Welcome to The Divine Life Society Malaysia - Hatha Yoga site

Have you got a New Year's resolution?

2012-01-09T09:25:00.006+08:00

Develop a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind. Come and join our Yoga classes held every Saturdays from 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm at our Divine Life Society Yoga Centre. Our classes for 2012 is commencing on 7th January 2012 at Sivanandashram, Batu Caves, and 8th January 2012 at Vivekanandashram, Brickfields.

For classes at Sivanandashram, Batu Caves contact:
- sister Sumathi at 012 665 7764
- sister Marie at 017 776 3907
- sister Mani at 012 699 6536

For classes at Vivekanandashram, Brickfields contact:
- brother Param at 016 248 1236
- brother Muthu at 019 386 0275

Our aim at DLS Yoga is to create awareness and encourage everyone to practice Yoga. We have a Beginner Class for those who are totally new to Yoga. The new class is suitable for all ages including senior citizens whom have never been doing any form of physical exercises.

Our fee is very reasonable at RM100 per trimester. We offer 50% discount for kids/students and senior citizens whom are more than 55 years old. To encourage students to practice yoga with family, we have special discount under Group Family Package for sign up of a minimum four persons whereby fees for fourth person is free.

Come join our classes now! Practice Yoga regularly in the ambience of our serene Ashram.

Please pass on this circular to your family and friends and encourage them to join our classes.

In service of Gurudev,
Yoga Committee Members

Hatha Yoga New Intake

2010-06-16T14:29:00.027+08:00

Hatha Yoga Classes for Beginners,
Intermediate & Kids

Proper Breathing Techniques

Proper Exercise Techniques

Proper Relaxation Techniques

Classes conducted every Saturday from 3:45 pm to 5:00 pm, except on Public Holidays.

Venue : Yoga Block, Sivananda Ashram, THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY, Batu Caves, Selangor.

Fee : RM100 for 3 months. 50% discount for students and senior citizens (above 55 years old).

For details and registration, kindly contact:

Sister Sumathi : 012 665 7764

Brother Raj : 012 671 6500

Sister Marie : 017 776 3907

Brother Kanagarajah : 016 322 7721

Yoga Mats are available at discounted price.

This course covers a series of basic yogic exercises (surya namaskar and asanas), flexibility exercises, proper breathing techniques (pranayama) and relaxation techniques.

http://www.yoga-age.com/modern/kun1.html

Health is Wealth. Peace of mind is Happiness. Yoga shows the way.

SURYA-NAMASKARA (SUN SALUTATION)

2009-12-01T14:31:00.022+08:00

The Surya-Namaskara or offering prostrations to the Sun is practiced in the early morning or evening, facing the Sun. The Sun is regarded to be the deity for health and long life. The genius of the Indian Sage has in the Surya-Namaskara Exercise, evolved a unique method of effecting perfect synthesis of culture of body, mind and spirit. With his intuitive insight into the nature of the mass mind, the Indian Sage has wisely woven into every man’s daily routine this unparalleled system of all-round self-culture.

A harmonious development of the body and mind alone can enable man to fulfill his ambitions and live a fruitful and happy life here in this world. A sickly body acts as a deadweight preventing the mind from soaring into the higher realms. An excellent, well-built body, strong and healthy, if it serves only to house an undeveloped or diseased mind is capable of much harm and little good to anyone. A good body, and a keen mind, with the inner spirit entirely dormant is like a lovely mansion without foundation liable to topple over at any moment. A perfectly harmonious development of the body, mind and spirit makes one perfect. Surya-Namaskara achieves this harmonious development.

Surya-Namaskara is a combined process of Yoga Asanas and Pranayama (Yogic postures and regulated breathing). Before students take up the practice of more complicated and difficult Yogic postures and exercises in Pranayama, the spine and body muscles should acquire some flexibility. This exercise of Surya-Namaskara reduces abdominal fat, brings flexibility to the spine and limbs, and also increases the breathing capacity.

There are twelve spinal positions each stretching various ligaments and giving different movements to the vertebral column. The vertebral column is bent forward and backward alternately with deep inhalation and exhalation of breath and a little of retention of breath in some cases. Whenever the body is bent forward, the contraction of the abdomen and diaphragm throws out the breath. When the body bends backward, the chest expands and deep inhalation occurs automatically. In this way the body becomes flexible and the entire portion of the lungs begins to function which results in correct breathing. Moreover, it gives mild exercises to leg and arms muscles and ensures good circulation of blood. At the same time, the sun’s life-giving rays play on the man’s body, sucking away the toxins along with perspiration invigorating circulation and imparting life to the human organism – the life which the sun alone can give. For a person with stiff limbs and spine, the Surya-Namaskara exercise is a boon to bring back lost flexibility.

TECHNIQUE
Caution: During all these positions, movements of the limbs and breathing must be very, very slow and rhythmical. Sudden jerks of any part of the body and hard inhalation and exhalation in quick succession including retention of breath causing strain in the lungs should be completely avoided.

Position No. 1: Face the sun, fold the hands, keep the palms together touching the middle of the chest with both thumbs, keep legs together and stand erect.

Position No. 2: Slowly inhale and raise the arms overhead. Bend backward.

Position No. 3: Slowly exhale and bend forward till the palms are kept flat in line with the feet. Touch the knees with your head keepings the legs straight without bending. In the beginning there may be slight bend at the knees to effect this, but after some days practice the legs should be kept straight.

Position No. 4: After slow and deep inhalation, move the right leg from the body in a long backward step. Keep the hands and the left foot firmly on the ground without moving, raise the head, and look forward. The left knee should be between the hands.

Position No. 5: Retain the breath. Move the left leg and keep the left foot along with the right foot, thus making the body a straight line. The entire weight of the body should rest on the hands and toes.

Position No. 6: Exhale, slowly lower the body and let the eight limbs of the body – two toes, two knees, two hands, chest and forehead – alone touch the floor. The abdominal region is to be kept slightly raised.

Position No. 7: With inhalation, slowly raise your head and bend the spine backward as much as possible.

Position No. 8: Exhale, slowly lower your head and raise the body, the toes and hands resting on the floor.

Position No. 9: Inhale and bring the left foot along the level of the hands. The right foot and knee should touch the ground. Look forward (Same as Position No. 4).

Position No. 10: Exhale, bring the right leg also forward and come back to Position No. 3.

Position No. 11: Inhale and raise the hands overhead and bend backward as in Position No. 2.

[Note: In the second Namaskara, start with your left leg and change the legs alternately for each.]

Position No. 12: Slowly bring your hands as in Position No. 1. Simultaneously exhale and relax in Tadasana. This is one Namaskara.

After completing twelve Namaskaras lie down flat on the ground on your back and relax each and every limb one by one from toes to the crown of the head. This is called Savasana (corpse pose). To begin with if one feels tired after three or four Namaskaras, he may stop with that and increase the number gradually (one everyday or every two days) all the time taking care that too much strain is not caused on any account, on any part of the body. The number may be increased according to each one’s capacity. There are person who can do 108 Namaskaras at a stretch without great strain.

Those who are spiritually or religiously inclined would do well to follow, in addition, the instructions given below:

Before doing the Surya-Namaskara, the student may chant the prayer to the Almighty Lord:

PRAYER TO THE SUN
“Om Suryam Sundaralokanathamamritam
Vedantasaram Sivam,
Jnanam Brahmamayam Suresamamalam
Lokaikachittam Svayam,
Indradityanaradhipam Suragurum
Trailokyachudamanim,
Brahmavishnusivasvarupahridayam
Vande Sada Bhaskaram.”

Meaning: I always adore Surya, the Sun, the beautiful Lord of the world, the immortal, the quintessence of the Vedanta, the auspicious, the absolute knowledge, of the form of Brahman, the Lord of the gods, ever pure, the one true consciousness of the world itself, the Lord of the Indra, the gods and men, the preceptor of the gods, the crest-jewel of the three worlds, the very heart of the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the giver of light.

Then repeat the twelve Names of the Lord by turn (mentally) for each Namaskara. The twelve names are:

1) Om Mitraya Namah (Prostration to Him who is affectionate to all).
2) Om Ravaye Namah (Prostration to Him who is the cause for change).
3) Om Suryaya Namah (Prostration to Him who induces activity).
4) Om Bhanave Namah (Prostration to Him who diffuses Light).
5) Om Khagaya Namah (Prostration to Him who moves in the sky).
6) Om Pushne Namah (Prostration to Him who nourishes all).
7) Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah (Prostration to Him who contains everything).
8) Om Marichaye Namah (Prostration to Him who possesses rays).
9) Om Adityaya Namah (Prostration to Him who is the son of Aditi).
10) Om Savitre Namah (Prostration to Him who produces everything).
11) Om Arkaya Namah (Prostration to Him who is fit to be worshipped).
12) Om Bhaskaraya Namah (Prostration to Him who is the cause of lustre).

The sun being the most effulgent and life-giving force in this planet, it forms the visible representation of the invisible Almighty Lord. The vast majority of men cannot think of the transcendent Supreme Absolute without the help of some concrete object or idea. To them the Sun forms the best object for worship and meditation. Thus, Surya-Namaskara provides the foundation for the magnificent all round culture of body, mind, and Spirit which is essential for every human being.

PRELIMINARY STANDING POSTURES

2009-12-01T09:57:00.010+08:00

1) TADASANA (Mountain posture or standing posture)

This is the basis for all standing postures. This may be taken as relaxation in a standing position.

TECHNIQUE
Stand in a straight posture by keeping the legs together, and also keep the big toes, heels and knees touching each other. Keep the hand fingers stretched by the side of the thigh muscles, and the chest forward. Entire weight of the body should rest evenly on the heels and toes. Breathing should be normal and slow. Close your eyes. Hear all the external sounds without resistance, and be one with nature.

BENEFITS
One will feel lightness in the body due to equal distribution of the weight on the heels and toes of the two legs. The mind acquires calmness due to uniform flow of Prana in the body.

2) TRIKONASANA (Triangle posture)

In the Trikonasana, there is a lateral movement of the spine. Whereas in Survanamaskara there are forward and backward movements of the spine. Thus by practising these standing postures, the spine becomes more flexible. Flexibility is the symptom of young age.

TECHNIQUE
Stand in Tadasana. Separate your legs and keep them 2 to 2 ½ feet apart. Slowly stretch both the hands to the level of the shoulders with palms facing down and keep them parallel to the ground. Slowly exhale and bend the truck towards the right and try to keep the right palm touch the ground near the right ankle, all the while keeping the legs straight without bent. The entire palm may be made to rest of the foot. Keep the left hand stretched over the head and parallel to the ground. Look forward. Retain the posture for a few seconds in the beginning, with normal breathing, and gradually increase it to one minute. Concentrate on the spine during this posture. Slowly bring the left hand to its original position, lift the right hand from the ground and simultaneously straighten the trunk and bring the legs together and stand erect in Tadasana. After 2 or 3 deep breaths, repeat the process bending the trunk on the left side.

BENEFITS
This Asana removes the stiffness in the legs, arms and hips, corrects minor deformities in the legs, relieves backache and neck sprains, and develops the chest.

Note: Standing postures and Suryanamaskaras can be practiced by all, young and old, with normal health, without any age restrictions.

Interactive session on Yoga with His Holiness Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj

2009-10-30T13:12:00.005+08:00

Dear Divine Life Society Yoga Students and Friends,

You are cordially invited to join us for an exclusive interactive session on Yoga with His Holiness Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj, a renowned Yoga Exponent from Rishikesh, Himalayas, India on 18th November 2009 (Wednesday) at 7:30 pm at The Divine Life Society, Sivanandashram, Batu Caves, Selangor (next to Batu Caves Murugan temple).

About His Holiness Swami Yogaswarupanandaji Maharaj
Swamiji is an experience Practitioner, Teacher and Propagator of Yoga for last 36 years. He has been conducting Yoga conferences and workshops both in India and Internationally. Swamiji is also the International Vice President of Divine Life Society, India and Trustee of Swami Sivananda Charitable Hospital, Pattamadai, India. It is a true blessing to have his presence with us.

During this interactive session, you will be able to pose questions related to Yoga to Swamiji. It is FREE, so do not miss this golden opportunity!

Please bring along your yoga friends.

Thank you.

Yours in service of Lord and Gurudev,
Yoga Committee Members

MEDITATION & YOGA as THERAPHY at Awana Genting Highlands on 14 - 15 November 2009

2009-10-08T18:06:00.020+08:00

The Divine Life Society Malaysia proudly presents "Meditation & Yoga as Therapy" under the guidance of His Holiness Swami Yogaswarupananda Maharaj, a renowned Yoga Exponent from Rishikesh, Himalayas, India. Swamiji is an experience Practitioner, Teacher and Propagator of Yoga for last 36 years. He has conducted similar programmes in many countries in the East and the West. Swamiji is also the International Vice President of Divine Life Society, India and Trustee of Swami Sivananda Charitable Hospital, Pattamadai, India. It is a true blessing to have his presence with us.

A total of 122 participants attended the two days retreat at Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Resort. The retreat was inaugurated by His Holiness Swami Guhabhaktananda Maharaj, President of Divine Life Society Malaysia Branch. Followed by discourses on “Meditation - Introduction and Techniques”, “Guided Meditation”, “Aids and Guides to Meditation”, “Healthy Stress Free Lifestyle”, “Detoxifying the Yogic Way”, “Holistic Approach to Life” and “Specific Asanas as Therapy” by His Holiness Swami Yogaswarupananda Maharaj. Prayers, Meditation, Yoga Asanas and Pranayama were also a part of this retreat. During the Q & A sessions, participants posted various questions on meditation and asanas to Swami Yogaswarupananda.

At the end of the two days retreat, the organizers received many positive feedbacks from the participants. Awana Hotel served a variety of sattvic vegetarian dishes which were very delicious, despite no onion and garlic in the dishes.

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all who have participated and assisted in this retreat. It was certainly a successful event.

The retreat photos can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/DLSMalaysiaYoga/YogaRetreat141109

Thank you.

Yours in the service of Lord and Gurudev,

Yoga Committee Members

YOGA DAY - 13 SEPT 2009

2009-09-30T09:23:00.033+08:00

A total of thirty participants had certainly made the Yoga Day a successful event, each and every by giving a wholehearted commitment and participated in the activities held on 13 September 2009. The weekend retreat at Sivananda Ashram, Batu Caves commenced at 7:15 am with the customary practice of Yoga Asanas graciously led by Mr Tan our Yoga Instructor at the garden adjacent to Swami Pranavananda Saraswati Maharaj’s Samadhi. Surrounded by greenery, beautiful scenery of the hills and fresh morning breeze unmistakably captivated the students, breaking from the routine of indoor yoga.

At about 8:00 am, the students adjourned to the ground floor of the Yoga Block for the launching ceremony by Sri Swami Guhabhaktananda Saraswati Maharaj, the President of The Divine Life Society Malaysia. Swamiji delivered a welcome speech in which he had expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the instructors who are voluntary teaching Yoga Asanas on weekly basis.

Subsequently, Mrs Maheswaran our guest speaker from The Divine Life Society Petaling Jaya Branch gave a discourse on the significance of practising Yoga Asanas. Being 68, doesn’t seem a barrier and she has been practising Yoga for the past 22 years. She is also a Yoga Instructor. She advised the students not be dispirited even though if someone has to be in the same level for a few terms. This is because our body takes time to gain flexibility. She mentioned that even she was in the Beginners’ level for about three terms, when she first started practising Yoga Asanas. She had certainly inspired the students in many different ways and had made the discourse interactive where students inquisitively questioned on many aspects of Yoga. Towards the end of this session, delicious fruit yoghurt and fresh fruit juices were served as light refreshment.

The much awaited games session started at about 9:10 am, hosted by one of Yoga Instructors Ms. Harjit Kaur. Naturally being an organised and a person with great sense of humour, she had made this session interactive, with lots of fun and laughter. There were three games - “Who Am I”, “Spot the difference on your partner” and “Feel then Draw”. These activities certainly had break the silence and helped the students to get to know each other better because we have less interaction during our Saturday Yoga Classes due to limited time and placed in different levels.

Finally, the event was concluded with nutritious sattvic breakfast which included Indian and Western cuisine such as thosai, idli, sambar and chutney, also some freshly home baked wholemeal bread and tasty vegetarian sandwiches. Many students provided positive feedback and encouragement for more events in the future. Mrs Mages one of our students said that she is truly motivated by Yoga and there is no way she is giving up. She also mentioned that she is coaxing her husband to join our Yoga classes soon.

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all who have participated and assisted in this Yoga Day and had certainly made it into a successful event. We look forward to have more interactive, joyous and fun activities, and seeing you all for our awaiting future events.

The Yoga Day photos can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/DLSMalaysiaYoga/YogaDay130909.

Thank you.

Yours in the service of Lord and Gurudev,
Yoga Committee Members

EATING FRUITS

2009-09-03T19:56:00.007+08:00

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruits on empty stomach, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc.. Actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA and PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can u believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

BENEFITS OF YOGIC EXERCISES

2009-08-21T19:17:00.008+08:00

BENEFITS OF YOGIC EXERCISES

by SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA

Good health is the greatest asset. Without good health one can hardly expect success in any walk of life. To keep up good health, there are numerous modern physical culture systems designed to develop the muscles. The physical culturist develops them by mechanical movements and exercises. In such physical exercises, there is a fast movement of the muscles resulting in the rapid functioning of the heart and lungs. The practitioner becomes exhausted very quickly. There may also be anxiety, psychological tension and fear. Some exercises develop the chest and the arms only, which becomes lopsided and results in disharmony in the personality.

In Yogic exercises, there is harmonious development of all the muscles of the body, internal organs, nerves and the frame. There are no rapid movements and hence there is no waste of energy. In Yoga, exercise movements are gentle and rhythmic. On the other hand, they conserve energy.

The three important organs viz., heart, lungs and brain with its cerebro-spinal system, are kept in a healthy condition by regular practice of a few important Asanas and one or two breathing exercises. Sound functioning of the organs depends upon good healthy nerves. The tripod of life are the brain, heart and the lungs. The heart and the lungs are under the control of the brain. These three important organs along with the cerebro-spinal system are kept in a healthy condition by regular Yogic exercises.

If the muscles are not given proper exercises, they will tend to contract, and there will be stiffness and heaviness in the body. Blood circulation and nerve force will consequently be impeded. Their malfunctioning will disturb the organs. Some of the Yogic exercises concentrate on the development of the muscles also, consistent with the development of other parts as well.

These Yogic exercises are both preventive and curative in their nature. On the whole, they prevent diseases attacking the body by maintaining the natural health. Some exercises also cure existing diseases like cold, cough, constipation and gastric troubles.

Some Yogic exercises involve forward and backward motions, others help the lateral movement of the spine. Some clean the lungs, throat, etc. Thus the body as a whole is developed, toned up and strengthened. The entire body becomes flexible, thereby preventing stagnation of blood in any part of the body.

Another unique feature of these exercises is, however, their influence upon the endocrine system of glands, the ductless glands as they are called. The malfunctioning of the thyroid, pituitary and pineal glands is corrected by a course of selected postures. Besides all this, some of the exercises have great effect upon man’s mind, his power of concentration and memory. They also wake up his dormant spiritual faculty. The Prana or the vital force is externalized in modern physical exercises, where as the Yogic exercises make the Pranic current flow inwards. These Yogic exercises help to improve the health by regulating the functioning of the internal organs. Their regular practice bring to every practitioner, good health, longevity, strength, vim and vitality. By practising the Yoga Asanas regularly with care and caution, the personality as a whole will become pleasing and attractive.

This system is simple, exact, efficacious, economical and capable of being practiced without any extraneous help when once a preliminary knowledge about it is obtained.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

A word of warning and caution. There are certain “dos” and “don’t’s” here which should be adhered to at any cost, to derive maximum benefits and avoid harmful results by the practice of Yoga:

1) Generally, Yoga Asanas may be practiced by young people only after twelve years of age, and not before. The minimum age limit if higher for certain specific Asanas like the Sirshasana and Sarvangasana.

2) Practice of Asanas for curing diseases must be done under the personal supervision of an experienced instructor.

3) Those who are suffering from chronic eye disease, running ears, high blood pressure and heart troubles should not practise Yoga Asanas. They can however practise relaxation in Savasana alone which is very beneficial to them.

4) Get up early in the morning at 4 or 4:30 a.m. If you feel sleepy, practice standing postures and four to six Surya-Namaskaras. Then answer the call of nature and wash your face.

5) If you are not in the habit of answering the calls of nature in the early morning, you can practice Asanas without answering the calls. After finishing the Asanas, Pranayama and meditation, you can go to the lavatory.

6) Take bath in luke warm or cold water according to your capacity and convenience.

7) Spread a folded blanket or yoga mat on the floor and practise the Yoga Asanas over the blanket or yoga mat.

8) Do not wear spectacles or loose ornaments when you do Asanas. They may get damaged and may also cause injuries.

9) If you are accustomed to take bed-tea early in the mornings, after tea practise 4 to 6 Surya-Namaskaras and then answer the calls of nature and start the practice.

10) Asanas should be done on empty stomach, in the morning or at least 3 or 4 hours after food. Half an hour gap should be there before you take a heavy meal or bath, after the practice of Asanas.

11) One cup of milk or tea can be taken ten minutes after the practice of Asanas. If before, then there must be an interval of at least half to one hour.

12) In the beginning, each Asana can be practiced for a few seconds and gradually increase the duration of time. There should not be jerks or rapid movements of the body.

13) After the practice of Asanas and Pranayama, one must sit in a comfortable posture and practise meditation at least for ten to thirty minutes, according to one’s convenience.

14) If it is not possible to practise all the Asanas in the mornings, one can do the standing postures and Surya-Namaskaras followed by Savasana. The remaining Asanas and Pranayama can be practiced in the evenings.

15) Before starting Sirshasana and also Pranayama, one must see that one’s body and mind are calm, serene and undisturbed. If one is tired, fatigued, mentally or emotionally disturbed, then one should relax in Savasana for ten to fifteen minutes, and then start the practice.

16) Asanas should be practiced in a well ventilated clean room where there is free movement of fresh air. In cold regions, one can practise in a closed room. The floor must be even. Asanas can be practiced on sandy river beds, open, airy places and by the seaside.

17) If the practice of Asanas are discountinued due to some unavoidable circumstances there is no fear of any adverse reaction. After some days you can again start practising.

18) Regularity is the most important factor is you want to derive the full benefits of the yoga Asanas quickly.

PURPOSE OF YOGA

2009-08-20T16:23:00.002+08:00

PURPOSE OF YOGA

by SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA

Harmony is called Yoga – Samatvam Yoga Uchyate, - says the Bhagavadgita. In spite of all scientific advancement, even today man continues to suffer as before, from the beginning of recorded history. This is due to disharmony within himself and with the world outside. Man is nothing but a part of Nature. And Nature is constituted and governed by the three Gunas, the fundamental entities - Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. The ‘Gunas’ here do not mean properties or characteristics. They are the substances out of which this universe manifests itself in its multitudinous forms. Tamas is said to be static. Rajas dynamic, and Sattva a state which is neither and which transcends the two. The process of evolution also is carried on by these three Gunas. Evolution means creation and its progressive development. Its basis lies in activity. These three Gunas exist like the three strands of a rope supporting one another. But, one Guna always predominates keeping the other two under subjugation. Our body is predominated by Tamoguna. It is gross, inert and visible. Prana is predominated by Rajoguna. It is dynamic and we feel its existence due to the movements in our body. Mind is predominated by Sattva Guna. Our entire personality is nothing but the combination of body, Prana and mind. This combination we call ‘I’. All our troubles are due to a disharmony among these three, the body, Prana and mind. It is this state of disharmony that puts man under the clutches of the three Gunas. A state of harmony frees him from their grip. Yoga brings about this harmony. It prescribes Asana (posture), Pranayama (regulation of breath) and Dhyana (concentration and meditation). Asana is for bringing about harmony in the body, Pranayama is Prana, and Dhyana is the mind. The nature of Tamoguna is to check or retard, but it should not be thought that when the movement is upwards through Rajoguna, Tamoguna is absent. Any process however small it may be, needs a force to develop, another force to move it, and a third to check or maintain it. The force that develops is Sattva Guna, that which causes movement is Rajo Guna, and that which checks or maintains is Tamo Guna. No one Guna exists in isolation without the influence of the other two. A lotus kept in a pot of water is disturbed when the pot is disturbed. The disturbance of the pot is transmitted to the water which in turn transmits it to the lotus. Similarly, any disturbance to the body is carried to the Prana, which again communicates it to the mind. To keep up the stability of our whole personality, Yoga prescribes Asana, Pranayama and meditation.

Sages emphatically declare that Yoga alone can destroy all pains. Yogo Bhavati Duhkhaha – Yoga is the destroyer of pain – says the Bhagavadgita. There are many definitions for Yoga. Merely memorizing them and repeating them will not produce the desired result. Instead, we have to put it into practice in our daily life. If one understands the principles and applies them in one’s day-to-day activities, life itself becomes a process of Yoga, and Yoga is the destroyer of pain.

Practice of Yoga creates harmony in the physical, vital, mental, psychological and spiritual aspects of the human personality. Different limbs constitute the human body. Similarly, there are a number of limbs in Yoga. There are mainly classified under eight heads: Yama (moral restraints), Niyama (spiritual observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (regulation of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of mind from external objects), Dharana (concentration on one object), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (supreme Harmony). If a person moves one step forward, all the limbs of the body also move simultaneously. Even so, if one practices even one limb of Yoga to a high degree of perfection, all the other limbs of Yoga are bound to accompany without great effort on the part of the practitioner.

When one desires to practice Yoga Asanas, one should naturally have externally congenial, conducive atmosphere. This can be brought about by observing Yama viz., Ahimsa (observance of non-injury through thought, word and deed), Satya (truthfulness), Brahmacharya (all-round self-control), Aparigraha (non-acceptance of free gifts which are not essentials), Asteya (non-stealing). One should not practice Yoga Asanas when the mind is disturbed due to fear, anxiety, fatigue or tiresomeness. These can be overcome by the practice of Yama. An external congenial atmosphere alone is not sufficient. There must also be the internal serenity of mind. This is obtained by the practice of Niyama. This constitutes Saucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (self-study), Isvarapranidhana (surrender to God). Thus Yama and Niyama are two important unavoidable prerequisites for the practice of Yoga. The third and fourth limbs of Yoga are Asana and Pranayama. During the practice of Asanas there should not be any rapid movements of the limbs of the body or jerks of the body. By this, the breathing process is regulated automatically. While doing the Yoga Asanas, the mind should not think of the programmes and engagements of the day or any other external object. One must withdraw the mind from all such thoughts. This is called Pratyahara, the fifth limb. Here, a question may arise: On what should one direct the mind, when it is withdrawn from external thoughts, for its very nature is to go outward? Hence, it is suggested by the adepts that while doing Asanas, one should concentrate one’s mind on the relevant parts of the body according to the nature of the Asana practised. Keeping the mind on a particular object for a short time is Dharana or concentration. Continuous concentration on the object for a long time is called meditation. “Pratyaya Ekatanata Dhyanam”. Thus when all the seven limbs of Yoga are brought in, the eighth limb, Samadhi or supreme harmony results as a natural sequence. The practice of Yoga Asanas thus leads to this Supreme Harmony.

Even though the ancient sages have named several postures with the appellations of reptiles, birds and animals with which they had some resemblance, only human beings can practise Yoga Asanas, combining with them the eight limbs of Yoga, but not the other beings. Merely bending the body cannot constitute Yoga Asanas. In Yoga, there should be a blending of all the eight limbs. Hence, Sage Patanjali said “Yoganga Anushthanad Asuddhi-kshaye Jnanadiptir Aaviveka Khyateh – By observing the eight limbs of Yoga, one effects the destruction of impurities, then arises spiritual illumination which leads into the awareness of the Reality.” This is the supreme purpose for which the practice of Yoga is recommended.

GOOD VISION

2009-08-19T20:04:00.022+08:00

GOOD VISION
by Swami Karunananda

Lost in the never-ending and ever-increasing distractions and sensual excitement of modern living, man is abusing his senses far beyond their normal capacity and then complaining that they begin to lose their efficiency long before the normal fading out of old age.

To satisfy the jaded palate, hotter and hotter, sweeter and sweeter, saltier and saltier or sourer and sourer condiments are added to his food – long since have the original tastes of vegetables, fruits and cereals been lost and forgotten, never to be recaptured by his coarsened tongue.

The scent of the rose or the ripening corn, the perfumes wafted by a cool evening breeze – all are lost to the nose now adapted to petrol fumes. The stench of duco-spraying and the suffocating atmosphere of entertainment halls.

But surely the most abused of man’s senses is sight as, from the days when he first invented the printing of black letters on dazzling white paper and took to reading this print under artificial light, extending his open-eyed period by a third to half a day and, under the cruel stress of competitive examinations, even to two-thirds of a day, he enjoys normal vision for a mere fraction of his life-span and frequently becomes a ‘four-eyed’ long before leaving school. The pleasure of walking after dark unaided by torch or street-light, using instead eyes, ears and nose is unbelievable to this ‘civilised’ man who would rather fill his preslumber hours staring at a rectangle of flickering pictures, for the last forty or fifty years in the cinema hall, but now more temptingly in the television of his own home.

Man cannot renew his organs of sense but, once convinced of futility of their further abuse and inevitable weakening, he can reduce unnatural living habits and begin to recover a little of their intended power, flexibility and usefulness by exercising lazy muscles.

Most eye-fatigue is due to the eyes being held for long periods at the one focus, that of reading, relieved occasionally by glancing about the room or a few feet ahead while walking. Break this wearing habit by, at every excuse, getting outdoors and gazing into the distance. Try to revitalize those eye muscles, day by day, seeing the horizon more clearly. Look at the clouds but not directly at the sun.

Trataka or sun-gazing has developed a bad reputation due to its ignorant practice. If the sun’s rays are allowed to penetrate the unprotected eye by Trataka, done with the sun in the high heavens, great damage is done and permanent blindness may result. A little Trataka when the sun has just risen above the flat horizon – not hours later when it rises above the high hills – will help to cleanse the eye and increase concentration but, if at all, do it with caution!

The following simple exercises have improved eyesight to the extent of allowing some people to again read a newspaper without glasses, depending of course on the nature of the eye-weakness.

EXERCISE I

Focus intently on a distant object – for a normal sighted man on the horizon but for the weak sighted on the farthest object you can see clearly, day by day coaxing the eyes to see further – then, without moving the eyes, straighten out an arm in front of you and lift the forefinger to cover the distant object. You will see the original plus two fingers, because the finger is out of focus.

Now stare at the finger, then at the distant object. Repeat five or six times.

Focusing on the finger-tip slowly move the finger towards the eyes till it rests on the forehead between the eyebrows. Now the eyes are closed. Hold them thus until you feel a slight strain, then slowly straighten the arm, returning the finger to its original position before the distant object. As soon as the finger leaves the forehead concentrate again on the finger-tip. When the arm straightens focus on the distant object, then on the finger-tip and repeat several times.

EXERCISE II

Repeat the above exercise but bring the finger, eyes focused on its tip, slowly to the end of the nose.

While doing these eye-movements try to remain unblinking, eyes open continuously, thus practising a form of Trataka and improving your concentration and one-pointedness of mind.

EXERCISE III

Without moving the head, turn the eyes to look as far as possible first to the left, then slowly the diagonals, starting with the top left corner, slowly down to the right, up to the sky, down to the ground; then along to the bottom right corner, to bottom left corner, and finishing at top right corner.

EXERCISE IV

This exercise will help concentration because you must think simultaneously of both your breathing and movement of the eyes.

Look down to the ground. Then slowly make a big circle to the left, above, to the right and down again with the eyes, breathing in deeply and trying to have capacity breath when the eye-circle is completed. Repeat the slow circling to the left, this time breathing out to empty the lungs as the circle is completed. Repeat both sequences to the right. The circles must be a large as possible.

EXERCISE V, VI

There are endless shapes – letters of the alphabet, the square, the diamond, the figure eight, firstly upright and then lying on its side – which can be drawn with the eyes.

Practise these exercises sincerely in the open air but not in direct sunlight. Each time as you finish cover the eyes with the palms of the hands, open them in the dark and breathe deeply, concentrating intently on the open eyes especially as you breath out, thus sending plenty of Pranic energy along with fresh blood supply to the eyes. Close the eyes again before removing the hands to avoid sudden glare. You can do the breathing three times.

Always do your reading in a good steady light, coming from over the left shoulder and neither too bright nor too dull; do not waste your eyesight on poor, low-class cinema shows; try to do your eye work in the natural daylight; live as much as possible in nature, letting the eyes rest on its green and blues. The green of trees and hills is your eyes’ best tonic.

May you have speedy good vision through leading a simple, healthy and inspiring life, seeing all as good and perfect.

~ Extracted from Yoga Asanas

Mango Kesari

2009-08-19T19:48:00.015+08:00

Mango Kesari

Mango rava kesari is sweetened and flavored cooked rava (sooji) which looks moist. Rava (sooji) is cooked in water till soft and sweeteend with sugar. Later, it is flavored with mango pulp and garnished with fried nuts.

Makes: 2 Cups of Mango Rava Kesari

Ingredients:
Fine Sooji 1 cup

Mango Puree 1 - 1 ½ cup

Finely Chopped Ripe Mango ¼ cup

Sugar 1 cup

Cashews 5

Almonds 4

Golden Raisins 8

Cardamom Powder a big pinch

Saffron a small pinch

Ghee 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:
Roughly chop cashews and almonds.

Heat half a tbsp of ghee in a pan, add cashews, almonds and raisins.

Fry till nuts turn golden color and raisins puff up.

Remove them into a bowl for garnish.

Heat remaining ghee in the pan, add sooji and fry on medium - low flame for a few minutes till sooji turn light golden color and lose all the raw flavor.

Stir in 2 ½ to 3 cups of water into the roasted sooji along with sugar, cardamom powder and saffron threads.

Bring to boil and cook the sooji mixture by stirring frequently to avoid lumps.

Once sooji mixture loses most of the water and starts to come together, stir in mango puree and chopped mango.

Mix the mango puree thoroughly and make sure sooji is cooked properly.

Finally mix in the fried cashews, almonds and raisins.

Serve mango rava kesari hot or cold.

Note: If mango puree is sweetened, adjust the sugar accordingly.

Suggestion: If sooji is uncooked before adding mango puree, add more water if required and cook till sooji is soft.

Variations: Pineapple Rava Kesari (rava kesari having cooked in pineapple juice garnished with chopped pineapple), or rava kesari with mixture of fruits like mango pineapple, mango papaya, etc.

Carrot Halwa

2009-08-19T19:35:00.002+08:00

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:
Carrot 3-4 large
Sugar ½ cup
Milk 1 ½ cup
Ghee 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:
Remove ends, peel, wash and grate carrots.
Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on medium high, add grated carrot and stir well for 5 minutes.
Now add milk and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
When most of the milk is evaporated, add sugar and stir well.
Let it absorb all the juices and serve hot.

Note: You can garnish with your favorite nuts.

Beetroot Halwa

2009-08-19T19:31:00.007+08:00

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:
Beetroot 3-4 medium
Sugar ½ - 1 cup
Green Cardamom 1
Milk 1 cup
Ghee 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:
Bruise the cardamom and crush the seeds inside.
Wash, remove ends, peel and grate beetroot on thicker side.
Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on medium high, add grated beetroot and stir for about 5 minutes.
Now add milk, crushed cardamom seeds and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
When most of the milk is evaporated, add sugar and give it a quick stir.
Let it stay on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sugar starts to caramalize.
Serve hot or chilled.

Note: Garnish with your favorite nuts like almonds, cashews, etc.

Almond Milk

2009-08-19T19:18:00.010+08:00

Almond Milk

Badam kheer (almond milk) is one of the most famous drinks in India. Kheer is anything made of milk. Soak almonds (also known as badam) in water and peel off the skin. These almonds are then grinded into fine paste and added to the milk. The milk with the almond paste is boiled for some time and sweetened. Garnish with chopped nuts.

Makes: 3 Cups of Almond Milk

Ingredients:
Milk 4 cups
Almonds 15 - 20
Green Cardamom 1
Almond Essence 2 - 4 drops
Saffron 4 - 8 strands
Pistachios 4
Sugar ½ cup or more

Method of preparation:
Lightly bruise the green cardamom and remove all the seeds.
Crush all the green cardamom seeds into fine powder.
Chop pistachios finely, and slice almonds for garnish.
Soak almonds in warm water for some time and peel off the skin.
Grind the peeled almonds into smooth paste adding enough water.
Bring milk to boil in a heavy sauce pot till the milk reduces by little more than quarter the original quantity.
Add the saffron, crushed cardamom seeds, ground almond paste and boil for 10 more minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in almond essence and sugar till the sugar dissolves completely.
Chill the almond milk for half an hour to an hour, garnish with chopped nuts and serve.

Note: Make sure to grind the almonds to fine paste.

Suggestion: If almond milk is too thick, stir in half a cup of skimmed milk.

THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMA

2009-08-18T19:13:00.004+08:00

THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMA
by SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Founder of The Divine Life Society

Click on http://www.dlshq.org/download/pranayama.pdf

WHAT IS YOGA

2009-08-17T20:05:00.036+08:00

WHAT IS YOGA

In ancient Indian terms, Yoga means a disciplined path or way to free oneself and to be in union with the Almighty.

There are four main paths of Yoga. One may find nowadays many types of Yogas. All those different names and types of Yogas will fall under the four main paths of Yogas. "Karma Yoga" (Yoga of doing duties and actions without expecting any results), "Bhakti Yoga" (Yoga of complete devotion and surrender to the God), "Jnana Yoga' (Yoga of wisdom and power of pure reason), "Astanga Yoga" (Yoga of using physical, psychological and spiritual energies) are the four main Yogas.

Though there are four main paths of Yogas, the western world shows more interest in some sections of Astanga Yoga for physical and mental benefits. Astanga Yoga has eight limbs (sections). Out of them the third, fourth, and fifth limbs are commonly called "Hatha Yoga". Because of western influence, interest and popularity in Hatha Yoga, this is nowadays commonly known as "Yoga".

TYPES OF YOGA
There are four main types of Yoga. They are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Astanga Yoga.

Astanga Yoga has eight limbs. They are Iyama (Ethical training), Niyama (Moral Training), Asanas (Postures), Pranayama (Breathing Techniques - Conquering Prana the vital force), Pratyahara (Withdrawing the mind from the senses - Mastering of the Senses), Dharana (Concentration- focusing the mind on certain centers), Dhyana (Meditation), and Samadhi (Transcending the mind - Super conscious state).

Hatha Yoga, which is part of Astanga Yoga, includes Yoga Postures (Asanas), Pranayama (Breathing Techniques - Conquering Prana the vital force), and Pratyahara (Withdrawing the Mind from Senses - Mastering of the Senses).

HATHA YOGA AND DIFFERENCE FROM OTHERS
There are so many organizations and styles of Hatha Yogas founded by modern Indian and western teachers. The differences are usually about emphasis, such as focusing on strict alignment of the body, coordination of the breath and movement, holding the postures, or the flow from one posture to another. All the styles share a common lineage back to Astanga Yoga.

A brief list of some varieties of Hatha Yoga:
Ananda Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Integral Yoga, Integral Science of Hatha and Tantric Arts (ISHTA), Iyengar Yoga, Jivamukti - style Yoga, Kali Ray Tri Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Svaroopa Yoga, White lotus Yoga, Viniyoga.

WHAT IS ASTANGA YOGA?
All Yoga philosophies are the collected experience and knowledge of ancient sages from the Indian sub-continent. People in the Indian sub-continent have practiced Astanga Yoga for 6000 years. The knowledge was passed on verbally from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Even though very ancient Indian scripts mention Astanga Yoga, in around year 200 BC two adepts Tirumular and Patanjali, students of sage Nandi Natha, collated, coordinated and systematized Astanga Yoga into writings. Though this Indian philosophy is nowadays called Raja (Royal) Yoga, Patanjali or Tirumular nowhere mentioned this science as Raja Yoga but called it Astanga Yoga in their books "Yoga Sutra" and "Tirumantiram". Tirumantiram was composed in Tamil by Tirumular while Yoga Sutra was composed in Sanskrit by Patanjali.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA?
Yoga: Gives strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and energy. Gives good health and prevents many diseases. Relieves stress, calms the mind, frees one from restless desires, increases concentration, gives lasting pleasure and inner freedom. Helps to stretch, tone, refresh, relax and soothe the nerves. Makes one look and feel years younger, controls weight and reduces depression. It disciplines the path to physical, mental and spiritual growth and gives the experience of transcending beyond body and mind.

IS YOGA GOOD FOR HEALTH, FITNESS & MIND?
There has been quite a lot of research, all over the world. As far as the general effects on mental and physical well-being are concerned, it is now agreed that Yoga can be both pleasurable and beneficial. Western science has been studying Yoga for nearly 50 years and the evidence shows that Yoga may be helpful for specific conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, stress, cardiac risk factors, arthritis, reducing drug use and criminal activity and others. A Harvard study showed, Yoga could give the same treatment effect as a psychotherapy program. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine now report that Yoga exercises can be highly effective in alleviating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). Doctors generally now agree that relaxation, breathing techniques and meditation are the effective way of reducing stress and stress related illnesses.

WHAT IS YOGA POSTURE?
Yoga postures are usually called Asanas, which are included as the third limb in Astanga Yoga. In most Indian languages, the word literally means "seats". These postures aim to improve one's physical and mental flexibility and firmness, to calm, purify and energize the body and mind and to destroy disease and death. These efforts help to direct the mind towards one pointed-ness without distractions or interruption, and to calm and steady the wandering mind in the next stage limbs of Astanga Yoga. One of the most ancient of all Yoga scripts "Tirumantiram" says "Asanas constitute one hundred and twenty six and more, eight among them are rated most high. They are Swastikasana, Padmasana, Bhadrasana, Simhasana, Gomukhasana, Sirasana, Veerasana and Sukhasana". All these main eight Asanas are in sitting Postures, which are ideal for the meditation processes. Interestingly, Tirumantiram says Swastikasana is the best among the eight.

WHO CAN DO YOGA?
There is no age limit for Yoga practice. People taking up yogic practice in their eighties have had very positive results in terms of improved health and mental equanimity. Even bedridden individuals with chronic diseases can still benefit from Yoga, though the practices must be carefully tailored to their particular needs. Yoga can benefit kids just as much as it helps adults. You can do Yoga even if your body is very stiff. If your body is out of shape, you should practice gently at first taking care not to create any injuries. Yoga is a great way to keep fit during pregnancy too.

SHOULD CONSULT DOCTOR BEFORE YOGA?
Please be sure to inform your Yoga teacher of any serious health problems such as neck or back injuries, heart disease, high blood pressure, recent surgery etc. In any extreme case, you should consult a physician before joining the Yoga class. If your doctor is not familiar with Yoga, show her or him pictures of the postures or ask them to contact your Yoga teacher. It is always advised that you inform your family doctor of your physical activities, just to be on the safe side. Even though Yoga is a root of Eastern medicines such as Siddha and Ayurvedic, remember your Yoga teacher is not a doctor.

CAN WOMEN DO YOGA DURING PREGNANCY & MENSTRUATION?
Back in the old days, it was commonly told that women must refrain from practice during the four or so days of menstruation. Now in the modern era, it is a matter of personal preference. Some women do not want to do Yoga while they have their period, many do not mind and continue to practice during menses. Listen to your body, you are the best judge of what you can and cannot do during menstruation or pregnancy. In any case, do not stand on your head (Sirasasana) during the menstrual period. All the Postures can be practiced during the first three months of pregnancy. Some postures however are inappropriate during pregnancy and menstruation. All the postures should be modified lightly according to the students' physical nature.

HOW MANY CLASSES IN A WEEK I SHOULD DO?
The number of classes you should take per week depends on your body and schedule. If you can do Yoga everyday, that is great. If not, try to do Yoga a few days a week. Certainly one class per week is not enough.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO DO YOGA?
The time between two hours before and after "sun rise" or "sun set" are the best times to practice Yoga. Traditionally the Postures are practiced before the breathing techniques (Pranayama) and meditation process (Pratyahara). It does not matter in what order you are practicing the Yoga postures, but make sure you cover the counter posture for each Posture. Relaxation should and must be practiced at end of the Yoga postures.

DO I HAVE TO BE A VEGETARIAN?
Vegetarian food is much healthier than animal products. Besides that, a true Raja-Yogi practicing Astanga Yoga shows love and compassion for all lives. The first limb of Astanga Yoga, the Iyama insists on non-killing. Tirumular in his Tirumantiram condemns the meat-eating. However you do not have to be a vegetarian when you practice Hatha Yoga types which contain third, fourth, and fifth limbs of Astanga Yoga. Vegetarianism does not lead you to be a Yogi; Yoga leads you to non-violence. You will soon find that your desire for eating meat grows weaker.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOGA, AEROBICS & EXERCISES?
Yoga focuses first on the health of the spine. The spinal column houses the centre of the nervous system, which plays an important part in the working of the human machine. The most important work of the Yoga postures are in strengthening and purifying the nervous system, particularly the spinal cord and nerve ganglia. The cells of the nervous system are toned and their pathways polished so that their activity is enhanced. Every cell of every organ and muscle is invigorated and supplied with fresh blood while being drained efficiently of waste products. There is much less possibility of toxic build–up, either on the cellular level or in the organs themselves. By promoting the health of the organs, including the glands of the immune system, the body’s ability to resist disease is enhanced.

Normal exercises and aerobics emphasize stress on the muscles combined with quick harsh movements. Yoga by contrast avoids such movements, which tend to trigger lactic acid production in muscle fibres, thus causing fatigue. In the Yogic system, all movements are slow and gradual with proper deep breathing, relaxation, and focus on self-awareness.

Ordinary physical exercises develop the superficial muscles of the body. But Yoga is intended for thorough exercise of the internal organs, such as liver, spleen, intestines, heart, lungs, brain and the important eight ductless glands of the body which are called endocrine glands; playing a very important part in the economy of nature. The eight sets of endocrine glands are the pineal and the pituitary in the head, the thyroid, parathyroid and thymus in the region of the neck, the pancreas and the adrenals in the region of the solar plexus and finally the gonads or sex glands in the pelvic region.

In most physical training systems, the brain is neglected. Requisite quantity of blood must flow constantly to the brain. Yoga works up the internal organs and attracts a greater blood supply to them.

Yoga builds endurance. Though Yoga is not Aerobics the heart rate for a beginner at Yoga might occasionally go up close to aerobic levels. Aerobic exercise improves and increases the amount of oxygen level in the blood through an increased heart rate and deeper breathing. Yoga trains the heart and lungs to deliver increased oxygen to the muscles through a strong focus on the continuous flow of movement from one posture to another.

Yoga builds strength through static muscular contraction and lifting the weight of the body and its parts. Lifting weight takes strength. Weight training, for example, makes you stronger by breaking down and rebuilding muscle tissue. It is this breaking down and rebuilding that results in the bulky muscle look. In Yoga, you are not lifting barbells, but in many of the poses, you are lifting your own weight. Yoga increases strength by toning the muscles and Yoga balancing takes strength too. So does holding a Yoga posture for an extended time. Yoga strength training is isometric. Yoga's isometric action is easier on your muscles than the weight-bearing and pounding of other sports.

Yoga stretches are specifically designed to lengthen your muscles, but also to stabilize your joints, stimulate your organs, balance your endocrine system, and strengthen your muscles as you hold the stretch. In Yoga, muscles are given maximum stretch only achieved by working gradually and slowly. This stretch is then held gently without forcing the muscles. The fibres are lengthened and become elastic. This will not happen if muscles are forced or jerked. When stretching, twisting, bending forwards and backwards, various organs are alternately stretched, squeezed, stimulated, refreshed, or relaxed. In the process, they are either rinsed in fresh blood or drained of old blood. Some postures exert direct pressure on the large intestines and kidneys, helping the elimination of waste products. In Yoga, muscle fibres are worked in two different ways: one is the stretching; the other is in the controlled and sustained contraction needed to maintain a stretch. This strengthens the muscles and improves their efficiency.

Sports develop tight muscles; create muscular imbalance, and structural irregularities. Yoga helps to solve these problems. Yoga increases the range of motion and reduces injury in sports. Yoga is designed to work all your muscles, not just a few isolated major muscle groups. Yoga’s fine-tuning is the ultimate full body, mind work out.

YOGA AND ITS OBJECTS

2009-08-12T19:15:00.004+08:00

YOGA AND ITS OBJECTS
by SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Founder of The Divine Life Society

Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilisation and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mystery and Miracle. Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi indeed. The founder of the Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.

Patanjali defines Yoga as the suspension of all the functions of the mind. As such, any book on Yoga, which does not deal with these three aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions and the method of suspending them, can he safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join.” Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in its own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process by which the identity of the individual soul and the Oversoul is established by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-objects and links with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are Infinite Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.

Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation. It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from the round of births and deaths, with its concomitant evils of disease, old age, etc., and bestows upon you all the Divine Powers and final liberation through super-intutional knowledge.

The word Yoga is also applicable in its secondary sense to the factors of Yoga, viz., self-training, study, the different actions and practices that go to make up Yoga as they are conducive to the fulfilment of Yoga and as such indirectly lead to emancipation. Union with God is the goal of human life and that ought to become the touchstone of all human endeavours. That is the be-all and end-all of existence.

Equanimity is Yoga. Serenity is Yoga. Skill in actions is Yoga. Control of the senses and the mind is Yoga. Anything by which the best and the highest in life can be attained is also Yoga. Yoga is thus all-embracing, all-inclusive and universal in its application leading to all-round development of body, mind and soul.

The object of Yoga is to weaken what are called the five afflictions. The five afflictions are: Ignorance, Egoism, Likes, Dislikes and the instinct of self-preservation (or clinging to bodily life). Ignorance is the fertile soil which bears an abundant crop of the rest. On account of ignorance only egoism has manifested. Wherever there is egoism, there invariably exist likes, dislikes and the rest side by side. Clinging to bodily life or fear of death is born of likes only. It is nothing but attachment.

Egoism is a specific form of ignorance. The mind gets itself attached wherever there is pleasure. If the mind likes pomegranate, it gets itself attached to this fruit, as it derives pleasure from eating it. The mind runs after things that have been associated with agreeable experiences in the past. This is attachment (like). The mind runs away from objects which have caused pain. This is dislike. These are all the faults of man himself. The world can never hurt you. The five elements are your best teachers. They help you in a variety of ways. The things created by the Lord are all beneficial. It is only the creation of man that brings pain and misery. These five afflictions bind you to the outside objects and reduce you to piteous slavery. These afflictions remain as tendencies even when they are inoperative. These afflictions and tendencies can be attenuated by Yogic discipline.

On account of ignorance you have forgotten your primitive Divine Glory. On account of this evil you are not able to remember your old status of Godhood, your original immortal, blissful, divine nature. Ignorance is the root cause of egoism, likes, dislikes and the rest. These five afflictions are great impediments to Yoga. They stand as stumbling-blocks to the attainment of Self-realisation.

These five afflictions remain in a dormant, attenuated, overpowered or fully developed state. When the husband begins to quarrel with the wife, his love for her becomes dormant and he shows dislike for her for the time being. In a Yogic student these afflictions become thinned out or attenuated by the spiritual force of his Yogic practices. But they do exist in a subtle state. They cannot do any havoc. They are like the cobra whose poisonous fangs have been extracted by the snake-charmer. The “overpowered state” is that state in which one set of impressions is kept under restraint for some time by another powerful set of impressions; but they manifest again, when the cause of the suppression is removed. In a worldly man with passions and appetites these can be seen operating in fullest swing. But in a fully developed or full-blown Yogi these afflictions and impressions are burnt in toto.

Owing to ignorance you have mistaken the physical body for the Self and this is all the mistake you have committed. But it is a serious mistake indeed. By changing your mental outlook, by purifying your heart and intellect, you can attain Knowledge of Self. Mind, Prana, body and the senses are all instruments only. The real Seer is the Self who is pure, unchanging, eternal, self-luminous, self-existent, self-contained, infinite and immortal. When you begin to identify yourself with this immortal, all-pervading Self, all miseries will come to an end.

Likes and dislikes are the causes for doing good and evil deeds. Good and evil deeds bring pleasure and pain. Thus the round of births and deaths is kept from time immemorial by the six-spoked wheel of Likes, Dislikes, Virtue, Vice, Pleasure and Pain.

The Yogic student should first try to weaken these five afflictions. Three practices are prescribed for this purpose. They are: Austerity (Tapas), Study of Scriptures (Svadhyaya) and Resignation to the Will of the Lord (Isvara-pranidhana). The practitioner should have intense faith in the efficacy of his practices. Then the energy to carry on with the practices will manifest by itself. Then the real memory will dawn. When there is memory, then there is no difficulty in practicing concentration. If there is concentration, discrimination will dawn. That is the reason why Patanjali says: “Samadhi will come through faith, energy, memory, concentration and discrimination.”

Therefore, to get success in concentration, meditation and the practice of Yoga, you must have tremendous patience, tremendous will and tremendous perseverance. Plunge yourself in concentration. Merge the mind in the one idea of God and God alone. Let the mind fully get absorbed there. Forget other things. Let the whole body, muscles, tissues, nerves, cells and brain be filled with the one idea of God. This is the way to positive success. Great sages and saints of yore have practiced Yoga in this way only. Work hard. You will reach the goal. You will also become a great saint. Whatever one has achieved can be achieved by others also. This is the Law.

~ Extracted from "Practical Lessons in Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

YOGIC DIET

2009-08-12T16:23:00.009+08:00

YOGIC DIET
by SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Founder of The Divine Life Society

A diet that is wholly conducive to the practice of Yoga and spiritual progress is called Yogic diet. Diet has intimate connection with the mind. Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Sage Uddalaka instructs his son Svetaketu “Food, when consumed becomes threefold: the gross particles become excrement, the middling ones flesh and the fine ones the mind. My child, when curd is churned, its fine particles which rise upwards, form butter. Thus, my child, when food is consumed, the fine particles which rise upwards form the mind. Hence verily the mind is food.” Again you will find in the Chhandogya Upanishad: “By the purity of food one becomes purified in his inner nature; by the purification of his inner nature he verily gets memory of the Self; and by the attainment of the memory of the Self, all ties and attachments are severed.”

Diet is of three kinds viz., Sattvic diet, Rajasic diet and Tamasic diet. Milk, barely, wheat, cereals, butter, cheese, tomatoes, honey, dates, fruits, almonds and sugar-candy are all Sattvic foodstuffs. They render the mind pure and calm. Fish, eggs, meat, salt, chillies and asafoetida are Rajasic foodstuffs. They excite passion. Beef, wine, garlic, onions and tobacco are Tamasic foodstuffs. They fill the mind with anger, darkness and inertia.

Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: “The food which is dear to each is threefold. Hear the distinctions of these. The foods which increase vitality, energy, vigour, health and joy and which are delicious, bland, substantial and agreeable are dear to the pure. The passionate desire foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning and which produce pain, grief and disease. The food which is stale, tasteless, putrid and rotten, leavings and impure is dear to the Tamasic.” (Bhagavad-Gita. Ch. VII-8, 9, 10).

Food plays an important part in meditation. Different foods produce different effects on different compartments of the brain. For purposes of meditation, the food should be light, nutritious and Sattvic. Milk, fruits, almonds, butter, sugar-candy, green gram, Bengal gram soaked in water overnight, bread, etc., are all very helpful in meditation. Thed (a kind of root available in abundance in the Himalayan regions) is very Sattvic. Tea and sugar should be used in moderation. It is better if you can give them up entirely. Dried ginger-powder can be mixed with milk and taken frequently. Indian Yogins like this very much. Another health-giving stuff is myrobalan of the yellow variety which can be chewed now and then. In the Vagbhata it is represented as even superior to a nourishing mother. It takes care of the body better than a mother does. A mother gets annoyed with her child sometimes, but myrobalan always keeps an even temperament and is cheerful and enthusiastic in attending to the well-being of human beings. It preserves semen and stops all nocturnal emissions. Potato, boiled without salt or baked on fire, is also an excellent food for practitioners.

A beginner should be careful in choosing food-stuffs of Sattvic nature. Food exercises tremendously vast influence over the mind. You can see it obviously in everyday-life. It is very difficult to control mind after a heavy, sumptuous, indigestible, rich meal. The mind runs, wanders and jumps like an ape all the time. Alcohol causes great excitement of the mind.

Evolution is better than revolution. You should not make sudden changes in anything, particularly so in matters pertaining to food and drink. Let the change be slow and gradual. The system should accommodate it without any trouble. Nature non agit per saltum (nature never moves by leaps).

Food is only a mass of energy. Water and air also supply energy to the body. You can live without food for several days; but you cannot live without air even for a few minutes. Oxygen is even more important. What is wanted to feed the body is energy. If you can supply this energy by any other means, you can entirely dispense with food. Yogins live without food by drinking nectar. This nectar flows through a hole in the palate. It dribbles and nourishes the body. A Jnani can draw energy directly from his pure, irresistible will and support the body without any food whatsoever. If you know the process of drawing the energy from the Cosmic Energy, then you can maintain the body for any length of time and can dispense with food completely.

Food is of four kinds. There are liquids which are drunk; solids which are pulverised by the teeth and eaten; there are semi-solids which are taken in by licking; and there are soft articles that are swallowed without mastication. All articles of food should be thoroughly masticated in the mouth until they are reduced to quite a liquid before being swallowed. Then only they can be readily digested, absorbed and assimilated in the system.

The diet should be such as can maintain physical efficiency and good health. The well-being of an individual depends more on perfect nutrition than on anything else. Various sorts of intestinal diseases, increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, lack of high vitality and power of resistance, rickets, scurvy, anaemia or poverty of blood, beriberi, etc., are due to faulty nutrition. It should be remembered that it is not so much the climate as food which plays the vital role in producing a strong healthy body or a weakling suffering from a host of diseases. An appreciable knowledge of the science of dietetics is essential for everybody, especially for spiritual aspirants, to keep up physical efficiency and good health. Aspirants should be able to make out a cheap and well-balanced diet from only a certain articles of diet. What is needed is a well-balanced diet, not a rich diet. A rich diet produces diseases of the liver, kidneys and pancreas. A well-balanced diet helps a man to grow, to turn out more work, increases his body-weight, and keeps up the efficiency, stamina and a high standard of vim and vigour. You are what you eat.

Where can Sannyasins in India, who live on public alms get a well-balanced diet? On some days they get pungent stuffs only, on some other days sweetmeats only and yet on some other days sour things only. But they are able to draw the requisite energy through power of meditation. This unique Yogic method is unknown to the medical profession and to the scientists. Whenever the mind is concentrated, a divine wave bathes all the tissues with a divine elixir. All the cells are renovated and vivified.

Gluttons and epicureans cannot dream of getting success in Yoga. He who takes moderate diet, who has regulated his diet can become a Yogi, not others. That is the reason why Lord Krishna says: “Verily Yoga is not for him who eateth too much, nor who abstaineth to excess, nor who is too much addicted to sleep, nor even to wakefulness, O Arjuna! Yoga killeth out all pain for him who is regulated in eating and amusement, regulated in performing actions, regulated in sleeping and waking.” (Bhagavad-Gita: Ch. VI-16-17). Therefore take pleasant, wholesome and sweet food half-stomachful; fill a quarter stomach with water and allow the remaining quarter stomach free for expansion of gas. Offer up the act to the Lord. This is moderate diet.

All articles that are putrid, stale, decomposed, unclean, twice cooked, kept overnight, should be abandoned. The diet should be fresh, simple, light, bland, wholesome, easily digestible and nutritious. He who lives to eat is a sinner, but he who eats to live is verily a saint. In the Siva Samhita it is said: “Yoga should not be practiced immediately after a meal, nor when one is very hungry; before beginning the practice, some milk and butter should be taken.”

You will find in the Yoga-Tattva Upanishad: “The proficient in Yoga should abandon the food detrimental to the practice of Yoga. He should give up salt, mustard, sour things, hot, pungent or bitter articles, asafoetida, women, emaciation of the body by fasts etc. During the early stages of practice, food of milk and ghee is ordained; also food consisting of wheat, green pulse and red rice is said to favour the progress. Then he will be able to retain his breath as long as he likes. By thus retaining the breath as long as he likes, Kevala-Kumbhaka (cessation of breath without inhalation and exhalation) is attained. When Kevala-Kumbhaka is attained by one and thus inhalation and exhalation are dispensed with, there is nothing unattainable in the three worlds to him.”

In the Bhikshuka-Upanishad you will find: “Paramahamsas like Samavartaka, Aruni, Svetaketu, Jada Bharata, Dattatreya, Suka, Vamadeva, Haritaki and others take eight mouthfuls and strive after Moksha alone through the path of Yoga.”

Manu, Jesus and Buddha exhorted the people to refrain from using liquors, intoxicants and drugs as these are deleterious in their effects. No spiritual progress is possible without abandoning them.

The vast majority of persons dig their graves through their teeth. No rest is given to the stomach. After all, man wants very little on this bountiful earth—a few loaves of bread, a little butter and some cold water. This will amply suffice to keep the life going. People, on the contrary, stuff their stomachs with all sorts of things, eatable and uneatable, on account of the force of habit even when there is no appetite. This is very bad. All diseases take their origin in overloading the stomach. Hunger is the best sauce. If there is hunger, food can be digested well. If you have no appetite, do not take anything. Let the stomach enjoy a full holiday.

A variety of dishes overworks the stomach, induces capricious appetite and renders the tongue fastidious. Then it becomes difficult to please the tongue. Therefore control the tongue first; then all the other senses can be easily controlled.

Man has invented so many kinds of dishes just to satisfy his palate and has made life complex and miserable. He calls himself a civilised man, when he is really ignorant and deluded by the senses. His mind gets upset when he cannot get his usual dishes in a new place. Is this real strength? He has become an absolute slave of his tongue. This is very deplorable. Be natural and simple in eating and drinking. Moderation is Yoga. Eat to live and not live to eat. Follow this golden rule and be happy. You can then devote more time to Yoga practices.

A Yogic student who spends his time wholly in pure meditation wants very little food. One or one and a half seers of milk and some fruits per day will quite suffice. But a Yogi who ascends the platform for vigorous active work wants abundant nutritious food.

Vegetarian diet has been acclaimed to be most conducive to spiritual and psychic advancement. It has been found that meat augments animal passion and decreases intellectual capacity. While it is true that meat-eating countries are physically active and strong, the same cannot be said of their spiritual attainments. Meat is not at all necessary for the keeping up of perfect health, rigour and vitality. On the contrary, it is highly deleterious to health. It brings in its train a host of ailments such as tape-worm, albuminuria and other diseases of the kidneys. Killing of animals for food is a great sin. Instead of killing the egoism and the idea of “mine-ness,” ignorant people kill innocent animals under pretext of sacrifice to goddess, but in reality it is meant to please their own tongue or palate. What inhuman horrible crimes are being committed in the name of God and Religion! Ahimsa (non-injuring) is the first virtue that a spiritual aspirant should try to possess. You should have reverence for life. Lord Jesus says: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Mahavira shouted in a trumpet-like voice: “Regard every living being as thyself and harm no one.” The Law of Karma is inexorable, unrelenting, immutable. The pain you inflict upon another will surely rebound upon you and the happiness you radiate will come back to you adding to your happiness. He who knows this Law will not hurt anybody.

Meat-eating and alcoholism are closely allied. The craving for liquor dies a natural death, when the meat is withdrawn. The question of birth-control becomes very difficult in the case of those who take meat. To them mind-control is next to impossible. Mark how the meat-eating tiger and the cow or elephant living on green grass are poles asunder! The one is wild and ferocious, the other is mild and peaceful. Meat has direct influence on the different compartments of the brain.

The first and foremost step in the spiritual advancement of an aspirant is the giving up of meat. The Divine Light will not descend, if the stomach is loaded with meat. In large meat-eating countries cancer mortality is very high. Vegetarians keep up sound health till old age. Even in the West doctors in hospitals put patients on a regimen of vegetable diet. They convalesce quickly. It is welcome sign to see that at least in some of the countries of Europe vegetarian hotels are springing up in amazing numbers, and it is not too much to expect that in the course of a decade or two the Westerners will become quite a different race of people altogether in their food, dress, manners, habits and social customs.

Pythagoras seems to bewail when he says: “Beware, Omortals, of defiling your bodies with sinful food. There are cereals, there are fruits bending their branches down by their weight, and luxurious grapes on the vines. There are sweet vegetables and herbs which the fire can render palatable and mellow. Nor are you denied milk, nor honey, fragrance of the aroma of the thyme flower. The bountiful earth offers you an abundance of pure food and provides for meals obtainable without slaughter and bloodshed.”

Fasting is interdicted for practitioners of Yoga as it produces weakness. But occasional mild fasts are highly beneficial. They will overhaul the system thoroughly, give rest to the stomach and the intestines and eliminate uric acid. Yogic students may take one full meal at 11 o’clock, a cup of warm milk in the morning and half a seer of milk and some plantains (or oranges or apples) at night with much advantage. The night meal should be very light. If the stomach is overloaded, sleep will supervene and as too much sleep is injurious to Yogic practices, one cannot make any real headway in the path of Yoga. Therefore a diet consisting of milk and fruits alone is a splendid menu for all practitioners.

Aspirants should avoid all narcotics, coffee, tea, alcohol and smoke that stimulate the senses. Our senses are compared to restive horses, and they become uncontrollable by taking narcotics. You should control them by refraining from taking narcotics. We are all slaves of our senses more or less and the senses in turn are the slaves of narcotics. If you really crave for perfection, control of mind and success in Yoga, avoid these narcotics by all possible means.

Boil half a seer of milk along with some boiled rice, ghee and sugar. This is called Charu. This is an excellent food for Yogic practitioners. This is for dinner. Half a seer of milk and some fruits will do for the night. Try this prescription and tell me the benefits you have derived in your Sadhana.

Milk should not be boiled too much. It should be removed from fire the moment the boiling point is reached. Excessive boiling destroys all nutritious principles and vitamins and renders milk unfit for consumption. Milk is an ideal food for aspirants. It is a perfect food by itself.

Fruit-diet exercises a marvellous influence upon the constitution. This is a natural diet. Fruits are tremendous energy-producers. Fruits and milk help concentration and meditation. Barley, wheat, milk, ghee and honey promote longevity of life and increase power and stamina. Fruit-juice and the water wherein sugar-candy is dissolved are very good drinks. Butter mixed with sugar-candy and almonds soaked in water overnight will cool the system.

Above all do not make much fuss about your diet. You need not advertise to everyone that you are able to live on a particular form of diet. The observance of such Niyama (rules) is for your own advancement in the spiritual path and you will not be spiritually benefited by giving publicity to your practices. There are many nowadays who make it their profession to make money and their livelihood by performing some Yoga-Asanas, Pranayama or by having some diet regulation as eating only raw articles or leaves or roots. These people cannot have any real spiritual growth. The goal of life is Self-realisation, and aspirants should always keep this in view and do intense Sadhana with zeal and patience.

Live a natural simple life. Take simple food that is wholly agreeable to your system. You should have your own menu to suit your constitution. You are yourself the best judge to select a Sattvic diet. In the matter of food and drink you will do well to eat and drink as amaster. You should not have the least craving for any particular diet. You should not become a slave to this food or that food. Simple, natural, non-stimulating, tissue-building, energy-producing, non-alcoholic food and drink will keep the mind calm and pure and will help the student of Yoga in his practices and in the attainment of the goal of life.

TABLE SHOWING SATTVIC, RAJASIC AND TAMASIC ARTICLES OF DIET:

SATTVIC
Cow's milk. Cream. Cheese. Butter. Curd. Ghee. Sweet fruits. Apples. Bananas. Grapes. Papaya. Pomegranates. Mangoes. Oranges. Pears. Pineapples. Guavas. Figs. Vegetables. Coconut. Brinjals. Potatoes. Cabbages. Spinach. Tomatoes. Cucumber. Pumpkin. Cauliflower. Lady's finger. Peaches. Almonds. Pistachios. Raisins. Wheat. Red rice. Unpolished rice. Barley. Oat-meal. Dried peas. Dates. Sugar-candy. Green gram. Bengal gram. Green pulse. Groundnut. Cereals. Dried ginger. Myrobalan. Lemon. Honey. Charu.

RAJAS
Fish. Eggs. Meat. Salt. Chillies. Chutney. Asafoetida. Pickles. Tamarind. Mustard. Sour things. Hot things. Tea. Coffee. Cocoa. Ovaltine. White sugar. Carrots. Turnips. Spices.

TAMASIC
Beef. Pork. Wine. Onions. Garlic. Tobacco. Rotten things. Stale things. Unclean things. Twice cooked things. All intoxicants. All liquors. All drugs.

~ Extracted from "Practical Lessons in Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Yoga Books Available

2009-08-12T16:13:00.024+08:00

Yoga books listed below are available at discounted price. To purchase, kindly contact brother Kanagarajah @ 016 3227721 or send an email to dlsmalaysiayoga@gmail.com.

YOGA ASANAS by Swami Sivananda

PRACTICAL GUIDE TO YOGA by Sri Swami Chidananda

YOGA - ASANAS

2009-08-11T20:54:00.010+08:00

YOGA - ASANAS
by SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Founder of The Divine Life Society

How many of you, sisters and brothers, find in yourselves the unmistakable signs of disease, declining health, vim, vigour and vitality? How many of you, may I ask again, feel actually the grip of premature old age? Why do you unjustly throw the whole blame on heredity without for a moment realising that for nearly thirty or thirty-five years you have been flouting the laws of life? Thirty-five years of wrong living! Thirty-five years of wrong feeding! Thirty-five years of wrong breathing! Thirty-five years of wrong thinking! Thirty-five years spent in abject ignorance of the relationship between brain and brawn! Thirty-five years, in fact, spent in doing everything possible to develop the disease of “Old Age!”

Now suppose the whole situation is reversed, and in place of wrong living, wrong feeding, wrong breathing, etc., there is introduced right living, right feeding, right breathing, and so forth, what will be the effect? Will physical and mental degeneration give place to physical and mental regeneration? The answer given by the Seers of the East is an emphatic “YES”. The Indian Yogins have conclusively proved that by following a regimen it is quite possible to rebuild the human body, to reconstruct the human mind, to regain lost youth, strength and beauty. The key to accomplish this remarkable feat according to the Saints, Sages and Rishis of yore is to be found in Yoga-Asanas.

You know what the word ‘Yoga’ means. It is union of the individual soul (Jivatman) with the Supreme Soul (Paramatman). Asana is an easy and comfortable seat or pose or posture. Thus the term Yoga-Asanas means certain postures by assuming any one of which the individual soul is united with the Supreme Soul quite easily by the Yogic practitioner. The relationship between mind and body is so complete and so subtle that it is no wonder that certain physical training will induce certain mental transformations.

A good many of you might have come across several persons capable of demonstrating these Yoga-Asanas some of which may seem at first sight disgusting and tiring. At any rate such persons are not uncommon in India. Some of my own students who are specialists in this branch of Yoga can do the various exercises with amazing grace and finish. It is wrong to suppose that these Yoga-Asanas are merely physical exercises founded by the ancient Rishis of India just as so many systems of physical culture have cropped up now both in Europe and in America. There is something spiritual, something divine at the bottom of this system for it awakens the sleeping Kundalini-Shakti, helps the Yogic student a lot in establishing himself fully in meditation and finally makes him taste the nectar of Cosmic Consciousness.

It is important to know what an ideal system of physical culture should be, so that you will be able to judge for yourself the value of Yoga-Asanas in the light of the ideal. That system can be safely said to be an ideal system which requires the smallest amount of energy to be spent in order to secure the greatest amount of benefit; which can effect a maximum increase in the vital index; which can build up a healthy nervous system; which can ensure health for the excretory organs of the body; which can take care of the circulatory system; and which can also develop the muscular system. Let us now see how far these few conditions are fulfilled by Yoga-Asanas.

Let me now prescribe a short but complete course of Yoga-Asanas which is more than sufficient for an average man (or woman) of health not only to maintain a high standard of health but also to achieve true success in Yoga. Yogic physical culture is only a means to an end, and not an end in itself. You need not, therefore, attach undue importance to this branch of Yoga alone to the gross neglect of the others. All the Asanas mentioned and illustrated in this book can be successfully practiced without the personal contact of a teacher. Thousands are benefited in various ways by regularly practising these Asanas. The various exercises given in this book have been so arranged that strict adherence is expected of you. All Asanas should be done invariably in the morning, and not in the evening as you will find in some books on the subject. The reason for this emphasis is that in the evening everybody is tired of a day’s work and as such will not be able to do the various exercises with a feeling of exhilaration and freshness which he or she would otherwise feel in the morning. There should absolutely be no feeling of depression or fatigue either before or during the performance of these exercises. This is an important point to remember, if you wish to enjoy the benefits of these exercises in the fullest measure. You need not go through the whole course everyday. but you must by all means be regular and systematic in the very little that you do, and be a master of all the exercises given in this book. Another point to remember is that the amount of energy expended in these exercises should on no account strain your system. Those of you who wish to do muscular exercises may do so in the evening. All Yoga-Asanas must be done on an empty stomach; but there is no harm if a small cup of milk, light tea or coffee is taken before commencing the exercises.

Asana is the third limb (Anga) of Yoga. If you are firmly established in Asanas, you will not feel the body at all. When you do not feel the body, qualities of the pairs of opposites will not affect you. When you are free from the effect of the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, you will be able to take up the next higher step viz., Pranayama and practice it with an unruffled mind. Therefore you should select that posture which is easy and comfortable and in which you can remain long, say, three hours. Lord Krishna says: “Having in a cleanly spot established a firm seat, neither too high nor too low with cloth, skin, and Kusa grass thereon; making the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him, seated there on the seat, practise Yoga for the purification of the self. Holding erect and still the body, head and neck, firm, gazing at the tip of the nose, without looking around, serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of godly life, having restrained the mind, thinking on Me, and balanced, let him sit, looking up to Me as the Supreme.” (Bhagavad-Gita Ch. VI-11, 12, 13).

Yoga aims at developing, will-power. A man of strong and dynamic will-power will always sit upright and walk with his chest thrown in front of his head; but a weak-willed person will change his posture often and often, while sitting or standing, will walk in a zigzag fashion, betraying infirmity and want of resolution of mind in every step. The practice of Asanas is of vital importance, and though the practice may be found to be painful and troublesome at the outset, when once the habit of sitting on one Asana for a considerable length of time is formed, you will feel a peculiar thrill and pleasure while seated there, and you will not like to change the pose on any account.

According to Patanjali Maharshi, posture is that which is firm and comfortable. He does not lay any special stress on either Asana or Pranayama. It was only later on that the Hatha-Yogins developed these two limbs of Yoga, and, no doubt they are of tremendous help to the Yogic student. While the Hatha-Yogins aim at the control and culture of the body, the Raja-Yogins aim at the control and culture of the mind. And as body and mind are interdependent, physical culture is a sine qua non to mental culture.

It is wrong to suppose that Yoga-Asanas are purely meant for the Indians and that they are ideally suited to Indian conditions. That it is not the case is proved by the following few instances. Mr. Harry Dikman, the Director-Founder of the Yoga Centre in Riga, Latvia (Europe) is a good specialist in these Yoga-Asanas, Bandhas and Mudras and his opinion and advice to persons suffering from various kinds of diseases, curable and incurable, are increasingly becoming popular in Europe. I have not heard of another man either in Europe or in America, who takes such a keen and lively interest in this subject and is making researches in the same. You will be surprised to know that Mr. Harry Dikman is essentially a philosopher and a sage.

In California (U.S.A.) a young girl weighing 280 lbs., due to much adiposity and therefore feeling completely dejected and forlorn, finally took recourse to Yoga-Asanas on the recommendation of a friend of hers, and in the course of six months time, to the astonishment and wonder of all, was able to reduce her body-weight to 180 lbs., by following the instructions of a specialist! The photographs of the girl taken before, during and after the six months course were lavishly published in various American journals and high tributes paid to the remarkable efficacy of Yoga-Asanas as the means of building up a radiant and healthy body and eradicating all kinds of diseases.

Mr. Ernest Haekel of Los Angeles, California, Mr. Boris Sacharow of Berlin and several others interested in acquiring psychic powers by awakening the Kundalini are all instances to prove that Yoga-Asanas can be practiced and are intended not only for India and the Indians but for the whole world and the humanity at large.

Practise either Padmasana or Siddhasana for meditative purposes and the various other Asanas, Bandhas, etc., for maintaining, a high standard of health, vigour, strength, vitality, and for keeping up Brahmacharya.

~ Extracted from "Practical Lessons in Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

All about PRANAYAMA

2009-08-11T18:21:00.009+08:00

PRANAYAMA
by SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Founder of The Divine Life Society

Prana means breath and Ayama means control. By Pranayama is meant the control of Prana and the vital forces of the body. Pranayama begins with the regulation of breath and ends in establishing full and perfect control over the life-currents or inner vital forces. In other words, Pranayama is the perfect control of the life-currents through regulation of breath. Breath like electricity is gross Prana. By establishing control over the gross Prana, you can easily gain control over the subtle Prana inside. The process by which such control is established is called Pranayama. Pranayama is the fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

Prana is the oldest for, it starts functioning from the very moment the child is conceived. On the contrary, the organs of the body such as hearing, and so forth, begin to function only when their special abodes viz., the ears, etc., are formed. Prana is called the oldest and the best in the Upanishads because it gained the victory in the fight between mind and the five organs. In the end mind and the five organs unanimously declared: “O Master! O Prana! the supporter of this universe and the supporter of our very lives, the first-born! Adorations unto thee! Thou art really great. Do not depart from this body. We shall serve thee. We duly acknowledge thy superiority.” Prana functions even while the mind is absent during deep sleep.

Prana is the link between the physical and the astral bodies. When the slender thread-like Prana is cut off, the astral body separates from the physical body. Death is the result. The Prana that was working in the physical body is withdrawn into the astral body.

The sum total of the Rajasic portion of the five subtle elements forms the Pranas which are five in number, and separately forms the hands and the other four organs of action. The five organs of action are contained in the Pranamaya Kosha (vital air sheath). Prana digests the food, turns it into chyle and blood and sends it into the brain and mind. The mind is then able to think and do reflection (meditation) on the Self.

Prana is the universal principle of energy or force. It is vital force. Prana is all-pervading. It may be either in a static or dynamic state. It is found in all forms, from the lowest to the highest, from the ant to the elephant, from the unicellular amoeba to a man, from the elementary form of plant life to the developed form of animal life. It is Prana that shines in your eyes. It is through the power of Prana that the ear hears, the eye sees, the skin feels, the tongue tastes, the nose smells, the brain and the intellect perform their respective functions. The smile on the face of a young lady, the melody in music, the power in the emphatic utterances of an orator, the charm in the words of one’s own beloved wife — all these and many more have their origin in Prana. Fire burns through Prana. Wind blows through Prana. Rivers flow through Prana. The steamer and the aeroplane, the train and the motorcar move about only through the power of Prana. Radio-waves travel through Prana.

Prana is electron. Prana is proton. Prana is force. Prana is magnetism. Prana is electricity. It is Prana that pumps blood from the heart into the arteries. It is Prana again that does digestion, excretion and secretion.

Prana is expended by thinking, willing, acting, moving, talking, writing and so on. A strong and healthy man has an abundance of Prana or nerve-force or vitality. The Prana is supplied by food, water, air, solar energy, etc. The supply of Prana is received by the nervous system. The Prana is absorbed in breathing. The excess of Prana is stored up in the brain and nerve-centres. When the seminal energy is sublimated, it supplies abundance of Prana to the system.

A Yogi stores up enough and more of Prana by regular practice of Pranayama just as the storage battery stores up electricity. That Yogi who has in his store an amazingly large supply of Prana radiates strength and vitality all around. He is a big power-house. Those who come in contact with him imbibe Prana from him, and get strength, vigour, vitality and exhilaration of spirits. Just as oil flows from one vessel to another, Prana also actually flows steadily from a developed Yogi towards weak persons. This can be seen actually by the Yogi who has developed his inner Yogic vision.

If you can control Prana, you can control all the force of the universe, physical and mental. A Yogi can also control the Omnipresent Manifesting Power from which all energies like magnetism, electricity, gravitation, cohesion, nerve-currents, vital forces or thought-vibrations and, in fact, the total forces of the universe take their origin.

If you can control the breath or Prana, the mind is also easily controlled. He who has controlled his mind has also controlled his breath. If the one is suspended, the other also gets suspended. If the mind and the Prana are both controlled, you get liberation from the round of births and deaths and attain Immortality.

There is intimate connection between mind, Prana and semen. If you can control your seminal energy, you can also control your mind and Prana.

Owing to the vibration of Prana the ten senses (the five organs of action and the five organs of knowledge) do their respective functions. If the Prana is controlled, all the senses come under your control. Go through the parables in the Kaushitaki and the Chhandogya Upanishads. You will find that the senses recognised in the end the superiority of Prana. You can live without food and drink for days together but you cannot live without air even for a few minutes. What to speak of Prana then!

As long as you speak, you cannot breathe; then you offer the breath in the speech. As long as you breathe, so long you cannot speak; then you offer the speech in the breath. These are the two never-ending immortal oblations. When you want to hear a faint sound, the breath gets suspended for a while. The porter carrying heavy bags of rice or wheat at the wharf instinctively fills his lungs with air and practices unconscious retention of breath (Pranayama) till the bag is lifted on to his back. This retention of breath augments his strength and vitality. It immediately provides him with an abundance of energy. It induces great concentration of mind. When you cross a small rivulet by jumping over, when you practice long jump and high jump and various other exercises at the parallel bar and trapezium, you practice retention of breath instinctively.

If the breath is unsteady, the mind also is unsteady. If the breath is steady and calm, the mind is also steady and calm. A Yogi gets longevity of life by the practice of Pranayama. Therefore the practice of Pranayama is indispensable requisite. Just as it takes a long time, patience and perseverance to tame a lion, an elephant or a tiger, so also you will have to tame this Prana gradually. Then it will come under your perfect control.

Just as a goldsmith removes the impurities of gold by heating it in the blazing furnace and blowing the blow-pipe vigorously so also the student of Yoga should remove the various impurities of his body and mind by blowing his lungs, i.e., by the practice of Pranayama. The fundamental aim of Pranayama is to unite the Prana and the Apana and to take the united Pranapana slowly upwards towards the crown of the head. The fruit of Pranayama is the awakening of the sleeping Kundalini-Shakti.

The room in which you practice Pranayama must not be damp and ill-ventilated. It must be dry and airy. The practice can be carried on by the side of a river or a lake, at the top or foot of a hill or a secluded part of a pleasant and beautiful garden, or at any place where the unconcentrated mind gets concentrated easily due to the exceptionally good spiritual vibrations. Whatever place you may finally select, take particular care to see that it is free from chill and strong draught, mosquitoes, bugs, ants and all other flies or crawling insects. If you wish to practice Pranayama in your own house, have a separate room under lock and key. Do not allow anybody into the room, no, not even your dearest and nearest friends and relatives. Let it be free from all other disturbing elements. There seated on your favourite Asana with the mind firmly fixed on Truth, perform Pranayama daily. Then the Chitta or the mind-stuff gets absorbed in the Sushumna. The Prana becomes steady; it does not fluctuate. In India the banks of the Ganga, the Jumna and the Kaveri are extremely favourable for the practice of Pranayama, Rishikesh (Himalayas), Brindavan, Varanasi, Uttarakashi and Ayodhya are all very nice places for the purpose.

The practice of Pranayama should be commenced in spring and autumn because success is assured. In the beginning you can have two sittings, morning and evening and as you advance in your practices, you can have four: morning, midday, evening and midnight. Your diet should be light and moderate. In the early stages, food of milk and ghee is ordained; also food consisting of wheat, green pulse and red rice is said to favour the progress. Assuming your favourite Asana, practice regulation of breath first for the purification of the nerves (Nadis). Sri Sankaracharya, the greatest exponent of the Advaita philosophy, that India has ever produced says in his famous commentary to the Svetasvatara Upanishad: “The mind whose dross has been cleared away by Pranayama, becomes fixed in Brahman; therefore Pranayama is prescribed. First the nerves are to be purified, then comes the power to practice Pranayama. Closing the right nostril with the thumb, through the let’s nostril, fill in air according to capacity; then without any interval, throw the air out through the right nostril, closing the left one. Again inhaling through the right nostril, eject through the left, according to capacity; practicing this three or five times at intervals of four hours of the day, before dawn, during midday, in the evening, and at midnight, in fifteen days or amonth purity of the nerves is attained; then begins Pranayama.” For complete success in Pranayama, regular persistent and systematic practice is essential.

Patanjali Maharshi defines Pranayama as follows: “Regulation of breath or the control of Prana is the stoppage of inhalation and exhalation, which follows after securing that steadiness of posture or seat.” But you need not wait for practicing Pranayama till you get full mastery over the posture. You can practice Asana and Pranayama side by side. In course of time you will acquire perfection in both. Pranayama can be practiced while sitting in the chair also by sitting erect. Each Pranayama consists of three distinct processes viz., Puraka (inhalation of breath), Kumbhaka (retention of breath) and Rechaka (exhalation of breath). Kumbhaka gives longevity of life. If you can retain the breath for 10 seconds, know for certain that so many seconds have been added to the span of your life. By taking the breath to the crown of the head and keeping it there under his full and firm control, the Yogi defies and conquers death and drinks the Nectar of Immortality.

Pranayama is of three kinds according to the strength and capacity of the practitioner. The best one is that wherein Puraka is for 20 seconds, Kumbhaka for 80 seconds and Rechaka for 40 seconds. The middling one is that wherein Puraka is for 16 seconds, Kumbhaka for 64 seconds and Rechaka for 32 seconds. The lowest one is that wherein Puraka is for 12 seconds, Kumbhaka for 48 seconds and Rechaka for 24 seconds. You should inhale and exhale very, very slowly, without producing any sound all the while. The ratio between Puraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka is 1:4:2.

If there are impurities in the nerve-currents (Nadis), the Prana will not enter the middle Nadi, the Sushumna. In ordinary people the Sushumna is closed up at the lower end, because of the various impurities of the body, mind and the nerves. When the nerves are purified, the Yogi can perform Pranayama with success. By the practice of Pranayama you can become a veritable god. Certain symptoms manifest when the Nadis are purified. Your body will become light and slender. There will be a peculiar lustre in your eyes and a remarkable glow in your countenance. Your voice will become sweet and melodious. The breath can be retained for a long time. You can hear the Anahata sounds emanating from your heart-lotus quite audibly. The digestive fire is augmented, you enjoy perfect health, and you are cheerful and happy.

The practice of concentration and Pranayama are interdependent. If you practice Pranayama, you will have concentration. Natural Pranayama follows the practice of concentration. A Hatha Yogi practices Pranayama and then controls the mind. He rises from a lower to a higher level; whereas a Raja Yogi practices concentration and thus controls Prana. He comes down from a higher level. They both meet on a common platform in the end. There are different practices for different temperaments. For some the practice of Pranayama is easier to start with, for others the practice of concentration.

There is neither rhythm nor harmony in the breathing of worldly-minded persons. A Yogi practices regulation of breath to establish harmony. When the breath is regulated, when there is harmony, the breath will be moving within the nostrils. The fruit of regulation of breath is Kumbhaka. The breath stops by itself when Kevala Kumbhaka (absolute and pure retention of breath) follows. The mind becomes quite steady. Then Samadhi (superconscious state) supervenes. Regulation of breath and Kumbhaka are of tremendous help in the practice of concentration and meditation.

Dear child! Take sole refuge in Pranayama. Be interested in the practice of Kumbhaka alone, if the mind is solely turned towards Pranayama. The Bhagavad-Gita says: “Pranayama-parayanah—solely absorbed in the control of breathing.” Take due precautions at every step. The practice of Kumbhaka produces tremendous heat in the body and thereby the Kundalini is roused and sent upwards along the Sushumna to the crown of the head.

Before I begin to deal with the various Pranayama exercises, I propose to give some preliminary instructions, which would enable you to practice them without any difficulty and attain quick success in Yoga. The following are the most important:—

(1) All the instructions given in the last lesson (Yoga-Asanas) hold good here also. You will have to use your common-sense and discretion throughout the practice of Yoga.

(2) The rule of celibacy will ensure quicker and better results. Those who cannot observe this rule very strictly for one reason or another, should be very, very moderate in copulation.

(3) Be regular and systematic in your practices.

(4) A small cup of milk or fruit-juice can be taken with much advantage before the commencement of the practice, and another cup of milk and some light tiffin half an hour after the practice.

(5) Do not miss your practice even a single day except when you are seriously ailing from some disease.

(6) To start with, do mild Pranayama with Puraka and Rechaka only for a month. A rigid Pranayama-practitioner should abstain from all solid food. You can practice Pranayama while walking also. This will suit some busy persons who have not much time to spare.

(7) Practise the various exercises prescribed below one by one, step by step. Never be in a hurry. Never go beyond your capacity. Do not take up the higher exercise before completely mastering the previous one. This is the master-key to achieve success in Pranayama.

(8) There should be a feeling of joy and exhilaration after the Pranayama is over.

(9) Do not twist the facial muscles while doing Kumbhaka.

(10) Do not take bath for at least half an hour after the Pranayama exercises are over.

(11) Avoid as much as you can too much talking, eating, sleeping, mixing with friends and all exertion.

(12) Do not expect fruit after doing Pranayama for 2 or 3 minutes only for a few days. At least you must practice for 15 minutes daily in the beginning for some months.

(13) Success in Pranayama can be gauged by the duration of Kumbhaka. By slow and steady practice you will be able to retain the breath for at least 5 minutes. Real concentration of mind ensues when the breath is suspended.

(14) If you want rapid progress in Pranayama, you must have four sittings daily, at 4 a.m., at midday, at 4 p.m., and at midnight. You must do 4x80=320 Kumbhakas altogether.

(15) As there is always some drowziness and laziness when you get up from bed, do a few Kumbhakas just to drive off the drowsiness and to make yourself fit for meditation.

In the first stage of Pranayama you will have perspiration of the body. You will experience a tremor of the body in the second stage. In the third stage levitation manifests. In the final stage the Prana goes to the Brahmarandhra (the Hole of Brahma) at the top of the head. Sometimes the practitioner may jump like a frog. When you perspire, do not use a towel to wipe off the perspiration. Rub it well on the body itself with your hands. This will give firmness and lightness to the constitution.

Exercise I
(a) Sit on your favourite Asana before your Beloved Deity in your meditation room. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and slowly inhale through the left nostril as long as you can do with ease and comfort. Then exhale through the same nostril.19 Do this half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round daily to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12.

(b) Inhale through the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the little and ring fingers of the right hand just in the same manner as you did before. Then exhale through the same nostril. Do this half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round daily to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12.

Exercise II
Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the little and ring fingers of the right hand and exhale through the right nostril after removing the thumb. Inhaling again through the right nostril and closing it with the thumb, exhale through the left nostril. Do in this manner half a dozen times. This will constitute one round. Do one round in the morning and one in the evening to begin with and gradually increase the number of rounds to 12 according to your capacity.

Exercise III
Inhale through both the nostrils as much as you can and exhale through both the nostrils in the same manner. Repeat this twelve times. This will constitute one round. Start with one round and increase the number of rounds gradually to six.

Exercise IV
Draw the air in through both the nostrils as much as you can, retain it as long as you can, and then exhale as much as you can. Repeat this process twelve times. This will constitute one round. Start with one round and increase the number of rounds to six gradually.

Exercise V
Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the ring and little fingers of the right hand, retain the breath as long as you can comfortably do, and exhale through the right nostril by removing the thumb. Now half the process is over. Drawing again the air through the right nostril, and retaining it as before. exhale it through the left nostril by removing the ring and little fingers. These six processes constitute one Pranayama. Do 20 such Pranayamas in the morning and 20 in the evening to start with and gradually increase the number to 80.

If you wish to have time-unit, inhale till you count 1 OM; retain the breath till you count 4 OMs and exhale till you count 2 OMs. Observe the ratio 1:4:2. You may either use the left hand fingers for counting or mentally remember the numbers. In the second week increase the ratio to 2:8:4; in the third to 3:12:6, and so on and so forth until you reach the maximum of 20:80:40. While increasing the ratio, if you find it hard to retain the breath, have the same practice for two or three weeks more until the capacity and strength to increase the ratio further are gained. Let there be no suffocation during the practice.

Exercise VI
Close the right ear with the right thumb, and the left ear with the left thumb. Press the right eye with the right index finger and the left eye with the let’s index finger. Place the middle finger of the right hand on the right nostril, and the middle finger of the other hand on the left. Let the ring fingers of the two hands press upon the upper lip, and the two tiny fingers upon the lower lip. Now inhale through both the nostrils as much as you can do with comfort; immediately close both the nostrils and swallow the breath. Retain the breath inside as long as you can do with comfort and exhale it slowly. This is Shanmukhi Mudra. “The Yogi, by having thus firmly confined the air, sees his soul in the shape of light. When one sees, without obstruction this light even for a moment, becoming free from sin, he reaches the highest end. The Yogi, free from sin, and practising this continually, forgets his physical, subtle and causal bodies, and becomes one with that Soul. He who practices this in secrecy, is absorbed in the Brahman, though he had been engaged in sinful works. This should be kept secret; it at once produces conviction; it gives Nirvana to mankind. This is my most beloved Yoga.” (Siva Samhita: Ch. V-22, 23, 24, 25, 26).

Exercise VII - RHYTHMICAL BREATHING
The breathing of worldly people is irregular. In exhalation the breath goes out 16 digits, and in inhalation only 12 digits, thus losing 4 clear digits of breath in every act of inspiration and expiration. Now just imagine how much Prana is wasted every day by you at this rate! If you can inhale 16 digits of Prana as in exhalation, everything is all right. There is absolutely no loss then. You will have rhythmical breathing. The Kundalini will be roused. Moreover, by practicing this exercise and making it part and parcel of your daily life, you will enjoy perfect rest, a rest that you have never known or enjoyed even in your deep sleep.

The one striking feature of rhythmical breathing is that the time-unit is the same both in inhalation and exhalation. This is done in the following manner: Inhale till you mentally count 6 OMs and exhale till you count mentally 6 OMs. This is breathing in and out in a measured and harmonious manner. This kind of breathing will harmonise the whole system.

There is another variety in rhythmical breathing. You inhale through both the nostrils till you mentally count 4 OMs, retain the breath till you count 8 OMs and exhale through both the nostrils till you count 4 OMs. Then retain the breath outside (external Kumbhaka) till you count 8 OMs. These four processes constitute one Pranayama.

Do this as many times as your strength and capacity would allow. Gradually increase the duration of inhalation and exhalation till you count 16 OMs. There is no hurry. Enjoy every breath you inhale and exhale. Enjoy also the retention of breath. Pay good attention to the rhythm throughout. Feel the rhythm throughout your system. By slow and gradual practice with zeal and enthusiasm, you will attain perfection. Weep not! Grieve not! You are nearing the goal now, my child!

Exercise VIII - KAPALABHATI
Kapala means a skull and Bhati means to shine. Because this exercise makes your skull shine, it is called Kapalabhati. It is a wonderful exercise to cleanse the skull nicely. This exercise also does not come under the category of Pranayama, but as it is a breathing exercise, it deserves a place of honour.

Sitting on your usual meditative-pose, do Puraka and Rechaka so vigorously that you perspire profusely. There is no Kumbhaka in this exercise. But Rechaka plays a prominent part. Puraka is mild, slow and long and is best done by releasing the abdominal muscles, while Rechaka is forceful and quick and is done by contracting the abdominal muscle with a backward push. The important point to remember while doing this exercise is to keep the body, head and neck erect, and not to bend even a bit. In the beginning you can have one round only consisting of 10 expulsions in the morning. That will suffice. In the second week you can do the same in the evening also. In the third week have two rounds in the morning and two in the evening. In this manner you can cautiously and slowly increase 10 expulsions to each round till you get 120 expulsions per round.

The benefits of this exercise are even more alluring. The respiratory system and the nasal passages are thoroughly cleansed, the spasm in the bronchial tubes is removed, asthma is cured, the apices of the lungs are nicely oxygenized, consumption is cured and the impurities of the blood are eliminated. The circulatory and the respiratory systems are toned up beautifully, and the practitioner enjoys blooming health and vigour.

Exercise IX - SURYABHEDA
Sitting on your favourite meditative pose again and closing the eyes, inhale through the right nostril, retain the breath by forming Jalandhara Bandha till perspiration flows from the tips of the nails and the hairs of the body stand on end, and then exhale through the left nostril slowly. Of course in this exercise you cannot reach the point of perspiration at the very outset; but gradually increasing the period of Kumbhaka you will by all means attain it. By the constant practice of this Kumbhaka, cephalalgia is relieved, coryza is cured, and the worms in the frontal sinuses are expelled.

Exercise X - UJJAYI
The practice of this Kumbhaka enhances the personal beauty of the practitioner. Assuming again your favourite pose, inhale through both the nostrils in a smooth, methodical and uniform manner till the inspired breath fills the space between the throat and the stomach with a noise. Retain the breath as long as you can comfortably do and then exhale slowly through the left nostril. The striking feature of this exercise is that a mild, uniform, continuous and peculiar sound is heard due to the partial closure of the glottis.

This Kumbhaka is also practiced while standing or walking. Then instead of exhaling through the left nostril only, you can exhale through both the nostrils. In any case, start with three rounds and add one round every week gradually.

The practitioner of this Kumbhaka gets rid of pulmonary, cardiac and dropsical diseases. All diseases dependent upon deficient inhalation of oxygen are cured.

Exercise XI - SITKARI
Folding the tongue in such amanner that the tip of the tongue touches the upper palate, draw the air through the mouth producing a sound of c. c. c., retain the breath as long as you can without the feeling of suffocation and then exhale through both the nostrils. These three processes constitute one round. Start with three rounds and add one round every week.

This Kumbhaka increases the beauty and vigour of the body, removes hunger and thirst, indolence and sleep and makes the whole body cool. Many diseases of the blood are cured.

Exercise XII - SITALI
Contract the lips and throw out the tongue. Fold the tongue like a tube and draw in the air through it making a hissing sound. Fill the lungs and stomach slowly with the air drawn in, and retain the same as long as you can do with comfort. Then exhale through both the nostrils. Practise this 10 to 20 times daily, morning and evening.

The practitioner acquires great tenacity of life and the power to repair the effects of injury. He is freed from all fevers, splenitis and several other organic diseases. Like crabs, lobsters, serpents and frogs, he becomes proof against all kinds of inflammations. He acquires the power to cast off his skin and endure the privation of air, food and drink. Poisons of all sorts in the blood are thrown out and the blood is purified. Scorpion-stings and serpent-bites cannot injure him in any way. Whenever you feel thirsty, do this Pranayama a few times. At once your thirst will be quenched.

Exercise XIII - BHASTRIKA
Bhastrika means bellows. Quick succession of powerful expulsions of breath is the chief characteristic of this Pranayama. Just as the village smith blows out his bellows quickly and rapidly, so also the practitioner of this exercise blows out the bellows of his lungs in quick and rapid succession.

Sit on Padmasana or Siddhasana with the body, neck and head erect. Close the mouth. Inhale and exhale quickly 6 to 10 times in rapid succession like the bellows of the village-smith. While practicing this Pranayama a hissing sound is loudly heard. If you can expel 10 times like this, the tenth expulsion is followed by a deepest inhalation, retained as long as it can be done with comfort, and another deepest exhalation. This completes one round of Bhastrika. Take rest for a while after one round is over, and do another round, and another round. In the beginning you can have three rounds in the morning and three in the evening. You must be able to expel 120 times at a stretch by cautious and gradual practice.

If you can do Kapalabhati and Ujjayi nicely, you will find this Pranayama quite easy. Some do this exercise till they get quite fatigued. Then you will profusely perspire. Stop the practice even if there is the slightest giddiness. Take a few normal breaths. Then you can resume the practice again after the giddiness is gone.

Exercise XIV - PLAVINI
This Pranayama requires some skill on the part of the practitioner. If you can do this perfectly, you can float on water for any length of time, even though you do not know swimming. It enables you to live purely on air for some days. It is done as follows: Drink the air like water through the mouth and fill your stomach with it. The stomach becomes inflated. You will hear a tympanic sound, if you tap it with your fingers. Practise the Pranayama slowly and gradually. The air is then expelled from the stomach by slow belching.

Exercise XV - KEVALA KUMBHAKA
Kumbhaka is of two sorts—Sahita and Kevala. The Kumbhaka that is associated with Puraka and Rechaka is called Sahita; that which is devoid of these two is called Kevala (pure and absolute). Kevala Kumbhaka should be practiced when the Sahita Kumbhaka has been completely mastered. In the Vasishtha Samhita you will find: “When after giving up inhalation and exhalation, one holds his breath with ease, it is absolute Kumbhaka (Kevala Kumbhaka).” In this Pranayama the practitioner can retain his breath as long as he likes. He attains the stage of Raja-Yoga. Practise this three times a day, morning, midday and evening. He is a real Yogi who knows this Kumbhaka and Pranayama. Now there is nothing unattainable by him in all the three worlds. This Kumbhaka cures all diseases, bestows longevity of life and awakens the Kundalini-Sakti, which passes through the hollow Sushumna-Nadi to the crown of the head, after piercing one Chakra after another.

BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA
Perfection in Pranayama gives you the major eight Siddhis viz., Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Vasitvam and Isitvam. Anima is the power to become as minute as you like, whereas Mahima makes you as big as you like. By Laghima you can make your body as light as a feather and fly in the sky thousands of miles in a minute. Garima can make your body as heavy as a mountain. By the power of Prapti you can predict all future events, understand unknown languages, cure any disease, hear distant sounds, see distant objects, smell mystical fragrant odours, touch the sun and the moon with the tip of your fingers from where you stand, and understand the language of birds and beasts. Indeed you can attain all desired objects. By Prakamya you can cast away the old skin and assume a youth-like appearance for an unusual length of time. You can also enter the body of another person. Sri Sankaracharya had this power. He entered the body of the Raja of Benares. Yayati, Tirumulanar and Raja Vikramaditya had also this power. Vasitvam is the power to tame wild beasts and bring them under your control. By the exercise of this power, you can make anybody obey your orders and wishes. You can control the elements and be amaster of passions and emotions. Isitvam is the attainment of all divine powers. You now become the Lord of the universe. You can give life to a dead man. Kabirdas, Tulasidas, Akalkot Swami and many others had this power. By possessing this power you can penetrate all secrets of nature, know the events of the past, present and future and become one with the Supreme Soul.

You will also get the thirty-six other minor Siddhis such as freedom from hunger and thirst, heat and cold, pleasure and pain; death at your will, playing with gods, power to transmute baser metals into gold and so on.

~ Extracted from "Practical Lessons in Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Antioxidant Power

2009-08-10T20:32:00.006+08:00

Researchers have identified literally hundreds of antioxidant phytochemicals in our food, from vitamins to pigments that protect against disease, and the list continues to grow. Here are the main ones:

Antioxidant: Vitamin C
Function: Protects against heart disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, and some types of cancer.
Food Sources: Citrus fruit, tomatoes, melon, strawberries, kiwi, sweet peppers, broccoli.

Antioxidant: Vitamin E
Function: May help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer, and slow progression of Alzheimer’s.
Food Sources: Nuts and seeds, oils, fruits and vegetables.

Antioxidant: Beta carotene
Function: Protective against cancer, particularly lung cancer, and heart disease.
Food Sources: Orange and dark green vegatables, including carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, apricots and peaches.

Antioxidant: Lutein, zeaxathin
Function: Protects against macular degeneration.
Food Sources: Dark green leafy vegetables, corn, sweet peppers, spinach, cabbage, oranges.

Antioxidant: Lycopene
Function: May protect against prostate cancer, lung cancer, and heart cancer.
Food Sources: Tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon.

Antioxidant: Anthocyanidins
Function: Protective against cancer.
Food Sources: Blueberries, cherries, cranberries, blackberries, blackcurrents, plums and red grapes.

Antioxidant: Hesperidin
Function: Protective against heart disease and cancer.
Food Sources: Citrus fruits and juices.

Antioxidant: Isoflavones
Function: Protective against heart disease and cancer.
Food Sources: Soy, legumes, peanuts.

Antioxidant: Quercetin
Function: Protective against heart disease and cancer.
Food Sources: Onions, apples, berries, red grapes, broccoli.

Antioxidant: Selenium
Function: May help prevent prostate cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer.
Food Sources: Whole grains, nuts, onions, garlic, poultry, seafood and meat.

Yogurt

2009-08-10T20:02:00.006+08:00

Yogurt and Health

Yogurt is a healthful food and a useful source of minerals and vitamins. What’s more, yogurts that contain live or “active” bacteria cultures may help suppress the growth of harmful micro-organisms in the body.

Benefits:
- An excellent source of calcium and phosphorus.
- Provides useful amounts of vitamin A, several B vitamins and zinc.
- More digestible than milk for people with lactose intolerance.

Drawbacks:
- Flavored, sweetened commercial yogurt may be high in calories.

Yogurt Goes With Everything

Fruit smoothie: Combine ½ cup plain yogurt with ½ cup diced ripe fruit, add one or two ice cubes, and puree in a blender.

Yogurt shake: Blend ½ cup fruit-flavored frozen non-fat yogurt with ½ cup low fat milk until creamy.

Cucumber dip: Peel, seed, and dice a large cucumber and combine with 1 cup plain yogurt, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs. Serve as a dip for vegetables or a dressing for salad.

Mild salsa: Mix ½ cup plain yogurt with 1 mashed ripe avocado, 1 diced tomato, and chilli powder to taste. Serve as dip with tortilla chips.

Teach Yourself Yoga

2009-08-10T18:03:00.008+08:00

Article by Swami Saradananda, author of “Teach Yourself Yoga”

Enhancing the quality of your life with the practice of Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga sees your body as a vehicle for your soul, and your body-vehicle functions best when it is kept clean, strong and healthy. Without good health, life can be unpleasant, even if you have great wealth and power. Yoga techniques are designed to enable you to maintain a state of optimum physical and mental health. Good health may be defined the positive state that you experience when all of the organs of your body are functioning at their maximum capacity under the intelligent control of your mind. One of the far reaching benefits of yoga is that it helps you to develop an enhanced awareness of the general health and well being of your body. With practice, you find yourself not only able to sense impending health problems but also able to understand what corrective action are best taken.

Physical benefits of yoga
Yoga exercise gives first attention to the back, taking the view that you are as young as your spine. It provides you with a series of gentle exercises that helps to increase the flexibility of the various joints of your body, especially your vertebrae. The asanas also lengthen and release tension from your muscles; they stimulate the lubrication of your ligaments and tendons while massaging your internal organs. Both the physical practice of yoga and the meditation helps you to develop enhanced muscle control and balance. The yoga practices work on the various parts of your body in an interrelated and holistic manner that brings you to a state of inner harmony.

Detoxification and Improved Circulation
By gently stretching your muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures that an optimum blood supply reaches all parts of your body. It also improves the functioning of your lymphatic system and flushes out toxins. Increased circulation brings added nourishment and oxygen to all the cells of your body. Evidence seems to be adding up that the regular practice of yoga can delay the ageing process, increase your energy and give you a remarkable zeal for life.

Arthritis and general stiffness
Yoga's slow gentle exercises provides welcome relief to painful joints. The easy stretches, especially when practiced with deep breathing, tend to relieve a great deal of the muscle tension that stresses your joints. Many people see yoga and meditation as the perfect anti-arthritis formula – and an over-all panacea for general stiffness in the body.

Chronic illness, such as asthma or diabetes
Many chronic illnesses seem to be stress related. Yoga tends to reduce levels of anxiety and stress. If you suffer from asthma and begin a yoga practice, you will probably find yourself calmer, more relaxed and less prone to shortness of breath. The breathing exercises will be of great benefit to you. When you suffer from a chronic illness, you tend to feel helpless and out of control. Yoga can give you the strength to look at your situation calmly and objectively. Apart from the negative consequences of your illness, there is often something positive that you can learn from the situation. With the regular practice of yoga you may learn to control your own energy and direct it where it is most needed to alleviate chronic problems. You will probably find a great improvement in your sleeping patterns. Chances are that you will also find yourself with more energy and increased stamina.

Stress
When you continually overwork your mind and body, their natural efficiency diminishes. Yoga exercises discourage violent movements and retrain your muscles to let go of tension. Breathing exercises enable to better control your mood swings while developing your ability to stay calm in the most stressful situations.

Weight Reduction and Eating Disorders
Asanas themselves do not burn large amounts of calories, but you will probably find that a regular yoga practice can be very useful in weight management. The asanas stimulate sluggish glands to increase their hormonal secretions. They work particularly on the thyroid gland, which in turn affects the metabolism of your entire body. There are several asanas, such as the shoulder stand and the fish posture, which are especially beneficial for the thyroid
gland. Yogic practices tend to reduce anxiety and lead to improved body awareness. This, in turn, reduces anxious and compulsive eating. Many food obsessions and eating disorders stem from your inability to assimilate energy in
healthy ways. Yoga practice enables you to efficiently work with your prana (vital energy). It gives you a healthier self-image, and it enables you to be more self-reliant and less “needy” energetically.

Detox Recipes - Drinks

2009-08-10T17:39:00.004+08:00

Detox Recipes - Drinks

Fresh vegetable and fruit juices are an indispensable part of a detox diet. They are quick to make and full of nutrients. The high water content makes them a perfect instrument to flush away toxins in our gastro-intestinal tracts. But do you know which vegetable is good for what?

Carrot is full of carotenoids, vitamins and minerals. Carrot juice is a perfect eye tonic. It is sweet in taste.

Beet is a tonic for the kidney, central nervous system and liver and helps in production of red blood cells. On its own it’s bitter and therefore is nearly always blended with sweeter juices.

Cabbage is soothing for the gastro-intestinal trace and heals peptic ulcers.

Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, parsley are loaded with minerals and vitamins and are ‘whole food’ supplements. The taste is on the bitter side therefore is nearly always blended with sweeter juices.

Cucumber equalizes blood pressure, cooling and is mildly diuretic. Taste refreshing and pleasing to the palate.

Celery lowers blood pressure, mildly sedative and diuretic.

Coconut water compliments our blood plasma.

Pineapple is rich in vitamin C and digestive enzymes.

Apple eases digestion, alkalizing and relieves insomnia. Green apple adds a sweet taste when mixed with other juices.

Pear is a moisture booster and nourishes the skin and lungs.

Papaya is rich in digestive enzymes , vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Watermelon is refreshing and relieves water retention.

Honeydew is rich in vitamins and digestive enzymes.

Kiwi is rich in vitamins and digestive enzymes.

Mango is rich in vitamin C and beta carotene.

To make vegetable juices more interesting and even more nutritious, add:
- A shot of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass has as much fibre as 1 kg of green vegetable. It is rich in vitamin B, antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium and highly alkalizing. It is a great supplement for detox.
- A teaspoon of spirulina. Spirulina is rich in amino acids, minerals, vitamin B and antioxidant.
- A small piece of ginger, to bring a ‘zing’ factor to any drink!
- A sprinkle of grounded cinnamon, a perfect match for apple and coconut drinks.

Why not try some of these delicious and nutritious juices and smoothies?

Wake Me Up
Carrot, broccoli, apple, turnip and lime – a great digestive regulator to start the day.

Green Power
Celery, lemon, green apple and carrot – relieves headaches and reduces high blood pressure. Calms frayed nerves.

Red Power
Beet, cucumber, carrot and ginger – stimulates and cleanses the liver and promotes skin renewal.

Deep Clean
Green apple, celery, kiwi, lime, honeydew and coriander – a whole food supplement bursting with nutrients.

Sparkling Peach
Peach, ginger, mint, sparkling mineral water – a sweet and zingy tonic to ease intestinal discomfort.

Sparking Apple Ale
Green apples, ginger and sparkling mineral water – great for digestion.

Berry Frappacinno
Coconut water and flesh, blueberries, green apple juice, blend with ice. Rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, supports the central nervous system, strengthen the eyes and simulates digestion.

Papaya Milkshake
Papaya, ginger juice and lime blended with ice and either pumpkin seed milk or sunflower seed milk. To make pumpkin/sunflower seed milk, put a few handful of seeds in a food processor, pulse and add a steady stream of water until liquidized. Stir the seed milk if settling occurs. Prepare fresh and drink right away. This smoothie is a fantastic blend of probiotics, enzymes and antacids.

Papaya Beeshake
Papaya, bee pollen and honey blended with ice and either pumpkin seed milk or sunflower seed milk. A booster for intestinal immunity.

Baked Apples recipe

2009-08-10T17:13:00.007+08:00

Ingredients:
- small apples
- mixed nuts or any type of filling you enjoy!
- organic brown sugar
- cinnamon powder

Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350.
2) Mix the nuts and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
3) Core Apples. Skin about an inch around the hole.
4) Put the nuts and brown sugar in the middle where the hole is.
5) Bake for 35 mins or until they are soft when poked with a knife.
6) Dash cinnamon on top, and add more sugar if you please.

Enjoy! Good warm or cold!