Experiencing relaxation, the yoga way

EXPERIENCING RELAXATION, THE YOGA WAY

Yogacharya Dr ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI

Chairman ICYER and Deputy Director CYTER, MGMCRI, Pondicherry.

www.icyer.com

Introduction• Charles Warner wittily said, “Everybody talks about

the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”• In modern times, we all seem to talk so much about

Yoga, but don’t do anything about experiencing it!• “Atha yoganushasanam” says Maharishi Patanjali in

his very first verse.• Yoga is to be experienced through mindfulness.• We can never really ‘do’ Yoga, but we can prepare

ourselves for the ‘experience’ of Yoga.• Vairagya is the key in developing objectivity towards

subjective experiences obtained through Abhyasa.

Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga

• We can experience states of expanded consciousnessthrough Hatha /Jnana Yoga relaxation techniques ascodified by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri inthe Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga tradition.

• This wholesome system focuses on Yoga as a “Way oflife” encompassing– cultivation of wholesome lifestyle,– adoption of health promoting diet,– development of unbiased attitudes with– bountiful practices for positive health.

THE GITANANDA TRADITION • Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri (1907-1993)• Union of Bengali Tantric tradition (Swami Kanakananda

Brighu) & South Indian Shaiva Siddhanta (Srila SriKambaliswamigal)- Mantra, Yantra & Tantra.

• Modern scientific expression of ancient Yogic wisdom• ICYER at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry has a modern

Gurukula environment where small numbers of selectstudents live with their Guru and become family.

• Present Acharya: AMMAJI, Yogacharini Meenakshi DeviBhavanani and lineageholder: Yogacharya Dr AnandaBalayogi Bhavanani

SOME CORE CONCEPTS

• Yoga as a 24*7 way of conscious living

• Create Gurus not followers

• Breath is life- great emphasis on Pranayama

• Wholesome approach to Ashtanga Yoga of Maharihi Patanjali

• Step-by-step approach

• Love for Indian culture• Bountiful practices in a

graded manner• Yantra, enabling one

to evolve in tune with nature

• Mudras, divine communication

• Jnana, Raja and Laya Yoga techniques

Four-fold relaxationA systematic and conscious adoption of attitudes resulting in deep experiential states of relaxation.

1 •Letting go

2 •Giving up

3 •Giving in

4 •Giving over

1. LETTING GO

• We need to let go of our prejudices andpreconceived notions.

• Let down our barriers to the much neededadvice and help.

• Let go of all false notions and materialisticidolatry built up in modern living.

• In particular, to let go of the “God of Tension”which is virtually deified in “civilized” society.

2. GIVING UP

• We must develop a firm desire to give up thestresses and strains that beset us.

• Does not mean surrender as popularlysuggested by the English term “to give up”.

• This is the conscious throwing off of anyweakness that tends to build up tension, andto give off or let off those foolish tensions thatat times turn us into a smoking volcano.

• “Giving up” as used here is a conscious,positive, relaxing and evolutionary process.

3. GIVING IN• This in the Yoga concept of relaxation, is to

“give in” to the dictates of the Inner Mind, theHigher Consciousness.

• Again, this is a positive process and is not thegiving in of surrender.

• There is no negation or abdication of positiveactions or ideas.

• Initially it is an intellectual process, highlyexciting and satisfying, but must grow into aneven more transcendental state.

4. GIVING OVER

• The highest stage of relaxation where controlof mind is given over to the Highest Self.

• Ishwara pranidhana and Bhakti Yoga in action• One thus merges into beautiful super-

conscious states of Samadhi indescribable inmere human language.

• “Giving over” represents the peak offulfillment, a state of complete oneness, ofAdvaitham.

Hatha Yoga Relaxation Practices

• SPANDHA – NISHPANDA: Practices are performedusing the concept of tension and relaxation wherewe first tense different parts of the body to themaximum and then relax them to the maximum.

• SHAVASANA WITH AWARENESS OF BREATH: InShavasana the mind is focused on the breath and theprocess of deep and rhythmic respiration. Thefeeling of cool inspired air flowing into the nostrilsand the warm expired air flowing out of them isexperienced with awareness and consciousness.

• TALA KRIYA: In Shavasana, the arms are stretchedover the head with the in breath and held as tense aspossible. Tension is felt at the tips of fingers and toesstretching them in opposite directions. Then on theoutgoing breath tension is released with a ‘whoosh’

• DRIDHA KRIYA: Start in Shavasana. On an incomingbreath, turn to the right side with the arms stretchedover the head so that the entire left flank is facingupward and the right flank is completely touchingthe floor. Hold the body as tense as is possible andas long as the breath can be held. Then on theoutgoing breath, collapse to the supine posereleasing the tension with a ‘whoosh’. Perform onboth sides three times each.

• MARMANASTHANAM KRIYA: This is a ‘22 point’relaxation practice performed from Shavasana. Thebody is relaxed consciously, part by part, startingfrom the toes and proceeding systematically to thetop of the head.

• KAYA KRIYA: This is a three-part relaxationtechnique in which the lower, middle and upperregions of the body are relaxed with a movement-breath combination. On the in breath, the feet aremoved inwards, the arms outwards and the headturned to the right. The reverse process is performedon the out breath.

Pranayama Practices

• VIBHAGA PRANAYAMA: Sectional breathing in low,mid, and upper regions of the chest. This effect isenhanced by use of specific Hasta Mudras.

• PRANAVA PRANAYAMA: Patanjali says that, Pranavais the vibration of the Supreme Self. The Pranava isalso known as the “Maha Manta”, the Manta of allMantas. Using specific Hasta Mudras, the vibrationsof the Pranava A-U-M is resonated throughout thelower, middle and upper parts of the whole body.

• SAVITRI PRANAYAMA: Regenerative & rejuvenativebreathing practice performed in ratio 2:1:2:1 andvarious Talas such as 2,3,4,5,6, etc. It can either beperformed from Vajrasana or Shavasana.

• NASARGA MUKA BHASTRIKA: Nasarga MukaBhastrika is forceful expulsion of breath throughmouth that can accompany different movements torelieve pent up stress.

• CHANDRA PRANAYAMA: Exclusive left nostrilbreathing in 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. Patients of stressfulconditions can benefit by practising this Pranayama27 rounds before breakfast, lunch, dinner and beforegoing to bed.

JNANA YOGA PRACTICES• YOGA NIDRA: This can be either performed in

Shavasana or any meditative posture. It can be usedfor relaxation and to harmonize the body-mind-spiritthrough powerful visualization.Various forms are taught but in the system taught bySwamiji Gitananda Giri, the energy is imagined toflow in clockwise concentric circles starting as a pinsized point at the solar plexus and slowlyexpanding to finally be 6 inches beyond the headand toes. Then the reverse process is performed.Savitri Pranayama is the breath sequence to befollowed in this practice.

• ANULOMA VILOMA KRIYA: This Kriya affects thebasic polarity of the body, regulating the electricalflow in the nervous system and the ionization ofcellular energy. It also produces deep relaxation.In Shavasana, with Savitri Pranayama, the warmgolden Prana is visualized to enter from the top ofthe head and flow out the feet on an incomingbreath. On the outgoing breath, the cool silveryApana flow is felt to enter the feet and flow throughthe body and out the top of the head. This iscontinued until a deep relaxation occurs.

Conclusion

• Swamiji taught us that ‘we’ are the source of ourproblems. If we are to solve them, we need tochange our attitude.

• An egocentric perspective will never be able tochange anything as all the ego wants to do is surviveat any cost (abhinivesha).

• The Yoga Drishti (perspective) offers a moreelevated and conscious perspective of life thatenables us to convert our seemingly insurmountableproblems into mere molehills.

www.icyer.com