5. KARANA🔗

THE NATYASHASTRA DESCRIBES ‘THE COMBINED MOVEMENT OF THE HANDS AND FEET’ AS A KARANA IN SACRED DANCE. IT INVOLVES SYNCHRONIZED MOVEMENTS OF THE FEET, HIPS, HANDS AND EVEN THE FINGERS. THE 108 KARANAS CAN BE SEEN FROZEN IN VARIOUS TEMPLE SCULPTURES AND WERE USED IN THE SACRED DANCE. FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM REVEALS THE EFFECT OF KARANAS ON THE BODY AND MIND AND THE BREATHING PATTERNS THAT THEY TRIGGER.

PERFORMING THE KARANAS PUTS YOU INTO A STATE OF HIGH AWARENESS OF YOUR BODY ENGAGING MULTIPLE BODY PARTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE HALF SQUATTING POSITION COMMONLY CALLED THE ARIA MANDI IS COMMON TO MOST KARANAS, WHICH WHEN PERFORMED ALIGNS THE BODY TO THE ALIGNMENT OF THE COSMOS. SEVERAL TRIANGLES CAN BE DRAWN ALONG THE LINES OF THE BODY, THEREFORE THIS POSTURE ENABLES THE MICROCOSM TO CONNECT TO THE MACROCOSM. THE SEVEN CHAKRAS ARE IN COMPLETE ALIGNMENT AND AIDS THE KUNDALINI TO RAISE TO THE SAHASRARA.

THESE 108 KARANAS WERE REVEALED BY PARAMAŚIVA TO HIS GANA TANDU WHO THEN TEACHES IT TO BHARATA – THE AUTHOR OF THE NATYASHASTRA. THE KARANAS INCORPORATED INTO THE PRATHAMA VINYASA KRAMA ARE URDHVAJANU, ARDHASVASTIKA, ANCHITA, GHURNITA, KATICHINNA, NIKUTTAKA AND VALITA.

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM DELIVERS A MAJOR CONSCIOUS BREAKTHROUGH TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THROUGH INCORPORATING THESE DANCE MOVEMENTS. THROUGH PARAMAŚIVA'S IN-DEPTH INSTRUCTIONS, ENERGY AND MOVEMENT IS TAKEN TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AS SEEN IN THIS EXAMPLE OF KARANA:

ON THE LEFT SIDE, PUSHPAPUTA IN THE HAND, FOOT IN AGRATALASANCHARA, AND SANNATA ON THE SIDE RESULTS IN TALA-PUSHPAPUTA.