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Guide to Yoga in Kerala
Yoga and Ayurveda are interlinked and both have equal tradition of about 5000 years. Yoga is encompassed with body, mind and spirit, involving exercise, breathing and meditation. As in the case of Ayurveda, Yoga is also originated in India and yogis (sages) are the originators. The first archaeological evidence of yoga was detected in stone seals excavated from Indus valley in which yoga postures were carved.
Yoga has three approaches – power, meditation and therapy.
Power
The wholesome objective of yoga is to gain control over body and mind. The physical and mental exercise results in the linkage of body and mind. Yoga - vigorous and disciplined exercise - provides controlling power over body and breath. At this state the mind gets glued to concentration. The power of control is derived from three sources.
A) Control of the body via physical postures. B) Control of the breath by breathing techniques. C) Power of concentration by mental techniques or say willpower.
Meditation
Self inquiry is the primary focus of meditation. Here yoga acts as a tool for deeper relationship with one’s sense of soul severing unwanted thoughts and feelings and underlying in deep concentration.
Therapy
Yoga acts as a restorative and preventive therapy to overcome emotional and health problems. It makes the body viable to cure diseases and disease resistant in many cases.
Power, meditation and therapy are complimentary to each other in maintaining physical fitness, psychological up-keep and spiritual upbeat.
Yoga Texts
There are many texts on yoga – ancient and modern:
Vasistha Samhita. Gherand Samhita, Hatha Pradipika, Goraksha Pandhati, Yoga Suthra, Sankhy Darshan are the ancient texts.
Yoga aur Swasthya by Achary Bhadrasan, Pranayama by Swami Kuvalayanda, Thought Power by Swami Sivananda, Yogasana by Swami Kuvalayanda, Jnanayoga, Karmayoga and Rajayoga by Swami Vivekandanda are the modern texts.
Vedas
Vedas – the collection of hymns praising higher power – were the works of Indus Saraswati civilization. The Indus-Saraswati (named after two rivers) was the largest and modern civilization of that time.
The Vedas, the ancient and oldest texts, contain collections of hymns in praise of invisible powers with yogic teachings of the yore which are considered as divine revelations. The wisdom of the Vedas is better known as Vedic or pre-classical yoga. The Vedic yoga is symbolized in ritualistic ceremonies. The practitioners of Vedic yoga were Rishis (dedicated Yogis/Sages) and the Vedic disciples learnt from the Rishis for living in divine harmony. The protracted spiritual practice enabled the Rishis to have visions of ultimate reality.
Later, the rituals and hymns of the Vedas were detailed in texts named Brahmanas. Thereafter, in the texts called Aranyakas in which the rituals for Yogis living in forests in isolation were detailed.
Systems of Yoga: Yoga Poses, Yoga Breathing & Meditation
Yoga Sutra asserts that body and mind are complimentary to each other. For a harmonious healthy life both of them should be in balance. Development of healthy body and controlling of the mind are the positive result of practicing yoga poses, breathing techniques and meditation. All the three play important roles in their own way.
Pranayama (Breathing Technique)
Sequence of Yoga
Yoga Asanas consist of seven types of movements. They are: 1. Flexion, 2. Extension, 3. Hyperextension, 4. Abduction, 5. Adduction, 6. Rotation, 7. Circumduction. All these movements are capable to discard tension from the muscles and joints. A yoga pose is one or more movements.
Performing of Asanas
Each Asana consists of three levels or stages. The first is ‘getting to the pose’, the second is ‘holding it’, and the third is ‘getting out it’. Sitting still is the beginning of Asanas. Thereafter, follows slow and deep breathing. At this stage the mind is to become concentrated. Breath and movement are to be coordinated well. Till the first stage the poses should be a continuous process.
Therapeutic Yoga
Therapeutic Yoga is best known as a mode of self-treatment. Therapeutic Yoga corrects the improper functioning of the internal systems of the body. Once the systems function normally the root causes of the diseases get uprooted and also guard the body against any attack of diseases.
Therapeutic Yoga is conceived by the Sages disease-wise though Yoga is a blanket guard for the body.
Yoga for Muscular-Skeletal System
Padhasta Asana (Hand to Feet Pose)
Ardha Chakra Asana (Standing Side Stretch)
Other Yoga Breathing Exercises
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
