Pranam to Prana......Challenging Death thro Pranayama

प्राण को प्रणाम ........Salutation to Prana
by
Kamini

 Prana is all pervading life force in every grain of sand, every drop of water....from the sub-atomic to all encompassing universe. 

We are alive because we breathe. When we stop, we die. Not so for a Yogi. How and Why? It is so because of Pranayama. Pranayama is the fourth step in Yoga leading up to the final step Samadhi (Liberation). It is also enunciated by Patanjali in his exposition of Ashtanga ( Eight steps/limbs) Yoga. The eight steps are Yama, Niyama (Moral & Social code), Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara( withdrawal of senses),  Dharana ( Concentration), Dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi.

Coming back to Pranayama. For a novice in Yoga, Pranayama is associated with breathing, that is, the whole play of getting in Oxygen and throwing out Carbon Dioxide. However, that's just breathing, not Pranayama. Which does not mean Yoga disregards breath. After all, breath is the vehicle on which Prana rides into the body. If words must be used to further define Prana, then it is simply the life force. It is the force which survives when we, our individual bodies, die. This surely does not mean that we neglect our bodies only because it is going to die some day. No! In fact, just as breath, the limited, is the vehicle for realising and harnessing the unlimited Prana, so the body is the instrument for realising the eternal Soul. So utmost care is to be taken of the body. A diseased, sick body cannot serve the purpose of Pranayama. Therefore, first the body is streamlined and made healthy with Asanas.

Furthermore, the body is meant to enjoy the Nine Rasa, Shringar (Beauty, Love), Hasya (Laughter, joy), Bibatsya (Disgust), Roudra( Anger, Outrage), Shanta( Peace, Calm) Veer (Heroic), Bhaya( Fear, Anxiety), Karuna ( Compassion, Grief), Adbhuta (Wonderment).

There is natural, spontaneous fear of anything to do with the Spirit or Soul. For many it is concomitant with withdrawal from all the offerings of creation. No!! In fact, it does not need much intelligence or imagination to understand how much more you can enjoy it all when your body is healthy, your mind is not agitated and emotions are in harmony. This is what happens when you harness Prana.

If breath is meant to keep the body alive, Prana is food for the soul. Body is limited. It's only destination from the moment it is born is to head straight for the grave. The soul never dies. So Yoga lets you use the limited body & breath to know the unlimited Soul.

The only way to know and practice this is to get a good teacher who has himself/herself experienced it all. But, only the Teacher cannot do much if your own regular practice and dedication is lacking. After all, you are challenging death itself!!

Hari Om!  हरी ॐ !  

Beautiful Limbering up asanas

Body Limbering Up Exercises in Yoga

Pawan Mukta asana series: These are wonderful, simple exercises which loosen up, warm up and limber up your joints and muscles from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. It is best to satart any yoga practice with 7 to 8 minutes of Pawan Muktasana excercises.
Before beginning any yoga practice, sit in a comfortable posture. It could be merely in cross legged, or padma asana, on your heels in vajrasana or on a chair or sofa if you are in a debilitated state or have some severe back problem.
Close your eyes and internalize your awareness. Watch your own breathing for a minute or so keeping your spine straight and your whole body relaxed.

a) Feet Stretching exercise: Sit comfortably on your mat with legs stretched out in front of you.
Inhale and stretch your foot outward so that the toes point away from the body.
Exhale and pull your foot inward so that the toes are now poised towards the body. One inhalation and exhalation makes one round. Do seven rounds.

a) Ankle rotation: Sit comfortably and spread your legs a foot apart. Then rotate your right ankle in clockwise direction seven time and then anti-clocwise direction seven times. Repeat the same with your left ankle. Get your feet together and repeat with both feet together.

1) Ardha Titali asana (Half Butterfly) : Sit comfortably with your legs stretched out in front of you. Fold the right leg and place it on your left thigh. Place the right hand on the knee and gently bounce the right leg up and down like the wings of a butterfly. Do 20 to 40 rounds depending on your capacity and comfort level. Do equal number of rounds with the left leg.

2) Poorna Titali asana: Sit comfortably with your legs stretched out in front of you. Then fold both legs. Gripping the toes draw the foot as close as possible to the groin region. Then with hands on the knees, bounce your legs up and down again like a butterfly flapping its wings.

3) Gatyatmak Meeru Vakrasana: Sit on the floor with legs stretched out. Then separate your legs as far apart as possible. Then stretch your hands sideways so that they at the shoulder level and your hands are in one straight line. Then twist your body to the right so that the left hand can grip the right toes and right hand is stretched out at the back. Turn the head to the right and gaze at your right hand. Then twist your body to the left without bringing the hands down. Now grip the left toe with the right hand and turn and gaze at the left hand stretched out behind you. This is one round. Practice between 7 to 10 rounds.

Head Rotation or Greeva Sanchalana: (Neck movement) Sit comfortably in padmasana (cross legged) with hands resting on the knees in gyan or chin mudra.
Close your eyes, relax your body and internalize your gaze.
Move your head forward with exhalation and try to touch the chin to the chest.
The slowly move your head back as far as comfortably possible so that you feel the stretch of the neck muscles and inhale. Do three to ten rounds.
Sit comfortably, inhale deeply and as you exhale turn your head to the right as far back as possible. Then inhale as you come back to the centre and exhale and look to the left as far back as possible. Keep your eyes closed and awareness on stretch and pull of the entire neck region.
Inhale in the centre and bend the head to the side giving a nice stretch to the left side of the neck. Exhale as you bend the head. Repeat for the other side.
4) Mushtika bandha (hand clentching) Sit relaxed in cross legged or any base position. Raise your hands straight in front at shoulder level. Your open palms should point downwards. Stretch your fingers as wide apart as possible. Close the fingers to make a tight fist with the thumbs inside. The fingers should wrap the thumbs. Inhale while opening the hands and exhale while closing. Maintain awareness on breath, and movement and close yours if necessary. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
5) Mushtika bandh ( wrist bending) Sit comfortably in cross legged or base position with back straight but relaxed.
Stretch arms at shoulder level in front of the body with finger together and palm facing downward. Bend the palm at the wrist so that the fingers are pointing at the floor. Then raise the palm at the wrist so the fingers are pointing at the ceiling. Inhale while bending up and exhale while bending down. Repeat it 5 to 10 times.
6) Manibandha chakra: (wrist joint rotation) Remain in base position, back straight, body relaxed. Stretch your hands out in front at shoulder level. Put your thumb inside your palm and close the fingers around it in a tight fist. Then rotate the fist at the wrist in a clockwise direction for 7 to 10 rounds and then anti clock wise direction same number of rounds.
7) Kehuni Naman: ( Elbow bending) Remain in cross legged or base position. Stretch the hands out in front of you at shoulder level palms facing upwards. Then inhale in this position and exhale and bend the hands at the elbow with the fingers touching the shoulders. Do this 7 to 10 rounds
8) Same practice can be done with hands stretched out in a line at the side and palms turned upwards. Inhale in this position and exhale and bend the elbows with the fingers touching respective shoulders.

Yoga Nidra....The Blissful Relaxation

 Yoga Nidra                              

by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Most people sleep without resolving their tensions,
This is termed nidra.
Nidra means sleep, no matter what or why,
But Yoga nidra means sleep after throwing off the burdens,
It is of a blissful, higher quality altogether.

When awareness is separate and distinct from the vrittis,
When waking, dream and deep sleep pass like clouds,
Yet awareness of atma remains,
This is the experience of total relaxation.

Relaxation does not mean sleep.
Relaxation means to be blissfully happy.
It has no end. 
I call bliss absolute relaxation:
Sleep is a different matter,
Sleep gives only mind & sense relaxation.
Bliss relaxes the atma, the inner self.
That is why, in tantra,
Yoga nidra is the doorway to Samadhi.