ASANAS Which Form The Backbone of Hatha Yoga!

In continuation to our last blog-post on asanas and their effect on our bodies, we will now discuss the yoga postures which form the very backbone of yoga, they have been practiced since ages by the seers and many yoga gurus, Yogi Swatmarama, the author of Hatha Yoga Pradeepika have also talked about these asanas in detail in his book. This article will be more pictorial for the better understanding of the poses.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika illustrates that there are around 84 asanas , the most important ones which form the very core of Hatha Yoga are as follows:

1) Padmasana also called as lotus position where one sits cross-legged with feet placed on opposite thighs, this asana is the primary pose and is practiced on the onset of every yoga class with hand falling off the knees and thumb touching the middle finger.Ideal for practicing pranayama or meditation

2) Bhadrasana , also called as Gracious pose, Bhadra in English means Auspicious and asana means pose, this pose is practiced with knees separated while keeping the toes in contact with the floor. Bhadrasana is known to activate the root chakra or mooldhara chakra.

3) Simhasana, also known as Lion pose. This asana is practiced by kneeling down the floor with knees apart,the toes of the feet remain in contact with each other and palms of the hands are put between the knees, resting the body on the arms completely, then inhaling through the nose and exhaling out the mouth by forcing the tongue out, eyes remain wide open and is focussed on the ceiling ,usually the mouth is opened to roar like a lion, that’s why it is named as lion pose. It's supposed to balance the throat chakra.

4) Siddhasana, like padmasana this asana is used for practicing pranayama or yoga, Siddha means perfect/best and asana means pose, therefore best-seated position. The heel presses the perineum while the sole remains flat against the inner thigh. The body sits atop the heel.

The above four asanas are the most important asanas which one needs to practice before delving into the deeper depths of yoga.

Source: http://blog.kaivalyayogaschool.com/asanas-form-backbone-hatha-yoga.html

5 Niyamas + 5 Yamas (Ethical and Moral Codes) to Follow Before You Think of Becoming a Yoga Teacher

The ethical and moral conducts of yoga form the foundation of becoming a good yogi. However, Yamas and Niyamas didn’t get its due importance as for a very long period of time, the focus and concentration were only kept on Asanas. Niyamas and Yamas are equally important and crucial for developing a healthy body and a skillful yoga practice. Niyamas are things to practice or observe while Yamas are things to avoid or refrain from doing.

They say practice before you preach and so before becoming a yoga teacher you need to practice the following Niyamas and Yamas:

Niyamas

1)    Shaucha (Cleanliness or Purification): Yoga is known to be a sacred practice and before delving into it,we need to purify our external and internal environment, i.e taking care of what we eat, think, drink and whom we spend time with. The purer our food and thoughts will be, the better our body would adjust to the yogic atmosphere.

2)    Tapas (Asceticism): Tapas is a self-disciplinary practice to build willpower and strength over our desires. A true yogi can practice tapas to achieve whatever he sets his mind to, Tapas helps in building focus, strength and the results will improve with its continued practice and you can also see the strength cultivated from its practice in the various postures you will practice on the mat.

3)    Santhosha ( Contentment) : This is the most simple yet the toughest of all the practices, Santhosha means to be satisfied or contented with whatever we have and be acceptable of the situations/circumstances/people in life and be happy and joyful in whatever we have. Happiness is a choice and Santhosha helps in cultivating it.

4)    Svadhyaya (Self-Study): Svadhyaya means the knowledge of the self, and to know about self we need to meditate, to contemplate, to soul search and reflect upon the things we ponder. Meditation can reach to self-exploration; Svadhyaya is each one’s journey and is not time bounded. 

5)    Ishwara Pranidhana (Surrender to God): Ishwara means God and Pranidhana mean surrender, faithful surrender to the higher power is very tough and captivating at the same time, the more we meditate, the greater we drift away from our egos and begin to surrender ourselves into the highest power for our highest good. Devotion to God is not easy but without regular practice, we can give ourselves to the higher purpose of life.

Yamas:

1)    Ahimsa (Non-violence): The act of not hurting anyone not only physically but also verbally comes under the practice of Ahimsa and this behavior helps in building a loving and kind self.

2)    Satya (Truthfulness): Being true to self and to others is important in living the best version of ourselves. 

3)    Asteya (non-stealing): Abstaining from stealth of any kind is a key character of a great yogi.

4)    Aparigraha(non-possessiveness): We often bind our happiness to the possessions we hold, letting go of greed, possessiveness and attachment are Aparigraha.

5)    Brahmacharya(non-excess): Everything, when practiced in moderation, keeps us in balance, Brahmacharya is often connected with abstinence from sex or celibacy, however, it’s actual meaning is to refrain from overdoing anything. 

Yamas and Niyamas if practiced on the continuous basis will help us outshine in our yogic journey on the asana/mat.

If you are already following the above niyamas and yamas or have the urge to do the same, then you are on the right path and Kaivalya Yoga School is a right fit for you to take that next step of making that dream of becoming a Yoga Teacher come true.

Are You Practicing Traditional Yoga?

Just as birds require both their wings to fly in the sky, similarly man needs both Jnaana (knowledge) and Karma (action without attachment to the fruits there of) to attain the highest goal of his life

Over the years Yoga has seen many faces; it has become more commercialized and modernized with changing times. Traditional yoga has lost its true meaning over these years and has been distorted and morphed, the purpose of this post is to make you aware of true yoga- The authentic, traditional Yoga.

Traditional Yoga comprises of Yamas, Niyamas, Asanas, Pranayamas, Mudras, Bandhas, and Dhyana (Meditation). Yoga in itself means a complete practice of all of the above; Traditional Yoga is dying out due to western influences, in the west yoga is seen as a means of physical fitness practiced on a rubber or synthetic mat comprising of asanas mostly. Traditional yoga is merely not asanas, it’s deeper than the postures practiced on the mat, Yoga means to become one with the self and to be one with your higher self, all the chakras of the body needs to be in balance which cannot happen just by practicing asanas or postures. The yamas, the niyamas, pranayamas, mudras, bandhas and calming the mind with meditation (dhyana) all come into play and that is what traditional yoga is all about.

The mere practice of asanas (postures) which happens today do give us physical fitness but for mental, emotional and spiritual fitness, yoga as a whole needs to be practiced.

Hatha yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga are mainly the five main yogas originated in India. Yoga has spiritual roots and was practiced in the ancient times to deepen the connection with the inner self. Yoga was always preached by a teacher called Guru who has always been of prime importance in the ancient history of Yoga.

Traditional yoga immensely emphasizes the importance of Yamas and Niyamas which constitute the true meaning of authentic yoga and they are further broken down as follows:

YAMAS

1) Ahimsa (Non- Violence)

2) Satya (Truthfulness)

3) Asteya (Nonstealing)

4) Brahmacharya (Abstinence, walking into the divine)

5) Aparigraha (Nonpossessiveness)

NIYAMAS-

1) Shaucha (Cleanliness)

2) Santosha (Contentment)

3) Tapas (Austerity)

4) Swadhyaya (Self-study)

5) Ishvara pranidhana (Surrender to god)

In the truest of sense, yoga means to detach from the cycle of rebirth, to be liberated or to become Kaivalya.

At Kaivalya Yoga School we emphasize on complete and holistic practice and teaching of authentic and traditional yoga thereby passing the legacy of ancient yoga to the coming generations without any modification or distortion.

Yoga Courses, Yoga Classes & Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh

In the last few decades, Yoga has become so popular around the world that now hardly there is any city in the world that does not have a yoga centre. There are yoga teacher training programs being conducted everywhere, drawing in curious students from around the world. These students seek to deepen their yoga practice and fully understand this ancient art in its true form, as it has been taught over many millennia. Yet the abundance of yoga styles and training programs make it difficult for students to know where they can find the authentic and true knowledge and the high quality teachers to share that knowledge.

At Kaivalya Yoga teacher training programme, our goal is to make you a complete yoga teacher by giving you an understanding about all aspects of the ancient yoga traditions. You’ll learn the ancient cleansing techniques to purify and detoxify your body, Asanas to make your body more flexible and stronger, Pranayama techniques to expand the prana( the vital life force), yoga philosophy to understand the roots and science of yoga, Physiology and anatomy to understand the effect of yoga practices on your body and understand your dietary needs with our individual ayurvedic nutrition consultations and Meditation techniques to control your mind.

With the true understanding of real yoga traditions, your body and mind will be better prepared to derive the best benefits of yoga, because to gain the best benefits of yoga you need right initiation in the guidance of good teachers. As students from around the world learn the ancient traditions with us, many are surprised to find that there are fundamental differences between the way yoga is taught in India and the West. Many yoga schools in the West focus only on the physical practice of yoga asanas, treating yoga as an exercise class rather than a fundamental philosophy for uniting the mind and body through meditation. Even many great yoga teachers in the West neglect the practices of pranayama and meditation. Without a complete knowledge of yoga, dedicated yoga students may spend many years on the physical practice only to find themselves wondering what next step they should take on their spiritual journeys.

At Kaivalya Yoga School, we prepare you to explore the real yoga and take your spiritual journey to next level by putting the right foundation for your yoga practice.

Source: Kaivalya Yoga School