SECTION 1: Pre-Workout Sequence For Daily Routine🔗

Pre-Workout (1- 5 below) Duration: 25 – 30 min

Centering and declaring you are complete is the first step to enter the session. It's all about coming to the moment, grounding yourself powerfully. Centering is simply balancing your body, breath and start to come back to the present moment. It can be achieved through a prayer, observing the breath, body awareness, or listening to a sound (bell, light music). The intention here is to open a space for you to explore your own boundaries, to relax from all worries, stresses and “day dreams”, and come to this moment to the reality of your body. From this center, now take a strong decision to be complete. Drop all past incompletions and create a powerful inner space. Only then we can enter the space of Yoga.

In fact, anything that follows, the whole class, including weight-training, body postures, breathing, chanting, intention, everything is to simply move in the space of completion, in the flow of this moment, in yoga.

Centering will generally happen in a comfortable sitting posture. If necessary, you may sit on a chair, or any other posture that makes you feel at ease.

nithyaanandam parama sukhadam | kevalam gnaanamoortim|

That (Being) in the state of Eternal Bliss; that which grants the ultimate well-being. The One in the state of aloneness; the abode of all knowledge

dvandvaateetam gagana sadrisham | tattvamasyaadi lakshyam|

Who is beyond the state of duality, expansive like the vast space; Reminds you of the goal ‘You are that’

ekam nithyam vimalam achalam | sarvadee saakshi bhootam|

The One that is Eternal, beyond the state of purity and impurity, steadfast and is the witness self in all living forms

bhaavaateetam triguna rahitam | sadgurum tam namaami ||

That which is above all emotions, the One devoid of taint of the three qualities (the One who wields the qualities at His will).

To that MASTER (Sadguru) I surrender.

Caution: Skip Bhastrika if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, if you are pregnant, or if you have undergone a recent surgery.

After grounding yourself through any centering method, we will take some time to activate the breath. We use 2 traditional breathing techniques – bhastrika and full yogic breathing.

Source: Gheranda Samhita, Upadesha 5, Verses 75, 76 & 77

As the bellows of the ironsmith constantly contract and expand, similarly, the belly muscles pump the breath out and in with equal emphasis on the inhale and exhale. The breaths are short and quick. Exhale sharply pulling the belly in and up then inhale spontaneously allowing the belly to expand. Both inhalation and exhalation are from the nose.

This breathing is like a bellows feeding the digestive fire, the jatar agni. This technique is excellent for removing fatigue or any disorder related to the digestive system.

• Skip this section on bhastrika if you have high blood pressure, hiatal hernia or heart disease.

• Sit cross-legged with spine straight, shoulders relaxed. In the beginning, place the hands on upper and lower belly. The hands on the belly will help you to focus there and make sure the belly contracts and rises with the breath like the action of a bellows.

• Exhale and inhale from the nose.

• Speed: Each exhale and inhale breath is strong, short and quick. Let exhalation time and inhalation time be equal. (i.e. equal emphasis on both). Start slowly, fill the abdomen with air, then exhale forcefully: one exhalation per second and one inhalation per second. With practice, increase speed to 1 – 2 breaths per second. • Start by exhaling sharply through the nose simultaneously pulling the belly in towards the spine then inhale spontaneously letting the belly expand. Repeat this action rhythmically 21 times for 1 cycle. • Do not strain your body. • Keep the back straight, face and shoulders relaxed. • Keep your awareness on the navel center and the heat generated. • In between cycles, take few deep full yogic breaths (explained below).

Beginners – 1 – 2 cycles Intermediate – 3 cycles

• If you feel dizzy, lightheaded or irritable, rest with normal breathing and next time try fewer breaths in a cycle or consult a teacher.

The full yogic breath is the most efficient way of breathing and expanding the lung capacity and the intake of prana, life energy. Once you master this breath, you will greatly increase your life energy, and remove any tiredness from your body. It should be smooth and effortless without strain – minimum effort with full capacity.

• Slowly inhale, first allowing the belly to rise and then in a continuous movement, fill the middle section of the lungs up into the top of the chest. Feel the ribs widen. • Release on the exhale, slowly drawing the belly as close to the spine as possible and completely empty the upper lobes of the lungs in the chest.

Patanjali Dhyaan is an intense process to awaken the body's potential energy, and experience the vibrant stillness of the mind.

Patanjali Dhyaan works at all levels. In the physical body, it helps in loosening the stiff muscles. The body has its own habits, its way of standing, sitting, walking. This is nothing but the muscle memory that we have developed during our life. Unless we dissolve some of the stiffness and blockages, the old memories of the body, we won't be able to receive any new energy. Patanjali Dhyaan is a process to let go of deeply engraved memories, what we call engrams or samskaras in Sanskrit.

At the mental level, Patanjali Dhyaan done with full intensity effortlessly takes you to a vibrant stillness. The mind is chaotic by nature, so we often need a dynamic method to allow the mind to relax. This is exactly what Patanjali Dhyaan does, by literally shaking off the conditionings and patterns, and bringing you back to the physical reality of the moment.

At the being level, Patanjali Dhyaan is a process to awaken the innermost potential energy, the kundalini shakti. It activates the energy centers along the spine and the energy in every cell of the body, allowing you to experience the expansive state of pure consciousness.

Cardio

• Move on to creating your intention.

The intention is a vital aspect of eN-Fitness℠ practice. Without the intention, eN-Fitness℠ will be just like any other exercise. The Vedic Tradition names this intention ‘sankalpa’. Sankalpa is a conscious resolution; aligning one’s thoughts and desires with one’s actions, with one’s Being.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda explains:

“It is not how you move your body, but with what purpose you move your body. That purpose, that intention will become part of your muscle memory.

Our body itself is made out of memories. Our muscles store memories. Whether we believe it or not, accept it or not, we are an expression of our own self-hypnosis. Any way you move the body with a faith that this or that will happen in you, simply it will start expressing in you. Even when you sit, if you observe closely, so many physical movements are happening inside your body. Therefore, if you strongly believe that by ordinary sitting you will have health, and you sit just for health, simply that health will happen in you.”

So after releasing your body from unnecessary thoughts and patterns through Patanjali Dhyaan, after loosening the stiff muscles with the cardio section, we are ready to create a new body, which will be in tune with an inner experience of peace and bliss, or whatever your intention may be.

Throughout the practice, you may continue to visualize yourself moving in bliss, going beyond the limitations of the mind. The power of visualization will inscribe that experience into your muscle memory.

The practice of Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation) will awaken the body intelligence to directly create energy from the sun. For centuries, we have suppressed, denied and forgotten the fact that the body has its own intelligence; the wisdom of the ages is stored in each and every cell of our body. The ancient rishis understood this truth and therefore declared time and again that we are filled with cosmic consciousness.

Every cell in the body actively responds to environmental stimuli both internal and external. According to Indian tradition, the body is a wonderful mechanism that has the intelligence and capacity to produce energy. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is designed to access the etheric energy all around us. When performed facing the East in the first rays of the morning sun along with the appropriate breathing technique and mantras (sacred chants), the effect on the body, mind & spirit is incomparable.

It is said that a daily practice of Surya Namaskar comprising a complete set of twelve repetitions is enough to reap enormous benefits. Nothing else needs to be done.

The Surya Namaskar is so designed that it works on all body parts, every organ, every system, and every chakra. It is a moving set of postures done dynamically with the appropriate breathing.

In every eN-Fitness℠ class, we include six to twelve repetitions of Surya Namaskar. Of all the asana practice, the Surya Namaskar is considered the most effective way to limber up, tone, stretch and strengthen the entire body and the spine. Surya Namaskar is regarded as the king of asanas.

Once you are familiar with this practice, you can take a minute to visualize your body performing one repetition. This will awaken your muscle intelligence and memory. This visualization will allow your body to flow harmoniously into the posture, as opposed to struggling and fighting to move through the sequence.

• Move into Surya Namaskar, Sun Salutation, with your intention in mind. For a deeper spiritual practice, face East or the sacred Banyan Tree of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, Bidadi, India.

• Do each repetition with awareness, moving the body in tune with the breath. • Start in standing posture with hands folded at the heart. • Follow the full cycle of poses to complete 1 repetition.

Beginners – Do 6 reps Intermediate – Do up to12 reps

Surya Namaskar

Please follow one of our live eN-Fitness℠ sessions on eN-TV to get the guidance into Surya Namaskar practice. You may also get in touch with your nearest Nithya Yoga teacher. Visit http://www.yoga.nithyananda.org for more information.

End of pre-dumbbell session – Continue with workout of the day.