The Path of Yog. Ashok K. Sachdeva

      4. Svadhyaya: self study of the Vedic scriptures, study to know more about God and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within.

      5. Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to (or worship of) God.

Aasan

      Discipline of the body - rules and postures to keep it disease-free and for preserving vital energy. Correct postures are physical aids to meditation, for they control the limbs and nervous system and prevent them from producing disturbances. Aasan ’sitting down’, as means ’to sit down’ in Sanskrit, is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yog, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still. In the context of Yog practice, aasan refers to two things: the place where a practitioner (or yogin, in general usage), yogi (male), or yogini (female) sits and the manner (posture) in which he/she sits. In the Yog Sutras, Patanjali suggests that aasan is “to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed” for extended, or timeless periods.

      As a repertoire of postures were promoted to exercise the body-mind over the centuries to the present day, when yog is sought as a primarily physical exercise form, modern usage has come to include variations from lying on the back and standing on the head, to a variety of other positions. However, in the Yog Sutras, Patanjali mentions the execution of sitting with a steadfast mind for extended periods as the third of the eight limbs of Classical or Raja yog, but does not reference standing postures or kriyas. Yog practitioners (even those who are adepts at various complex postures) who seek the “simple” practice of chair-less sitting generally find it impossible or surprisingly grueling to sit still for the traditional minimum of one hour (as still practiced in eastern Vipassana), some of them then dedicating their practice to sitting aasan and the sensations and mind-states that arise and evaporate in extended sits.

      Aasan later became a term for various postures useful for restoring and maintaining a practitioner’s well-being and improving the body’s flexibility and vitality, with the goal of cultivating the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods. Aasans are widely known as “Yog postures” or “Yog positions”. “Aasan” quite simply means “a posture”. Any way that we may sit, stand or position our hands is an aasan. Therefore, many aasans are possible. However, a particular posture that leads you to a higher possibility is called a Yog Aasan.

      Yog Aasan in the West is commonly practiced as physical exercise or alternative medicine, rather than as the spiritual self-mastery meditation skill and is called Yog. It is more associated with in the East.

      In the Yog Sutras, Patanjali suggests that the only requirement for practicing aasans is that it be “steady and comfortable”. The body is held poised with the practitioner experiencing no discomfort. When control of the body is mastered, practitioners are believed to free themselves from the duality of heat / cold, joy / grief, hunger / satiety, which is the first step toward the non attachment that relieves suffering. This non-dualistic perspective comes from the Sankhya School of the Himalayan Masters.

      Traditional Practices for Performing Aasans

      Listed below are traditional practices for performing aasans:

       The stomach should be empty.

       Force or pressure should not be used, and the body should not tremble.

       Lower the head and other parts of the body slowly; in particular, raised heels should be lowered slowly.

       The breathing should be controlled. The benefits of aasans increase if the specific pranayam to the yog type is performed.

       If the body is stressed, perform Corpse Pose or Child Pose

       Such aasans as Sukhaasan or Shavaasan help to reduce headaches.

      Pranayam: Pranayam, or breath control, is the Fourth Limb of ashtanga, as set out by Patanjali in the Yog Sutra. It means the control of life force energies. It is beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind. The practice is an integral part of both Hatha Yog and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yog in the execution of aasans.

      Pratyahaar: Withdrawal of senses from their external objects. When the Indriyas (senses) give up the objects, they take up the form of the mind-stuff. They are drawn into the mind. This is termed Pratyahaar or abstraction. When the Indriyas are withdrawn from their respective objects, it is Indriya-Pratyahaar. Mental abstraction takes place when the mind is disconnected with the Indriyas. Pratyahaar is a general, broad term which includes Dama also. The effect of Dama (restraint of Indriyas) is Pratyahaar.

      Prolongation of mind is Indriya: As the sea cannot exist without the rivers because sea is fed by the rivers. Even so, mind is fed by Indriyas and cannot exist without Indriyas. Hence, if you have controlled the Indriyas, you have already controlled the mind. Indriya is another name for mind. We can say, “Indriyas are objectified desires”. Will to see is the eye. Will to hear is the ear. The Indriyas have two states, static and dynamic. When the desire begins to operate, the Indriyas are put in motion. This is the dynamic state. As soon as the desire is gratified, the Indriyas shrink through tripti (satisfaction). This is the static or passive state. Eyes can only see. Ears can only hear. Tongue can only taste. Skin can only touch. Nose can only smell. But, the mind can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Mind is the common sensory. The five senses are blended there. It can directly see, hear, smell, taste and feel independent of the senses. It is an aggregate of the five senses. All the sense-faculties are blended in the mind. You can see and hear directly through the mind by Yogic practice (clairvoyance and clairaudience). This blows out the Western psychological theory of perception.

      Thus we can say that mind and Indriyas are one. Indriya is a prolongation of the mind. Mind is a mass of Indriyas. Mind is a higher power than the Indriyas. Mind is a consolidated Indriya. Indriya is mind in manifestation. Just as a minister obeys the king, so also, the five Jnana-Indriyas act in accordance with the dictates of the mind. Indriyas represent backwaters. The desire in the mind to eat has manifested as tongue, teeth and stomach. The desire in the mind to walk has manifested itself as legs and feet. If you can control mind, you can control the Indriyas.

      Mind is termed the sixth sense: Bhagwad Geeta, Chapter 15, Verse 7 says “Manah shashthanindri-yani” the senses of which mind is the sixth. The five senses are the five Jnana-Indriyas (organs of knowledge, sensation or perception). Senses cannot do anything, if the mind is not connected with them. When you are wholly absorbed in the study of an interesting newspaper, you do not hear when your friend loudly calls you. You are not aware that the clock has struck five. It is everybody’s daily experience. The mind was away at that time. It was not then connected with the sense of hearing. The eyes may be wide open during sleep. They do not see anything, because the mind is not there.

      Sister Indriyas: Nose and anus are sister Indriyas. They are born of the same Prithvi-Tanmatra, nose from the Sattvic portion, anus from the Rajasic portion. These two Indriyas are the least mischievous. The olfactory sense and the olfactory nerve do not trouble you much. They can be controlled very easily.

      Tongue and genitals are born of Jala-Tanmatra, the former from the Sattvic portion and the latter from the Rajasic portion. They are sister Indriyas. Eating strengthens the reproductive Indriyas.

      Eye and feet are of Agni-Tanmatra, eye from the Sattvic Amsa (portion), feet from the Rajasic Amsa. They are sister Indriyas. Eye likes to see “sights”. Her sisters but feet say, “We are ready to take you to the Kumbha Fair at Allahabad. Be ready”.

      Skin and hands are born of Vayu-Tanmatra, skin from the Sattvic Amsa and hands from the Rajasic Amsa. They are sister organs. Skin says, “I want silk and other smooth articles for my enjoyment”. Her sister, hand, says, “I can feel through my tactile corpuscles. I shall get for you fine soft silk. Do not be afraid, my dear sister”.

      Speech and ear are born of the same Akasha-Tanmatra, ear from the Sattvic Amsa and speech from the Rajasic Amsa. They are sister Indriyas. They help each other in the economy of Nature.

      In a bungalow