HOW TO PURIFY OUR THOUGHTS?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

MIND AND BRAIN?

MIND IS NOT IN ANY ONE PLACE. EVERY CELL IN THIS BODY HAS ITS OWN INTELLIGENCE. THE BRAIN IS SITTING IN YOUR HEAD, BUT MIND IS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THE BRAIN IS A PHYSICAL THING. IT IS THE BODY. IT HAS A CERTAIN FUNCTION WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE MIND TO EXIST. BUT THE MIND IS A CERTAIN CONSEQUENCE AND ACTIVITY. FOR EXAMPLE, SUPPOSE YOU ARE SPEAKING. YOUR SPEECH EXISTS. IF YOU STOP SPEAKING AND SIT QUIETLY, WHERE IS YOUR SPEECH? IS IT SITTING AND WAITING IN YOUR MOUTH? NO. IT JUST DOES NOT EXIST. YOUR SPEECH EXISTS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT ACTIVITY. OTHERWISE, IT DOES NOT.

SIMILARLY WITH YOUR MIND, YOUR MIND EXISTS ONLY IN ITS ACTIVITY. IF YOU TAKE OFF THE ACTIVITY, IT DOES NOT EXIST. IT IS NOT PHYSICAL OBJECT. WHERE IS YOUR MIND? IF YOU KNEW WHERE IT WAS, YOU WOULD HAVE FIXED IT BY NOW. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS BECAUSE IT EXISTS ONLY IN ITS ACTIVITY. BUT BRAIN IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT. THE BRAIN IS NOT ONLY ABOUT THOUGHTS AND THE OTHER THINGS WHICH YOU REFER TO AS "MIND". IT ALSO CONTROLS HOW YOUR LIVER, YOUR HEART, EVEN HOW YOUR LITTLE FINGER SHOULD FUNCTION.

THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT ARE THEY CONNECTED? DEFINITELY-EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. EVERY CELL IN THE BODY IS CONNECTED. EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY HAS ITS OWN MIND. YOUR GENES CARRY MEMORY AND ACT OUT THAT MEMORY. THAT IS A KIND OFA MIND.

IN YOGA, WE LOOK AT A HUMAN BEING AS FIVE SHEATHS OF BODY. THREE ARE PHYSICAL REALITIES, THE OTHER TWO ARE IN A DIFFERENT REALM. THE THREE - PHYSICAL BODY, MENTAL BODY AND ENERGY BODY - ARE ALL PHYSICAL, AND THEY CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT EACH OTHER. THE PHYSICAL BODY IS PHYSICAL, YOU CAN SEE IT. BUT THERE IS A MENTAL BODY THAT YOU CANNOT SEE. EVERY CELL IN THIS BODY HAS ITS OWN INTELLIGENCE, THIS IS A MENTAL BODY. THE BRAIN IS SITTING IN YOUR HEAD, BUT THE MIND IS NOT IN ANY ONE PLACE, IT IS ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT IS A CERTAIN ACTIVITY. IF YOU CEASE THE ACTIVITY, THEN THE MIND DOES NOT EXIST.

OUR BRAIN IS A CINEMA?

IF YOU TURN OFF THE MIND, IT IS NOT JUST OFF- IT CEASES TO EXIST. IF YOU TURN IT ON, IT IS AGAIN THERE. IT IS LIKE A CINEMA. WHEN CINEMA IS ON, IT IS MORE REAL THAN REAL.
THEN, WITH JUST ONE SWITCH, IT VANISHES. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER A WAR SCENE IS GOING ON OR A LOVE SCENE IS GOING ON, YOU TURN OFF ONE POWER SWITCH, IT IS GONE.
MIND IS JUST LIKE THAT. A BIG DRAMA IS GOING ON WHICH IS SO REAL. IN YOUR EXPERIENCE OF LIFE, WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR MIND IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN WHAT IS GOING ON OUTSIDE OF YOU.
WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTION SAYS, IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT THE WORLD IS SAYING. BUT IF YOU TURN IT OFF, IT SUDDENLY CEASES TO EXISTS.
THEN YOU SEE THE RIDICULOUS NATURE OF YOUR MIND. IT CREATES SUCH A DRAMA, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY SO GRAGILE. IT IS LIKE CINEMA- YOU TURN IT OFF, IT IS FINISHED.

IF YOU BECOMES A CONSIOUS CINEMA, THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CINEMA. LET US SAY YOU HVE A DVD IN YOUR HOUSE AND ALL THE WALLS IN YOUR HOUSE ARE SCREENS. IF THE SAME MOVIE IS PLAYING ALL THE TIME, WON'T IT DRIVE YOU TO DISTRACTION? IT WILL DRIVE YOU TO MADNESS, AND THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. WHEN THE MIND IS OUT OF CONTROL, WE SAY THAT PERSON IS MAD. I AM NOT SAYING YOUR MOVIE IS BAD. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT KIND OF MOVIE IT IS, IF IT IS CAN TURN IT ON AND TURN IT OFF WHEN YOU WANT. THEN IT IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR

THOUGHTS PURE?

WHO TOLD YOU THAT A THOUGHT CAN BE DIRTY? A THOUGHT IS JUST A THOUGHT. IT IS NEITHER PURE NOR DEITY. IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU GET IDENTIFIED WITH IT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE REALITY. EVERY THOUGHT THAT YOU HAVE HAPPENING ONLY FROM THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY GATHERED, THE INFLUENCES THAT YOU HAVE COME UNDER, AND THE DAT THAT YOU HAVE COLLECTED WITHIN YOURSELF. NO NEW THOUGHT IS HAPPENING TO YOU. YOU CAN MIX IT AND MAKE PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATION OUT OF IT, BUT NOTHING NEW EVER COME OUT OF YOU BECAUSE WHAT YOU NAME AS "MY MIND" IS NOT REALLY YOUR MIND. YOUR MIND IS JUST SOCIETY GARBAGE BIN.

POINT TO UNDERSTAND OUR MIND!

WHEN IT SAY GARBAGE PIN, I AM NOT SAYING IT IS USELESS. FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR HOME CAN PROBABLY DO WITHOUT A TELEVISION, MAY BE EVEN WITHOUT A TELEPHONE, BUT IT DEFINITELY CANNOT DO WITHOUT A GARBAGE BIN. THE QUALITY OF YOUR HOUSE IS VERY MUCH DECIDED BY THE GARBAGE BIN. BUT BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A USEFUL DEVICE IN YOUR HOUSE, SUPPOSE YOU DECIDED TO SLEEP IN TONIGHT, THEN IT BECOMES TERRIBLE.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CONTENT OF YOUR MIND. YOU BETTER HAVE ALL THE FIFTH IN THE WORLD IN YOUR MIND, OTHERWISE IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WHAT, YOU MAY WALK INTO IT-BY ACCIDENT OR BY SOMEONE'S INTENTION.
BUT IF YOU KNOW, YOU WILL KNOW THIS IS NOT FOR ME. SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CONTENT OF YOUR MIND IF YOU DO NOT GET IDENTIFIED WITH IT.
IF YOU GET IDENTIFIED WITH IT, IT MAKES YOU FEEL FILTHY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS THERE IN YOUR MIND AND NOW IT IS STICKING TO YOU. IF YOU JUST KEEP IT WHERE IT SHOULD BE, THERE IS REALLY NO PROBLEM.

SIGNIFICANCE OF BREATH

WHAT YOU ARE ASKING IS ESSENTIALLY, HOW IS BREATH CONNECTED TO YOURSELF WELLBEING? BREATH IS NOT JUST THE EXCHANGE OF OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE. HOW YOU BREATHE DECIDES MANY ASPECTS OF WHO YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. HAVE YOU NOTICED, FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THOUGHT AND EMOTION THAT YOU GO THROUGH, YOUR BREATH TAKES ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATTERNS? IF YOU ARE ANGRY, YOU BREATHE IN ONE WAY. IF YOU ARE PEACEFUL, YOU BREATHE ANOTHER WAY. IF YOU ARE VERY HAPPY, YOU BREATHE ANOTHER WAY. IF YOU ARE SAD, YOU BREATHE ANOTHER WAY. WHICHEVER WAY YOU BREATHE, THAT IS THE WAY YOU THINK. WHICHEVER YOU THINK, THAT IS THE WAY YOU BREATHE.

LISTEN YOUR BREATHE

BREATH IS LIKE THE HAND TO THE DIVINE. YOU DON'T FEEL IT. THIS BREATH THAT YOU DO NOT EXPERIENCE IS REFERRED TO AS KOORMA NADI.
I AM NOT REFERRING TO THE SENSATIONS CAUSED BY THE AIR, I AM REFERRING TO THE BREATH ITSELF. KOORMA NADI IS REFERRED TO AS A STRING WHICH TIES YOU WITH THIS BODY - AND UNBROKEN STRING GOES ON AND ON.
IF TAKE AWAY YOUR BREATH, YOU AND YOUR BODY WILL FALL APART BECAUSE THE BEING AND THE BODY ARE BOUND BY THE KOORMA NADI. THIS IS A BIG DECEPTION.
THESE ARE TWO, BUT THEY ARE PRETENDING TO BE ONE. IT IS LIKE MARRIAGE - THEY ARE TWO, BUT WHEN THEY COME OUT THEY PRETEND TO BE ONE.
THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE HERE, THE BODY AND BEING, TWO DIAMETICALLY OPPOSITE ONES, BUT THEY PRETEND THAT THEY ARE ONE.
IF YOU TRAVEL THROUGH THE BREATH, DEEP INTO YOURSELF, TO THE DEEPEST CORE OF THE BREATH, IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THAT POIN WHERE YOU ARE ACTUALLY TIRED TO THE BODY.
ONCE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE TIRED AND HOW YOU ARE TIED, YOU CAN UNTIE IT AT WILL.
CONSCIOUSLY, YOU CAN SHED THE BODY AS EFFORLESSLY AS YOU WOULD SHED YOUR CLOTHES.

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

WHAT IS THE ILLNESS

AND DISEASE?

WHEN YOU SAY "DISEASE" WE HAVE TO FIRST CLASSIFY THEM INTO TWO BASIC CATEGORIES. ONE SET OF DISEASES ARE INFECTIONS, YOU CONTRACT THEM FROM OUTSIDE. TODAY YOU WERE NEGLIGENT, YOU ATE OR DRANK SOMETHING WHICH WAS NOT HYGIENIC, OR YOU WENT CLOSE TO SOMEBODY WHO HAD THE FLU AND YOU CAUGHT AN INFECTION. FOR THAT, THERE ARE MEDICINES AND DOCTORS. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SET DISEASES WHICH ARE CHRONIC AILMENTS. THESE ARE SOMETHING THAT THE BODY CREATES.

NEEM AND TURMERIC FOR

DISEASES

NEEM IS VERY CLEANSING FOR YOUR SYSTEM. THE NEEM STICK IS GOOD, YOU KNOW, IT AWAKENS LOTS OF PEOPLE. IN INDIA, IF YOU ARE ACTING A LITTLE FUNNY AND POSSESSED, THEY CAN BEAT THE DEVIL OUT OF YOU WITH THE NEEM STICK! IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF INFECTION, THEY WOULD ALWAYS PUT YOU ON A BED OF NEEM LEAVES BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT ENERGIZER AND CLEANSER OF THE SYSTEM. THE LEAF HAS TREMENDOUS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AND VERY STRONG PRANIC REVERBERATIONS - AND IT IS BITTER ENOUGH TO GET THE DEVIL OUT OF YOU!

A NEEM LEAF IS THE MOST COMPLEX LEAF THAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE PLANET, AND IT HAS PARTICULAR BENEFITS IN OPENING UP THE SYSTEM. FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FROM THE WEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS FOR YOU IN INDIA IS YOU WILL HAVE STOMACH INFECTIONS.
JUST ABOUT ANYHING, WHICH THE INDIAN THINK IS FANTASTIC, WILL KEEP YOU PERMANENTLY IN THE TOILET - BECAUSE THE WORLD IS FULL OF BACTERIA.
THE BODY IS FULL OF BACTERIA. IN A NORMAL SIZED BODY, YOU HAVE APPROXIMATELY 10 TRILLION HUMAN CELLS, BUT YOU HAVE OVER 100 TRILLION BACTERIA.
YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED TEN TO ONE. THERE ARE MORE CREATURES LIVING IN YOU THAN YOU IMAGINE.
MOST OF THESE BACTERIA ARE VERY HELPFUL TO US. WITHOUT THEM WE CANNOT EXIST, BUT SOME OF THEM CAN CAUSE TROUBLE TO US. IF YOU PUT NEEM INTO THE SYSTEM IF DESTROYES THE TROUBLESOME BACTERIA IN THE INTESTINAL REGION.

IF YOU EAT NEEM, EVEN MOSQUITOS MAY NOT BITE YOU. IF YOU SMEAR YOURSELF WITH NEEM PASTE JUST BEFORE BATH, LET IT DRY FOR SOME TIME AND JUST WASH IT OFF WITH WATER, IT IS A CLEANSER BY ITSELF-ALL THE BACTERIA ON THE OUTSIDE WILL DIE. OR YOU CAN TAKE A FEW NEEM LEAVES AND PUT THEM INWATER, LEAVE IT OVER NIGHT AND HAVE BATH WITH IT.

TERMERIC

TURMERIC IS ONE SUBSTANCE WHICH NOT ONLY WORKS ON THE PHYSIOLOGY, BUT ALSO WORKS ON THE ENERGY SYSTEM.
IT CREATE A CERTAIN PURIFICATION PROCESS IN THE BLOOD, BODYAND ENERGY SYSTEM.
YOU CAN USE THIS AS A PURIFICATORY SUBSTANCE EVEN FROM OUTSIDE. IF YOU JUST TAKE A SMALL PINCH OF TURMERIC, PUT IT INTO A BUCKETFULL OF WATER AND POUR IT OVER YOUR BODY, YOU WILL SEE THE BODY WILL BE VIBRANT AND GLOWING.
KEEPING THE BLOOD PURE AND THE BLOOD CHEMISTRY IN A CERTAIN BALANCE WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN WITH REGULAR CONSUMPTION OF TURMERIC. IT PURIFIES THE BLOOD AND BRINGS A CERTAIN TRANSLUCENCE OF YOUR ENERGIES.

HOW TO MEDITATE WITHOUT

SLEEPNESS?

FIRST, LET US UNDERSTAND WHAT SLEEP IS ABOUT. IF SLEEP IS INVADING YOUR LIFE ANYTIME OF THE DAY, YOU MUST FIRST CHECK YOUR BASIC HEALTH AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR SYSTEM. WHEN YOU ARE PHYSICALLY UNWELL, YOU WILL TEND TO SLEEP MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL - THE BODY WANTS TO REST.

THE SECOND THING IS THE FOOD THAT YOU EAT. CONSUMING AT LEAST A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VEGETARIAN MATERIAL, PARTICULARLY IN UNCOOKED CONDITION, IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR GENERAL WELLBEING. WHEN YOU COOK FOOD, A LARGE VOLUME OF PRANA IS DESTROYED. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIVE FOOD, APART FROM MANY OTHER BENEFITS, ONE THING THAT WILL IMMEDIATELY HAPPEN IS YOUR SLEEP QUOTA WILL GO DOWN DRAMATICALLY.

ESSENTIALLY, YOUR ALERTNESS DEPENDS ON HOW KEELY YOU MANAGE YOUR ENERGIES, IF YOU WANT TO MEDITATE, YOUR ALERTNESS MUST BENOT OF THE MIND ALONE, BUT OF YOUR VERY ENERGY.
TO ASSIST THIS, GENERALLY, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE YOGIC PATH, IT IS SAID THAT YOU SHOULD EAT ONLY TWENTY-FOUR MOUTHFULS, AND YOU MUST CHEW EVERY MOUTHFUL AT LEAST TWENTY-FOUR TIMES.
NOW YOUR FOOD WILL BE PRE-DIGESTED IN YOUR MOUTH BEFORE IT GOES IN, AND IT WILL NOT CAUSE DULLNESS.
IF YOU DO THIS DURING YOUR EVENING MEAL AND THEN SLEEP IN THE NIGHT, YOU WILL EASILY WAKE UP AT THREE-THIRTY IN THE MORNING, AND YOU CAN MEDITATE.
IN THE YOGIC SYSTEMS, THIS TIME IS CALLED THE BRAHMA MUHURTHAM.
IT IS AN IDEAL TIME TO WAKE UP, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, THERE IS AN EXTRA SUPPORT FROM NATURE ITSELF FOR YOUR SADHANA.

IF YOU TAKE A BATH AND KEEP YOUR HAIR WET, YOU WILL EASILY STAY AWAKE AND ALERT THROUGH YOUR SADHANA UNTIL EIGHT O CLOCK. IF YOU EAT JUST TWENTY-FOUR MORSELS IN YOUR MORNING MEALS, YOU WILL DEFINITELY NOT FEEL SLEEPY UNTIL DINNERTIME. AFTER ONE-AND -A-HALF TO TWO HOURS, YOU WILL BE HUNGRY, AND THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BE. JUST BECAUSE THE STOMACH IS EMPTY, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT FOOD. JUST DRINK WATER AND YOU WILL STAY ALERT AND ENERGETIC THROUGHOUT THE DAY. YOUR SYSTEM WILL LEARN TO USE THE FOOD YOU HAVE EATEN WELL, RATHER THAN SIMPLY WASTING IT. ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY IT IS GOOD FOR THE WORLD, AND GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH - YOU MAY NEVER FALL SICK IF YOU EAT LIKE THIS.

UTTANASANA

STANDING FORWARD BEND

THIS EXERCISE PROVIDES YOU A COMPLETE STRETCH OF THE UPPER BACK AND LOWER BACK, AS WELL AS THE LEG AND CALF MUSCLES. IN THIS EXERCISE, YOU LITERALLY STRETCH STRESS, TIREDNESS, AND STIFFNESS FROM THE BODY. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU LEARN HOW TO REST AND RELAX IN CASE OF DISCOMFORT AND EFFORT. UTTANASANA ALSO INCREASES THE FLOW OF BLOOD TO THE BRAIN.

STEPS

START WITH THE MOUNTAIN POSE.
BEND YOUR KNEES, SUPPORT YOUR UPPER BODY WITHE A STRAIGHT LOWER BACK, AND SLOWLY BEND FORWARD SO THAT YOUR BELLY TOUCHES YOUR UPPER LEGS. MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF YOUR LOWER BACK OR ELSE YOUR CHEST WILL SINK. MOVE YOUR PELVIS, TAKING THE BACK AS THE STARTING POINT, RELAX YOUR GROINS, AND KEEP YOUR WEIGHT ON THE FRONT PARTS OF YOUR HEELS.
KEEP BREATHING CORRECTLY THROUGH YOUR BELLY AND SLOWLY STRETCH YOUR CHEST TO THE KNEES WITHOUT LOSING THE SUPPORT OF YOUR LOWER BACK. STRETCH YOR LEGS EVERYTIME YOU EXHALE.
YOUR PELVIS MOVES UPWARD FROM THE BACK UNTIL YOUR LEGS ARE EVENTUALLY STRETCHED. TOUCH THE GROUND OR GRAB YOUR ANKLES. STRETCH DOWNWARD FROM YOUR CROWN AND WHEN YOU HAVE GRABBED YOUR ANKLES, USE A SLIGHT STRETCHING FORCE TO LENGTHEN THE BODY. IF YOU LOSE THE SUPPORTIVE POWER OF THE LOWER BACK DURING THE EXERCISE, YOU LOSE A MAJOR PART OF ITS EFFECT. AS A RESULT, YOUR CHEST WILL SINK, MAKING YOUR BREATHIG IRREGULAR. ALSO, STRETCHING WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE. NOW, STAND UP STRAIGHT AGAIN AND JUMP BACK TO TADASANA.

BENEFITS

BEAR IN MIND THAT YOU PERFORM THIS FORWARD BEND THROUGH RELAXATION AND NOT THROUGH FORCE BY YOUR FEET WITH PHYSICAL STRENGTH. WHEN YOU PULL TOO HARD, THE BODY STIFFENS, YOUR THINKING AND BREATHING WILL BE AFFECTED AND WORST OF ALL, YOU RUN OF INJURING YOURSELF.

VRIKHSASANA

TREE POSE

VRIKSHASANA MEANS TREE POSE. IN THIS ASANA, ONE STANDS STRAIGHT AND FIRM AS A TREE, HENCE THE NAME.

IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO STAND ON ONE LEG AND TO DO BUILDING A BETTER SENSE OF BALANCE. FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION ARE REQUIRED. IMAGINING TREE ROOTS GOIND DOWN FROM YOUR FOOT CAN GROUND YOU AND PROVIDE STABLITY. AS YOU DO THE POSE, LOOK AT A REAL TREE STANDING IN NATURE IF YOU CAN. IN THIS POSE, YOU ARE ROOTED AS TREE AS ARE, YET YOU ARE REACHING UP WITH YOUR TORSO TOWARDS THE ILLUMINATING BRILLIANCE OF THE SUN. YOU CAN IMAGINE SUSTENANCE FROM THE EARTH COMING UPWARDS AND AT THE SAME TIME BRING IN THE ENERGY OF THE SUN FROM ABOVE INTO YOUR BODY.

VRIKSHASANA IS A BASIC YOGA POSE AND LOOKS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE AND YET PROVIDES A CHALLENGE, MOSTLY IN TRYING TO NOT FALL OVER. WHEN A PERSON FEELS SHAKY, DOING THE TREE POSE CAN MAKE HIM FEEL MORE STEADY AND GROUNDED. AS YOU ROOT DOWN TO THE GROUND IN THIS BALANCING POSE, YOU STAND TALL AND CONFIDENT.

STEPS

START WITH THE MOUNTAIN POSE. VRIKSHASANA .
AS YOU EXHALE, PLACE YOUR LEFT FOOT ON THE INSIDE PART OF YOUR RIGHT LEG, CLOSETO THE GROIN AREA, WITH THE TOES POINTING DOWNWARD.
AS YOU INHALE, STRETCH YOUR ARMS SIDEWAYS TO FORM A "T", PALMS FACING DOWN.
AS YOU EXACTLY, BRING YOUR PALMS TOGETHER IN PRAYER POSITION.
RAISE YOUR ARMS OVERHEAD, KEEPING YOUR PALMS IN PRAYER POSITION. TO MAINTAIN BALANCE, IT HELPS TO FOCUS YOUR EYES ON ONE POINT IN FRONT OF YOU AND KEEP ON BREATHING THROUGH THE BELLY.

BENEFITS

THIS IMPROVES BODY-MINDED CO-ORDINATION.
THIGH AND CALF MUSCLES, ANKLES AND THE SPINE ARE MADE STRONG.
STRETCHES THE GROINS AND INNER THIGHS, CHEST AND SHOULDERS.
IMPROVES SENSE OF BALANCE.
RELIEVES SCIATICA AND REDUCES FLAT FEET.

VRISCHIKA-ASANA

SCORPION POSE

"VRISCHIKA" IS THE SANSKRIT WORD FOR SCORPION. THIS POSTURE IS SO NAMED BECAUSE THE BODY RESEMBLES A SCORPTION WITH ITS TAIL ARCHED ABOVE ITS HEAD READY TO STING ITS VICTIM. ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE NOT BE A SIMPLE POSTURE FOR BEGINNERS TO PERFORM, THIS ASANA IS NOT SO DIFFICULT AS IT MAY AT FIRST SEEM.

HOLD THE VRISCHIKA-ASANA FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE COMFORTABLE. KEEP IN MIND THAT RETURNING FROM THE POSTURE GRACEFULLY WITHOUT FALLING OUT OF IT WILL TAKE SOME STRENGTH, SO DON'T HOLD IT TOO LONG. 20-30 SECONDS IS FINE FOR EARLY ATTEMPTS, INCREASE THE TIME GRADUALLY AS YOU BECOME MORE PROFICIENT.

STEPS

STARTING FROM THE HEADSTAND, BEND THE KNEES AND BEGIN TO BRING THE FEET SLOWLY DOWN TOWARDS THE HEAD. ARCH THE ENTIRE BODY BACKWARDS, BEING SURE TO KEEP THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY ON THE ELBOWS.
RELEASE THE INTER-LOCKED FINGERS SLOWLY, AND MOVE YOUR HANDS APART, BRINGING THEM TO LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HEAD. FEEL CONFIDENT IN THIS POSITION BEFORE CONTINUING. INHALE DEEPLY AS YOU PAUSE BEFORE TRYING THE NEXT STEP.
KEEP THE BACK ARCHED, LIFT THE HEAD AS YOU BRING THE SHOULDERS BACK INTO A POSITION DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ELBOWS. YOU ARE NOW IN THE SCORPION POSITION. IT REQUIRES A GOOD DEAL OF CONCENTRATION, STRENGTH, AND UPPER BACK FLEXIBILITY. HOLD THE POSITION ONLY FOR AS LONG AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.

BENEFITS

THIS POSTURE WILL PROVIDE MAXIMUM STRETCH TO THE NECK, SPINE AND CHEST. IT COMBINES MANY OF THE BENEFITS OF THE CHAKRA-ASANA (THE WHEEL POSTURE) AND THE SIRSHA-ASANA (STANDING ON HEAD).

SHUDDHIRIYAS

CLEANSING PROCESS

YOGA HAS BEEN CONSIDERED FOR INTERNAL PURIFICATION OF THE HUMAN BODY IN DEPTH. THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS (CLEANSING PROCESS) HAVE BEEN PLANNED WITH A VIEW OF HAVE TOTAL PURIFICATION OF THE BODY BEFORE VARIOUS SAMSKARAS ARE MADE THEREON FOR BAKING THE BODY IN THE FIRE NAMED YOGA SO AS TO TURN THE BODY INTO A RIPE VEHICLE. THE ORGANS WHERE THERE CAN BE A LOT OF IMPURITIES REQUIRE THESE SHIDDHIKRIYAS. THE INTERNAL ORGANS ,WHICH COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTERNAL MATTERS REGULARLY, NEED TO BE PURIFIED. THE TRACHEA REGULARLY COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTENAL AIR, THE FOOD PIPE INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTERNAL FOOD PRODUCTS, AND THE MIND COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE THOUGHTS OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD, HENCE THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS. CERTAIN ELEMENTS ARE CURED WITH THESE KRIYAS. AYURVEDA HAS DESCRIBED THESE SHUDDHIKRIYA BY THE NAME OF PANCHKARMAS. HOWEVER, THESE PANCHKARMAS STATED IN YOGA, THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE NATURAL METHOD. MANY SHUDDHIKRIYAS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE YOGA TEXTS. WE WILL CONSIDER SOME OF THEM IN THIS SYLLABUS. DIRECT STUDY OF THESE SHUDDHIRIYAS IS EXPECTED OVER HERE.

THE DURATION MAYBE DIFFERENT FOR EACH SHUDDHIKRIYA. THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHUDDHIKRIYA IS GIVEN BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT SHUDDHKRIYAS ARE NOT TO BE PRACTICED LIKE ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.

DIFFERENT METHODS OF CLEANSING PROCESS (SHUDDHIKRIYAS)

AGNISARDHOUTI
VAMANDHOUTI
KAPALBHATI
JALNETI
NASAGRA DRISHTI

AGNISARDHOUTI

DHOUTI IS A WORD MADE UP OF SANSKRIT VERB "DHOO" WHICH MEANS TO WASH. THE PROCESS OF SUCH CLEANSING IS DHOUTI KRIYA. HOWEVER, EVEN IF THIS KRIYA IS TERMED AS DHOUTI KRIYA, THERE IS NO ACTUAL PROCESS OF WASHING INVOLVED. IN THIS PROCESS, SWIFT MOVEMENTS OF THE STOMACH ARE EXPECTED. THE WORD AGNI USED HERE REFERS TO THE FIRE IN THE FORM OF INTERNAL DEGESTIVE JUICES.

PROCEDURE

STAND ERECT WITH A DISTANCE OF 1 TO 1.5 IN BETWEEN BOTH THE FEET. INHALE.
BEND THE LEGS AT THE KNEE IN FORWARD DIRECTION, PLACE BOTH AND HANDS ON THE KNEE AND EXHALE.
THE PRESSURE OF THE SHOULDERS SHOULD COME ONTO THE KNEES THROUGH BOTH HANDS. THE LEGS BELOW THE KNEES AND THE HANDS STARTING FROM THE SHOULDERS SHOULD BE IN ONE LINE, DIAGONAL TO THE GROUND.
AFTER EXHALING COMPLETELY, CONTRACT THE STOMACH FULLY AND IMMEDIATELY BRING IT BACK TO THE PREVIOUS POSITION. CONTINUE THIS CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION EXERCISE IN RAPID MANNER. THIS EXERCISE IS TO BE DONE WHILE BEING INTHE STATE AFTER COMPLETE EXHALATION. WHEN THE MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH IS GOING ON, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY INHALATION OR EXHALATION IE POORAKA AND RECHAKA SHOULD BE COMPLETELY STOPPED. TRY TO PERFORM THE PROCESS AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE AND IN A FIRM POSITION. THE GRADUALLY INHALE, STAND STRAIGHT AND COME BACK INTO THE PRE-POSITION. THE MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH SHOULD NOT BE JERKY BUT SHOULD BE DONE RHYTHMICALLY.

DURATION

SINCE THE PROCESS IS TO BE PERFORMED AFTER EXHALING, A DEFINITE DURATION CANNOT BE SPECIFIED. IT IS EXPECTED TO CARRY ON THE PROCESS TILL THE TIME THE BAHYA (OUTER) KUMBHAKA CAN BE EASILY MAINTAINED. THE DURATION OF THE BAHYA KUMBHAKA (THE STATE AFTER COMPLETE EXHALATION BEFORE INHALATION) WILL DETERMINE THE DURATION OF THE PROCESS. THE DURATION WILL CHANGE AS PER THE STUDY OF EACH SADHAKA. EVEN IF THE DURATION OF THE BAHYA KUMBHAKA IS LESS, THE PROCESS CAN BE STUDIED IN VERSIONS AS THE ASANAS WERE STUDIED. THE PROCESS CAN BE PRACTICED FOR 3 TO 4 TIMES AT A STRETCH. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO PRACTICE IT FURTHER.

WHEN IN THE AGNISAR PROCESS, THE PRESSURE BECOMES NEGATIVE, THE VESSELSS SUCK BLOOD INSIDE. WHEN THE PRESSURE IS NEGATIVE, THE BLOOD GETS SUCKED TO THAT AREA, WHEN THE PROCESS IS POSITIVE, THE BLOOD GETS PUSED FORWARD. THUS, IN THE PROCESS OF AGNISAR, THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH CAUSES NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE PRESSURE, THE IMPURE BLOOD IS SUCKED INTO THE VEINS AT THE SAME RATE AND PUSHED FORWARD. THE PRESSURE CAUSES THE BLOOD FLOWS IN ONE DIRECTION. THESE CAUSES THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD IN THE STOMACH TO BE RAPID AND EFFECTIVE, THUS IMPROVING IT CONSIDERABLY.

PRECAUTION

NO ONE WHO SUFFERS FROM STOMACH AILMENTS SHOULD PRACTICE THE PROCESS WITHOUT PROPER GUIDANCE OF AN EXPERT. THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERGONE ANY OPERATION OF THE STOMACH SHOULD NOT TRY TO PERFORM THE PROCESS FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF OPERATION. AFTERWARDS TOO, AN ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE UNDER THE EXPERT DIRECTIONS. THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM THE LOSS OF TONE OF THE STOMACH OR SWELLINGS OFTHE INTENTINES OR AILMENTS OF THE LIVER SHOULD NOT PRACTICE UNLESS ADVISED BY THE EXPERTS. ALSO, AT ONE POINT OF TIME, THE PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE REPEATED MORE THAN 3 TO 4 TIMES.

KAPALBHATI

THE PROCESS OF KAPALBHATI IS RELATED TO THE BREATHING PROCESS, HOWEVER IT IS NOT A TYPE OF PRANAYAMA PRACTICE. BUT, CERTAIN SADHAKAS THINK IN THIS MANNER AND STUDY KAPALBHATI UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE STUDYING A TYPD OF PRANAYAMA. HOWEVER, THE PROCESS OF CLEANSING THE WIND PIPE IS ONE OF THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS. THE WORD KAPALBHATI IS MADE UP OF TWO WORDS, "KAPAL" MEANING SKULL (HERE SKULL INCLUDE ALL THE ORGANS UNDER THE SKULL TOO) AND "BHATI" MEANS SHINING, ILLUMINATING. DUE TO THE PROECSS THE ORGANS UNDER THE SKULL MAINLY THE BRAIN AND THE SMALL BRAIN ARE INFLUENCED IN A GOOD MANNER. HENCE THE WORD IS USED IN THAT WAY.

PRE-POSITION

RECHAKA IS MORE IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS. WHILE PERFORMING RECHAKA, IT IS TO BE PERFORMED BY WAY OF EFFECTING A PUSH WITH THE HELP OF STOMACH MUSCLES. THE DIAPHRAGM AND THE MUSCLES OF THE ABDOMEN ARE TO BE MOVED VIOLENTLY AND THE AIR SHOULD BE EXHALED WITH THE HELP OF THAT MOVEMENT. HENCE, THE RECHAKA IS NOT PROLONGED AND MORE AIR ALSO IS NOT EXHALED.

A CYCLE OR ROTATION OF KAPALBHATI SHOULD BE PERFORMED AS FOLLOWS:

KEEP BREATHING GRADUALLY WHILE SITTING IN PADMASANA.
INHALE AND START PERFORMING KAPALBHATI AS STATED BEFORE. THAT MEANS A STRONG RECHAKA, NATURAL POORAKA AND AGAIN STRONG RECHAKA AND NATURAL POORAKA.
KEEP ON DOING THIS ROTATION SWIFTLY IN RHYTHMIC MANNER.
PERFORM AS MANY CYCLES AS POSSIBLE AND THEN KEEP BREATHING GRADUALLY. ALL THESE PROCESSESS ARE INCLUDED UNDER ONE CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI.

DURATION

WHEN THE PROCESS FOR AT LEAST 21 TIMES IN A CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI. SUCH THREE CYCLES MAY BE PERFORMED IN ONE SITTING. WHEN THIS MUCH IS ACHIEVED, THEN THE REPETITIONS WITHIN A CYCLE CAN BE INCREASED. EACH ONE SHOULD INCREASE THE REPETITIONS AS PER HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND STRENGTH.

PHYSICAL EFFECT

IN THIS PROCESS OF KAPALBHATI, THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS THROWN OUT OF THE BODY IN LARGE QUANTITY AND SIMILARLY IN THE SAME POSITION, THE OXYGEN IS ABSORBED INTO THE BODY. THIS INCREASES THE OXYGEN IN THE BLOOD, HENCE THE NEED FOR OXYGEN IS LESSENED AND THE MESSAGES OR THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO BREATHING CENTER IS CALMED DOWN THE CENTRE BECOMES CAL AND REDUCES ITS INTRUCTIONS TO THE BREATHING ORGANS. THIS FACILITATES CONTROL OF THE BREATHING ORGANS. IF THERE ARE URGENT MESSAGES FROM THE MAIN CENTRE, THEN THE ORGANS FOLLOW THOSE MESSAGES AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF THE ORGANS.

PRECAUTION

IT IS SAID THAT IN A CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI, MAXIMUM REPETITIONS OF RECHAKA AND POORAKA SHOULD BE PERFORMED. FOR A COMMON PERSON, 120 REPETITIONS PER MINUTE I.E. TWO PER SECOND IS AN IDEAL RATIO. SADHAKAS ABOVE THE LEVEL OF COMMON PERSON CAN GO UP TO 200 REPETITIONS. IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER BEYOND THAT.