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YOGIC EXERCISES: YOGIC EXERCISE IN STANDING POSITION FOR THE BACKBONE AND LEG MUSCLES
YOGIC EXERCISE IN STANDING POSITION FOR THE BACKBONE AND LEG MUSCLES
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Plate 133
Plate #133
TECHNIQUE: Pada Hasthasan [hands to feet pose]
VARIATION 1
Stand erect. Raise arms overhead and inhale deeply. Then exhale slowly and while exhaling, bend the body until the hands reach the toes and the nose touches the knees. The raised arms should be in contact with the ears throughout, even while bending the body. After a little practice, one will be able to bury the face between the knees and keep the palms firmly on the floor. Remain in this pose for five seconds and slowly assume the standing position. When the body is raised, inhale slowly. Repeat this pose four times.
The spine becomes supple and is lengthened. The adipose tissue on the abdomen will disappear. This asana is very suitable for women who wish to reduce excess fat and for developing a graceful figure.
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Plate 134
Plate #134
TECHNIQUE: Pada Hasthasan [hands to feet pose]
VARIATION 2
Keep the legs a little apart. Put the hands back and catch hold of the right hand with the left. Now bend toward the right leg. Slightly turn the body toward the right leg. Repeat this same process with the left leg by bending to the left side.
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Plate 135
Plate #135
TECHNIQUE: Trikonasan [triangle pose]
VARIATION 1
Stand erect keeping the feet two or three feet apart. Now bring the arms shoulder height, the palms down. Bend to the left slowly and touch the left toes with the left hand. Remain thus of five seconds and slowly return to the standing position. Do not bend the legs or arms when bending down or when getting up. From the standing position, bend to the right and touch the right toes with the right hand. Remain for five seconds in this position and then come back to the original standing position. Repeat four times.
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Plate 136
Plate #136
TECHNIQUE: Trikonasan [triangle pose]
VARIATION 2
Keep the legs apart. Now twist the body and look back. Slowly bend and touch the right foot with the left hand. The right hand should be kept straight, making a straight line from the left hand to the right.
Triangle pose tones the spinal nerves and the abdominal organs, increases peristalsis of the bowels and invigorates the appetite. The body becomes light. The trunk muscles are contracted, relaxed, and stretched. The spine is bent laterally on both side and the muscles are fully stretched. This keeps the spine elastic.
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Plate 137
Plate #137
TECHNIQUE: Trikonasan [triangle pose]
VARIATION 3
Place the feet three to four feet apart while standing. Now bend your right knee slightly and bend the whole body sideways until you touch the right foot with the right hand. This exercise is easier than the first one. Beginners and old people should start with this exercise before they attempt Variations 1 and 2.
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Plate 138
Plate #138
TECHNIQUE: Trikonasan [triangle pose]
VARIATION 4
The technique is the same as in Variation 3, except that you twist the spine and touch the right foot with the left hand. Back muscles will get a twist along with bending.
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Plate 139
Plate #139
TECHNIQUE: Sirangushtasana [head-toe pose]
This is also a variation of the triangle pose. Keep the legs as far apart as possible while standing. Now fold your hands behind the back and bend toward the right foot until the nose comes in contact with the foot. This is a stretching exercise for the thigh and calf muscles.
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Plate 140
Plate #140
TECHNIQUE: Natarajasan [Lord Nataraja pose]
Stand erect. Now bend the right leg at the knee, grasp the big toe, and pull toward the head.
This gives wonderful exercise to the leg muscles and spine. It stretches various ligaments.
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Plate 141
Plate #141
TECHNIQUE: Garuda Asana [eagle pose]
Stand erect. Lift the right leg and twist it over the left leg. Cross the elbows in front with the left elbow on top, and press the arms together. Reverse the position and stand on the right leg.
This strengthens the calf muscles and reduces the extra fat from the thighs.
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Plate 142
Plate #142
TECHNIQUE: Vatyanasana [one knee and foot pose]
Stand erect. Bend the right leg and put the foot on the left thing joint. Now slowly bend the left leg and bring the right knee toward the floor, resting on the knee and the foot.
This is a very good exercise to bring flexibility to the lower part of the body.
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Plate 143
Plate #143
TECHNIQUE: Beka Asana [crane pose]
Stand erect. With the help of the hands slowly lift the right foot over the head. Now staighten the left knee and pull the body as straight as possible.
Fold the hands and balance on one foot. One may use the help of the wall in the beginning.
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Plate 144
Plate #144
TECHNIQUE: Eka Pada Hasthasan [leg hands pose]
Assume the crane pose. Now slowly bend forward, keeping the right foot firmly over the back of the head until the head touches the left knee.
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Plate 145
Plate #145
TECHNIQUE: Simhasan [lion pose]
This pose resembles a lion in action and is therefore called the lion pose. This is practiced specifically for the throat and tongue. The tongue must be stretched out as far as possible, in order to increase the circulation to the root of the tongue and to the throat. The eyeballs are turned upward and the whole body is stiffened as though the lion is about to spring upon its prey.
Technique: Assume a kneeling position (or japrasan) and keep your palms over the knees and gently lean over the hands. Now protrude the tongue as far as possible by contracting the throat muscles, meanwhile rolling your eyeballs upward. During this position exhale the breath as much as possible. Repeat this exercise four to six times.
Caution: All the difficult postures should be practiced under the guidance of a teacher. Any twisting of the muscles and joints without proper guidance may bring agonizing pain and the student may stop the practice of even simple exercises altogether, because of pain.
Another important point is never to do any exercise beyond your capacity.
At the end of the exercise relax for ten to fifteen minutes.
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Plate 146
Plate #146
TECHNIQUE: SAVASAN CORPSE POSE; AND RELAXATION
Elsewhere in this book we mentioned that one of the five things necessary to keep an automobile in good condition is cooling the engine hen it gets hot; the same principle applies to the human body also. when the body and mind are constantly overworked, their efficiency in performing their natural work diminishes. modern social life, food, work, and even the so-called entertainments, such as boxing and wrestling, make it difficult for the civilized man of today to relax. Not only is it difficult for him to relax, but he has even forgotten nature's way of recharging the body during relaxation and rest. Even while resting, the average person spends a great deal of physical and mental energy.
Most of the energy produced by the body is wasted uselessly. For one thing enormous amounts of energy are wasted on unnecessary muscular tension.
There is no use in increasing energy if we are going to waste it unnecessarily, because i production of energy is increased while the useless waste remains unchecked, the new energy produced will merely increase this useless waste. Therefore, before learning any physical or mental exercise one should first learn to observe and be aware of muscular tension and be able to relax unnecessary tension of the muscles. The whole of Yogic exercises is based upon this principle.
Every physical action puts tension in the muscles. Sometimes you can observe the tension of your muscles, without any reason, when you are resting. When you learn to drive a car, tremendous physical and mental tension go into the driving. Even fifteen minutes will make a new driver tired and his muscles ache. On the other hand, when an experienced driver drives for a hundred miles he feels no fatigue, because in this case the muscles are relaxed during driving. Though most of us drive, only a few know how to drive with perfect relaxation. This does not mean the relaxed driver is careless. on the contrary, his reflexes respond more readily than do the reflexes of those who are always tense to meet an emergency; at the same time he uses a lesser amount of energy. The same applies in the fields of the arts, painting, music, and so forth. Every genius consciously or unconsciously relaxes during his particular job; that is why he is efficient in his are.
Before we can study relaxation we must first understand the opposite contraction. When we wish to perform an action, four things happen one after another to complete the action. First of all a thought arises n the mind, say, to take a book from the table. This thought wave is transmitted to the brain, and the brain sends an impulse to the muscles needed for the particular job, along with an extra supply of pranic energy for those muscles. The prana travels over the motor nerves, reaches the muscles, and causes them to draw the ends together–and finally the book is in the hands. Every action, conscious or unconscious, uses up a certain amount of pranic energy. In the conscious action, the conscious mind sends a message to the subconscious mind, which immediately obeys the order by sending the prana to the desired part. When an action is automatic, that is, when the conscious mind plays no role, the subconscious mind takes up the whole work itself, both ordering and finishing the job. When the amount of pranic energy spent is more than the body can restore, the body feels weak. This is one way of spending energy.
Another way of spending energy without any muscular movement is through the emotions, such as worries, sorrow, anxieties, anger, and greed. No one is without emotions, and only a few can keep them under control or at least within limit. Uncontrolled emotions can vary quickly us the pranai that is stored in the body. A few minutes of anger can cost more energy than a day of physical labor. Look at a person in anger; see how all muscles are tensed; watch his irregular breathing, clenched fists, and bloodshot eyes. Is any part of the body inactive during that moment? His heart beats fast; blood pressure increases; his digestive system is disturbed. the sudden outburst of anger produces a shock wave in the nervous system. Imagine how much energy is necessary to restore order to the various muscles and organs that were co-operating with the emotions! This phenomenon is not limited to anger; every emotion takes its toll on the body. No amount of tonics, injections, vitamins, or balanced diet for a person who is suffering from worries and anxieties will provide an ultimate solution to his problems.
After the anger, worries, and sorrows have disappeared, there is still another demon waiting to swallow the energy, which is called mental fatigue or tension. We can compare the waste of pranic energy as the result of tension to the waste of water as the result of not turning off a faucet and allowing the water to trickle away hour after hour. So we allow our prana to trickle away in a constant stream of tension, which in turn results in wear and tear on our muscles and internal organs.
When man is inflamed with anger, there is a desire to strike the person who caused the anger, and all the muscles are ready so to act. But our higher faculties, the reasoning power by which man controls his fighting instinct, send a repressing impulse that turn holds back the action. This double action of ordering and withdrawing is done so quickly that there is not time for the mind to decide and the muscles begin to quiver from two opposite thought currents. When the anger has subsided, there is still no definite command for the muscles to relax and they remain activated. When we are excited by lower emotions, the mind constantly keeps the nerves in action and our muscles tense by unrestrained and uncontrolled mental states. An enormous amount of energy is wasted, in the first place, owing to unnecessary activities that we tend neither to stop nor to control and, secondly, there is the unnecessary constant tension of the muscles of our organism. Even at rest, muscles are under tension and as soon as we start to do even a small amount of work, a whole system of muscles is put into action just as if we were to do the hardest and most strenuous work. Under such conditions even to lift a book may require as much energy as should be required to lift a big man, or to type a few pages may use up as much energy s should be necessary to type a whole volume, because we continuously spend muscular energy. Observe how some persons walk. Their shoulder muscles are sensed. Even when they sit or wrote, the muscles of there shoulders, arms legs, and stomach are tensed unnecessarily. During sleep, too, muscles are tensed and continue to spend energy, though we are unaware of it.
More of our energy is spent in keeping the muscles in continual readiness for work than in actual useful work done during our lifetime.
In order to regulate and balance the work of the body and mind, it is necessary to learn to economize the energy produced by our body, which is the main purpose of learning how to relax.
It is to be remembered here that our body usually produces in the course of one day all the substances and energy necessary for the next day. But it often happens that all these substances and energy are consumed within a few minutes by bad moods, anger, injury, or irritation, when they reach a certain degree of intensity. At times a single violent flash of anger can destroy practically all man's energy.
This process of eruptin and repression of violent emotions often grows into a regular habit, and the result is very disastrous, not only for the body, but also for the mind.
During relaxation there is practically no energy or prana consumed, although a little is kept in circulation to keep the body in normal condition, and the remaining portion is being stored up and conserved.
We should not confuse relaxation with laziness. In infancy the child relaxes naturally; some adults possess tis power of relaxation. such persons are noted for their endurance, strength, vigor, and vitality. It was stated that Napoleon could relax and sleep on horseback during continuous fighting. Many great statesmen and sages depend upon their power of relaxation to enable them to carry out the tremendous amount of work they have shouldered. Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Sivananda are the best examples of our times.
Observe a cat crouched before a mouse hole, in an easy, graceful attitude without any muscular contraction or tension, ut ready for action. Though devoid of any tension in the muscles, the repose of the cat is a live repose that very seldom fails at the time of action.
In order to achieve perfect relaxation, three methods are used by the Yogis. The three methods are known as physical, mental, and spiritual. No relaxation is complete until man reaches the stage of spiritual relaxation, which only Yogis know.
1. Physical Relaxation. We all know that every action is the result of thought originated in the mind consciously or subconsciously. Thoughts take form in action and the body reacts to it. When we want to perform an act, the thought is generated in the mind, is transmitted to the brain and, simultaneously, the brain telegraphs the message through the nerves, and the muscles contract. Just as behind the muscular contraction or tension there is thought, so also behind the relaxation there is again thought vibration. Just as we send a message to contract the muscles, so also another message will bring relaxation to the tired muscles. This relaxation message is know as autosuggestion or suggesting one's own muscles and internal organs relax. But as we have no control over such involuntary organs as the heart, lungs, liver, brain, etc., we cannot directly send the thoughts for relaxing to these organs. Yet they, too, need rest and relaxation to increase their efficiency to do their work. here the Yogis use the subconscious mind, which controls all the automatic functions of these involuntary organs for relaxation. Elsewhere in this book we have dealt with the subconscious mind and how suggestions consciously given are promptly carried out by it. During relaxation, the conscious mind sends a message to a particular organ, such as the heart or liver. This message is received by the instinctive mind and the order is immediately carried out. thus one could relax all the involuntary organs too. first, physical relaxation starts from the toes upward and the autosuggestion passes through the muscles and reaches up to the eyes and ears at the top. Then, slowly, messages are sent to the kidneys, liver, and so on, internally.
2. Mental Relaxation. The constant tension put on the mind owing to unnecessary worries and anxieties takes away more energy than physical tension. During mental tension one should breathe slowly and rhythmically for a few minutes and concentrate on breathing. slowly the mind will become calm and one is able to feel a kind of floating sensation, as if one were as light as a feather; one feels peace and joy.
3. Spiritual Relaxation. However one tries to relax the mind, one cannot completely remove all tensions and worries from the mind unless one goes to spiritual relaxation. As long as man identifies himself with the body and mind there will be worries, sorrows, anxieties, fear, and anger which, in turn, bring tension. yogis know that unless man can withdraw himself from the body idea and separate himself from the ego consciousness, there is now way of obtaining complete relaxation. So, from the mental relaxation, he withdraws himself and identifies himself with the all-pervading, all-powerful, all-peaceful and joyful self, or pure consciousness within himself, because all the source of power, knowledge, peace, and strength are in the soul and not in the body. Man has become prey to all evil emotions of the mind by identifying himself with the body and mind, and the only sure way to free himself from its clutches is by asserting his real nature, that is, "I am that pure consciousness or self." This identification with the self completes the process of relaxation. This relaxation position is known as savasan, or dead body pose. Plate No. 146.
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CHAPTER 8, EXCERPT: PRANAYAMA OR YOGIC BREATHING
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