Fore word

This is a blog on 'easy Yoga lessons' for the beginners.  

The blog site starts with a brief account of the advantages of practicing yoga  along with preparations and precautions to be taken by anybody who wants to practice yoga. This is because one cannot jump into the yogic way of life without making some basic changes in his / her life-st yles and characters. 
 
The postures (asanas) are explained with  proper illustrations and advantages of each one given individually. I think from my personal experience for the past 10 years as a man who practice yoga regularly and from my Guru's advice, the given asanas are enough for  anybody to keep his/ her body and mind healthy. Children, aged and ladies (with some limitations at times) can practice these asanas (postures). Now a days we all know human beings are too busy with their lives. I request them to dedicate half an hour per day for these asanas.

Yoga and other exercises

Yoga is prominent among other exercises like gymnastics, walking, running, cycling etc. in more than one way:

1. It can be practiced at all seasons. One cannot walk or run during rainy season and at the time of heavy snowfall.

2. Yoga can be practiced by people of any age group. Both aged and children can do yoga alike. (You cannot imagine an old man lifting a weight so as to break his bones!).

3. Any exercises other than Yoga may not give positive results in changing your mental consistency and proper functioning of all internal body organs.




                         Please don't go adventurous; you may break your limbs!!

Yoga and Gymnastics

Yoga has recently turned out to be more or less a Gymnastic exercise. Now there are modern 'Fitness centers' in every small towns where you can join paying high fees. They are fortified with all modern equipments to make your body fit. ( Only recently I have heard people using the word "Power Yoga"?? etc.) Fit or no fit, your pocket will drain and that's sure. Only a few sections of the society who can afford their cost can join such fitness centers. Above all these Fitness centers only aim to make your body muscular to exhibit the external appearance as in some gymnastic contests. Where as Yoga strengthens all of your internal organs and enhances their well arrayed, co-ordinated performance.
 

Yoga and meditation are the only ways to control the human mind. That is why the Father of Yoga Rishi Pathanjali said these words:

"Yogaschitha vrithi nirodhaha" which means yoga controls your thoughts and mental capricions. Human mind is an uncontrollable stallion which gallops to wherever it likes. Everybody know that persons who cannot control their mind normally do all harms to themselves and the society.

Yoga and food

The food one eats should not only be of moderate quantity but also which his mind likes most. Remember 'overeating' and untimely eating is much more harmful than undernourishment.It is proved by modern medicine also. See the studies of Dr. David.A.Kessler (Pediatrician and former Head of FDA (USA)

Anarogyamanayushya--

masswargyam cha (a)thibhakshnam

apunyam lokavidhwishtam

thasmathath parivargyayeth

The above 'sloka' means overeating destroys health, decreases life-span. It will make other people dislike you. Over-eaters cannot go to 'heaven'. Yogasasthra proclaims vegetarian food. People generally have a wrong notion that eating meat, eggs and fish only give health.The fact is, you can stay equally healthy by eating vegetarian food.(However eating limited quantity of non-vegetarian items except fried food is not strictly prohibited by yoga masters).

Always remember the under mentioned facts: 

• Leave the stomach empty at least three hours a day.
• Masticate the food proper before swallowing
• Do not eat junk food or canned food and bakery items.
• Eat more vegetables especially leafy vegetables.
• Make fruits a main ingredient of food.
• Eat food when you are really hungry. If the mind feels tense avoid food because proper digestion will not take place.
• Do fasting once in a day each week so as to give complete rest to the organs of digestion. Use drinks and fruit only.
• Avoid alcoholic foods, tea and coffee as far as possible.
• Yoga does not prohibit eating non-vegetarian food altogether. But avoid red meat and fried food. 

Yoga has no substitutes

Yoga is not gymnastics or circus though these two may contain some yogic postures.You spread your legs, put your legs over the shoulders ,stretches arms, and do some 'inhuman'
postures so that the spectators open their mouth in aghast that a man can do such things! Dear friends, you should understand one thing. As I said earlier it in not circus. It only involves a series of exercises, pranayama and meditation ( I don't forget the fact that some Asanas are very complicated and well experienced Acharyas can do them) to keep your muslces stretched and body more flexible and fit.

                                              


Visit MAMALLAPURAM (MAHABALIPURAM) IN Chennai, INDIA 

You will get a beautiful calm beach, best south Indian hotels. The place has got wonderful rocks and the monolithic carvings and architecture of the ancient Pallava Dynasty which ruled the South India during 7-8 th centuries  The stone carvings are quite amazing. There are a number of shops which sale stone carvings where you can buy them at reasonable prices!!

 

                             A wonderful stone carving of a temple

   

A beautiful stone carvings for sale.

Food And diseases

Human body is prone to get diseases in generally 2 ways.

1.Hereditary diseases---These are acquired from the ancestral stalk through genes. Therefore we have little control over such diseases.In some persons the immune system of the body will be weak hereditarily. Such persons are more prone to get diseases.

2. Diseases which we get from our life environment and bad habits--- This includes the air, food and water born diseases, besides those we get from our own bad habits like over eating, excessive use of alcoholic drinks, smoking, Drug using etc. This category we can control to a great extent by changing our habits and environment. Yoga is the best solution for a healthy and cheerful life of such mortals.

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Hathayoga (Hatha Vidhya)

Yoga has 4 main divisions. Rajayoga, Bhakthiyoga, Karmayoga and Jnanayoga. Still there are several other sub-divisions which are beyond our scope of discussion.

Rajayoga is vast and only Yogis of the Vedic ages were authorized to do that. It is not meant for the common man. We are mainly concerned with our health and how to lead a pleasant life within our means. For that ‘Hathayoga’ which is done in the form of Asanas(Postures), Dhyana (Meditation) and Pranayama(breathing exercise) is more than enough. The fundamental literature we follow in Hathayoga is ‘Hathayoga Pradeepika’ written by Swami Swatmarama (An Indian sage who lived in the 15 th century) .Yoga is not something to be done for one or two days or a month and then given up. It should be a way of our life. I strongly believe that our next revolution may come through yoga.

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How to prepare ourself for yoga

"We are those stuff as the dreams are made of,

and our little lives end up with a sleep"

But till that 'Big sleep' embraces us we have to live on this earth as good human beings, without doing much harm to others. For that, one has to purify his body and mind. The 'Rishis' have laid down a set of rules called 'Yamaniyamas' for this. We are obliged to obey these rules before proceeding with asanas and pranayama (Breath control). Then only the real light of yoga will shine before us.

Yamaniyamas

In our times it is quite difficult to follow the rules as such. But we are expected to follow the rules so far as we can.

Yamas are rules that are not to be done and niyamas are rules that are strictly to be followed as sage Patanjali put it. First I shall briefly explain 'yamas'

1.Ahimsa (Not kill)---The word has in fact a wider meaning than it denotes. It does not only mean the physical killing of other living beings but also causing pain to them through our words or activities. 'Mother Earth has everything within her to satisfy our needs but not our greed'!. Then why to compete with one another.

Ahimsa is a sacred duty ('Ahimsa Paramodharmaha') as the great Gurus said it)

2. Sathya (Truth)----Always follow the path of truth.

3. Astheya (Do not steal)----Never long for others property whatever it may be. Nor do keep on the fear that your's will be stolen by somebody. Defeat such impulses lest they will vitiate our minds, corrupt it and destroy our peace.

4. Aparigraha (non-acceptance)--Among all creatures it is only the human beings who show the feeling of greed. The more we get, the more our desire soar high. This insatiable greed will vitiate our mind and take away our peace. What we have to remember is that, we take along nothing with us while we go for the 'un-retunable journey'. With all our might we should learn to live within our means.

5. Brahmacharya (celibacy)----From adolescence up to the age of 25 is the period for learning in a man's life ( for women also it is not different). During this period he should strictly abstain from all carnal pleasures. This is called of brahmacharya. There after during 'Garhastya' (family life) he is allowed to marry and enjoy all earthly pleasures. Yoga by no means imposes any restriction on sex.

Now we pass on to 'Niyamas'

1. Souchyam (cleanliness)----We are always keen in keeping our body clean. Please note that along with that our mind and living surroundings should also be clean. We are living in the age of all kinds of pollutions. A mango when put in salt solution, the salt pervades to each and every cell of the mango. Like that the impurities surrounding us will enter into our body making us unclean and diseased. This shows the inevitability of preventing environmental pollution.

2. Santhosha (happiness)----We should always keep our mind cheerful. Whatever difficulties stare at us, think that there is a solution for everything.

3. Tapas (do earthly duties)---Tapas here means doing our earthly duties well without fail.

4. Swadhyaya----There is a famous saying that 'ignorance is better than half-knowledge or mistaken belief'. True knowledge is needed to understand oneself and his surroundings. This we have to acquire through the teachings of Great Gurus and books written by them like Puranas, epics, Bible etc.

5. Eeswarapranidhan (Praying to the Almighty)---- We all go to Churches, Temples, mosque etc. and pray to God. This prayer should not be self-centered. Do not pray that"Oh...God, give me one 'Thola' of gold tomorrow"! Always pray for the well being of the whole human community.

                Enjoying wild nature from a rock-MAMALLAPURAM

                  

                         Visitors climb a big rock-MAMALLAPURAM           
            

                               A wonderful Beach-MAMALLAPURAM

                                 Light House-MAMALLAPURAM

Yoga and religion

Some people think that yoga is adhered to a particular religion and therefore it is to be avoided. The fact is, yoga has no religion! It is for the entire mankind. Anybody- be a believer or non-believer- can practice yoga. It is for our body and mind.

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Yoga and ladies!

There is a wide spread doubt whether ladies can do Yoga! There is no doubt about that. They are the persons who 'should' do Yoga, to keep their natural beauty and body shape. Normally if ladies are not taking regular exercise and proper food they tend to become fatty and body shape is lost after one or two deliveries.  They can do comfortably all asanas I explained here. But during pregnancy and menstruation they may better get the advice of an efficient Guru. Otherwise doing some asanas may create difficulties. While some asanas done during the pregnancy period makes the process of delivery  easy, some others mitigate menstrual pain.  However those are to be practiced strictly under the supervision of a Guru. Regular practice of yoga relieves ladies from several gynaecologycal problems.

Obese? Do not worry!!

If you are obese by heredity or  by some other reasons like hormonal and metabolic imbalances, or bad food habits yoga is a remedy for that. Spend half an hour in the morning and evening for yoga. Overhaul your food habits in the way I have indicated in the beginning of this blog. Within one month you will get the result. Say good bye to your tummy. But do not give up yoga there after.  It should be a way of your life. You are doing it in the comfort of your house and not spending anything for that. Then why to stop it? Remember it is only for our body and mind.

Do not allow your obesity to stay on. It is a disease. It may create serious problems in your life. Accumulation of fat around the waist is much more harmful.

Yoga and sexual life

Another mistaken belief regarding yoga is that 'Yogis' are ascetics and have to keep celibacy. There is nothing like that. Majority of our ancient 'Rishis' were married and led comfortable family life. That simply means sex is not 'untouchable' for a yogi. I have read in several magazines, young teenagers asking the Doctor,

" Sir, I am masturbating daily and I fear that my weight is losing day by day. Is the masturbation the reason for that" Masturbation is not the reason, but your belief that I am doing a wrong thing, is the problem.

Practicing yoga will relieve the youth from all irresistible, silly tendencies of mind.

Depression and disease.

These two are closely related. Wherever one is there the other will also be there. A happy mind creates a healthy body. Yoga if done regularly all your minds silliness and unwanted desires will go off and you can regain complete peace of mind.

                       Moringa-----Not only a food but a medicine also

                                         Bougainvillas                 

                My village--Such water bodies are becoming rare now               

              

  An unusually large rock that has been in this precarious position for centuries. But it never rolls down-MAMALLAPURAM           

 

Here it's full of huge rocks in the wild-MAMALLAPURAM

                     MY VILLAGE-A canal where we take a dip

                               Right in the wild--MAMALLAPURAM         

To start with

Yoga should be done in the morning or evening. However morning is the best time to practice yoga.(It is always better to lie down early and get up early)Get up early morning and after the primary activities, start practice. Wear loose dresses that do not hinder body movements ,like shorts. Ladies can wear some loose gown and shorts. What you need is a large, thick sheet and a well aerated room. Do Yoga facing the east or north because, from there only you will get a positive flow of energy. Once you step into the sheet never touch ground with any of your body parts till the practice is over. Other wise the electrical energy created in your body may be got earthed. Start with a calm mind. Daily half an hour practice (or till your body sweats) is enough. Any way if you wish so, you can take more time to practice. Never use fan or AC while practicing yoga.

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Concluding the Asanas

I have so far explained 27 postures (asanas) and their advantages here. Each posture , I think, is  explained in the simplest way so that even an ordinary person can understand  and do it. That is the main intention behind my entire work. In addition I shall explain some types of Pranayamas (Breathing Exercises) before concluding this blog. 

Yogasasthra is vast and contains innumerable number of asanas which varies as per different cults. The same asana is perhaps known by a different name and  may be done in a different way. To do all of them at a stretch is impossible for  human. I do not demand anybody to do the 27 postures I explained here at a single stretch. I have given a schedule for practicing. One can do as per that schedule. As you get more and more acquainted with the postures you can do them selectively. Any how half an hour practice is minimum required per day. Suppose  you are not in position to do yoga for one or two days or a few days together, nothing will happen. No negative effects at all.

Some asanas like 'Sirshasana' is not only difficult to do but risky also. Therefore I have not given it here. Sarvangasana is equally effective and gives all the benefits of Sirshasana. Some are be studied strictly from a well-trained Guru. Those are also avoided here. The important Sun Salutation is described in a separate blog.

Without knowing our body, we are frantically engaged in the process of making money. The result is diseases for which there is no appeal. Whatever you have earned will have to be spent in hospitals. 

Basing this blog you can study postures without the help of a Guru. Do the asanas regularly as an experiment at least for one week and I am sure you will get the result. Nothing can be achieved sitting idle. Do your work and the Almighty will give the result.

Pranayama (Breathing Exercise)

Hathayoga has prescribed 8 types of Pranayamas. Some of them are to be learned directly from a Guru. Hence all of them are not included here. Only some of them that can be done without much difficulty are included here.

The two indispensable factors for  the very existence human are the two invisibles called Mind and Prana. If any one of them is not there, there is no life. Prana is there everywhere in this universe. It is found in each of our nadis ( nerves). It is found in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breath. It is this 'prana' that gives us the aura and energy for our body. Mind and Prana together form the 'Microbody' while that part of body made up of flesh and blood is the 'Macrobody'. If the microbody is there inside then only 'macrobody' has life.

Breathing is the visible form of 'prana'. To contol our breath and fill the body with enough 'prana' is called 'Pranayama'. In the normal breathing all of our lung's 'alveoli'(the minute cavities of our lungs) are not filled with enough oxygen. So controlled breathing is needed to fill our lungs with 'prana vayu' (oxygen).


When one is got terribly frightened his breathing becomes irregular and the whole body functions get subverted. If you take some long  breaths your mind becomes calm and body functions becomes normal. This is the ultimate aim of 'Pranayama' 

 

                                         Autumn tree

                                A model of Alfonsamma Church

                                         Livelihood
 

                                 A stone carving ---Mamallapuram

                                  Water is there plenty......but

 

                               No place other than beach to rejoice