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In the 10-day yoga intensive class, we went over some of the sitting postures (asanas) that are most commonly used for meditation and pranayama practice. In order to provide a ready reference for the participants of the program, as well as for the benefit of all the readers of this blog, I am giving a brief overview of these sitting postures here.
Before diving into a discussion of the different postures, let us just reflect on the word "asana" for a moment. The Sanskrit word "asanam – आसनम्" is derived from the root word "aas – आस्" which means to sit or rest in one place. In the classical yoga texts (Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, for example), there several asanas described. Some of the more commonly practiced asanas are – sukhasana, padmasana, swastikasana, siddhasana, vajrasana, virasana, bhadrasana etc. The word asana is not just the sitting posture, but is also applied to the seat on which one sits. So, if you are sitting on a yoga mat for meditation, then the mat is also called an asana. Likewise, a stool, chair, bench etc where one sits becomes an asana.
In the classical yoga text "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", the word asana is applied to sitting postures that are used for meditation. Patanajali describes it as "sthira-sukham-asanam (स्थिरसुखमासनम्)" which means "a sitting posture is one which is firm/steady and comfortable". In the science of Hatha Yoga which was developed much later, the meaning of the word asana was extended to include all the physical postures (e.g., sarvangasana (shoulder stand), halasana (plough pose etc) used in a Hatha Yoga practice.
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The second 10-day intensive on Pranayama and Meditation will start tomorrow. Based on the very positive and encouraging feedback that I received after the first session held in May, I have decided to hold these sessions on a periodic basis. More detailed information about these programs is available here.
When I first launched the program, I was very skeptical about how many people might sign up. I wasn’t sure if people would make the commitment to wake up that early (6 AM start) to come for the sessions on a daily basis for 10 days in a row. Moreover, my feeling was that most yoga practitioners are interested primarily in physical yoga (asana-based) and have very little, if any, interest in pranayama and meditation. I was pleasantly surprised when within less than a week of the original announcement, I had fifteen people signed up. At the end of the program, everyone provided their feedback about their experience of the program. There was unanimous agreement that the program was very informative and beneficial. They really enjoyed the fact that they could practice daily for 10 days at a stretch. Moreover, with the sessions finishing at 7:30 AM, that still gave them enough time to get to work on time.
For the program starting tomorrow, I already have 15 people signed up and there are four on the waiting list. Once again I am truly grateful to the participants for making the time and commitment for the next ten days. I am sure that we will have an exciting journey together.
For most people, the word "yoga" brings to mind the image of someone twisted in the shape of a pretzel or some similar yoga pose. For the most part, yoga is associated with ‘asana’ (physical postures). In many of the fitness centers and gyms where ‘yoga’ is taught, it is the physical aspect that is emphasized. However, when we take a closer look at the deeper meaning of yoga we find that yoga involves much more than just physical stretching postures. In the classical text called the Yoga Sutras, the author, Patanjali, has provided the complete philosophy and methodology for the practice of yoga. In the first four sutras of chapter 1, Patanjali has given us a very clear and concise definition of yoga which serves as the foundation for the rest of his exposition on yoga. In this article, I will be discussing these four sutras in some detail. When we develop an understanding of the basic definition, we can start viewing our own yoga practice with a different perspective.
To listen to an audio rendition of each sutra, please click on the small blue button at the beginning of the sutra.
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Recently, all the websites that I manage were a target of a virus attack. I first found out about it through an email from a friend who tried to reach my main blog yogawithsubhash.com and got a virus warning. I then decided to check all my websites and found that four out of the eight websites that I maintain were infected. Since I transfer files back and forth between my PC and the web server, I subsequently found that my own PC was also infected.
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The second 21-day yoga challenge program concluded successfully on Saturday, June 26. It is quite remarkable that all the 15 participants kept their commitment to come in every morning at 6 AM for the entire 21 days. A few students who missed a day or two had to do that due to circumstances beyond their control – a sudden emergency at work/home, health problems etc.
On the last day we had a session where we shared our individual experience during the program. Here is a summary of what the participants shared:
- Most found it difficult to wake up early during the first few days of the program. However, gradually, getting up early became more natural as time went by.
- Many of them enjoyed the gentle pace of the routine each day.
- Even though we maintained the same basic routine (based on the Integral Yoga program) every day, we practiced several variations of the poses or some new poses every day. The participants really enjoyed the variety and the structure of the program.
- Most expressed improvement in flexibility, strength etc which are usually associated with a regular yoga program.
- Most of them bought my video DVD of a typical session. They are planning to use it to keep the commitment to continue their individual practice for at least 21 more days.
- There was one suggestion that I need to spend more time on meditation. In particular, while going through the guided meditation related to ‘sense withdrawal (pratyahara)’ , it would be helpful if I could spend more time focusing on individual senses.
- Many enjoyed the introduction of the Five Tibetan Rites which we practiced on a couple of occasions.
- Many found the discussion of yoga philosophy very helpful
I was personally delighted to see the enthusiasm and energy of all the participants throughout the program. Their appreciation and joy of attending the program was obvious at the two breakfast sessions that we had following the class. During these breakfast sessions, we truly enjoyed the variety of healthy, vegetarian food that everyone brought to share with all.
Given the very positive and encouraging response from the students, I plan to continue to offer these programs on a periodic basis. If you are interested in attending a future program, or would like more information, please do contact me.
As many of you are aware, the next 21-day yoga challenge program will begin on June 6. Based on the very positive and encouraging response from those who participated in the 21-day program n April, I plan to hold similar programs approximately every two months in the near future. At the present time, all fifteen spots for the June program have been filled. However, if you would like to join one of the future programs, or would like more information, please contact me.
It is really heartening to see that the participants are making such a deep commitment to attend the yoga class for 21 days at a stretch. Many of the participants have told me that to wake up that early to start the class at 6 AM is in itself a big challenge for them. In addition to attending for these 21 days, I am also recommending that they continue to practice on their own for 21 additional days after this session is over. According to many experts, it takes 21 days of regular practice to start realizing the benefits of any new change in your life and further 21 days to finally convert the practice into a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it is easy to see how this can become a lifestyle instead of an effort or a chore. To see some of the anticipated benefits, please visit my original blog post on the first 21-day program here.
I would truly welcome your feedback and comments. The program participants may like to use the comments section below to discuss any questions, thoughts or experiences that they have before, during or after the session.
If you attend a yoga class, it is very likely that the teacher starts the class by reciting the sound of OM three times. Most teachers like to chant OM at the end of the class as wll. That’s how I start and end the classes tha I teach. So, the natural question that comes up is, "why chant OM and what is the significance of this sound?". Here is a brief explanation of the meaning and significance of OM.
OM is considered to be the ‘primordial sound’. Even before the material creation came into existence there was only the natural humming energy which resembled the sound of OM. Today, we know that one form of energy can be converted to another form – electricity to sound, electricity to heat, heat to electricity etc. According to the famous equation by Einstein – E=mc2, all matter is nothing but waves of energy. So, when the ‘powers that be’ decided to create this material universe, they were able to use the ever-present humming sound vibration of OM to manifest this creation. This same vibration continues to exist all around us and even inside us. The inner sound is given the name "antar-naada" (the inner sound) which can be heard when we can tune in to our pure inner self.
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Recently I received this link from a friend of mine about an article in NYT describing research on creativity conducted at the University of New Mexico. The research utilized f-MRI technology to study and "measure" creativity under different conditions. On reading the article I noticed striking parallel between the findings of this research and yoga philosophy as given in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In order to point out the similarities to the author of the article, Patricia Cohen, I have written her the following letter:
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Gomukhasana – गोमुखासन (Cow-face Pose) is one of the popular sitting postures. It is called "cow-face" because in this pose the lower limbs resemble the face of the cow. The two knees with the gap in between look like the mouth and, the shin, the side of the face. The feet look like the ears of the cow.
Step-by-Step
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As we know, pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation are two of the key ingredients of an integrated yoga routine. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, has given us these 8 "tools", called the eight limbs of yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) to achieve stillness of the mind – yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Many of the yoga practitioners tend to limit their practice to only the 3rd limb, asana, the physical postures. Even though the practice of asana will make the body more flexible and stronger, by practicing only asanas we are limiting ourselves to a small subset of the benefits that yoga can provide. If we want to achieve the full complement of benefits of yoga, we need to avail of all the "tools" that are given to us.
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Delicious Indian Meals
Home-cooked, vegetarian Indian Meals to go. Please visit here to place an order.
Audio CD/DVD available
- Video DVD - asana sequence (~50 min) $15
- Audio CD - asana sequence (~50 min) $10
- Sun Salutation Mantras (12 rounds) $5
Please contact me if you would like to buy the CDs.
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