8/13/2019 Yoga and Ayurveda--Frawley.doc

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Yoga and Ayurveda

Frawley

Asana and Age

1. Old age, beginning around the age of sixty-five, is the age of vata. Our bodily

fluids begin to stiffen, with the loss of flexibility leading to arthritis. Asana isone of the best remedies for countering the effects of the aging process and for

preventing vata from accumulating.

. !ovement-oriented asanas "vinyasas# are mainly for the young in whom the

$uality of ra%as or action prevails. &hey need to develop their bodies and their

minds are as yet immature. After the age of twenty-four, such movement

asanas should gradually be replaced with a more internal form of asana

practice emphasi'ing the development of the mind, particularly the study of

spiritual teachings.

(. After the age of forty-eight, one moves into the period when the inner mind

develops as physical energies withdraw. )uring this time, one*s meditation

becomes more important than asana.+. After seventy-two, the mind develops yet further and physical energy begins

to decline. &his should be a period of deep meditation, yet it is necessary to

continue asana to counter the aging process.

Asana and Constitution

1. Asana is most needed by vata types, who are the most prone to postural

distortions.

. apha types, who tend to be sedentary and move slowly, benefit from more

active forms of exercise, including more ra%asic movement-oriented Asana

"vinyasas# or %umpings.

(. itta types mainly need asanas to cool down their fiery and focused

temperaments.

Which Asana or How to Perform Asana

1. &he main thing is to use asana as a vehicle for directing prana to the part of the

body that one is seeing to benefit.

. rana has the healing affect, not the asana by itself/

(. For the prana to come into the posture re$uires lining the breath with the

posture, which generally re$uires moving upon exhalation.

+. &he same asanas can be ad%usted for different doshic types.

0. Asanas done slowly, steadily and gently will generally reduce vata.. &hose done with coolness, diffusion of energy and relaxation will reduce pitta.

2. &hose done with $uicness, heat and effort will reduce apha.

3. 4e can apply different forms of pranayama relative to asanas to either mae

them more heating or cooling, more building or reducing, further modifying

their impact on the doshas.

5. A complete practice will cover the full range of bodily motions and all main

types of asanas, though each doshic type will re$uire emphasi'ing some

asanas more than others and doing them all in a manner that reduces their

dosha.

Yoga Postures for Vata Constitution