True Path to Common People's Breathing, Postures, Relaxation and Concentration

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Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.........................................................................vPRELUDE.................................................................................viiINTRODUCTION............................................................................ixCHAPTER 1 - SECRET OF YOGA..............................................................1CHAPTER 2 - PRAYANAMA (The Science of Yogic Breathing)..................................12CHAPTER 3 - PRANAYAMA EXERCISES.........................................................23CHAPTER 4 - YOGIC AND RHYTHMIC BREATHING................................................54CHAPTER 5 - SURYA NAMASKARA - SIMPLE ASANA (Posture)....................................69CHAPTER 6 - NERVOUSNESS V/S RELAXATION..................................................89CHAPTER 7 - CONCENTRATION - YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK......................................113CHAPTER 8 - MEDITATION (DYANA)..........................................................133CHAPTER 9 - FOOD - YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT - DIET - Means Balance Diet.....................142CHAPTER 10 - SOME INDIVIDUAL SPECIAL SPIRITUAL NOTES....................................156CHAPTER 11 - CONCLUSION.................................................................211

Chapter One

"Remember that all religions are good and must be followed with Love. And the ultimate purpose is the same. Maintain same respect for all religions, Gurus and God. At the highest spiritual, all Saints and Gurus become equal. There is no difference."

"To be fanatic of a particular religion or faith is like bringing a barrier over one's mind which can't see beyond one's own fault."

"Unless one broadens one's mind in this respected field, one cannot hope to reach the ultimate goal, which is God."

It viewed from the spiritual angle, the world is a paradise. It has always been so in the past and it will always be the same in the future. Actually, this peak time of the Iron Age, what is really wrong is that 99.999% of the human's mind is very sick, fragmented and people's characters and behaviours are being devoured by animalism or devilish tendencies such as the ego, the main one, selfishness, jealousy, lust, pride, arrogance, ignorance, hypocrisy, envy, evil desires, pleasures, mainly the wrong ones, vice, hatred, etc, etc. If people don't change their way of living, starting from now, they will leave behind them a world such as Sodom and Gomorre referred to in the Bible, and what is more dangerous is that this world will have a new generation who will be living as if in a furnace, which we can call a terrestrial hell.

It is crystal clear to see that human beings have become the total slave of their base and unruly senses, as the urges of these senses have become very strong. No effort or goodwill is made to control these senses. So people must practise Yoga to acquire a strong mind, to curb down these senses, otherwise the poor body, which is interrelated to mind and senses will have to pay for the consequences. That's why there are lots of various killings, diseases in this modern world. However, if one becomes a master of one's mind and senses, one becomes a Yogi and will have a healthy body and a peaceful mind.

MIND

1. One must detach and control the mind, then the senses also will be under control. One must have the will-power and faith in oneself.

2. PRANA

Without Prana, which is the life force of everything, that is, animate or inanimate in this universe, nothing exists. So one must do PRANAYAMA, breathing exercises to keep the tranquillity and balance of the mind. And if the mind is pure and at peace, the body also will remain healthy and without any sickness.

3. FOOD

There are three classes as follows:-

(1) SATHWIC – pure food

(2) RAJASIC – medium quality food.

(3) TAMASIC – Inferior food

Actually in this modern world, most human beings use Rajasic and Tamasic food. In fact, there are no special dietary rules for the practice of Yoga, though it is better if one eats natural food which is a balanced diet, full of energy. Contrary to what people's opinion is, Yoga does not say one must become a vegetarian, though in the higher stage, a vegetarian diet is recommended. A practitioner of ASANAS and PRANAYAMAS is advised to fill half his stomach with food, one quarter with water and to leave the remaining quarter empty. One must eat enough to satisfy one's hunger but not too much that one feels heavy and lazy; being a glutton is to invite all sorts of diseases, mainly the evening meal (dinner) must be very light. EAT TO LIVE RATHER THAN LIVE TO EAT, the seers of India have known it long before Molière. The research done by Ayurvedic and Yoga shows that food is a source of vitality; improper intake of food will cause diseases in the body. This is why one should be conscious of the properties of the food one takes daily.

In this modern era, the great struggle and difficulty humans face is to live a better health without diseases. In order to confront such a drawback, scientists, Ayurvedic researchers and Science of Yoga are doing their best to alleviate these horrific diseases and drastic situations which human beings are beset with. Even money and worldly materials cannot buy health. Major precautions, practices and disciplines in each individual are required to improve one's health.

(1) You reap what you sow.

(2) You are what you think.

(3) You are what you breathe.

(4) You are what you eat.

Although human beings are taking all kinds of precautionary measures, they often get and suffer from diseases. This seems to be the intractable reality of life; There is no escape. It is all due to our hectic city's life which has become more congested and unhygienic, the water is getting impure and the air is polluted in most of the industrialised cities, towns and rural areas; all these are due to industrialization, pollution of our modern development. Everybody keeps one's house clean but the surrounding area also should be kept clean so as not to impair one's health. Recently, it has been proved that even social care is lacking due to people's ignorance and neglect.

Nowadays, people have got all materials necessary to live luxuriously, but still they are searching for good health. Why? It is clear because they are intelligent in every field, in science, medicine, engineering, the much-vaunted information technology etc... but when it comes to know THYSELF they are still ZERO. Their OWN SELF, which is hidden in themselves, should have to be realized through the Science of Yoga.

"ONE WHO HAS MASTERED HIS SELF IS A REAL KING IN THIS WORLD"

As an overall review, the average human's level of consciousness is very low. Human has descended into the last degradation. He is a slave to this modern and artificial life and live on fake hopes and illusions. He is living a life of ignorance by experiencing joy and sorrow, success and failure, love and hatred without ever realizing the Highest Realisation.

The greatest aberration is that the whole of mankind is led, controlled and dominated by their demoniac senses. By yielding to noxious sensations and passions, humans indulge in frivolous living which eventually they have to repent or regret. In fact, they are making errors consciously while looking for peace, happiness and self-achievement through envy, desire, pride, greed, jealously and lust. Actually in this era, it is indeed, an aid to ordinary man to know about material things to accomplish material ends, but this alone cannot teach man the true aim of existence. In the world of today, science supplies man with comforts, luxuries, leisure and a smooth material living, but still it has not been able to provide man with peace of mind and inner tranquillity. Man has every thing he needs materially, still he is restless, frustrated, unhappy and miserable.

Now it is high time that man seeks in the depths of (atma) soul or innerself by means of Yoga, and must have to experience hope, faith, will-power and, above all, do spiritual sadhana to have a peaceful mind, knowledge of wisdom and pure character. By practising spiritual sadhana, all the illusions will fall away and the TRUTH will shine in all its glory.

Actually the mind of an average man is obscured by delusion, ignorance, egocentric and selfish passions, but Yoga has all the means to provide man to rend the veil of ignorance and delusion so that man's mind may manifest the divine light of the highest Truth or Realisation.

Finally "Yoga" means the combining of the lower human mind to the highest in such a way as to allow the highest to direct the lower, that is, Union with the Self or Soul – "Self Realisation". The great scripture BHAGWAT GITA gives a high lesson on the various types of Yoga as follows:

Chapters 1 to 6 – Karma Yoga – Duty

Chapters 7 to 12 – Bhakti Yoga – Devotion

Chapters 13 to 18 – Gyaan Yoga – Sadhana (Spiritual Discipline)

All three parts lead to SAT-CHIT-ANANDA

"ON WHO CONTROLS HIS MIND, INTELLECT, EGO AND SENSES, BEING ASSIMILATED IN THE SPIRIT WITH HIMSELF, REACHES THE FULFILMENT OF INTERNAL BLISS WHICH IS BEYOND THE PALE SENSES AND REASONING", Krishna – Gita.

"Yoga is not for those who fast or torture their flesh, who sleep too much or keep awake, who work too much or do not work at all". – Krishna. `The self discipline and serene man's supreme self is constant in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as also in honour and dishonour" – Gita chapter 6-V7.

"The yogi is steadfast who is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who remains unshaken, who has conquered the senses, to whom a clod, a stone and a piece of gold are the same" Gita chapter 6-V8.

"When the mind disciplined by the practice of Yoga attains quietitude and when beholding the self by the self, he is satisfied in the self," Gita chapter 6-V20.

"Yoga is hard to attain, I concede, by a man who cannot control himself but it can be attained by him who has controlled himself and who strives by right means" Gita chapter 6-V36.

"The worldly man is bitten by the spider of lust and greed etc. Unless the spell of non attachment be involved on him, no spiritual practice of his will ever bear fruit."

Yoga helps to keep one's health and mental alertness in good condition. The ancient Rishis and Sages forecast the future and formulated some ASANAS (postures), PRANAYAMA (breathing exercises) etc, to suit all generations. They really fully realised that people will not have enough time to do all the complex ASANAS. Therefore, they gave the simplified ASANAS to suit a common man, a house-holder, a housewife, students, children and even old persons. One must bear in mind that Yoga is the treasure which human has inherited from his ancestors.

To end, there are various paths to attain DIVINITY and they are known as:-

A. Raja Yoga (King of Yoga) deals wholly with the mind and psychic power and may be called the Science of applied Psychology. It removes all mental obstructions and helps to gain a perfectly controlled healthy mind.

B. Hatha Yoga is wholly devoted to the control of functions of the body and to the mastering of the physical forces.

C. Astanga Yoga is divided into eight limbs or paths of Yoga which secures the purity of body, mind and soul and final communion with God. The eight limbs are as follows:-

1. Yama – kindness, truth and non stealing quality.

2. Niyama – purity of body and mind.

3. Asana – postures to give special benefits to the body.

4. Pranayama – breathing exercises.

5. Prathyahara – to withdraw the senses from the wordly ties.

6. Dharana – concentration.

7. Dhyana – meditation.

8. Samadhi – state of the transcendental.

One important thing to remember is that one can't attain Raja Yoga without practicing Astanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga.

D. Japa Yoga – The reciting of any mantra given by the Guru.

E. Karma Yoga – selfless service without return.

F. Bhakti Yoga – extreme devotion to the Lord.

G. Gyana (Gyan) Yoga – Meditation.

So one has to follow any one of these paths with determination to attain God and realize God within.

It is also advisable to practise these four gems of Yoga :-

(i) Abyassa – steady mind.

(ii) Vairagya – detachment.

(iii) Viveka – discriminate.

(iv) Sadhana – spiritual and inner discipline.

(v) Swadhya – study of scriptures and lives of the Sages and Avatars. Spiritual texts must be studied at all times and in all places

It is still possible to live in this world in peace and tranquillity. Bhagawan Krishna illumines this in the scene of the battlefield in the Bhagwat Gita. He tells Arjun, His friend and disciple that INACTION goes against the law of karma. He explains :- a man has to develop his higher awareness, not by abandoning his duty, but through his enactment. Each and every action is related to the development of man's consciousness. One has to fall under one of these basic actions because due to one's Karma. These are as follows:-

1. Right action – which brings harmony, peace and tranquillity within one's inner nature (self). Man has been created to follow this `Right Action', then he can be liberated (i.e have Mukthi).

Therefore right action transforms itself into the highest realization.

2. Wrong action – which is based on desire, ignorance and the inaptitude or weakness to follow the guidance of one's inner being (self).

3. Inaction – which is equal to idleness, postponement and laziness.

"He who in the midst of intense activity, finds himself in calmness and peace, that is the greatest Yogi and Wisest man." Henceforth, it is now high time to awake because it is never too late to start anew. You may be aware that time is fleeing. So with regular and sincere sadhana, we can realize the Self within and go back to the originality (GOD) as we are all from Him. This precious birth has been given to us to realize the Self in order to escape the cycle of Birth and Death.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Chapter Two

Before I proceed with the Pranayam Topic, just a hint about the daily man's life. A man who drinks water in the morning after waking up, drinks milk after dinner before going to bed and drinks butter milk after lunch, will never have to visit a doctor, because he will always remain in healthy condition. He has also to have a complete and balanced diet. That is the diet should include minerals, salts and vitamins of all types. When practising Pranayama, it will be better if the food does not include eggs, fish and meat as far as possible.

God has created humans as vegetarian and the digestive system is made not to eat eggs, meat or fish, dead corpse. So man can live on veg which does not involve any crime or violence. Therefore what's the use of killing any creature for man's food.

"IT IS BETTER TO DIE THAN TO LIVE WITH SUCH A CARNIVORE LIFE." The good qualities of a human like pity, sympathy, compassion, Love, respect etc, get defiled and destroyed by consuming the non-veg food and one makes one's stomach like a "grave yard / cemetery."

Good health is the main core of all one's happiness. A diseased body is as a grave yard. Remember that the three main points to reach healthiness are: sleep, diet and celibacy.

1. Sleep: When a person does not get sound sleep, he can become a lunatic. A healthy man needs six hours of sleep during the night. Children and old people need at least eight hours of sleep. A man who goes to bed early and wakes up early is of rich quality. By nature, man must get up before sunrise.

Nearly all animals wake up at dawn. But it is a pity to see the thoughtless human remaining awake the whole night like an owl and lies tossing in bed without enjoying the dawn and becoming sick eventually as man gets the bad habit of getting up late in the morning.

2. Diet : The body grows up and develops with a proper diet and with a healthy food which contains the main minerals, salts and vitamins. Diet has a tremendous effect on body and mind complex. A man who performs good actions, deeds and words, eats as much as required and in accordance with the season and is really in good health. Remember to take fruit and some light liquid which should be consumed in the morning between 8.00 a.m. to 9 a.m., lunch meal should be taken between 11 a.m. to noon and in the evening dinner should be taken as from 6.00 p.m. till 8 p.m.. One morsel should be chewed from 30 to 40 times till the food becomes fine and well mixed with the saliva.

Actually, before consuming food, the name of God must be uttered and to thank Him for the food. Eat the food in a pleasant atmosphere by thinking of God's name always. If the food is dry, try to sip it with a little water.

3. Celibacy: Actually this word `celibacy' is misunderstood by many. It is not just controlling the senses of the genital organs because remember that sex is a by-product and it is natural in anyone's life. It is meant to divert one's mind from materialistic subjects and to concentrate on spiritualism and social duties. Continence strengthens the senses and mind and diverts to them towards the soul to attain the highest, Brahma.

It is also meant for one not to experience pain and pleasure. Celibacy can be practised by all even the householders as well. Sex does not calm down by experiencing it, rather the lust becomes more vigorous after having experienced it.

In the same way sexual desires increase more and more when one experiences it without control. Finally, it means that nature is advising one to follow the limits. Let one be a part of this respected Law of nature.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from True Path to Common People's Breathing, Postures, Relaxation and Concentrationby Surendrhananda Copyright © 2011 by Surendrhananda. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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