1. ASANA
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MAYBE THE MOST WIDELY DISCUSSED TOPIC IN YOGA TODAY IS - WHAT DOES 'ASANA' MEAN? IS IT SITTING? A CERTAIN POSTURE? MOVEMENT? LIKE MOST UNDERSTANDINGS, THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY DISCOVER THE TRUTH IS TO GO TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE. THIS TEXT ITSELF IS THE ORIGINAL SOURCEBOOK, REVIVED IN MODERN FORM. IT IS DEDICATED TO UNVEILING THE TRUTHS ABOUT ASANAS, REVIVED FROM THE (ALMOST LOST) SACRED PALM LEAVES GIFTED TO HUMANITY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO FROM PARAMASIVA, ADIYOGI HIMSELF. SINCE MOST PEOPLE ARE EITHER IN A STATE OF RESTLESSNESS (RAJAS) OR TIREDNESS (TAMAS), THE BODY NEEDS PREPARATION TO ENTER INTO THE EXPERIENCE OF YOGA.
ASANAS ALLOW THE BODY AND MIND TO COME TO A STATE OF BALANCE AND RESTFUL AWARENESS (SATTVA), WHERE ONE CAN EASILY ENTER INTO THE DEEPER AND MORE SUBTLE DIMENSION OF YOGA. A PERSON IS MADE UP OF THREE BODIES - THE PHYSICAL OR GROSS BODY (STHULA SHARIRA), THE SUBTLE BODY (SUKSHMA SHAREERA) AND THE CAUSAL BODY (KAARANA SHAREERA). CHAKRAS ARE THE SUBTLE ENERGY CENTERS THAT ARE PRESENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE PHYSICAL, THE SUBTLE AND THE CAUSAL BODY. THEY ARE ALIGNED IN AN ASCENDING COLUMN FROM THE BASE OF THE SPINE TO THE TOP OF THE HEAD. ASANAS INVOLVE PLACING THESE CENTRES IN RELATIVE POSITION WITH EACH OTHER. THOSE POSITIONS CAN BE REPRESENTED BY GEOMETRICAL FIGURES.
1. ASANA
"IF THE ASANAS ARE PRACTICED IN A CERTAIN MANNER, ONE BECOMES PREPARED FOR THE PURIFICATION OF THE NADIS. IT IS EXCELLENT IN ALLEVIATING THE DISEASES, PRANA AND BOD-ILY HEAT ARE ENRICHED. MINOR DISEASES ARE ALSO CURED, AND BODILY HEAT AND PRANA ARE STIMULATED. ONE FEELS LIGHT. LIFE SPAN IS ENHANCED. PREMATURE DEATH IS PREVENTED." -HATHATATVAKAUMUDI, 9. 18-19
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF ASANAS AND THEIR EXAMPLES INCLUDE:
- OPTIMIZING THE DIGESTIVE FUNCTIONS (E.G. MATSYENDRASANA, HATHATATVAKAUMUDI CH.7.8),
- REGULATING FEVER AND IMBALANCES CAUSED DUE TO THE HUMOURS (E.G. MAYURASANA, HATHATATVAKAUMUDI CH.7.10),
- REMOVING FATIGUE (E.G. SAVASANA, HATHA-TATVAKAUMUDI CH.7.12), GIVING MENTAL STABILITY,
- ENHANCING ENTHUSIASM AND STAMINA (E.G. VIRASANA, HATHATATVAKAUMUDI CH.7.19), AND ULTIMATELY,
- ENSURING SUCCESS TO THE YOGI (E.G. SID- DHASANA, SHIVA SAMHITA-III.85).
1. ASANA
THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM DESCRIBES ASANA AS, "STEADY AND COM- FORTABLE BODY POSTURES TO TUNE ONESELF WITH THE COSMOS." ULTIMATELY, ASANA MEANS MANY THINGS. PHYSICALLY, WHETHER STANDING, SITTING, LAYING OR JUMPING, ASANA IS WHEN OUR MUSCLES ARE COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE AND RELAXED; THEY ARE ALIVE, STABLE AND COMFORTABLY STACKED UPON ONE ANOTHER. ASANA IS WHEN THE BODY IS BENDING, STRETCHING AND ALIGNING ITSELF TO THE COSMIC GEOMETRY. THE CONTEXT OF ASANA IS NOT RESTRICTING ITSELF TO SOME PHYSICAL POSTURE - IT'S NOT A PLACE THAT THE BODY IS IN, BUT A SPACE. NIDHIDHYASANA, FOR INSTANCE, IS WHEN WE ARE RADIATING EXCITE- MENT, JOY AND BLISS FOR LIFE REGARDLESS OF THE PHYSICAL POSITIONING OF THE LIMBS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT UNDERSTANDING OF ASANAS IS IT'S NOT A PRACTICE AT ALL, IT IS A HAPPENING, A MANIFESTATION, WHICH HAPPENS THROUGH ASANAS; WE DO NOT PRACTICE SITTING WITH GOD, WE EMBODY GOD, PARAMAŚIVA. IT IS FROM THIS SPACE OF SADASHIVOHAM, WHEN WE'RE INTENT ON THE VOW OF LIVING LIKE A GOD, THAT WE ARE PERFORMING AN AUTHENTIC ASANA. THROUGH INTENSELY FLOWING THROUGH THE PRATHAMA VINYASA KRAMA OF 108 ASANAS, THE BODY SIMPLY FALLS IN TUNE WITH THE COSMOS.