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The Mother opening the Asana Section in the Playground Gymnasium on 21st February, 1953.
The practice of asanas forms part of the very ancient science of
Hathayoga and consists of a number of poses which, apart from their
yogic or psychological value, promote health, organic vigour and
physical fitness. That this, system has stood the test of time to
the present day indicates that it possesses some exceptional merit.
In the introduction to his Synthesis of Yoga Sri Aurobindo says, 'The
chief processes of Hathayoga are asana and pranayama. By its
numerous Asanas or fixed postures it first cures the body of that
restlessness which is a sign of its inability to contain without
working them off in action and movement the vital forces poured into
it from the universal Life-Ocean, gives to it an extraordinary
health, force and suppleness and seeks to liberate it from the habits
by which it is subjected to ordinary physical Nature and kept within
the narrow bounds of her normal operations. ... By various subsidiary
but elaborate processes the Hathayogin next contrives to keep the
body free from all impurities and the nervous system unclogged for
those exercises of respiration which are his most important
instruments.' [SABCL vol. 20, p.29]
Asanas are divided broadly into two groups--one, the meditative
poses, for psychological development and the other for physical
health and fitness. In this paper we shall mention the latter.
It must be explained at the outset that asanas should not be confused
with contortionism of boneless acrobatic feats of the circus type.
Though asanas of the advanced variety are difficult to perform, the
simple poses can be practised by anybody with very beneficial
results. But it is very important to note that like all other
sciences, it should be studied and practised under an expert or else
it can be dangerous and result in more harm than good.
In the body, it is the blood which most influences the glands and
vital organs and maintains their efficiency by feeding them,
repairing worn tissues and by carrying away the waste and toxins they
produce.
In the modern system of physical exercise this is done by the action
of the muscles and by giving progressive work to the heart and lungs.
But in the system of asanas this is done by adopting such poses as
would direct the blood to the particular gland or vital organ where
it is required and so improve its efficiency and capacity.
There has long been a controversy as to which is the better system
for the body and there is a tendency nowadays to decry the ancient
system of asanas as outmoded and obsolete. But though asanas may not
make one very strong physically or build big muscles, they give sound
physical health and so condition the body in endurance and resistance
to fatigue that they can give a good basis for the practice of all
sorts of games, sports and other physical exercises. Moreover, their
value in corrective and curative exercises is exceptional.
Hence in this age of synthesis, this ancient system should find its
place side by side with the modern practice in any national scheme of
physical education. And it is indeed now being introduced in many
progressive institutions as part of physical training, at home and
abroad.
Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya
Director of Physical Education,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.
1. Before starting the programme, it is advisable to get yourself
examined. by a doctor to ascertain that there is no possibility
of any adverse effects on your health due to any or all of the
asanas.
2. Select a quiet and well ventilated place. Fix a time when you are
not in a hurry and are not tired; be punctual and regular. Avoid
the period immediately after of less than half an hour before a
big meal. You may bathe just before the asanas but never less
than half an hour after. Wear clothes that will not hinder the
free movement of your limbs.
You may, if time permits, do asanas in the morning and other types
of exercises in the evening; or do them on alternate days.
Whatever you do, do not mix asanas with other forms of exercises
in a single session. You may take one day off in a week for rest.
3. The final poses of all the asanas have been shown. In some cases
the initial poses also. Where there are bilateral actions, left
side and right side actions have been shown separately. Slowly
take the final pose in each asana and remain relaxed. Never apply
force.
4. Try to do the asanas as correctly as possible, even if you stay in
a pose for only a few seconds. In that case, make two or three
attempts of shorter duration. Start with the timings with which
you feel comfortable, then slowly and gradually increase the time
to reach the maximum given in the text.
5. Always concentrate. fully on the area where you feel the maximum
resistance in each asana.
6. Never hold your breath. Breathe normally all the time.
7. Relax (in Shavasana) for about 15 to 20 seconds between two asanas.
8. Time may be announced after a certain interval, so that one may
know how one is doing and how long the asana will take to fmish.
9. The whole programme will take about one hour to finish.
Those interested may contact the P.E.D. Office, Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Run with easy steps, raise knees, bend elbows--pistonlike forward and
backward movements of arms from the shoulders. Breathe normally.
Illustration, Breathing with hand movements
Stand feet together, head down, arms stretched down in front close to
the body, backs of palms touching. Raise arms overhead while
breathing in, rise on toes, look up. Lower arms sideways down while
breathing out.
Illustration, Trunk bending forward and backward
Stand with feet comfortably apart, back of wrists on the lower back.
Bend forward and down while breathing out. Straighten trunk and bend
backward while breathing in--take support of wrists on the back.
Keep legs straight throughout.
Illustration, Trunk bending from side to side
Stand with feet apart, arms along thighs. Bend trunk laterally to
the right, keep right arm straight, bend left elbow, left hand coming
up to left shoulder, fist half closed. Straigthen up. Repeat
movement on the left side with opposite arm movements. Breathe in
while bending on one side and breathe out while bending on the other.
Do not raise heels while bending.
Illustration, Trunk turning from side to side
Stand with feet apart, arms sideways, palms down. Turn trunk and
head to the right, keep arms fixed from the shoulders. Breathe in
while turning to one side and breathe out while turning to the other.
Do not move feet.
Feet slightly apart, toes slightly turned out. Bend knees over toes
to lower upper body by about 3 to 4 inches, swing arms to vertical
from front while breathing in and rising on toes. Straighten the
knees and swing arms down and back from front to come to normal
position while breathing out.
Illustration, Pulling alternate knee to chest
Stand at attention. Raise one knee as high as you can, hold it with
both hands and pull it as close to chest as possible while breathing
in. Breathe out as you release and lower the Repeat with the other
leg.
Stand erect, feet together. Raise arms sideways to overhead, rise on
toes, stretch fully, knees straight, abdomen pulled in.
Benefits: Stretches the muscles and joints, and prepares the body...
for the various asanas. Also improves the general balance of the body.
Illustration, Ardhachandrasana
Stand erect, feet together. Raise together. Bend as far backward as
comfortably possible, knees straight, arms close to ears and straight.
Benefits: Perfects the control and balance of the body and gives it a
feeling of lightness. Improves the spinal flexibility and
strengthens the hips. Increases appetite, enhances energy and raises
vitality. Enables muscular athletes to tense and strengthen their
abdominal muscles in the stretched condition, thus preventing what is
known as "Athlete's abdominal cramps".
Stand erect, feet together. Raise arms overhead. Bend down, head
between arms, knees straight, hold ankles to bring head as close to
knees as possible.
Benefits: Lightens the body, removes fat and increases digestive
power - a very energising posture. Ensures greater blood supply to
the head, removes fatigue due to excessive brain work.
Stand with feet well apart, body weight equally on both feet, knees
straight. Raise right arm sideways up touching right ear, palm
facing left. Bend trunk laterally to the left--don't push abdomen
forward or hips backward, right arm straight and as close to head as
possible. Don't take support with left hand.
Repeat same movements with left arm and bend to the right.
Benefits: Gives a good lateral bending to the spine and helps to keep
it flexible and healthy.
Stand with feet well apart, body weight equally on both feet, arms
sideways, palms down. Bend forward--back and arms horizontal, palms
down, head up. Twist trunk to right, left hand touching of close to
right foot, right arm in line with right leg, look at fingers of
right hand. Hold for 1 minute. Come to previous position.
Stand erect, feet slightly apart, toes slightly turned out. Bend
from the knees (as in sitting on a chair), knees slightly out and
vertically over toes) back straight, arms stretched forward
(horizontal and parallel), palms down, head up.
Benefits: Strengthens the leg muscles, lightens the body and brings
it under control. A special feature: its practice both strengthens
the knee joints and ensures a section there from which the cartilages
receive nutrition to keep them mobile.
Lie on your back, arms alongside. Raise both legs together--taking
support of hands on the hips and elbows on the ground. Straighten
the body--feet, knees, hips and back form one vertical column from
the base of the neck to the tip of the toes, feet stretched, toes
pointed, chin pressed against the chest. Normal breathing.
Benefits: Promotes healthy secretion of the thyroid leading to
healthy functioning of the circulatory, respiratory, alimentary and
genito-urinary systems. Keeps the spine flexible preventing the
bones from early ossification. Supplies large quantities of blood to
the spinal roots of the nerves, thereby giving them sufficient
nourishment.
Sit with legs as in Padmasana--knees bent, feet on opposite thighs,
heels towards the abdomen. Lie on your back. Placing hands near the
head for support lift your back above the ground, keep the top of
your head on the ground over a padded surface, e.g. a towel. Keep
your hands on your feet. Normal breathing.
Benefits: Makes the neck flexible and strong, increases the size of
the rib cage, widens the windpipe and thus helps deep breathing.
Relieves the neck after Sarvangasana.
Illustration, Pashchimottanasana back
Illustration, Pashchimottanasana forward
Lie on your back, legs straight, arms overhead, hands together, palms
facing up. Sit up, take hands overhead, back straight, then bend
forward to hold the big toes, head between arms and touching the
knees.
Benefits: Reduce abdominal fat. Removes wind from the intestines and increases appetite.
Lie on your stomach, legs straight, toe pointed, arms stretched
overhead, hands together, palms on the ground. Raise legs (knees
straight), arms (hands together), chest and head to form a boat like
arch. Do not hold your breath.
Benefits: Improves appetite. Tones up the muscles of the chest and
dissolve abdominal fat.
Lie on your back, arms alongside. Raise legs as in Sarvangasana (you
may take help of hands on the hips), then lower them overhead, knee
straight, ankles stretched, toes pointed and touching the ground.
Arms stay on ground as in beginning, palms on the ground. The
posture resembles the shape of a plough.
Benefits: Makes the spine flexible, creates energy, and increases the
supply of blood to the muscles of the back. Aids the functioning of
the thyroid and thymus glands thus helping retain the individual's
youthful physical characteristics for a longer period.
Lie on your stomach, hands under thighs, palms up, forehead on the
ground, feet together, toes pointed. Raise legs as high as you can,
knees straight. Do not take support of your hands.
Benefits: Helps remove all sorts of muscular pains in the lower
region of the back. Makes the lumber vertebrae flexible.
Sit with legs stretched out in front, back straight. Place right
foot against left thigh, heel as close to groin as possible. Raise
arms overhead, hands together, thumbs locked. Bend down to hold left
foot or toes from both sides, head as close to left knee as possible.
Left knee should be straight, right knee on the ground. Repeat
asana with opposite leg positions.
Benefits: Increases digestive power. Helps cure urinary troubles.
Lie on your stomach. Bend knees, hold the ankles. Pull with your
hands and push with your legs, knees together, till the trunk forms
an arch with only the stomach on the ground.Look up. After releasing
the posture lie for a while in Shavasana.
Benefits: Reduces abdominal fat. The compressing of the spinal
column, pressing the nerves with the scapulae (the winged bones at
the back attached to the arms) minimises blood circulation while in
the asana. But when the pose is released a greater supply of blood
is ensured to those very regions increasing spinal flexibility and
definitely raising the vitality.
Sit with legs as in Padmasana--knees bent, feet on opposite thighs,
heels towards the abdomen, back straight. Hold your hands behind the
back and on the ground, shoulders squared, head up. Slowly bend
forward to touch the ground with the forehead in front of the shins.
Don't raise hips.
Benefits: The purification of the blood is greatly enhanced by this
mudra.
Lie on your back. Bend knees, place feet apart and close to hips,
place hands overhead, palms beside ears and shoulders. Push with
hands and, without moving feet, raise trunk as high as possible to
curve the back into an arch, look on the ground between the hands.
Benefits: Builds a flexible back, stimulates the nerves of the spine.
One of the powerful back-bending postures.
Lie on your back, arms alongside. Raise legs to 45 degrees, knees
together, toes pointed. Keep lower back pressed to the ground.
Normal breathing as far as possible.
Benefits: Strengthens the abdominal muscles and the legs. Helps cure
indigestion.
Lie on your stomach, forehead on the ground, hands under shoulders.
Raise your upper body by the strength of the back muscles, head up.
Don't take help of the hands, they may remain on the ground or held
on the back over the hips.
Benefits: Helps in keeping the dorsal spine elastic and strong.
Backache due to overstrain can be thus relieved. Helps considerably
in reducing abdominal fat.
(right, left, and both legs--lying and sitting)
Illustration, Pavanamuktasana back
Illustration, Pavanamuktasana sitting, single leg
Illustration, Pavanamuktasana sitting, both legs
Lie on your back. Bend one knee, hold it close to the chest, other
leg straight, head on the ground. Repeat with the other knee.
Repeat with both knees.
Sit with legs stretched in front. Bring one foot close to hips, hug
the knee to chest, other leg stretched on the ground, back straight,
head normal. Repeat with the other knee. Repeat with both knees.
Benefits: Removes gas from the abdomen and reduces abdominal fat.
Increases the flexibility of the knees and hips.
Sit holding feet together, heels as close to groin as possible, knees
as close to ground as possible. Back as erect as possible, head up,
chin down, normal breathing.
Benefits: Specially recommended for those suffering from urinary
disorders. The pelvis, the abdomen and the back get stimulated
through a plentiful supply of blood. Keeps the kidneys, the prostate
and the bladder healthy.
Illustration, Ardhamatsyendrasana, variation A, arm out
Illustration, Ardhamatsyendrasana, variation A, arm behind
Sit with legs stretched out in front. Bend right knee, place right
foot on left side of left knee, left leg straight. Hold left leg
with left hand--keep right knee on the left of left arm. Turn trunk
to right, look back over right shoulder, right hand on ground for
support or behind the back as close to left thigh as possible.
Repeat with left knee bent and trunk turning to left.
Illustration, Ardhamatsyendrasana, variation B
Bend left knee, place left foot under right hip. Bend right knee,
place right foot on left side of left knee. Hold left knee or right
foot with the left hand - keep right knee on the left of left arm.
Turn trunk to right, look back over right shoulder, right hand on
ground or on waist as close to left thigh as possible.
Repeat with left knee bent and trunk turning to left.
Note: you may also hold hands through the gap below the raised knee.
See illustration.
Benefits: Increase the elasticity of the spine, and massages the
abdomen and internal organs.
Sit with right knee on left, back and head erect, feet on either side
of the hips. Hold hands behind the back, right elbow pointing upward
and left elbow pointing downward.
Repeat with left knee on right, left elbow pointing upward.
Benefits: Helps proper functioning of the gonad glands. It can be
practised to a great advantage just before retiring by those
suffering from sleeplessness in which case the timing may be
increased to half an hour on each side.
Kneel. Hold your ankles, push with your hands, arms straight, to
raise your chest and from an arch, look up, head relaxed behind.
Benefits: Removes fat in the abdomen and buttocks. Helps to improve
digestion.
From Japanese sit (hips on or between the heels, knees together) bend
down, arms stretched forward, forehead and palms on ground. Body
completely relaxed. Normal breathing.
Benefits: Removes fat in the abdomen and buttocks. Helps to improve
digestion.
Japanese sit. Place top of the head on the ground as close as
possible, hold your heels and raise the hips until the arms are
straight. Normal breathing.
Illustration, Shirsasana or Half Shirsasana
Half Shirsasana: Place top of the head and elbows on the ground,
palms at the back of the head, fingures locked--head and elbows form
a triangle. Slowly raise hips, straighten legs, to bring head, back
and hips in one line, take all body weight on the head, keep feet on
the ground for support.
Full Shirsasana: Position of head and arms as above but with legs
taken up to vertical in line with the rest of the body, feet
stretched, toes pointed--entire weight on the top of the head.
Normal breathing. After coming down rest in Shavasana for one full
minute.
Benefits: Gives a rich supply of blood to the brain and a good
nourishment. A powerful nerve tonic, it invigorates, energises and
aids the digestive power and also helps to purify the blood.
Japanese sit. Hands on knees, abdomen drawn in, chest up, back
straight, shoulders squared, head erect. Normal breathing.
Benefits: Aids digestion and helps cure sciatica.
Illustration, Abdominal breathing
Lie on your back, arms alongside, feet near hips, knees raised and
together. Place one hand on the stomach and do deep breathing. The
hand is not to press but merely feel the movement of the stomach
which rises as you breathe in and sinks as you breathe out. When you
breathe out contract the abdominal muscles pulling them in towards
the backbone.
Benefits: Improves the diaphragmatic, complete breathing Messages the
abdominal organs, improves the peristaltic movements of the
intestines thus helping good bowel movements.
Lie on your back, feet slightly apart, toes slightly turned out,
hands a little away from the body, palms up. Breathe normally,
through the nose. Deliberately loosen up each and every muscle.
Imagine you are a floating cloud or a piece of cloth on the floor.
You can concentrate in your heart and feel relaxed, relaxed,
relaxed--absolutely free from all thought, completely relaxed. You
must feel light, light, very light.
Benefits: Makes the muscles soft and pliable and enables the blood
flow to return to its normal pace.
Free Body Warming Movements (5 minutes)
1. Sarvangasana
2. Matsyaasana
3. Pashchimottanasana
4. Nauasana
5. Halasana
6. Salabhasana
7. Pavanmuktasana
8. Ardhamatsyendrasana
9. Shirsasana
10. Shavasana
Timing for each Asana may be as desired.
1. Perfect Consciousness.
2. Integral Knowledge, omniscience.
3. Power Invincible, irresistible, ineluctable (Power), omnipotence.
4. Health, Perfect, constant, unshakable (Health),
perpetually renewed energy.
5. Eternal Youth, constant growth, uninterrupted progress.
6. Perfect Beauty, complex and total harmony.
7. Inexhaustible unparalleled Riches, control over all the wealth of
this world.
8. The Gift of healing and giving happiness.
9. Immunity from all accidents, invulnerability against all adverse
attacks.
10. Perfect Power of expression in all fields and all activities.
11. The Gift of tongues, the power of making oneself understood
perfectly by all.
12. And all else necessary for the accomplishment of Thy work.
--The Mother (Champaklal's Treasures, p. 87)
Source: http://www.searchforlight.org/fitness/Basic%20asana.html
