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Basic
Rules for Yoga Practice
Excerpted from The Art and Science
of Raja Yoga
The yoga postures
are very different from ordinary calisthenics. It is a mistake even
to call these postures exercises, in the usual sense of the word.
Their purpose is not to strengthen the muscles. They emphasize relaxation
quite as much as they do tension. Unlike most physical exercise,
they do not excite; rather, they eliminate excitement from the system.
With these thoughts
in mind, the practitioner will understand that he has not "done"
a posture once he has succeeded in assuming it. It is only at this
point that he can begin truly to derive the benefits of that pose.
An important
difference between these postures and calisthenics is that in
yoga practice one must never strain. Relax, never force yourself,
into the prescribed positions. Stretch only slightly, if at
all, beyond the point of comfort. You will be astonished to see
how many poses you can accomplish by progressively deeper relaxation.
Yogis illustrate
their teaching of relaxation by the example of the cat. Observe
this self-contained creature. It never uses more of its body at
any given moment than it needs. Lift it up when it is resting, and
observe how it hangs, limp, in your hands. Yet, so poised is it
that, from a position of complete repose, it can leap to its feet
in an instant, ready to defend itself against sudden danger.
The yogi, similarly,
should act always from a center of poise and calmness, of mental
and physical relaxation. When I first me the great yogi, Paramhansa
Yogananda, he told me that, while sitting in a chair giving interviews,
he was not even aware of his body below the chest. To be able so
completely to relax the body when not using it, it is necessary
first to be in full control of it; to be able at will to be fully
conscious of every muscle.
The yoga postures,
then, are not only a series of physical positions, but exercises
in mental awareness. The yogi must be very deliberate in every movement.
He must feel every muscle. Above all, he must try to become conscious
of the energy as it directs the muscular movements. He must try
to develop an awareness of his body as consisting primarily of energy.*
Between poses,
he should calmly withdraw his energy from the periphery of his body;
he should rest within himself. Savasana, the Corpse Pose,
is particularly recommended for these peaceful interludes…
The yogi is
enjoined to practice moderation in everything. He should avoid eating
too much, or too little. He should not sleep too much, nor too little.
(More than seven hours' sleep in a night only drugs the nervous
system.) He should be especially moderate in his sex life. Sexual
over-indulgence causes a tremendous drain on a person's natural
vitality. Continence, by contrast, provided it has the full consent
of the mind, can be a tremendous factor in helping one to achieve
full vigor, mentally and physically, and to attain deep spiritual
insight.
Yoga practices
help one to live in harmony with the forces of nature. The yoga
practitioner should assist this harmonizing process by living as
much as possible close to nature. He should get out into the countryside
whenever he can, there to enjoy the sunshine, to breathe the fresh
air. Yoga breathing exercises will help him to gain the greatest
possible benefit from nature's free gift of oxygen.
In fact, the
yoga postures should always, if possible, be practiced out-of-doors,
or by an open window.
They should
be practiced on an empty stomach or at least three hours after eating.
It is preferable that the body be warm when performing them. But
don't practice immediately after strenuous activity. Don't practice
so long, moreover, that the postures themselves result in over-exertion
and fatigue.
Women should
use caution if they wish to do yoga postures during the first day
or two of the menstrual period. Pregnant women who want to continue
their practice of the postures are advised to find one of the growing
number of people who are specially trained in pre- and postnatal
yoga.
The postures
should not be practiced, save with the greatest of caution, when
the body is unwell. Any posture that gives rise to a feeling of
pain (other than muscular) in the chest, abdomen, or brain should
be abandoned until the cause of pain has been ascertained. People
with high blood pressure should avoid all but the most gentle poses…
The duration
of each posture must be increased gradually. People beginning
these postures after middle age should be particularly careful to
start slowly, with the easier poses, only bit by bit working up
to the more difficult ones.
It is important,
finally, to stress that persons who want to devote a great deal
of time to these postures—to become, in short, hatha yogis,
rather than persons who use hatha yoga as a means of achieving a
more balanced, normal life—should practice them under a competent
guide. Hatha yoga is not to be gone into deeply on one's own.
*
No idle fancy, by the way. Science has proved that matter is energy.
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Yoga Postures to Deepen Your Meditation
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Techniques to Enhance Your Practice
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