Asana

According to Patanjai's Yogasutras, "asana" is one of the eight limbs of yoga.

“Asana” is the Sanskrit word for a physical posture. In the Yogasutras there is a
concise definition of yogasana: "Sthiram sukham aasanam ", meaning 'that position
which is comfortable and steady'. In this context, asanas are practised to develop the
ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended period of time, an ability
necessary for meditation. Raja yoga equates yogasana to the stable sitting position.

[image1]

The hatha yogis, however, found that certain specific body positions, asanas, open
the energy channels and psychic centres. They found that developing control of the
body through these practices enabled them to control the mind and energy.
Yogasanas became tools to higher awareness, providing the stable foundation
necessary for the exploration of the body, breath, mind and higher states.

Physical and mental wellness through body-mind connection

The objective of the Asanas is to harmonise the body and mind by consciously
observing the physical and mental process as each movement or relaxation is
practiced. Every mental knot has a corresponding physical, muscular knot and vice
versa. The aim of asana is to release these knots. Asanas release mental tensions
by dealing with them on the physical level, acting somato-psychically, through the
body to the mind.

Physiological benefits
Yogasanas are not exercises, but techniques which place the physical body in
positions that cultivate awareness, relaxation, concentration and meditation. Part of
this process is the development of good physical health by stretching, massaging
and stimulating the pranic channels and internal organs, so asana is complementary
to exercise. In addition, asanas are designed to have specific effects on the glands
and internal organs, and to alter electrochemical activity in the nervous system.

Spiritual Awakeness
The ultimate purpose of yoga is the awakening of kundalini shakti, the evolutionary
energy in man. Practising asanas stimulates the chakras, distributing the generated
energy of kundalini all over the body. The asanas are specifically geared to regulate
and purify the nadis, facilitating the conduction of prana throughout the body. The
main object of hatha yoga is to create balance between the interacting activities and
processes of the pranic and mental forces. Hatha yoga, therefore, not only
strengthens the body and improves health, but also activates and awakens the
higher centres responsible for the evolution of human consciousness.

[image2]
In the yogic scriptures the asanas represent a progressive evolution from the
simplest form of life to the most complex: that of a fully realized human being who
can eventually attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Through their
practice, it is possible to side-step the karmic process and bypass many evolutionary
stages in one lifetime.

Pranayama
Pranayama is generally defined as breath control. The word pranayama is
comprised of two roots: 'prana' plus 'ayama'. Prana means 'vital energy' or 'life force'.
It is the force which exists in all things, whether animate or inanimate. Ayama is
defined as 'extension' or 'expansion'. Thus, the word pranayama means 'extension or
expansion of the dimension of prana'. Pranayama utilizes breathing to influence the
flow of prana in the nadis or energy channels of the pranamaya kosha or energy
body. In the pranayama practices there are four important aspects of breathing which
are utilized. These are:

1. Pooraka or inhalation
2. Rechaka or exhalation
3. Antar kumbhaka or internal breath retention
4. Bahir kumbhaka or external breath retention.

The techniques of pranayama provide the method whereby the life force can be
activated and regulated in order to go beyond one's normal boundaries or limitations
and attain a higher state of vibratory energy and awareness.
[image3]

The distribution and flow of prana in the body, as well as the pranamaya kosha, are
greatly influenced by one's lifestyle. Stress, improper eating habits, and lifestyle
irregularities all deplete and obstruct the pranic flow. As a consequence of this,
prana's depletion of energy causes its governing organs and limbs to become
devitalized, which in turn causes disease or metabolic dysfunction. The techniques
of pranayama reverse this process, energizing and balancing the different pranas
within pranamaya kosha. Pranayama practices should be performed after asanas in
an integrated yoga program.

Irregular breathing disrupts the rhythms of the brain and leads to physical, emotional
and mental blocks.These ultimately result in disease, an imbalanced personality, an
unhealthy lifestyle, and internal conflict. Pranayama establishes regular breathing
patterns, breaking this negative cycle and reversing the debilitating process. It does
so by giving us control of the breath and re-establishing the natural, relaxed rhythms
of the body and mind.
the rhythm of the respiration influences the quality of life as well as the length of life.
The ancient yogis and rishis observed the importance of slow breathing rate as it
keeps the heart stronger and better nourished, contributing to a longer life. Deep
breathing also increases the absorption of energy by pranamaya kosha, enhancing
dynamism, vitality and general well-being.

Pranayama practices establish a healthy body by removing blockages in the

pranamaya kosha, enabling increased absorption and retention of prana. For a
spiritual seeker, mental peace is a necessary prerequisite to spiritual practice. Thus,
many pranayama techniques utilize kumbhaka, breath retention, to establish control
over the flow of prana, calming the mind and controlling the thought process.Once
the mind has been stilled and prana flows freely in the nadis and chakras, the
doorway to the evolution of consciousness opens, leading the aspirant into higher
dimensions of spiritual experience.