances the exibility needed to get into Kurmasana. There may be a tendency to be better at one than the other. That is, exibility rather than strength or vice versa. Try to balance these asana equally. Being able to get the knees at in Baddha Konasana is highly benecial. If this posture improves then many of the previous postures such as Garbha Pindasanaand Manchyasana D will become easier. These four core asana, also called binds, have a similar difculty for many students. That is, immobility in the knees, hips and lower spine. Firstly, a consistent and gentle approach to practice will gradually help improve these areas. However, the following simple practice may also help: Every evening do Baddha Konasana with the spine upright against a wall. Do it while eating or reading 253

and stay there for ten to twenty minutes. No other props are necessary. Also practice sitting in uprightVirasana (kneeling posture with the feet beside the hips and knees parallel). Do this posture with a blanket or pillow under the buttocks. Hold this for only ve or ten minutes. Remember not to overdo it. Like any asana, if practiced without care or without listening to the body it may cause some instability. Slowly the disposition of the knees and hips will improve. The Intermediate sequence is called nadi sodhana meaning nervous system purication. This sequence begins with back bends, followed by their counterpart, legs-behind-the-head. The opposing nature of these postures creates a resonance in the nervous system. The second half of the sequence deals with both strength and more calming asana. Intermediate can be over-stimulating at rst. It is essential to get rest and decent sleep after practicing it. Strange dreams, heart palpitations and insomnia are common, often on top of bodily aches and pains. The rst requirement in the Intermediate core postures is being able to bind the hands in Pasasana. Getting the heels at in this posture is also important though may not occur for some time. Binding the hands and balancing is the foundation. Binding the heels in Kapotasana is considered a basic minimum, though merely touching the feet is a common starting point. Also of note is the previous posture toKapotasana: Laghu Vajrasana. This asana requires strength, counterbalancing the exibility necessary to get into Kapotasana. Similar to the pairing of Bhuja Pidasana and Kurmasana, each aspect of these asana (strength and exibility) needs to be balanced equally. The difculty in Dwi Pada Sirsasana can usually only be surmounted by regularly practicing the asana itself. Or making a near attempt. For many students staying on this posture for some time (weeks or months or longer) is usually necessary. Getting down into Karandavasana without assistance is a minimum standard. Coming up from this posture is not as likely or essential and may require more strength than is readily available. That is, coming up from this posture is not considered vital before moving on to the next posture. The Advanced sequences (A, B, C and D) are called sthira bhagameaning steady strength. They each require steadiness of body and mind. In particular, the practice of the arm balances in Advanced A requires a great deal of discipline to master. It is not the asana that are necessarily difcult, it is the intensity of practicing them one after the other, thevinyasa, that is often more challenging. A fellow teacher adequately summed up the effects of practicing Advanced with the following words: "It knocks the stufng out of you!" Nevertheless, strength is developed. Core postures for the Advanced sequences are not specied as they are too individual: every posture is core! A minimum ability with the core asana is assumed before the student is usually allowed to move on to the next posture. Ideally one should be able to complete every asana without any assistance. It is common for a student to be held at the core asana a lot longer than the others in the sequence. However, it is not essential to do these asana perfectly before moving on: just do not avoid them, nd out what the bodys limits are rst! The postures become progressively more difcult with each sequence. In the Primary sequence the ability to do the asana well is important but some allowance for individual capacity and expression is encouraged. In Intermediate there is less leeway and the postures need to be done with a minimum amount of uidity, particularly for safetys sake. In Advanced there is almost no leeway. With all core postures (or any posture that is difcult) it can be useful to repeat the posture two or three times in the same practice. Avoid over-straining and stop if the breathing becomes too restricted. Each time it is done there will be a change in awareness, a slightly different way of doing it. The body adapts and the posture improves. Repetition does not entertain, it teaches. Keep in mind, however, that repeating a posture in the same practice is disruptive and may detract from other vital qualities. Ideally the practice is a consistent ow, the body moves with the breath and the mind follows. The concept of core asana is not a traditional understanding of the practice. As there are always exceptions to the rule as far as ability is concerned, the idea that any one posture is more difcult than any other is completely relative to the individual. As a generalisation, however, it holds true: the asana mentioned here are commonly the most difcult. It is important not to practice the sequence and leave them out, in the too hard basket. 254

Jump Throughs and Jump Backs When learning jump throughs and jump backs, try to optimise both the feeling of lightness (no strain) and strength, particularly in the mid-section. One without the other is an imbalance. It is not necessary or desirable to push to achieve the complete oating action: for some this may never happen. It is applying the right attitude with the right technique which achieves optimum strength and lightness. Jumping into and out of the postures should be standardised. Jump through with the legs crossed rather than straight legged. Lead with the knees, not with the feet and the centre of your body will tend to engage. The straight legged jump through should only be practiced if you can jump through cross legged: to oat back and oat through with control and without touching the feet to the oor (Figure 5). The straight legged jump through is easier for some students and does not develop strength as effectively. When learning, keep the feet back and allow them to land on the oor rst before coming through. This may be the rst few years of practice! Also do the same when jumping back: place the hands in front of the feet rather than behind them (Figure 4). Try to slow down the jump through at this half-way point (just between the arms) rather than trying to hurry the feet through with little or no control. When jumping through, keep the feet back and the toes pointed when you land. Avoid exing them at all unless you can hold the lift in mid-air. Try to keep the hips up and use the breath (inhalation) to help. Do not attempt to jump directly into a sitting posture without making the transition through lolasana. (Figure 4 or gure 5.) To develop strength effectively always jump through and jump back with legs crossed. Some postures such as Bhuja Pidasana and Kurmasana are obvious exceptions. When jumping back from both sides of a posture it is useful to alternate crossing the legs on each side. Jump through and jump back on the right side of the posture with the right leg underneath and jump through and jump back on the left side of the posture with the left leg underneath. Core Strength A common perception of many practitioners, particularly women, is a lack of core strength. That is, little or no progress with oat backs. As the practice does require strength to maintain, there is some validity to this view. However, do not focus too much on core/mala bandhastrength at the expense of other areas of the practice (such as overall strength) or they may suffer. Usually if there is no core strength alsothere is no overall strength. In general the abdominal and lower back region should be strengthened and supported throughout the practice. Do the practice with consistent awareness of any weaknesses and the body will usually assert its own organic sense of balance. Core strength is ideal for everyone, but particularly useful for lower back difculty, or when there is over development in the upper body. Because of the emphasis on the jumps in the sequence upper body strength is also emphasised, at least initially. Arm strength is important and to ignore this in favour of core strength may be detrimental. Both are useful. By using the arms effectively you can begin to access the lateral muscles of the torso and then the "core" of the abdominal region. That is, throughout the practice keep the shoulder blades sliding down the back rather than rising up to the ears. This decreases tension in the upper shoulder and trapezius muscles and is particularly useful when doing the jumps and the chaturanga/up dog/down dog vinyasa. With the shoulders down and elbows generally tucked in, both the latisimus dorsi and intercostal muscles will begin to engage. In time, any aggravation in the neck and shoulders will disperse as the overall practice improves. Unlike most other yoga methods Astanga yoga develops strength as much as exibility. This is largely due to consistency and repetition of practice. If strength is over developed in areas where it already exists or remains underdeveloped in blind areas, seek to re-balance this. Ideally you should be able hold the weight of the whole body from any other part of the body: balance on one foot, on the back, belly, head, hands etc. In this way each part of the body is strong relative to the next. The interconnectedness of the body should become apparent. From this point of view it does not matter if you can "oat back" (and hold mula bandha) or not. Your body will become more balanced, relative for you. The concept of core strength is intertwined with that of core stability. One without the other is impossible. To push too much to achieve the desired core strength will ultimately destabilise the body. The spine is another aspect of the core, particularly the relationship between the movements of the spine and 255

the various abdominal muscles. This can be a complex area to examine. As the breath becomes longer and softer, the spine can reach its maximum potential with all range of movements. As with trying to control the breath, trying to control the spine and abdomen at all times is undesirable. The spine is always moving. To hold it rigidly decreases the spines ability to articulate. As the ability and awareness in a posture increases, the sense of the subtle movements of the spine and abdomen should also increase. Pay particular attention to the movement of breath as it affects the different regions of the spine and the core will begin to stabilise. There are many techniques to aid the development of core strength or strength in any part of the body for that matter. Often it does take an external point of view to bring attention to the blind or dead areas of the practice. If a particular technique increases awareness in a blind area, then use it. Just remember that it is awareness alone that is the key. Back Bends and Handstand The rst back bending posture in the sequence is Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, or upward dog. In upward dog there is a tendency to move the head too quickly and the neck and diaphragm often lock up as a result. This can have an adverse effect on the lower back. Try to move the head back at the very last when arching in this posture. Also give most importance to the breath (the inhalation) rather than over arching, or forcing correct alignment, i.e. inhale completely without any locking or bearing down of the ribs and diaphragm. The breath may pause at the end, but it is not tight or held. It can be useful to hold this posture for longer than a single inhalation (for two or three breaths instead) particularly after Navdsana and Kurmasana when it may be more difcult to arch. This posture counterbalances all of the forward bends and the contracted nature of the jumps. The traditional Mysore method of back bending is to restrict all students to Primary asana until they can drop back into Urdhva Dhanurasana (and come up) on their own. That is, no Intermediate asana until you can do drop backs, even if the initial Intermediate back bends are easier. Some leeway can be given with this rule, but practicing the drop back should not be ignored. It takes energy and perseverance. If it is difcult to complete the full drop back to the oor, half-bending (gure 6) can be practiced regularly. Arch the back from an upright standing position with the arms crossed over the chest. Bend back on the exhalation and move down towards the oor a little way and then back up again on the inhalation: one breath with one movement repeated a few times. Gradually develop the strength and control in the legs and spine, and only add the arm movement (to the oor) if there is little or no pain. The photographic section of this book shows the most common order of transition from (1) drop backs, to (2) handstand drop-overs, to (3) full Vipanta Chakrdsana, rather than the traditional variation of doing (3)Viparita Chakrasana before (2) handstand drop-overs. (See page 48). An important aspect of the back bend/handstand sequence, particularly the order of it, is that handstands are not a part of the Primary sequence. Until the Primary asana are developed sufciently and Intermediate is begun, handstands should be left aside. Develop the jump backs, drop backs and headstand well before attempting this advanced asana. Increase the strength of the arms and abdomen (jump backs) the exibility of the spine (drop backs) and the ability to balance (headstand) to gain the proper ability with the handstand. The correct order of learning the inverted postures is: rst shoulder-stand, then headstand, then the forearm balance (Pincha Mayurasana)and then handstand. This means that a student would not normally begin handstand until he or she has completed Pincha Mayurasana in the Intermediate sequence. However, as handstand is a part of the back bending sequence, it is useful to commence its regular practice at the same time the student commences Intermediate. The students ability with headstand (balance) and with exibility and strength (drop backs and jump backs) will determine the degree to which handstand will improve. There are some asana that most people want to be able to practice straight away: the lotus posture, drop backs, splits and handstands. Each of these should be learnt in its own time. All of the foundation work done in the Primary and Intermediate sequences will lead to these asana. Variations in the Sequence The variation of doing Trivikramasana and Supta Trivikramasana(standing and lying splits) after Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana andSupta Padangusthasana respectively has been left out of the main section of 256

this book since they are not Primary asana. However, they are an accepted part of the practice. In general one should have completed all of Primary before commencing to practice these Advanced asana. If one of these is practiced (e.g. Trivikramasana) you should do both(Supta Trivikramasana). Also it is best to do these asana after completing both sides of Padangusthasana (whether standing or lying) rather than doing it in the middle between sides. (Figure 7). This keeps each asana separate and clear and allows a short rest between them. In times past Hanumanasana and Sama Konasana (front and side splits) were sometimes practiced after Prasarita Padottdndsana D(sometimes including handstands). This practice is no longer a part of the accepted form. One problem is not being sufciently warm and open to practice these at the start. Most importantly, however, Primary and Intermediate asana should be attended to before rushing into Advancedasana. Also, both splits postures are sitting asana and to go to the oor in the middle of a standing sequence unnecessarily interrupts the ow and energy of the upright postures. The splits postures are practiced near the end of their respective sequences when the body is more open. It is standard for most vinyasa to do the right side rst: step to the right, move the right leg, fold it in position etc. Pasasana is one exception to this rule. It is traditional to sit in Padmasana with the right foot folded rst. The right heel (lower) accentuates the descending colon and spleen. The left heel (higher) accentuates the ascending colon and liver. This is considered the correct crossing energetically; male (right) and female (left), particularly for meditation. However, after the rst year or so of practice, it is useful to begin crossing the legs in Padmasanaon the alternate side in order to balance the knees and hips. This is also true for Kurmasana, Dwi Pada Sirsasana and Yoga Nidrasana. Another variation is the inclusion of the twisted Parsvakonasana in the sequence. As this posture is considered to be an Intermediate asana, traditionally it is not taught to beginners. Lastly, the practice of jnana mudra (thumb and fore-nger together) should only be maintained while sitting in the nal Padmasana and in Mula Bandhasana and Yoga Dandasana. The thumb represents universal consciousness (Brahman)and the fore-nger represents individual consciousness (aman) yoked together as one. In all other postures the mudra should be left aside as it is energetically stimulating and a distraction from doing the posture in its simplicity.

1.4.10

The ve states of the mind, Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga yoga practice&philosophy (2013-08-23 14:44)

The ve states of the mind are the restless (kshipta), infatuated (mudha), distracted (vikshipta), one-pointed (ekagra), and suspended (nirodha) mind. To explain these ve states we have to look briey at the three qualities of the mind. As mentioned before, yoga states that there are two separate entities that are both real and eternal nature (prakrti) and consciousness (purusha). The closest idea in Western science to describe prakrti is the state before the Big Bang or the state before the universe manifested. Prakrti has also been translated as creation (although prakrti itself is eternal and uncreated) or procreatress the matrix that procreates,brings forth everything. Prakrti is said to be stirred into action by the proximity or closeness of consciousness (purusha), and it manifests the world with the help of its three qualities (gunas). They are: Tamas heaviness, inertia, mass 257

Rajas movement, energy, dynamics Sattva light, intelligence, wisdom. Together, the three gunas form all phenomena and objects. We can compare them in some ways to the elementary particles proton, neutron, and electron in Western science, which miraculously form all 105 elements and thus all matter. We cannot stretch this comparison too far, though, since the gunas form also ego and mind. With the restless (kshipta) state of mind, rajas is predominant. This mind is associated with hyperactivity, excess movement, and one thought chasing the next. It is said that this type of mind can only reach concentration through intense hatred, such as in destroying ones imagined enemies. The restless mind is very unsuitable for yoga, and one dominated by a restless mind rarely takes it up. If they nevertheless do so, it is often only in the hope of gaining magical powers to vanquish their enemies. With the second, infatuated (mudha) state of mind, tamas is predominant. This mind is often dull, stupeed or deluded, and infatuated with the body, wealth, family, tribe, or nationality. Because the tamas guna makes the mind heavy, one cannot look further than any obvious objects of identication such as those just mentioned. The infatuated mind is not suitable for yoga, and the only way it can concentrate is through intense greed. If somebody with such a mind-set takes up yoga, it is usually for physical gain (so that the body looks better) or monetary gain (to be able to work harder or achieve more). With the third state of mind, the distracted (vikshipta) mind, no guna is predominant. Rather, any one of the three (rajas, tamas, or sattva) takes over, depending on impulse. This state of mind can also be called confused or oscillating, and it is typical of people who identify with being New Age. They see everything as being true and meaningful and believe that all have to live according to their truth. If something happens it is meant to be, although possibly we were just too unfocused to achieve a certain result. Those dominated by the distracted mind are opportunist agnostics believing there are many truths and that the one truth cannot be known. Rather, ones mind-set is merely adjusted according to circumstances in order to stay comfortable. The distracted mind has glimpses of the truth, but with the next obstacle it is thrown off track and holds 258

onto another idea. When in the grip of the distracted mind we often hold on to beliefs, since we cannot permanently recognize deep reality or truth. This type of mind is unsuitable for higher yoga, such as samadhi, as it can achieve concentration only randomly and it loses it quickly. The fact that yoga is a science that enables us to directly perceive and realize the deepest layer of reality means that the holding of beliefs is contradictory to yogic examination. If we hold on to beliefs, we will always superimpose them onto reality and so never arrive at the correct conclusion. Realis tically speaking, most yoga students start with distracted minds and most of ones yogic life is spent attempting to transform the distracted mind into the one-pointed state. In the fourth one-pointed (ekagra) state of mind, sattva is predominant. Through yoga, the mind is made more and more sattvic. If the state of pure sattva is achieved, that is pure intelligence. This intelligence is necessary to see reality as it is. According to sutra III.55, When the intelligence is as untainted as consciousness, this will lead to liberation. Somebody who is born in a state of one-pointedness can become free after a comparatively short phase of practice and study. This state of mind is suitable for samadhi-based-on-an-object (samprajnata samadhi), which is the lower type of samadhi. It is through this type of samadhi that many of the great masters conceived and compiled their teachings. However, the feat should not daunt us. As the master Vijnana bhikshu said, Transformation of the mind can be gained only gradually, and not all at once. The last state of mind is nirodha, suspended. In this state there is no predominance of any quality. Instead, ones mind is reabsorbed into its source, which is nature (prakrti). Somebody in this state of mind permanently rests in his or her true nature, which is consciousness. The type of samadhi achieved here is objectless samadhi (asamprajnata samadhi), which is the higher form. The suspended mind (nirodha chitta) is the goal of yoga. Masters who had this type of mind conceived the Upanishads, which are the highest scriptures. It is because the mind does not interfere with intelligence that nirodhas can see to the bottom of their hearts and hear the divine truth. For this reason the Upanishads are considered as revelation and of 259

divine authority.

1.4.11

"El camino medio" Toni Romero (2013-08-30 11:08)

El propsito del yoga es balancear la mente para que no se produzca una sobreestimulacin o sobrerelajacin y as deje de uctuar entre esos dos polos opuestos. En ese camino medio como sugiri Buddha, la mente espontneamente puede despertar en un estado de pura inteligencia que cese el mecanismo de sufrimiento asociado con el ego. 260

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1.5
1.5.1

September
3 serie, advanced A Sthira Bhaga (2013-09-06 16:07)

1.5.2

Sthira Bhaga, Advanced A 3 serie ashtanga yoga vinyasa (video)

(2013-09-10 20:44)

[EMBED]

1.5.3

Ilya Zhuravlev: "Mysore 1978" Interview with Mark and Joanne Darby (wildyogi.info) (2013-09-17 10:58)

[EMBED] Ilya: First question is common but usually always interesting for readers - how did you start practice yoga? 262

Mark Darby: It started when I was young. I was interested in spirituality, I wanted to be a priest. I grew up in Australia. I went to catholic school, But after I became disapointed with catholic church - I could not believe that God let only catholics go to Heaven. I could not belive that people somewhere in a jungle for example in Africa or anywhere that God would not let such people go to Heaven. I could not believe that God could be so cruel and I couldnt understand some other ideas. This was strict religious dogma... During my rst trip to India I realised that spirituality is everywhere - among people on the streets, in the temples. It was living spirituality. I left India but i decided to go back. I loved this country and especially as I had felt something that was missing in me. I thought that if I visit India I will do yoga, because yoga tradition came from India. But I had no idea what yoga was - I asked different people about this, but the answers were not too clear. It was May 1978 when arrived back in India, but at this time I was not ready to commit completely to yoga. As a traveller I had heard of Goa and the parties at Christmas. This was a seed I needed to burn before I would be ready to start on my yogic journey. I liked surng so I visited Shri Lanka to do it, then came back to India in October. I came just like a tourist, I left my bag in Mysore and went to Goa, went to many psychodelic parties, had fun. And on these parties you can hear "Boom Shiva!", some mentions of Shiva. After Goa I went to Gokarna, a place on Karnataka coast connected with Shiva, to celabrate Shivaratri, a festival for Shiva. It was like piligrimage, I walked all the coast from Goa to Gokarna like an Indian pilgrim. I stayed in Gokarna during Shivaratri and after I decided that I was now ready for yoga. I had nished the parties. Ive been blessed by Shivas grace and I went to Mysore, where was my bag. In the hotel I was staying I met other man - Cliff Barber. And he said: come to see my teacher, and it was Pattabhi Jois. And Jois said: watch the class. I watched. And after I asked: how much is it? He said: 100 dollars. I said: Oh, this is too much, Baba, make 75 dollars. He said: no, and I said: no. But next day i came back and said: I want to do this. He said: OK, for 75 dollars. And I started. The reason ? - I had no idea, I knew nothing about yoga, it just was something inside me. Ilya: So ashtanga vinyasa system was your rst system of hatha yoga? Mark: I did not know about other systems. Someone gave me the book of B.K.S. Iyengar "Light on yoga", but Iyengar system I did not know. My rst teacher was Pattabhi Jois. That time were only few western students - there was was Cliff Barber, for us he was an old man, 48 years old, one German man, an English man with French lady, and myself. Joanne arrived one week later. Mostly the group was about 6 students. I stayed there 3 months. Ilya: Some people who studied in the 70-s told me that before, students practiced both 1st and 2nd series during one class. Some people told that sequence was different. Mark: At rst we learned Surya Namaskara A, B, Padangushtasana, Padahastasana, Trikonasana, Parshvakonasana - and then Baddha Padmasana, Yoga Mudra and Utpluthi - this was rst class. And my friend Old Cliff said: "Oh, he likes you - he gave you a lot of asanas". Next day I got one more posture, next day - one more. So maybe for one week I was given one posture per day, and after two more postures per week. In three months we completed Primary Series. After three month I went for holiday - my body was tired. After one month I came back - and I started Intermediate, it took two months. An every day I did Primary and Intermediate. An then we started Advanced postures. So it was Primary, Intermediate, Advanced every day. So I did three series daily, and after two years my practice was 3 and half hours. Joan was doing 4 and half hours, because she was standing one hour in Shirshasana. Ilya: So you started visit Mysore every year? Mark: We stayed two years in Mysore, than spend one year in Australia, than came back again for two years. And you asked about sequence - Advanced series was different. But also he made series specic for each person - I know Nancy Gilgoff practiced a different sequence. When Joanne was pregnant he gave me different postures, more strength, handstands variations - he also gave Joanne different postures. More postures focussing on hip openings and more meditative postures. Ilya: Somebody told me that Hanumanasana was in Primary series Mark: He gave it to Derek Ireland - Hanumanasana and Somakonasana, it was individual instruction, but 263

Derek gave this to his students. So only his students did this. But he was advanced student. It was not given to beginners. Ilya: Did you studied with T.K.V. Deshikachar? Mark: Not studied, but i visited one workshop in Montreal, some things i picked up. The pranayama - I liked his approach on how to teach pranayama for beginners. Ilya: Deshikachar also use some vinyasas but his approach is individualization of practice. Mark: Yes, and he uses breath retention in asanas. For example in Paschimottanasana you bend 30 degree you exhale for one third, Hold this position and the breath, then you bend 30 degree more, exhale another one third, hold and then extend fully into the posture as you complete the exhalation, so he is doing holding the posture with breath retention during movement in or out of posture. Its interesting and hard. After ashtanga its very different. Same with people from other styles - they try ashtanga and nd it hard, but after some time of practice, ashtanga becomes easier. Ilya: I know the story about one man from Belgium, his name was Andre Van Lysebeth, he wrote the book about pranayama. some people said that he was rst western student of Pattabhi Jois in 60-s. Mark: Yes, i know about him. I dont think he was a long time student of Pattabhi Jois, but he did visited him. Joan: Jois accept him because he could speak sanscrit and was an advanced student of yoga already. Ilya: In his book we can see photo how he is sitting with Pattabhi Jois and Jois teaching him how to do jalandhara bandha. But seems he was studying only pranayama because in his book no one word about vinyasa system. He had studied with Swami Shivananda before. So, did Pattabhi Jois teach pranayama for advanced students in early years? Mark Darby: In those years not even to advanced students. When some American advanced students wanted to study pranayama, Jois started to teach them. At that time we had studied with him for about 6 months. So he invited us also, I guess he felt we were ready. But in later years he was teaching pranayama only to advanced students, people who new third series. One time Sharath invited one student to come, he was not advanced but a long time student, and Guruji asked him - why you here? He said Sharath invited me, and Guruji had discussion with Sharath and said to the man: You sit and watch. So he did not practice and just watched. Ilya: He was very strict in this. Mark: Because its difcult. When you do pranayama with strong retentions it can be dangerous. Body should be prepared and Pattabhi Jois said that when you do advanced series you should be ready to pranayama. I teach pranayams which I learnt from Deshikachar - its simple approach, simple pranayamas. Ilya: When old-school students of 70-s and 80-s studied with P.Jois in Mysore, Krishnamacharya was still alive and was living in Madras (now Chennai). Do you know that time he is living and teaching in the next state or you did not have interest to meet him? Mark: I knew about him because Pattabhi Jois one time visited him in Madras, and he went with an american student to see him. And he was able to visit Krishnamacharya. It was the rst time that we had heard about him. But it was a long way from Mysore to Madras and that time we did not have much money for it. We were new to yoga, did not have so much information about Krishanmacharya. Now if I have the opportunity Im sure I would go to see him. We knew only Pattabhi Jois and he did not speak English well, so we did not have long conversations about lineage. I dont think that Krishnamacharya himself spoke English. And at that time I think he was not teaching so much anymore. Maybe by then he was teaching yoga-therapy. Ilya: You also practise kriya yoga of Lahiri Mahasai tradition - how you know about it. Mark Darby: From russian yogis I received the information how to get the practice of this from Shailendra Sharma. Before for me term kriya yoga was cleansing practices, shatkarmas. We knew Yoganandas book, Autobiography of Yogi, but we did not know the practice like the way Shailendra taught us. Ilya: I think Yoganandas organization is quite popular in US and Canada. Mark: I dont like any big organisations and try to stay away from them, especially from American. 264

In America most of such organisation become kind of "capitalistic religions". Its more business than coming from the heart. So I dont have so much interest to this American organisation but the book was good. Joanne: When I was reading this book - I found it very interesting but there was nobody to teach us that technique. Ilya: We have also Yogananda society in Russia but they dont teach so much practice of kriya yoga, some important things like khechari mudra etc. They sing spiritual songs, practicng simple pranayama without kumbhakas. Seems they lost original sequence of practice. Joanne: Its too big organisation... Mark: We feel very blessed that we met Shailendra. It was magic story - we were sitting in a restaurant in Moscow and talking with our workshop translator Katya, and she was saying that she is disciple of Shailendra Sharma. And one guy from next table came to us, he recognised me because he saw my video on youtube. He was interested to talk with us because he heard the name of Lahiri Mahasai who was founder of Shailendras lineage. This man was also disciple of Shailendra. We talked about yoga practice, and when he was leaving he said - I want to give you a gift from my Guru, and he gave us Bhagavad Gita with commentaries by Shailendra. For us it was a sign - we have to go and see Shailendra. Ilya: Im traveling in India from 2001, studied in different yoga schools, but i never met a man who can teach how to perform khechari mudra and some advanced level of yoga practice, till i met Shri Shailendra. Some teachers can give yoga-therapy, some - advanced asanas but not more. I was also very surprised than in 2005 i recieved kriya from him. Mark: This technique is a gift which we got from Shailendra. You receive it and practice it - same in ashtanga also, you have a techinque that you have to work on. If you dont work - nothing happens. Ilya: What I see looking to old-school ashtanga guys, like you or Swenson, or Freeman, or Corigliano from my experience every teacher has his own approach, all of them teaching the same series but with own vision how to practice, own hints. What do you think about it. Mark: First it should be your own practice. Pattabhi Jois said to us - you practice what I teach you for 20 years - after you can change something. Joanne: It takes many years. 12 or 20, usually indians like sacred number of 12 years. Mark: First you start asana practice more like gymnastic, stretching, then you start to realize - it becomes more powerful, more subtle. You discover different things. The same in martial arts - rst you do like physical exersices, after you start to feel the motion of energy. So after just performing yoga posture you start to feel deeper what you are doing and you have experienced and things come up. Im keeping the ashtanga system but put my own interpretation. An then Ill go back and understand my interpretation and remember what Pattabhi Jois said - its the same thing! He said but we did not understand. When you do it for long time, you understand what he said. Joanne: I think it also depends from experience. Darby was very intense, like Misha Baranov, but very brutal sometimes. He injured his knee, injured his back, and from experience he understand that its better to have a more gentle approach. Mark: Now I keep more slow rhythm in practice. More softness in shoulders and neck, more emphasis on bandhas. I feel good after practice. Ilya: On your workshops you are talking about opening, relaxation, ow of energy - for me it looks close to systems like taichi. Mark: We studied taichi in Canada for about one year. Our teacher said "rst you move your limbs, then you realize the movement connects to your core. After you move your limbs from the core. Its the same thing with Yoga. Now we practice Kriya - no time for taichi. Ilya: During your rst class you gave very detailed description of each asana and I think about some inuence of Iyengar yoga. Mark: For sure some Iyengar yoga. Alinement its important but not only this. You have to use energy also. Joanne: We have a friend who is Iyengars Yoga teacher. Sometimes Darby and him used to work 265

together, exchange their knowledge. In old days there was a big battle - if you are an Iyengars yoga student - you dont practice with Ashtanga people, and vice versa. But now most practitioners understand you need some alightenment but you need also the ow. Its two different systems but from one source. Ilya: In modern times so many different yoga schools and yoga brands& Mark: Too many! Ilya: What do you think - its good, bad or just its our times and we should just accept it? Mark: I think you should go back to tradition as much as you can. Its been in India for thousands of years. Today we have so many approaches - personally I think most of them are commercial. Of course every person who does yoga for long time has his own approach. I teach you my practice, it works for me, maybe it doesnt work for you. But if you say "This is the only way" - its wrong. I dont think that ashtanga is the only way. Everebody is different, people have different bodies. Even inside ashtanga it can be different approaches depending on the body of the student. Joanne: When Pattabhi Jois was teaching western students he was very tough, but when he taught Indians he was so soft, never pushed them. They could do only what they wanted, they would talk all - it was kind of a social club. Ilya: I think because that students were just lazy. I think his western students mostly had warrior minds, the qualities of kshatriya, thats why he gave very hard practice to them. Joan: Yes. Mark: Because also only westerners in that time wanted to do yoga. Indians wanted to have modern education, to nd job. Pattabhi Jois could push you and next day you come again and he would again push you and you leave only after 3 months to take rest from it. Very hard. In the west I dont think its possible to teach like this. I remember I was given blessings by Pattabhi Jois to assist him. I remember one time I was adjusting an Indian the same way that Guruji adjusted me and he said: no, no, dont touch. But If we adjusted in a very hard manner and people had to work, they would stop coming. I remember one time in Australia I met with Shandor Remete because after two years I developed a very strong practice and we got to meet very quickly and he was leaving to India to stydy with B.K.S. Iyengar so he asked me to look after his school for one month. I had 30 students and after one month - 4. Because I was teaching the same way as Jois and people just did not come back. In 1980, when Pattabhi Jois went to America he asked me to

Mark Darbyteach his Indian students in his shala. It was a great honour, but at the time I didnt realise it. He also had one of his senior student teaching, so there was not much for me to do. There was a race between us who was going to adjust. So after a few days we went to Kodailkanal until Pattabhi Jois returned. Ilya: Shandor was teaching Iyengar style that time? Mark: Yes, he was very much into Iyengar. Ilya: But later he completely changed his approach. Also from his own experience. Mark: Yes, from his own experience as well. He got into martial arts. He was working with energy, 266

trying to bring energy and keep it owing. He has a lot martial arts coming into his practice from what I can see. Ilya: Thats very interesting. Even before you told that in India there were different schools, lineages but they have one thing in common - they were following traditional yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutras. Maybe they had different techniques but philosophical part, the main thing like to realize your soul, your Atman was the main goal for them. Mark: Yes, yes. Ilya: But what we see in the West a lot of yoga brands they dont talk about this. They are only trying to sell some techniques, like tness. Mark: Well, ten years ago or may be a little bit more in the West it was very much tness, yoga in health clubs. Suddenly yoga became a place where you get healthy. But I think people felt something else. There were not just running and doing aerobics they were doing yoga with & insights, some emotional things were happening, whether they understood or not. Now people are looking much more for meditation, and inner growth. Nowadays it has become much more easier to bring meditation techniques into a class, whereas a few years ago it was difcult, people just wanted to do physical yoga. But now they are looking for a deeper thing. They want more philosophy, to understand more and yet a lot just come to health class to look good. But it is still good, people are still going to learn yoga and those who want, they will progress in a more spiritual way. Joanne: I dont know about Russia but in America, the people who are interested more in philosophy, they would go towards Buddhism. Buddhism seems to attract them more, they dont want to do a lot of asanas. Ilya: Why do you think they took Buddhist philosophy and not Indian philosophy? Joanne: Because Indian philosophy is very complicated. Buddhism is easy, there are rules which are structured and easy to follow. As Indian philosophy you can spend years and years of reading and studying to understand what its all about. It is very complex for a western mind to understand all these thousands of gods and thousands of different stories. Ilya: But also I think it is because there is a system of Buddhist centres where you can come and get some practice, to do some workshop or retreat, like 10 days vipassana course. Whereas in Indian tradition there are a lot of schools which differ from each other, sometimes have contradiction, like Hare Krishna bhakti and Advaita Vedanta. It is not so systematic. Joanne: Yes. Mark: And I think to study and understand Indian philosophy you have to go to Indian community and Indian community is very closed. To get into the community you have to speak their language Hindi, Tamil& So its more difcult to learn Indian tradition in the West. But we have yoga asanas, thats what most people want and thats how they connect to their mind. We make a living by teaching yoga asana. Thats how we survive and it gives us the time and the nancial support for us to go into deeper practices. Joanne: Yes, but even then, once they start their yoga practice, they start to read a little bit about it, a little bit philosophy and then it grows. Of course its not something that will happen overnight. Mark: When we teach intensive yoga training, we introduce philosophy and then they want more. I give them homework and they are happy to read and learn more. Joanne: Not so long time ago in America or Russia there were not so many books about Sutras but now in the internet you can nd anything you want. Ilya: Yes, before in Russia it was only academic books. Joanne: Yes, very difcult to read and you had to be studying Hindu philosophy or Eastern philosophy to understand, whereas now it is very open. Ilya: This is very interesting, because in the 70-s people hardly new anything even about Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, it was not a popular style. Mark: Yes, Ashtanga didnt get popular until the end of the 90-s. Ilya: I think that rst Power Yoga became popular as a kind of tness style, sort of simplied Ashtanga Yoga. 267

Mark: Well, yes, Power Yoga was based on Ashtanga Yoga, Beryl Birch book of Ashtanga yoga, which was a book with Primary series. Because of the word Power people got interested, people realized they could get a good body through yoga, they could run better, because Power Yoga was made for runners. It got popular in California, and from there spread around. Madonna did it, but afterwards people realized that it was very hard, too difcult for people who only did yoga one or two times a week. Then came Vinyasa Flow which left out the more difcult postures, added posture from anywhere with many variations and later all other different things came out. Different people, John Friend for example spread vinyasa ow mixed with Iyengar system, he was friends with Richard Freeman who knew the ashtanga system and so they mixed and matched. Now the most popular Yoga is vinyasa ow, where people could do what they want, they can do advanced postures if they want. People in the West or I guess everywhere want variety. I want to do this posture or that, I want to do posture from the third series, but if Im doing only primary series I will never learn that posture& Ilya: Bikram yoga is now coming to Russia. Joanne: It is very popular in America. Ilya: It looks like commercial system, like McDonalds. Mark: And then you have Hot Yoga, which is a vinyasa ow done in a hot room, but they dont follow the Bikram system, because someone who wanted to do Bikram yoga didnt want to pay franchise. He took the idea of the hot room and teaches whatever yoga he wants, vinyasa ow, Hatha, anything and does it in a hot room. This is the most popular yoga now in Canada, partly because the weather is very cold in the winter and because people want to lose weight. Ilya: Some people start from tness type of yoga and later develop deeper interest in yoga and philosophy. They turn to more traditional schools. Mark: Yes, many students start in health clubs but then they realize this isnt really yoga and they come to yoga centres and are surprised to nd that yoga there is with a different approach. In health club you get good air conditioning but in yoga centres atmosphere is different- Indian music is playing, incenses, different feeling. Ilya: You are running your own TTC in Montreal? Mark: Yes, im doing it together with my son Shankara. Ilya: And which subjects do you teach except ashtanga series? Mark: We are basing on ashtanga system but teaching the postures in a very detailed manner. We are also teaching philosophy, Ayurveda course, anatomy. We have a broad range but not so advanced, say Ayurveda is 6 hours, introduction only. For instance, when we are teaching we work with anatomy, but we dont give names of muscles and bones, we work with biomechanics - system showing how the body is all

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Mark Darbyconnected, how the body moves with connections. It is a one year programme 200 hours, 1 weekend a month and then we do 1 week intensive in the summer. We also encourage our students to come and practice Mysore style and we give them very cheap price for a year, so that they can come and practice. The idea is to give students an opportunity to practice as much as possible during the year. And we see a great difference after one year between people who just came for the course and those who practiced Mysore style. Ilya: What language are you teaching classes in Montreal - French or English? Joanne: English. Darby is English-speaking. Ilya: My next question concerns the length of ujaii breath during ashtanga practice. When we visited David Swensons workshop Baranov and I were instructed to shorten our breaths, since our pranayama practices increased lung capacity and our breathes were longer compared to other students. He also told us not to hold one posture more than for 5 breaths, but youv told that before it was 8 breaths for each asana. Do you think that it is due to the number of students in class and time limit that counting became faster? Mark: Yes, a lot of students come and time is limited. Ilya: Then what is your opinion about individual practice? Is it possible to hold a posture more than 8 breaths and make breaths as long as possible? 269

Mark: Yes, and when David studied it was also 8 breaths. I dont think there are any rules, if you want to make breaths longer you can, but there is such thing as vinyasa, and vinyasa becomes a movement which takes energy, and because of that we breathe faster, we need oxygen and then the breath during vinyasa become quicker, so you generally need to keep same rhythm in your postures. So that you dont speed up to

Mark Darbydo the vinyasa and then slow down. So, I generally work with my vinyasa, but some days my breath is longer than in others, but some days Im rushed because I dont have time. I can make a very strong practice in one and a half hours and I can make it in 2 hours by making my breath longer. There is nothing wrong about it, but you have to keep the rhythm. Ilya: Youve told us before that Joanne was practicing one hour of shirshasana. Was it advice of Pattabhi Jois? Joanne: Yes. He trained me to do that. Every day he would come and lift me up, slowly increasing amount of breaths - 10, 15 breaths; 5 minutes, 10, 15, 30... And I would only come down after he would come and lift me up. I was too weak to lift myself up and so he was teaching me how to lift up. I would wait for him to come and adjust me to come down. One time he forgot about me, he left and talked to his family, made phone calls. So, when he came back, there was no one in the room and I have been 270

standing an hour in shirshasana. And he said: oh very good, now you do one hour every day. But he trained me to stay there for 1 hour so that I could do it by myself. But shirshasana is a special posture, it has a lot to do with nervous system. When I came to Mysore in 2001 and met with Guruji I asked him why made me to stand 1 hour in shirshasana, what were the benets? And he answered: You tell me, what are the benets for you. Mark: Going back to the breath, if you see Jois teaching, in a way he teaches standing postures are slow, the breath is very long, when he comes to do the primary series it gets fast. And then it gets very slow again when it comes to nishing postures, because there is no vinyasa in standing and nishing postures so he makes the breaths longer. But as long as you have full breath and rhythm it doesnt matter how long you breath. Ilya: Not all postures in ashtanga are well compensated and when a beginner comes into this practice mostly for them the weak points are knees and low back. Why no one has ever changed the sequence to make it more balanced? Mark: Its not the problem with the astanga system but with the individuals learning and the person teaching. In the west we do not have the same exibility as in East. Too many chairs so the ability of movement in the hips is restricted which affects the knees.In the west we teach ashtanga to quickly, In Mysore there was no led classes, only Mysore style. You went 6 days a week and committed to 3 months of practice. Postures were given slowly. It took 3 months to learn primary series. This way the body has time to develop strength,especially in the core ( bandhas). Also many teachesr do not understand the alignment of the body and how the repetition of the vinyasa places strain on the body and nervous system. Ashtanga done well will be your best friend, ashtanga done incorrectly will be your worst enemy. We didnt do revolving standing postures as beginners. We did trikonasana, no revolving trikonasana, parshvokonasana but no parivritta parshvokonasana, we didnt do utkattasana and no virabhadrasana series as beginners. So, when you became advanced practitioner afterwards you put them in the standing postures. Why Pattabhi Jois changed this? Usually when students practice they copy teacher, and when beginners see advanced student doing most postures then they would put them in. So when they go to Mysore they didnt learn from Guruji but from some students of Guruji in the west, so when they come to Mysore theyd be doing postures already, so hed just let them do. Before, he never used to teach parshvokonasana, reversed parshvokonasana. If you look at Linos book, its not Sharath, its Lino is doing this posture. If you look the video of Guruji teaching in 1990 Richard Freeman, Tim Miller, Chuck Miller, he doesnt have this reversed parshvokonasana, he only put this after 2000. And then I think he just gave up. See, if you are a teacher and you dont want beginners to do this posture but they are still doing it after some time you give up and let them do what they want. So I think this is what happened to Pattabhi Jois. Ilya: Individual approach is very important when working with beginners. Mark: Yes, of course. Bodies are different, bone shapes. Many have no body awareness and some people come only once a week, so there is no need to push hard on someone who comes that rare. Website of Mark & Joanne Darby Sattva Yoga Shala in Montreal, Canada sattvayogashala.com [EMBED]

1.5.4

Pranayama chant from Bhagavad Gita (2013-09-23 20:07)

APANE JUHVATI PRANAM PRANE-PANAM TATHAPARE PRANAPANA-GATI RUDDHVA PRANAYAMA-PARAYANAHA. Others offer as sacrice the out-going breath in the incoming, and the incoming in outgoing, restraining the sources of the outgoing and incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of breath. This Sloka is about breath control. It is a specialist subject and the sincere seeker should consult a proper expert in this eld. It is my sincere request that the novices should refrain from 271

such practices. A properly measured breathing, according to the medical experts is one more tool for healthy living. This technique is known as Pranayama. Normally the breathing is an involuntary act. An average adult breathes between 14-16 times per minute. It involves three stages of breathing in, holding the breath and breathing out. We take the oxygen in and breathe out the carbon dioxide. Depending upon the impulses received from the external world, our breathing pattern changes. Anger, hatred, fear, lust disturb the mind and this in turns alters the breathing pattern. The faster we breath, greater will be the disturbance on the mind. This is because the brain

receives less oxygen and retains more of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide dulls the mind whereas oxygen activates the mind. Rhythmic breathing is seen during states of calmness of the mind. By practices of control over the senses, one could control the breathing. Properly controlled breathing by voluntary methods benets the mind. The ancient seers of India, the masters in the development of the Hindu culture realised this truth and developed the technique of Pranayama. Prana: the incoming breath. Apana: the outgoing breath. The three stages of breathing: Puraka: steady intake of breath. Kumbhaka: holding on to the breathed in air. Rechaka: breathing out. Repeating the three stages of the cycle of breathing, with correct time for each of three stages, accompanied by the chanting of the sacred syllable Om constitutes the technique of Pranayama. Breathing not only regulates the respiratory system but directly or indirectly regulates all other bodily functions which also come under the word Prana. In a broad sense, Pranayama is control of all bodily functions. We are told in this Sloka that even this control of breath should be in the form of a sacrice. Newsletter on Bhagavad Gita by Dr. P.V. Nath (Copyright Dr. Nath, 2009) sent out week 50 in 2009 272

1.5.5

Interview with Alexandros (2013-09-24 19:31)

Thanks a lot for your time and answear some question, its a honor for me. Thanks a lot Alexandros, your practice is a great inspiration. 1-Do you think that the Ashtanga yoga series can be practice whole life? 2-Why did you start practicing yoga? 3-have you ever been injured? 4-Do you think that after all this years of practicing, you already have found Mula bandha (in the full sense physical / energetic) or you are still looking? I am not very experienced in yoga and I only practice less than 6 years. I started with hatha yoga then with anusara yoga and only with ashtanga yoga a bit less than 4 years. It all started for me because I had terrible pain in my back and my stomach and doctors told me that I was perfectly healthy , then I realized I had to

look elsewhere for answers. I did Reiki, self healing and energy work that help unblock a lot of energy channels, then I met my spiritual teacher Alba in the paramita path you can check her out in google. I received strong atunements , kundalini awakening and very high pure energies started to ow, my heart opened we did many mediations on the internet for the earth, lost souls etc. Then my heart started to open more and then I started yoga. I was already open!! So ashtanga came and changed my life even more. Ashtanga primary for me is the beginning and the end and I know I will practice until I die. I also know that my practice will change and it changes all the time. It becomes less physical and more energy-prana as I grow older! With ashtanga we age with grace! It is so beautiful. Yes I have been injured a few times but it is always my ego that has caused the injuries not the yoga (pushing myself and not listening to my body). Earlier in the year I had a deep iliopsoas tear building 4th series and I had to be very careful on 273

all the

backbend asanas for 3 months a lot of pain! Mula bandha hhhm! So difcult to say .. it is always there but also always elusive. I will be nding and loosing it but as the physical body becomes more pure and clean it becomes easier to nd it .. I think.

1.5.6

Four verse on yoga by Shankaracharya (Mula bandha) (2013-09-26 20:47)

Aparoksanubhuti I bow to Sri Hari, the supreme bliss, the primary teacher, the Isvara, the all-pervading cause of all the worlds. One should know that a real Yoga asana is that in which meditations ows unceasingly with openness and ease, and is not that in which happiness is destroyed. That which is the root of all beings, that root which bonds all of the mind (all thought and experience) That is Mula bandha, which should always be served (attended to) and which is t for rajayogins. By making the vrtti (present pattern of mind the object of meditation) still, and then intuiting it to be sacred (the innite Brahman), there is the complete forgetting of the vrtti in the wisdom known as Samadhi. 274

1.5.7

From Yoga Taravali by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-09-27 14:00)

I bow to the two lotus feet of the (plurality of ) Gurus Which awaken insight into the happiness of pure Being, Which are the complete absorption, the jungle physician, which eliminate the delusion caused by the poisonous herb of Samsara (conditioned existence). 275

There are 125,000 (meaning, numberless) methods of laya (yogic disolution) described by Lord Siva in the world. It is my opinion that nada -anusandhana (pursuit of Inner Sound) into the deepest samadhi is the best of all these layas. With full exhaling, full inhaling, and retention of the breath, all of the nadis are cleaned out. Then through the anahata cakra (the heart/ wheel of the unstruck sound) many types of internal sound are expressed inside. Obeisances to you, Nadanusandhana (also a name of Siva). The practice of you gives birth to experience of the highest truth. By your kindness and with the internal breath, may my mind dissolve into the lotus feet of Visnu. They say that jalandhara, uddyiana, and mula bandhas are deep in the throat, the abdomen, and the root of the anus. Having established these three bandhas all around, where is the dread of the noose of time? By uddiyana, jalandhara, and mula bandhas the sleeping 276

serpent wakes up (makes an

about face) turns back, and

enters the susumna (central

channel). Then the coming

and going of the breath ceases.

By constantly squeezing the

Apana Vayu a bright torch

of re rises up from the

muladhaara. Because of that

heat streams of nectar fall from

the moon (at the root of the

palate) to be drunk by the

fortunate.

The shining of the effulgent Paramatma

totally destroys the darkness of ignorance.

O Wonder! The Awakened One,

who has no fault (no imperfection) in their seeing,

sees not a thing in this whole world! 277

Sri Shankaracharya

1.5.8

From Aparoksanubhuti by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-09-28 20:12)

"The steps, in order, are described as follows: the control of the senses, the control of the mind, renunciation, silence, space, time, posture, the restraining root (mulabandha), the equipoise of the body, the rmness of vision, the control of vital forces, the withdrawal of the mind, concentration, self-contemplation and complete absorption" *these fteen steps include the eight steps of Patanjali, but with a reorentation of meaning as will be evident from the following. 278

1.5.9

Yoga in the Mirror of Buddhism by Richard Freeman (2013-09-30 10:45)

http://www.upaya.org/dharma/richard-freeman-06-05-2013-yoga-in-the-m irror-of-buddhism/

Richard Freeman 279

1.5.10

cards (2013-09-30 13:37)

1.6
1.6.1

October
Interview with Soa Xirotiri (2013-10-02 21:38)

Thanks a lot Soa Xirotiri for your time its a honor for me. Your practice is a great inspiration. 1-what is your background in yoga? 2-Do you have some special diet? SX: I started my practice in Ashtanga yoga 2008 with my teacher Savvas Yiantsis we went to Goa for a workshop with Taric Tamic 2010 and then I decided to travel to Mysore...from then I travel to Mysore every year for practice with Sharath.i keep a healthy diet consists many fruits Greek yogurt salads and vegetables. Daily practice with my teacher and teaching keeps me inspired and happy!!! 280

Soa Xirotiri

1.6.2

Buscando Mula bandha Toni Romero (2013-10-03 18:25)

That which is the root of all beings, that root which bonds all of the mind (all thought and experience) That is Mula bandha, which should always

be served

La llama de la inteligencia, 281

Dibujo del Libro "The mirror of yoga" (attended to) and which is t for rajayogins. Sri Shankaracharya Mula bandha es la puerta que pasa de lo fsico a lo sutil. Aprender a entender toda esa inteligencia lleva aos y para comprender, estas simples notas son producto del aprendizaje de diversas fuentes y la prctica diaria, con toda la humildad espero que les sirva de utilidad a las personas que lo lean. El primer paso es tratar de crear mula bandha en el sentido corporal. El hatha yoga pradipika entre otros textos clsicos nombras mula bandha como la presin del taln directamente en el perineum.

Posturas como siddhasana son un buen punto de partida para empezar a sentir esa zona entre los genitales y ano (suelo plvico). La intencin es crear una tensin y levantar ese grupo muscular hacia arriba, como si se tratara de una llama que se enciende justo en ese punto intermedio y asciende hacia arriba. Al principio parece casi imposible, ya que al tratar de contraer esa zona es casi instintivo y ms fcil que sea el ano (aswini mudra). Para distinguir diversos tonos musculares es recomendable practicar el ejercicio de Kegel, en el cual al orinar e interrumpir la accin se activa lo que se llama msculo PC. De

modo podemos delimitar dos puntos de partida este frontal pc y trasero ano. Si tratamos de visualizar un rombo en la zona y aadimos el glteo derecho e izquierdo tenemos cuatro esquinas que dibujan la supercie en bruto donde el suelo plvico es contrado. Al principio para tratar de asegurar la implicacin de mula bandha es recomendable tratar de contraer los tres puntos (pc, ano y centro del suelo plvico) e intentar visualizar como los glteos derecho e izquierdo tratan de acercarse para asegurar un compacto grupo muscular como punto de partida. A travs de la 282

prctica la intencin es renar una y otra vez para poder diseccionar el rombo en secciones cada vez ms pequea y precisas. Es como si ests en la playa y tratas de tomar un manado de arena del suelo y al hacerlo procuras tener la mxima cantidad y con el tiempo se vuelve algo tan exacto como si recogieras un hilo que tratas de levantar. Una vez localizado el punto entremedio del ano y los genitales, es interesante observar que al sentir mula bandha haciendo ascender apana, el ano est sin tensin. Prana vayu y apana vayu son dos los vayus que forman el PRANA como grupo genrico y traducido como energa vital. Prana vayu se mueve hacia arriba, se encuentra en la zona pectoral y su punto central en el centro del trax cuando la calidad postural del torso es rme, abierta, con los hombros haca atrs. Al inhalar al mximo, el trax se expande y crece, esa es la fase ms prnica de la respiracin. Apana vayu para complementar se mueve haca abajo se encuentra en la zona inferior del cuerpo. Su punto matriz en el centro del suelo plvico. Precisamente al exhalar, los msculos abdominales se contraen, el trax se cierra. Prana es como volar hacia el cielo y apana como arraigar en la tierra. De ah la importancia de mula (raz) bandha (sello). Su funcin es revertir el movimiento de apana y hacerlo ascender. De ese modo a la altura del hueso pbico prana y apana se presionan el uno al otro. Algunas versiones dicen que el calor que desprender esa friccin mata la serpiente enroscada kundalini que obstaculiza la entrada del nadi central y entonces prana puede ascender libremente y llevar la energa Shakti para unirse a la consciencia universal Shiva. Hay diversas variaciones del proceso segn el linaje, no me voy a extender ya que es un tema muy extenso. Volviendo a prana y apana. Una buena forma de sentir la contraccin que se produce en el suelo plvico es tratar exhalar completamente, pero manteniendo el trax abierto como en la inhalacin para mantener la calidad residual de la inhalacin (postural y energticamente) al exhalar y al llegar al punto que a se ha expulsado el aire tratar de emitir con el resto un ltimo soplo por la nariz que hace "puff". En ese momento si diriges tu atencin con mucha delicadez y prctica sentirs una leve contraccin entre el ano y los genitales. Entonces tratas de mantener ese tono suavemente y muy sutil al inhalar conservando la calidad residual de la exhalacin en la inhalacin. Llevando la atencin de la inhalacin como una na llama que nace desde el suelo plvico y asciende por el canal medio del cuerpo hacia arriba. " Ofreciendo el aliento inhalado en aquel aliento que se exhala, y ofreciendo el aliento que se exhala en aquel que se inhala, el yogui netraliza estos dos alientos; de este modo libera el prana del corazn y lo pone bajo control"Bhagavad Gita

La segunda fase de mula bandha, que en Ashtanga yoga llaman "uddiyana bandha" (no confundir con uddiyana bandha kriya que solamente es posible durante la completa exhalacin con retencin vaco de aire bahya kumbhaka) es la continuacin de mula bandha y consiste es una ligera retraccin haca atrs (haca dentro) del muro abdominal, pero solamente a la altura del hueso pbica, no contrayendo ms arriba para dejar total libertad al diafragma para poder ascender y descender. Es decir al inhalar y exhalar la barriga est inmvil, la parte lumbar se levanta, esa mini contraccin es mantenida du-

283

rante Uddiyana bandha todo el ciclo respiratorio, pero la parte superior abdominal no est tensa. Una manera fcil de ver la correcta aplicacin los bandhas es vericar el suelo plvico y la parte abdominal encima del hueso pbico ya que es muy difcil contraer uno sin que el otro no responda automticamente. Puesto que el tono muscular a nivel abdominal es mucho ms fcil de manipular en un principio que el tejido del suelo plvico. Es de gran utilidad partir de algunos ejercicios para ayudar a sentir la contraccin que produce mula bandha. Sentado en padmasana (postura ideal ya que toda la parte infe-

rior suelo plvico, cccix conectan con el suelo) manteniendo una postura rme y con la espalda recta, situado unos palillos o la punta de los dedos a la altura de la pelvis y sintiendo como al inhalar esa franja abdominal es 284

retrada haca atrs mientras que los glteos imaginariamente son llevados haca abajo y luego al exhalar completamente y expulsando el ltimo "puff" de aire, descrito anteriormente es fcil poder manipular los bandhas. Otra manera para las personas que no pueden sentarse en padmasana. Es tumbarse hacia arriba, doblar las piernas y llevar la punta de los

dedos en los mismo puntas del muro abdominal y tratar de sentir la retraccin abdominal y la contraccin del suelo plvico sincronizado con la respiracin. Un ejercicio de gran utilidad es uddiyana bandha kriya, al succionar todo el tono muscular hacia atrs y arribar y crear ese vaco interno de aire hace que por la misma fuerza

285

sea Uddiyana bandha kriyamuy fcil sentir con el tejido del suelo plvico es trado hacia arriba. Es innitamente recomendable el libro moola bandha: The mas-

ter key. Finding Mula Bandha, English version

286

1.6.3

Advanced Ashtanga practice with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois 1987 / 1989

(2013-10-14 10:20)

1987 advanced A with some asana from advanced B Practitioners: Chuck Miller, Gary Lapedota, Clifford Sweatte and Tim Miller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kmpQYXZGs 1989 Advanced A and half of advanced B Practitioners: Tim Miller, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty and Richard Freeman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPHTZ7Hc7Hg 287

1.6.4

Talking with Alex Medin. Deborah Crooks+demo (2013-10-16 19:58)

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/07/talking-with-alex-medin-debor ah-crooks/ [EMBED] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhe3rotNZ9g

1.6.5

interview with Sarath for the magazine yoga octuber 2011 (2013-10-16 21:54)

Firstly, Sharathji, thank you for meeting us. Can we start with your own story;how did your journey in Ashtanga Yoga begin? I was seven (years old) when I began practicing yoga. But I was a child; I wasnt serious, so all I was doing was just playing

around with asanas. We lived in a joint family at that point. Many students, from across the world, would ock to our home to be initiated into Ashtanga Yoga by my grandfather, Sri K Pattabhi Jois. A few years later, we moved 288

to another place in Gokulam (a suburb in Mysore). Obviously, you pursued your practice? Yes, it was the year 1989. I was 19. My mother, Saraswathi, wanted me to go and help Guruji (as my grandfather was known among his students) in handling his classes. So, one ne morning, I woke up with a decision to get serious about yoga. I began going to the shala at Lakshmipuram at 3am to begin my practice at 4 am, sharp. I did that for nine years and before I knew it, I was immersed in its science and art. Did yoga come easily to you? Well, everyone has to struggle. Effort is imperative, mandatory, almost. But slowly, the magic began to happen. The more I invested in it, better the results. Also, since Id experienced yoga early on in life, I was able to pick it easily; I think, somewhere I had internalized it. In two years, I had turned into a serious practitioner. So you had the good fortune to imbibe it straight from Guruji? Yes; I got individual attention from him. Also, there were only a handful of students back then but as time went along, a whole host of Indian students started knocking at his doors, wanting to soak in the essence of Ashtanga Yoga. But Guruji was kind enough to teach me everything he knew; in addition to the practical side of yoga, he also spent time teaching me a whole lot of theory, verses from the Bhagavad Gita and other philosophical subjects. Like I said before, the more I learnt, the more I wanted to learn. Yoga, then, is a very personal experience? That is right. Yoga is something that should really manifest itself within you, on its own. This can happen for different people at different levels. Ashtanga Yoga is perceived as a highly physical practice. Does it have a spiritual side to it? You bet it does. It looks physical, intense even. But thats only the surface. Once you delve deeper, you can experience its inner beauty. I often like to compare Ashtanga Yoga with an ocean. What was your moment of epiphany in yoga? Honestly, it was a slow process; I just liked and enjoyed it. It was like a voyage of discovery that involved a great deal of struggle. I also found that as I submerged myself in asanas (postures),

289

I began to feel meditative and quiet. As time went by, my urge to focus on the mat only got stronger. And thats the thing about Ashtanga Yoga. Asanas are only one aspect of it. So you were being trained to become a teacher? No. I didnt become a teacher instantly. Guruji made me understand and experience Ashtanga Yoga and its essence before I could begin guiding others into it. Each posture, in Ashtanga Yoga, for instance, has a number of vinyasas. As a practitioner, you need to experience it rst before starting to teach others. I remember initially, I would merely stay in a class with Guruji and help people into certain complicated postures, etc. I did the same in my mothers class as well. I think a lot of it also came with just being a silent observer. I would watch my grandfather guide students and spend a large part of my day on research. Swadhyay, meaning self-study is important. Only when you do that, youll begin to see meaning in your practice. The other thing is, teaching helps you discover a whole new side of things. No two students are the same. Therefore, its imperative to understand each persons body and how much each one can expect it to deliver. You believe then its a slow and steady progression, right? Journeying into yoga& Yes. Becoming a master in this system requires dogged dedication and commitment in addition to quality time. It doesnt come in a day. In the world we live in, one that perpetrates quick-x solutions, people are always looking for the fastest route to becoming famous. This style of yoga is clearly not for them. First and foremost, you need to like this system and want to lean and experience it. I guess both my grandfather and I didnt and dont have any desire or ambition to become famous. We just want to 290

practice. Over the years of your tours and travels abroad, youve managed to spread Ashtanga Yoga and its tradition to the world. What has the experience been like? We began traveling in the mid 90s simply because we wanted to educate people in the West on an authentic system of yoga practice. That, I think is imperative. What about the classes here, in Mysore? Students from across the world, come here to be guided into the basics and nuances of Ashtanga Yoga. Twice a week, on Friday and Sunday, theres a led class. We also try to educate our students on the yoga sutras and some lessons in Sanskrit. Can only young people practice Ashtanga Yoga? Thats not true. I have a student who is 55 and who has just started. He cannot do many asanas; but thats ne. The essential thing is for people to understand that asana is the foundation to understanding and appreciating spirituality. Are youngsters these days showing interest in yoga, in general? Well, we try to do our bit in inculating a sense of interest. We encourage them with scholarships because we believe that each and every person needs to learn yoga and experience both the physical and mental energy within us so we can all lead better lives. Suffering is everywhere; we need to nd ways to overcome it. Yoga is a tool. For instance, in the West, the practice of yoga has fostered a sense of the family; it has helped in keeping families connected with each other. Now at the helm of the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute(KPJAYI), what are your various plans? In our mission to take yoga to youngsters, we have been talking to schools to explore the possibility of including it in their curriculum. The Stanford University is looking at starting classes for its students in Ashtanga Yoga. The Virginia Tech University has invited us recently; one of our students in the US will be training students there. There is a 291

buzz about Michelle Obama, wanting to do a programme on yoga across universities. Lets see&

1.6.6

Short text by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (2013-10-17 22:48)

"Each of us here possesses a physical body made up of bones, esh, blood and such things. At present we are not able to exert complete control over this body and as a result we always experience problems. There might be a rich man whose wealth is equal to that of the entire world yet despite his enormous fortune, if his mind is tied up in an uncontrolled body, he will live in continual suffering. Rich or poor, none of us escape this problem. Try as we may, we never seem to nd an end to our difculties. If we solve one, another immediately takes its place. The conicts and suffering involved in maintaining our physical body are the same no matter where we may be. If we have the wisdom to penetrate deeply into the heart of this matter and check the actual way things are, we quickly perceive the universality of this unsatisfactory situation. It also becomes clear that if we did not have such an uncontrolled body, there would be no way for us to experience the sufferings related to it" 292

1.6.7

Extract from Meditation on the Mind Itself by Lama Thubten Yeshe

(2013-10-18 12:49)

The gross levels of superstition are like these clothes. Each time you go deeper, deeper, you take off a layer. You reach more subtle, subtle states. When your mind reaches the subtle point, maybe deepest unconscious according to the western psychological view, so subtle that you touch reality, it is super powerful. Because subjectively your wisdom is so unbelievably subtle, so sharp to touch reality is more powerful than a nuclear bomb. 293

294

1.6.8

Anthony Gary Lopedota interview for Sthira&Bhaga (2013-10-19 15:00)

Anthony Gary Lopedota Has been a great honor to interview Anthony Gary Lopedota, one of the most important yogi in the world. Thank you very much for your time and inspiration.

You are one of the persons in the world who practices all the series (with the old advanced A &B) , i was reading a bit that you had some private sessions with Sri K Pattabhi Jois, i would love you to explain to me a bit about this experiencie with Guruji. 295

Anthony:I had four hour privates for about two months. It was the best time for me, really almost 4 months with a quadriplegic girl there for about two months. What I gained was imparted with his sincere touch every day and watching him work with the young girl with such inspiration and willingness to do whatever it took to bring about positive change. As much as i love and respect Guru Ji, I truly believe that we ( the yoga therapists ) have the ability to take the practice to a new and more healing level, maybe not more healing for all but denitely for some who do not respond to the ashtanga practice verbatim. I learned that we need to think outside the box form KP Jois who denitely thought outside the box. I will be coming out with a short video of a vinyasa series that addresses brain function, hemisphere balancing, addressing learning disabilities like dyslexia. Guru Jis genius came a lot from his passion and love. When I would discover something that worked well with the practice and discussed and shared it with Guru Ji, he would get excited and showed me a lot of support and trust. I am sure that my injuries and challenges with my body are all blessings in disguise, it is no accident that doctors, therapists and clinicians have often felt like sharing their wisdom with me. Guru Ji and I would sit and drink coffee after class. He was so humble and yet very self assured. He believed in what he did. Those yogis that are inspired to learn and incorporate other body therapies are the next generation of this lineage. The fundamentalist approach is not in line with what KPJ did in his life or we would be doing exactly what Krishnamacharya taught. You discovered that many injuries are the result of poor nutrition. And you applied a therapeutic form of ashtanga,do you think that ashtanga can be practiced for all of our lives.

Anthony:Ashtanga yoga puts an extraordinary amount of repetitious strain on the connective tissue of the body. If a persons connective tissue is breaking down because of poor nutrition and acidic life style, the result will be an eventual and certain break down of the body. One could continue practicing the latter limbs of Ashtanga yoga but the asana practice would be a waste of time and would merely accelerate the 296

breakdown of the articulating surfaces and the surrounding connective tissue. Guru Ji stopped his asana practice earlier than a lot of us would even consider. He continued with daily shirshasana and padmasana during pratyahara, pranayama, dharana, dyana, samadhi practice/experience.

why did you begin to practice yoga, and how much time did you spend with Guruji studying?

Anthony:Wow, never counted before, I believe it was eight times the longest being three times in Mysore at 3 to 4 months each.I was always attracted to yoga, martial arts, healing. It came natural to touch people in a healing way and ashtanga, like no other yoga, is practiced in that way. I remember touching and massaging relatives at gatherings when I was 9 years old and remember counseling in a spiritual manner when I was 5. Blessed to be born blind by California standards and sickly as a child, the path of healing and healer was carved out for me.

When I was fourteen, yoga became an interest as well as martial arts; actually judo was my rst practice when I was 12. At fteen Paramahamsa Yoganada, Allan Watts, Aldous Huxley, Wilhelm Reich, Swami Ramacharacha, and many other authors became my interest and salvation. Yoga was in my stars. Do you think youve nally taken mula bandha in full control in the physical and energy sense to control the prana? Anthony:As my body, subtle and gross adjusted to Ashtanga Yoga, it went through many changes some were quite radical. At one point when Brad Ramsey and I practiced together, this being after many private pranayama classes with Guru Ji, I started having convulsions. While I was sitting in padmasana doing pranayama, my body(torso) would start slamming forward so that it hit the oor with great force 297

and total disregard for what my physical body was going through. This was an electrical response on the most subtle level of ida , pingala, sashumna nadi cleansing/reorganizing., although it looked anything but subtle. Good thing Bradley had my back. He was good at not emotional response and added only positive support. Other yogis when I explained this to them became quite scarred for me. Not everyone is cut out to meet Shiva. Later in my practice which has included three 40 day fasts in my life so far ( hand full of food and as much water as I wanted every day with some variation but not on the amount of solid food. All three times my weight ended up leveling off at 125 #s.). It was during one of these fasts that the breath stopped during pranayama. I actually got scarred when I noticed and that ended the experience. Our prana and mullabanda develop at different rates. My mullabandha is quite developed but my prana is a bit behind. I have always had vices that are not yogicly pure if you will. The truth is, with grace we may have the control of both in the necessary situation and that is all that matters. Trying to cultivate siddhis is part of the egos arrogance.Siddhis naturally acquired and expressed are divine.

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Richard Freeman Quote (2013-10-19 19:05)

1.6.10

Finding Mula Bandha, article in elephant journal (2013-10-20 08:27)

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/finding-mula-bandha-toni-rome ro/ 299

1.6.11

Interview with Dany S (2013-10-23 15:59)

Thanks a lot Dany S for your time :) Your clip from the second series was the one rst ashtanga videos that i saw, thanks! 300

1-what is your background in yoga? Dany S: I was professional dancer and I started to practice yoga in 2003. I fell in love at the rst time! Since that, I started to study more and more. I started to practice Ashtanga regularly in 2006 with my teacher Matthew Vollmer that gave to me the rst knowledge about the traditional practice and the series until advanced A. Now, I have often gone to Mysore to receive the teachings of Sharath Jois.

2-Have you noticed any change in your body as a result of the Ashtanga practice? Dany S: Sure, Ive already had exibility because of dance and some strength, but with Ashtanga I felt my body more balanced and healthy. The breathing helps me a lot to understand the right way to get into the posture easily without too much effort.

3-Do you think youve nally taken mula bandha in full control in the physical and energy sense to control the prana? Dany S: Im still working on it! I think the daily practice helps us to understand this subtle control. My mula bandha is improving day by day. 301

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Yoga Taravali (full text) by Sri Shankaracharya (2013-10-23 18:01)

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Padmasana: Right Leg First (Ashtanga Yoga, Practice & Philosophy by Gregor Maehle ) (2013-10-24 13:04)

Why is Padmasana traditionally done only by rst placing the right leg and then bringing the left leg on top? When asked this question, K. Pattabhi Jois quoted the Yoga Shastra as saying,: "Right side rst and left leg on top puries the liver and spleen. Left leg rst is of no use at all." He also explained that the lotus done in this way stimulates insulin production. Contemporary teachers have suggested performing Padmasana on both sides to balance the body. Improving the symmetry of the body is achieved through the standing postures. However, the postures that strongly inuence the abdominal and thoracic cavities, such as Padmasana, Kurmasana, Dvi Pada Shirshasana, and Pashasana, do not have the function of making the body symmetrical, but of accommodating the asymmetry of the abdominal and thoracic organs. To accommodate the fact that the liver is on the right side of the abdominal cavity and the spleen is on the left, the right leg is rst placed into position with the left leg on 306

top. As leg-behind-the-head postures develop the chest, to place the left leg rst in Kurmasana (turtle) accommodates the fact that the heart is predominantly in the left side of the thoracic cavity. Putting the left leg 1st in leg behind the head postures will correct any imbalances in the hips acquired from right leg 1st in Lotus. As far as standing postures, it is a good idea to initiate from both sides. Generally the rst side will be held longer in class. Sometimes dramatically longer. This will create imbalance throughout the entire body.

1.6.14

From the One Thousand Names of Lalita (2013-10-26 12:07)

Salutations to the most adorable and beautiful Mother of all beings. 307

Adorations to the Beautiful Great Empress Salutations to the Goddess whose royal seat is the great lion. Adoration to Her who is born from the altar of the re of Pure Consciousness. Obeisances to Her who is ever stimulating in what is to be done for and by the gods. Adoration to Her who has the brilliance of a thousand rising suns. Salutations to Her who is endowed with four arms, (Asvaruha,Sampatkari, Mantrini, and Varahi) surrounding Her as four goddesses. Obeisances to Her who has a noose of passion/grasping in the lower left hand. Salutations to Her who has a ery goad of anger/repulsion in the right lower hand. Salutations to Her who wields the sugarcane bow, of the synthesizing Mind, in Her left 308

upper hand. Obeisances to Her in whose right upper hand are the ve subtle elements, in the form of arrows which captivate the mind in meditative awareness. Adoration to Her who, as coiled Kundalini, resides As one in the

Muladhara at the pelvic oor. Adoration to Her who pierces through the Knot of Brahma. Greetings to Her who then rises up to the Manipura in the navel. Salutations to Her who, pierces, breaks through the Knot of Vishnu. Obeisances to Her who settles down deep inside the Ajnachakra. Salutations to Her who nally breaks through the Rudra-granthi. Salutations to Her who has sprung up to the thousand (innumerable) petaled lotus, called Sahasrara. 309

Adorations to Her who is the showering of the owing nectar (from the moon in the center of the Sahasrara). Adoration to her whose beauty is like continuous lightning. Salutations to Her whose stands completely above the six cakras. Salutations to Her who is the great Conjunction. Salutations to Her who is the coiled Kundalini, blocking the middle path. Salutations to Her who is the as ne as the thread of a lotus stalk. Salutations to Her who is the Beautiful auspiscious iva. Salutations to her who is the form of the Union of iva and akti (Pure Consciousness and Creative Energy). Salutations to Her who is both the amorous, playful goddess Lalitaa and the loving mother Ambikaa.

1.6.15

Finding Mula Bandha. Toni Romero (2013-10-30 09:55)

That which is the root of all beings, that root which bonds all of the mind (all thought and experience) That is , which should always be servedattended to) and which is t for rajayogins. 310

Ganesha Lord of Mula Bandha Sri Shankaracharya

Mula bandha is the gate that moves from the physical to the subtle. Learning to understand all of this intelligence takes many years. These simple notes are the result of learning from several sources and daily practice. With all the humility, I hope it will be useful to people who read it. The rst point is try to create mula bandha in the physical sense. Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other classical texts dene mula bandha as heel pressure directly on the perineum. Positions like siddhasana are a good starting point to begin to feel the area between the genitals and anus (pelvic oor). The intention is to create a tension in that muscle group and lift it upwards as if it were a ame that lights just that intermediate point and rises. At the beginning, it is near impossible; it is almost instinctive and easier contract the anus (Aswini mudra). To distinguish different muscle tones, it is recommended to practice Kegel exercises in which you are using what is called the pubococcygeus (PC) muscle. It is the muscle used when the action of urination is interrupted. This allows us dene two starting points from the front and back (PC muscle and anus). If we try to visualize a rhomb in this area and add the left and right buttock, then we have four corners 311

that draw the gross surface where the pelvic oor is contracted. To put mula bandha into practice at rst, the recommendation is to contract the three points and try to visualize the left and right gluts coming together into a compact group of muscles. Once you locate the point in between the anus and the genitals, there is an interesting lack of tension in the anus. When you feel mula bandha, the apana is drawn upwards. Prana vayu and apana vayu are two of the ve types of vayu that form the Prana, which is translates to vital energy. As prana vayu moves up into the chest area, the seed point is at the center of the chest. When you take a maximum inhale, the chest expands and grows. This is the most pranic stage of the breath. Apana vayu moves down the lower body. The seed point is in the center of the pelvic oor. Precisely as you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles while the chest is closed. Prana is like ying in the sky and apana is like a root in the earth. This is the importance of mula (root) bandha (seal). Their function is to reverse the movement of apana and ascend upward. Thus the height of the pubic bone and the prana apana are pressed into each other. Some versions say that heat kills kundalini and releases it into the entrance of the central nadi (sushumna). Then prana can rise freely and lead Shakti (creative energy) to join the universal consciousness Shiva. There are several variations of the process, depending on different lineages, which I will not extend at this point as it is a very extensive subject. A good way to feel the contraction that occurs in the pelvic oor when turning to prana and apana is to try exhaling completely, keeping the chest open to maintain the residual quality of inhalation (postural and energetically). During the exhale, reach the point of expelling the air until there is one nal breath through the nose. Make a puff sound (like Richard Freeman explain in his pranayama course). At that time, if you direct your attention with great delicacy and practice, you will feel a slight contraction between the anus and genitals. Try to keep that soft and subtle tone when inhaling, maintaining residual quality of the out breath in the inhalation. Bring the attention of inhalation as a thin ame that comes from the pelvic oor and rises through Sushumna Nadi. Other devotees offer as sacrice the incoming breath of prana in the outgoing breath of apana, and the outgoing breath of apana in the incoming breath of prana, thus arresting the cause of inhalation and exhalation by intent practice of pranayama . The Bhagavad Gita IV:29 The second stage of mula bandha, which Ashtanga Yoga is calling uddiyana bandha (not to be confused with uddiyana bandha kriya), is possible during full exhalation retention (bahya Kumbhaka). It is the prolongation of mula bandha. There is a slight backward retraction of the abdominal wall, but only around the pubic bone. Above the diaphragm, there should be complete freedom to go up and down. In other words, when inhaling and exhaling, the belly is steady, the lower back is lifted and the upper abdomen is soft. This mini contraction is maintained throughout the respiratory cycle. An easy way to see the proper application of the mula and uddiyana bandha is to verify the pelvic oor and abdominal area above the pubic bone because it is very difcult to contract one without the other responding. Since the abdominal muscle tone is much easier to manipulate at rst, it is very useful to start some exercises to help you feel the contraction that produces mula bandha. Sit in padmasana (this is ideal because the entire lower pelvic oor and tailbone connects with the ground) while maintaining a rm stance with your back straight. Situate some chopsticks or ngertips to the level of the pelvis and feel the inhale in the abdominal area as it is retracted backwards while the imaginary buttocks are brought downwards. Then exhale completely and expel the last puff of air described above. It is easy to manipulate the bandhas. If some people cannot sit in padmasana, another exercise is to lie down and then bend the legs, bringing the ngertips to the abdominal wall. Try to feel the retraction above the pubic bone as the pelvic oor contraction synchronizes with the breath. Another useful practice is uddiyana bandha kriya, which is when all of the muscles are sucked back and up. The strength created by the internal vacuum makes it very easy to feel like the pelvic tissue is brought 312

up. Spanish version article in elephant journal

1.6.16

Food for intense ashtanga practice by Anthony Gary Lopedota

(2013-10-30 10:35)

http://ashtangayogatherapy.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/food-for-intense -ashtanga-practice/

1.6.17

The three gunas from the Bhagavad Gita (2013-10-31 11:28)

Know thou Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment; it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action! But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Arjuna, by heedlessness, sleep and indolence! Sattwa attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, shrouding 313

knowledge, attaches to heedlessness only! Now Sattwa prevails, O Arjuna, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; now Rajas, having overpowered Sattwa and Tamas; and now Tamas, having overpowered Sattwa and Rajas! When, through every gate (sense) in this body, the wisdom-light shines, then it may be known that Sattwa is predominant. Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, longing these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna! Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna!

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November
Yoga Sikha Upanishad (2013-11-01 13:57)

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;May we work conjointly with

great energy,May our study be vigorous and effective;May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).Om ! Let there be Peace in me !Let there be Peace in my environment !Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! First Chapter All the living beings are surrounded by the net of illusion, Oh God, Parameshwara, Oh God of Gods, How will they attain salvation? Be kind enough to tell. Asked Lord Brahma to Lord Parameshwara and he replied as follows: 1.1 Some people say that the only way out is Jnana (knowledge). To attain occult powers, that alone will not sufce. How can Jnana without Yoga lead to salvation? It is also true

that Yoga alone without Jnana will not lead to salvation. So the one who aims at salvation, should learn Jnana and Yoga together. 1.2 Like a rope ties a bird, the minds of all living beings are tied. Enquiries and researches do not affect the tie of this mind. So the only way to win over this mind is through victory over Prana. There is no other option to get victory over Prana except Yoga and there are no methods except those shown by Siddhas. 1.3 So I am teaching you this Yoga Shika (head of all yogas). It is greater than all Jnanas. After sitting in either Padmasana (lotus position) or any other Asana, and after concentrating the sight to the tip of the nose and after controlling both the hands and legs, meditate on the letter Om with a concentrated mind. If one continuously meditates on Parameshwara, he would become an expert in yoga and the Parameshwara would appear before him. 1.4 If we sit in an asana and continuously practice, the bindu will cease from going down. Without Pooraka and Rechaka, the Prana would stand in Kumbhaka for a very long time. You would hear different types 315

of sound. The nectar will start owing from the place of the moon. Hunger and thirst will cease. Mind would get concentrated on the ever owing bliss. The four steps for this are Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. The great Maha Yoga, which is one, has been divided in to four and named as above. The prana goes out with sound ham and goes in with the word sa, and all beings naturally chant the mantra Hamsa, Hamsa (while exhaling and inhaling). This is chanted in the Sushumna after being taught by the Guru in an inverted manner (Hamsa inverted is soham). This chanting of the mantra Soham, Soham (I am it) is called Mantra Yoga. Sun is the letter Ha and moon is the letter Tha. The joining of sun and the moon is the Hatha Yoga. Due to Hatha Yoga, the idiocy which is the cause of all doshas (draw backs) is swallowed. When the merging of Jeevatma and Paramatma takes place, mind melts and vanishes. And only air of Prana remains. This is called Laya Yoga. Because of Laya Yoga that heavenly Swathmananda Sowkhya (the well being of the joy of ones own soul) is attained. In the great temple of the middle of yoni (the female organ) the principle of the Devi, which is red like Hibiscus ower lives as Rajas in all beings. The merger of this rajas with the male principle is called Raja Yoga. As a result of Raja Yoga, the Yogi gets all the occult powers like Anima. You have to understand that all these four types of Yogas are nothing but the merger of Prana, Apana and Samana. 1.5 For all those who have a body, their body is the temple of Shiva. It can give them occult powers. The triangular part in between the anus and penis is called the mooladhara. This is the place where Shiva lives as a life giving force. There the Parashakthi called Kundalani lives. From there wind is produced. The re is also produced from there. From there only the sound Hamsa and the mind are also produced. This place which would give whatever is asked for is called Kamakhya peetam (the seat of passion). In the edge of the anus is the Swadishtana Chakra with six petals. Near the belly is the Mani Poora Chakra with its ten petals. In the place near the heart the Anahatha Chakra with its 12 petals exists. And, Hey Lord Brahma, this is called the Poorna Giri Peeta. In the depression in the throat, Vishudhi Chakra with its 16 petals exists. Hey lord of Lords, that is the Jalandara Chakra. In between the eyelids is the Agna Chakra with its two petals. Over that is the Maha Peeta called Udayana. 1.6 Second Chapter This world functions because of the unclear foundation power which is described as Maha Maya, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Devi and Maha Saraswathi. That power shines in a micro form as a Bindu (dot) on the Peeta (seat). That Bindu breaks the Peeta and emerges from there in the form of Nadha (sound). That Nadha Brahma assumes three shapes viz., Macro, Micro and external. The macro form is the big shape which is pervaded by the ve Brahmans. The micro form which arises from the Nadha with its three Bheejas (roots) is the form of Hiranya Garbha. Para is the ever true property of Satchitananda. By continuously chanting the Atma mantra, the glitter will occur in Para Thathwa (the philosophy of the external). For the Yogi who has stopped his mind, this appears in the micro form similar to the ame of the lamp, moons crescent, like a re y, like a streak of lightning and like the glitter of stars. There are no greater mantras than Nadha (sound), no Gods greater than Atma, no greater worship than the meditation and no pleasure greater than satisfaction. My devotee who understands this would remain stable in his happiness. To that great man who has great devotion to God as well as similar great devotion to his teacher, all this would be understood automatically. Third Chapter That great ever living Nadha (sound) is called Sabhda Brahman. It is the strength residing in the Mooladhara. Para is the foundation for its own self and is of the form of Bindhu. That Nadha coming out of Parashakthi (similar to the germ coming out of the seed) is called Pasyanthi (we see). The Yogis who are able to see using the Pasyanthi Shakthi, understand that it is the whole world. That power produces sound like a rain starting from the heart. Hey Lord of Lords, there it is called Madhyama. It is called Vaikari when it merges in the sound form with Prana and exists in the throat and jaw. It produces all the alphabets from Aa to Ksha. From alphabet words arise and from words rise the sentences and from them all the Vedas and Mantras. This Goddess Saraswathi lives in the cave of intelligence in all beings. In meditation when will power melts, you can reach this Para Thathwa. Fourth Chapter 316

Because the divine power is single, there are no differences there. You have to understand that the thought process of living beings is like seeing a snake in a rope. When you do not know, it is a rope and then for a small time the rope appears as a snake. The ordinary intelligence is similar to this. We see everything as the world that we see. There is no reason or basis for this world to be different from this Brahman. So the World is only Brahman and not anything different. If you understand the Para Thathwa like this, where is the cause for differentiation. 4.1 In Taittiriya Upanishad fear has been told as belonging to that foolish person who nds difference between Jeevatma(soul) and Paramatma (God). Though this world has been told as some thing to be experienced, in the next moment it vanishes like a dream. There is no state of waking up in a dream. There is no dream in the state of waking up. Both of them are not there in Laya. Laya is not in both of them. All these three are illusions created by the three characters. The one who sees this would be above characteristics and would be forever. 4.2 The Chaithanya (activity) starts in the form of the world. All these are Brahman. It is useless to differentiate it as Atma and Anatma when dealing with wise people. The foolish man thinks that body is attached to the soul. The belief that pot is mixed with the mud and the water is mixed with mirage and similarly the belief that body is mixed up with the soul is because of taking recourse to ignorance. 4.3 Fifth Chapter That Yogi who has mastered yoga and who has complete control over his senses would attain whatever he imagines. The Teacher (guru) is the Brahma, He is Vishnu and He is the Lord of Lords Sadashiva and there is nobody greater than the teacher in all the three worlds. We should worship with devotion that Parameshwara, who is the great Soul who has taught us the divine knowledge. The one who worships like that would get the result of Jnana fully. Do not keep your aim because of the wavering mind on occult powers. The one who knows this principle well, is the one who has attained salvation. There is no doubt about it. Sixth Chapter That great light in which the Bhoo Loka, Bhuvar Loka and Suvar Loka [Worlds] and the Sun, Moon and Fire Gods, are but a small part in the letter Om. When mind wavers, the worldly life and when it is rm, the salvation will result. So Lord Brahma, using great intelligence we have to keep the mind not to waver. For desire to posses wealth, the mind is the reason. When that is destroyed, the world would be destroyed. One should with lot of effort start the treatment for that. When a man looks after his mind using his mind and realizes that it has stopped running, he would see the Parabrahman, which is very difcult to see. The Yogi is able to get salvation by seeing his mind with his mind. We have to see the mind with the mind and hanker for that mad state. We have to see the mind with the mind and be stable in Yoga. 6.1 In any place where the wind moves, the mind also wavers. Mind is called moon, sun, wind, sight and re. The Bindu(dot), Nadha (sound) and the Kala (crescent) are the Gods Vishnu, Brahma and Ishwara. By constant practice of Nadha, the bad inuences will vanish. That which is Nadha becomes the Bindu and then becomes the mind. One has to clearly aim at the unication of Nadha, Bindu and Chintha. Mind itself is the Bindu and that is the reason for the state of creation of the world. Similar to milk being produced by the cow, Bindu is produced by the mind. 6.2 The one who realizes well the six wheels (Agna chakras) enters the world of pleasure. One has to enter it by controlling the airs in the body. One has to send the air (Vayu) upwards. One has to practice Vayu, Bindu Chakra and Chintha. Once the Yogi realizes Samadhi by one of them, he feels that everything is nectar like. Similar to the fact that the re inside the wood cannot be brought out without churning it by another wood, without practice, the lamp of wisdom can not be lit. Adopting his teacher as the one who pilots the ship and by adopting his teachings as the stable ship, with the power of constant practice, one crosses the sea of this birth. Thus tells this Upanishad. Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;May we work conjointly with great energy,May our study be vigorous and effective;May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate 317

any).Om ! Let there be Peace in me !Let there be Peace in my environment !Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! Here ends the Yoga-Sikhopanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda.

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

1.7.2

The three granthi from the Hatha yoga pradipika (2013-11-02 21:25)

The Brahma granthi being pierced, the feeling of bliss arises from the void; wondrous, tinkling sounds and the unstruck sound (anahata) are heard within the body. When the yogi experiences arambha in the void of the heart, his body becomes lustrous and brilliant with a divine smell and diseaseless. In the second stage, when ghata is achieved, the Shakti goes into the middle nadi. Being xed in his asana the wise yogi is comparable to a divine being. When the Vishnu granthi is pierced the greatest bliss is revealed. Then from the void the sound of the kettledrum manifests. In the third stage is the experience of the sound of the drum. Then there is the great void and one enters the place of total perfection or siddhi. Then the bliss of chitta being attained, natural or spontaneous ecstasy arises. Imbalance of the three humours or doshas, pain, old age, disease, hunger, sleep are overcome. If the Rudra granthi is pierced, the re of prana moves to the place of Ishwara. Then in the stage of nishpatti or consummation is the tinkling sound of the ute resonating like a vina. This is called raja yoga when there is one element in the mind or chitta. The yogi becomes Ishwara, being the creator and destroyer. 318

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Yoga Taravali&Yoga Sutras sanskrit audio (2013-11-06 13:54)

IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https %3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118747777

IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https %3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118818462

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1.7.4

Interview with Matthew Sweeney (2013-11-08 07:22)

Do you think there is any relationship between the three Granthi and diseases such as depression or anxiety?

Matthew: The three Granthi EXPRESS themselves as stress, anxiety, depression, mental illness, physical illness etc etc. It is not possible to separate these concepts. It is also not wrong to have these illnesses - they are your journey, your lesson, and your pathway to make contact with self and the divine. When your system is out of balance, whether mentally or otherwise, the contractions we feel are the three Granthi at work. They are not bad - we contract and resist as a form of balance against greater pain rightly or wrongly. 321

What is the main difference between your vinyasa krama sequences and Ashtanga series?

Matthew:Vinyasa Krama is intended as a support to Ashtanga Yoga - not to replace it - rather to enhance it, they allow more people to keep practicing with greater ease and greater joy.

Do you think that ashtanga can be practiced for all live?

Matthew:Some people can practice Ashtanga for most of their lives, most people cannot. They either need to vary the system a little, or change it entirely.

Do you think that after all this years of practicing, you already have found Mula bandha (in the full sense physical / energetic) or you are still looking?

Matthew:Mula bandha is ultimately a state of mind - freedom from lower body or lower Granthi contraction. I have denitely felt this in my life, through great joy, bliss and surrender to God. But I still feel pain and contraction also - I am human after all.

Thanks a lot Matthew Sweeney 322

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Some asana in the beach (2013-11-10 18:22)

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From the samkhya karika by ishvara krishna (2013-11-12 14:42)

My opinion is that nothing is more modest than the Prakrti: Knowing that "I have been seen", she no more comer within sight of Purusa.

Thus, verily, Purusa is never bound, nor is he released nor does he migrate. (It is the) Prakrti, being the support of manifold creation, that migrates, is bound and is released. Prakrti by herself binds herself by means of seven forms, and it is she again, who by means of one form, releases herself for the benet of the spirit. Thus, from the practice of truth, is produced the wisdom in the form: "I am not", "nothing is mine", and "not-i", which is nal, pure on account of the absence of error, and absolute (knowledge). By means of this knowledge, the spirit, as a witness, pure and at case, beholds nature, which has ceased from evolving products, and desisted from the seven forms of evolution, under the inuence of the purpose of the spirit. The one (Purusa) thinks: "she has been seen by me" and therefore, loses all interest ; the other (Prakrti) thinks "I have been seen" and ceases to act further. Therefore, even if there is still connection there is no motive for further evolution. 324

1.7.7

Are You Prepared to Enter the Yoga Matrix? An Interview with Richard Freeman (2013-11-13 20:29)

Richard Freeman is one of the Wests most respected teachers of ashtanga yoga. At his popular Yoga Workshop school in Boulder, Colorado, he follows the traditional approach of his teacher, K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India, in emphasizing the philosophy of yoga, as well as mastery of the asanas (postures) we more commonly associate with its practice. Here Richard discusses the yoga matrix, a foundation of the philosophy that unites the many different schools of yoga. Source Soundstrue.com

Sounds True: Your new teaching program is called The Yoga Matrix. What is the meaning of this term? Richard Freeman: Well, by matrix we mean context the ground from which things are born which envelops them and penetrates them. When we refer to the yoga matrix, then, were talking about an awakening awareness of the context from which all of our immediate experience arises, and the deeper process of the mind revealed as we practice yoga. Sounds True: And by yoga, you mean ... Richard Freeman: In our philosophy, yoga is the observation of the inner depths of the body, the breath, and the mind, and their complete release in the experience of freedom. By freedom I mean the ability to experience the full, open spectrum of life without contraction or limitation. Sounds True: On The Yoga Matrix program, you describe achieving this freedom by opening the core of the body. Please describe how this process works. Richard Freeman: Entering the core of the body means insight into the mind in which it is enmeshed. Feelings, sensations, ideas, and emotions that are deep and primordial, that transgure everything for us, are in the core of the body. Literally we are referring to the central axis of the body, from the middle of the crown of your head, right down through the core of the heart, the roots of the navel, and into the 325

middle of the pelvic oor. The various practices of yoga can open this core from both the inside and the outside. Then the patterns of even simple experiences connect through the core to everything else. We so often keep this core closed off. We tend to stay out of it because the core is too wonderful, too intelligent and alive. The experience of it might cancel our egos program for keeping us miserable and alone. Sounds True: You describe the human body as a temple and place of worship that is immediately available to each of us. Thats not the typical approach to yoga as many of us understand it. Richard Freeman: The body is much, much more than what we think it is. Its actually a mystery; a fascinating, wonderful manifestation of the entire universe. By learning to pay close, meditative attention to the bodys simple sensations, feelings, and mental processes, we can discover the truth about what is sacred and what is immediate in life. If we look for the sacred only in objects or processes outside of our bodies, we never transform what is most immediate in our experience. We never develop the habit of looking within for what is most signicant. I think if people would look at their own bodies as temples, we could relieve much of the conict in the world over what is and what is not holy ground. It would erase a lot of the confusion we have about who we are

and who others are. Sounds True: You see confusion arising from our lack of connection to our bodies. Richard Freeman: Right. When someone says they are confused about whats important in life, that person tends to ride their body around as if it were some sort of machine to exploit. They reduce their body to a theory of their body, an object, and then they try to get pleasure out of the body in ways that are uncaring and abusive. Because the mind/body is a matrix we also then reduce others to theories. Is it any surprise that our relationships with others are often exploitative, and less than loving? When we 326

reorient our awareness to see that the body itself is sacred, a place of worship, we stimulate all aspects of our lives in the most beautiful way. This brings us back to the concept of the matrix, and our mutual interdependence. Nothing that you pull out of a matrix can exist separately. And so we ourselves our minds and our experiences do not exist separately from the whole matrix of the universe. Through yoga, we come to the direct realization that we are interlinked with other people that our cores cant really be illuminated unless we open our hearts to everybody. Once you take the yogic path, and become aware of the matrix and our interdependence, you manifest a kind of natural love for others. You nd that your happiness is really inseparable from the happiness of other people. And when you are able to encompass all other beings within your own heart, then you know that your practice of yoga is really working.

1.7.8

Some verses from the Shiva Samhita II,1-5 (2013-11-14 12:14)

1. In this body, the mount Meru i.e., the vertebral column is surrounded by seven islands; there are rivers, 327

seas, mountains, elds; and lords of the elds too. 2. There are in it seers and sages; all the stars and planets as well. There are sacred pilgrimages, shrines; and presiding deities of the shrines. 3. The sun and moon, agents of creation and destruction, also move in it. Ether, air, water and earth are also there. 4. All the beings that exist in the three worlds are also to be found in the body; surrounding the Meru they are engaged in their respective functions. 5. (But ordinary men do not know it). He who knows all this is a Yogi; there is no doubt about it.

1.7.9

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part one (1/4) (2013-11-16 12:10)

[Preliminary Verse:] Now I speak of the rst sprouting shoot (of the Yoga plant) of complete realization of the Brahman, which is to be achieved, according to the Tantras, by means of the six Chakras and so forth in their proper order. Realization = nivarhah, lit., "accomplishment." 1. In the space outside the Meru, placed on the left and the right, are the two Siras, Sasi and Mihira.

The Nadi Sushumna, whose substance is the threefold Gunas, is in the middle. She is the form of Moon, Sun, and Fire; Her body, a string of blooming Dhatura owers, extends from the middle of the 328

Kanda to the Head, and the Vajra inside Her extends, shining, from the Medhra to the Head. Meru = spinal column. Siras = nadis, i.e., subtle channels for energy. Kanda, lit. "bulb," located in the perineum. Medhra = penis. 2. Inside her [Vajra] is Chitrini, who is lustrous with the lustre of the Pranava and attainable in Yoga by Yogis. She (Chitrini) is subtle as a spiders thread, and pierces all the Lotuses which are placed within the backbone, and is pure intelligence. She (Chitrini) is beautiful by reason of these (lotuses) which are strung on her. Inside her (Chitrini) is the Brahma-nadi, which extends from the orice of the mouth of Hara to the place beyond, where Adi-deva is. Pranava = the mantra Om. The Brahama-nadi is the hollow space inside Chitrini; they are not two separate nadis. Orice of the mouth of Hara = the opening at the top of the Svayambhu-Linga in the Muladhara. Adi-deva = the supreme Bindu in the pericarp of the thousand petalled lotus. 3. She [Chitrini] is beautiful like a chain of lightning and ne like a (lotus) bre, and shines in the minds of the sages. She is extremely subtle; the awakener of pure knowledge; the embodiment of all Bliss, whose true nature is pure Consciousness. The Brahma-dvara shines in her mouth. This place in the entrance to the region sprinkled by ambrosia, and is called the Knot, as also the mouth of Sushumna. Bliss = sukha. Consciousness = Suddhabodhasvabhava. Braham-dvaram = door of Brahaman, through which Kundalini passes. Knot = Granthi-sthanam; the place where Sushumna meets Kanda. Ambrosia = Sudha; it ows from the union of Shiva and Shakti. The last sentence is reproduced accurately here from the printed original, despite its defective syntax. 4. Now we come to the Adhara Lotus. It is attached to the mouth of the Sushumna, and is placed below the genitals and above the anus. It has four petals of crimson hue. Its head (mouth) hangs downwards. On its petals are the four letters from Va to Sa, of the shining colour of gold. 329

Adhara Lotus = MuladharaChakra, the root chakra, the lowest one, located in the perineum. 5. In this (Lotus) is the square region (Chakra) of Prthivi, surrounded by eight shining spears. It is of a shining yellow colour and beautiful like lightning, as is also the Bija of Dhara which is within. Prthivi = earth element. Yellow is the color of the earth element. Bija of Dhara = Bija of Prthivi, the earth Tattva or "Lam." 6. Ornamented with four arms and mounted on the King of Elephants, He carries on His lap the child Creator, resplendent like the young Sun, who has four lustrous arms, and the wealth of whose lotusface is fourfold This is the Dhyana of the DharaBija. The Dhara-Bija is identical with that of Indra. 7. Here dwells the Devi Dakini by name; her four arms shine with beauty, and her eyes are brilliant red. She is resplendent like the lustre of many Suns rising at one and the same time. She is the carrier of the revelation of the ever-pure Intelligence. Ever-pure intelligence = sada suddha-buddeh; even people ignorant of Sanskrit can recognize the poetic quality of this phrase. By meditating on Dakini-Shakti, the presiding divinity of this region, one acquires suddhabuddheh i.e., tattva-jnana or pure intelligence. 8. Near the mouth of the Nadi called Vajra, and in the pericarp (of the Adhara Lotus), there constantly shines the beautifully luminous and soft, lightning-like triangle which is Kamarupa, and known as Traipura. There is always and everywhere the Vayu called Kandarpa, who is of a deeper red than the

330

Bandhujiva ower, and is the Lord of Beings and resplendent like ten million suns. Vayu called Kandarpa = a form of apana; Kandarpa is a name of Kama, the deva of love. 9. Inside it (the triangle) is Svayambhu in His Linga-form, beautiful like molten gold, with His Head downwards. He is revealed by Knowledge and Meditation, and is of the shape and colour of a new leaf. As the cool rays ot lightning and of the full moon charm, so does His beauty. The Deva who resides happily here as in Kasi is in forms like a whirlpool. Svayambhu in His Linga-form = the self-originated in the form of a phallus. Shape and color of a new leaf = like an unopened blue-green 331

bud, according to commentators. Knowledge = jnana Meditation = dhyana Kasi = Shivas favorite abode; the meaning is that the deva is as happy here as he is in Kasi. "Whirlpool" refers to a depression on the top of the linga 10 and 11. Over it [Svayambhu-Linga] shines the sleeping Kundalini, ne as the bre of the lotusstalk. She is the world-bewilderer, gently covering the mouth of Brahma-dvara by Her own. Like the spiral of the conch-shell, Her shining snake-like form goes three and a half times round Shiva, and Her lustre is as that of a strong ash of young strong lightning. Her sweet murmur is like the indistinct hum of swarms of love-mad bees. She produces melodious poetry and Bandha and all other compositions in prose or verse in sequence or otherwise in Samskrita, Prakrita and other languages. It is She who maintains all the beings of the world by means of inspiration and expiration, and shines in the cavity of the root (Mula) Lotus like a chain of brilliant lights. "World-bewilderer" because Kundalini is maya in this world. Bandha = type of literary composition in which the verse is arranged in a diagram or picture. 12. Within it [Svayambhu-Linga, round which Kundalini is coiled] reigns dominant Para, the SriParamesvari, the Awakener of eternal knowledge. She is the Omnipotent Kala who is wonderfully skilful to create, and is subtler than the subtlest. She is the recepttacle of that continuous stream of ambrosia which ows from the Eternal Bliss. By Her radiance it is that the whole of this Universe and this Cauldon is illumined. Universe = brahmanda, i.e., egg of Brahma Cauldon = kataha, that is, the lower half of the Brahmanada, and as such cauldron-shaped. 13. By meditating thus on Her who shines within the Mula-Chakra, with the lustre of ten million Suns, a man becomes Lord of speech and King among men, and an Adept in all kinds of learning. He becomes ever free from all diseases, and his inmost Spirit becomes full of great gladness. Pure of disposition by his deep and musical words, he serves the foremost of the Devas. Foremost of the devas = 332

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, etc.

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part two (2/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Three (3/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Four (4/4)

1.7.10

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part two (2/4) (2013-11-16 21:13)

14. There is another Lotus placed inside the Sushumna at the root of the genitals, of a beautiful vermillion colour. On its six petals are the letters from Ba to Puramdara, with the Bindu superposed, of the shining colour of lightning. Another lotus = the Svadhisthana-Chakra. Puramdara = the letter La Bindu = The Anusvara 15. Within it [Svadhisthana] is the white, shining, watery region of Varuna, of the shape

of a half-moon, and therein, seated on a Makara, is the Bija Vam, stainless and white as the autumnal moon. Makara = mythical animal somewhat like an alligator 333

16. May Hari who is within it, who is in the pride of early youth, whose body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold, who is dressed in yellow raiment, is four armed, and wears the Sri-vatsa, and the Kaustubha, protect us! Within it: Vishnu is within the lap of the Bindu of Vam. Sri-vatsa = an auspicious curl on the breast of Vishnu and his avatar, Krishna, which symbolizes Prakriti. Kaustubha = a great gem worn by Vishnu. 17. It is here [in the Svadhisthana] that Rakini always dwells. She is of the colour of a blue lotus. The beauty of Her body is enhanced by Her uplifted arms holding various weapons. She is dressed in celestial raiment and ornaments, and Her mind is exalted with the drinking of ambrosia Dwells = bhati, lit., "shines" 18. He who meditates upon this stainless Lotus, which is named Svadhisthana, is freed immediately from all his enemies, such as the fault of Ahamkara and so forth. He becomes a Lord among Yogis, and is like the Sun illumining the dense darkness of ignorance. The wealth of his nectar-like words ows in prose and verse in well-reasoned discourse. His enemies = the six passions, i.e., kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride), matsarya (envy), which all arise from a sense of me-ness (ahamkara). Ahamkara = egoism. Ignorance = moha.

19. Above it [the Svadhisthana], 334

and at the root of the navel, is the shining Lotus of ten petals, of the colour of heavy-laden rain-clouds. Within it are the letters Da to Pha, of the colour of the blue lotus with the Nada and Bindu above them. Meditate there on the region of Fire, triangular in form and shining like the rising sun. Outside it are three Svastika marks, and within, the Bija of Vahni himself. Bija of Vahni = Ram, the seed-mantra of Fire. 20. Meditate upon Him (Fire) seated on a ram, four-armed, radiant like the rising sun. In His lap ever dwells Rudra, who is of a pure vermilion hue. He (Rudra) is white with the ashes with which He is smeared; of an ancient aspect and three-eyed, His hands are placed in the attitude of granting boons and of dispelling fear. He is the destroyer of creation. His hands are placed in the vara and abhaya mudras. 21. Here abides Lakini, the benefactress of all. She is four-armed, of radiant body, is dark (of complexion), clothed in yellow raiment and decked with various ornaments, and exalted with the drinking of ambrosia. By meditating on this Navel Lotus the power to destroy and create (the world) is acquired. Vani with all the wealth of knowledge ever abides in the lotus of His face. Vani = Sarasvati, Devi of Speech 22. Above that, in the heart, is the charming Lotus of the shining colour of the Bandhuka

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ower, with the twelve letters beginning with Ka, of the colour of vermilion, placed therein. It is known by its name of Anahata, and is like the celestial wishing-tree, bestowing even more than (the supplicants) desire. The Region of Vayu, beautiful and with six corners, which is like unto the smoke in colour, is here.

The bandhuka ower, Pentapetes phoenicia, sometimes known as scarlet marrow. With six corners = lit., sat-kona = interlacing triangles. 23. Meditate within it on the sweet and excellent Pavana Bija, grey as a mass of smoke, with four arms, and seated on a black antelope. And within it also (meditate) upon the Abode of Mercy, the Stainless Lord who is lustrous like the Sun, and whose two hands make the gestures which grant boons and dispel the fears of the three worlds. Pavana Bija = Vayu whose bija is yam 336

Stainless Lord = Hamsa, the Sun 24. Here dwells Kakini, who in colour is yellow like unto new lightning, exhilirated and auspicious; three-eyed and the benefactress of all. She wears all kinds of ornaments, and in Her four hands She carries the noose and the skull, and makes the sign of blessing and the sign which dispels fear. Her heart is softened with the drinking of nectar. New lightning = highly visible lightning before rain falls heavily 25. The Shakti whose tender body is like ten million ashes of lightning is in the pericarp of this Lotus in the form of a tiangle (Trikona). Inside the triangle is the Shiva-Linga known by the name of Bana. This Linga is like shining gold, and on his head is an orice minute as that in a gem. He is the resplendent abode of Laksmi. Trikona: when Shakti takes the form of a triangle, the head points down. 26. He who meditates on this Heart Lotus becomes (like) the Lord of Speech, and (like) Isvara he is able to protect and destroy the worlds. This Lotus, is like the celestial wishingtree, the abode and seat of Sarva. It is beautied by the Hamsa, which is like unto the steady tapering ame of a lamp in a windless place. The laments which surround and adorn its pericarp, illumined by the solar region, charm. Lord of Speech = Brhaspati, the guru of the devas Sarva = Maha-deva, Shiva. Hamsa = here, the Jivatma The second sentence is reproduced accurately here from the printed original despite its defective syntax. 27. Foremost among Yogis, he ever is dearer than the dearest to women, He is preeminently wise and full of noble deeds. His senses are completely under control. His mind in its intense concentration is engrossed in thoughts of the Brahman. His inspired speech ows like a stream of (clear) water. He is like the Devata who is the beloved of Laksmi and he is able at will to enter anothers body.

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part one (1/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Three (3/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Four (4/4)

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1.7.11

Molts gracies por tu trabajo y investigacin que i...

(2013-11-16 22:40)

Molts gracies por tu trabajo y investigacin que inspira a todos los lectores de Sthira Bhaga! Que nunca apague tu fuego interno del verdadero yogi.

1.7.12

Muchas gracias por toda tu ayuda e inspiracin ;) (2013-11-16 22:43)

Muchas gracias por toda tu ayuda e inspiracin ;)

1.7.13

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Three (3/4)

(2013-11-17 18:52)

28. In the throat is the Lotus called Vishuddha, which is pure and of a smoky purple hue. All the (sixteen) shining vowels on its (sixteen) petals, of a crimson hue, are distinctly visible to him whose mind (Buddhi) is illumined. In the pericarp of this lotus there is the Ethereal Region, circular in shape, and white like the full Moon. On an elephant white as snow is seated the Bija of Ambara, who is white of colour. Moon = Mantra = here, "ham" Ambara = the Ethereal Region 29. Of his Four arms, two hold the noose and goad, and the other two make the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. These add to His beauty. In His lap there ever dwells the great snow-white Deva, three-eyed and ve-faced, with ten beautiful arms, and clothed in a tigers skin. His body is united with that of Girija, and He is known by what His name, SadhaShiva, signies. 338

Noose = pasa Goad = Ankusa Gestures = mudras Girija = mountain-born Sada-Shiva = ever-benecent 30. Purer than the Ocean of Nectar is the Shakti Shakini who dwells in this Lotus. Her raiment is yellow, and in Her four lotus-hands She carries the bow, the arrow, the noose, and the goad. The whole region of the Moon without the mark of the hare is in the pericarp of this Lotus. This (region) is the gateway of great Liberation for him who desires the wealth of Yoga and whose senses are pure and controlled. Mark of the hare = man in the moon. 31. He who has attained complete knowledge of the Atma (Brahman) becomes by constantly concentrating his mind (Citta) on this Lotus a great Sage, eloquent and wise, and enjoys uninterrupted peace of mind. He sees the three periods, and becomes the benefactor of all, free from disease and sorrows and long-lived, and, like Hamsa, the destroyer of endless dangers. Sage = kavi Three periods = past, present, and future. 31a. The Yogi, his mind constantly xed on this Lotus, his breath controlled by Kumbhaka, is in his wrath able to move all the three worlds. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu, neither Hari-Hara nor Surya nor Ganapa is able to control his power (resist him). The translator has numbered this verse "31a" because it does not appear in the texts used by two of the three commentators on whom he relies. Kumbhaka = retention of breath in pranayama Ganapa = Ganesha 32. The Lotus named Ajna is like the Moon, (beautifully white). On its two petals are the letters Ha

and Ksa, which are also white and enhance its beauty. It shines with the glory of Dhyana. Inside it is 339

the Shakti Hakini, whose six faces are like so many moons. She has six arms, in one of which She holds a book; two others are lifted up in the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons, and with the rest She holds a skull, a small drum, and a rosary. Her mind is pure (Suddha-Citta). Ajna = lit., command holds a book: the meaning is that she is making the mudra called vidya or pustaka, not that she is actually holding a book Small drum = damaru 33. Within this Lotus dwells the subtle mind (Manas). It is well-known. Inside the Yoni in the pericarp is the Shiva called Itara, in His phallic form. He here shines like a chain of lightning ashes. The rst Bija of the Vedas, which is the abode of the most excellent Shakti and which by its lustre makes visible the Brahma-sutra, is also there. The Sadhaka with steady mind should meditate upon these according to the order (prescribed). Itara = that which enables one to cross Lala. First bija of the Vedas = Om. Brahma-sutra = the nadi-chitrini. 34. The excellent Sadhaka, whose Atma is nothing but a meditation on this Lotus, is able quickly to enter anothers body at will, and becomes the most excellent among Munis, and all-knowing and allseeing. He becomes the benefactor of all, and versed in all the Sastras. He realizes his unity with the Brahman and acquires excellent and unknown powers. Full of fame and long-lived, he ever becomes the Creator, Destroyer, and Preserver, of the three worlds. Anothers body = para-pura; may also mean "anothers house." Powers = siddhi. 35. Within the triangle in this Chakra ever dwells the combination of letters which form the Pranava. It is the inner Atma as pure mind (Buddhi), and resembles a ame in its radiance. Above it is the half (crescent) moon, and above this, again, is Ma-kara, shining in its form of Bindu. Above this is Nada, whose whiteness equals that of Balarama and diffuses the rays of the Moon. Pranava = the word "Om." Combination of letters = A and U, i.e., the vowels in the word "aum." Ma-kara = the letter M in its bindu form in candra-bindu. Nada = the half-moon symbol. 36. When the Yogi closes the house which hangs without support, the knowledge whereof he has gained by the service of Parama-guru, and when the Cetas by repeated practice becomes dissolved in this place which is the abode of uninterrupted bliss, he then sees within the middle of and in the space above (the triangle) sparks of re distinctly shining. Closes the house = make the yoni-mudra, which detaches the inner self (antah-pur) and mind (manas) from the empirical world. 37. He then also sees the Light which is in the form of a aming lamp. It is lustrous like the clearly shining morning sun, and glows between the Sky and the Earth. It is here that the Bhagavan manifests Himself in the fullness of His might. He knows no decay, and witnesseth all, and is here as He is in the region of Fire, Moon, and Sun. Light = djoti. 340

Sky = gagana = empty space above Sankhini-nadi. Earth = dharani = dhara-mandala in the muladhara. Region of Fire, Moon, and Sun = the triangle on Manipitha within the A-ka-tha triangle. 38. This is the incomparable and delightful abode of Vishnu. The excellent Yogi at the time of death joyfully places his vital breath (Prana) here and enters (after death) that Supreme, Eternal, Birthless, Primeval Deva, the Purusha, who was before the three worlds, and who is known by the Vedanta. 39. When the actions of the Yogi are, through the service of the Lotus feet of his Guru, in all respects good, then he will see above it (i.e., Ajna-chakra) the form of the Mahanada, and will ever hold in the Lotus of his hand the Siddhi of Speech. The Mahanada, which is the place of dissolution of Vayu is the half of Shiva, and like the plough in shape, is tranquil and grants boons and dispels fear, and makes manifest pure Intelligence (Buddhi). Half of Shiva: the meaning is that Shiva is Hakara; if the upper part of Ha is removed, the remaining portion of the letter has the form ofan Indian plough. Mahanada = Maha-nada 40. Above all these, in the vacant space wherein is Sankhini Nadi, and below Visarga is the Lotus of a thousand petals. This Lotus, lustrous and whiter than the full Moon, has its head turned

downward. It charms. Its clustered laments are tinged with the colour of the young Sun. Its 341

body is luminous with the letters beginning with A, and it is the absolute bliss. Vacant space: elsewhere called the parama-vyoma = supreme ether. Lotus of a thousand petals = Sahasrara Absolute bliss = kevalananda-rupam = lit., Brahman bliss 41. Within it (Sahasrara) is the full Moon, without the mark of the hare, resplendent as in a clear sky. It sheds its rays in profusion, and is moist and cool like nectar. Inside it (Candra-mandala), constantly shining like lightning, is the Triangle and inside this, again, shines the Great Void which is served in secret by all the Suras. Mark of the hare = the man in the moon. Triangle = the A-ka-thadi triangle. Great Void = sunya = bindu. Suras = devas. 42. Well concealed, and attainable only by great effort, is that subtle Bindu (Sunya) which is the chief root of Liberation and which manifests the pure Nirvana-Kala with Ama-Kala. Here is the Deva who is known to all as Parama-Shiva. He is the Brahman and the Atma of all beings. In Him are united both Rasa and Virasa, and He is the Sun which destroys the darkness of nescience and delusion. Nirvana-Kala and Ama-Kala: There are seventeen Kalas (digits) of the moon, but the nectar-dropping Ama and the Nirvana-kala are only at this stage revealed. Rasa and Virasa = the bliss of liberation and that arising from the union of Shiva and Shakti. Nescience = ajnana. Delusion = moha. 43. By shedding a constant and profuse stream of nectar-like essence, the Bhagavan instructs the Yati of pure mind in the knowledge by which he realizes the oneness of the Jivatma and the Paramatma. He pervades all things as their Lord, who is the ever-owing and spreading current of all manner of bliss known by the name of Hamsah Parama (Parama-hamsah). Yati = someone whose mind rests intently upon the Devata of his worship. 44. The Shaivas call it the abode of Shiva; the Vaisnavas call it Parama Purusha; others again, call it the place of Hari-Hara. Those who are lled with a passion for the Lotus feet of the Devi call it the excellent abode of the Devi; and other great sages (Munis) call it the pure place of Prakriti-Purusha. Shaivas = worshippers of Shiva. Vaisnavas = worshippers of Vishnu. Hari-Hara = Vishnu and Shiva. Devi = Shakti. Prakriti-Purusha = Shakti-Shiva. 45. That most excellent of men who has controlled his mind and known this place is never again born in the Wandering, as there is nothing in the three worlds which binds him. His mind being controlled and his aim achieved, he possesses complete power to do all which he wishes, and to prevent that which is contrary to his will. He ever moves towards the Brahman. His speech, whether in prose or verse, is ever pure and sweet. Mind = citta. 342

Wandering = samsara. Brahman = lit. kha, which could also mean "air" or "ether." 46. Here is the excellent (supreme) sixteenth Kala of the Moon. She is pure, and resembles (in colour) the young Sun. She is as thin as the hundredth part of a bre in the stalk of a lotus. She is lustrous and soft like ten million lightning ashes, and is down-turned. From Her, whose source is the Brahman, ows copiously the continuous stream of nectar (or, She is the receptacle of the stream of excellent nectar which comes from the blissful union of Para and Parama). Para and Parama = bindu-rupa Shiva and Shakti. 47. Inside it (Ama-kala) is Nirvana-kala, more excellent than the excellent. She is as subtle as the thousandth part of the end of a hair, and of the shape of the crescent moon. She is the everexistent Bhagavati, who is the Devata who pervades all beings. She grants divine knowledge, and is as lustrous as the light of all the suns shining at one and the same time. 48. Within its middle space (i.e., middle of the Nirvana-kala) shines the Supreme and Primordial Nirvana-Shakti; She is lustrous like ten million suns, and is the Mother of the three worlds. She is extremely subtle, and like unto the ten-millionth part of the end of a hair. She contains within Her the constantly owing stream of gladness, and is the life of all beings. She graciously carries the knowledge of the Truth (Tattva) to the mind of the sages. Nirvana-Shakti = Samanapada or Samani Shakti. Stream of gladness = Prema. 49. Within Her is the everlasting place called the abode of Shiva, which is free from Maya, attainable only by Yogis, and known by the name of Nityananda. It is replete with every form of bliss, and is pure knowledge itself. Some call it the Brahman; others call it Hamsa. Wise men describe it as the abode of Vishnu, and righteous men speak of it as the ineffable place of knowledge of the Atma, or the place of Liberation. Abode of Shiva = Shiva-padam = state of Shiva. Pure knowledge itself = suddha-bodhasvarupam. Righteous men = sukritinah. Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part one (1/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part two (2/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Four (4/4)

1.7.14

Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Four (4/4)

(2013-11-17 21:42)

50. He whose nature is puried by the practice of Yama, Niyama, and the like, 343

learns from the mouth of his Guru the process which opens the way to the discovery of the great Liberation. He whose whole being is immersed in the Brahman then rouses the Devi by Hum-kara, pierces the centre of the Linga, the mouth of which is closed, and is therefore invisible, and by means of the Air and Fire (within him) places Her within the Brahmadvara. Yama = moral disciplines which are prerequisites to yoga including abstention from harming, stealing, lying, sex, and greed. Niyama = another class of moral disciplines including purity, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion. Brahmadvara = inside Chitrininadi. 51. The Devi who is Suddha-sattva pierces the three Lingas, and, having reached all the lotuses which are known as the Brahma-nadi lotuses, shines therein in the fullness of Her lustre. Thereafter in Her subtle state, lustrous like lightning and ne like the lotus bre, She goes to the gleaming ame-like Shiva, the Supreme Bliss and of a sudden produces the bliss of Liberation. Suddha-sattva = a form of embodied Caitanya. Pierces = passes through an obstruction. Three Lingas = Svayambhu, Bana, and Itara in the Muladhara, Anahata, and Ajnachakras respectively. 52. The wise and excellent Yogi rapt in ecstasy, and devoted to the Lotus feet of his Guru, should lead Kula-Kundali [sic] along with Jiva to her Lord the Para-shiva in the abode of Liberation within the pure Lotus, and meditate upon Her who grants all desires as the Caitanya-rupa-Bhagavati. When he thus leads Kula-Kundalini, he should make all things absorb into Her. Ecstasy = samadhi. Caitanya-rupa-Bhagavati = the Devi who is the cit in all bodies. 53. The beautiful Kundali [sic] drinks the excellent red nectar issuing from Para-Shiva, and returns from there where shines Eternal and Transcendent Bliss in all its glory along the path of Kula, and again enters the Muladhara. The Yogi who has gained steadiness of mind makes offering (Tarpana) to the Ishta-devata and to the Devatas in the six centres (Chakra), Dakini and others, with that stream of celestial nectar which is in the vessel of Brahmanda, the knowledge whereof he has gained through the tradition of the Gurus. Path of Kula = the channel in the chitrini-nadi. Vessel of Brahmanda = Kundalini. 54. The Yogi who has after practice of Yama, Niyama, and the like, learnt this excellent method from the two Lotus Feet of the auspicious Diksa-guru, which are the source of uninterrupted joy, and whose mind (Manas) is controlled, is never born again in this world (Samsara). For him there is no dissolution even at the time of Final Dissolution. Gladdened by constant realization of that which is the source of Eternal Bliss, he becomes full of peace and foremost among all Yogis. Diksa-guru = the guru who 344

initiated the yogi. Final dissolution = samksaya= pralaya. Eternal bliss = nityananda = Brahman. Among all yogis = lit., "of the good." 55. If the Yogi who is devoted to the Lotus Feet of his Guru, with heart unperturbed and concentrated mind, reads this work which is the supreme source of the knowledge of Liberation, and which is faultless, pure, and most secret, then of a very surety his mind dances at the Feet of his Ishta-devata. Mind = cetas or citta. Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part one (1/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part two (2/4) Sat chakra nirupana By Purnananda Swami part Three (3/4)

1.7.15

Krishnamacharya: His Legacy and Teachings (2013-11-18 11:24)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/LI0DYhqB07E

1.7.16

Invocation from the Taittiriya Upanishad (2013-11-18 13:58)

Harih Om. May Mitra be propitious unto us! May Varuna be propitious unto us! May Aryaman be propitious unto us! May Indra and Brihaspati be propitious unto us! May Vishnu, of wide strides, be propitious unto us! 345

Salutation to Brahman! Salutation to Thee, O Vayu! Thou indeed art the visible Brahman. Thee indeed I shall proclaim as the visible Brahman. Thee indeed, O Vayu, I shall proclaim as the right. Thee indeed I shall proclaim as the true. May It protect me! May It protect the teacher! May It protect me! May It protect the teacher! Om. Peace! Peace! Peace! 346

1.7.17

Richard Freeman video library (2013-11-20 12:49)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/1zwtlZwbUmo IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/bfCmDuw1r08 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/qBs0WjQ-qPA IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/Nv1dAoZazcU IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/-MWDRBytOuY IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/i5SlvCv1QCs IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/Pa7mo4MjG30 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/xAaO221YMGI IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/nPHTZ7Hc7Hg IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/aWb3Vqo7Yj8 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/u4ZlK7Vl7Kc IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/6fhpLd7uHxE IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/g1tI6 _TOEwo IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/g1tI6 _TOEwo IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/LTknvzGsGE0 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/aUgtMaAZzW0

1.7.18

Shiva Samhita Chapter II, verses 13-23 (2013-11-23 10:48)

13. In the body of man there are 3,500,000 nadis; of them the principal are fourteen; 14-15. Sushumna, Ida, Pingala, Gandhari, Hastijihvika, Kuhu, Saraswati, Pusa, Sankhini, Payaswani, Varuni, Alumbusa, Vishwodari, and Yasaswani. Among these Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the chief. 16. Among these three, sushumna alone is the highest and beloved of the Yogis. Other vessels are subordinate to it in the body. 17. All these principal nadis (vessels) have their mouths downwards, and are like thin threads of lotus. They are all supported by the vertebral column, and represent the sun, moon and re. 347

18. The innermost of these three is chitra; it is my beloved. In that there is the subtlest of all hollows called

Brahmarandhra. 19. Brilliant with ve colours, pure, moving in the middle of sushumna, this chitra is the vital part of body and centre of sushumna. 20. This has been called in the Shastras the Heavenly Way; this is the giver of the joy of immortality; by contemplating it, the greatYogi destroys all sins. 21. Two digits above the rectum and two digits below the linga (penis) is the adhara lotus, having a dimension of four digits. 22. In the pericarp of the adhara lotus there is the triangular, beautiful yoni, hidden and kept secret in all the Tantras. 23. In it is the supreme goddess Kundalini of the form of electricity, in a coil. It has three coils and a 348

half (like a serpent), and is in the mouth of sushumna.

1.7.19

Sanskrit Terminology from the book Vinyasa Krama by Matthew Sweeney (2013-11-25 12:29)

The Indian Sanskrit language is a logical and straightforward system and the naming of asana even more so. When a body part is used in a name, it reects in most rudimentary terms what is to be done with that part of

Toni Romero, Eka pada Rajakapotasanathe body. For example. hasta padangustasana, hands and toes posture (literally hands and foot-ngers). This tells you that you should be holding the big toes with your hands in some manner. When a sage is referred to in a posture it is named after him or for what that sage was renowned for. For example. marichyasana indicates one knee in an upright position each time. Marichi is the son of Brahma and his name literally means ray of light. By imitating a sage or Rishi (enlightened sage) you are aspiring to his or her divine qualities. Animal names are often used as visual inspiration. By imitating an animal in a posture it is intended that you experience some exceptional aspect of that particular creature: the lightness of a bird, the exibility of a monkey or the erceness of a crocodile. For example, the naming of kapotasana, the pigeon, reects the position of the arms and chest. Both of the elbows tend to be pointed like the beak of the pigeon with the chest sticking out like a pigeons breast . These postures resemble a pigeons ability to swivel its head into seemingly impossible backward angles.[...] It is important to learn the traditional Sanskrit names of the postures and what they mean. The system of Yoga is culturally Indian, and despite the current Western inuence. the full impact of the spirituality of Yoga is difcult to grasp unless this culture is embraced in some way. In my experience, learning some of the basic terms adds an insightful and devotional quality to the practice. In the visual risana library of this book all of the names for the postures and their variations are provided. including a description ofthe great sages, saints and gods invoked by many of the postures. 349

1.7.20

Muchas gracias por compartir tus experiencias y co...

(2013-11-28 19:59)

Muchas gracias por compartir tus experiencias y conocimientos, yo soy una inicial practicante de Ashtanga Yoga, y leer sobre las experiencias de maestros y practicantes es siempre muy inspirador y motivador. Agradecimiento, luz y amor para ti ;)

1.8

December

1.8.1

Bindu part 1 (1/2) (2013-12-03 18:58)

Source Prana And Pranayama Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya Swami Satyananda Saraswati

the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:

"The secretion of the moon (bindu), the nectar

of immortality (amrit), is normally consumed

by the re of the sun (manipura chakra). It

ows downwards and results in ageing of the

body. There is a wonderful technique which 350

can reverse this process; it should be learned from a guru and can never be understood by reading even a thousand scriptures. The practice is called vipareeta karani mudra and the positions of the bindu and sun (manipura) are reversed (i.e. the body is inverted). The sun is held upwards and the moon downwards." (v. 77-79) Bindu Bindu means point. It is the point of creation where oneness rst divides into multiplicity, the ultimate point from which all things manifest and into which all things return. Within bindu is contained the evolutionary potential for the myriad objects of the universe, the blueprint for creation. Bindu is the gateway to shoonya. It is located at the top back of the head, at the point where Hindu brahmins keep a tuft of hair called shikha. Bindu is represented by a crescent moon and a drop of white nectar. The tantric texts describe a small depression or pit within the higher centres of the brain which contains a minute secretion of uid. In the 351

centre of that tiny secretion is a small point of elevation, like an island in the middle of a lake. In the psycho-physiological framework, this tiny point is considered to be bindu. The moon at bindu produces amrita, the life-giving nectar, and the sun at manipura consumes it. This means that during the course of life, the drop of nectar produced at bindu falls down to manipura, where it is consumed by the re element. Due to this process one suffers from the three ailments of vyadhi, disease, jara, old age; and mrityu, death. Yoga and tantra employ techniques by which one is able to reverse this process, so that the amrita is retained at vishuddhi, or sent back up from manipura to vishuddhi, and then to bindu. In this way perfected yogis have experienced immortality. The rst manifestation of creation was nada or sound, and bindu is also the point where the original nada emanates. Bindu is associated with anandamaya kosha. When bindu is awakened, the transcendental sound of Om is heard. Bindu is very important in prana vidya and in many higher yogas. The most subtle of the chakras is the ajna. Beyond ajna and even more subtle is bindu. It is not a chakra. The chakras are associated with the human psychic framework; bindu, on the other hand, is the subtle centre from which the human framework itself arises. Bindu is therefore the primary manifesting source of the chakras themselves. The chakras are within the realms and fetters of the mind; bindu is bevond the mind. The subject of bindu may seem very technical, abstract and incomprehensible, but it implies an elevated and profound part of tantra-yoga and other mystical systems. Though it may appear to have little signicance in terms of practical yoga, it is the purpose of all yoga practices to induce awareness of the bindu. Actually it is completely inexplicable in terms of logic, for it unites the nite with the innite. l i k e the six main chakras, it is completely impossible to understand bindu by discussion, reading or speculation.

1.8.2

Bindu part 2 (2/2) (2013-12-04 12:33)

Denition The word bindu comes from the Sanskrit root bind - to split, to divide. This means that the 352

bindu is the origin of individuality; it is the

point where the oneness rst divides itself to produce duality, the world of multiple forms. This division implies limitation in knowledge, action and so forth. Bindu implies a point without dimension - a dimensionless centre. In Sanskrit texts it is often called cliidghana, that which has its roots in the limitless consciousness. The word bindu also means zero or voiclness - the shoonya. More correctly, bindu is the gateway to the shoonya. This zero orvoidness is not, however, a total nothingness. It is a voiclness, an emptiness that contains the fullest potential. In fact, the word shoonya should be translated not a nothingness, but as no-thingness. There is a vast difference between these two words. The state of no-thingness is pure consciousness. Bindu is therefore a mysterious, ineffable focal point where the two opposites - innity and zero, fullness and no-thingness - coexist. Bindu is widely called the bindu visarga - the falling drop. This means that bindu is one of many drops of nectar that continually trickle down from sahasrara, the primal fountainhead. This nectar irrigates life. This nectar is the real water of life. In summary we can say that bindu literally 353

means seed, small particle, semen or sperm, a point, dot and so forth. It represents to be focal point of individuality, whether animate or inanimate. It is the cosmic seed from which all things manifest and grow. It is an innitesimally Bindu, vishuddhi chakra and amrit When we described vishuddhi chakra we pointed out that nectar or amrit trickles down from bindu to vishuddhi2. This amrit is bliss and the bindu is the abode of uninterrupted bliss. This is symbolized in Indian mythology by the river Ganges (nectar) coming from tbe crescent moon (bindu). This amrit or divine nectar Hows down through the sushumna passage from bindu. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika it says: "The nectar secreted from the bindu is indeed the consort (Shakti) of Shiva (consciousness). It lls the sushumna passage." (v. 4:46) Symbolism The bindu is symbolized by both a full moon and a crescent moon. The full moon really represents the innitesimally small point we have tried to describe in the preceding pages. The crescent moon indicates that the bindu is widely associated with the kalas (phases) of the moon. In the same way that the moon is progressively revealed during the period from new moon to full moon, so the immensity of the sahasrara behind the bindu can be gradually unveiled through all types of yoga practices, if they are done regularly and sincerely, and if one has burning aspiration day and night to understand life and oneself. This crescent moon implies that the spiritual aspirant has some glimpses of sahasrara, 354

behind the bindu, but by no means a total experience. The totality can never be known while there is individuality. The bindu is drawn on the background of the night sky, indicating that the basis of bindu, the sahasrara, is innite. Most people who practise yoga are familiar with the symbol of Aum: In the top right hand corner of the symbol there is a small point and a crescent moon. The point is called visarga (drop) and represents bindu; the crescent moon also represents bindu, as already explained. The chakras exist in the realm of the main gure, together with the qualities of tamas, rajas and sattwa. These exist in the realm of nature prakriti. The bindu is shown separate from the main body of Aum indicating that bindu is transcendental and beyond the fetters of nature. Bindu part1 (1/2)

1.8.3

Shiva samhita chapter IV,1-5 (2013-12-06 19:01)

1. First with a strong inspiration x the mind in the adhar lotus. Then engage in contracting the Yoni, which is situated in the perineal space. 2. There let him contemplate that the God of love resides in that Brahma Yoni and that he is beautiful like Bandhuk ower (Pentapetes pheanicia) brilliant as tens of millions of suns, and cool as tens of millions of moons. Above this (Yoni) is a small and subtle ame, whose form is intelligence. Then let him imagine that 355

a union takes place there between himself and that ame (the Siva and Sakti). 3. (Then imagine that) There go up through the sushumna vessel, three bodies in their due order (i.e., the etheric, the astral and the mental bodies). There is emitted in every chakra the nectar, the characteristic of which is great bliss. Its colour is whitish rosey (pink), full of splendor, showering down in jets the immortal uid. Let him drink this wine of immortality which is divine, and then again enter the Kula (i.e., perineal space.) Note. While these subtle bodies go up, they drink at every stage this nectar, called Kulamrita. 4. Then let him go again to the Kula through the practice of mantrayoga (i.e., pranayama). This Yoni has been called by me in the Tantras as equal to life. 5. Again let him be absorbed in that Yoni, where dwells the re of death the nature of Shiva, &c. Thus has been described by me the method of practicing the great Yoni-mudra. From success in its practice, there is 356

nothing which cannot be accomplished.

1.8.4

From Hamsa Upanishad (2013-12-08 19:23)

(Nada) is (begun to be heard as) of ten kinds. The rst is chini (like the sound of that word) ; the second is chini-chini ; the third is the sound of bell ; the fourth is that of conch ; the fth is that of tantri (lute) ; the sixth is that sound

of tala (cymbals) ; the seventh is that of ute ; the eighth is that of bheri (drum) ; the ninth is that of mrdanga (double drum) ; and the tenth is that of clouds (viz., thunder). He may experience the tenth without the rst nine sounds (through the initiation of a guru). In the rst stage, his body becomes chini-chini ; in the second, there is the (bhanjana) breaking (or affecting) in the body ; in the third, there is tho (bhedana) piercing ; in the fourth, the head shakes ; in the fth, the palate produces saliva ; in the sixth, nectar is attained; in the seventh, the knowledge of the hidden (things in the world) arises; in the eighth, Paravak is heard ; in the ninth, the body becomes invisible and the pure divine eye is developed; in the tenth, he attains Parabrahman in the presence of (or with) Atma which is Brahman. After that, when manas is destroyed, when it which is the source of sankalpa and vikalpa disappears, owing to the destruction of these two, and when virtues and sins are burnt away, then he shines as Sadasiva of the nature of Sakti pervading everywhere, being 357

effulgence in its very essence, the immaculate, the eternal, the stainless, and the most quiescent Om.

1.8.5

Quotes from the Dyhanabindu upanishad (2013-12-13 13:52)

Muladhara is the rst chakra. Svadhishthana is the second. Between these two is said to be the seat of yoni (perineum), having the form of Kama (God of love). In the Adhara of the anus, there is the lotus of four petals. In its midst is said

to be the yoni called Kama and worshipped by the siddhas. In the midst of the yoni is the Linga facing the west and split at its head like the gem. He who knows this, is a knower of 358

the Vedas. He is knower of yoga who knows that prana always draws itself from apana and apana draws itself from prana Paramesvari (viz., kundalini sakti) sleeps shutting with her mouth that door which leads to the decayless Brahma-hole. Being aroused by the contact of agni with manas and prana, she takes the form of a needle and pierces up through Sushumna. The yogin should open with great effort this door which is shut. Then he will pierce the door to salvation by means of kundalini. Folding rmly the ngers of the hands, assuming rmly the Padma posture, placing the chin rmly on the breast and xing the mind in dhyana, one should frequently raise up the apana. When this Jalandhara bandha which is destroyer of the pains of the throat is performed, then nectar does not fall on agni nor does the vayu move. This bindu is twofold, white and red. The white one is called sukla and the red one is said to contain much rajas. The rajas which stays in yoni is like the colour of a coral. The bindu stays in the seat of the genital organs. The union of these two is very rare. Bindu is siva and rajas is sakti. Bindu is the moon and rajas is the sun. Through the union of these two is attained the highest body ; when rajas is roused up by agitating the s akti through vayu which unites with the sun, thence is produced the divine form. Sukla being united with the moon and rajas with the sun, he is a knower of yoga who knows the proper mixture of these two.

1.8.6

The nadis or psychic passages (2013-12-14 19:01)

Source A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya Swami Satyananda Saraswati The nadis are pathways along which prana or bioplasmic energy travels. In acupuncture 359

these pathways are known as meridians (at least in modern western terminology). Various ancient yogis said that there are seventy two thousand nadis in the psychic body. Others said the number is in the region of three hundred and twenty thousand. Whatever the number, we can denitely say that they are numerous. Of these nadis three are particularly important. They are known as the ida, pingala and sushumna. The most important one is the sushumna, which runs within the spine2. It should not be confused with or identied with the physical spine that we are normally aware of. This nadi runs from the region of the perineum (between the anus and sexual organs) to the region of the brain. It connects the 360

mooladhara chakra (chakra meaning pranic or psychic centre) in the perineum to ajna (mid-brain) chakra at the top of the spine passing through various other chakras enroute. Again these chakras should not be regarded as physical entities; they are part of the bioplasmic or pranic body. As such they are located within but are not of the physical body. Emanating from the left side of the mooladhara chakra and passing through the intervening chakras in turn in a curving, crisscrossing path, nally ending up on the left side of the ajna chakra, is the ida nadi. Emerging from the right side of the mooladhara chakra and passing in a similar but opposite sense to that of the ida nadi, up to the right side of ajna, is the pingala nadi. The ida and pingala nadis are the pathways of the two different aspects of prana. They represent the two opposite poles of the same energy. The ida is denoted as being negative and is also known as the chandra (moon) nadi. The pingala, on the other hand, is positive and is often called the surya (sun) nadi. Associated with these two nadis are various attributes or qualities. These two nadis are associated with the two nostrils: pingala with the right and ida with the left. The ancient yogis, with their detailed awareness of the human body, found that the ow of breath did not pass equally through each nostril. In fact at any given time it was more than likely that the ow of air through one nostril would be greater than the other nostril. This is an aspect of our body that even physiologists have never seriously researched. No one seems to have asked the question: "Why have we got two nostrils?" There should be a good reason and perhaps it is directly related to ida and pingala. Incidentally, the reader can test this for himself taking care to remove all mucus from the nose. Merely block each of the nostrils in turn and you should nd that the ow is greater through one than the other. If you dont nd this to be so, then try at a later time for occasionally the ows are equal. The yogis of antiquity discovered that when the left nostril had the predominant ow of air 361

then the pranic ow in ida nadi was also predominant. And when the right nostril had the greatest ow the pingala had the greatest ow of prana. The ow of air through the nostrils and consequently the pranic ow continually alternates. Under normal conditions the ow through the left nostril is predominant for about an hour and then the right ow becomes predominant for about an hour. During changeover from one to the other, ows are equal and the prana ows through the sushumna nadi. This generally lasts for a few minutes. These ows can also be articially altered in response to individual needs. The study of these ows, their meaning and implications in life is the subject of the science of swara yoga.

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1.8.7

January Ashtanga workshop in Tarragona, Spain (2013-12-21 16:45)

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Ashtanga vinyasa practice advanced A fragmentos grabados en el centro Biorritmes de Tarragona (2013-12-23 13:20)

[EMBED] [EMBED]

1.8.9

Sandilya Upanishad quotes (2013-12-28 09:59)

This body is ninety-six digits in length. Prana extends twelve digits beyond the body. He who through, the practice of yoga reduces his prana within his body to make it equal to or not less than the re in it becomes the greatest 364

of the yogins. In men, the region of re which is triangular in form and brilliant as the molten gold is situated in the middle of the body Lying in the middle of the navel and above it, is the seat of kundalini. The kundalini sakti is of the form of eight prakrtis (matter) and coils itself eight ways or (times). The movement of vayus (vital airs) checks duly the food and drink all round by the side of skandha(the web of life) It closes by its head (the opening of) the brahmarandhra, and during the 365

time of (the practice of) yoga is awakened by the re (in the apana); then it shines with great brilliancy in the akas of the heart in the shape of wisdom. Situated at the back of the anus, it is attached to the spinal column and extends to the brahmarandhra of the head and is invisible and subtle and is vaishnavi (or has the sakti force of Vishnu). On the left of Sushumna is situated Ida and on the right is Pingala. The moon moves in Ida and the sun in Pingala. The moon is of the nature of tamas and the sun of rajas. The poison share is of the sun and the nectar of the moon. They both direct (or indicate) time and Sushumna, is the enjoyer (or consumer) of time. By the contraction of the muscles of the neck and by the contraction of the one below (viz.,) Apana, the Prana (breath) goes into the Sushumna which is in the middle from the west nadi. Drawing up the Apana and forcing down the Prana from the throat, the yogin free from old age becomes a youth of sixteen. Having by contraction opened the door of kundalini, one should force open the door of moksha. Closing with her mouth the door through which one ought to go, the kundalini sleeps spiral in form and coiled up like a serpent. He who causes this kundalini to move he is an emancipated person. If this kundalini were to sleep in the upper part of the neck of any yogin, it goes towards his emancipation. (If it were to sleep) in the lower part (of the body), it is for the bondage of the ignorant. Leaving the two nadis, Ida and the other (Pingala), it (prana) should move in the Sushumna. That is the supreme seat of Vishnu. Samadhi is the union of the Jivatma (individual self) and the Paramatma (higher self) without ,the threefold state, (viz., the knower, the known, and the knowledge). It is of the nature of extreme bliss and pure consciousness. 366

1.8.10

Yoga and Therapy From http://ayny.org/category/blog (Eddie Stern)

(2013-12-28 17:37)

From http://ayny.org/category/blog (Eddie Stern) Yoga and Therapy By Sri K Pattabhi Jois Mind is very ckle, like mercury. Fickle mind, with no discrimination of purity and impurity, ows arbitrarily, conducts itself with no restraints. Because of its unrestrained conduct, the mind inuencing the organs of the body not only causes them to become sick, but endangers itself. If the mind becomes one-pointed or xed, it regulates the organs of the body and protects them from disease. Illusion is also a function of the mind, leading to many sicknesses. The process of control and purication of mind is called yoga. Maharshi Patanjali has expounded this in an aphorism, Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah, which means that yoga is the process of controlling all the waves of the mind and xing them on a specied object. This is also called Astanga Yoga which has eight fold factors: yama: restraints; niyama: observances; asana: posture; pranayama: breathing practice; pratyahara: sense control; dharana: concentration; dhyana: meditation; Samadhi: contemplation. 367

These eight factors are divided into two groups called external devices and internal devices. Restraint, observance, posture and breathing practice belong to the external devices. Sense-control, concentration, meditation, and contemplation belong to the internal ones. It is far from easy to practice the internal devices without practicing the external. Therefore, to start with, one should practice the external devices. Among the external devices, posture and breathing practices stand pre-eminent. Those who are sick and weak, with defective organs, are hardly able to practice restraints and observances. Therefore, we must equip ourselves with sound bodies and organs free from defects, in order to practice restraints and observances. All the Upanishads and all yogis well versed in yoga consider posture and breathing practices as pre-eminent factors among the external devices. An authority for this in the Upanishads reads thus: Asanam pranasamrodhah pratyharashca dharana | dhyanam samadhiretani shadangani prakirtitah || Sri Svatmarama explains this in the Hathayoga Pradipika: Hathasya prathamangatvat asanam purvamuccate | Tasmat tadasanam kuryat arogyamcangalaghavam || This means that one hardly accomplishes any task without good health and buoyancy of limbs. Health and activity of body are essential and hence the importance given to posture and breathing practices. Asanas are conductive to abating disease and bringing concentration of mind, while the methods of recaka-puraka (exhaling-inhaling) are prerequisites for the practice of posture. Sri Vamana explains in detail the methods of practicing posture. If one practices the postures with no understanding of inhaling and exhaling technique, he is liable to invite untold diseases instead of getting his ailments cured. Sri Vamana has therefore made it clear: Vina vinyasa yogena asanadinnakarayet || One should not practice posture without the method of inhaling and exhaling Sri Patanjali also explained breathing practices in his discourse: Tasmim sati shavasaprashvasayorgati vicchedah pranayamah || Pranayamah is a process of inner suspension of the breath (kumbhaka), stopping the inhaling and exhaling. While inner suspension of breath (kumbhaka) is pranayama, the regulation of recaka and puraka must be adopted in the posture, he adds, which means postures can be practiced only by regulating the exhaling and inhaling. This method can be learnt only from an experienced yogi well versed in Yoga Shastra. Practicing thus, one is able to drive out physical and mental diseases and x ones mind steadfast. As to this yoga, Yagnavalkya says: Tritiya k lastho rivah svayam samharate prabham | Tritiyange sthitho dehi vikaram manasam tatha || Just as the Sun in his third phase, that is, in the evening, drawing forth his sharp rays creates a peaceful atmosphere, in the same way the yogi, practicing the third factor, the postures, frees himself from mental delements and becomes tranquil. Hence, the necessity of postures is essential. A regular practice of postures with regulated breathing can cure many diseases. In order to cure contagious diseases a doctors help may be required, but not to cure chronic diseases. Chronic diseases can be healed by postures and breathing practices. From my own mature experience I can say that many ailments, which cannot be cured by doctors, can be remedied by postures and breathing practices. For example, asthma, diabetes, gastric trouble and rheumatism, known to be incurable by medicines, are cured with no medical aid. These well known ailments, for which no new medicines have been invented, are considered to be irremediable. No medicine so far has overcome these diseases. But it may be repeated that all theses chronic ailments can be healed by yogasanas and pranayamas. Evidence for this is that our institution has brought relief to many chronically affected patients, by proper guidance of postures and breathing practices. Such ailments as paralysis, constipation, piles etc., can be relieved merely by the practice of anupara (liquids) without resorting to any medicine. What is needed essentially to support this yoga knowledge is faith, courage and adventure. In this scientic age, the criteria for diagnosing diseases have been taken over by machines. We refuse to accept this standard. For example, a patient suffering from blood pressure feels dimness of eyesight, 368

gets increasingly fatigued while doing even a little exertion in work, prefers to keep always lying down. By these symptoms it can be understood that his blood pressure is giving trouble. On the other hand, if none of the above-mentioned symptoms obtain, and if the doctor advices a patient based on the nding of medical equipment alone, the patient by mere hallucination is liable to invite blood pressure difculty, which he did not originally have. This, therefore, compels me to say that we refuse to admit the theory of diagnosis of diseases by machinery equipment. By the practice of yoga it is possible to purify many internal pulses, cells, veins, plasma, wind, liver, phlegm, circulation of blood, etc. Thus, the internal purication of the body alone facilitates the cure of ailments. Generally, the purication of any matter requires re and wind. Just as the gold in a crucible puried by a goldsmith with the aid of re and wind, which eliminates all the impurities thereof, turns into brilliant gold, similarly the elimination of diseases as impurities needs re and wind. That is why the wise have said: Pranayamabhyasayuktasya sarvarogakshyobhavet | Avuktabhyasayuktasya sarvarogasamudbhava || One who practices asanas and pranayamas properly nds that all diseases come to naught, whereas all kinds of ailments appear in the practicing improperly. Asanas are prerequisites for pranayama, which have to be practiced by following the methods of recaka and puraka. Little gain will ensue by asanas practiced with little knowledge of breath control. Now we have seen how asanas are important for the healing and prevention of diseases. For example, certain asanas are prescribed to cure diabetes: Janushirshasana, baddhakonasana, and upavishtakonasana. For constipation and ailments of the anus, baddhakonasana is prescribed. In the posture of baddhakona, contracting the anus, one performs the long recakas and purakas. Sri Vamana says that this practice heals the diseases of anus. I know from experience that many have found themselves beneted by these practices. But to ensure the stability of these asanas, many others must precede them. While practicing the posture prescribed for a certain ailment one must stay in it long enough to perform at least 50 receka-purakas. In this way the ailments become healed. But it cannot be said that by performing only those prescribed asanas, a person can cure a specied ailment. Only when all organs are functioning with proper blood circulation can the ailments recede, not otherwise. To understand this point, one should approach wellversed yogi, which means that a Guru is essential. In conclusion, one practicing yoga with correct knowledge thereof knows no fear of diseases and sickness. But one gets hardly any benet out of it, if at the same time he fails to have any regulation over food, habits, speech etc. Therefore, it is my experience, which agrees with the opinion of those well versed in the shastras, that the yoga practitioner practicing with regulation of food, habits, speech and contact will nd himself freed from all kinds of ailments, physical and mental. From: Yoga and Science, Buddha Vacana Trust; Bangalore, India, 1977 Proceedings of the International Conference on Yoga and Psychic Research, in May of 1977, under the auspices of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers

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2014

2.1

January

2.1.1

Varaha Upanishad quotes (2014-01-01 21:18)

A wise man who has understood the course of nadis and vayus

should, after keeping his neck and body erect with his mouth

closed, contemplate immovably upon Turyaka (Atma) at the

tip of his nose, in the centre of his heart and in the middle of 371

bindu, and should see, with a tranquil mind through the (mental) eyes, the nectar owing from there. Having closed the anus and drawn up the vayu and caused it to rise through (the repetition of) pranava (Om). He should try to go up by the union of Prana and Apana. This most important yoga brightens up in the body the path of siddhis. As a dam across the water serves as an obstacle to the oods, so it should ever be known by the yogins that the chhaya of the body is (to jiva). This bandha is said of all nadis. Through the grace of this bandha, the Devata (goddess) becomes visible. This bandha of four feet serves as a check to the three paths. This brightens up the path through which the siddhas 372

obtained (their siddhis). If with Prana is made to rise up soon Udana, this bandha checking all nadis goes up. This is called Samputayoga or Mulabandha. Through the practising of this yoga, the three bandhas are mastered. By practising day and night intermittingly or at any convenient time, the vayu will come under his control. With the control of vayu, agni (the gastric re) in the body will increase daily. With the increase of agni, food, etc., will be easily digested. Should food be properly digested, there is increase of rasa (essence of food). With the daily increase of rasa, there is the increase of dhatus (spiritual substances). With the increase of dhatus, there is the increase of wisdom in the body. Thus all the sins collected together during many crores of births are burnt up.

2.1.2

Sri K Pattabhi Jois clips (2014-01-06 09:57)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/5yHdKL-9 _vA IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/bsbwAjrQTh4 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/tMrY35woeE4 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/oSodHKUW-Vc IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/-twbrziQhZ0 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/nLFmv8ISQIc IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/Zpe8ZIAHhO4 IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/R0pbGlTk5gs IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/uQGRq00xqbI

2.1.3

Two Roads Diverged- Richard Freeman (2014-01-07 09:13)

The rst yoga teacher Richard Freeman ever met was a Zen Buddhist at the Chicago Zen Center in 1968. He taught only one posture, Freeman says, sitting zazen. But that was yoga. Since then, Freeman 373

has spent nearly nine years in Asia studying various traditions which he incorporates into the ashtanga practice taught to him by his principle teacher, K. Pattabhi Jois. Freemans background includes Zen and Vipassana meditation, Bhakti, traditional hatha and Iyengar yogas, and Susm. He lives in Boulder, Colorado where he is the director of the Yoga Workshop. How are yoga and Buddhism

similar? Richard Freeman If you look at something like the Yoga Sutra, you can see the Buddhism woven into it. A lot of the terminology is Mahayana terminology. The schools are similar enough, but their cultures are different so they either infuriate or inspire one another. The Indian yoga that is popular now in the States is not really representative of yoga. Most yogis in India will do a couple of postures, get that alignment and quit when theyre twenty-ve because they hurt their necks doing it. Then what do they do? Then they do their meditation and pranayama. If you go all over India, thats mostly what you nd. In terms of the brilliant practice of asanas that you nd in North America, thats just one thread coming through Krishnmacharya and his students. You teach ashtanga mainly because ... Its just what I wound up doing! The term ashtanga isnt just referring to the vigorous methodology of Pattabhi Jois; it refers to the classical eight limbs, not unlike the eightfold path of the Buddha. Within the yoga schools, ashtanga implies a type of practice that is oriented towards insight for the purpose of liberation not the cultivation of anything else. Is it true that people are turning to Buddhism in order to gain insight into the three marks of existence, because those teachings arent available through the study of yoga? People are turning to Buddhism for that because of the dubious quality of the instruction that is available. This is part of the social phenomenon of yoga. So many people have gone to India for teacher training, and have gotten a watered-down version for mass consumption. Its easy and protable. Most of the yogic scriptures start out talking about suffering, impermanence and the basic problem of ignorance. If you were from another planet, you would say that yogas the same as Buddhism. The thing with Indian yogis and this is not universally true but it is true with some theyre very reluc374

tant to really teach stuff that is chewy and heavy. They have this cultural snobbery, particularly if theyre Brahmins. They gure that these students cant understand it anyway maybe they will in their next life. Or maybe if theyre good boys and girls, they will in this life. One of the traditional Hindu teachings is that most people arent really interested in the truth. So you give them some religious form that will do them good, and you keep them in their place. Then, at a certain point, theyll inquire. So theres not the urgency for Indian yogis to save all beings. Eventually they want to save all beings. But they gure they have lots of time. If you look at whats happening in Western yoga, people are pretty much caught up in the idea of being super-healthy and full of bliss, grasping at pleasurable states of consciousness. Does that disturb you, knowing what you know? Oh yeah. So this is the way my contemplation usually goes: at least theyre a little bit interested in the subject. At least theyre getting started in it. If their teachers have some integrity, people will start learning more. People come to yoga for all kinds of reasons. Mostly they want something. But the same could be said of Buddhism: people want peace of mind or something. Their desire still tends to be egocentric. But if theyve come to a good source, theyll start to get more than they asked for, more than they bargained for. And thats the hope with this huge wave of popularity of yoga that therell be a signicant percentage of people who really take to it and really inquire into its roots. I remain optimistic.

2.1.4

Sharing the Mat: The Synergy of Yoga & Buddhism- Richard Freeman
(2014-01-08 23:27)

Richard Freeman: My primary practice is ashtanga yoga, that includes yoga asana and pranayama breath practice, and then I practice with mantra and chants. I practice probably two to three hours a day, and as part of that I do sitting meditation for about ten to fteen minutes. I do buddhist retreats throughout the year. Sometimes I teach yoga asana practice at the retreats while a buddhist co-presenter teaches meditation. So I am probably weighted on the side of the hatha yoga tradition, with a sprinkling of the buddhad-

Richard Freemanmake the context interesting. actually, my harma to rst teacher was a zen roshi, and ever since then I have looked at hatha yoga practice within the overall view of the dharma. I still look at most of the hindu disciplines in that context. Richard Freeman: People who simply do sitting meditation can develop a kind of a crust around themselves, in which they avoid temptation, avoid feeling, and avoid the grounded-ness of the body. on the other hand, while hatha yoga practice is extremely helpful, it runs the danger of people not practicing it mindfully. So body and mind practices are kind of an antidote for each other. Historically, this has been expressed as the joining of raja yoga, which would be considered contemplative practice, and hatha 375

yoga, which is primarily energy work. When the two come together theres success in practice. Richard Freeman: What is the difference between the body and the mind, ultimately? One of the axioms of yoga is that the mind, or chitta, and the internal breath of energy, prana, are really two ends of the same stick. So all of our sensations, feelings, and thought forms actually correspond to uctuations of our prana - See more at: Richard Freeman: Today in the West we are being overwhelmed by the variety of lineages and practices we can choose from. Most of these are imported practices, which means we dont have particular obligations in terms of our family or culture to favor one over the other. We are in the position to look at all of them and ask, What does it all mean? Can we legitimately borrow from one and then borrow from another? Can we synthesize them? At what point is that appropriate? That makes it very challenging for practitioners, yet I think its a fantastic opportunity to really get to the bottom of the practice. On the other hand, we always run the risk of becoming watered-down eclectics, using the fact that there are alternative practices to avoid going deeply into any one of them. If a practice is legitimate, at a certain point its going to make us face things as they are. Were going to have to face the fact of impermanence and death, and thats very difcult. Often people will bail out at that moment and jump to a different tradition. Then theyll stay with that one until the same crisis arises, and theyll jump to a different school. thats why we need a lot of communication with a good teacher, so that they can check whether were avoiding something or actually facing reality. We should never just assume that what were doing is the right thing. Richard Freeman: We see everything from utterly materialistic yoga practice, in which people are looking purely to enhance the beauty of their body, all the way across the spectrum to yoga practice as a form of inquiry into reality. its my perception that the big fad of yoga is probably weighted a little bit toward the materialistic side, where people are simply looking for some kind of pleasure that works. But im also sympathetic to that type of practice. I think people nd that unless they follow the practice to its end, it doesnt really work as a permanent source of pleasure. So at least people are getting a good start and going to the right source. Then they have an opportunity to discover what the practice is really about. Im optimistic about the overall state of affairs in the yoga world Richard Freeman: On a very practical level, Buddhist communities are well-organized to conduct sitting retreats. In the more traditional yoga lineages, one learns the meditation and then goes off and practices in retreat, but not often with a large group of people. What the Buddhist communities do so well is conduct practical meditation sessions in a way thats very inclusive. The simplicity of the mindfulness-awareness approach is that it doesnt require a theological commitment. It doesnt require a secret mantra; it just puts you face-to-face with your breath and your mind, allowing people to get started right away with the meditation practice. I think thats wonderful. So here in boulder, which is a great Buddhist center, I try to take full advantage of the local resources, and I encourage all my yoga students to meditate. Richard Freeman: I think one of the advantages of importing hatha yoga into the Buddhist community is that the current state of yoga asana technology arising out of india is very good. Its just a very wonderful practice. I know the tibetan system usually requires years of sitting practice before students are allowed to study the tantric yoga practices. A lot of those practices are not taught to large numbers of people, whereas millions of people practice hatha yoga. If theyre shopping around for hatha yoga, I think Buddhists should look outside of the buddhist community for the latest updates, the most efcient information about how to do it. Conversely, the non-buddhist community i dont want to use the word hindu because thats too confusing a label should look to the buddhist community to see how to present the essence of the Vedanta in a very non-sectarian, compassionate way. Richard Freeman: I dont think theres going to be a single synthesis arising in which all of the yoga schools and all of the buddhist schools understand their essential interpenetration and become one big, monolithic, happy family. But I have a feeling that communication is really opening up, and that people are no longer afraid to consider other traditions, to consider that maybe other schools have a least a couple of good points to make. This more open attitude is going to generate a lot more practice and 376

insight, because in the past people have not wanted to even look at a book from another tradition. But the world is getting smaller as we communicate more and more, and we may nd that what we think are fundamental differences arent that solid and important. I think theres going to be a lot of life coming out of this exchange.

2.1.5

From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part1 (1/3) (2014-01-12 13:34)

Richard Freeman met Guruji after an extensive period of spiritual undertakings which began in I967 and included living as a monk in India, becoming an avid yoga practitioner, and devoting himself to philosophical studies. He has been instrumental in spreading aslmmga yoga in lhe West. How did you rst nd out about ashtanga yoga, and how did you nd your

way to Mysore? I dont remember when I rst heard about it, but I knew of its existence for a number of years. First, through the work of Desikachar the concept of vinyasa, that things occur in sequences and that you can practice yoga asana in sequences. And then I learned that Pattabhi jois was going to come to the United States and lead a workshop at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana. and so I signed up right away. When I met him I was enthralled by his radiance and his kindness. We almost had an instant connection. And fortunately; we were in a place that was isolated. There were two classes every day and hours of time in between to talk, and it was an exciting experience. I was swept off my Feet by Guruji when I met him. 377

What was your rst impression of him? I was impressed by his smile, his radiance, his overall sweetness. I found him extremely accessible. He was willing to tell me anything I wanted to know, and that was actually rare in teachers. I was swept off my feet. I ve often heard Guruji say he teaches real or original Patanjali yoga. What was your experience of him as a teacher of true yoga? When someone says they teach Patanjali yoga, the eight limbs of yoga, they are implying that not only do they teach asana and pranayama but also samadhi and all of the stages of meditation and then the release, or the self-realization through samadhi. My experience of Guruji is that this is what his interest is. Practically his only interest in life is to ful ll the whole yoga system. His emphasis is, of course, on intense asana practice at rst. but through that asana practice with the vinyasa methodology he is also teaching the fundamentals of pranayama and meditation. And much later on in his system, these particular parts are separated out and re ned. But in a sense he is teaching the eight limbs initially through asana practice, and when one picks up the thread inside, we nd that the other limbs are very easy to practice. And so he is saying the rst four limbs of yoga yaama, niyama, asana. and pranayama are very dif cult, but if you are grottnded in them, the intemal limbs are easy and occur spontaneously. naturally. Does he actually teach them themselves or are they just incorporated in the asana practice? He teaches them on a one-to-one basis when he wants to. If someone is really interested, dying for it, he teaches the internal limbs. Practically,

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you have to be experiencing them already so that its easy to teach. If someone is burning with desire. then they are so close that the teacher doesnt have much to do except say yes, thats it. Is samadhi far off for us? Samadhi is very close. according to my understanding. Practicing yoga, you gradually develop the ability to observe what is happening in the present moment, and when you observe very closely what is actually occurring, then that is samadhi. And what is occurring is very close to us. Usually we are looking at some other place rather than at what is actually happening. So yoga asana and pranayama allow the attention to focus on what is actually happening. Present feelings, present sensations, and the present pattem of the mind become sacred, they become the object of meditation. So many people try to practice meditation but are trying to practice by observing what isnt present. They are trying to look behind this, they are trying to look anyplace, let me see anything but this. But when you practice asanas enough, when you practice pranayama, the very sensation that you are having presently is what is sacred. You stop looking elsewhere and samadhi starts to occur. From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (2/3) From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard 379

Freeman excerpts part2 (3/3)

2.1.6

Ashtanga 2nd Series with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois - Solana Beach, CA 89 part 1 (2014-01-13 14:55)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/5Nyy3WVHjnk

2.1.7

Susan Chiocchi artwork from the book "The Mirror of yoga"

(2014-01-14 11:54)

http://chiocchiart.com/prints/

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2.1.8

Pada Bandha by Mark Stephens (2014-01-16 12:44)

With twenty-six bones that form twenty-ve joints, twenty muscles, and a variety of tendons and ligaments, the feet are certainly complex. This complexity is related to their role, which is to support the entire body with a dynamic foundation that allows us to stand, walk, run, and have stability and mobility in life. In yoga 384

they are the principal foundation for all the standing poses and active in all inversions and arm balances, most back-bends and forward bends, and many twists and hip openers. Meanwhile they are also subjected to almost constant stress, ironically one of the greatest stresses today coming from a simple tool originally designed to protect them: shoes. Giving close attention to our feet getting them strong, exible, balanced, aligned, rooted, and resilient is a basic starting point for building or guiding practically any yoga practice, including seated meditation. In order to support the weight of the body, the tarsal and metatarsal bones are constructed into a series of arches. The familiar medial arch is one of two longitudinal arches (the other is called the lateral arch). Due to its height and the large number of small joints between its component parts, the medial arch is relatively more elastic than the other arches, gaining additional support from the tibialis posterior and peroneus longus muscles from above. The lateral arch possesses a special locking mechanism, allowing much more limited movement. In addition to the longitudinal arches, there are a series of transverse arches. At the posterior part of the metatarsals and the anterior part of the tarsus these arches are complete, but in the middle of the tarsus they present more the characters of half-domes, the concavities of which are directed inferiorly and medially, so that when the inner edges of the feet are placed together and the feet rmly rooted down, a complete tarsal dome is formed. When this action is combined with the awakening of the longitudinal arches, we create pada bandha, which is a key to stability in all standing poses (and a key source of mula bandha). However, the feet do not stand alone, even in Tadasana, nor do they independently support movement. 385

Activation of the feet begins in the legs as we run lines of energy from the top of our femur bones down through our feet. This creates a rebounding effect. Imagine the feeling of being heavier when riding up in an elevator, or lighter when riding down. The pressure of the elevator oor up against your feet not only makes you feel heavier, it has the effect of causing the muscles in your legs to engage more strongly. Similarly, when you intentionally root down from the tops of your thighbones down into your feet, the muscles in your calves and thighs engage. This not only creates the upward pull on the arches of pada bandha (primarily from the stirrup-like effect of activating the tibialis posterior and peroneus longusmuscles) but creates expansion through the joints and a sense of being more rmly grounded yet resilient in your feet while longer and lighter up through your body.

2.1.9

Clase Jueves 23 de enero Tarragona Escuela de Danza Indra (2014-01-16 13:35)

386

2.1.10

From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (2/3)
(2014-01-20 17:58)

Guruji and Richard FreemanSo how does Gurujis system bring you face-to-face with that experience? Or does it? Is it speci c to this type of yoga, or is it part of any yoga teaching? It would be part of any yoga teaching. The question is: Does the system work. or does the collection of systems and methodology work? And in many cases, in many schools of yoga, not a lot is happening. Yoga traditionally has been passed down from teacher to student over thousands of years. and often the lineages are broken, so it is like a wire that is broken and no current ows through it, so the actual internal teaching doesnt get transmitted. Do you know how far back this lineage goes beyond Krishnmnacharyas teacher? Do we know anything about Rama Mohan Brahmacharis teacher? No, we dont. Of course, Guruji has a family lineage which is the lineage of Shankaracharya. And he is constantly making reference to Shankaracharya. to teachers in the Shankaracharya lineage, and he has much involvement in that, and his yoga gum, Sri Krishnamacharya, also has his yoga guru and his family lineage. Its a complex thing to study. 387

Shankaracharya. How important is a guru when practicing yoga, and how does Guruji perform that function of separating the light from the darkness? The guru is practically the key to the whole system. I suppose in theory, if one were extremely intelligent and extremely lucky and extremely kind, you could learn yoga from a book and you could do very well and get very far. But with a teacher, you develop a relationship. and something right at the heart of that relationship carries the essence of the practice, and so the various techniques that you might learn, even the various philosophies you might leam, are placed in an immediate context by the guru. That context is simply one of complete, open relationship, complete presence. Its a great thing. So if theres a great teacher around, take advantage of it! If theres no teacher around, practice anyway. How would you characterize Gurujis teaching method? When I rst met Guruji, he reminded me very much of a Zen Buddhist teacher in that he used very few words in his classes. The words he would use were like koans, they were puzzling, at least to most of the students. And often, he was just trying to wake you up with what he was 388

doing. It wasnt so much the content of what he was saying. He would sometimes try to distract you or to place you in a kind of double bind where you might just laugh and let your breath ow and all of a sudden nd yourself doing a posture that you had feared two minutes before. l remember doing backbends in Mysore with Guruji. We were just standing and arching back and grabbing our knees which is, if you think about it, very scary at times. I was all set to do it with my arms crossed and he looked at my shorts which were soaking wet and cotton and he said, Oh, nice material!" just as I was starting to drop back and made me completely forget my preconceptions. And the backbend was no problem at all. When there is fear going into a pose, does he have a technique to take you deeper, beyond your bodys apparent natural capacity? l think what he does is he makes you drop your presuppositions, your preconceptions about your body and therefore about your limitations. Oftentimes youll approach him and say, Oh Guruji, this muscle is hurting" or "This bone has this problem." And hell just look at you and say, What muscle?" In other words, he is inviting you again to look with a completely fresh mind to see if there is anything really there. And by dropping the concept you have around a sensation or feeling, you release them. Many times the concept is the limiting factor. Hes a master at that: seeing if there is some fear or some attachment. And usually, in a very kind, sometimes gentle, sometimes abrupt way, hell get you to reframe a situation. ls he imparting that skill to Sharath? l think naturally he is. Thats just the way he relates to people, and so Sharath is bound to pick it up I think.

389

Guruji and SharathIts interesting because Sharath is still involved with practicing with Guruji immediately present, which is an intense way to practice. So Sharath experiences sometimes a lot of pain, sometimes his own fear, and so he is very sympathetic with the students, very compassionate, because he has learned to be compassionate with himself when he practices. Guruji is also that way, but he doesnt do asana practice anymore and so he just takes you right into it. From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part1 (1/3) From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (3/3)

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2.1.11

From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (3/3)
(2014-01-27 12:14)

ls it a spiritual practice hes teaching? Yeah, i think its spiritual in the way most people use that word. You could also say its beyond spiritual. If someone has a concept of spirituality, this is much more interesting than anything they could imagine. But

its denitely a totally spiritual practice. However, if someone comes to it and has no interest in what they believe spirituality to be, if they just take up the practice for improving their health or xing some biomechanical problem in the body, itll prove effective but it will also put them in touch with their core feelings. And just by touching those core feelings they will start inquiring into what is real. Theyll start to ask: "Why am I suffering all the time?" What is true?" And so theyve come to the right place. And so yoga in a sense is like a fountain. People will go to it, for many different reasons but because theyve gone to the source they start to get a taste for it, and they might not really understand why they like it but theyll keep coming back to the source and eventually theyll just jump right back in. It is spiritual in the sense that the Atman, the soul, is revealed, but at the same time there is a methodology as well, so is it somehow a fusion of those two things? Exactly. If we say that what is of most interest to the open mind, to the open heart, is beyond expression, beyond words, also therefore beyond technique. our rst reaction is I wont do anything." But the fascinating thing about practice is that what is manifesting as the body and the mind is composed of strings and strings of techniques, and so yoga is actually 391

the art of using techniques with incredible skill and through that one naturally arrives at a place where there is no technique anymore but freedom. This is one of the major themes of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the extremely illusive themes, that the truth is ultimately formless because it generates all forms. How can it be approached? How can you realize it? lts actually through seeing forms with an open mind and allowing the body and the mind to complete their natural tendencies to complete their forms. and in that you release form. So you have to see all the forms that your mind wants to manifest to actually see behind them, mul that goes for all the different asanas as well. Yes, each one is sacred, each one is like a mandala, or in the Hindu tradition they use the word "yantra," which is a sacred diagram. Yantras have very distinct forms, so a yoga asana has a very distinct outer form and a very distinct internal form. and if you are able to go into it, in sometimes

excruciating detail and intensity, and you see it as sacred, if you are simply able to observe it without reducing it to some concept or theory, then you are free from that form. The very heart of the yantra or mandala is you. Then another form comes which happens to be the next pose in the series, and eventually you are able to see all of these as an expression of the same internal principle. lts just that at certain points we get confused and were not able to see it as sacred, as spiritual. Has Guruji described to you di erent mental forms that relate to the different asanas? No, he hasnt. just practice. What he has clone is hes given me a lot of things to study, books to read. hoping that I will be fascinated and extract information from them. Why is there such a strong emphasis on asana practice in this system? What is the function of going back to the same place daily? The practice is like a mirror. We go to the mirror every morning to tidy 392

ourselves up before going out into the world, and the practice is like a mirror for whats in your heart and whats in your mind. If you are able to approach the practice from an internal space, its always new. The same old pose is always fascinating because you are using it as an object of meditation rather than as a means to get something. And that way you are able to practice and practice and practice perhaps forever. What is the attitude one needs to get that experience? I think the key to ashtanga practice is bhakti. which is devotion or love. The eight limbs are accessories to that heart. Bhakti is probably the closest thing to what yoga is. And so guru bhukti, which is a direct relationship or love for the teacher. is one aspect of bhakti that is extremely helpful. From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part1 (1/3) From the book "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students" Richard Freeman excerpts part2 (2/3)

2.1.12

Mental problems and illness from the book Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2014-01-28 14:15)

The relationship between mental problems and mental and physical ailments need not be dealt

with in great detail here, for most people fully accept that almost all illnesses are a result of some kind of mental disturbance. We merely want to emphasize this point. The mind, on a personal level, is in a continual state of activity at all stratas. Ideally these processes should occur spontaneously and naturally, without the slightest hindrance. 393

In the mind of most people, however, there is psychological constipation and indigestion, caused by mental frustrations. This results in the growth of psychological tumours in the mind. If these tumours, blocks, frustrations and mental problems are sufciently intense they can result in psychosomatic illnesses and/ or mental illnesses or breakdowns. If the mental problems are milder, but nevertheless present, they will manifest in the form of unhappiness and depression; in fact general discontent with ones relationship with life and other people. It is widely accepted that there are many illnesses which manifest physically, but which have psychological causes. In modern language these are called psychosomatic diseases. Under this heading are included more obvious related diseases such as neuritis, but actually yoga believes that almost all diseases are caused by mental disturbances. Modern science is slowly coming around to the same conclusion by experiment. For example, the general treatment for cancer in recent times has been radioactive bombardment of the cancerous area. Yet at a symposium held at Stanford University in U.S.A. in 1972, a radiologist had a far reaching conclusion to convey to medical science. His revelation caused a stir at the meeting. He said that he had been using radiology for many years in the treatment of cancer patients. Because of the widespread occurrence of cancer, thousands of patients besieged him seeking a cure. He of course could not treat them all at the same time and so he was forced to make many of them wait for treatment, often for several weeks. Some of the people were suffering great pain. The usual method of combating this pain is administration of drugs. To reduce this dependence on drugs, the radiologist recommended that the patients relieve their pain by practising relaxation and meditational techniques. To his great surprise many of these people showed marked improvement in their state of health. His conclusion, which he presented to the members of the symposium, was obvious: the cause of cancer lies in the mind, nowhere else. We would also like to add one point: many people claim that the cause of 394

cancer, the only cause, is cigarette smoking. Figures and statistics are presented which clearly show and prove that the incidence of cancer is greater with smokers than with nonsmokers. This may be true, but they miss one important factor; namely, that people who smoke are generally those who are very tense. We are not saying that this is the reason why they smoke, but that those who smoke have a tendency to be more tension-ridden. Therefore, we feel that the cause of cancer is not the smoking, but mental tension. Smoking may have some bearing no doubt, but it is a side issue. It is a similar case with diabetes. Many people attribute its cause to the malfunctioning of the pancreas and perhaps the pituitary gland. No doubt this is the obvious cause of the lack of insulin. But what is the reason for the malfunction in the rst place? From contact with large numbers of diabetics in the ashram, we feel that the original cause denitely lies in the mind. Mental disturbance and continual stress interfere with the harmonious working of the physical organs causing them to break down. We know many cases of diabetics who have learned to relax more in life, through yoga practices, and their diabetes has completely disappeared or at least been reduced. We could talk about numerous other illnesses, epilepsy, heart problems and ulcers, in the same way, but this is not the purpose of this discussion. We merely want to draw your attention to the importance that the mind has on health and lack of health. With removal of mental problems, incredible changes take place in the body and state of health. Many miraculous cures of all types of so-called incurable diseases can be obtained by relaxing the deeper realms of the subconscious mind, by throwing out or coming to terms with ones inner problems

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2.2
2.2.1

February
Yoga Sutras, Patanjali. Chapter 1 Sam dhi P da (2014-02-01 15:33)

IFRAME: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https %3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118818462 &color=ff5500 &auto _play=false &hide _related=false &show _artwork=true CHAPTER 1: SAM DHI P DA atha yog nu[ sanam Now I give the explanation of yoga and its practice.

yoga cittavtti nirodha The skill of yoga is demonstrated by the conscious non-operation of the vibrational modes of the mento-emotional energy. tad drau svarkpe avasth nam Then the perceiver is situated in his own form. vtti s rkpyam itaratra At other times, there is conformity with the mento-emotional energy. vttaya pacatayya kli akli The vibrations in the mento-emotional energy are ve-fold being agonizing or none-troublesome. pram a viparyaya vikalpa nidr smtaya They are correct perception, incorrect perception, imagination, sleep and memory. pratyaka anum na gam pram ni Correct perception may be acquired directly, by correct analysis or by correct reference. Viparyayo mithya jnanam atat rupa prathistham Incorrect perception is based on false information and on perception of what is not the true form. [abdaj na anup t+ vastu[knya vikalpa Verbal or written information which is followed by concepts which are devoid of reality, is imagination. abh va pratyaya lamban vtti nidr Sleep is the vibrationial mode which is supported by the absence of objective awareness. 396

anubhkta viaya asapramoa smti Memory is the retained impression of experienced objects. abhy sa vair gy bhy tannirodha That non-operation of the vibrational modes is achieved by effective practice in not having an interest in the very same operations. tatra sthitau yatna abhy sa In that case, practice is the persistent endeavor (to cultivate that lack of interest). sa tu d+rghak la nairantarya satk ra sevita dhabhkmi But that is attained on the rm basis of a continuous reverential sustained practice which is executed for a long time. da nu[ravika viaya vitasya va[+k rasaj vair gyam The non-interest in the operations of the mento-emotional energy is achieved by one who has perfect mastery in consciousness and who does not crave for what is perceived or what is heard of in the mundane existence. tatpara puruakhy te guavaityam That highest non-interest occurs when there is freedom from desire for the features of material nature and thorough awareness of the spiritual person. vitarka vic ra nanda asmit rkpa anugam t sapraj ta The observational linkage of the attention to a higher concentration force occurs with analysis, reection and introspective happiness or with focus on self-consciousness. vir mapratyaya abhy sapkrva sask ra[ea anya The other state is the complete departure from the level where the remaining impressions lie in the mento-emotional energy. bhavapratyaya videha praktilay n m Of those who are diffused into subtle material nature and those who existing in a bodiless state, their psychology has that content. [raddh v+rya smti sam dhipraj pkrvaka itare m For others, condence, stamina, introspective memory, the continuous effortless linkage of the attention to a higher concentration force, and profound insight, all being previously mastered, serves as the cause. t+vrasaveg n m sanna For those who practice forcefully in a very intense way, the skill of yoga will be achieved very soon. mdu madhya adhim tratv t tata api vi[ea Then there is even more ratings, according to intense, mediocre, or slight practice. 397

*[vara praidh n t v Or by the method of profound religious meditation upon the Supreme Lord. kle[a karma vip ka [ayai apar ma puruavi[ea *[vara The Supreme Lord is that special person who is not affected by troubles, actions, developments or by subconscious motivations. tatra nirati[aya sarvajab+jam There, in Him, is found the unsurpassed origin of all knowledge. sa ea pkrve m api guru k lena anavacched t He, this particular person, being unconditioned by time is the guru even of the ancient teachers, the authorities from before. tasya v caka praava Of Him, the sacred syllable u (Om) is the designation. tajjapa tadarthabh vanam That sound is repeated, murmured constantly for realizing its meaning. tata pratyakcetana adhigama api antar ya abh va ca As a result there is inwardness of the sense consciousness and the disappearance of obstacles to progress. vy dhi sty na sa[aya pram da lasya avirati bhr ntidar[ana alabdhabhkmikatva anavasthitatv ni cittavikepa te antar y These obstacles are disease, idleness, doubt, inattentiveness, lack of energy and proneness to sensuality, mistaken views, not being able to maintain the progress attained, unsteadiness in progression, scattered mental and emotional energy. dukha daurmanasya agamejayatva [v sapra[v s vikepa sahabhuva Distress, depression, nervousness and labored breathing are the symptoms of a distracted state of mind. tatpratiedh rtham ekatattva abhy sa For the removal of the obstacles, there should be the practice of a standard method used in the pursuit of the reality. maitr+ karu mudit upekaam sukha dukha puya apuya viay bh van ta cittapras danam The abstract meditation resulting from the serenity of the mento-emotional energy, comes about by friendliness, compassion, cheerfulness and non-responsiveness to happiness, distress, virtue and vice; pracchardana vidh ra bhy v pr asya or by regulating the exhalation and inhalation of the vital energy; viayavat+ v pravtti utpann manasa sthiti nibandhan+ or by fusion and steadiness of the mind which is produced by the operation of the mento-emotional energy towards an object which is different to, 398

but similar to a normal thing; vi[ok h v jyotimat+ or by sorrow-less and spiritually-luminous states; v+tar ga viaya v cittam or by xing the mento-emotional energy on someone who is without craving; svapna nidr j na lambana v or by taking recourse to dream or dreamless sleep. yath bhimata dhy n t v Or it can be achieved from the effortless linkage of the mind to a higher concentration force which was dearly desired. param u paramamahattv nta asya va[+k ra The mastery of his psyche results in control of his relationship to the smallest atom or to cosmic proportions. k+avtte abhij tasya iva mae grah+t grahaa gr hyeu tatstha tadajanat sam patti In regards to the great reduction of the mento-emotional operations, there is fusion of the perceiver, the ow of perceptions and what is perceived, just like the absorption of a transparent jewel. tatra [abda artha j na vikalpai sak+r savitark sam patti In that case, the deliberate linkage of the mento-emotional energy to a higher concentrating force occurs when a word, its meaning and the knowledge of the object alternate within the mind, blending as it were. smtipari[uddhau svarkpa[knya iva artham tranirbh s nirvitarka Non-analytical linkage of his attention to a higher concentration force occurs when the memory is completely puried and the essential inquiring nature disappears as it were, such that the value of that higher force shines through. etayaiva savic ra nirvic ra ca skkmaviay vy khy t By this, the investigative and non-investigative linkage of ones attention to a higher concentration force consisting of subtler objects, was explained. skkmaviayatva ca aliga paryavas nam The insight into the subtle nature of gross objects terminates when one becomes linked to the higher concentration force which has no characteristics. t eva sab+ja sam dhi The previous descriptions concern the effortless and continuous linkage of the attention to a higher concentration force, as motivated by the mento-emotional energy. nirvic ra vai[ radye adhy tmapras da On gaining competence in the non-investigative linkage of ones attention to the higher concentration force, 399

one experiences the clarity and serenity which results from the linkage of the Supreme Soul and the limited one. tabhar tatra praj There with that competence, the yogin develops the reality-perceptive insight. [ruta anum na praj bhy m anyaviay vi[e rthatv t It is different from the two methods of insight which are based on what is heard and what is reasoned out, because that is limited to a particular aspect of an object. tajja sask ra anyasask ra pratibandh+ That impression which is produced from the reality-perceptive insight, acts as the preventer of the other impressions. tasy pi nirodhe sarvanirodh t nirb+ja sam dhi The continuous effortless linkage of the attention to the higher concentration force which is not motivated by this mento-emotional energy, occurs when there is a non-operation, even of that preventative impression which caused the suppression of all other lower memories

2.2.2

Some videos from the practice (2014-02-03 14:56)

[EMBED] [EMBED] [EMBED]

2.2.3

Ashtanga Yoga Q&A with Richard Freeman BY Yoga International ON February 4, 2014 (2014-02-05 11:06)

What are the 8 limbs of ashtanga yoga (as described in the Yoga Sutra)? Do you have a favorite limb, and 400

what is the main limb your students overlook? Depending on their circumstances, students tend to overlook the particular limb of yoga that aspect of the practice that exposes the hidden side of their ideas about who they are. One may be likely to overlook meditation because they cant be with chaotic, frustrated, sad, or other uncomfortable mind states. Another might, lacking compassion, overlook the effect of their yoga practice on their own body or how their actions impact others. Still another might overlook or demonize asana because of not understanding the purpose and the subtle internal technique of the practice or because they have somehow developed a fear of the full spectrum of physical and emotional feeling that will occur in a consistent practice. The reason that there are so many limbs is so that we may learn to apply the insights of yoga to all aspects of our lives. This is particularly true in terms of how yoga impacts our relationships with other beings, for these basic relationships have the most powerful emotional inuence on our body and mind. It is the nature of any student to avoid exposing the silliness of their mind and their egotistical attachment to unimportant frills associated with yoga. So all of us, as students, must continue to inquire again and again What is the importance of breath? Besides keeping you alive, breath has an intimate relationship to the overall movement of prana throughout the entire body and the sense elds. One of the axioms of yoga practice is that as the breath (prana) moves, so the mind moves and as the mind moves, so the breath moves. Breath gives us a tool with which we can explore the subtle structure of our mental and emotional worlds. Awareness or mindfulness of breathing can lead to insight into the nature of mind and freedom from suffering. Also, breath has everything to do with structural alignment and the patterns in which we hold the body, perceive the body, and move the body. Breath awareness can eliminate joint compression and other imbalances from ones postures and attitudes and is a foundation for owing seamlessly in movement through an Ashtanga Vinyasa practice. We have heard about the annual Ashtanga Yoga Conuence led by the top Ashtanga teachers. What can people expect at the Conuence? Why is it so important to gather as a community annually? The importance of gathering together as a community is that it provides the opportunity to see others who are working with the same challenges and difculties and also experiencing exciting insights that 401

arise from the practice. Its a big world and its nice not to feel like youre all alone and irrelevant to the greater evolution of human culture. Another reason its important to meet is to discuss the details of our own particular perspectives, techniques, injuries, solutions for those injuries, and ways that we have adapted the practice to our unique circumstances. Also, its wonderful to get feedback from other practitioners who might see things from a new perspective. It can wake us up to see and listen to others who share a common love for the practice, but who might have seen aspects to it that we have overlooked. Even though we are all working within a single tradition, that tradition is still evolving and is bringing in threads of insight from other traditions. A conuence allows this to happen in an above-board, open atmosphere. People can expect from the conuence to have fun meeting all of the remarkably friendly and humble Ashtanga practitioners from around the world, and to get re-enthused by fresh and new ways of bringing an ancient tradition to life in the present moment. What do you hope people take with them into their daily practice? What does the yoga community need to do to take the practice of yoga to the next level? I would hope that people take from their daily practice a taste and enthusiasm for mindfulness which can be experienced as a brighter ame of intelligence that allows one to work more subtly and precisely with sensations, feelings, and thoughts as they arise. Also I would hope that all of us could be a little more curious about the roots of the yoga tradition, the variety of its expressions, its philosophies, languages, art, and its various beliefs. In other words, I would encourage us all to remember to come back again and again to an open-minded application of the attention of samadhi to everything in the whole world. Practicing with mindfulness in this way can help us to take the practice to the next level because it requires that we act compassionately toward both ourselves and all others. This can remove the obstacle of hiding within a communal narcissism and can open the door to self-reection and the ability to truly experience the interconnectedness of all things that is reected through the practice. https://yogainternational.com/article/view/ashtanga-yoga-qa-with-ric hard-freeman

2.2.4

about anxiety Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2014-02-06 19:43)

Strangely enough, many people regard anxiety or mental dissatisfaction as the rst step, as the prelude to seeking higher awareness or spiritual life. Actually there is a lot of truth in this belief, for it is only when one feels discontentment, emptiness and unhappiness that one seriously starts to look for something more meaningful in life. Often anxiety in the form of uncertainty of human existence is the driving or motivating force which impels people to seek higher states of consciousness, and eventually enlightenment. Without some form of anxiety, each person complacently wallows in the insecure world of ignorance. For most people, dissatisfaction is the incentive to try to nd out the truth, if indeed it exists in the rst place. 402

2.2.5

Richard

Freeman

Interview:

Quiet

Connection

(yoga

journal)

(2014-02-11 19:53)

By the time he met his teacher, K. Pattabhi Jois, Richard Freeman had practiced yoga for 19 years, visited several ashrams in India, and taught yoga to Irans royal family. Less than a year after meeting the founder of Ashtanga Yoga, Freeman became the second Westerner certied by Jois to teach Ashtanga. Today, Freeman lives with his son, Gabriel, and his wife, Mary Taylor, in Boulder, Colorado, where they run The 403

Yoga Workshop. How did you rst come across yoga? When I was 18, I reread Henry David ThoreausWalden, which talks about the Bhagavad Gita. That led me to [Ralph Waldo] Emerson and the Upanishads. My family was uneasy with the fact that I was studying even Western philosophy, because its possibly the least useful in terms of a career. So without their blessing, I embarked on the yogic path at the Chicago Zen Center. Later I studied Iyengar Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, bhakti yoga, Tantra, and different Buddhist practices. It wasnt until 1987 that I discovered Ashtanga Yoga and met Pattabhi Jois. What made you think "Yes! This man is my teacher"? When I went to one of his workshops in Montana, I could already do most asanas well. However, the way he linked them internally was interesting, because I was able to go into the midline of the body and into the nadis [energy channels]. We had a strong connection; this is where my previous studies really paid off. His English isnt very good, so we mostly talked asana in Sanskrit. This wasnt the rst time you worked with a cultural barrier. What were some of the challenges of teaching yoga in Iran? A friend invited me to teach at his studio there. For four years I taught yoga to the empress, the princes, and other members of the royal family. They were mostly Muslims with a strong conception about the Divine. I had to be very careful to not use terms that suggested I was trying to convert them or speak of idolatry and reincarnation. Working across cultures, I had to become honest with myself about what it is I actually know, what are theories or metaphors, and what is essential spiritual teaching and practice. So what is essential? Meditation. Its focusing the mind on any pattern or thing that comes up. This mindfulness practice is 404

something you could do as a Hindu, Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Buddhist. I enjoy quiet time. I go outside and contemplate insects, my dogs nose, the rabbits around here, or whatever presents itself. Everything is connected, and so I feel a natural affection for these things. My wife is a chef and does most of the cooking, so I make washing the dishes my meditation. I pay close attention to my breath and what Im doing. How has fatherhood changed your practice?

Its been enlightening. I had to let go of some poses and studies a bit; as a father you deal with moments of crisis, which can happen at any time. My practice is more internal now I might have time just to sit down and do a tiny little Pranayama. Still, theres no other medium thats quite as potent as raising a child with someone to either drive you crazy or open up your heart and mind to compassion to yourself and others.

2.2.6

Ashtanga is Bhakti David Garrigues (2014-02-15 14:37)

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/lRax3wW5cL8

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/uMKjIPZqRG4

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/NsYOwTaCxy8

2.2.7

BKS Iyengar Hatha yoga pradipika foreword (2014-02-15 18:56)

Mind Man is known as manava (human), as he is descended from Manu, the father of mankind who is said to be the son of Brahma, the Creator of the world. The word mana or manas (mind) comes from the root man, meaning to think. Man is one who possesses a mind. Manas means mind, intellect, thought, design, purpose and will. It is the internal organiser of the 405

senses of perception and the organs of action, and the external organiser of intelligence, consciousness and the Self. Man is graced with this special sense so that he can enjoy the pleasures of the world, or seek emancipation and freedom(moksa) from worldly objects. Knowledge Knowledge means acquaintance with facts, truth or principles by study or investigation. The mind, which is endowed with the faculty of discrimination, desires the achievement of certain aims in life. Knowledge (jnana) is of two types: laukilfa jnana, which concerns matters of the world, and vaidika jnana, the knowledge of the Self (relating to the Vedas, or spiritual knowledge). Both are essential for living in the world, as well as for spiritual evolution. Through yogic practice, the two kinds of knowledge encourage development of a balanced frame of mind in all circumstances. Aims of Life The sages of old discovered the means for the betterment of life and called them aims orpurusarthas. They are duty {dharma), the acquisition of wealth (artha) (necessary to free oneself from dependence on others), the gratication of desires (kama) and emancipation or nal beatitude (moksa). Moksa is the deliverance of the Self from its entanglement with the material world: freedom from body, senses, vital energy, mind, intellect and consciousness. 406

Dharma, artha and kama areimportant in matters of worldly life. Dharma and moksa should be followed judiciously if they are to lead to Self realisation. Patanjli, at the end of the Yoga Sutras, concludes that the practice of yoga frees a yogi from the aims of life and the qualities of nature (gunas), so that he can reach the nal destination kaivalya or moksa. Health and Harmony To acquire knowledge whether mundane or spiritual bodily health, mental poise, clarity and maturity of intelligence are essential. Health begets happiness and inspires one to further ones knowledge of the world and of the Self. Health means perfect harmony in our respiratory, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, nervous and genito excretory systems, and peace of mind. Hatha yoga practices are designed to bring about such harmony. Afictions Human beings aresubject to afictions of three types: physical, mental and spiritual (adhyatmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika). Afictions arising through self abuse and self inictions are adhyatmika. Physical and organic diseases are caused by an imbalance of the elements in the body (earth, water, re, air and ether) which disturbs its correct functioning. These are called adhibhautika diseases. Misfortunes such as snake bites and scorpion stings are also classied as adhibhautika. Genetic and allergic disease or diseases arising from ones past deeds (karma) are known as adhidaivika. The practice of hatha yoga will help to overcome all three types of afiction.[...] The rst Sloka (verse) of the book reads: "Reverence to Siva, the Lord of Yoga, who taught Parvati hatha wisdom as the rst step to the pinnacle of raja yoga" (Patanjali yoga). And at the end we arereminded that "all hatha practices serve only for the attainment of raja yoga". (4:103). Hatha means willpower, resoluteness and perseverance; and Hatha yoga is the path that develops these qualities and leads one, towards emancipation. The word hatha is composed of two syllables: ha and tha. Ha stands for the seer, the Self, the soul (purusa), and for the sun (Surya) and the inbreath {prana). Tha represents nature (prakrti), consciousness {citta), the moon (chandra) and the outbreath (apana). Yoga, as already noted, means union. Hatha yoga, therefore, means the union of purusa with prakrti, consciousness with the soul, the sun with the moon, and prana with apana.

2.2.8

Dosha by Hans Ulrich Rieker (2014-02-16 14:23)

Vata It is true that this word means "wind" literally. But more important is the root va, movement. To quote the Charaka Samhita: "Vata is the source of both structure and function [of the body]. It is that which is represented by the ve forms [of the bodily currents]: prana, udana, samana, vyana, and apana. It is the initiator of the upward and downward ow [of all internal processes such as circulation, metabolism, etc.]; the controller and guiding force of consciousness; the stimulant of the 407

senses; the companion of sensations; the organizer of the elements of the body; the principle of synthesis; the storage battery of speech; the cause of feelings and perception; the origin of excitement and stimulation; it fans the gastric re, dries out harmful phlegm; expels excrements; is purier of the coarse and the ne channels of the body; the creator of the fetal form; the principle of life preservation. All these are the normal functions of vata in our body" (Char. Sam. 1. 12:8). Disturbance of any one of these functions leads to illness and susceptibility to infection. Some of the illnesses due to the inuence of vata are: rheumatism, dislocations, lameness, cramps, stitfness of limbs, peristaltic irregularities, trembling, emotional and depressive states, everything related to tension, relaxation, expansion and contraction, circulation and metabolism, crookedness and distortion of limbs, abdominal diseases, menstrual irregularities, sterility, hallucinations, and convulsions. Pitta This can be translated as "gall," but here it implies rather that which is also expressed by the word gall: temperament. But this again only in a limited sense. The Charaka Samhita derives this word from the root tap, "to heat," and this brings us closer to the meaning. We quote: "It is only the re which in pitta brings on good and bad results, according to the normal or abnormal condition [of the organs]. The results are digestion and indigestion, power of perception and its loss, normal and abnormal body temperatures, healthy and unhealthy look, temerity, fear [nerves], anger and joy [moods], confusion and clarity, and other such contrasting pairs" (Char. Sam. 1. 12:11). "The normal function of pitta causes: power of cognition, re of digestion, fresh complexion, clarity of thought, 408

body temperature, hunger and thirst, and nimbleness of mind" (Char. Sam. 1. 18:50). Diseases from this source are: inammation, fever, pus, perspiration, softening of bodily substance, itching, metabolic irregularities, redness, bad odor and taste, as well as discoloration. Kapha This word is composed of two roots: ka== "water," and pha, which refers to the process of biological evolution. And since we know that the body is largely composed of liquid we could translate kapha as "life uid." "Kapha is the nectar [soma]. It is the fertile water for the play of life; it is living uid, the protoplasm that sustains all life processes; it is indeed the scaffold of life. It binds the limbs together and produces all the connecting, nourishing, developing, and fortifying functions. It promotes the well being of the body by its lubricating action. Thus it supplies the water for the roots of life. In its physiological aspect [!] kapha is the power and perseverance of man, which, however, immediately becomes a disturbing impurity when his balance is disturbed" (Char. Sam. 1. 12:12). Kapha ailments are: pallidness, cold, edema, constipation, diabetes, secretions, cold sweat, languidness, and swellings (tumors).

2.2.9

From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 1 (2014-02-17 14:11)

"When the nadis are puried, certain signs quite naturally manifest: the body becomes light and bright. As soon as the nadis are puried the yogi is able to retain the breath longer, the gastric re is 409

activated, nada [the inner sound] becomes audible and he enjoys perfect health." Perfect health alone is reason enough to concern ourselves with nadi purication. About the gastric re and the nada sound we will learn more later. But it is the art of retention of breath that is so essential in the development of pranayarna. How is it that the power to hold the breath for a considerable length of time should depend on the purity of the nadis rather than on the capacity of the lungs? Breath gets short when the air held in the lungs has lost its prana. If the nadis areimpure (as is common), then the ow of prana is impeded and is soon unable to reload the breath. The breath becomes stale like a carbonated drink when it has lost its zz. If the nadi path is pure, however, the prana ow can keep breath "alive" for a longer time. A yogi who can subsist on one breath for days as has been demonstrated causes the river of prana to circulate in the body and does not allow the prana to escape. He absorbs oxygen through his pores. 410

2.2.10

From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 2 (2014-02-17 15:06)

"With head bent forward slowly rotate the innards [intestines and stomach], like a whirlpool in a river, toward the right and toward the left. This the siddhas call nauli. This, the most important of all hat ha yoga practices, removes sluggishness of the gastric re, stimulates digestion, and leaves a very agreeable feeling, it removes all diseases." This practice belongs not only to shatkarma but also to regular hatha yoga, although it cannot be called an asana since asana means "position, seat," a motionless posture, while nauli is a movement of the abdominal muscles. In shatkarma it is rather a subsidiary, as it trains the muscles for dhauti and basti. This practice which is to be recommended to the obese begins with deep exhalation. At the same time, lean forward with hands pressed on the thighs and draw in the abdomen while raising the shoulders; then try to tighten the drawn in abdominal muscics. Once this is accomplished the circular motion is no problem, since the muscles stand out separately on the withdrawn abdomen, as thick as a childs arm.

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2.2.11

From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 3 (2014-02-17 15:47)

"When the breath is controlled, the mind rm and unshakable, the eyes fastened between the eyebrows; why then should we fear death?" 411

Even a man who like the yogi has to fear no punishment at the last judgment approaches his last moments with at least some apprehension, for the process of dying is beyond our sphere of control. Here, for better or worse, we are delivered over to the play of natural forces, and this is for man the most terrifying experience: to be a helpless victim. For the master of pranayama, things are different. He controls the powers that represent life. He dies consciously. In life as in death he adapts himself with deep insight to the natural processes of which he is always aware. It is not only the life stream of prana upon which preservation and end depend, for if such were the case the yogi would be immortal. Rather, he recognizes the rhythm to which he, like all other living things, is subject, and it is his task to gain the highest possible harmony with this rhythm. Once he has accomplished this and his cycle of existence is completed, he will not try to inuence the law of his sunset. This death for him is only the evening which is followed by a new and purer morning, a new cycle. It is said to be one of the characteristics of the gods that they have no fear of death to which they are subject like all living things, because they consciously enter the eternally new cycle of life and consciously pass through the transitory, purifying state of death. Again and again Vishnu passes through existence: as animal, man, hero, lover, dwarf, or giant. He is born, accomplishes his divine work, dies, and is reborn. His consciousness is the all preserving 412

Unconscious. To render this Unconscious conscious is the goal of the yoga master, for this is the only way to become equal to the gods. So let us too pay attention to the physical and spiritual purity of the nadis, whether or not we are yogis. Let us inhale the life stream without weighing it down with impure thoughts. Let us also live more consciously, with our inner vision concentrated on that which elevates us above all other creatures: our spirit. Then every breath is pranayama which makes us more divine.

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 BlogBook v0.4, A L TEX 2 & GNU/Linux. http://www.blogbooker.com Edited: February 17, 2014