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.

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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.

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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.

The OM mantra has been mentioned in many of the ancient texts related to yoga. In many of the Upanishads, it is revered as representing everything that is manifest and yet has its roots in the unmanifest. The Mandukya Upanishad (MU), in particular, is fully devoted to the discussion of OM. In the Upanishads, OM is mentioned as being the same as Brahman (the supreme consciousness).

Meaning of OM

The Sanskrit word OM (also written as AUM) is a composite of three letters "A" (? - like the first sound in ‘aware’ , "U" (? -as in ‘foot’ and "M" (?? - as the last sound in ‘mum’). According to MU, the three letters A, U and M represent the waking, dream and deep sleep states. The silence between successive repetitions of the mantra represents the fourth state called ‘turiya’ (literally the ‘fourth’ in Sanskrit), a state that transcends these three states. These three states correspond to the conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious states of the mind. A few other commonly mentioned interpretations of the letters A, U and M are given below:

• A = tamas (darkness, inertia, ignorance)
• U = rajas (passion, activity, dynamism)
• M = Sattva (purity, truth, light)

The silence between the two AUM sounds represents the pure consciousness, a state which transcends the three gunas (called ‘trigunaatit’ – beyond gunas)

• sutra 1.27: "The word expressive of Ishvara is the mystic sound OM (pranava)"
• sutra 1.28: "To repeat it with reflection upon its meaning is an aid."
• sutra 1.29: "From this practice all the obstacles disappear and simultaneously dawns knowledge of the inner Self."
• sutra 1.30: "Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground and slipping from ground gained – these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles."
• sutra 1.31: "Accompaniments to the mental distractions include distress, despair, trembling of the body, and disturbed breathing."

As we can see from these sutras by Patanjali, chanting of OM can make us free from obstacles (defined in sutra 1.30) and provide us a glimpse of the inner self.

Even though chanting of OM as a mantra by itself is advocated in the above sutras, it is common to use OM in conjunction with other mantras. In some cases, it is added at the beginning of a shloka ; for example – "OM namo shivaya, OM bhur, bhuvah, svaha" etc. In other cases it is also added at the end of a phrase – e.g., Hari OM. Most of the mantras in the vedas also start with OM. In the spiritual tradition, those who wish to meditate on a regular basis get a personal mantra from their spiritual teacher. This personal mantra may or may not include OM as a part of the mantra.

How to chant OM

As Patanjali states in sutra 1.28, OM should be chanted keeping its meaning and significance in mind. Since OM is the representative sound and symbol for Ishvara, it is important to keep the essence of Ishvara (sutra 1.24) in mind while chanting OM. The technique for chanting OM is given below:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged seated posture with the spine upright, head, neck and spine in a vertical (if comfortable) alignment. Close the eyes and take a deep inhalation. While exhaling start uttering the OM sound. Begin by feeling the vibration of the "O" sound building up in the navel area and traveling upward. As you continue the chant, feel the vibration moving upward toward the base of the throat. When the vibration reaches the throat area, convert the sound to a deep humming sound of "M". Continue to feel the vibration moving upward until it reaches the crown of the head (called Sahasrara Chakra). You may repeat this process two or more times. At the end of the final chant, continue to sit still and feel the vibration of the OM sound permeating the whole body – every single cell of the body.

Benefits of chanting OM

The continued recitation of OM (called Udgita Pranayama) fills one with peace, calmness, tranquility and serenity. When we recite it with the understanding that OM is nothing but a representation of Ishvara, it brings us closer to our true nature, our own pure self. As mentioned above, OM is the primordial sound and this entire creation is a manifestation of this mystic sound. It represents the cosmic prana (the vital energy) and the air we breathe. Meditating on these thoughts can bring us closer to other human beings and lift the veil of separateness.

Do you chant the sound of OM in your yoga practice? If so, do you chant OM by itself or in association with other mantras? I would love to get your feedback on this article and also would like to know about your own meditation practice. Please leave me a comment below.

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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.

In an effort to encourage the students to include pranayama and meditation as part of their daily yoga routine, I will be offering a 7-day session as follows:

When: May 23-29, 2010

Time: 6:15 – 7:30 AM

Location: my home-based yoga studio

Schedule: light stretching and Sun Salutation (15 minutes), Pranayama (25 min), Relaxation (5 min), Yoga philosophy (10 min), meditation (20 min).

Commitment: For the program to be successful I strongly urge you to make a firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day

Fee: $30

During these sessions, we will cover the techniques and benefits of many different types of pranayama that are given in the yoga literature. For meditation, we will go through a few guided meditation routines. .

Strongly recommended

In addition to committing to the routine as outlined above, I also recommend that you commit to the following for the duration of the program (not mandatory but strongly recommended):

• ‘sattvic’, light, nutritious, VEGETARIAN food
• No alcohol, drugs, tobacco or any other item of similar nature
• A personal commitment to continue the practice after the program is over

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to attend.

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As many of you are aware, one of my favorite questions to the students in my class is, “have you been practicing yoga at home?”. I only get a very few “yes” nods. Most people seem to practice only when they come to the class which, with a few exceptions, is just once a week for most. Some practice occasionally at home, that too only for a short time.

The importance and need for a home-based personal yoga practice cannot be overemphasized. Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras (sutra 1.14) defines "practice" (abhyasa) as, " it (practice) becomes firmly grounded on being continued for a long time, without interruption and with reverent devotion". Here, Patanjali mentions three qualifications for "practice":

1. Long time – long time could signify this entire life-time, or longer. Because the purpose of yoga practice is to control the fluctuations of the mind (sutra 1.2), long time could even mean multiple life-times as attainment of samadhi (total absorption in the self) may not be possible in one life. We may or may not attain ‘samadhi’ in this life; however, we all stand to derive all the other benefits from a regular yoga practice.
2. Without Interruption: Here it strongly suggests fixing a regular schedule for the practice and maintaining it religiously, without interruption. So, let’s say that you decide to practice every morning for 35 minutes. Then, this schedule must be maintained without interruption. A shorter practice done on a regular basis is much more beneficial than to wait for a day when you can spend the full 1.5 hours for your practice.
3. With reverent devotion: You need to be fully committed to the practice as you appreciate the benefits that it will bring.

Once you start practicing, you will soon begin to realize the benefits and then your commitment will grow accordingly. The most common reason mentioned for not practicing is lack of time. I can easily appreciate the very busy pace of modern life (especially corporate life) which indeed does not leave much spare time. In addition to work, people have family commitments and other social obligations. So it is definitely a challenge to allocate time for yoga practice. However, as with everything else, it is primarily a matter of setting the right priorities. If you consider your physical and mental health as important, then a regular yoga practice must find its place in your top priorities.

How much time should you spend on your daily practice? Well, to get started, I suggest you dedicate twenty minutes every day for it. Spend ten minutes practicing a few rounds of Sun Salutation and about ten minutes for pranayama (breathing techniques). As mentioned above, once you establish a regular practice, you will begin to see the benefits which will motivate you to add some more time to the routine. When additional time is available, you can add other components of the practice, like some more asanas, relaxation and meditation. If you cannot find even twenty minutes in one go, you can split the asana and pranayama between morning and evening.

If you have absolutely no time that you can allocate for yoga, I suggest that you cut down your sleep by about a half hour and use that time for yoga. Because the yoga practice provides tremendous physical and mental relaxation, after a few days of practice, you will never miss your sleep. It is well known that many yogis need only 3 to 4 hours of sleep every night (I personally need only about 5.5 hours of sleep). Once again, it is primarily a matter of putting yoga higher on the priority list.

If you are dealing with specific physical or mental issues and would like recommendations accordingly, please do not hesitate to contact me as I would be happy to provide individualized guidance.

Many of you have asked me for an audio CD of the yoga session that I teach which they can use at home to build their own practice. Well, finally I do have a CD with the basic asana session (about 55 minutes). Please let me know if you would like a copy.

Do you already have a home-based practice? Please share with us your experiences from that practice – how long, what do you practice, has it changed your life in any way, etc? Please add your comments to this post.

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For most people the word “yoga” brings to mind the image of a yoga model that appears on the cover of a yoga magazine in a pose that is almost impossible to get into for an average practitioner. Yoga is commonly practiced as a routine which helps in improving physical fitness and sometimes as a means to stress management. There is growing awareness that yoga can be effectively used as therapy in treating a variety of ailments, including hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions etc. In India, Baba Ramdev, whose daily TV show is hugely popular, has been very successful in promoting yoga as a therapeutic practice. Those who have been practicing yoga for a while can attest to the physical and physiological benefits that the practice brings.

While all the above mentioned benefits of yoga are certainly desirable, most people are ignorant about the true meaning and purpose of yoga. In sutra 1.2 Patanjali defines yoga as “the ability to control the fluctuations of the mind”. This brief and succinct definition was provided to us by Sage Patanjali, more than three thousand years ago, in the Yoga Sutras. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali has provided a very scientific and practical exposition of the philosophy and practice of yoga. One very important section of the book describes what is commonly called “ashtanga yoga” or the Eight Limbs of Yoga which provides practical guidelines for achieving the goal of yoga, i.e., controlling the mind.

Most of the yoga as it is practiced today, called Hatha Yoga, includes physical postures (asanas) and some breathing techniques (pranayama). As you can notice from the eight limbs which are listed below, asana and pranayama are only two of these eight limbs and help establish a strong foundation toward achieving the objectives of yoga. However, to develop a fully integrated practice of yoga and achieve the final objectives of yoga, one needs to include in their routine all the eight limbs of yoga in some form.

Overview of Yoga Sutras

Even though yoga has been mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita etc, the credit for putting together a formal, cohesive philosophy of yoga goes to Sage Patanjali. In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali has provided the very essence of the philosophy and teachings of yoga in a highly scientific and systematic exposition. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (YSP) are one of the six darshanas of Hindu schools of philosophy and a very important milestone in the history of Yoga. The book is a set of 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. Though brief, the Yoga Sutras is an enormously influential work that is just as relevant for yoga philosophy and practice today as it was when it was written. The sutras are divided into four chapters (pada) as follows:

1. Samadhi Pada: The first chapter provides a definition and the purpose of yoga. Various approaches that can be used to achieve the objectives of yoga are provided.
2. Sadhana Pada: The second chapter contains the practical approach to achieving the goals of yoga. In this chapter the author gives a description of the eight limbs of yoga called Ashtanga Yoga, which is how the yoga sutras are sometimes referred to.
3. Vibhuti Pada: The third chapter focuses on some of the supernatural powers that an adept yogi may be able to attain.
4. Kaivalya Pada: In the fourth chapter the nature of the mind and mental perceptions, desire, bondage and liberation and what follows it are discussed.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are also sometimes referred to as "Raja Yoga" or the "Royal Yoga".

Definition of Yoga

In sutra 2 of the first chapter, Patanjali has defined yoga as
“yogascitta vritti nirodhah” (Sanskrit)
"Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff"
– translation by Swami Vivekananda
In subsequent sutras, Patanjali explains that once the mind is properly restrained, then the “seer” or the “soul, the true self” can rest in its own true nature. Further, as long as the mind is not under control, it continues to assume the form of the “vrittis” or the perturbations in the mind and these vrittis become the cause of human suffering. In simpler terms, what this definition tells us is that we can be peaceful and happy when we can control the mind; else, the mind continues to control us and we stay in a state of suffering.

Ashtanga Yoga (Eight limbs of Yoga)

The eight limbs of yoga as defined in the second chapter are as follows:

1. Yamas (self restraints): The yamas are guidelines for how to interact with the outside world at a social level. The five yamas are: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (abstinence), Aparigraha (non-hoarding).
2. Niyamas (observances): The niyamas represent guidelines for self-discipline. The five niyamas are: shoucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerity), swadhyaya (study of the scriptures and self-study), and Ishwara pranidhana (surrender to God). Together, yamas and niyamas provide an ethical and moral code to be followed so the aspiring yogi can establish an adequate moral foundation for his/her spiritual journey.
3. Asana (posture): Asana refers to the seated posture which should be steady and comfortable so the yogi can sit and meditate for long periods of time.
4. Pranayama (breath control): Pranayama, which literally means stretching or expansion of prana, the vital life force, involves breath control and helps train and prepare the mind for dharana (concentration).
5. Pratyahara (sense withdrawal): Through pratyahara one gains the ability to withdraw the senses from their objects thus achieving perfect control over the senses.
6. Dharana (concentration/focus): Dharana involves focusing the mind on a single object of concentration for long periods of time.
7. Dhyana (meditation): When there is an uninterrupted flow of the mind toward the object of focus, the yogi enters the state of meditation.
8. Samadhi (total absorption): Finally when even the self-awareness of the mind disappears and only the object of meditation shines through, it is called the state of samadhi. It is only in the highest stage of “Samadhi”, called the “nirbeeja Samadhi” (seedless Samadhi) when the mind is fully under control and brings the yogi to a state of perpetual peace and tranquility.

The main focus of Patanjali is controlling the mind and subduing the fluctuations of the mind, called ‘chitta vrittis’. Once the mind is calm and peaceful, one gets established in his own true nature.

A Great Resource for Yoga Sutras

For an English translation of all the 195 sutras by eight different authors, please visit my website dedicated to the Yoga Sutras here. In addition to the translation, the site also contains the original text of the sutra in the Devanagari script (the script of the Sanskrit language), English transliteration as well as an audio rendition of each sutra.

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One of the prominent yogis from India, Yogiraj Dr. Om Prakash ji, who was on a US visit last summer, presented a series of yoga sessions at the Hindu Bhavan Cultural Hall in Morrisville, NC. He highlighted the value of pranayama (breathing practices) in general as an integral component of any yoga routine. However, he specifically emphasized the importance of Kapaalabhaati and called it "sarvaroga nivarini" which literally means ‘(a practice) that can heal all types of ailments’. When practiced regularly under proper guidance it can bring about radiant health and provide other benefits at a more subtle level. Another very famous yogi from India, Swami Ramdev, who has shot to fame via his daily TV programs, calls it ‘the Sanjeevani’ which is an herb that can supposedly bring even a dead body back to life. This is based on a famous parable in Ramayana – "When Lakshmana was wounded, Hanuman flew to the Himalayas for the medicinal herb Sanjeevani. Unable to identify the Sanjeevani, he wrested the entire mountain from the land and carried it to Lakshmana". Based on these strong statements from prominent yogis of today, it is easy to see why it is important to include this practice in your daily yoga routine.

In the classical Hatha Yoga text "Hatha Yoga Pradeepika", Kapaalabhaati is described as one of the six cleansing kriyas (Shatkarma). However, because it involves manipulation of the breath and offers great benefits, it is widely practiced as a part of the pranayama techniques.

Not sure how to pronounce kapAlabhAti? The ‘A’ represents a long vowel sound, somewhat like the ‘o’ in ‘mom’ (American) or the ‘a’ in ‘fast’ (British).

Contraindications

Before I describe the technique it is important to understand that people with the following conditions should not practice kapaalabhaati – cardiac problems, nasal congestion, severe cold, severe headache, abdominal ulcers, hernia. People with high blood pressure should either refrain from it or practice a milder version of the technique. Pregnant women and those who have had recent abdominal surgery should also refrain from this practice. One cautionary note – practice kapaalabhaati on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning. However, if your schedule only allows you to practice it during the day/evening, then you should give a gap of at least 2.5 hours after eating a meal.

The Technique

Now let us turn our attention to the technique itself and learn how to practice it. Sit in any comfortable position with the spine erect. You can sit either cross-legged or in "vajrasana" (the diamond pose) or in any position that you feel comfortable in. If you have problem sitting on the floor, you can even sit in a chair, preferably with the spine erect and not resting against the back of the chair. Breathe normally for a few breaths. Once composed, you can begin by first exhaling and then inhaling half-way. First, exercise the diaphragm by exhaling suddenly and quickly through both nostrils while simultaneously drawing the abdominal muscles inwards. The brisk and vigorous exhalation produces a "puffing" sound. Allow the abdominal muscles to relax at the end of exhalation and let the inhalation happen automatically and passively. The rate of expulsion will vary from one individual to the next depending upon capacity. On the average, one can maintain a rate between 70 to 120 expulsions per minute (remember the normal breathing rate is 12 to 15 breaths per minute). It is important to understand that you should not strain or become uncomfortable during the practice. If you begin to feel dizzy or uncomfortable in any way, it means that you are trying too hard or trying to breathe too forcefully. At this point stop the practice and sit quietly for some time before trying it again. Start with only 20-30 expulsions per round and try three rounds. Over a period of time, with practice, you can increase the number of breaths per round. A little rest can be taken in between the rounds according to your convenience. Throughout the exercise, the chest should be kept still without expansion or contraction and the shoulders should remain steady and relaxed. Only the diaphragm is used for breathing and not the upper chest.

An Alternate Approach

Some of you might have some difficulty getting the technique right in the beginning. In that case, you can try this alternate approach. Put both your hands on your belly, just a little below the navel. Keep the belly soft. Now push your abdomen in with your hands and at the same time try to throw all the air out of the lungs in a forceful, brisk manner. At the end of the exhalation, allow the inhalation to happen passively. Repeat the pushing with the hands accompanied by expulsion of air and then passive inhalation. When this rhythm seems to become natural, you may try to remove the hands from the belly and continue with the practice.

Benefits of Kapaalabhaati

• As mentioned above, Kapalabhati is traditionally considered one of the cleansing techniques in yoga. One of its main benefits comes in the form of movement of metabolic waste from all the tissues in the body toward the lungs where they are eliminated.
• Kapaalabhaati helps clear mucus from the lungs. As air moves into the throat, it travels down the superior portion of the airway called the trachea. The walls of this single tubed airway consist of several layers, of which the innermost layer is lined with cilia cells. Cilia are microscopic, grass-like projections that continually beat and propel mucus that traps dust particles, bacteria and debris. This mucus is propelled by the cilia toward the pharynx where it is released by coughing or swallowing. Smoking inhibits and ultimately destroys cilia. When the cilia function, as described above, is lost, coughing is the only method of moving accumulated mucus out of the lungs. Because of the cleansing effect on the lungs, this practice is recommended for people who suffer from respiratory ailments like bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis etc.
• The force of the exhalations in Kapaalabhaati acts further on debris-filled mucus in the lungs and trachea. This additional force works with the cilia and helps move the mucus more readily up the airway against gravity. Coughing after Kapaalabhaati helps in releasing these impurities. In addition to removing mucus, Kapaalabhaati also helps expel more carbon dioxide and other waste gases from the cells and lungs compared to normal breathing. The powerful exhalation also helps increase the flow of blood in the lung tissues as well as throughout the body.
• Improves the health of the lungs, bronchial system and the associated organs. It helps in curing the diseases of the lungs like asthma and bronchitis.
• The energetic expulsions in Kapalabhati help increase cardiovascular activity and increasing the heart rate. This helps in improving the health of the heart muscles and tissues.
• The rapid and forceful movement of the abdominal muscles in Kapaalabhaati gives a massage to the internal organs. With each vigorous exhalation, the abdominal walls draw inwards applying pressure on internal organs, including the lungs, pancreas, intestines, the gall bladder etc. This pressure helps increase the circulation of blood flow into and out of abdominal organs. This massage also sends a direct pressure into the digestive system helping move remaining food and fecal matter through the intestines and colon. Kapaalabhaati helps in reducing the incidence of constipation. With this increased circulation of blood and material in the internal organs comes a release of toxins as well.
• At a subtler level, it impacts the Navel Center (Manipura Chakra) and helps in countering some of the negative propensities associated with this chakra – jealousy, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, and sadness.
• Literally, the word kapaalabhaati means ‘skull shining’ (kapaala = skull; bhaati = shining/polishing). Regular practice is supposed to clear and calm the mind and over a period of time, one develops a healthy natural glow on the face.
• It also brings about the state of ‘pratyahara’ (sense withdrawal) which prepares the mind for meditation.

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