Asana types
Hatapradipika text has explained 15 asanas.
Svastikasana, Gomukasana, Virasana, Kurmasana, Kukkutasana, Uttanakurmasana, Dhanurasana, Matsyendrasana, Pascimottanasana, Mayurasana, Savasana, Siddasana, Padmasana, Simhasana, Bhadrasana.
Out of these asanas swami swatmarama gave more importance to siddasana and padmasna & has explained it in detail.
Meaning of asana:- The word asana in Sanskrit language has “Aas” as its root and has 2 meanings
1. Seating position
2. Body position(posture)
The sitting area (seat) means on which we sit mrugdhal, Kush, mattress, jute mat etc as the seat asanas. Other meaning is the body posture/position which means body, soul in a happy satisfactory position of body, mind and soul all become one and stable & the happiness experienced after this is called as asana.
Definition of asanas:
The great sage patanjali has defined asana as follows
1) Sthira sukham asanam //2-46//
Stability and happiness are before sitting is called asana.
2) In ashtanga yoga sage charandas has said:-
Chaurasi lakh asan jano
Yonin ki baithak pehacharo
This means that you should know eighty four lakh asana to know a yogi.
Different species of animals and living creatures sit in various positions which are called as asana.
Types of postures:
Meditative posture |
body stimulating |
stability posture |
Padmasana |
sirsasana |
savasana |
Siddasana |
swargasana |
makrasana |
Sukasana |
bujangasana |
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Svastikasana |
halasana |
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Supthavajrasana |
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Body stimulating postures
Vajrasana:
Meaning: vajra means diamond. One can practice vajrasana our both thighs get as strong as diamond. So it is called as vajrasana.
Procedure:
Spread both the legs wide and sit. The both palms are on the ground at the side. Now bend the right leg at the knee and bring it under your right buttocks, the toes are facing towards inside. In the same way the left leg in brought. Both the hands are kept on both the thighs respectively. Then open the eyes look straight. This is called as vajrasana. In this the head, neck and spinal cord all the 3 are in a straight line.
Breathing: the breathing is normal.
Benefits
- In this the thigh and buttock muscles get strong.
- This asana helps in digestive and expulsion system.
- This helps in stomach disease like hyper acidity, peptic ulcer and cures it.
- It increases the digestion power. This is to be done after food as it’s helpful.
- By doing this asana the effect is more on vajra nadi.
Precautions:
Astio- arthritis problem people should not practice this asana
Who have pails problem they should not practice vajrasana.
Paschimottanasana:
Procedure: Join both the legs in front and sit. Now hold the great toe of both the legs by hands respectively. Both the forearms should touch the ground at the sides. Stay in this position for a while and come back.
BreathingSlowly expelling out twice you are supposed to bend and later when coming back your breathe in.
Benefits
- This asana stimulated in sushumna nadi.
- Digestive power increased.
- It is good for diabetic patients.
- This is good for constipation, indigestion and seminal disorders as well as good for sciatica and prevents it.
- It gives agility to stomach and waist.
- It reduces fat
- Urinary and reproductive system diseases are prevented.
- It is very helpful in finales.
- This increases intelligence.
Precautions:
While doing this asana should not jump with a jerk.
Hypertension, heart disease, spondylosis patients should not practice.
Slip disc and spinal cord disease patients are prohibited to do this.
Dhanurasana:
Meaning: - in this the shape of the body gets the shape of strong bow. So this is called as dhanurasana.
Procedure:
Firstly lie down on your stomach and then bend the legs from behind and bring the ankles closer to the buttocks and later hold the legs with your hands. Now slowly pull your legs upwards and then the thighs, head and chest all the 3 are raised together. The shape of the body is the form of bow, while coming down slowly. Make the thighs and chest to touch the ground and come back to the same position of stomach.
Benefits
- This brings agility in the muscles of spinal cord and back, all the tissues weakness is cured.
- This prevents constipation and pitta diseases.
- It increases the hunger and helps for digestion.
- It helps in respiratory disorders.
- Pancreas and adrenalin gland hormones are balanced.
- Indigestion, constipation, hepatic disorders, diabetes, sense organ system and menstrual cycle related disorders, appetite are cured.
Precautions:
Should not do in hurry.
This should be done on empty stomach.
People suffering from heart disease, HTN, hernia, backache etc, Should not do it.
Sarvangasana:
Meaning: - by doing this asana all the body parts are affected so this is called as sarvangasana.
Procedure:
First lie down on your back, keep your hands at the side and legs should be straight. Let the body loose, now lift both the legs up very slowly and rising till they are as straight as tree along the body line. Now give support to the upper body with the arms on the ground. Go back to previous position.
Benefits
- It is beneficial in hernia, constipation, appetite spleen and liver disorders.
- It gives rest to heart and makes it strong.
- It purifies blood.
- Thyroid gland becomes strong.
- Very helpful in uterine disorders.
Precautions: People suffering from eyes, ear, nose, heart related diseases, HNT, should not practice this asana.
Shirsasana:
Meaning: in this asana you stand upside down on your head. So it is called as shirsasana.
Procedure:
Sit down on the floor with the support of your palms; keep the knees stretched out and touching the ground. Entwine both hand and fingers in each other. Along with the entwined hands and forearm form a triangle and keep it on the ground. Now bend forward and keep your head in between the triangle formed. Now stretch your leg straight now slowly bring both the legs near the body, lift the palms from the ground with your knees and stomach should touch. Now with support & balance stretch and straighten your thighs and legs. Your knees will be inverted, now your knees will be straight and stand upright on your head.
Benefits
- It helps digestive system.
- This strengthens the tendons of the body as well as endocrine glands are healthy and balanced.
- This helps the brain circulation and increase memory power.
- This asana overcome the eye disorders and your hair gets black and healthy & strong.
- This helps in sore throat, liver and spinal disorders.
Precautions:
HNT, perforated ear and heart disease people should not practice this asana.
People suffering from cold and cough are prohibited.
People suffering from constipation are prohibited.
Gomukhasana:
Meaning: the shape of the body becomes like that of the face of cow. So this is called as gomukhasana.
Procedure:
First spread your legs and stretch. In this asana we sit in such a way that one leg is resting above another leg and both ankles are at the side. The right leg is folded and kept near the left buttock region and the left leg is folded and kept near resting one above the other. Now take the right hand and bring it behind the back and later the left hard is also brought and entwine fingers of both the hands tightly.
Both the arms should be straight. The spinal cord should be straight, head should be turned towards one side and eyes should be closed.
Benefits
- The upper part of chest, shoulders, neck and the spinal cord muscles are usually tensed and this helps in good strong. Tendons and muscles get strong.
- This is helpful in diabetes mellitus, spondylytis, insomnia, sleep disorders, emaciation and reproductory system related disorders.
- It increases the lung capacity. This is helpful in males having B P H.
- This is helpful in thighs and muscles by strengthening them and making them strong.
Precautions:
Mudras :
Meaning of mudra:
Bandha and mudhra has 3d place in hathayoga. The nishpathi of word mudra have enolved from the addition of “ek” pratyaya in dhatu “mudraharshe”. Its meaning is “prasamnadayini sthithi”. In yogic granth, the meaning of mudra has taken in the form of specific bhavabhivyakthi by angas.
Definition of mudra: The specific position or state of combination/association of asana, pranayama and bandha by which a person can achieve spiritual consciousness is called mudra.
Objective of mudraAccording to spiritual science, the objective of mudra and bandha is to achieve kundalini power. Practice of hathayoga is also said to have same motive. Apart from this, a yogi can control the internal organs and maintain the endocrine glands of the body. The secretion of which makes the body and mind of yogi strong. The stability in practice of mudra is mentioned in gheranda samhita.
“Mudraya sthiratha chaira”
Yoga mudra:
Yoga mudra is made up of two words i.e., yoga +mudra. This practice helps in awakening of kundalini. So it is known as yoga mudra.
Procedure:
At first sit in padmasana position. Here, the pressure of both heels of foot exerts on large intestine and sacrum (last position of back bone). The neck and back bone should be straight. Now move you’re both hands backwards and hold the wrist of right with left hand. Take deep breath and slowly bend forward with exhaling. Then try to touch your forehead on ground. And after sometime breathe come back in to previous position with inhaling.
Benefits
- Diaphragm will become strong with the practice of this mudra.
- It maintains all the abdominal organs stability.
- It strengthens nervous system, especially lumbosacral nerves.
- It helps in curing constipation.
- It is helpful in disorder of reproductive system.
Precautions:
While practising mudra, one should not touch the ground with jerky movements.
In the beginning, practice should start slowly.
Initially one should not try to bend more forward, taken by practicing flexibility will increase.
Initially, one should stay in same position for 5-10sec, and then slowly increase the duration. Practice this mudra 3-5 times.
Viparithakarani mudra:
According to geranda samhita, positions of the surya nadi exist in nadhi mula (navel). And chandranadi exist in talamula (Hard palate). Those who Consume nectar by surya nadi which is secreted by Chandra, become free from death. That means, one should practice to join surya and Chandra nadi (moving prana surya in upward direction and Chandra in downward direction). This process is called viparithakarani mudra.
Procedure: The meaning of viparithakarani is:-“your body stay in reverse stage rather than normal”.
First lie down in supine position; keep your hand facing ground near to your body. Now relax your body and lift your both legs joining together slowly in upward direction with slow inhalation. Now try to tilt your legs towards head, keep them straight and give support to lower back near to hip with hands, keeping near to body. Now inhaling lifts the both legs upward, and keep eyes and legs should be in straight line. Now close the eyes and concentrate on manipuraka chakra. At last inhale and hold your breath and come in supine position slowly.
Benefits
- Cold, cough and throat infection cure
- Overcome respiratory related disorders
- It increase digestion powerv
- Cures constipation
- It maintain the blood circulation in brain specially pineal gland, pituitary etc
- It gives mental studyness.
Precautions:
Those are having, high blood pressure, heart disease; thyroid disorders should not practice this mudra.
Bandhas:
Meaning of bandha and definition:-
Bandha word means tying or makes it contraction. By this, the specific point of body is being interlocked/tied. So that the impulse this is known as bandha. Similar to other yogic practice, bandha helps in improvement of personality. It gives good effect on physical and mental level.
Swami Satyanand saraswathi definition:
Due to bandha, it passes through thoughts and soul vibration and effects on chakras.
According to paramahamsa nirajanand:
By practice of bandha, one feels atma power. It one practice bandha for long time, it gives good effect on mental activities.
Types of bandha:
1) Molabandha
2) Jalandara bandha
3) Uddiyana bandha
Molabandha:
Meaning of mola root and meaning of bandha is contraction/ inter looking. Here mola word has many meanings. Such as mooladhara chakra residing place of kundalini, base of backbone or perineum etc.
“Adhoghatimapam vai urdhranga kurunthe balath
Akunchnon tam prahurmotbndh hi yoginah”
Normally, due to this apanavayu is forcefully made to more in upward direction in yogi. It is called as moolabandha.
Meaning:
The meaning of mola, the last region of genital organ. Meaning of bandha contraction means contract the perinea/vaginal region. This is molabandha.
Definition:
According to swami vivekanand:
This is mola of all bhutas. That means canter of universe. In this thought is controlled.
According to swami kavalyanand:
It is the practice of contraction of anal, sphincter, muscle for stability.
Awareness:
While practicing bandha, awareness should be of concentrating on breathing. And awareness should be there on contraction site of moladhara pinda if bandha is done.
Benefits
- With this bandha, physical, mental and spiritual benefits are achieved.
- Maintain the reproductive and excretory system.
- It increases the digestion power and prevents constipation & haemorrhoids.
- Useful for asthma, bronchitis and arthritis disorders.
Precautions: Sit in padmasana/siddasana. Keep both palms on knees, close eyes and relax complete body. After that take deep breath, than do kumbhaka and pull muscles related to muladhara chakra upward direction. Now maintain the contraction. Now be stable in this position as for as hold your breath. After that, loosen the tendons by relaxing the contraction.
Jalandhara bandha:
Meaning:-
It is made up of three words, means
Jala: group of grivaghat nadis
Dhar: pulling upward
Bandha: contraction/interlocking
To interlock the group of nervous by pulling upward direction situated at the neck region which passes to brain from body and body to brain. This is known as jalandhara bandha.
Procedure:
Keep your back and neck straight. Sit in meditative postures. Keep your hand in chin mudra and close your eyes & keep your body relaxed. After this, breathe slowly through both nostril and hold it.
Concentration (dhyana)
We have to concentrate on vishuddhi chakra.
Benefits
- Maintain the functioning of thyroid and parathyroid gland.
We can achieve control on our breathing.
- Brain receptors become strong.
Precautions:
Neck pain, heart disorders patient and hypertension patient should not practice this mudra.
Patients who have vertigo symptoms should avoid.
Uddiyana bandha:
Uddiyana means lift up inside, upwards. So that it can help in the movement of prana in upward direction, that’s why it is called uddiyana bandha.
Procedure:
This bandha can be performed in sitting as well as in standing posture. In sitting position the person has to be in meditative posture. The palms on knees and body should be erect and then take breathe deep within and then leave fast & take your stomach inside as much as possible in the upward direction and try to stick your stomach to your back. In the end ribcage looks as if it has come out, stomach is fully inside. Try to hold this position as long as possible and then leave it slowly. Along with this jalandhara bandha can be done.
To do this asana in standing position spread your feet apart for about 1inch apart and then let your body loose then slowly breathe in and breathe fast in a rush and bend forward slightly. Keep both the palms on the knees and then the stomach pulled inside as the above and according to your resistance hold it and then leave it.
Concentration:
Concentrate on nabhi chakra.
Benefits
- The following are the benefits gained by doing uddiyana bandha.
- In this the whole digestive system gets affected. All the digestive disorders like indigestion, appetite, constipation etc. This bandha increase the digestion power.
- Sympathetic and parasympathetic system gets stimulated by this bandha.
- It stimulates the manipura chakra.
Precautions:
The people suffering from heart disease, colitis, hernia and peptic ulcer should not do this bandha.
Pregnant women should not practice this bandha.
One can practice this bandha on empty stomach.
In the starting should not do more than 3 times and increase slowly.
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