Patanjali – The onus is on you

Lord Shiva is said to have invented the seven forms of yoga that sage Patanjali assimilated. Today, these seven forms have become the stairway to enlightenment for people around the world.

There are many theories about the origins of yoga, and most of these credit the learned sage Patanjali with creating the yoga asanas and meditation techniques that we practice today. But this is not true – Patanjali did not invent yoga. Yoga was already in existence, and it was propounded by none other than Lord Shiva. However, Patanjali can certainly be credited with giving this early knowledge a definite structure and taking it forward so that the world could learn about it.

Patanjali’s yoga sutras are said to be a direct derivative of the yoga knowledge that the Saptarshis (Seven Sages) preached. The Saptarshis were said to have received their tutelage in yoga from Lord Shiva himself. However, Patanjali took these rudimentary lessons in yoga and backed them with research about their benefits, and how yogic breathing influenced each asana. Patanjali’s yoga sutras also deal with the benefits of a holistic lifestyle, the power of meditation in transforming life and the ways to attain moksha through the practice of yoga.

Yoga in today’s day and age

Though hundreds of types of yoga are practiced all over the world today, they are all derivatives of Patanjali yoga sutras. However, modern yogis have devised their own smaller forms of yoga to suit different needs. Also, not all forms of yoga can suit each practitioner. The trick is to find the form that best resonates with you, so that you can find the physical and emotional fulfilment that you seek.

But whichever form of yoga that you adopt, it must be practiced daily with complete faith and surrender to the universe. It is only when you practice it with a heart full of joy and a mind open to every possibility, that you can begin to find the first glimpses of the ultimate salvation that you seek. Each asana is its own meditation form, and each breathing exercise cleanses your body. The adoption of yoga into your lifestyle can have a tremendous impact on your psyche, transforming your thought processes, changing how your body looks and feels, and also how confident and fulfilled you feel as a human being.

Thus, by transforming you, yoga transforms your relationship with the world. All your love for material possessions and wasteful relationships falls by the wayside when a higher truth enters your life. This is the crux of what Patanjali enumerated centuries ago – the onus is now on you to adopt his teachings and transform your life!

Yoga for early beginners

Children can benefit immensely from adopting yoga at a really young age, for both physical and mental development.

Yoga is a way of life, and it offers tremendous benefits and zero side effects. The beauty of it is that anyone can practice yoga, whatever their age, lifestyle, background or economic status. However, we are conditioned to think that only adults can perform yoga – studies show that it is good to encourage yoga for kids, for the following reasons:

1. To focus the mind. Children have active imaginations and they are easily distracted. Many children are dreamers and they exist in their own mental space filled with the things that fascinate them. However, early grounding in yoga can help channel their creative and nervous energy in such a way that they are able to concentrate better. Often, many children are unable to focus on one task for long, and they are easily bored or distracted. Yoga for kids eliminates the problem of lack of concentration.
2. For physical development. Early lessons in bodily development are crucial for children, and this includes getting adequate exercise and eating healthy food. Many children today choose to play with digital devices instead of being out in the fresh air, and they love to eat junk food that is harmful for their bodies. Yoga for kids helps them develop early fitness and a conscious liking for home cooked, nutritious meals. The asanas help their bodies become stronger and lithe, while meditation and good diet enhance their mental acuity.
3. Yoga to increase confidence. Some children are shy and they find it difficult to interact with others. Others feel inferior to their siblings or peers because they feel that they lack the good qualities that others possess. When children are uncomfortable about themselves or they harbour feelings of insecurity, they retreat into a shell. This is harmful for the child’s psyche, because it breeds fearfulness, lack of trust and reduced confidence. An under confident child will often grow into an under confident adult – so yoga must be taught early to inspire the child and increase their confidence in themselves.
4. Yoga to increase discipline. Many children today are left to the care of babysitters or relatives since both parents go to work. In the absence of a parental figure, many children become stubborn, spoilt and wilful. They are not disciplined properly and become headstrong and obstinate. Soon, there are many behavioural and development problems that peers and teachers may bring to the parents’ notice. At this stage, instead of punishment and detention, the child should be enrolled in a yoga class so that their mind is calmer, they learn the value of learning and discipline and how to be a credit to society.

Yoga and Meditation: For the mind, body, and soul

Yoga is not only about asanas or meditating in isolation. They merge with each other in more ways than one.

For many novice yoga practitioners, the practice of yoga only extends to the practice of asanas. They believe that achieving enough flexibility to perform a variety of asanas with ease is the end goal. While that is an admirable objective, most practitioners are unaware that another component of yoga – known as yoga meditation – is needed for the body to reach its full potential.

It seems surprising at first, but meditation cannot be performed without the right form, and the right form is not possible without yoga meditation. Let’s understand this with an example. You might begin each yoga session with meditation, for which you must sit cross legged, back straight, shoulders pushed back. This pose forces you to utilise the mid- and lower back muscles that you normally do not use. You might sit at your desk all day, but chances are that you slump in your chair instead of sitting upright. Also, sitting cross-legged puts pressure on the hips and inner thighs, which you may not have experienced in a long time.

This is just one example of how yoga and meditation are connected to each other. Let’s consider a few more which illustrate the benefits of practicing both yoga and meditation together:

• Each yoga asana prepares the body for meditation. Normally, meditation follows a series of yoga asanas, so that the muscles and mind may relax. Each asana stretches the body, improving its dexterity. Meditation following this activity helps the worked out body relax.
• Most people believe that yoga asanas by themselves improve the body’s overall fitness and natural processes. This is only partly true. The blood gets oxygenated during yoga meditation, when you breathe in and out in a controlled manner. The oxygenated blood then travels to the body’s organs and benefits them as well.
• Good breath control taught in yoga meditation also has the benefit of helping the body eliminate toxins and microbes through the breath. However, the body must be ready for this activity by practicing yoga asanas for at least 45 minutes.
• Asanas make meditation even more effective, since each of them are devised to direct the body’s energies towards the spine. The spine holds the body’s ‘shakti’, which is then directed towards the brain. When meditation follows, these energies unlock our consciousness and make us more alert about our surroundings.
• In short, as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras surmise, the practice of yoga and meditation are interlinked. They go together to connect our soul to the rhythms of the universe. They help one forget the physical body to connect with the inner mind.

5 Chair Yoga Poses for Working Folks

Do you suffer a lot while trying to stand from being seated? Have you heard of chair yoga? Well, this is nothing special but generally refers to yoga poses that can be done while sitting on the chair. It helps in releasing the tension that is created as a result of constant sitting resulting in a lack of mobility. So, whether you’re a student or an adult working long hours in the office, this is just the right piece of article for you.

Why Chair Yoga?

 

Chair yoga helps in improving and strengthening the muscles, reduces the stress level and by even improving the breathing habits inhibits better sleep and a feeling of well-being. Since yoga is more about adaptability, it doesn’t matter much where you’re doing it. So, you don’t have to rush much to go and get a specialized yoga chair, rather do it in a normal one. However, it is best to avoid the wheeled chair owing to its instability.

Types of Yoga Poses

 

While you are on the chair, there are certain basic yoga poses that can be done, and these simple postures will give you the ease and comfort throughout. Keeping this in mind, five simple poses are enlisted below. Take a look at them.

1. Seated Crescent Moon Pose: Working hours in the computer results in discomfort in the neck and shoulder region. This pose helps you in getting back the normal spine structure, distinct thoughts, and sharp focus. To do it, simply raise your hands over the head and stretch your fingers wide and join the hands. Now lean once to the right and hold on there for 2-3 deep breaths and follow the same on the left side. Repeat this pose whenever you are stressed.
2. Wrist And Finger Stretch: Working on the desk tends to build up tension in the tendons and muscles, and this pose helps in improving the blood flow to this region. Place both the hands on the desk and keep the fingers overlapping each other, while one hand faces inward and the other outward. In this position, stretch as much as you can.
3. Chair Pigeon Pose: This pose works on the hips and the lower spine region. While seated, cross your right leg over the left at an angle of 90 degrees and while holding the knees with your hand, twist on the right side. Hold on for a few seconds and repeat the position with the left leg.
4. Sit And Stand Chair Pose: With pressure on your foot, try to sit at an angle of 90 degrees and remain steady for a few seconds and then try to stand in that position. Repeat this pose 5-10 times a day to release pressure from the hamstrings.
5. Chair Forward Bend: Sit in a chair and with an exhalation, bend forward over the legs while the hands are touching the ground. Be in a position when the head hangs downwards. Raise the arms over the head while inhaling. Repeat this position several times to release the stress.

Mudras: The path to a fulfilling life

The movement and arrangement of your body during yoga practice has implications for the quality of your life. This arrangement is known as ‘mudras’.

That yoga is great for both the body and the soul is well known. However, for those who are not yoga practitioners, it seems to be some mystic exercise form that involves many contortions of the body and meditating by saying ‘Om’ with the eyes closed. However, this rather cartoonish depiction of yoga as propagated by the mass media tells an untrue story. Yoga is not about just the exercise and meditation; it is ingrained in the smallest movement to the unleashing of power using Kundalini practices.

On the subject of small movements, let us shed light on the concept of ‘mudras’. Mudras are the embodiment of every movement one makes during the practice of yoga. Your every breath and even the positioning of your hands and fingers during the exercise or deep breathing impacts the overall quality of yoga. Yogis especially believe in the tremendous force that the human hands are capable of holding. This explains why the popular mantra ‘Karagreh vasate Laxmi’ extols the virtues of the human hands as the resting place of the Gods. 

The hands are the most important components of mudras. In brief, mudras are the science of arranging each body part during meditation or asanas to get the maximum benefit from the activity. The specific positioning of the hands and even the shifting of the fingers and palms can have a direct connection to the way the rest of the body responds to those movements. Consequently, the hand mudras have an effect on the way the body functions.

Does this sound farfetched to you? Let us explore the science behind hand mudras: yogis believe that the movement of the hands influences how energies flow from the body to the universe. Thus, the hands can actually change the direction and intensity of our energies. When mudras are coupled with the right breathing patterns, there is a lot of scope to channel energy in the desired direction!

Thus, the hand mudras are crucial to the success of the yoga asana or meditation. It is safe to say that the single touch of an energised finger has the potential to change the world.

There are thousands of mudras in yoga, and matching the right one with the intended action and result is important. The right mudras can take you closer to achieving your goals, but they must be taught by an experienced teacher who understands the rhythms of your body. And remember that mudras must always be coupled with breath control to unlock the most amount of latent energy inside you.

In our daily lives, we can see that the human hands are capable of great destruction, but also unparalled kindness. The mudras are thus the starting points in our journey to spiritual wellbeing.