Yoga

for adults, athletes, dancers & footballers

Vairagya

is the perception you achieve when

your words and experiences don’t colour your

present experience

The origin of Yoga

There are reports yoga has been around for up to 8000 years. There are four main periods of the evolution of yoga. Yoga was born the same time as Hinduism some 8000 years ago. In that time yoga has gone through four main shifts. These are Vedic, Pre-Classical, Classical and Modern. The Vedic Period founded Ancient Indian Civilisation. Hinduism is built on Purusartha which promotes balance of consciousness and consequence. Preclassical yoga took sought knowledge and liberation. While Classical Yoga emerged 5000 years ago and grounded the yoga teachings with techniques to help stabilise mental, emotional and physical health.

Table. The origins of yoga

Vedic period. Yoga is reported to be up to 8000 years old. The Vedas found traditional Hinduism.

Pre-classical period. The Upanishads. The Upanishads, are the cream of the Vedas. Knowledge and liberation. The study of the individual soul (Brahma) and the supreme soul (Atma).

Classical period. Classical Yoga was born 5000 years ago. Pantajali wrote the Yoga Sutras. The Sutras literally translate to the thread of fabric that makes yoga. There are four main chapters in Patanjali's sutras. 191 of there sutras discuss mind management, leaving only four to discuss the physical poses. The take home message is that no pose is to cause strain. Zero strain!

Modern period. Study the text of Vendata. Vendata are a summary of the end of the Vedas. Yoga become famous in the West by a few people out of India. British educated Indians taught Vendata.

Whether young, old or too old, sick or lean, those one who discards laziness — get success when you practice the discipline of yoga

Pushtam sumadhuram snigdham

Gavyumdhatupraposhanam

Manobhilashitam yoghyam yogi bhojanamacharet

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Svatrarama)

Pranayam

Square Breath Exercise

Breath in: PARUKA

Internal breath pause: ANTAR KAMBHAKA

Breath out: RECHAKA

External breath pause: BAHIR KAMBHAKA

This technique provides the gateway to learning and understanding pranayam as part of your daily yoga practice. Generally, the Rechaka (out breath) can equal to your Paruka (in breath). Make the Paruka inhale slow and quiet to improve the comfort within your body when you Antar Kambhaka (abstain breathing) in or out for a short period of time. During Paruka, we want to develop full control of your lungs. This will develop with practice.

Asana

There are over 2000 Yoga Poses. However in the original theory you will be pleased to hear that physical development is founded in steadiness of practice with simultaneous ease in the mind and body. Asana, the physical postures are only is 0.15% of the Yoga Sutras, in that of the 196 Sutras written by Patanjali, only three Sutras discuss Physical Asana. These Sutras are from Chapter 2 of the Sadhana Pada Sutras 46-48 as outlined below

Asana — Chapter 2 Sadhana Pada — Sutras 46-48

  • Sutra 46 Chapter 2

    Sthira-sukham asanam

    Asana is steadiness and ease

  • Sutra 47 Chapter 2

    prayatna-saithiya-anata-samapattibhyam

    Steadiness and ease in postures comes from relaxed effort and restful balance

  • Sutra 48 Chapter 2

    tato dvandva-anabhighatah

    Observe internal conflict like it were a tennis match — until it resolves.

Ch1 Sutra 34 to 39. Meditation without attachment. Push beyond minds through dharna (concentration/focus)

  • Sutra 34 Chapter 1

    Square\Rectangle Breath

    Pracchardan-vidharanabhvamva pranasya

    Holding the breath after inhalation and again exhalation brings citta-vritti-nirodhaha (the thoughts in the head to sleep)

  • Sutra 35 Chapter 1

    Obsession / Concentration as mediation

    Visayavati va pravrittirutpanna-manasah shtitinibandhini

    Mediate on an object that you associate with that arises intense interest

  • Sutra 36 Chapter 1

    Transformative Meditation

    Visoka va jyotisma

    Meditate on your transformation (that is void of grief and has a quality of illumination).

  • Sutra 37 Chapter 1

    Meditation with indifference

    Vitaragavisayam va cittam

    Meditate while being uncoloured or unaffected by an object

  • Sutra 38 Chapter 1

    Delta — Deep Sleep Meditation

    Svapna-nidra-jnanalambanamva

    Take a breath and dive into mediation that was born in sleep/dream or knowledge gained in sleep

  • Sutra 39 Chapter 1

    Visulisation

    Yathabhimata-dhyanadva

    Meditate on a subject that naturally interests you

The Tensions — Chapter 2 Sadhana Pada — Sutras 3-9

  • Sutra 3 Chapter 2

    Avidyasmitaragadvesabhinivesah panca Klesa

    The Five Tensions stem from non-awareness. First Tension is distance/distraction/distortion. Second Tension is oppression (avoidance)/repression (gaslighting), supression (swallowing). Third Tension is seer vs seen as distinct entities. Fourth Tension is Slumbering in the Past of pleasure (sutra 7) or slumbering in pain (sutra 8). Fifth Tension is defining oneself through self preservation.

  • Sutra 4 Chapter 2

    Avidya ksetramuttaresam prasupta-tanuviccinnodaranam

    Non-awareness (KLESA) is where the Tensions are born and express themselves via the hidden/unconsciousness; trivialities; unnecessary fragmentation and broad but thin knowledge causing discontect (lose sight of the bigger picture)

  • Sutra 5 Chapter 2

    Anityasuchidukhanatmasu nityasuchisukhatmakhatmakhyatiravidya

    Sutra 5 Chapter 2 is Assumption; confusing transience with permanence, confusing impure with pure, and confuses pain with pleasure

  • Sutra 6 Chapter 2

    Drkdarsanasktyorekamatevasmita

    To assume seer and seen energy are one and the same which in itself is a tension called Asmita “I-ness/egocentricity”.

  • Sutra 7 Chapter 2

    Slumbering in pleasures of the past (excess recall of a pleasurable past)

    Sukhanusayi Ragah

    Under the influence of a lingering memory of pleasurable past experiences is tension called Raga

  • Sutra 8 Chapter 2

    Slumbering in Pain from the past

    Dukkhanusavi Dvesah

    Under the influence of a lingering memory of pain from the past experience is a tension called Dvesah

  • Sutra 9 Chapter 2

    Savarasavahi viduso-pi

    Abhinivesa body bound self preservation interests both behaviourally and physically. Sutra 9 begins the journey of emptying all tensions discussed between Sutra 3-8.

  • Sutra 10 Chapter 2

    Counter-creativity removes klesa (unawareness that brings tensions)

  • Sutra 11 Chapter 2

    Meditation through contemplation can sift/sort concepts born of Klesa (non-awareness causing the tensions).

Chapter 1 Samadhi Pada — Sutras 1-4

yoga sutra summary

  • Sutra 1 Chapter 1

    The Discipline of Yoga

    Atha Yoganusasanam

    and, now the Discipline of Yoga

  • Sutra 2 Chapter 1

    Speak from your heart without thought

    Yogacittavrittinirodha

    Yoga is the state of being in which the ideational choice-making movement of the mind slows down and comes to a stop.

  • Sutra 3 Chapter 1

    Strive to be your authentic self always

    Tada drastuh svrupevasthanam

    Then [when when the movement of the mind comes to a stop] the seer gets established in his existential identity.

  • Sutra 4 Chapter 1

    Let noise not disturb your solution seeking

    Vrttisarupyamitaratra

    In all other states of being, identification with the ideational choice-making movement reigns-supreme.

“Na veshadharanam siddheh karanam na cha tatkatha
Kriyaiva karanam siddeh satametanna samsayah
Pitthani kumbhakaschitra divyani karani cha Sarvanyapi hathabhyase rajayogaphalavadhi

Asanas (postures), various Kumbhakas and other divine means, all should be practiced in Hatha Yoga, until Raja Yoga is obtained.

Hatha Yoga is one way to enable comfort within your body and Raja Yoga will provide you with freedom of learning how to relax and unwind

Here begins our journey”
— The Hatha Yoga Pradapika (p.49) by Yogi Svatmarama translated by Pancham Sinh