Category: Spirituality, life & Vedas

Yogic practices are effective to control your emotions. It is a lifestyle and a strong understanding of your mind and body. You can still feel emotions, however through practicing yoga it can give you better control of your emotions by being aware of your imbalances and/or emotions and controlling them through asanas, pranayama and meditation to take control back.

Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality:

There are two kinds of emotions: positive and negative.

For example love, kindness are positive emotions, while anger and fear are personality development thoughts.

Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may be positive and negative.

For your self growth, emotional development, positive feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and negative ones should be controlled. The negative attitudes and emotions work as a mental blockages for the development of personality and conscious.

Yoga plays a critical role in development of positive emotions. It’s emotion therapy.

It brings emotional stability and helps to control negative ones.

Yogic practices such as yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help in emotional self-regulation.

For example, the principle of non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and develop positive feelings of love and kindness for ourself and others. Similarly, other principles like yama and niyama will help to develop positive emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life.

How Yamas and Niyamas teach you to control your emotions?

Yama (restraints) and Niyama (observance) are principles which need to be adopted always in our day-to-day life.

These can be considered as the universal codes of conduct that help us in following high standards in our personal and social life.

Principles of yama are concerned with one’s social life.

The principles of niyama are concerned with one’s personal life.

Yama and niyama are part of Ashtanga yoga and help for self growth.

The five principles of yama are:

• Ahimsa (non-violence),
• Satya (truthfulness);
• Asteya (non-stealing);
• Brahmcharya (abstinence)
• Aparigraha (non-possessiveness, non-grasping or non-greediness).

The five principles of niyama are:

• Shaucha (cleanliness);
• Santosha (satisfaction);
• Tapas (austerity);
• Swadhyaya (study of good literature and knowing about the ‘self’)
• Ishwarpranidhana (dedication to the God/Supreme power/ what you believe).

Control and acceptance: the keys

It is important to have control of your body, you have to be conscious of all your senses, your mind, and your body inside and out.

You need to have an understanding of emotions and when and how they affect you. Feel emotions by not holding them back, however, you should not let the emotions take control of you either. You need to manage them, and yoga practice can help you do this.

Yoga is a spiritual science of self-realization, which means finding oneself through a spiritually journey.

People say they know themselves, but do they really?

Or do they only know their qualities, their idea of who they are?

I have spent a lot of my life just being happy, outgoing and suppressing sadness and anger. I surely did not have control of those emotions, but more of blocking/holding back.

Suppressing my emotions has caused me to be sick on the inside, and these emotions are retaliating and in force. The path of yoga and practicing has helped me to master my emotions and my well-being. It can assist you like an emotions therapy as well.

You can have a deeper understanding of your emotions and taking control back. Certain asanas can also help lift your spirit or the opposite by calming you down but you need to be guided properly if you have no body conscious.

Pranayama also assists with increasing or decreasing your mood through breath by acting on hormones and other physiological systems. You have a better balance and master yourself, mind and body.

Then, through meditation practice, proper and healthy diet, water, and general activities in your daily schedule you have understand the main tools to control your emotions.

Live with your emotions and avoid that your emotions make you live.

Everything is related between your guts and your brain. Meaning that if you have bas food intake then your brain functioning will reflect the quality of your food. 

Many people including myself, have blamed someone for my own feelings of anger, sadness or even happiness, but it’s your reaction, not their action that causes these emotions. The emotions can quickly change from one to another and even in a short turn around. With not having control of these emotions, you can hurt yourself, something or even someone else.

Feeling these emotions are natural but you must live with your emotions and avoid that your emotions make you live.

Knowing them, feeling them, accepting them and move onward, through asanas, breath, meditation diet and lifestyle. Once you have understood that and practice that, you will have control of your emotions.

But not only you will master your actions, your reactions and therefore feel more balance within.

If your emotions are running wild and you need balance in your life:

• Check your diet
• Look at your lifestyle and change what you need to change to be balanced
• Look at your emotions
• See how you feel inside
• Accept them
• Move on

Balancing poses and pranayama: what you need to practice.

These asanas and pranayama below will help bring calmness, balance and cleanse the mind and body.

You have to practice putting your consciousness and commitment onto the breath for each asana in a way to feel, experiences and receive the benefits.

Sorry, there is no solutions in this earth than to commit and work little on yourself if you want to get results. You don’t want to put efforts to master your life, then do not complain and undergo.

What poses to practice?

Vrksasana (Tree Pose):

– balancing for a beginner and advanced.

– develops nervous balance and strengthens the legs, ankles, and foot muscles.

To begin, stand on your matt, even out the weight between both of your feet.

You then shift your weight from your left foot primarily on toyour right leg/foot.

Lift your left knee out in front and grab your shin with your left hand.

Open up your hips with moving your left knee out to the left side and having a straight alignment from the knee to your hips.

Keeping your hips open place your left foot on your inner thigh, calf or ankle, just not your knee. From here you can open your arms down by your body with palms facing forward and looking ahead. You can also put your palms together in prayer position or up to make branches with your arms and look to your thumbs or the ceiling.

Relaxed your shoulders, keep the back straight, balance on the 3 points of your foot and keeping a straight line from top to bottom and having an awareness of your pelvis with anterior or posterior tilts. Hold this position up to 2 min each side. When you are ready slowly lower your leg and shake the legs out and swap sides.

If your mood is low and you feel down, and you need a push for energy, backbends are what is needed. They are good for opening up and embracing life and life’s challenges.

Then which backbends?

I have chosen Ushttasana (camel pose).

• Physical benefits with this pose are the extension of the vertebrae,
• stimulation of the spinal nerves which relieving backache, rounded back and drooping shoulders.
• Having the neck stretched tones the throat organs and regulates the thyroid.
•  benefits the digestive and reproductive system, through the stretch in the stomach and intestines.

You would begin by sitting in vajrasana pose and then stand on your knees with arms by your side. Lean slowly backwards right-hand reach for the right heel and left hand reaching for the left heel.

Pushing the hips forward, keeping the thighs vertical and bend the head and spine backward as far as comfortable. Relax into the pose and the support is even through both arms and legs. Hold for up to 3min for a static pose and when you are ready to come back slowly release one hand at a time and transition into the counterpose balasana.

Forward bends are a good counterpose for backbends but also good for calming the emotions down. If you need to calm the mind, release anger or release ego these asanas will help.

Counterposes

Balasana (Childs pose) 

• stretches and strengthens the back muscles and separates the individual vertebrae from each other, releasing the pressure of the discs, this pose also tones the pelvic muscles and sciatic nerve.

Sit in the vajrasana pose and widen the gap between your knees close to the width of your matt.

Fold forward putting your forehead on the mat and making a curve in the spine.

Stretch your arms out forward with your palms facing down and your stomach rest between your legs.

Push your tail bone down towards your feet and relax, holding this pose around 3min or to calm anger up to but no more than 10 min.

After back and forward bending you should do a spinal twisting asana.

Spinal twist

Meru Vakrasana (spinal twist) 

• good for managing entangled knots and twists in your life.
• give us the confidence and energy to learn how to deal with these problems.
• good for the spine, and toning the nerves.
• Alleviates certain types of backaches or neck pain.

Sitting with your legs out straight and back straight, bend your right knee and place your right foot on the outside of the left knee.

Breath in and raise your arms to the sky and on the exhale twist your body to the right.

Placing your left elbow on your right knee with your hand pointing up palm outwards and right hand flat on the ground behind you. On every inhale lengthen the body and exhale twist a little deeper. Holding each side up to 3 min, and when ready re-centre and change legs and twist to the other side.

After moving through some asana’s, pranayama and meditation should be added to the practice, or even on their own if required. They are useful for other ways to gain control of your emotions.

Which pranayamas to practice?

Many pranayamas are good for looking within and connecting with yourself deeply.

You can start by :

Nadi Shodhana should be practiced in each practice of pranayama to balance and purifying to form the basis for a successful practice of pranayama.

Bhramari Pranayama (humming bee breath) is good for relieving stress and cerebral tension and helps alleviating anger, anxiety, insomnia, which increases the healing capacity of the body.

Bhramari Pranayama includes a meditative state by harmonizing the mind and directing the awareness inwards. The vibration of the humming sound creates a soothing effect on the mind and nervous system.

Sit in a comfortable seated pose hands resting on your knees. Back straight and body relaxed.

Raise the arms out to the side, bend the elbows, and bringing the index fingers to plug each ear.

Bringing awareness to the center of the head take a deep breath in through the nose and exhale slowly and controlled while making a deep steady humming sound like that of a bee.

The humming sound should be smooth and continue for the duration of the exhale.

The softness of this sound will vibrate at the front of the skull.

At the end of the round, the hands can stay or be lowered and raised again for the next round. This practice can be between 5-10 rounds for beginners and increase up to 10-15 minutes, if increased tension and anxiety can practice for up to 30 min.

If sitting down is not comfortable for you then meditation with movement is something you can work with.

What about meditation for your emotions ?

One of the meditations of movement is walking, yes, just genal walking.

You can walk anywhere, your house, studio, garden, or the beach.

Anywhere you can walk without tripping can be used. This type of meditation is where you look on the ground just in front of yourself, so you can see where you are going, but having your awareness on your mind and body.

Keeping your body upright, aligned and dignified whilst being comfortable and natural, walk slowly and deliberate with each step.

Take each step by pressing the heel down first and flattering the foot and then lifting the other foot and step forward and place the heel on the ground following by flattening the foot and then taking the next step and repeat.

Just breath naturally (from the diaphragm) and focusing on the rhythmic flow of the breath during each step.

Walk around for at least 5min up to 15min focusing on your breath and your steps. This refocuses your thoughts away from any emotions that are causing you to feel sad, angry or even when you want to calm your pitta.

This meditation gives you the opportunity to look deep within and remember the Earth that sustains us and develop gratitude. Be mindful as possible by being aware of your body and the physical sensations in each step as you move.

Emotional balances from imbalance of doshas:

Knowing your ayurvedic constitution will help you to know what doshas imbalances you have.

You can use asanas to get your balance back for e.g. if you are having an imbalance with your pitta then twisting poses will help towards increasing pitta and forward folds to cool the pitta. Keep checking your dosha till you have a balance and this should help you have more control of your emotions also.

Yoga is a lifestyle and a strong understanding of your mind and body. You still feel emotions, however through yoga practice you have better control of your emotions, aware of your imbalances and/or emotions and controlling them through asanas, pranayama and meditation to take control back.

Wake up with love for yourself, your neighbor, and love for nature, whilst being aware of your emotions and practice what is needed to have control of your mind and body again.

Remember to just breathe, breath in deeply, and exhale completely.

Breath is the main part in charge of our homeostasis. If you are breathing badly, it will automatically impact negatively the state of your mind and system regulation in your body.

Conclusion

Emotions are temporary

Emotions come and go.

Simply become the witness.

Becoming the witness does not mean pushing away your thoughts and emotions; it means allowing them fully, giving them our full attention and awareness without believing that this is who we are.

Emotion takes place within us, yes, and you can even say that it is part of us, but it is not who we really are, and seeing that frees us to be able to fully experience an emotion.

When we are able to fully experience an emotion our world changes because the nature of life is that sooner or later everything changes.

We are not our thoughts.

What we resist persists

When you feel an emotion, don’t run away from it, don’t wallow in it.

Just give it space, feel the raw sensation in the body without stories, without involvement, just presence! This is the highest form of yoga.

If you can really do this, before you know it, the emotion will have changed or dissolved and you can feel the peace that comes from being the pure witness to all experiences.

I hope this gives you an idea of how to handle emotional pain in your yoga practice.

References

A study on effect of yoga on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and feelings of adolescents

Effect of integrated yogic practices on positive and negative emotions in healthy adults

Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life

Reasons, Years and Frequency of Yoga Practice: Effect on Emotion Response Reactivity

“I Just Find It Easier to Let Go of Anger”: Reflections on the Ways in Which Yoga Influences How Young People Manage Their Emotions

A study on effect of yoga on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and feelings of adolescents

Healthy lifestyle crisis today… Yes..

We are facing what can be called a pandemic of lifestyle disorders. Changes must be made consciously by individuals themselves to live a healthier life, and know how to manage emotions and stress.

Yoga is the best lifestyle ever conceived because it has potential in the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of common lifestyle disorders.

Yogic lifestyle, yogic diet, yogic attitudes and various yogic methods help men to strengthen themselves physically and mentally to develop positive health thus enabling them to resist stress better.

Yogic practice normalizes the perception of stress, optimizes it by releasing it through various yogic practices.

Several studies conducted in Pondicherry, India have demonstrated the positive effects of yoga on lifestyle disorders.

It is then quite interesting to understand that the future of health care in general could develop the use of yoga in integrative health care.

Besides, we can observe the development of alternative medicine like hypnosis in some hospitals today.

Yoga determines healthy lifestyle components (healthy diet, regular exercices, relaxation, positive attitude, healthy happy living) and psychosomatic harmonizing effects of pranayama and yogic relaxation.

Components of a healthy lifestyle

Yoga places great emphasis on a proper and healthy lifestyle and its major components which are also found in Ayurveda are:

• Achar (wholesome activities),
• Vichar (healthy relationships and healthy thoughts)
• Ahar (healthy food)
• And vihar (wholesome recreation).

The basic yogic principles help manage lifestyle disorders and psychologically reconditions to develop healthy life habits:

• Stress management with normalization of metabolism
• Relaxation, visualization and contemplative practices.

Yoga is an art and a science that is the best natural and effective way of life to manage common disorders such as diabetes and hypertension, mood disorders, schizophrenia, depression, migraines, hormonal disorders, weight loss…

And today, research looks at the beneficial psychophysiological effects of yoga and realizes that it goes beyond physical exercise since it impacts the general homeostasis of the body.

Lifestyle habits and Scientific Studies

Comprehensive reviews have suggested that yoga reduces cardiovascular risk profile by decreasing activation of the sympatho-adrenal system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and also by promoting a sense of well-being as well than a direct improvement in parasympathetic activity (Innes, Bourguignon & Taylor, 2005; Innes and Vincent, 2007).

All of the studies reviewed suggest that yoga significantly improves  lipid profile, and since this is an important risk factor for heart disease, on the risk indices associated with the syndrome of insulin resistance, …

An unsuitable lifestyle has a negative impact on the functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Studies have shown that the central nervous system is affected in diabetes mellitus. A comprehensive 6-week therapeutic yoga program produces a significant shortening of reaction time in diabetic patients (Madanmohan, Thombre, Das, Subramanian, & Chandrasekar, 1984; Madanmohan, Bhavanani, Dayanidy, Sanjay, & Basavaraddi, 2012). It has also been reported that the yoga improves nerve conduction (Malhotra et al., 2002) and biochemical profile (Gordon et al., 2008) in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Yoga is also effective in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, in reducing body weight, blood pressure (BP), glucose levels and cholesterol (Yang, 2007).

The pranayama also has immediate effects on hypertension and yoga has proven to be an effective complementary therapy:

Healthy reductions in heart rate with the beneficial practice of sukha (inhale = exhale), savitri (6:3:6:3 rhythm for inhale: hold: exhale and hold breath while sitting and lying down), chandra nadi (breath exclusive left nostril) and pranava pranayama (using audible AUM chanting during prolonged sequential exhalation while sitting and lying down) have been reported.

Normalization of autonomic cardiovascular rhythms with increased endogenous nitric oxide production.

These are simple and economical techniques that can be added in addition to the usual medical care. Healthy lifestyle is the key.

Role of Yoga in Modulating the Stress Response

Stress plays a vital role in increasing, precipitating or aggravating all lifestyle disorders. We understand that we can improve our lifestyles through yoga.

Stress leads to:

1. An imbalance of the Autonomic Nervous System with a decrease in parasympathetic activity and an increase in sympathetic activity

2. An under-activity of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system, the main system of inhibitory neurotransmitter

3. An increase in allostatic load (aconcept that refers to the negative consequences of stress on the body that accumulate over time).

Yoga-based practices correct under-activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and GABA systems in part through stimulation of the vagus nerves, the major peripheral pathway of the parasympathetic nervous system, and reduce allostatic load.

Thus the decrease in the parasympathetic nervous system and GABA activity involved in stress-related disorders can be corrected by yogic practices, leading to an improvement in the symptoms of the disease.

Yoga management for lifestyle disorders

The basic yogic principles used in the management of lifestyle disorders are as follows:

1. Psychological reconditioning and the development of appropriate attitudes :

Such as yama-niyama, chaturbhavana and pratipaksha bhavanam.

• Chatur Bhavana
• These attitudes which help us to control our mental processes are:
• Kindness to those who are happy (Maitri – Sukha);
• Compassion towards those who are unhappy (Karuna – Dukha);
• Good humor towards the virtuous (Mudhita – Punya);
• And indifference towards the wicked (Upekshanam – Apunya).

These principles help us to create a yogic attitude of Sama Bhava or equality of mind in all situations. They also help us overcome Kleshas (dark thoughts), and give us answers on how to live a yogic life. They make us human and help us to live in the social structure in a healthy and happy way.

Pratipaksha Bhavanam.

The concept of Pratipaksha Bhavanam is an amazing teaching and must be inculcated in our daily life Sadhana as we come across it so many times every day. While we can’t replace negative thoughts with emotionally charged positive reinforcements, we should at least try to stop them in their tracks! I have personally found that a strong “STOP” type statement works wonders to help block negative thoughts that would otherwise lead us down the cesspool of quicksand, into bigger and bigger problems. Tiruvalluvar advises us to return the negative actions of others with positive and selfless actions.

2. Stress management

Through counselling, jathis (release techniques), asanas (postures), kriyas (systematic rational movements of breath-body coordination) and pranayama (breath-energy harmonization techniques)

3. Normalizing metabolic activity

Helping to normalize metabolic activity through physical activity such as surya namaskar, asanas, kriyas and pranayama

4. Relaxation, visualization and contemplation

To induce feelings of inner calm and well-being.

One of the purposes of yoga is to encourage positive hygiene and health through the development of the natural powers of body and mind. It yoga pays particular attention to the processes of elimination and cleansing and redevelops the inner powers of adaptation and adjustment of body and mind. We can thus strive for positive health and enjoy it.

Yoga also entails nadi shuddhi (purification of all channels of communication) and mala shuddhi (eradication of factors that disturb the balanced functioning of body and mind).

Yoga helps cultivate positive and healthy lifestyle by:

Cultivating correct psychological attitudes:

• Masters benevolence, loving-kindness, kindness, friendliness, goodwill and active concern for others.
• Karuna – compassion,
• Mudita – joy; especially sympathetic or vicarious joy, or pleasure in rejoicing in what others are doing.
• Pekshanam – non-attachment, a balanced mind and tolerance towards those who are sukha (in joy), duhkha (in pain), punya (auspicious, virtuous), and apunya (wicked, bad)
• Reconditioning of the neuromuscular system and neuroglandular allowing the body to better resist stress and effort.
• Have an adequate diet conducive to optimal health

To lead a healthy life, our actions must be healthy.

Yoga and Ayurveda define 4 actions that we must observe:

• Achar: wholesome activities such as physical exercise with regular practice of asanas, pranayamas and kriyas. Cardiorespiratory health is one of the main side effects of these healthy activities.

• Vichar: The right thoughts and the right attitude towards life are vital for well-being. A balanced state of mind is achieved by following moral and ethical values ​​(yama-niyama).

• Ahar: sattvic diet: fresh foods, green salads, sprouts, unrefined grains and fresh fruits prepared and served with love and affection

•  Vihar: Appropriate recreational activities to relax body and mind are essential for good health. (appropriate relaxation, maintenance of stillness of actions-words-thoughts and group activities, in which one loses the sense of individuality). Karma Yoga is an excellent method to lose the sense of individuality and gain a sense of universality.

Cultivate healthy attitudes by developing yogic attitudes towards every aspect of life. This is inseparable for reducing stress which is most often an inner overreaction.

Achieve clarity of mind (chitta prasadhanam) through the attitudes advocated by Maharishi Patanjali (maitri, karuna, mudita and upekshanam).

It is important to adopt the viewpoint opposed to negative thoughts and actions (pratipaksha bhavanam) and to emphasize the principles of Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga in daily life.

A healthy and heart-friendly diet

It is important to have a healthy diet. And healthy lifestyle is also:

• Regular meals
• Adequate amounts of salad greens, sprouts, fenugreek, turmeric, bitter gourd and neem.
• The minimum possible amount of salt in the diet
• Maintain good hydration
• Eat when hungry and after digesting the previous meal,
• Regularly eat small meals with complex carbohydrates and avoid refined and junk foods.
• Coordination of breath and body movements
• Body-mind harmony is enhanced by practices using breath-related movements

Sukshma Vyayama practices (Sukshma Vyayama is the system of yogic practices which loosens your joints and removes the energy blockages. This system has a strong purifying effect thus, boosting the body energy. Yogic Sukshma Vyayamas (Loosening and strengthening. practices) are safe, rhythmic, repetitive stretching movements and Sheetalikarana Vyayama (physical. movements that mobilize and activate different parts of the body. by repetitive jerky, forceful movements) as well as pleasant jathis are helpful in this regard

Surya namaskar performed slowly and with breath awareness can also produce psychosomatic harmony and postures can be held effortlessly for a short time with meditative awareness of surya mantras (names of the sun)

Asanas for healthy lifestyle

The following postures or asanas may be used depending on the physical condition and other associated health problems of the patient.

Standing postures: tadasana, trikonasana, padottanasana, hasthapada asana, padangushta asana and mehru asana are helpful.

Lying postures: bhujangasana and ardha shalabasana

Useful seated postures include vakrasana, gomukhasana, ustrasana, shashasana and yoga mudra asana.

Lying postures: matsyasana, pavana mukta asana and eka and dwipada uttanpada asana.

Upside-down poses can help reset the mechanisms that regulate blood pressure. This can also be achieved by head under heart postures which do the same if the patient cannot do postures such as sarvangasana and sethubanda sarvangasana.

Pranayamas: pranava pranayama are very useful, as well as chandra bhedana and chandra nadi pranayamas which help to reduce sympathetic overactivity.

Savitri, nadi shuddhi and bhramari pranayama are excellent practices for reducing stress.

Sheetali and sitkari also produce a feeling of relaxation.

Kriyas to cleanse toxins

Cleansing practices such as kunjal, nauli, kapalabhati, agnisara, shanka prakshalana can be practiced according to individual predisposition. Some require a bit of learning to do them correctly.

The Viparita karani mudras help by virtue of being “the head under the heart” and also has a profound effect on the psychoneuro-endocrine axis.

Shanmuki mudra produces a feeling of inner calm

Brahma mudra, by working with breath and vibration (nada), induces a feeling of relaxation and invigoration in the head and neck region which reduces stress and normalizes reflex mechanisms.

Yogic Relaxation

Hatha Yoga relaxation practices can be practiced from savasana and include spandha nishpandha kriya (alternating tension and relaxation), marmanasthanam kriya (part-by-part relaxation), and kaya kriya (dynamic body relaxation).

Jnana Yoga such as anuloma viloma kriya and yoga nidra can help reduce stress levels and create psychosomatic harmony. Even the simple makarasana is an excellent antidote to stress and psychosomatic disorders.

Dharana and dhyana

Concentration practices that induce a meditative state include the popular om japa and ajapa japa.

Chakra dhyana

This practice focuses on the seven vital “chakras”, or energy centers, located along our spine. The activation of these chakras or energy centers triggers the expansion of consciousness and allows one to move from a lower state of existence to a higher state of existence in the planes of consciousness.

The dharana mandala can be done on all chakras with special emphasis on the anahata chakra to harmonize prana vayu which is based in the heart region and on the navel center to harmonize samana vayu to the manipura chakra.

Yoga advices

Yoga is essentially a preventive life science:

Heyam dukhkam anagatham – Yoga Darshan II: 16: Coming pain should be avoided).

The counseling process is not one-time, it is an ongoing process that starts from the very first visit and continues with each session at different levels.

Conclusion

Yoga offers great potential in the prevention and management of lifestyle disorders and diseases.

The healthy lifestyle with yoga science brings about improved health at different physical, mental and spiritual levels.

Yoga has the potential to prevent disease progression and if started early may even manifest a cure.

The majority of studies on yoga and health are positive, and would support the use of yoga as part of the integrative health care system in particular.

Yoga brings different components to the lifestyle: healthy eating, activity, relaxation and positive attitude, and harmonizing psychosomatic effects through pranayama and yogic relaxation.

It involves both the process and the attainment of a psychosomatic state of harmony and balance (samatvam yoga uchyate: Yoga is a state of balance – Bhagavad Gita) and this restoration of physical balance, mental, emotional and spiritual may be the overriding factor. behind the changes observed in all short-term and long-term studies.

Yoga is without side effects and multiple collateral benefits, safe, easy to learn and can be practiced even by sick, elderly or disabled people.

So, if you realize and take conscious that is NOW you have to act to learn healthy lifestyle habits by practicing yoga and ayurveda, book your 1^st free yoga class with me here.

Namaste

Julie

“Overeating, exertion, talkativeness, adhering to rules, being in the company of common people and unsteadiness (wavering mind) are the six (causes) which destroy yoga.“

Ida Pingala Sushumna

According to Hatha yoga there are six major factors which lead to failure in sadhana, and prevent yoga, or union, from occurring.

In hatha yoga, union means uniting the two energy forces in the body, i.e., the pranic and mental energy flowing in Ida and Pingala nadis. Usually, these two forces do not operate simultaneously; either the mental force predominates or the vital energy is dominant.

Hatha yoga is the process of balancing the flow of these two alternating forces to bring perfect physical and mental equilibrium and awakening of sushumna and kundalini.

Union of the 2 energies

All branches of yoga unite these two energies and channelize them through the third nadi, sushumna. The three nadis, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, terminate in ajna chakra, the psychic center which is situated in the region of the medulla oblongata and the pineal gland.

Through the practice of yoga, Ida and Pingala are equalized, Sushumna is activated and ajna chakra is awakened. Ida is connected to the left nostril and the right brain hemisphere. Pingala is connected to the right nostril and the left-brain hemisphere. In the same way that the right hemisphere governs the left side of the body, on a pranic level ida also controls the functions of the left side of the body. Likewise, pingala and the left hemisphere govern the right side of the body.

Just as the brain hemispheres and the nostrils alternate their functions in ninety-minute cycles, so do Ida and Pingala. Ida and the right hemisphere activate an introverted state of awareness: orientation in space, artistic, creative and musical ability. Conversely, pingala and the left hemisphere externalize the awareness. Your approach becomes logical, sequential, mathematical and analytical.

Ida nadi controls the subconscious activities, whereas Pingala is responsible for the conscious and dynamic functions. When these forces are balanced and operating simultaneously, then both nostrils are active.

This indicates that Sushumna nadi is functioning. Usually this occurs for one to four minutes between each ninety-minute cycle.

The purpose of Hatha yoga practice

Hatha yoga practice is to increase the duration and flow of Sushumna and the period when both nostrils flow simultaneously so that a balance is created in the physical and mental functions. When the mind and body are not functioning in harmony, there is a division between the physical and mental rhythms, which inevitably leads to sickness.

When a sadhaka is in the process of uniting the two opposite forces of Ida and Pingala, he must avoid all activities which waste energy and distract the mind.

The 6 major factors causing failure in sadhana

Overeating

One major obstacle to yoga (or union) is overeating. When the body is overloaded with food, it becomes sluggish and the mind becomes dull. Over a period of time toxins build up in the body, constipation sets in and the whole physical/mental system becomes blocked.

If the body is toxic and lethargic, how can you expect to make progress in sadhana?

Whatever sadhana you do will act as a purification, you will just be spending your time removing toxins and disease.

However, if you avoid overeating and its consequences, then the sadhana you are doing will help you to progress more quickly.

Swami Sivananda and many other yogis have said that the stomach should be half filled with food, one quarter with water and one quarter with air.

Overstraining

The next advice is that the hatha yogi should avoid overexerting or overstraining the body and mind. Hard physical labor or intense mental work taxes one of the energy systems and can create further imbalance between the two energies.

The hatha yogi has to conserve and build up his store of energy for spiritual purposes. And should not waste it in performing any unnecessary physical or mental feats.

Talkativeness

Too much talking dissipates vital energy and wastes time which could be better spent in awakening the inner awareness. Gossiping with people who have low morals, base consciousness and sensuous desires cannot enlighten your soul, rather, their negative vibrations may influence you. Social situations and irrelevant discussions definitely distract the mind from sadhana.

Psychorigidity

Although Swatmarama advises that a sadhaka should not adhere to strict rules and regulations, the guru’s instructions must be followed. As far as social rituals and religious doctrines are concerned, it is unnecessary that they be maintained for spiritual progress. Sadhana is not dependent on social morals nor are its effects promoted by religious practices. Adhering to rules makes one ‘narrow minded.’ Yoga is meant to expand the consciousness, not to limit it. A yogi should have a free and open mind.

If you are accustomed to taking a cold bath every morning before practice, and one day you have no water… You should not be disturbed, take a bath when you can get water. Your mind should be flexible and you should be able to adjust to circumstances.

Unsteadiness

Unsteadiness means an imbalanced body metabolism, inability to hold one posture for a period of time, and a wavering mind. Obviously yoga cannot be achieved under these conditions. When there is physical, mental, emotional and psychic imbalance, the energy is dispersed. But if the energy is properly channelized, all the bodily systems become stable, and physical and mental steadiness develop automatically. Unsteadiness also means wavering willpower.

Inconstancy and irregularity

One day you get up at 3 a.m. and the next morning you sleep in till 7 a.m. because you feel lazy. When there is inconsistency and irregularity in lifestyle further imbalance in the body will ensue. An unswerving mind and steady body cultivate yoga.

If you can live in a hermitage as described in the previous sloka, all these obstacles will be avoided naturally. However, if you are unable to live in such a place, try to develop the habit of avoiding all activities which are useless. All activities which are time consuming and energy depleting. Try to channelize all your desires and actions into spiritual ventures.

Apart from these obstacles, the Tantraraja Tantra mentions that:

“The six obstacles to yoga are kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (infatuation), abhimana (pride), mada (arrogance).”

The six obstacles described in Hatha yoga and in tantra are interwoven and interlinked. Those of tantra have a broader scope and pinpoint the obstacle to actually be the mental attitude.

https://stylesatlife.com/articles/sadhana-yoga/

https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/bhairavi-sadhana-significance-benefits

How to learn Sadhana

So what is Hatha Yoga fo real? That’s what they don’t tell you in the West, or take the time to explain to you because everyone is running around and doing Hatha as a physical exercise.

Hatha is not just the physical expression of the body.

With the physical practice of yoga, you cannot benefit from its benefits because you are not taught it in the right way.

Maybe also that people are not ready to listen to it because it calls our spiritual and physical part, yet these last 2 are inseparable, whether we like it or not.

This spiritual part is also the energy in us and that which surrounds us and this energy which surrounds us is part of us.

Why do we say “today I have no energy”, it is because we feel our level of vitality and yet it is not palpable is it?

Hatha yoga purifies

In order to purify the mind, it is necessary for the body as a whole to undergo a complete purification process.

Hatha yoga, in its traditional practice, is the science of purification, not just one type of purification but 6 different impurities.

When you rid the body of these impurities, the nadis* function and the different pranas* are released. Then they travel as wave frequencies through the channels of the physical structure (nadis), traveling to the brain.

*- Nadis: channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow)

*Prana: considered as a life-giving force. Prana is seen as a universal energy which flows in currents in and around the body.

Yoga has proven to be very effective in the treatment of many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, depression, back pain, schizophrenia, migraines, hormonal imbalances, low back pain…

Hatha yoga balances

The main objective of hatha yoga is to create an interaction: it is to find the absolute balance between the activities and the processes of the physical body, the spirit and the energy.

When this balance is created, the impulses generated call for the awakening of the central force, sushumna nadi, responsible for the evolution of human consciousness.

And if hatha yoga is not used for this purpose, its true purpose is lost.

The meaning of Hatha Yoga

Hatha is done by “Ha” and “Tha”, a combination of 2 bija mantras.

“Ha represents prana (life force) and the sun, heating.

“Tha” represents the spirit, and also our lunar, cooling side.

It refers to the balance of the masculine aspects: active, warm, solar, and feminine: receptive, fresh, lunar, present in each of us.

So Hatha means the union of pranic and mental forces.

Aparte…

What happens internally every time you start thinking?

If you’ve never thought about it, start thinking now.

What is thought?

What happens in us when a thought arises and the thought diminishes, and when one is replaced by another, or when the thoughts intersect?

This is called the interaction between Ha and tha, prana and mental forces.

What is Hatha Yoga: harmonizing prana and mind

In hatha yoga there is the concept of harmonizing the two energies, as they normally remain in an unbalanced and unharmonized form.

The prana force can be predominant and the mental force can be subordinate and vice versa.

If the force of prana is too great then people develop psychic disorders orillnesses, when the spirit is too high people get angry, quarrel, create conflicts, even cause murders, crimes, all kinds of violent behavior. This is the effect of imbalance.

The concept of Hatha yoga is to bring harmony between these 2 forces called ida (nadis) and pingala.

Ida and pingala

In hatha yoga, union means the union of the two energetic forces of the body, that is to say the pranic and mental energy circulating in the ida and pingala nadis, as said before.

Usually these two forces do not act simultaneously because either the mental force predominates or the vital energy is dominant.

Hatha yoga is the process of balancing the flow of these two forces to bring about perfect physical and mental balance as well as the awakening of sushumna and kundalini.

All branches of yoga unite these two energies and channel them through the third nadi, sushumna.

The three main nadis

The three main nadis: ida, pingala and sushumna, end with the ajna chakra, the psychic center located in the region of the medulla oblongata and the pineal gland.

Through the practice of yoga, ida and pingala are balanced, sushumna is activated and ajna chakra is awakened.

Ida is connected to the left nostril and the right hemisphere of the brain.

Pingala is connected to the right nostril and the left hemisphere of the brain.

In the same way that the right hemisphere governs the left side of the body, at the pranic level ida also controls the functions of the left side of the body.

Pingala and the left hemisphere govern the right side of the body.

Just as the cerebral hemispheres and nostrils alternate their functioning in a ninety-minute cycle, so do ida and pingala.

Ida and the right hemisphere activate an introverted state of consciousness: orientation in space, artistic, creative and musical ability.

Conversely, pingala and the left hemisphere externalize consciousness.

Your approach becomes logical, sequential, mathematical and analytical.

Ida nadi controls subconscious activities, while pingala is responsible for conscious and dynamic functions.

When these forces are balanced and working simultaneously, both nostrils are active. This indicates that sushumna nadi is working.

Small test: position your index finger below your nostrils: do you feel the flow of air coming out of one nostril greater than the other or is the flow of air coming out of your nostrils equal for both?

Cycle Length

Usually this happens for one to four minutes between each ninety minute cycle.

The object of hatha yoga practice is to increase the duration and flow of sushumna and the period during which both nostrils flow simultaneously so that a balance is created in physical and mental functions.

When the mind and body do not work in harmony, there is a split between physical and mental rhythms, which inevitably leads eventually to disease.

You should always keep in mind that body, mind and soul are not 3, they are 1.

At some level of existence you see the body.

On another level, you perceive it as a spirit.

You should never regard the body as different from the mind.

To achieve this: the shatkarmas

In hatha yoga, we first take care of the body and purify it through 6 methods. The most important point is that the nadis must be purified.

Just as a machine produces waste, our body continually produces wastes. This waste is of 3 types: mucus, gas and acidity.

If we cleanse the body internally from time to time, the excesses of the 3 wastes products are eliminated and their formation is regulated and balanced. Then good health can be maintained.

It is in this sense that the shatkarmas are of very great importance. Cleansing the body of the 3 types of imbalance in the system is an important aspect of hatha yoga and therapy.

These 6 hatha yoga kriyas (neti, dhauti, basti, kapalbhati, nauli and trataka) are also necessary for spiritual aspirants.

What is Hatha Yoga: controlling the mind by controlling prana

Indian philosophies were very aware of the difficulty of controlling the fluctuations of the mind.

She first defined the mental structure and then defined methods to relieve the monkey spirit.

Today our Western theories of personal, spiritual and psychological development have largely copied what had been defined centuries before in India.

The mind, you can handle it for a while, but you can’t always be successful all the time.

By controlling the prana (breath), the mind is automatically controlled. Prana and mind influence each other. When the prna are agitated, it affects the mind and vice versa.

Some people want to control the mind without wanting to control prana. Maybe a few people will do it, but most people of peace can’t control the mind with the mind. The more they try, the more the split grows.

Sometimes you are inspired. You feel very good, very focused, but this is not everyday practice… Practicing asanas and pranayama is the solution.

By practicing them, the mind is conquered automatically.

Hatha yoga is a very important health science. It is true that the practices require more involvement and effort from the patient than conventional therapies, but in terms of results, they are positive and permanent. It is healthier to save the huge expense of drugs, and these practices are certainly more worthwhile than damaging the body with chemicals that could be avoided for many symptoms and illnesses.

Unification Method

What makes this method of treatment so powerful and effective is that it works on the principle of harmony and unification, rather than diversity.

The 3 important principles on which physical and mental therapy are based are:

1. bestow absolute health on a part or system of the body thus influencing the rest of the body

2. balance the pole of positive and negative energy. (ida and pingala, prana and apana)

3. purify the body of the 3 types of waste.

Physical and mental therapy is one of the most important achievements of hatha yoga, which has been successful in diseases like asthma, diabetes and blood pressure, epilepsy, hysteria, rheumatism and many more. other conditions of a chronic and constitutional nature.

What has been discovered recently is that asanas and pranayama are more powerful and effective in controlling the whole body.

These are the first steps that allow us not only to modify the mechanism of an element, but also to take control of the total structure of the brain and the mind, the control system that allows us to direct all aspects of our life and the energy in it.

What is Hatha Yoga: a therapeutic science

Over the past 40 years, Hatha yoga has been accepted as a therapeutic science all over the world and many scientific studies have been conducted in this field. Today we teach yoga to people because it is very necessary. The man fells ill and medical science alone cannot meet the challenge. Hatha yoga, however, helps everyone.

Behind every sick man there is a spiritual man, a diabetic a yogi, a man suffering from depression, there is a seeker.

Hatha yoga improves physical health, but not only is it not enough, it also improves mental health.

Conclusion

Many scientific studies have been conducted in this area.

Source: Samanvaya 2022: conference on integrative medicine for Humanity and wellness.

Today, yoga is one of the integrated sciences in hospitals in the United States and now in various countries (Canada, New Zealand for example, etc.), because it allows improvement in coordination with health professionals. conventional medicine and improve the conditions of patients.

Or conversely, where conventional medicine fails, yoga improves the patient’s condition.

Yoga is a therapy that it is time to integrate more widely into health systems. There is no proof to give but scientific studies to read. They don’t cheat.

Today we teach yoga to people because it is more than necessary to improve our conditions.

The man has fallen ill and medical science is no longer able to meet the challenge alone.

Hatha yoga, however, has and does help everyone.

Hatha yoga is a great science that everyone can practice according to their own abilities.

Maybe not all the techniques because they require the presence of a teacher, but at least some can be practiced every day.

Hatha yoga techniques, along with asanas and some pranayama, are sufficient for most people.

It is necessary to practice these preparatory steps first.

Then you can go further. If the preparation is perfect, it will not be necessary to learn meditation from anyone because then it will be natural.

By practicing yoga your mind will be lifted into a new realm of awareness.

References

Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Pranayama (Yogic Breathing): A Systematic Review

Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life

Effects of various Praṇayama on cardiovascular and autonomic variables. 

Sudarshan Kriya Yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression. Part II–clinical applications and guidelines

Effect of Sheetali pranayama on cardiac autonomic function among patients with primary hypertension – A randomized controlled trial

Immediate effect of Kapalbhathi pranayama on short term heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy volunteers

Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity

Effect of pranayama breathing technique on asthma control, pulmonary function, and quality of life: A single-blind, randomized, controlled trial

Effects of Yoga Respiratory Practice ( Bhastrika pranayama) on Anxiety, Affect, and Brain Functional Connectivity and Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial