In this sequel to his classic text, Light on Yoga , lyengar begins with discussions of the respiratory Skip to content. The 14 basic types of pranayama are analyzed in such a way as to offer the reader a programme of 82 carefully graded stages from the simplest breathing patterns to the most advanced.
The stages have been tabulated for easy reference. It also describes the difficulties and dangers that one may encounter during pranayama practice.
Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! These are: a commencement arambha , b intent endeavour gha! In the arambha stage, the sadhaka's interest in pranayama is awakened.
In the beginning he is hasty and by reason of his exerti o n and the speed with which he wants results, his body trembles and he perspires. When by perseverence he continues his practice, the tremors and perspiration cease and the sadhaka reaches the second stage of gha! The body is compared to a pot. Like an unbaked earthen pot, the physical body wears away.
Bake it hard in the fire of praIfayama to gain stability. In this stage the five kosas and the three sarlras are integrated. After this integration, the sadhaka reaches the parichayavastha, where he obtains intimate knowledge of pranayama practices and of himself. By this knowledge he controls his qualities gunas and realises the causes of his actions karma. His efforts have ripened, the seeds of his karma are burnt out.
He has crossed the barriers of the gUIfas and becomes a gUIfatfta. He becomes a jlvanmukta - a person who is emancipated mukta during his lifetime jlvana by the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit. He has experienced the state of ecstasy ananda. Respiratory System 7. This is discussed below.
It is known that the basic energy needs of the human body are met predominantly by oxygen plus glucose. The former aids in the process of elimination by oxidising the waste matter, while glucose supplied with oxygen nourishes the body cells in the flow of respiration.
The purpose of pral. This automatically improves the circulatory system, without which the processes of digestion and elimination would suffer. Toxins would accumulate, diseases spread through the body and ill-health becomes habituaL 1 0. The respiratory system is the gateway to purifying the body, mind and intellect. The key to this is pral.
Respiration is essential for sustaining all forms of animal life from the single-celled amoeba to man. Life moves with the life breath, which gives life to a living creature. Life breath it one's father,. Verily, he who sees this knows and understands this becomes the excellent speaker. But now it is the breathing spirit alone, the intelligence-self that seizes hold of this body and makes it rise up. This is the all obtaining in the breathing spirit.
What is the breathing spirit, that is the intelligence-self. What is intelligence-self, that is the breathing spirit, for together they live in this body and together they go O t. Breathing starts with independent life outside the mother and ends when life ceases. When the child is still in the womb its oxygen is supplied through its mother's blood, and its lungs are not required to function.
When it is born, the first breath of life is started by command from the brain. Most of us assume that because breathing is usually automatic, it is beyond our active control. This is not true. In praIJ. The lung capacity of great athletes, mountain climbers, and yogis is far greater than that of ordinary men, allowing them to perform extraordinary feats. Better breathing means a better and healthier life.
The act of breathing is so organised that the lungs are normally inflated sixteen to eighteen times a minute. Fresh air containing life-giving oxygen is sucked into them, and gases containing carbon dioxide from the body tissues are sent out in exchange through the breathing passages.
Pra1]ayama and the Respiratory System 21 rhythmic inflation of the soft, honey-combed bellows of the lungs is maintained by the movements of the rib-cage and diaphragm.
The latter in turn are driven or powered by impulses sent down by the respiratory centre in the brain to the relevant muscles through the nerves. Thus the brain is the instigator through which the respiration and the three mental functions of thought, will and consciousness are regulated.
The breathing cycle consists of three parts: inhalation, exhalation and retention. Inhalation is an active expansion of the chest by which the lungs are filled with fresh air. Exhalation is a normal and passive recoil of the elastic chest wall by means of which the stale air is exhaled and the lungs are emptied.
Retention is a pause at the end of each inhalation and exhalation. These three form one cycle of breathing. The breathing affects the heart rate. During the prolonged holding of breath, a slowing of the heart rate is observed, which ensures increased rest to the heart muscle. Respiration may be classified into four types: a High or clavicular breathing, where the relevant muscles in the neck mainly activate the top parts of the lungs. These muscles are diagonally connected to the ribcage above and the pelvis below.
This prepares the diaphragm for a subsequent contraction of maximum extent and efficiency by reducing the centripetal pull. This minimises interference with the next action of the sequence, the elevation and expansion of the lower ribcage in ascending upwards. I O 24 Light on PralJayama origin at the spine. Finally the highest intercostals and the muscles connecting the upper ribs, sternum and clavicles to the neck and skull are contracted, enabling the upper part of the lungs to be filled.
Then the already expanded thoracic cavity expands further forwards, upwards and sideways. This series of movements of the abdomen, chestwall and neck, in which each step of the sequence prepares the ground for the next, results in a maximum filling of the lungs, to create space for the incoming air to reach every corner of each lung. After that, direct your attention to expand the lateral and posterior regions of the chest. Elevate the lower chest wall simultaneously expanding the top chest wall with its skin and muscles.
The diaphragm gradually and smoothly resumes its domed shape as it starts to relax towards the end of inspiration. During exhalation the dome moves up again. It is active at the start of expiration to encourage a smooth slow start to the elastic recoil of the lungs. The fresh oxygen which is sucked in percolates the minute sacs the alveolar sacs which form the basic unit of the lungs. The membranes round these alveoli convey this oxygen into the blood stream and then the 26 Light on Pra1Jayama carbon dioxide from the blood into the air of the lungs for its disposal through exhalation.
The blood with fresh oxygen is carried by arteries from the left side of the heart to cells in every nook and corner of the body, thus replenishing their store of life-giving oxygen.
The waste products mainly the carbon dioxide thrown out by each sac are then taken by the venous blood stream from the right side of the heart to the lungs for disposal. The heart pumps this blood through the body at an average rate of seventy times per minute. Hence to breathe properly we need the smooth co-ordination of all the relevant parts of the body, the power or control house the nervous system , the bellows the lungs , the pump the heart and the plumbing system the arteries and veins , besides the driving motor of the rib cage and the diaphragm.
The Chest 2 2. The chest is the cage formed by the ribs in which the lungs and heart are located. It is shaped like a truncated cone, narrow at the top and widening below. The top is closed off by the muscles of the neck attached to the clavicles. The wind-pipe trachea passes through it on its way from the throat to the lungs. This truncated cone is slightly flat from front to back. Its bony surfaces include the thoracic part of the vertebral column in the midline at the back and the breast plate in the front.
It has twelve pairs of flattened ribs which curve across the gap between the spine at the back and the breastbone in front to form semicircular bridges on each side. The spaces between the ribs are filled by internal and external intercostal mu scles. There are, in addition, muscles j oining the twelfth rib to the pelvis Fig.
I S Fig. I 6 and the first one to the cervical spine. There are eleven pairs of muscles in all. The expansion and contraction of the chest are controlled by these muscles and the diaphragm. The Lungs and the Bronchial Tree 2 3. The right and left lungs differ in shape and capacity. In most of us the bulk of the heart, which is about the size of a fist, is on the left side.
Consequently, that lung is smaller. It is divided into two lobes, one above the other, whereas the right lung has three lobes. Light on PratJayama Pl. The lungs are covered with a membrane called the pleura and due to their shape expand rather like the bladder of a football. The dome of the right diaphragm is higher than the left. Beneath it is the liver, the largest solid abdominal organ, less compressible and depressible than the stomach and spleen lying below the left diaphragm.
In full inhalation, when attempting to fill the lungs, most people can feel a sense of increased resistance below the right side of the diaphragm, where the liver is, when their attention is drawn to the area. In order to equalise the filling of both lungs from base and side, special effort and attention must be directed to diaphragmatic and chest wall movements on the right side.
The bronchial system, connecting the windpipe and the alveoli, is in the thoracic cage. It resembles an inverted tree with its roots in the gullet, while the branches spread out downwards towards the diaphragm and the side walls of the chest cavity. The windpipe in the throat is a tube about four inches long and less than an inch wide, which branches out into two primary bronchi, one leading into each lung. At the end of each of these bronchioles are the alveoli, the tiny air sacs clustered like bunches of grapes, some Prcu;ayama and the Respiratory System 29 million lining each lung, their surface covers about eighty to one hundred s quare yards - forty to fifty times that of the human skin.
These alveoli are small, multiple sac-like chambers with an incomplete lining of cells. The gap between the cells the intestitial space is filled with f luid. Around the outer wall of the alveoli lie minute blood vessels the l:apillaries. Exchange of gases takes place between the alveoli and the red blood cells and plasma of the blood via the fluid in the alveoli or intestitial space. The air in the alveoli contains more oxygen and less carbon dioxide than the blood passing through the capillaries in the lungs.
During the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the molecules of oxygen diffuse into, and carbon dioxide out of, the blood. The spine should be kept firm like the trunk of a tree.
The spinal cord is protected by thirty-three vertebrae. The seven vertebrae in the neck are called cervical. Below them are the twelve dorsal or thoracic vertebrae which are connected to the ribs, forming a cage to protect the lungs and the heart. The ten top ribs on either side are joined in front to the inner side of the breastbone, but not the two floating ribs below.
The floating ribs are so called, as they are not anchored to the breastbone. Below the dorsal are the lumbar vertebrae and lower still the sacrum and coccyx, both formed of fused vertebrae. The lowest coccygeal vertebra curls forward. The Breastbone 3 I. The breastbone has three parts. In breathing, the top and bottom should be kept perpendicular to the floor. Use it to act as a support for lifting the side ribs like the handle of a bucket, and so create more space through the expansion of the lungs sideways and upwards.
The lungs open sideways and space for expansion is created with the help of the intercostal muscles. Keep the interior intercostal muscles at the back firm.
If the skin at the back does not co-ordinate with the intercostal muscles, breathing becomes shallow, reducing the intake of oxygen, causing physical weakness and lack of bodily resistance. The Skin 3 3. As a drummer tightens the skin of his drum to get resonance and a violinist tightens his strings to get clarity of sound, the yogi adjusts and stretches the skin of his torso to create maximum response from the intercostal muscles to aid the respiratory process when practising pranayama.
The floating ribs, not being fixed in front to the sternum expand like a pair of calipers to create more space in the chest. Laterally, the thick middle ribs can also expand laterally, thus widening and lifting the rib-cage. This does not affect the top ribs. To fill the uppermost reaches of the lungs requires training and attention.
Learn to use the upper inner intercostal muscles and the top part of the sternum. Expand the rib-cage from the inner frame outwards, as this will stretch the intercostal muscles. The Diaphragm 3 5. The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle-like partition which separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal one. Anchored all around the circumference of the lower thoracic cage, it is attached at the back to the lumbar vertebrae, at the sides to the lower six ribs and in the front to the dagger-shaped cartilage of the breastbone.
Above it are the heart and lungs and below it the liver on the right and the stomach and spleen on the left. Prar;ayama and the Respiratory System 31 A ccessory Muscles The respiratory muscles of the throat, torso, spine and abdomen are the accessories used in breathing, which is ordinarily dominated by the diaphragm. Besides the muscles already described, those of the neck, especially the sternomastoids and the scalenus, play their parts.
They contribute very little to quiet breathing, but become active when the rate or depth is increased and rigid when the breath is held.
The use of accessory respiratory muscles varies from one individual to another. It also varies from time to time in the same person, depending on how powerfully he exerts in his breathing and how efficiently and how tensely.
We all breathe, but how many of us do so correctly, with attention? Bad posture, an ill-shaped or caved-in chest, obesity, emotional disorders, various lung troubles, smoking and uneven use of the respiratory muscles, lead to improper breathing, below one's capacity.
We are aware of the discomfort and disability which then arises. Many subtle changes take place in our body as a result of poor breathing and bad posture, leading to heavy breathing, inadequate pulmonary function and aggravation of heart disease.
Pranayama can help to prevent these disorders and help to check or cure them, so that one can live fully and well. As light radiates from the disc of the sun, so air is spread through the lungs. Move the chest up and out. If the skin over the centre of the breastbone can move vertically up and down and it can expand from side to side circumferentially, it shows that the lungs are being filled to their maximum capacity.
Chapter 5 Nadrs and Chakras I. Nadis are tubes, ducts or channels which carry air, ' water, blood, nutrients and other substances throughout the body. They are our arteries, veins, capillaries, bronchioles and so on.
In our so-called subtle and spiritual bodies, which cannot be weighed or measured, they are channels for cosmic, vital, seminal and other energies as well as for sensations, consciousness and spiritual aura. They are called by different names in accordance with their functions.
Nadikas are small nadis and ' nadichakras are ganglia or plexuses in all three bodies - the gross ; subtle and causal. The subtle or causal bodies are not yet recognised by scientists or the medical profession. In them is prar:ta, the breath of life and in that life abides Atma, which is the abode of Sakti, creatrix of the animate and inanimate worlds.
All nadrs originate from one of two centres, the kandasthana - a little below the navel - and the heart. Though Yoga texts agree about their starting points, they vary about where some of them end. Naqzs Starting from Below the Navel 4. Twelve digits above the anus and the genital organs and just below the navel, there is an egg-shaped bulb called the kanda. From it 72, nadrs are said to spread throughout the body, each branching off into anoth er 72, They move in every direction and have countless outlets and functions.
The Siva Samhita mentions 3 50, nadrs, of which fourteen are stated to be important. These and a few others are i isted with their functions in the given table below. The three that are most vital are the susumna, ida and. Varulli Between 7 and 9 Fire sattva , illumination Chandra Cooling tamas , inertia SOrya Burning raj as action Seeing Seeing Hearing Evacuation Controls speech and keeps all abdominal organs free from disease Evacuates Flows throughout body urine Absorbs food Right big toe Genital organs Carries the essence of food Tongue Big toes Between eyebrows Creates hunger and thirst; collects mucus at sinuses.
Stabilises body and mind Vessels of consciousness 33 34 Light on Pra'f! It is illumination sattva. It is also called the antaratma soul, heart or mind;. Antahkarana source of thought, feeling and consciousness and chidatma faculty of reasoning and consciousness. Here the heart stands for both the physical and the spiritual one. All the vital breaths or winds vayus are established there and do not go beyond it. It is here that the prana stimulates actions and activates intelligence prajfia.
The intelligence becomes the source of thinking, imagination and will. When the mind is controlled and the intellect and heart are united, the self is revealed. Svetasvataropanisad IV 1 7. From each o f these 1 0 1 nadYs emanate one hundred subtler nadYs, each of which branches off into another 72, One part of the chitra moves within it, extending upwards to the aperture randhra of Brahma at the crown of the head above the sahasrara chakra.
This is the gateway to the Supreme Spirit Parabrahman. The other part of chitra moves downwards towards the generative organ for discharge of semen.
It is said that at the time of death, yogis and saints consciously leave through the Brahmarandhra. Dhamani and Sira 1 I. NadYs, dhamanis and s iras are tubular organs or ducts within the physica i and subtle bodies conveying energy in different forms. The word Nacffs and Chakras 35 'dhamani' i s derived from 'dhamana', meaning a pair o f bellows.
The nearest analogy is an orange. The nadIs carry air, the dhamani carry blood, and the siras distribute the vital seminal energy throughout the subtle body. Ayurveda is the science of life and longevity. According to its texts, which deal with ancient Indian medicine, siras start from the heart. They carry blood rakta and seminal vitality ojas from and to the heart.
Siras are thicker at. Seven hundred of them are considered important. They are divided evenly into four categories, each of which caters for one of the humours: wind vata for proper functioning of the body, bile pitta for harmonising the organs, phlegm kapha for free movement in the joints, and blood rakta , which circulates oxygen and its own form of vital energy. The food that is consumed is turned into chyle, which is carried through certain ducts known in Ayurvedic texts as srotas - a synonym for na 1 6.
The na 36 Light on Prar;ayama flavours essence of food , forms, sounds and intelligence jftana. Some na 'kun There is a fourth state, turfya, combining and transcending the others, which is represented by the last half-coil. It is attained in samadhi. Metal is refined by burning out of the dross. By the fire of yogic discipline, the sadhaka burns up within himself the impurities of desire, Nacjzs and Chakras 37 li nger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy.
Then his intellect becomes refined. The cosmic energy latent within him is then awakened by the grac 2 3. According to Tantric texts, the object of Prar:tayama is to arouse the l atent power sakti called kur:t When the kundaliru reaches the sahasrara, the sadhaka has no feeling of ' his own separate i d entity and nothing exists for him. He has crossed the barriers of time and space, and becomes one with the universe.
Chakras 2 5. Chakras are flying wheels, radiating energy, located at vital centres along the spine, connecting the na As antennae pick up radio waves and transform them into sound through receiving sets, chakras pick up cosmic vibrations and distribute them throughout the body in the na the body, that from the sun radiating through the pingala na 2 8.
To conserve the energies generated within the body and to prevent their dissipation, asanas and mudras seals , Prar:tayamas and bandhas locks were prescribed.
The heat so generated causes the kur:t 38 Light on Prar;ayama The energy of falling water or rising steam is made to rotate turbines within a magnetic field to generate electricity. The electricity is then stored in accumulators and the power is stepped up or down by transformers which regulate the voltage or current. It is then transmitted along cables to light cities and run machinery.
The thoracic area is the magnetic field. The breathing processes of inhalation, exhalation and retention of breath act like the turbines, while the chakras represent the accumulators and transformers.
The mo. It is the base of the annamaya kosa, the body of nourishment, connected with the absorption of food and the evacuation of faeces. When this chakra is activated, the sadhaka becomes firm in vitality and ready to sublimate his sexual energy o. When it is activated, the sadhaka becomes free from disease and acquires vibrant health. Feeling no fatigue, he becomes friendly and compassionate.
The manipo. Both have to move together, Na4rs and Chakras 39 co-ordinating their functions during inhalation and exhalation in Pral. The surya chakra, commonly known as the solar plexus, lies between the navel and the diaphragm.
It keeps the abdominal organs healthy and increases the lifespan. The manas chakra lies between the surya and the anahata. It is the seat of emotion, igniting imagination and creativity, and can be stabilised by Pranayamas involving retention of the breath. The anahata chakra lies in the region of the physical and the spiritual heart. It is the element of air vayu and of touch.
The man as and the anahata chakras represent the psychological body manomaya kosa. When activated, they strengthen the heart, develop adoration bhakti and knowledge j fiana. They free the sadhaka from sensual p leasures and make him follow the path of spirituality. The visuddhi chakra, in the region of the throat above the chest, and at the base of the neck, is the element of ether akasa.
I t represents the intellectual body vij fianamaya kosa. When it is activated, the sadhaka's power of understanding increases. He becomes intellectually alert. His speech becomes distinct, clear and fluent. The aj fia chakra represents the abode of j oy anandamaya kosa.
When it is activated, the sadhaka gains perfect control over his body and develops a spiritual aura. Soma chakra regulates the temperature of the body. When the kUI. The guru first studies his pupil and discusses what the pupil knows, while the pupil studies the guru and the subject he is being taught.
The next step for the pupil is prolonged ascetic practice tapas until the knowledge has been fully absorbed. In time wisdom praj iia , the fruit of first-hand experience, matures and the guru and sisya explore it together. The Sanskrit word guru is derived from the two roots 'gu' meaning darkness and 'ru' light. As a teacher of sacred knowledge he removes the darkness of ignorance and leads his pupil towards enlightenment and truth.
He is also one from whom we learn right conduct or u nder whom one studies h ow to lead a good life. Free from hatred, he h as searched widely for truth. He puts his spiritual knowledge into practice. He is not content with the theoretical level only. He shows by example what he has experienced and lives up to what he preaches. He shows them how to turn their senses and intelligence inwards, so that they learn to explore themselves and to reach the source of their own being Atma.
The guru is the bridge between the individual j Ivatma and God Paramatma. In the former, Yama, the God of Death gives spiritual knowledge to the earnest seeker Nachiketa, who with unhesitating courage faces death. The strength and energy of a robber named Ratnakara were diverted by the sage Narada towards God. The robber u ltimately became the sage ValmIki, the author of the epic Ramayar;a. Rama sends his messenger Hanuman, son of Vayu the vital wi nd , to console Sita and raise her flagging spirit.
As Hanuman brought about the reunion of Sita lind Rama, praI. H e knows what is the highest good, but lacks courage and determination to hold on steadfastly. He needs strong I reatment to correct his fickle nature of which the guru is aware. The i ntense or superior pupil has vision, enthusiasm and courage. He resists l emptations and has no hesitation in casting off qualities which take him away from his goal.
He therefore becomes stable, skilful and steady. The gu ru is always alert to find a way to guide his intense pupil to realise his h i ghest potential until he becomes a realised soul siddha. The guru is a l ways happy with his pupil, who may eventually surpass him.
A worthy pupil finds his guru by the grace of God. Satyakama-J abali, who confessed that he was not aware of his parentage, was accepted as a p u pil by the sage Gautama, who was impressed by his innocence and I ruthfulness. S vetaketu proudly returned home after years of study, but 42 Light on Pra1Jayama failed to answer when his father Uddalaka asked him what had made a huge tree grow from a tiny seed.
When with due humility S vetaketu confessed his ignorance, his father accepted him as a pupil and gave him spiritual knowledge. He should practise constantly with attention and possess great endurance. Spiritual training sadhana has nothing to do with theoretical study, but it leads to a new way of life. Just as sesame seeds are crushed to yield oil and wood ignited to bring out its latent heat, so must the pupil be unswerving in his practice to bring out the knowledge latent within him and find his own identity.
When he realises that he is a spark of the D ivine Flame burning throughout the universe, then all his past impressions sarhskaras are burnt out, and he becomes enlightened. He is then a guru in his own right. Chapter 7 Food I. It is stated that the sun radiates heat which evaporates water. The vapour becomes clouds from which rain falls to the earth. Man tills the earth and produces food which, when consumed, creates the energy that maintains vigour.
The body needs food containing the right b alance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and mineral salts. Water is needed to help digestion and assimilation. Food in the form of nourishment is finally assimilated in various forms throughout the body. Food should be wholesome, palatable and congenial to the body, and should not be eaten merely to gratify the senses. I t is broadly divided into three kinds - sattvic, raj asic and tamasic. The first promotes longevity, health and happiness; the second produces excitement, and the third creates disease.
Raj asic and tamasic food make the consciousness dull and impede spiritual progress. I t is the duty of the sadhaka to find out by trial and experience which is suitable for him. Whereas it is true that character is influenced by food, it is equally true that the practice of Pranayama changes the eating habits of the sadhaka. Man' s temperament is influenced by his diet because what he eats affects the functioning of the mind. Sattvic vegetarian food, however, may be taken by tyrants with disturbed minds, full of hatred, yet they remain raj asic or tamasic.
In the same way noble characters like the Buddha or Jesus may not be affected by the type of food offered to them or by those persons who give it, though they would normally be regarded as tamasic. I t is the state o f mind o f the eater that is important. Y e t a diet consisting of sattvic food only will help the practitioner to maintain a clear and unwavering mind. The body is the abode of the individual self j lviHma.
If it were to perish from lack of food the 'self' would leave it just like a tenant who refuses to reside any longer in a dilapidated house. The body therefore, has to be protected to house the ' Self. To neglect this body leads to death and destruction of the ' Self. With fluids, the grossest becomes urine, the medium becomes blood and the subtlest becomes energy prana.
Similarly with fats, the grossest ingredient becomes bone, the medium becomes marrow and the subtlest speech vac. S vetaketu lived on fluid for fifteen days and lost his power of thinking, but regained it as soon as he ate solid food again; his power of speech diminished when he went without fats. This experience revealed to him that the mind is the product of food, energy of fluids and speech of fats.
When well established in praJ? Do not eat when saliva does not flow, for this indicates that the body does not need more food. Both the quantity and quality of food should be moderated.
Chosen food might appear to be dainty and delicious, but it may not be good for the sadhaka. It may have high nutritive value and yet it may develop toxins affecting progress in praJ? When one is really hungry or thirsty, food is immediately absorbed into the system and becomes nourishing. Water by itself can always quench thirst. Real thirst chooses no other drink but water.
Restrain artificial hunger and thirst. Yoga texts prescribe that the sadhaka should fill half his stomach with solid food, one-fourth with fluids and keep one-fourth empty for the free flow of breath. Do not eat when emotionally disturbed. While dining, talk well and eat wisely. When a noble frame of mind prevails while eating, all but poisonous food is sattvic. The fire of digestion is lit by the energy that arises from respiration. Moderate and nourishing food is essential to maintain vigour, strength and alertness.
Avoid fasting. Food 45 1 1. Chapter 8 Obstacle s and Aids I. The s adhaka must b e aware o f the obstacles which disturb his praI? Obstacles and Aids 47 2. Patanj ali gives a list of obstacles to yogic practices. They are : sickness vyadhi , lack of mental d isposition styana , doubt about one's practices samsaya , insensibility pramada , laziness alaysa , sensuality or rousing of desire when sensory obj ects possess the mind avirati , false or invalid knowledge bhranti-darsana , failure to attain continuity of thought or concentration alabhdha-bhiimikatva , instability to continue the practice due to slackness and failure anavasthitattva , pain duJ:!.
These either originate in man or are due to natural calamities and accidents. Man-made afflictions, brought about by over-indulgence and lack of discipline, affect the sadhaka's body and mind. Their cures are laid down in Yoga texts.
I t may be noted that out of thirteen obstacles to yogic practices mentioned by Patanj ali, only four deal with the physical body, namely, sickness, laziness, unsteadiness of the body and respiration. The remaining nine obstacles deal with the mind. According to the Bhagavad GUll VI 16 Yoga is not for those who gorge themselves, starve or sleep or stay awake too much. The Yoga Upanisads include bad physical posture and self-destroying emotion, like lust, anger, fear, greed, hatred and j ealousy.
To continue and maintain his training, the pupil needs faith, v irility, memory, meditation samadhi and acute insight praj iia. Yoga Sfaras, I T o overcome these obstacles, Patanj ali offered the four-fold remedy of friendliness and feeling at one with all that is good, compassion with devoted action to relieve the misery of the afflicted; delight at the good work done by others and avoidance of disdain for or feeling superior to the victims of vice.
By moderation in eating and resting, by regular working hours and by the right balance between sleeping and waking, Yoga destroys all pain and sorrow, says the Bhagavad GUll V I 1 7. Yoga is working wisely and living a skilful, active life in harmony and moderation. What the sadhaka needs most is single-minded, devoted practice Yoga Sutra, I 3 2. Chapter 9 The Effects of Pralfayama 1.
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