Since, on the one hand, it includes full-fledged work on the whole body, and on the other hand, it does not require delving into the religious aspect. Hatha yoga classes first of all change the inner world of a person: a deeper sense of the body allows you to better control your thoughts.
Sun Salutation (Surya-namaskara)
Hatha yoga classes can include elements of different directions - depending on the teacher. A good asana sequence to start with is the classic Sun Salutation ».
This complex perfectly prepares the body for other asanas, so classes are often started with it. But if you are limited in time, you can do it separately, for example, in the morning as a charge. Of course, 15 minutes is not enough for full practice, even for beginners. But something is better than nothing.
Complexes for beginners usually include asanas that affect the whole body. They linger in each position for a short time (less than a minute). Over time, if you feel the need for deeper practice, it will make sense to increase the delay in individual asanas. But this is more related to static.
Several video tutorials for practicing at home
15 minutes for energy
Basic complex for beginners, including warm-up, Sun Salutation, stretching
Relaxing complex for a healthy spine
An hour-long, but not complicated complex
- Do not neglect the warm-up: warming up the body promotes safe and deeper practice at the same time.
- Avoid sudden movements. The only thing that requires tension in yoga is the control of attention.
- Avoid painful sensations!
- Do even the most consciously, avoiding automatism.
- Breathe deeply and calmly: while inhaling, stretch the spine, while exhaling, relax and deepen the asana.
- Pay special attention to your back: it should not bend in an attempt, for example, to reach your feet. If stretching does not allow, do not strive to immediately reach the ideal position: regular practice will help deepen the asana over time.
Of course, there are contraindications for practicing hatha yoga. The only way not to harm yourself is to listen carefully to your own feelings. In any case, yoga does not set a goal to twist everyone with the letter "siu". Don't look at others, concentrate on your feelings and enjoy the practice.
Yoga Course 114.
Hatha yoga. Static yoga.
Step 1.
Introductory seminar on Hatha yoga from 01.01.2001
Hatha yoga from scratch
Today we have April 26, 2009. My name is Vadim Zaporozhtsev. This is our Hatha Yoga workshop. We are located in the Cultural Center "Enlightenment" near the Novoslobodskaya metro station in the city of Moscow. All archived information on our sites www. openyoga. ru, www. happyoga. narod. ru, www. yogacenter. ru. This is a workshop for the International Open Yoga University.
What is yoga?
Today we are going to get acquainted with Hatha yoga. And let's try to consider this subject in the best traditions of the Open Yoga University. We believe that even complex things can be explained in a simple, understandable and accessible language, even for those people who have just started doing yoga, as they say, from scratch. This is how we will go so that a person from scratch can immediately understand what is the meaning of Hatha Yoga, what is its power, and how it can be directly applied already in his personal life.
We'll start with the formalities. In fact, what is yoga?
It is necessary to determine from the very beginning what yoga is and what it is not. The answer is as follows, yoga is a system of self-knowledge that has come down to us since ancient times. So ancient that we can only speculate and guess when, in fact, this doctrine arose. That is, this is a period of time, calculated in thousands of years. Yoga is a very interesting system of self-knowledge, where a person is encouraged to observe moral and ethical principles. The so-called First and Second principles of yoga.
The first principle of yoga - it is not to harm anyone unless absolutely necessary, and if there is no such possibility, then do as our duty tells us, and do our best to reduce this harm.
Second principle – this is the principle of common sense, this is the principle of a certain consistency, which encourages us to spend all our vitality only on achieving our goals. That is, with common sense to approach all the tasks that we set ourselves. And it doesn't matter what tasks they are, but if we do yoga, then this is a task of self-knowledge.
And finally, the most important distinguishing feature in yoga is that we must, as yoga urges us, to do self-knowledge harmoniously. There can be no question of any violence against oneself. It is important to understand this from the very beginning. Especially people who have never done yoga. Usually, with the word yoga, they have a lot of fears, phobias, that they need to somehow force themselves, they need to force themselves to do something, feel some kind of discomfort. So, from the very beginning we must be very clear and clear about this. Yoga does not imply violence against oneself. Another thing is that sometimes you have to force yourself, you have to make some effort. But even making these efforts, we observe ourselves from the background and are glad that we are overcoming ourselves.
That's all about yoga in general. Yoga is the system that no one should be afraid of in any case. Everyone will find a path or a yoga style that suits him personally. In this regard, even other people who practice yoga are, in general, not an indicator for us. Sometimes people are shown on TV who demonstrate very complex twisted poses, and this frightens off many. Many people think to themselves: "No, I will never curl up like that, I will never achieve this." So the most interesting thing is that yoga does not require you to curl up like this, demonstrate such miracles of flexibility. More precisely, over time, as yoga says, you will acquire it smoothly, naturally, without violence against yourself. So, a person should not be afraid of yoga. Unfortunately, there is such a trend now. Many people are afraid to even start yoga, because they are afraid that it will be very difficult for them. From the very beginning, you must clearly say to yourself that the ancient teaching does not imply that you should do more than your body is able to do at the time you start yoga. Yes, of course, things will change in the future. And the body will change, and the mind will change, and the nerves will become strong, but this will be later. And now, that's what you have, that's good.
Here, let's once again highlight the accents. Yoga is something alive, yoga is something natural, yoga is what we already have. If you have ever watched small children who have just learned to walk, and now they are surprised to examine their hands and feet, they can grab their leg, lift it up and look at it, smiling, then throw it. And all movements are natural, all playful and with interest. This is the ideal of yoga - like a small child. Again, as far as everyone is able to do something. There may be some rigid prickly attitudes inside you - you read in some book, do this, not that. Or you saw a picture where some guy was twisted in a completely ferocious way. This picture scared you and rather pushed you away - know that something is not right. Yoga is harmony. If you do not feel harmony, know that either it is not really there, or, perhaps, it did not open up to you. Why? There are different characters, there are different preferences for people.
What is the difference between Hatha yoga and yoga in general?
But the purpose of our today's seminar, this is a very specific type of yoga, which is called Hatha yoga. And here it is necessary to clarify, and what is the difference between Hatha yoga and yoga in general? The answer is as follows: Hatha yoga is just one of many different approaches to yoga, or one of the types of yoga. There are a lot of such species. It is believed that there are as many manifestations of a person as there are types of yoga.
Hatha yoga is such an approach or such exercises in yoga that use the ability of our body to stay in certain static positions or postures.
Once again, just watch the little children play. Here they are playing with some of their toys, suddenly, standing on their heads, then upside down, then somehow. Each of them assumes some kind of posture - this is our ability. An adult can do the same. But adults, for a number of reasons, are sometimes embarrassed to do something, sometimes it seems to them that there is no point in it. Sometimes we are so "driven" by life that we are not up to it. People get tired, they say: “Yes, I should get to bed, lie down and lie down. What poses are there? "
So, you and I can take different poses. And these poses can sometimes be the most intricate. And on this possibility, that we can take one posture, then another posture and be in this posture, the basic method of Hatha yoga is built. It turns out that if you take one pose and stay in it for some time, then another pose and stay in it for some time, then a third pose, then the overall effect turns out to be unusual, and sometimes even it seems fantastic.
The man took the usual postures. One will stay for a couple of minutes, the other will stay for a couple of minutes. And I want to emphasize that these are not necessarily the poses that they like to portray in yoga books, some insanely complex. No, friends, yoga is simple. These insanely difficult poses, of course, are in yoga, but they form the tip of the iceberg from all the many poses that are, and that we can do. And some of them are completely simple, natural.
So, Hatha yoga is just that yoga, which assumes that we will take different poses, we will be in them. We will perform or be in them in an extremely harmonious way for a certain amount of time, one pose will replace another pose in a certain sequence. There are many other factors, but they are secondary. And the very first thing that a person encounters, he cannot understand, well, how is it, in books on yoga, in all these myths, stories, it is said about what power a person doing yoga can achieve if he performs these poses. And the poses are simple, friends. How can there be such a colossal effect from the fact that I just, for example, lie on my stomach, bent my knees and grabbed my legs behind my back with my hands. I don't even make an effort, I just lie there. Or a pose, as if we were lying on the beach with you, reading a book. Here we are, resting our arms bent at the elbows, and sunbathing in the sun. Well, what can be from this? Pose as a pose. But it turns out that there is some secret of the structure of our body. And so, just as the key comes to the lock and opens the door behind which the treasures are hidden, similar to the pose. When we perform them, first of all from the position of harmony, they completely imperceptibly turn something in us like a key, and suddenly we begin to get an effect, and an effect that we did not even expect to receive.
This is the highest, deepest secret of yoga that tells us that all the most mysterious and powerful that is in the Universe, we can find inside ourselves. But you need to find an approach to this power. And so Hatha yoga gives us this approach through different postures.
Who Invented Yoga?
Move on. We will certainly touch on the issue of poses. Now we will generally analyze Hatha yoga, and then we will engage in a more detailed analysis of WHAT to do, HOW to do, WHEN to do. The next question that always interests people who begin to practice Hatha yoga is where did yoga come from, who invented it?
Friends, we cannot answer this question. It arose so long ago that no authors survived, no names survived. This happened for a number of reasons. For a long time, the tradition was not recorded on any material media, but was transmitted orally. On the other hand, it was not always appropriate to leave your name. But we can definitely say that yoga is much, much more than 3000 years old.
In general, they call different numbers in the estimates. Some believe that yoga is over 5,000 years old. Some call it even longer. In fact, this is not the point. The important thing is that this teaching somehow reached us. And by the fact that it has existed for so long, we can prove for ourselves, albeit indirectly, the most perfect effectiveness of this method. After all, a huge number of other systems, including self-knowledge systems, simply have not survived to this day. And yoga has demonstrated that it is such a strong system that it was madness to abandon it in ancient times. Thus, it passed from generation to generation and came down to you and me. Of course, there are names of certain authors or Teachers who became known at the later stages of the spread of yoga. But as a matter of fact, we do not know where this teaching came from. This is one of the mysteries, one of the very serious mysteries of history.
Why is yoga so popular these days?
The next question that we would be nice to answer. Yes, yoga has survived to this day. Why is it becoming more and more popular these days? For example, a little over 100 years ago in the West, no one heard of yoga. 100 years ago, only a few heard about yoga, 50 years ago, more people heard about yoga, now even more.
The fact is that there is a large percentage of people who come into contact with yoga and immediately begin to benefit from yoga. And only this is due to the fact that yoga is becoming popular. But do not confuse the two concepts, friends, the popularity of yoga and the safety of yoga. These are two different things. Yoga is becoming popular, but, unfortunately, some of the primary sources of yoga are now beginning to be understood less and less.
That is, we are getting worse and worse understanding of the ancient treatises on which all the exercises of this system were built. We kind of took a small part, and this part came to the court of modern man so much that it spread so quickly. And the rest, which has also been preserved, we do not use.
So why is yoga, Hatha yoga, so popular in the first place? The answer is also very interesting. You and I are now leading a lifestyle that is completely and completely determined by our civilization. If earlier people walked, at best they used horses to move, now we have cars. If earlier we spent more time reading some handwritten texts, now we spend more time at the computer. If earlier the work involved more movements that we would have to do, now the number of movements is less and less. We use public transport to and from work. As a result, it turns out that you and I lead a sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, at the same time, our work is becoming more stressful. Everything has accelerated.
We must react very quickly to changing circumstances, so the degree of our concentration, which life forces us to show every day, is growing and growing. As a side effect or reaction to this, we are seeing a surge in mental disorders among modern people, a surge in mental illness. We observe neuroses, psychosis, depression with you, we observe stress with you. We strain mentally, while the physical body is relaxed. And in ancient times everything was more correlated, that is, mental or psychic tension was coupled with the physical. Now these two things are separate. This is a modern way of life.
So, the ancient sages faced the same problem many millennia ago when they practiced this system of self-knowledge. Let me remind you that you and I have determined that yoga is a system of self-knowledge. These sages had to sit for long hours in immobility in various positions and meditate on various questions, on the essence of being, on the question of what is a person, what is the Higher "I" of a person, how is the Universe arranged? That is, in ancient times, a yogi or yogini could sit for five hours in a row in one position, without moving, with extreme tension to reflect on these questions. Moreover, this extreme stress has the same strong effect on the body as stress.
It turns out that in the modern era we are faced with the same phenomena that the ancient sages faced many millennia ago. And so many millennia ago, in order to compensate for the negative factors from long meditation, various methods were developed, in particular, this method of Hatha Yoga.
By doing Hatha yoga, we can compensate for the side effects of less movement..
And today modern society has come to court, because now we are witnessing the same thing. Therefore, it is easy to assume that yoga will gain popularity among modern people on the increasing. Indeed, there are all sorts of statistics. In Western countries, the number of people who have practiced yoga at least once is quite serious. By the way, there are more people doing yoga in the West than in the East. There are fewer yoga practitioners in India than in the United States. This is a paradox in reality.
What does Hatha yoga reveal in us?
We go further. And in fact, what does yoga give us? The answer to this question is paradoxical. Yoga gives nothing. Yoga reveals what is already ... Let me remind you once again that according to the teachings of yoga, the greatest source of power is in ourselves. And now, if the question is raised in this way, what yoga reveals in us, then here we can enumerate a long list.
Physical health
Firstly, doing Hatha yoga gives us physical health. Sometimes, even in narrow circles, Hatha yoga is a kind of panacea, that is, a medicine that helps against all diseases. Indeed, the effect of Hatha Yoga cannot be underestimated. If you have any physical illness or physical weakness, then Hatha Yoga can greatly help you overcome these problems.
But right there, you should remember that yoga never replaces medicine. And if you have any disease, then first of all you need to consult a doctor. Although there are times when medicine is powerless, and yoga can help. But so that there is no misunderstanding that supposedly yoga can replace medicine. No, yoga cannot replace medicine; yoga has other goals. The goal of yoga is self-knowledge. Medicine heals. Yoga is also partly concerned with the physical body, but only so that the process of self-knowledge goes unhindered. But she never set the task of treating anyone. So yoga gives physical health.
Mental health
Further it goes on increasing. The mental state of a modern person is extremely shaky. Moreover, observe yourself, and you will sometimes be surprised to realize that from time to time you are behaving inappropriately. And this is actually a very good sign. This suggests that you are really getting closer to understanding your mental health. It is caused by stress, it is caused by the changing conditions of life, the environment. So, yoga gives mental health through the impact on the physical body, that is, from the gross to the subtle. Or, as a well-known saying tells us, there is a healthy mind in a healthy body. If we understand the word spirit as our mental state, then it is quite a good saying.
Intellectual ability
Finally, further, what does yoga give us, what does Hatha yoga give us? It gives us, oddly enough, intellectual abilities. Again, the paradox turns out. It seems like we are doing physical exercise, and at the same time intellectual abilities are growing.
Usually, in our view, a person who is excessively engaged in some kind of physical exercise, an athlete, should not be expected to become a professor of philosophy. That is, in the mentality of people, the image of an athlete, such a pumped-up athlete, is contrasted with the image of an intellectual who is more likely to be skinny, flimsy. In the minds of society, this is disconnected.
Yoga strongly disagrees with this. She believes that in the first and second cases, that is, in the case of excessive physical training and lack of intelligence, and vice versa, in the case of too intellectual development, but with physical problems - all these are painful deviations. We must get rid of them.
The ideal of Hatha yoga is when we have a physically strong person, even if not too prominent in forms, as is the case with bodybuilders, for example, but at the same time with a sufficiently highly developed intellect. And the most interesting thing is that while doing Hatha yoga, a person sooner or later comes to strengthening his intellectual abilities. The mechanism how this happens is very hidden and very mysterious, completely unobvious, but it is a fact. They wrote about this in antiquity, we can observe this in the modern era. I myself can say that I was a multiple witness of the fact that a person who began to practice Hatha yoga, suddenly began to grow intellectually.
I have very specific live examples. The fact is that if we approach and act on our physical body from the positions that we will talk about a little later, which Hatha yoga gives us, then everything intensifies inside: some hormones are produced, and some then nerve currents are formed, and the blood supply to the brain increases, that all this begins to contribute to intellectual development. And if a person lagged behind somewhere, he very quickly makes up for lost time. Therefore, here is also such a third positive factor, in addition to physical, mental health, it is an increase in intelligence.
Creative skills
The next thing that Hatha yoga gives is the disclosure of creative abilities. In many ways, what is called creative torment is not determined at all by some insurmountable barriers at our mental level. Everything, as yoga teaches us, is much more prosaic and banal. We are just not in good shape. We do not have the vitality to maintain the work of our nervous system at the proper level, so that it is receptive enough, creative enough, as they say now. There is not enough energy. Like a computer, if there is not enough power, the battery runs out and it shuts down.
When we start doing Hatha yoga, all systems are so in good condition that a certain excess of vitality arises. And if there is an excess of vitality, this is a guarantee that a person begins to demonstrate creative breakthroughs. Therefore, if one of you is a person of a creative profession, it is sometimes much easier to make such a breakthrough if you forestall it with Hatha yoga. That is, roughly speaking, your muscle energy, your muscle life force will go into something subtle or subtle. Once again, friends, this is not observed or very rarely observed in athletes. More precisely, it is observed only in those athletes who, in their sports training, somehow intuitively rediscover the yoga method. And simply pumping up muscles does not lead to this. And yoga gives both muscle building and even strengthening of intellectual and creative abilities.
Morning. A cool rain fell from the shower in the bathroom. The body is refreshed. The body is awake. Awakening is more than an ascent. Awakening is the first smile on your face. The body is still wooden. At this moment, inner work and activation of the subtle channels of the body are needed - yoga is needed.
Static and dynamic exercises
How should you exercise to be healthy and happy? People in the mode of passion think that the more and more intense they exercise, the better the result. Yes, there will be a result, but for how long and will it give real happiness? Exercise in the mode of goodness is not about the number of exercises performed, but about achieving calmness, happiness, balance. Exhaustion of yourself, you will not add health. Good internal concentration and love for your body are required for health. Muscles, joints, spine must be taken under internal control. The goal is to help the Unconscious to properly organize the work of the body, to show love and care for every organ.
Sluggish exercise does not work. If a person constantly strives for rest, pleasure, then the amount of material needs increases, consciousness goes down. The number of manifestations of bad character traits increases. Natural needs are very dangerous if a person does not put them under self-control. Natural needs should be followed in dosage and distributed throughout the day.
Static gymnastics distributes energy throughout the body in the correct way. When a person lives in tension, it is difficult for him to relax, it is difficult for him to fall asleep, he wants to smoke. Under stress, it is imperative to do static exercises: freeze in fixed poses for a long time, until the body adapts to the pose, there will be lightness in the body, and then lightness in consciousness.
A few simple rules. If the pressure rises, then the person is better off doing flexion exercises. Better to keep your head on the floor. The ideal option is birch and plow pose. If the pressure decreases, then it is better for a person to do extension exercises: a bridge, back bends and other exercises. If a person's body heat rises, then static exercises should be done along with breathing exercises. Static exercise helps to remove heat from the depths of the body.
Static exercises won't hurt anyone. They promote health. At the same time, dynamic exercises should also be performed. Dynamic exercises are needed in order to live, to tone, to recharge, so that the body is efficient and resilient. Men are good at doing them with weight, and women are good at doing them with any objects, for example, a hoop or jump ropes. Dynamic exercises reduce body weight.
Some people only do dynamic health exercises. This is not enough for good health. The deep causes of disease do not leave the body. But dynamic exercises can be turned into static ones if done very slowly. For example, lifting dumbbells slowly is a static exercise that brings health. Slow and smooth movements of qigong gymnastics are also static exercises with a lot of inner work.
Dynamic exercises mean fast movements and fast and intense processes in the body, static means slow movements and deep internal processes.
Dream
The longest static exercise, which takes up a third of our lives, is sleep. Sleep pose affects the body more than any exercise. A non-optimal posture overloads individual organs, muscles, and the spine. Once my relative came to me and complained of severe pain in the neck, lasting quite a long time. That only doctors did not advise him: ointments, pills, massages. There is zero sense. His neck problems ended the moment I saw him sleeping. In this position, the neck simply could not help but hurt.
What is the healthiest way to sleep? Most useful - on the side with slightly tucked legs, hands under the head and instead of a pillow - a small roller. The bed is neither hard nor soft. Sleeping on the right side protects the stomach from getting into it through the loosely closed pylorus of bile that eats away at its mucous membrane. Sleeping on the right side also gives the greatest freedom to the work of the heart. Try to find out how you sleep. Ask your loved ones. Ask to film yourself. Analyze your posture for biomechanical effects on organs. What gives you the posture of your sleep in life?
Sleep is a deeply intimate thing. For sleep, many things and circumstances matter: the material of the bedding, the shape and size of the pillow, softness, elasticity, color, position of the bed, what thoughts you go to bed with, the mood before going to bed, and so on. A third of his life is spent on "lejasana" and "spasana". Do not leave this process to chance, make sense of it.
Having spent a third of the day staying in an intricate position, the body must be brought to its senses - knead what is stale, clean out what is stagnant, straighten what has grimaced and, in general, put everything in its place and run at full power.
Hatha yoga
The most famous set of static exercises is yoga, more precisely, since the word "yoga" means connection. A person who does his job well is also a yogi. He is engaged in yoga activities. Above is the yoga of knowledge, when a person tries to understand how to live correctly. Even higher is the yoga of love, when a person is engaged in devotional service most of the time, and is so keen on striving to satisfy the object of his attention that he forgets about himself. Reading this text, you are now doing yoga of health. In other words, someone sits at work for 8 hours a day, someone studies books for 8 hours, and someone loves 8 hours a day. And each yoga has its own rules, exercises, recommendations for success. For example, a person achieves success in activities if he is not attached to the results of his work. Then even a complete collapse of the enterprise or, on the contrary, over-success will not break a person's life, since happiness is brought to a person by the very opportunity to do something for others.
Sages say that a person who takes the path of yoga will certainly achieve success. If we started doing yoga of health, then we will definitely achieve a state of health. Look at yourself mentally. I am healthy, happy, beautiful, kind, smart, joyful, smiling, heroic, delightful, attractive, pleasing, giving, captivating, courageous, strong. I am a healthy man, or I am a healthy woman!
What is usually understood as yoga is called hatha yoga, or yoga of the moon and sun. The sun gives energy to all living things on Earth. The moon in astrology is a planet that gives peace, relaxation. The moon in nature controls the movement of water, the ebb and flow, and this affects many processes in the human body, consisting of two-thirds of water. The body is calm if the processes of fluid movement occur smoothly. Hatha yoga - exercises for toning and relaxation. Its meaning is love. By doing yoga, we pay tribute to all living beings, calm the mind and come into harmony with the entire universe. In the body, hatha yoga stretches the spine, twists it, liberates it, as a result of which the nerve channels are loosened, the internal organs stand in their designated comfortable places, and the diseases associated with body clamping go away.
How should you do the exercise? You need to get into an asana, in translation into Russian - into a position. The mind and body should be uncomfortable. We should feel that, for example, the spine or some part of the body is stretching or twisting. This means that the healing process has begun. Next, we wait for the body to relax. The body relaxes, the clamps, clamps, clamps and HUGE internal tongs are removed. We mentally control all processes in the body. Breathing is even through the nose. We continue to be in the asana, we wait. We look forward to letting go of the mind and making room for love. When love and peace enter the body and mind, you can end the exercise and move on to the next. Yoga is primarily an exercise for the mind. The body follows the mind.
A little pain burns away our sinful thoughts, stress and inner suffering. Destiny is cleared. The ability to tolerate discomfort strengthens the spirit. This is a very useful austerity. We can achieve more. We are getting stronger and stronger every minute. We are able to easily endure life's difficulties and hardships. We gain knowledge of what to do in desperate situations - to wait and listen to the revelations of the Universe. By doing hatha yoga, we have a great inner strength for this. The universe gives us a lesson on how to be happy. The Universe guides our souls, prepares them for a better life. We must obey the lessons of fate and change our inner desires, move from false egoism to the realization of life as an activity for the benefit of all living beings.
What is our body? This is matter that is controlled by the spirit. Matter tries to take the soul into captivity, cover it with a veil of egoistic desires, and this path is false, leading to suffering. Matter cannot give happiness. Happiness is a property of the soul. Happiness is giving, sacrifice, service. Yoga is one of the paths that teaches how to come to happiness, overcome the influence of material desires. Let's take this path.
We have already completed one exercise in the Exercise lesson. It is called "Salutation to the Sun". Different yoga teachers do it differently. Some do the exercise slowly, some do it intensively, there are many variations and complications. I had a very good teacher who did it with great love and all the time said that the key to health is sprain. Stretch out at every opportunity, unclench the clamps. You must understand the principle. Yoga is not so much bodily practice as the development of the spirit and the harmonization of the movement of energy within the body. Stretch your spine.
The criterion for correctly performing static exercises is breathing through the nose. Breathing should be calm. If you feel like breathing through your mouth, then you are overexerting yourself. Reduce the load. Control the calmness of the breath, adjust to its rhythm.
For those who decide to seriously engage in hatha yoga, I want to say my favorite phrase from the movie Star Wars: "May the Force be with you!" The feeling of strength will surely appear soon.
Soaring eagle
Let's repeat the Sun Salutation from the Exercise chapter. And as a supplement, to tone up in the morning we will be a "soaring eagle". Let's stand up straight, straighten our backs and tilt our head back as much as possible. Fan your fingers. Pull your arms back and to the sides, raise your arms up from behind. Pull the hands as far back as possible from the forearm. Take a deep breath and hold your breath. Stand on your toes and stand for 5 to 30 seconds. With an energetic exhalation, lower yourself, dropping your hands down and freeing your head and back (3 - 5 times).
Lotus position
The lotus is very important in Eastern culture. The lotus is not only extraordinarily beautiful, it is not yet wetted with water. This is a very apt symbol of spiritual life. The lotus personifies the beauty of the spiritual world and detachment from the ocean of material desires and desires to enjoy the results of one's activities.
The lotus position is sitting cross-legged with the feet on the hips. The lotus position is the main posture for meditation (reflection) in yoga. This is the most comfortable sitting position because the pelvis is spread apart and the pressure is evenly distributed over the body. Cross your legs while sitting on a chair and feel that it has become more comfortable, the pressure on individual organs has decreased, and it is more evenly distributed. And in the lotus position, the pressure is even less. Sit in the lotus position whenever you can and, for example, contemplate the energy centers described in the Meditation lesson. Also, the lotus position improves digestion.
Starting position - sit up straight with your spine extended upward. Bending your right leg at the knee, take your foot with your hands and put it on your left thigh, turning the sole upward. Press your right knee to the floor. Then bend your left leg at the knee, take your foot, and place it on your right thigh, also turning the sole upward. Keep your back, head and neck straight. The time spent in the lotus position is unlimited. Bend your lower back so that the energy goes up to the crown. Reach up.
As a preparatory exercise, simulate a butterfly wing. Place your left foot against your right thigh. Now start swinging your left knee as if it were rubber: you push the knee down towards the floor, and it bounces back. Do this in quick forward movements so that the bent knee resembles a butterfly's wing. This exercise will stretch and elasticize your ligaments and muscles and help you gradually master the lotus position. First swing your left knee, then change your leg and swing your right. You can put your foot not on the hip, but on it and swing the knee until the leg feels comfortable.
Knee pain burns off negative life energy. Overcoming oneself, the positive qualities of character are strengthened. Lotus position and meditation will help in dealing with life's difficulties.
Use lotus position in your daily life. For greater concentration of the mind, when something interferes with concentration, put your index finger and thumb together on each hand. The rest of the fingers are straight, palms up. Place your hands on your knees. This finger pose enhances concentration.
A gentle option is to place only one leg in the lotus position. Place a folded blanket under you to raise your hips. Maintain a straight back, if necessary, supporting yourself with your toes rested on the floor.
There are other similar positions that are suitable for meditation, where one or two feet are on the floor and the heel rests on the perineum. Use them if they work best for you.
Baby pose
The child sits on his lap. This is another pose that allows you to overcome life difficulties and severe stress. Knee pain burns negative life energy.
Sit on your heels with your shoulders behind your hips. Bend forward and slowly touch your chest to your legs. You can stretch your arms forward and lay them relaxed on the floor. In a gentle way, you can place a support, such as a soft pillow, under your chest. Close your eyes. Meditate.
The pose relieves headache, neck and chest pain. Loosens the pelvic floor, hips and lower back. Stretches your ankles, knees and hips. Loosens the upper back. Calms thinking, relieves stress, reduces fatigue.
Being a child is so great!
And now we will perform a whole complex of poses.
Gentle yoga complex
1. " Abandoned body"With support. Calm lying on your back. This pose has a name "corpse pose", but I don't like it, since the soul is, in theory, eternal. The soul organizes matter into a body, and then, when the body collapses, leaves it to form a new body in accordance with the desires of the soul. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and your arms out to the sides of your body. Place a lumbar support roller under your knees. Lower your back to the floor, supporting yourself with your hands. Lie down, relax your legs and let your feet drop freely to the sides. Move your arms slightly away from the sides of your body with your palms facing up. Place the backs of your shoulders on the floor. Spread out your chest. Let your palms feel space and warmth. Relax all the muscles in your face and jaw. Relax completely. Leave the body with your thoughts. Fly. Watch how the body relaxes and rejuvenates, stress and anxiety go away. The body turns into the Temple of the Soul, and you mentally examine it from the outside with your regal gaze.
2. Raise the temple body into the lotus position. Check the purity and completeness of the chakra energy, starting from the bottom. Move up. Perineum - I live naturally, with pure impulses and in harmony with nature. Groin - I am beautiful or beautiful. Belly - I love my daily activities. I am filled with life. The heart is the source of peace. Throat - I am the creator of the new. Between the eyebrows - I understand the nature of things, I follow the laws of the Universe. Top of the head - I am just a part of the vast Universe, in which everything is interconnected. I wish everyone happiness! Once you reach the top of your head, establish and feel a connection with the universe.
3. Turns the body in the lotus position. Begin turning from the center of the pelvis, turning your chest, then your shoulders in a spiral, at the last stage, turn your head and look back. In the reverse order, turn to the starting position and start turning in the other direction. Explore the whole world around you. Everything around you is a space for your temple. It is wonderful! See the beauty around you. I live now-and-here.
4. Close your eyes and bend forward in the lotus position. Cover your face with your elbows and place them on the floor, chair, or other support, as far as possible. Smile and feel that the world is safe, and everything in it is aimed at your development, so that you feel good. Thank the difficulties in life. This is a bow to Fate and acceptance of harmony. “I am where I am and I deserve it. But I will develop further. "
5. Standing bow. Stand up. Spread your toes to the sides, rest on the floor with all four points of your feet and bring your hips back slightly. Press your leg muscles firmly together. Lower your elbows covering your face back onto the chair. Keep your legs straight and your lower back curved. If flexibility allows, then press your hands to your calves and try to bring your head to your feet. Allow all negative energy to drain down into the ground. The feet, knees and hips are strengthened. The work of the digestive and reproductive systems improves. The muscles of the thighs and groin are loosened up. The nervous system calms down. Poses with a head down relieve prolonged life stresses that seem to come from nowhere, stresses according to Saturn (according to fate). The purpose of such stress is to make a person realize his place in life and the laws of the Universe.
6. Take the "baby pose" with support on the pillow and accept the laws of the universe as your protection. By following the laws of the Universe and improving your character traits, you are on the path to achieving unlimited happiness. You are a child in the hands of loving parents. Obey them.
7. Supported Bridge Pose... Opening the heart. Sit in a joint between two bedding sheets or bedspreads. Rest on your hands and begin to slowly lower your body onto the mat. Place your arms along the side of the body. Lower your shoulders, head, and neck to the floor. Relax the muscles in your face, jaw and eyes. Strengthen your shoulders on the floor. Arch your back and open your chest, your heart to the world. You can also bend your shins and stretch your body up, helping yourself with your hands. Combine the rhythm of tension with breathing. Take it slow. Repeat "I wish everyone happiness!" Feel how, as you inhale, the energy of happiness flows into your body and spreads throughout the body.
8. Lying down, bend your knees and lay them on your side. Turn your head sideways to the other side. Push off the floor with your hands, as if trying to rid your body of gravity. Relax. Let the energy drain to the floor. Then do the same on the other side. Twisting the lower back and flexing the internal organs, harmonize the energy, make it flow in the body smooth and confident.
9. Make birch or put your feet up along the wall, place your hands along the body, palms up. Breathe softly and evenly. Stay in this position for a few minutes, then lower your legs and stay for the same amount of time with your legs down. Don't get up this time.
10. Pose of the tied angle or " butterfly". This pose will require a strap or something to secure your legs. Place a large pad under your back. The pelvis is on the floor. You can place two other mats along the edges of the knees to ease the pose. Bring your feet together and let your knees swing freely to the sides. Draw the strap around the waist from below, then from above through the hips and under the feet so that the feet can rest and tighten the strap. Stretch the strap so that it comfortably supports your sacrum. Sit back on a mat. Place a roller under your neck and cover your eyes. Relax your arms and place them at your sides, palms up. Let your shoulders rest freely. Spread out your chest and heart. Relax. Breathe slowly and evenly. If there is no belt at hand, then rest your toes against the obstacle. Swing your knees slowly up and down - flutter like a butterfly over the smoothly rolling ocean.
11. End the cycle with the abandoned body pose.
There are many poses in yoga. There are also many exercise complexes. I recommend signing up for a nearby yoga club for a deeper awareness of the practice of static exercises. A big plus is that working in a group is more interesting and enjoyable, and you don't want to think about the results of your workout.
A few more useful poses to explore. Remember that the point of a pose is to stretch and twist. The more muscles and ligaments you control in an exercise, the more correctly you perform it. While in a pose, think about what else you can pull and strain, what is not yet involved in your body.
Tree pose
Pose, standing on one leg, to develop balance. Stand up straight and straight. Hang on a mental string attached to the crown of your head. Spread your toes apart and rest on the floor with four points of the foot. Put down powerful mental roots deep into the earth. Inhale and stretch your muscles up from your feet to the center of your pelvis, and press your legs firmly together. Inhale and bend your right leg. Place your right foot on the inside of your left thigh. Feel your thigh with your foot. Place the palms of your hands together at heart levels. Inhale and stretch your arms up, palms folded together. These are branches directed towards the Sun. Reach for the sun properly. Look straight ahead. Try to stay in this position for a few breaths. Bring your arms and legs down at the same time. Repeat with the other leg. In a gentle version, you can only raise your leg to the level of the ankle. Exercise has many health benefits, such as lengthening the spine and improving circulation.
Pose war
Stand up straight, straight. Mentally hang the crown of your head on a string. Put your hands on the belt like a warrior. Step your right foot forward one full step without tension. Rotate the heel of your left foot inward slightly. Exhale and bend your right knee at a 90 degree angle. Raise your hands high into the sky with your fingers outstretched. Stretch upward, contracting your fingertips, arm muscles, and left leg. Pull your tailbone downward, stretching your entire body. Grow with your feet to the floor. Stay in this position for a few breaths. Inhale, straighten your front leg, and stand up. Repeat on the other side.
Birch
I want to say that in my life I am very inspired by the "birch" pose. This pose helped to relieve internal stress in a difficult life situation. I was once under severe stress at work. For two whole months he could not relax inwardly, and the situation continued to be tense. All the time I thought about work, about how bad everything in life is. Having made a "birch tree", literally in one minute the stress began to recede from consciousness and I, finally, was able to feel free for the first time in two months. It was quite amazing for me.
Buy a yoga book. When choosing a yoga book, look for a lot of pictures. If you liked looking at pictures of asanas, then this book is yours. The book Hatha Yoga Illustrated by Martin Kirk and Brooke Boone inspires me to exercise.
Let's strengthen the connection with the image of health.
Yoga is not only bodily exercise. Yoga is primarily consciousness. Sages say that whoever takes the path of yoga has already achieved everything. Let's strengthen our connection to future health with techniques for working with the unconscious.
Walking in time
Based on the book "Healing with NLP" by Sergei Viktorovich Kovalev,
Remember your health image, your Superhero. Check out how the health anchor works. This is your future. Enjoy it.
Move to the future. You are in excellent health. Look at yourself in the past. Wow! What was I, and what have I become?
I'm sure you know what you need to do to become healthy. After all, the body declares this all the time. See from the future health image as you move towards it along the line of time. Answer the questions: “How did I get to success? What steps have I taken? "
Return to the present. Look to the future. Review how you will achieve your health status. Enjoy the image of health again.
Feel how your confidence in success grows!
The connection with the health image has been strengthened. So we felt the benefits of walking in time.
Yoga of the Unconscious
The movement towards the image of health is a process that, like any process, can get stuck for some unknown reason. Well, the Unconscious does not want to move on. What to do? To do this, answer a series of questions. The questions are specially selected so that Consciousness explains to the Unconscious what is required of it. If you miss something, then the Unconscious can do nothing, or it can do what you didn’t expect from it. For example, overtraining to the point of exhaustion, starting to take strong medications with a bunch of side effects, or getting sick with something else in order to, so to speak, banish the disease with the disease. Consider the questions carefully.
1. How can I become and be healthy? (Describe how to do it).
2. Where can I work on health? Where can I not work on health? Describe the locations.
3. With whom can I work on health? Who can't I work with on health? Describe the people.
4. When do I feel healthy? When do I feel unhealthy? Describe the times.
5. Do I have unwanted sensations at the thought of becoming healthy? Sometimes people get sick because they want to influence others in this way.
6. By what rules do I live regarding health? Do I have hopelessness, helplessness, undeserved health? Do I have patterns of behavior that I have never critically and comprehensively considered when I say to others: "I am right, because this is how it should be"? Describe the ideas fixed to the head.
7. Maybe something or someone is holding me back from being healthy? Why didn't I reach this state earlier? Describe the blockages.
8. What do I need to be healthy? Describe everything that comes to mind.
9. Draw a square and divide it into four parts. For each part, answer one of the following questions. 1) What can happen if you become healthy? 2) What can happen if you don't get healthy? 3) What won't happen if you don't get healthy? 4) What won't happen if you don't get healthy?
10. How will I know if I have achieved a health image? Describe everything that comes to mind.
Talk about health with someone who is sympathetic to you, or in extreme cases, to yourself.
Exercise. I am writing a plan for achieving a health image in a notebook. There is a lot to do. This process is stepwise and sequential. For now, I plan to take myself just one step. I am formulating the mini-result of this step (for example, for the first time in my life to get up at 5 in the morning for meditation). Further, I will clarify the mini-result for myself in order to get a clear, clear and acceptable image of its achievement for my Unconscious. I am writing an action plan to achieve this mini-result. I will write the next step after achieving this mini-result.
Result. What I want?
Signs. How will I know if I have achieved a result?
Conditions. Where, when, with whom?
Funds. What do I need to achieve the result?
Restrictions. Why didn't I achieve this sooner?
Effects? What happens if I achieve a result, and what happens if I do not achieve a result?
Value. Is the goal worth my efforts?
Our task: to make our way in the fog of momentary desires and in the swamp of everyday life.
Now I suggest you check your readiness to achieve the goal. The technique of H. Bremer and H. Kongsbach "self-esteem and development of persuasion", improved by S.V. Kovalev.
Exercise. I put A4 sheet vertically and at the top of the sheet I write my goal: "My goal: ...". I draw 5 horizontal lines to the whole page. These are five scales from 1 to 5. I put the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on each segment. I measure the degree to which I agree with judgments related to the achievement of my goal. The evaluation will be done by my hand.
I write near the segments
1. My goal is desirable and worth it.
2. My goal is achievable.
3. What I need to do to achieve my goal is normal and natural.
4. I have all the necessary abilities to achieve my goal.
5. I deserve to achieve my goal.
I put my hand in the center of the first line on score 3. I calmly read the first statement. How completely do I agree with this statement? I am relaxed. I freed my mind. My hand can move by itself along the segment left-right, I just help her a little. I don't use my mind to judge. Only my Unconscious controls the hand. Is the score 3 true? If so, then the hand does not move. If not, then my hand moves to the left or to the right. Finally, I feel a place on the scale that corresponds to the degree of my agreement ...
If your position has a score below 4, then we will continue to work with this position. Repeat the position 9 times, each time adding the next judgment from the following and what spontaneously appeared behind it. Try to be sincere and be sure to process the "emerging" doubts and objections with arguments. When you're done, do your self-assessment again and notice what has changed and strengthened.
Exercise. I write in a notebook, for example, "I deserve to achieve my goal, because ...", "I deserve to achieve my goal, and I will achieve it before ..." and so on.
… because …
... and I will reach it before ...
... and I will reach it after ...
… while …
… if …
… but …
… as well as …
… Anytime …
… so …
If you have done everything in good faith, then you can start with the Conscious part of enjoying the views of the surroundings, while the Unconscious is doing the work to achieve an image of health.
Surely there is no such person who would not have heard of such a word as "yoga", but at the same time not everyone is able to explain what it is. I would like to note that yoga is a unique, amazing practice that came into the world from the mysterious, mysterious India, but, as you know, it is this country that brings health not only to the body, but also to the soul, so it is worth realizing and understanding this ...
It should be added that yoga allows you to learn to competently, breathe correctly, fully relax, but in addition, it allows you to forget about insomnia, and after all, many people suffer from this ailment so often.
Speaking about yoga in general, then of course, it should be understood that this is a special, unique way of life, which is famous for the fact that it will allow everyone to achieve enlightenment. Remember that if you want to do yoga, you will have to give up certain benefits of civilization.
After all, it is yoga that is different in that it makes you rethink not only life principles, but also habits. If you want to practice yoga, be prepared for the fact that now there will be a desire to give up everything bad and harmful, you can learn to control your feelings, gaining not only mental, but also physical balance. Those people who regularly do this claim that they started life differently, and had no idea how their gray days went before.
Many people perceive yoga as a set of asanas, if you wish to do the same, then you should know that for you it will become simple gymnastics and nothing more, and accordingly it will not be able to bring the desired effect. In this case, yoga will be a complex of various exercises designed to improve health, normalize the work of certain organs, etc.
A brief history of yoga
As for the history of yoga, then naturally it is long and rich, because if you carefully study the Indian seals, you can see the images of figures in the postures of yogic meditation.
Despite all the advantages that yoga has, nevertheless, many people do not know what benefits it brings, and if you carefully study this issue, then all doubts will disappear instantly, instantly. We can safely say that even two months is enough, and you can feel favorable, positive and positive changes.
Such exercises are also famous for the fact that they will allow you to forget about chronic pain in certain sections of the spine, which is important. It is important to add that yoga is also different in that it heals all body systems, and these are not empty words. Of course, you should practice regularly in order to achieve some results, and the effect, in this case, you yourself will begin to notice how the body becomes flexible, plastic.
Attention: Remember that only yoga classes will allow a person to feel real life energy, gaining self-confidence, moreover, such activities will allow him to become calmer, less prone to both stress and other negative situations, and this is a serious advantage.
Contraindications to yoga
You need to understand that yoga can really be done to all those who wish it, but, like any gymnastics, there are some contraindications that it is advisable to familiarize yourself with in advance so that such training could not cause any damage or harm to your health.
- For example, it is strictly forbidden to practice yoga for certain mental disorders, this also includes schizophrenia, certain exacerbations of diseases of internal organs, so it is worth considering this;
- If you are faced with such a problem as arterial, intracranial pressure, then you should forget about such activities, perhaps you have various heart diseases;
- You can not do yoga and in the presence of inguinal hernias;
- In the case of certain heart diseases, especially after a heart attack;
- One cannot but add here also diseases of the joints, various injuries of the spine, oncological diseases;
- If certain operations have been carried out, then such activities should be abandoned;
- Accordingly, this must be done in case of flu, colds, fever.
Attention: Sometimes it happens that while practicing yoga, a person begins to feel bad, his condition worsens, of course, you cannot tolerate, in this case, you should definitely stop training so as not to face serious health problems, moreover, you will need a medical consultation ...
Now you probably understand that yoga will require systematicity, so try to immediately determine the time of classes, in general, it is generally accepted that you should start every morning with yoga, doing this for a couple of hours, but of course, the most optimal time for classes is evening.
In addition to the above, it is important not to forget that yoga should be done strictly with an empty stomach, or, a few hours after eating, you can perform special exercises, both on a slippery rug and on the floor, barefoot.
Many people are not serious about such activities, further wondering why they could not achieve any results. Know that yoga always requires complete silence, concentration, which means that external sources of sound should be turned off accordingly.
At the moment when you begin to perform certain exercises, you will definitely need to concentrate on the body, completely relax, forgetting about all those problems that may bother you, completely immersing yourself in the meditation process. In general, know that asanas should be performed correctly, namely, slowly and smoothly, then you can feel every inhalation, exhalation, which is important.
After all, with exceptionally correct breathing, it will be possible to properly relax the body, calm the mind, so do not forget about this, this is the main secret, the effectiveness of such exercises.
What not to do while doing yoga?
Yoga, as a rule, is considered a calm and safe activity, it will allow you to cope with constant stress, it also strengthens the immune system quite well, but you should not ignore the fact that you need to perform each exercise not only smoothly, but also with concentration.
Beginner Exercises for Beginners
As for the first exercises, you can start them on your own, even without an instructor, such asanas are extremely beneficial, and even if they are not performed quite correctly. Of course, you should not rush, try to tune in exclusively to the sensations of your body, performing the exercises gradually.
To perform this exercise as efficiently and correctly as possible, you need to stand straight, while inhaling, slowly raise your arms, stretching them up as far as you can. After the manipulations done, straight arms need to be pulled back behind the head, this will allow the chest to be fully opened. To enhance the effect, it is necessary to raise the bent leg, placing its foot on the thigh. This exercise is effective and useful, because it gives a graceful posture, moreover, it seriously strengthens the spinal column.
You can do the following exercise, which is called the child's pose. In this case, you need to sit with your buttocks on your heels, and then start lowering your body to your hips, while stretching your arms forward. This exercise is necessary, effective, because it will relax your tight muscles, relieving tension from the neck.
For this exercise, bend over with your palms on the floor. Then raise the pelvis up, stepping back with the heels, and the weight should always be evenly distributed between the palms and feet, respectively, as a result, you can relieve tension from the shoulder girdle, from the back.
For example, stork pose is also a good option. Where should you raise your arms up, bending down with an exhalation, thereby bending from the lower back. This exercise will tone the body up.
To perform this exercise, you need to lie on your stomach, grabbing yourself by both ankles, while inhaling, simultaneously lifting both the upper and lower halves of your torso. The exercise is effective, as it will make your back straight, arms slender, so it is impossible not to appreciate it.
It is important not to forget that practice yoga at home, it is natural to perform certain exercises thoughtfully, slowly, this is the most important thing. Only in this case, there is an excellent opportunity to experience your every movement as effectively as possible, enjoying it to the fullest.
Of course, one should never forget about thoughts while performing such exercises, this is because it is they that will allow one to relax, distract from certain problems, making oneself much better than yesterday.
If something is not clear, then you can always watch videos teaching these exercises that will help you not to make mistakes. Thus, after a while, you will memorize all these exercises by heart, respectively, you will be able to perform them without much effort, difficulty and complexity.
Conclusion
Now you understand yourself that yoga is really a complex of serious, effective and safe exercises that allow you to look at the world with completely different eyes, get rid of certain problems, creating a special harmony of soul and body.
In addition, now you know that it is yoga that is the direct path to health, such training will allow you to get rid of the negative baggage that has been accumulated throughout your life, etc.
There are many excellent exercises in yoga, but the minus of yoga is various spiritual practices that often lead to spiritual problems.
Some firmly believe in the miracles of static asanas, others cannot wait to be recharged with divine energy, while others study Sanskrit after classes in order to find revelation in ancient texts. And although there are still far fewer yoga centers in Moscow than in New York or London, the problem of choice is already becoming urgent. So where to go - to Ashtanga Vinyasa or to the School of the Shadow, you decide.
Hatha Yoga Sri B.K.S. Iyengar
Translated from Sanskrit, "hatha" means power, fury, necessity or effort. At the same time, the syllable "ha" symbolizes the sun, and the syllable "tha" - the moon, and the main task of hatha yoga is to establish a balance in the body between the sun and the moon, activity and relaxation. First of all, hatha yoga is designed to restore the physical health of a person: to restore mobility to the joints, to suspend the curvature of the spine, to normalize pressure and digestion, to strengthen the immune system and hormones. And the health of mind and spirit should be a direct consequence of physical health.
Iyengar himself at a young age suffered from numerous diseases: malaria, typhoid fever, tuberculosis. Doctors doubted that he would last more than 20 years, and at sixteen he began to practice yoga with his sister's husband, Sri Tirumalaya Krishnamacharya, one of the best yoga masters in India who has trained a generation of teachers.
Iyengar's style is static: each asana is held for several minutes. Unlike dynamic types of yoga - ashtanga vinyasa, kundalini - here the body is literally rebuilt, paying great attention to the smallest nuances: stretching, muscle tension, twists and turns. Moreover, for each person, standard poses may vary slightly depending on what exactly he needs. For the correct construction of poses, wooden bricks, ropes, blankets and horizontal bars are used.
Sivananda Yoga
Swami Sivananda (1887-1963) is one of the most famous and beloved Indian yoga teachers. A doctor by training, at the age of 37 he came to Rishikesh. It was there that he decided to become a hermit. Meditating 12 hours a day and doing yoga with his teacher, Swami Sivananda continued his medical practice. In 1932 he founded an ashram in Rishikesh, which marked the beginning of his yoga school. For his time, Sivananda was almost a revolutionary: he invited untouchables to his home and ashram, he defended the right of women to learn yoga. After Swami left in 1963, many of his students went to teach yoga in Europe and America.
Sivananda's yoga system is a static practice. Its main difference from Iyengar yoga is that, first of all, students are taught not asanas and pranayama, but deep relaxation. It is believed that only if you are completely relaxed, the asanas will benefit and really serve to transform not only the body, but also the spirit. Depending on the individual characteristics, mental disposition and physical form of the student, the instructor selects the practice of relaxation. For example, to begin with, you will be taught to completely relax your face, and only then - the pose of the Cobra or Plow.
The five basic principles of Sivananda Yoga are: proper exercise (asanas), breathing (pranayama), relaxation (savasana), diet (vegetarian), and meditation (studying and contemplating on the Vedic scriptures).
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Another student of Krishnamacharya, Patabhi Jois, unlike Iyengar, retained the dynamic style of his teacher, laying the foundation for Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - one of the most powerful and fast-acting systems of Hatha Yoga. In ashtanga vinyasa, all asanas are collected using vinyasas - dynamic ligaments. You will have to learn not only vinyasa, but also a special practice of pranayama - it is called Ujayi, or Victorious breath. Breathing in sync with the movements helps warm up the body from the inside and accumulate a large amount of energy.
Sweating profusely during exercise, you are cleared of toxins and toxins, and thanks to vinyasa, active blood circulation is ensured. In addition, great attention is paid to the implementation of special energy locks, or bandhas, which distribute energy throughout the body, as well as the direction of the gaze, or drishti. Each vinyasa corresponds to a certain drishti - on the tip of the nose, on the third eye, on the palm, on the big toes, up, to the right, to the left, to the navel. This allows the practitioner to calm the mind and achieve inner concentration. There are six levels in the ashtanga system, ascending in degree of difficulty.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga is the yoga of energy channels. According to Hindu ideas, kundalini is the original spiritual energy of creation that created the cosmos. It is present in the human body in an unawakened, dormant form at the base of the spine (in the mooladhara chakra). In order to realize the main goal of yoga - to merge with divine consciousness, the yogi must awaken the kundalini and raise it up the central energy channel along the spine to the seventh chakra. The Kundalini Yoga system was developed and spread among the Sikhs - warriors of medieval India from the state of Punjab. In the 1970s, guru Siri Singh Sahib (Yogi Bhajan) became the first teacher to introduce North America and Europe to Kundalini Yoga.
“Some people teach yoga as if it’s just a set of exercises - and nothing else, but such people have no right to call themselves yogis. If the flexibility of the body and the ability to take different poses made a person a yogi, the best yogis would be circus clowns, ”says Yogi Bhajan and assures that the practice of kundalini yoga allows a person to achieve the same results in 2-3 years that can be achieved using hatha methods. -yoga takes 20-25 years.
Kundalini Yoga involves various meditation techniques (or exercises). In most cases, meditation lasts 3 minutes, 11 minutes, 22 minutes, 31 minutes, 62 minutes, or 2.5 hours. Usually the eyes are closed and the gaze is focused at the point between the eyebrows (this stimulates the pituitary gland and intuition) or at the tip of the nose, which helps control the mind. Mudras are used in almost all meditation practices. Sometimes special breathing patterns are used. Many techniques are performed with special music or accompanied by chanting of mantras. If there are no special instructions, then meditate while sitting, with a straight spine.
Kundalini yoga is based on kriyas - special complexes of dynamic exercises combined with breathing and meditation. However, even if you do not set yourself the goal of gaining enlightenment, kundalini yoga helps to restore peace of mind. The most famous American teacher of Kundalini Yoga is called Gurmukh, she taught half of Hollywood to “unleash the potential and relax the mind”. And Cindy Crawford recently admitted that now she is in an irredeemable debt to Gurmukh - for Kundalini Yoga and all the happy changes in her life.
Tri-Yoga
In 1980, an American woman, Kali Ray, during meditation began to experience a state called kriyavati - under the influence of the awakened kundalini, she began to spontaneously perform asanas, breathing exercises and mudras - ritual gestures that serve to concentrate energy. From this, trai yoga was born - a very meditative, fluid practice in which static postures are replaced by dynamic kriyas. Bundles resemble dance moves, and practice is a single soft flow. Trai yoga followers believe that this is the original yoga, representing the cosmic force of creation, and the word "trai" in the name means the threefold basic principle underlying the universe, and the three energies that are an integral part of each of us: Sat (Existence ), Chit (Knowledge) and Ananda (Bliss). And the task of trai yoga is unity, harmony and balance of body, mind and spirit.
Shadow School Yoga
The name "Yoga of the Shadow" is taken from the sixth chapter of the ancient tantric treatise "Shiva Swarodaya". This chapter, called "Shadow Man Yoga", examines the various manifestations of the shadow and their meaning both inside and outside the human body. According to hatha yoga anatomy, the human body consists of three separate bodies and five sheaths, or shadows, and the dissolution of these shadows in the process of practice is the main task of the yogi.
The teaching is based on ancient Hatha Yoga texts, which state that all fixed forms must be constructed in such a way as to develop the practice of free style - this guarantees long life and is a necessary step in achieving enlightenment. The main postures that must be included in the practice are: standing, sitting, lying (face down, up, to the sides), side, inverted, curved, twisted, squat, balances, forward bends, backbends and spirals.
Fitness Yoga
It is not actually a school and has a very indirect relationship to ancient Indian teachings. Actually, this is what remains of yoga, if we remove philosophy, ideas about the energy structure of a person, mantra, pranayama and mudra. This direction is closest to Ashtanga Vinyasa, from which fitness yoga inherited only a sequence of dynamic ligaments. To be fair, it should be noted that not all teachers comply with it. Often, instructors include classical choreography and stretching exercises in their classes. This yoga is for those who want to correct posture, improve proportions and lose weight, but definitely prefers a treadmill to meditation, and a glass of freshly squeezed juice to pranayama. And if you are frightened by mystical associations or you just have no time to go into details and read primary sources, do not rush to give up the thought of yoga. Fitness variation is still better than nothing.
Bikram Yoga
The hottest (in every sense) hobby of Hollywood stars and Manhattan workaholics is yoga in halls with an air temperature of 40-43 degrees Celsius. Its creator - Bikram Chowdhury was born in 1946 in Calcutta and at the age of four began taking yoga lessons from one of the most famous Indian teachers - Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yoganada, who wrote Autobiography of a Yogi. At 13, he won the All India Yoga Championships and held that title until 17 when a knee injury put him in a hospital bed. The doctors were sure that Bikram would never be able to walk on his own, but he returned to his teacher and six months later was healthy. It was then that Ghosh blessed his student to open yoga centers in India, Japan and later around the world.
Having moved to America, Bikram developed and began to implement his revolutionary method of "hot yoga", claiming that Indian rishis lived in a very hot climate and virtually all asanas are designed for a warmed-up body, and practicing at a temperature of 20 degrees is complete delirium. In 1973, he opened a studio in Beverly Hills, and since then almost every celebrity in Los Angeles, from Madonna and Michael Jackson to Irwin Welch and Salma Hayek, has sweated in it. The bikram yoga complex consists of two breathing exercises and 26 simple asanas of hatha yoga, which are performed at a very fast pace (from 10 to 60 seconds for each pose).
Fans assure that Bikram Yoga cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, brings relief from back pain, migraines, asthma, diabetes, liver and spleen problems, and also helps to quickly recover from injuries. Doctors worry that high stress in the heat can be dangerous for the heart, and the high temperature is bad for male fertility. And Chowdhury, meanwhile, is about to patent his own asana - the first time in history that a spiritual teaching becomes a market brand.
Jivamukti Yoga
"Jiva" in Sanskrit means individual soul, "mukti" - liberation. “We strive to teach yoga as a spiritual practice and remind students that they are on a difficult mystical journey to enlightenment. And we have created a method that allows you to stay on track, ”says the creator of this system, David Life. Among those whom he and his wife Sharon Gannon set on the right track are Sting and Trudie Tyler, Christy Turlington and Russell Simpson. David (artist and musician) and Sharon (dancer and singer) discovered yoga in the late 1970s, studied in India with Swami Sivananda and Swami Nirmalananda and, in fact, were the first to try to return the spiritual aspect to yoga teaching in the West - singing religious hymns and mantras, meditation and lectures on philosophy. In their study rooms, instead of white walls and rugs, the students discovered an altar on which Shiva, St. Teresa of Avila and the fairy Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.
If you go to one of the jivamuktiyoga centers in New York, London or Toronto, in addition to the intensive practice of classical yoga asanas in the Ashtanga Vinyasa style, you will find discussion of ancient Sanskrit texts and chanting prayers, teaching pranayama and kriya yoga (the practice of purification). In addition, you will be ashamed for eating meat and strongly recommended to become a vegetarian. And they will play the soundtrack with the Beatles and Billy Laswell's Indian jazz. David and Sharon are hilarious anarchists who say there are no rules except one: "You can make direct contact with God on your own." And their jivamukti yoga is a proven way to do it in the midst of a cosmopolitan metropolis, not in the silence of a Himalayan cave.
Power Yoga
This style was introduced in 1995 by Beryl Bender Birch. As befits a person with the surname Bender, she actually made a small forgery, taking as a basis the sequence of the first two levels of Ashtanga Vinyasa and gave them a new name - simple and accessible to every American. In addition to exercises that strengthen muscles and increase flexibility, power yoga places great emphasis on breathing and emphasizes concentration and mobilization of emotional resources. Actually, one of the main tasks of this method is to make a person not so much more enlightened, but more powerful, resilient and energetic.
In addition to Birch, three other trendy power yoga teachers in the States are Brian Kest, Baron Baptist, and Mark Blanchard. The latter is a favorite of celebrities, in particular Jennifer Lopez and her namesake Aniston.
Vini Yoga
One of the most popular directions created by the outstanding Indian teacher T.K.V. Desikachar and his American student Gary Kravtsov. The main postulate of Vini Yoga is that the practice must be strictly personalized, that is, the teacher must create a unique program for each of his students. Actually, it resembles a kind of "custom yoga". In addition to asanas, pranayama, bandhas, chanting of mantras and religious hymns, meditation, the study of rituals and yogic texts are included in the compulsory program of vini yoga. At the same time, the main difference between Vini Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa is that in the second there are rigid sequences of asanas, and in the first sequence they develop spontaneously, depending on the mood and specific needs of the practitioner. An excellent therapeutic technique - for getting rid of diseases, bad thoughts and apathy.