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Ashtang Yoga & Research Update

Dr. Rudra Bhandari, PhDAssistant Professor

University of Patanjali, Haridwar, India

Email: rudra.bhandari@gmail.com, uop.rudra@gmail.com

Yoga literally means union, i. e, union of individual consciousness

Concept of Yoga

union of individual consciousness with supreme consciousness.

Contd.....Maharshi Patanjali defines yoga as

Yogashcittavrttinirodhah (PYS, 1:2)

Yoga means the cessation of all the psychic modifications

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Regulated in eating and recreation, regulated prescribed duties for self maintenance, regulated in sleeping and wakefulness; one by the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness is able to mitigate all misery.

Yoga is an art and science of-1. understanding human personality at

entirety- physique, mind, emotion and spirit;

2. awakening hidden powers;2. awakening hidden powers;3. mobilizing the attained powers for the

collective welfare and 4. liberating from all worldly miseries .

(Swami Niranjananda Saraswati)

A Brief History Of Yoga

Pre-Vedic period( before 3000 BC approx.) Archeologist discovered statues and paintings of figures representing Lord paintings of figures representing Lord Shiva, in various meditation and asana poses.

Vedic Period (around 2000 BC)

• The development of yoga begins at Vedic period. The Vedas, first heard in deep meditation and passed on to students (shruti text that which is heard.)

• The Vedas were the description of direct experience of God and the many ways to form a relationship through prayer, ritual, song, etc.

• The Vedanta came in the form of the Upanishads to ease Vedic Understanding.

• Still students had difficulty to understand teachings on Upanishad, so the Brahma Sutras were written.

Post Vedic Period

• And yet again, people could not grasp the Infinite with their limited thinking and so the Mahabharata and subsequently SrimadbhagvatGita were written to illustrate these Vedic teachings.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras(around 600 BC)

• Using the Vedas as the foundation, Patanjaliauthored the Yoga Sutras as the definitive text and practice manual of Raja Yoga.

• The Sutras are divided into 4 chapters or • The Sutras are divided into 4 chapters or padas:

• The first chapter, Samadhi Pada, describes the stages, obstacles and theory of Samadhi

• The second chapter, Sadhana Pada, describes Yoga practice, beginning with a definition of Kriya Yoga, which is the model for all of the modern Hatha practices;

• the third chapter, Vibhuti Pada, describes the benefits of a deep practice, including

• the third chapter, Vibhuti Pada, describes the benefits of a deep practice, including supernatural gifts; and

• the fourth chapter, Kaivalya Pada, deals with the more metaphysical aspects of Yoga

• Matsyendranath, a yogi sage, brought the practice of Yoga back to the physical and with his school of Nath focused the practice back on the body.

Modern Yoga (Hatha Yoga)

• He taught controlling the mind was too difficult and that unless the body was clean, balanced and pure the mind would not settle and Samadhi could not be achieved.

• Around 200AD Swami Swatmarama wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the quintessential guide to hatha practice

• The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a manual for doing just that; using asana, pranayama, mudra, just that; using asana, pranayama, mudra, bandhas, and shakkarmas the body is first made pure allowing the mind to settle

Modern Yoga Lineages

• Although Hatha Yoga fits into the greater path of Raja Yoga and can be traced back hundred of years, most of the modern practices, at least in the West, are based on several teachers’ understanding of Yoga.

• From Krishnamacharya come Desikachar and his Vinny• From Krishnamacharya come Desikachar and his VinnyYoga, BKS Iyengar, and Pattabhi Jois, whose intense Astanga Yoga is widely practiced among type A’s and gymnasts!

• At present Swami Ramdev is the most potent promoter of Hath Yoga worldwide.

Hatha yoga

• According to the introduction of Hatha Yoga Pradipika, “The main objective of hatha yoga is to create an absolute balance of the interacting activities and processes of the physical body, mind and energy. When this balance is created, the impulses generated give a call of awakening to the central force (sushumna nadi) which is responsible for the evolution of human consciousness. If hatha yoga for the evolution of human consciousness. If hatha yoga is not used for this purpose, its true objective is lost.” (HYP, pp. 6-7)

• The main aim of hatha yoga is to bring about a balanced flow of prana in idea and pingala nadis. The word hatha is comprised of two beeja mantras ham,representing the sun or solar force, and tham, representing the moon or lunar force.

oga

Patanjali

Yoga

Yama

Niyama

’sanas

n’a’ya’ma

tya’ha’ra

a’rana’

hya’na

amadhi

aj

Yoga

Jyana

Karma

Bhakti

tra

Yoga

tha

Yoga

anyama,

4.

Bandha,

5.

Mudra,

6.

Dharana7.Dhyan

88.Nad

“A person with balanced state of the

�doshas( 3 humors),

�agni(13 fires),

ORIENTAL CONCEPT OF HOLISTIC HEALTH

�dhâtus (7 essences of food),

�andmalas (3 impurities),

�pleasant (clear) self, mind and senses is said to be

healthy.” (Sushruta Samhitâ, 15.38)

Mohan, G. (2006). Exploring yoga as therapy. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 13-19

WELLNESS“Wellness is the optimal state of health of individuals and groups that has two focal concerns:

1. the realization of the fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually and economically, and economically, and

2. the fulfillment of one’s role expectations in the family, community, place of worship, workplace and other settings”.

Smith, B. J., Tang, K. C. & Nutbeam, D. (2006, September 7). “WHO Health Promotion Glossary: new terms”. Geneva: Oxford University Press.

NCDs’ GLOBAL TREND �The WHO Global status report on Noncommunicable diseases 2010 (GSR 2010) showed that NCDs are the biggest cause of death worldwide.

�More than 36 million people died from NCDs in 2008, mainly mainly

�cardiovascular diseases (48%), �cancers (21%), �chronic respiratory diseases (12%) and �diabetes (3%).

WHO (2011). Non-Communicable Diseases Country Profiles 2011. ISBN 978 92 4 150228 3. Acessed from http://www.who.int/about/licensing/copyright_form/en/index. html

YT is the use of the techniques of yoga to create, stimulate, and maintain an optimum state of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health (Judith Hanson Lasater).

Scientifically accepted and pragmatic definition for YT-Scientifically accepted and pragmatic definition for YT-

“YT is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the philosophy and practice of Yoga”.

Mohan, G. (2006). Exploring yoga as therapy. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 13-19.

1. Shakti-krama- To gain muscular power, the power to concentrate, do difficult postures, and work efficiently for long time etc.

2. Chikitsâ-krama-To heal specific problems by purifying the organs (

THREE IMPACTS OF YT

Miller, R. (2013). Yoga Therapy: Definition, Perspective and Principles . Retrieved April 19, 2013 from http://www.iayt.org/site_Vx2/publications/articles/miller.aspx

2. To heal specific problems by purifying the organs (doshas) or energy centers (cakras) & channels (nâdîs).

3. Adhyâtmika-krama- To go beyond limited sensory perceptions & realize oneself as eternal (Purusha) in changeable Prakriti.

SIX INDISPENSABLE FACTORS OF YT

1. Body(Postures, Cleansing techniques, Fasting , PTS)

2. Breath/Prana (Breath Regulation, Gestures, NMLs)

3. Mind (Concentrations, Meditations, Autosuggestion, TMS)

Mohan, G. (2006). Exploring yoga as therapy. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 16, 13-19.

3. Mind (Concentrations, Meditations, Autosuggestion, TMS)

4. Diet (Quality, Quantity, Frequency & Timings)

5. Lifestyle (Sleep, Wakefulness, Recreation, W-L Balance)

6. Environment (Ecological, Cultural, Political & Social)

Concept of Stress

Psychological

Stress is� an emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension � an emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension

� as wear and tear on the body

� a function of degree of person-environment fit

� the human reaction to events in our environment

YogicRepeated thinking about objects

Attachment

Desires(Likes/Dislikes), longing

Anger

Infatuation & delusion

Loss of Memory

Loss of Personality(SBG-2/62,63)

Blissful State (Purusha)

Ignorance

Ego

AttachmentAttachment

Aversion

Fear of Death (PYS- 2/3)

Physiological Stress Response

Copyright 2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA

Khalsa, S. (2004). Bibilometirc study on therapeutic interventions of Yoga. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 48(3): 269-285. Retrieved from

http://www.ijpp.com/vol48_3/vol48_no3_spl_invt_art.pdf

Khalsa, S. (2004). Bibilometirc study on therapeutic interventions of Yoga. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 48(3): 269-285. Retrieved from http://www.ijpp.com/vol48_3/vol48_no3_spl_invt_art.pdf

YOGIC MODEL OF PERSONAL EXCELLENCE

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