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YOGA MALA
YOGA MALA
SRI K. PATTABHI IOIS
ra(

offi*
*ffi"
@ffi@
NORTH POINT }RESS

DIYISION OF F,{RRAR, STRAUS AND GIROLI X

NEW YORK

*
NoRrH PoNa PRlss
A orvrsroN or Fanne& STFAUs aND GIRoux
rg WEsr rSTtr SrnEET. NBw Yonx roor r

CoprRrcHT O r 999, 1oo2 Bv SRr K. P^Tr^BHl Jots

ALL RlcHTs RESERVED

flsrmel,rBo tN CeNeo^ BY Doucl-As & MCINTYRT LTD-

PerrrBo rN rxr Ur'ureo Sterrs or Aurntcr

ORrcrNADy puBLlsBlD tN rxe K.rNNAol r^qNcu^cE rN 1962 lN INDh BY SRr K PAr_r BHl JoN

Frnsr Erc:-tsg r.rltouec! lDtrloN ?uBLISHED IN 1999 IN THE UNITED ST ATEs BY

EoolB SrrnN/P,+r,+stel Yoca Ssr'r-*

Frnsr Nonrs Ponr Pnrss ?.lPERBAcx EDITIoN' 2oo2

Ancsrver paoroonarxs or Sm K, P.rrre.aaI Jors couRTlsY oF SRI K PATTABHT JoIs

Pxorocnepas or Sxlnrru RANcaswAMY coPYRIGHT O 1999 BY STBPHAN Cnasrrar'rscrt

LTBRARy oF CoNcBrss CoNTRo! NuMsrR: 2002104086

3: 978 - o, 86 5 47 - 662 - z
rsrr.t, r

rstN-ro: o'86547-662-4

wwwfsgbooks,com

14 r3 12 rI Io
 With reverence
I dedicate the first edition of Yoga Mah
at the feet of my esteemed Guru
Mina nua Tirtha Vedmm Vagisha
S anl'hy a Yo ga Shikannani

Sri Tirumali lGishnamacharya

 Sm SnmNcrru Jacancunu Meuesa.usrnaxalr
Ssenaoa Prrnau
THE BENEDICTToN on Hrs Honuess
or Sru Snxttosm Mur"r

WE HAVE SEEN THE TEXT OF YOGA MALA WRITTEN BY MR. K. PAITABHI JOIS'

After a deep study of the philosophy and practice of yoga and a personal
enjoyment of its fruits, he is now endeavoring to spread its knowledge and
benefits. As a result of his extensive knowledge and his in-depth study o(
yoga philosophy and practices, he is keenly aware of its many intricacies'
The text of Yoga Maia is the fruit of his labor.
Many people are under the impression that yoga is fit only for those
who are free from passions and attachment. While it is fiue that some
aspects of yoga are pertinent to ascetics alone, many others have common
application. Various postutes, breathing techniques, and other restraints
and self controls contribute not only to physical health, but to mental
health as well.
A knowledge of these various lestraints and controls is necessary to
the practice of yoga. ln addition, some illnesses considered incurable by
modem medicine may be curable by yogic postures and breath control'
Which posture is suited to which illness is very well described in Yoga
Mala.
I hope this primer, compiled by the voga expert Mr' K' Pattabhi Jois,
witt be published and will prove beneficial to a great many people'

vi
 I RECOMMEND THIS LITTLE BOOKT WHICH IS AN INTRODUCTION 'I'() THE
elements of yoga. Vidvan Panabhi Jois has explained in simple language
the philosphy and discipline ofashmnga yoga, based on authentic Sanskrit
texts. Yoga is Indiat greatest contribution to humanity. yoga is an ethic,
discipline, and path ofspiritual [ife. Its aim is the purification ofthe mind
and body. It is a perfect way of life. It is necessary nowadays to expound
in our regional languages the wisdom contained in Sanskrit texrs, as
Sanskrit language is not as popular as it once was. We can never lose the
aeasures of our culture, and it is a duty enjoined on all those who have
access to the original sources ofour ancient culture to communicate it for
the benefit of others. I welcome this book as a right effort made in that
direction, and I hope also that Vdvan Pattabhi Jois will continue to wnte
books on other aspects of our culture and philosophy.

Pro/. N. A. Nilam, M.A.

Vice-Choncellar , Universitl of Mysore
9th Febrtw^t 1962

THIS TEXT CONCERNINC THE SCIENCE OF YOGA AND ITS THERAPEUTIC VALUE
IS
well.timed. There is a new awakening of interest in yoga in India and
other countries thanks to articles in newspapers, as well as other wrirings.
Knowledge about this philosophy ar present is available only in
Sanskrit and in a few English rexts. Texts, however, in the Kannada lan.
guage are rare. The author of YogaMa)ahas admirably filled
this void. In
addition to his spiritual knowledge and insights into yoga, Mr. K. pattabhi
Jois has practical experience in the subiect, which adds luster to his work.
I thank rhe author for his service.
I hope all readers wi[[ take advantage of this book. Needless to say, it
is a must for students of Ayurveda, In addition, modern physicians special-
izing in the heatment of mental illness will undoubtedly find it useful.

M. Yammarhmla,M.A.
Formerly of the Departmeft of Philnsoph)
University of Myscne, 1962

Surya Namaskara and Yoga Asanas
1. Padangushtasana . . . . , . . 48
2. Padahastasana ..,..,,.48
3. Utthita Tiikonasana . . . . 51
4. Unhita Parshyakonasana 5J
5. Prasarita Padottanasana
(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
(B).................5s
(c)..... ............s5
(D)..... ............s7
6. Pa$hvottanasana .,,...
7. Utthira Hasta
Padangushtasana ......
8. Ardha Baddha
Padmottanasana .....,. 6l
9. Utkatasana........... 6l
10. Virabhadrasana .......65
11. Paschimatranasana . . . . . 68
12. Purvatan:uana . ...-, . .71
13. Ardha Baddha Padma
Paschimattanasana .....
14. Tiriangmukhaikapada
Paschimattanasana ... .. 7J
15. Janu Shirshasana
(A) .. .. . ...........77
(B) . ... . .......... ..7e
(c).. ... ........... .7e
CONTENTS
' ' ''" 33
fO. U"rr.frr"*""'
(A) . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . 83
(B) .. .... ... .... ....84
(c).................85
(D)...,..........,..85
20. Navasana .., , ... .... .87
21. Bhujapidasana ......., 88
22. Kurmasana ...,,.... -.88
23. Garbha Pindasana .. . . .91
5'7 24. Kukkutasana .... .... .9i
25. Baddha Konasana - . . . . , 93
59 26. Upavishta Konasana . -.95
27, SuptaKonasana .. -....96
28. Supta Padangushtasana 99
29. Ubhaya Padangushtasana 101
30. Urdhva Mukha
Paschimattanasana . ,.. 102
31. Setu Bandhasana . . . . . lOi
32. Sarvangasana . . . . , . . . 104
72 33. Halasana ........... 106
34. Kamapidasana ....,.. 106
35. Urdhva Padmasana ...108
J6. Pindasana........... 108
37. Matsyasana . -. . .. . . . . l1l
J8. Uttana Padasana .....114
39. Shirshasana ......... 116
40. Baddha Padmasana ... lZJ
41. Padmasana ..... -.. -.125
42, Uth Pluthi ..........126
!x
 TABLE OF FIGURES

Samasthiti -..-.-.35 ]anu Shirshasana:

lst Surya Namaskara: (A) .... ........76
lst Vinyasa .......36 (B) . ... .. .. . ...76
2nd Mnyasa. .......38 (c) .... ........76
3rd & TthVinyasa. .......... 39 Marichyasana:
4th Vinyasa. ......40 (A) .... .,.......78
5th Vinyasa. ..-....42 (B) ... . . ....... 78
6th Vinyasa .......42 (c) .... ........8r
Znd Surya Namaskara: (D) ..., . . . .81
1st & 17rh Vinyasa . . . . . . . . . . 44 Navasana. ........82
?th Vnyasa ....-..45 Bhujapidasana... -.. - -....,. 8+
Padangushtasana .,..,..., - -. 49 Kurmasana:
Padahastasana...,...,...... 50 7th& 9th Vinyasa......,..., 86
Utthita Tiikonasana . . . . - . . . . 52 Carbha Pindasana... ..., .... 89
Utthita Parshvakonasana: Kukkutasana ......89
2nd Vinyasa. ..--..-5+ Baddha Konasana:
Prasarita Padorranasana: 7th&8thVinyasa....,...... 90
.
(A&B) ........sb Upavishta Konasana:
(c&D). .........s8 8th &9thVinyasa. .......... 92
Parshvottanasana.,... ... .,., 60 SuptaKonasana.,........... 95
Utthita Hasta Supta Padangushtasana:
Padangushtasana .....,...,.. 62 (lst & 2nd Part) . . .. . ... ... .97
Ardha Baddha Ubhaya Padangushtasana ..... 98
Padmortanasarra .. .,..,..., .6+ Urdhva Mukha
Vrabhadrasana: ... ... ... 100
Paschimattanasana
?th Vnyasa. ......66 ... . -.. .. 102
Setu Bandhasana..
9th & 10th Vinyasa.. . .. .. .. .69 Sarvangasana.......... -... 105
Paschimattanasana, Halasana. .......10?
(lsttype). ........70 Kamapidasana............. 107
(2nd type) .........i0 UrdhvaPadmasana......... 109
(3rd type) ........70 Pindasana ........109
Purvatanasana. .,......,.... ?3 Matsyasana ...... i10
Ardha Baddha Padma Uttana Padasana . . . . . . .. . . . 110
Paschimattanasana . -. ... ,.. .?4 Shirshasana ...... 115
Tiriangmukhaikapada Baddha Padmasana . . . . . . . . . 11?
Paschimattanasana ..,,...,.. 74 YogaMudra. ......120
Padmasana ..,.,.122
Uth Pluthi. ......124
 Fcx.uwono

SRI KRISHNA PATTABHi JOIS \\AS BORN ON THE FULI- MOON DAY OF
july, 1915, in the small villagc oi Kowshika, in a district of Hassan, in
Karnataka State, Soudr India. Korvshika remains largcly unchanged since
Jois spent thc lirst thirteen ycars of his life drere. Then, as now, its three
old temples rvere fixtures in the daily Iir.es oI sixry ro sevenw hardworking
village families. Kowshika began to reccive electricity only in the pasr ten
or fifteen years; in Jois's youth a rnan rvith a bicvcie rvas considered rich.
Jois's firther was an astrologer, pricst, and lancllroldcr. His mother took
care of the hoLrse and the nine children-five girls and four boys----of
whom Jois was thc fifth. From thc age offive he was instructed in Sanskrit
and rituals by his father, as were all Brahmin boys. Later he begar.r studles
at the micldle schtpl in Hassan, fbur or fivc kikrmeters from Kowshika.
No onc else in his familv had learned yoga or even professed interest in
it. ln those days in h-rclia, yoga was considcred an esoteric practice suit-
able firr mor-rks, sadAus, and sannlanis hut not for the householder, who
might lose all u,orldly intercst aml al.,andon his fhn.rily by un,Jertaking rhe
pracrice.
Jois is fond of quoting chaprer 6, vcrse 44 of the Bhagaval Gira, in
which Krishna proclaiurs thar onc comes to yoga in his life only by hav-
ing practiced it in a prcvious life, and is pulled toward it against onc,,s wil[,
as torvard a rnagner. It is this type of pull that must have lcd
Jois to atteml
a lecture-demonsrration a ftiend told him was being given at rhc
Jubilee
Hall of Hassan's middle schtpl in thc lndian month of Octobcr-
Novenber 1927. Jois was anrazed hy the a:-anas, ar-rd by the strong, grace_
ful yogi jun-rping fnrm pose to pose. Although he didn,t understand the
lecture, an.1 it wls quite somc rime before hc understood the method and
phikrsophy, he likeJ rhe yoga and decirled to learn it hin.rself, The next
Jay he rose carly and \.vent to the housc where the youi was staying.
Bravcly for a boy o[ only tweh,e, he requested to be instrucrcd jn yoga.
The yogi gruflly den-randcd of him, Who are youl What is your name?
Who is your fatherl What does hc do? Jois dutifully replied, and rvas told
to come back rhe next clay. He began what lvas to be a twenty-five-year
period of strrdy wirh the grcat yogi Krishnamacharya.
 For two years Jois remained in Kowshika and practiced with Krish-
namacharya every day. He was young, his body was flexible, and he
quickly learned all of the asanas. Krishnamacharya was pleased, and used
him to perform demonstntions. Jois never told his family he was practic-
ing yoga. He would rise eady, go to practice' and then go to school' In
1930, Jois's father performed his Brahmin thread ceremony-the initia-
tion through which all Brahmin boys pass into adulthood and into their
spiritual life. Soon afterward, without informing anyone, iois left
Kowshika for Mysore, with two rupees in his pocket, to attend the
maharaja's Sanskrit College. For one or two years he begged for food and
slept in the dormitory room of a friend. lt was three years before he wrote
to tell his father where he was. ]ois remained at the College from 1930 to
1956, studying the Vedas, then Sanskrit, and eventually eaming a profes'
sorship in Advaita Vedanta. He taught there until 1973, when he left to
devote himself fully to teaching yoga at his yoga shala.
His reunion with Krishnamacharya and the beginning of his associa-
tion with the Maharaia of Mysore took place in 1931. Without knowing
who the visiting yogi was, Jois attended a yoga demonstration at the
Sanskrit College. To his surprise, he discovered it was his own gurui
Krishnamacharya. He was very happy, and prostrated himself at the feet
of his teacher. Also present at the demonstration was a minister from the
Maharaja of Mysore's palace. The maharaja, Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar,
who had a great affinity for yoga and spirituality, was ill' When he heard
through his minister about the visiting yogi, he sent for him' Krish-
namacharya, with his vast knowledge and healing abilities, was able to
cure the naharaja where others had failed. The maharaja became
Krishnamacharya's patron, and established a yoga shah for him on the
palace grounds. Krishnamacharya was to remain in Mysore for the next
twenty years.
Krishna Rajendra became a great patron of yoga, sending Krish-
namacharya, along with ]ois and other students at the yoga shcla, all over
India to perform demonstrations, study texts, and research yoga schools
and styles. Jois says today that after having traveled around India for
many yeam, Krishnamacharya is the only man he ever met who had full
knowledge of true yoga methods
On occasion, the maharaja, who was fond of yoga demonstrations,

xlY
 would summon Jois and his friend and fellow student, Mahadev Bhatt, to
the palace. At l0 p.m., a man would come to their room and command a
demonstration for the maharaja at 4 a.m. At 3 a.m., Jois and Bhatt would
get up and take cold baths before a car would come to collect them. The
maharaja would tell them which asanas he wanted to see; he panicularly
liked Kukkuasam znd Bolqxarn B. Afterward, the maharaja himself
would do some dsa?uts! and
then send them home by car. He would give
them 35, 40, or 50 rupees-in those days quite a large amount of money.
He would tell them, Keep this money, don,t tell your Guru. On the
maharajat birthday one yeat both Jois and Bhatt were presented with silk
Hanuman Kacchas to wear during practice. Jois still speaks today of what
a kind man the maharaja was.
Jois would occasionally assist Krishnamacharya in class and teach if
he was late. One day the maharaja, who would sometimes attend class at
the yoga shala, saw rhis. One week later the maharaja asked to teach
Jois
yoga at rhe Sanskrit College. Jois replied that he had come to Mysore
only to study. The maharaja offered him a salary a scholarship to the col-
lege, and room and board. Since Jois was still begging, this was a lucky
opportunity. He told the maharaja he first must ask for Krishnamacharya,s
blessing. On March 1, i937, Jois began to teach at the Sanskrit Co[ege.
When asked if he ever received a teaching certificate, he replied yes, and
his test was very difficult: Krishnamacharya gave him one sick man and
said, Fix him!
Jois has often spoken about a text called the yoga Korun[dl an ancienr
manuscript on ashmnga yoga, which had been the basis of the practical
Iessons on yoga taught to him by Krishnamacharya. Attributed to the sage
Vamana, it was one of the many texts taught omlly to Krishnamacharya,
which he learned by heart during the seven and a half years he spent liv-
ing with his teacher, Rama Mohan Brahmachari. Korunfc means ,,groups,,,
and the text was said to contain lists of many different groupings of
asdnds, as well as highly original teachings on einldsa, drishti, bandhns,
mudras, ar,d philosophy. Before Krishnamacharya left his Curu, around
1924, he was told that if he wanted to find this text he could do so at the
Calcutta University Library. According to Jois, who has never seen the
text and doubts that it still exists, Krishnamacharya at some poinr spenr
one year in Calcutta researching this book, which was badly damaged and
had many missing portions. The remaining sections, which he tran-
scribed, contained what we now know as the primary, intermediate, and
advanced sequences o( resanas. When Jois began his studies with Krish'
namacharya in l9Z'l, it was the methods from the Yoga Kcvrunz that he
was taught. Atthough the authenticity of the book would be extremely
difficult, if not impossible, to validate today, it is generally accepted that
this is the source of ashranga yoga as taught by Pattabhi Jois'
ln 1948, in his home in Laxmipurum, Jois established the Ashtanga
Yoga Research lnstitute, with the aim of experimenting with the curative
aspect of yoga as taught to him by Krishnamacharya and the ancient
texts. The house at that time had only two rooms and a kitchen and bath,
and it wtrs not until 1964 that he built an extension in back for the yoga
hall, and a resting room upstairs.
About this time a Belgian named Andre van Lysbeth found his way
to Jois.Van Lysbeth knew Sanskrit, and spent two months studying the
primary and intermediate asanas. Among the many books he was to wlite
was one called Pranayarru, which included a photo of Jois along with his
name and address. was through van Lysbeth's book that Jois's name
It
slowly began to spread in Europe, and Europeans were the first to come
from the West specifically to study with Jois. ln 1973, the first Americans
came, after Jois's son Manju demonstrated at Swami Citananda's ashram
in Pondicherry.
a yoga conference in
Jois's first trip to the'West was by invitation, to
South America in 19?4, where he delivered a talk on yoga in Sanskrit,
which was simultaneously tnnslated into many other languages ln 19?5
he traveled to Califomia with Manju. He has said on many occasions that
only twenty or thirty students pmcticed ashtanga yoga in America then,
but, "gradually, gradually, in twenty years, it will be fully spreading'"
Through his many trips to America over the past quarter'century Jois"s
teaching has bome fruit, and his influence here, direct and indirect, is
central to the growth and popularity of yoga in America today'
A portion of the record we have ofJois's knowledge of yoga comes to
us in the form of his writings and photographs. His main treatise, this
small book, YogaMaIl,, outlines the timeless nature of ashtanga yoga prac-
tice. Jois began work on it in 1958, writing the entire text by hand, little
by little, over a two- to three-year perbd, in the aftemoons while his [am-
 ily rested. lt rvirs first publishcd in lndia in 1962 by one of his students, a
coffec planter in Coorg. Mala is a Sanskrit tern rhar means garland. In
India, therc are many dillcrcnt kinds of maias. There are
.lapamalas, madc
up of sacred beads strung on a tlucad which are used in prayer for count-
ing and kceping focused on the reperirion of a manrra. There are pushpa-
malrs, rvhich arc garlands of vivid ilowers, srnelling of jasmine and other
scents, that are strung in the fonn of wreaths and offered in worship to
deities in homes and templcs. Jois here offcrs another kind of mairz, which
is ancient in tradition, trs sacred as a prayer, and as beautiful irs flowers.
His mala is a garlancl of yoga, in which cach uinlasa is like a sacrecl bead
to be counted and tbcrrsed on, nnd each asano ir like a fragrant flower
stnrng on the thread of the breath. Jusr .as t japamala adorns the neck and
a pu-s,hltamala adorns the gods, so too does this garland of yoga, when dili-
gently practiced, adorn orLr entirc being with pcace, health, radiance,
and, ultimately, self-knowledge.
The trarnlators have tried to remain as faithful as possible to thc
original, both ir-r stylc anrJ content. Jois has rer,,i,rittcn small sectictrrs, cor-
rcctecl errors, and made additions to his original work, For example,
descriptiirns of the yoga posrures knor.r, n as Pr,l,mita pd(lorronasana (D) ancl
Janu Shrshasuu:L (B & C), which did nor appear in the original, have been
includcil here. Somc portions of thc book have also been rewritten for the
sake of clarity, and footnotes have been provided to aid unclerstanding.
Every change and acldirion, howcver, has been reviewed by
]ois, who has
provided infrrrmation for some of the cmendations, and clictated others-
Jois wenr againsr the grain of his times by dedicating his life to teach.
ir.rg yogir. Perhaps that is rvhy he ncver told his family he was doing yoga,
and rvhv he left frrr Mvsore without a word. Maybe they would haye
protested, tricrl ro talk some sense into his head. lt is clear for
Jois there
\l,as nevcr any question. He teaches rvithout lresitation, neither for fan]e
nor money, although these things may have come to hirn. pattabhi
Jois is
a beautiful example o[ pure dedication, of what it takes to keep the light
of an irncienr tradition burning brightly.

Stem
-Eddie
New York City
April 16,2002
ta
 Pnrracn

WHAT A GREdI' PLEASURE IT TS THAI YOGIC PRAC'TICEI WHIL-H FORMS PART OF

our Indian culture, has gained recognition ancl respect nor only in our own
country but in lfestem counries as we[[. We know from various scriptures,
puranos, Vedas, and legends that the science of yoga has heen in existence
in lndia since time immemorial. We also know that, as years passed and
times changed, it
reached a very low state. Nonetheless, a knowledge of
yoga has always remained very important to all people-men and women.
There are differences of opinion regarding the science of yoga,
though in recent times, and to some extent, the situation has altered.
There are those, for example, who say that its practice is only a form of
physical exercise, with lirr[e else to recommend it; according to others, it
is useftrl only to sannlasiru, or people living an absolute celibare life, and
family men should thus abstain from it. Some people even have a fear of
practicing it altogether. But this is little different from the opinion of
those who look for the faults of sugar without knowing its sweetness.
Once they taste it, its sweerness becomes apparent. Similarly, once we
practice yoga, we come to realize its ancnla [bliss].
And yer the pracrice of yoga still leaves us subject to doubts and
misconceptions, which weaken our minds and sense organs. Conse-
quently, we plunge ourselves into the torments of birth and death, and
experience various forms of suffering without ever seeing material or spir-
itual prosperity. Yet we should accept scriptural authority, as the Lord in
the Bhagavad Gira has ordained: "TasmrLt shastram prmwnam te krrrJa
al<arya u"yauasthitau [Therefore, the sacred teaching (shastra) is your mea-
sure in determining what is to be done and what is not to be done].', If we
practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human commu-
nity and which yields happiness both here and hereafter-if we practice
it without fail, we will then attain physica[, mental, and spiritual happi-
ness, and our minds will flood toward the Sell It is with this great desire
that I have written this hook.

'$(/ith
gratirude,
K. Pattabhi Jois
Mysme, Septanber 1997

xlr(
YOGA MALA
 Si Gu.rum Gananatham cha
Vanim sharunathwam atha
Yogeshuaram Sri Harim cha
Pranat' osmi moohoormuhtl
[Tb the blesed Gum and Canesh
As well as to Saraswati and Skanda
To Shiva, the lord of the yogis, and Shri Hari
I bow again and again.l
Source: T'ddnitul Farer

VandB G unrnam chm anar avinde

S uuJm shim s u atmauWwu abodhe
N islv e1 as e j angahkayam an e
S mns ar a halahala mohashancy ai.
[l worship the Guru,s lotus feet
Awakening the happiness of the Self revealed
Beyond comparison, acting like the jungle physician
To pacifu delusion from the poison of existence.]
Sourcei Yosa T,rrau i hy Shanlakchaa,

THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS NOT NEW TO THE PI,OPLE OF INDTA. tT IS A NOBLE,

desireless action, coupled with righteousness, which has been passed
down, in an unbroken tradition, since time immemorial., Many stories are
told in our Epics ofhow the people of lndia attained divinity by the prac-
tice ofyoga. Many ofour scriptures too speak of how fundamental yoga rs,
and of how it forms the It is thus sad that today,
basis of other sciences.
many who call themselves worthy sons of Mother India have nor even
heard ofyoga vidla [knowledge]. Once upon a time, people practiced yoga
in each and every comer of India. Now, it is the pursuit of pleasure that
prevails, and not the pursuit of yoga. People in the world experience yoga,
pleasure, or disease, whichever it may be, in accordance with their karma.

1 Nrsilama lonna (nrsh- wirhour + l(azllt desire : l(arma acrjon) is an acrion perform€d wiihour a
wish or desire for the "ftuics," or results, of such ac.ion. The ulrimare yosic iieal is
; ;rform all
actions lvithout desire for penonal gain, and to offer insread the fmii of all *ri.,i.
r. Ooa.
Performing actions with the mind direcred roward results increases ego and keeps
us bon,Jed ro the
idea of "l" and "mine," while offering rhe (ruits of acrions to Cod ieads
to,ru.d to th.
divine will and liheration from the idea ofa separate seli "u.."nJ..
From pleasure, disease is certain Sornc l-'eople think that one Inrrst he
lucky to enjoy pleasure. This, oi course, is true, But can it nlso not he said
that, in orclcr to experience.lisease, onc must be lucky as r'velll
Lct us consider the true nilturc of yoga. We have heard thc term uset{
in day-to-day li[e, as rvtll as irr the scr ipturcs, Upanishads, and surras' and
yet it docs llot seenr that rte havc anv precise knowledge oI what it
'We
rrrcans.r know of onl-v onc yoga, in the fomr oi asanzr irnd Prula,\ama,

which is useful to strict brahmactoris [cclibates] and sannyasins [rcrtuuci-

atesl alone, rrnd not toltrdinar-v men.'Ytt' i{ rve look into the scriptttrts
properl1,, understand thcir meaning, and rcflect on thcm, u'e willcomc to
know yoga\ ttue nilture.
What thcn is yoga I Ttrc lvord has man-v meanings: relatii-rn; tncans;
union; knowletlgel matter; logici and so on. F-or nor', let us sftv that the
meaning of yoga is uPnla, whic-h means path, ot wav rvhich we fbllou'or
by means of rvhich we can attain something. What then is rhe path rvc
should follorv? Wl-rat or whom shoul.l wc seek to attatrl The mind should
seek to attain wlrat is best. Just as a servnnt sceks a king to serve, a ilisci-
ple seeks the best Guru, ancl a rvite sceks an ideal hustran'l, so too r'vill the
minrl seek the Universal Self.' Even this is one type of urrion' As the scr-
vant u'ho wins his tnaster's heart nnd bLessings tlrrough his virttLes and
gind conduct vcrily attains ro-val cl-Laractcr himself; an'-l the disciple u'ho,
by great virtue and intellectual porvcr, verily wins the heart of hi" Gunr
and becomes as one rvith thc Gurtt; and the wife rvho shorvs virttre and
charactcr, as u,eLl as Jcvoticln to hcr husbaml, vcrily becomes as one with
rhe
her husbancl, so too, if the mincl establishcs itself in the Sclf or attains
Seli. it u,itl not exist as clifferent fr,xn rhe Sell Thus, the *'ay of estab-

2 The Ilpanishrulr f.ru parr of rhe Vi&rs, or satrcd scrq'turcs of ILr'luisrrL' arLl rntain rlt t'oic
docrrines of tlt llirhr rhc rurras relir rc,l ro here rurJ throrrghour thc l'c'rk rLc
gcneraLlv the Par'rnlnlr

lbgo Sraras, rhc authorirarive rcxt ol asharrsa, or iight-LrmLeJ, voga'

j Asola. rr yogic posturt", I n,1 p).nnlama, ,r hcatl, ine cxerciscs, arc rwo oi thc eighr Iiml'r oi as/r-

4 'the phrrsc "Unirtrsal Sclf" rs a tran'l:rri,n,ri rtre sirJ the term usr'l I'v the arrthor i'r
"\mran, prrr
nanrscrLft. Acc<,rJmg r,r \rcJantrr, thc Aonan is the sLtl mrrr' rn'1 all
hrs origrnal "i 'uts arc
ot an infr.irc, alt.pervallng -sufrcme -qfrrLL. Thc rcrm rs i'nrrnonlv tran'lat<Ll inr'r Lngllsli as
"S"p-mc SeLf,"Unl'"rs.rl SeLr, 'lnJrtllmg Sprrrt,'rr simplv Scli urLl rrfcn to (\tr hLEhd'

io signily ttrt esscnrial aspects,,i a ptrron'r rnJr tlL'rlitr, includurg 1"'\'. mind anJptr-
setj is useLl
sonalit", which lr hirth,,ltc.rl,:rnLlJraLh, rn'l 'rre thertit're not ctcrnal ur namrt
^re,,1l "ihicct
 Iishing the mind in the Self should be known as yoga. An aphorism of
Patanjali, the great sage and fcrunder of the science of yoga, makes this
clear "Yoga chitta uini nirodhaha lyoga is rhe process of enrJing the defini-
tions of the field o{ consciousness].,,'
]t in the naturc of our sense organs to grasp their respective sense
is
objects. lf the sense organs are harmonized by the mind, and if the mind
establishes itself in the sense organs, then objects are known or grasped.
Il however, there is no contact betwecn the mind and the sense organs,
knowledge of objects will not occur. The mind is thus the basis of all
sensory functions. The means by which the mind is directed toward
the
Self and prevented from going toward ourside objects is what is known
as yoga, as a hymn of the Katha lJpanishad affirrns: ,,Tham yogom
fii
manlante sthira:m indriya dhmanan [yoga is considered to be the steaily
fixing of the sensesl."u Here, the means to establishing the sense organs
in the Indweller, and thus to preventing them from going toward exter-
nal objects, is called yoga. Thcrefore, the word yoga signifies the means
to the realization of onc's true narure.
IUe now have to ask whether it is possible to realize the true nature of
yoga simply by undersanding its meaning as a word. By
the mere study of
texts on yoga, by the mere grasp ofyoga! meaning as a word, by a mere dis_
cussion of the pros and cons of this intellectual grasp, one cannot have
a
thorough knowledge of yoga. For, just as a good knowledge of culinary scr_
ence does not sarisfy hunger, neither will the benefits of yoga be realized
fully by a mcre understanding of thc science of its practice. Thus, the scnp_
tures only show us the right path. It is left to r.s to understand them
and to
put them into practice. By the strength gained through this practice,
we
can come to know the methocl for bringing the mind and sense org.uls
under control. Thus can we achieve yoga- For it is only through the control
of the mind and sense orgarx that we come to know our true nature, and
not through intellectual knowledge, or by putting on the garb of a yogr.
Hence an aspirant, by the grace of his Guru and constanr pnctice of
yoga, can someday realize, before casting offhis mortal coil,
the Indweller
that is of the nature of supremc peace and etemal bliss, and the cause of

r rdknlau rnlTa -\4lr!$ i:I

6 Karha Upanish.(l ii . j , tr
the creation, slrstenance, and destruction of the univene Otherwisc, an
aspirant will be unable to see anything in this world but turmoil'

THE
HOW CAN WE MAKE THE MIND ONE-POINTED SO THAT WE MAY SEE
Universal Self? This is what ashtanga yoga teaches' The word ashtar'go

means eight limbs, or steps, and these comprise: lama; nilamt; asa:'w;

t rarwJffia; praqahnra; dharana'. dhiana;

and samaihi'

Yeue
Yamc, the first limb, consists of five parts: ahimsa; sacya;
asteJo; IraLtmorhary a; arrd aparigraht'

AHIMSA
Ahimsa means not causing injury to anyone' including animals, in any
form, at any time, or for any reason, in word, thought' or deed' lf an injury
has Vedic sanction, it does not constitute ahimsa' Two animals hostile to
each other will forget their hostility in the viciniry of those who practice
absolute a]rimsa.

Ahimsa pratishthal am tat sennidhou c)aira1agah'

[Upon being established in non-hurtfulness, there is
a relinquishing of hostility in the presence of that
(ahirnsa) '1
Patanjali Yoga Surras ii :35
-
SATYA
What is satla? Satla is truthfulness. One should always tell the ruth in
thought, word, and deed. The truth must he pleasant to others; an
unpleasant truth should not be uttered. If one follows the truth in this
manner, all one's words will become true and all one's desires will be ful'
filled.

SaEa Fratishthalan kriya phtla shraytuun .

[Upon being established in truth, there is surety in the result
of
actions.]
PawnjakYoga Sutros it : 36
-
 ASTEYA
Asteya means not stealing the property or possessions of others. Being
envious of or begrudging another; cheating someone with sweet words;
gaining seHish ends under the guise of truthfulness: all are to be aban-
doned. Heaps of gems fall before the yogi who practices drrela, and he
becomes the abode of all gems.

Asteya pratishthaym saxLdratntT upastlwnam.

[Upon being established in non-stealing, there occurs the
atrainment of all prosperity.]
Patanjali Yoga suffas ri : 3?
-
BRAHMACHARYA
Now, let us discuss braimaclurya. V4rat is its meaning? Is it merely the
retaining of vital fluid?r Does it signifu unmarried student lifel Brah_
morhmya is not possible by means of the mere retention of vital fluid.
Becoming one with the supreme Brahman alone is lnahmac/rana. Were
the
holding of vital fluid itself brarlmarharya, ir would be a thing impossible to
do. There are currently many obstacles to the easy practice of this limb
of
yoga, and our Shruas and Smriai, too, speak of eight types
of obstacles:u

}r.ar annm kir tanam kelih

Pr ekshontm mulq abhashamm
S anknlp ah allry au as ay as cha

kiya nishpattireua cha

Eam maikunam ashangam praladanti matish,lr.ah.
[Remembering; celebrating; amorous play;
viewing; infatuated discussion; planning;
determination; and the effort of one who has no partner;
the wise declare these to be the eight limbs of romantic activiry.l

Maintaining brahmacharya nowadays is difficult because there are so

many things that attract the mind in different directions, such as theaters,

7 The viral fluid here referred to is the sexual fluids,

8 The Simris, or, Vedas, are .acred ceachings reveatcd by re Supreme Being to rhe ancienr ruhis;
rhe Smriirs are relLgLou, and rradrtronal I.rw\ dnJ cod.s devi!(J br hun,rr,,;h"^
pleasure houses, restaurants, ancl the likc, The prescrvation of hrrrh-

machula is thus an uphill task.

Now, a question arises. lf ue cirnnot maintain ina'hmtrcAoryr, rloes it
not amount to saying that yogir is ir.npossible for rrsl Ntl, a man can achieve
some degree of lrra.h machmla. [f he is to achieve it, howeveq lre mr'rst
avoid

tl-re followir.rg as rrruch as possible: mixing with vulgar people;

gslng 1o
crorvded areir.s for recreation; reading vul.gar bcxrks rvhich disturb the mind;
going to theaters ancl resuurtrnts; and conversing secretly with strangcrs of
the opposite sex. lf these are avoided, btahmw.'harya can be prcserved in
part. For it is by lzahmacharya alone that we are able to achieve impossi-
ble tasks: to live longer; to conquer death; and, abovc all, to knorv the
true

Sclf. This is the srlbstance o{ Patanjali's sutra: "Brahmtuharla pratishalan

uirya labhnh [Upon beir-rg established in bral.mwchal)a, vital en':rgy is
obtainedl." We should thus first seek to preservc dris yogic limb'
As Patanjali's sutro clearly states, a gain in vitality is brahmacharla's
fruit. If a gain in vitality is the fruit and, in the case of householders, rhere

is occasion for a loss o{ vital fl,.ricl, docs it mean that a householcler can-
not atrrrin brahmachm -^ta! This, o[ course, is true' houscholders losc brah-
mrrchmyaowing to seminal loss- With the Loss, they lose the strength of
their boclies, minds, anel sense organs; in addition, moksha [spiritual Iihr-
ation] and the capacity to perceive thc soul or reirlize the true Self becomc
impossiblc, ln the absence of the knowlcdge of onc's own Sclf' one
remains in thc cycle of birth ar-rd death, and thus must continue to sulftr
in this uorld. Llowever, understanding propcrly tl-re
sapless ancl dcspicable
meanings of the rvords Lnahmor,hwla and tirya labhah, and dren putting
them into practice, lcads us to the supreme goal'

Tasm&t shns:rem pramanam te luLryakar ."trt uJaLtasthitou

J nutua shutr ct,; idhanoktam knrma kl'r
tumihmfuisi
in deter-
[Therefore, dre sacred teachilg (shastra) is your measure
mining what is to be done and what is not to be clone Knowing
what is saitl in the -rhartra, you shoulcl act' herc in this *orld ]
Bhagaual Gin xvi : 24
-
ln accordirnce with these divine words, it is important for us to studv
the scriptures perfectly, to umlerstand their irlport properly, and to bring

I
 them into practice. The scripturcs shoulcl never be neglccted, fbr thcv
have been givcn to us for cnrr upliftmcnt. lf we dcnounce thcrn, ancl
behave like animals instead of following rhcir parh, thcn there will be
nothing bur ruin in srorc for us- Hcnce, the righteous path of the scrip_
tures is vital.
Among the stages of lil:e, the second is thar of rhe houscholder-, If rve
take only seminal loss into accoLrnt, then a hor.rseholder cannor atain
malcd fspiritual liberation]. Howevcr, when wc consult rhc scriptures, u.e
find lt said that, fbr householclers, seminal loss by itself cloes nur endan-
ger brahrntcharya and that, in the truesr sense of thc u,ord, thc house_
hcrlder alonc can attain brahmachar,"ra.ln the worcls of the mantra:

Ye di|,)a raqa samJujyante prautmerta pr*sl<mdutte

Tatry r udr ar au r ath\ a s amJ uj J an te ln ahmac hm,"r tm e v a
[Those who daily engage rheir energy through rornantic
acrivirv truly dissipate (their energy). Thosc u,ho takc delight
when the enemy of Shiva (Kama/Cupid) is in ileclir-re indceil
engage in bral'tmacharya.l

By examining this scriptural stirtement! we come to knolv that il a

man has sexual intercourse with his u,ifc during t]rc tlaytirne, his power of
vitality will be lost and, in a very short tin.re, de:rth will conquer hirn. To
counter this, thc young men of today offer a differenr argument. They say,
"lf a man has sexual inrercourse u,ith his lau,firl wife during the day,, his
power of vitality is, of course, decreased. Agreed I Bu t rvhat ahou t sex lvith
ether womenl Where is the fault in thatll,,This is onlv the question of
pervcrted rationalists. Intercourse with othet u,omcn is alr.r,ays forbiclclen
and, as has been said bcfore, it is, even mentally, harrnful ar lza,trnucha.-y-a.
Lcaving that aside, the shasuakuas srate that if sexual [rtercourse is
cngaged in only at night and in accordance wirh the urcnstmal pcritxls,
then even househoklers and the like can be regarded as lzalrla,.-hans]o Bur

q lndrrrlralrrrnn,e,,,6, ,zeJ r.J, ., ,".. ,"rn,r,r.,;t,,. Th. tn i".:.tct .,. , ," :

stage of the stuJenr; the serond x grharrla, ttre householJrr ltarcj rh. rl\irJ
is ldnqh?sirfir, or rtre
hermit or anchor(e srasct rnJ the iourth, sannrarrn, is rlre *age ol comfler( renunLiari.trr
10 The shartraloras arc the authors of the slastras, whLch arc sacrcLl texts or ho.ks
ol r,vi.c
the matter of day and night, as rvell as of the appropriate time for copula-
tion. have to be tnken into consideration. Nortnalt-r', we consider day as the
period from suntise to sunset- Similarl)', we consider night as the period
from sunset until the time of the sunt rising again Holvever, the way of
determining da-v and night for yogis is different'
(X the nostrils oI the nose
through u4rich we breathe, the right one is known as surya nadi, and the left
one, as cirarulra nadi." For yogis, da-v and night are determined on the basis
of these two nadis. During the da1', meaning frttm sunrise to sunset, the two
nadis are not to be heeded. However, during the nighttime, their transfor-
rnation should be considered. lf, during the night, the breath is felt to be
moving throrrgh the surla nadi, that is, if the wind is coming and going
through the right nostril, then that is to be regarded as the daytime and'
during that perirxl, copulation and the like are not to occur' ll during the
night, on the other hand, the breath is moving only through the chtmdra
narli. then that is the occasion for sexuitl activities
(Should the chandra nali

become active cluring rhe daytime, however, it must not be taken as an

occasion for engaging in sexual activities.) In this way should householders
who are righteous-u'hether they be yogis or not-ascertain day and night'
In addition to the matter of day and night, the menstrual cycle must
also be consideted. The inten'al betrveen the fourth and sixteenth
day of a

womat.r's cyclc is regarded as the corcct time ft:r intercourse by scriptural

experts. Beyond the sixteenth day, however, it ceases to be correct; vitality
will be lost and the act will not be fruitful following intercourse after the
sixteenth day. When we accept the stage of the householder, we make a
promise to God, Guru, and out parents in this wir-v''l e also make a promise

nddi lfluleahaped channell is a tul-'e or hollow nerve parhwav' Nadrs arc

A o{ three tvpes:
11
Called rlhaminr, rhe lirst tvpc carries bloo'l' water' and rir' The
e-",
ir.," t.,1.,r".
""i ".r.v
sLrbrlc.
prana throughour the ner-
rcconrJ type is .implv r.rmed nadi, and rt carics energ,v in thc iorm ol
a human
,y.li.,". s",, it . ,flird, Ls rhe smallest and mosr subttc of all the nadrs' as small as
"".,
hair tirar has been splLr Six rimes This nddi quicklv carrics messages from rhe "messagc
'tntei'
iotated in rhe region of rhe hearr rhroughour rhe bod1, anJ is also a viral Link in rhe frrnction-
the hearing'
ing of thc sens" orga,.s. Anv setrsorv input trom rhe oursiile worlil that stimLrlares
to,ir", ,*.1t, sighr, or touch is mmmunrcarecl ro rhe inrernal consciousness
via rhe rira rudi'
*i.i *""fl* ir.-*fl.ut everv parr of the llod.v Of rhe ?2,000 nad's in the subtle bod'v' three
arc especially i*poriu"t io. vngi., the slrla nadir chaulta nadt an'l smhtmna nadi
The su'r-a
,r.li .or.,., n* "*o' "nerg! or acti!t and hot aspect and the cioruird nddi carries o(r "moon"
energ,v, cooling anJ rrinquil. Our spiriruii cnergv rs carricd br the
pathwav of the s*slnmna
,,Ji,'*ifli.r', *.,i"t .,"d nlt u"t'1ih. ,ncl chandra naJis have hccn harmolired through
',,vn

10
 that rvc u,ill do nothing apart from our lawftrl wife with respect to dha.rma,
artha, and Aama [righteousness, wealtl-r, and dcsire, respectively]. Flence rt is
very important that wc beget legal pnryen1'. Engaged in after thc sixteenth
day, as well as on the days of the ner.r, and full moons, rhe transitory day of
the sun (when the sun monthly enrers a new constellatior.r), aniJ rhe eighth
and fourteenth da1,s after the full and new moons, scxual intercourse and
the like are not related to brahmrcharya. Union with one\ lau,ful wife
should be undertaken for the sake ofbegetting good progeny, am1 only alter
determining the trrr
[period between the 4th and 16th clavs] and kla
[time], and not on any other davs, not even in the mir.rd. Thus, in view of
the fact thar scriprural experts inform us that a householder rvho follows the
injunctirns and rulcs can be regarded as a bra]mtchorin, thcn even a fam_
ily man becomes highly ellgibte for the practice of yoga, due to his ability
to pre sen e his brahrutcharya. T\u, brahrutrharya does not mean the hol.l-
ing of vitality, though thcre is still no room for its squandering.
In truth, establishing the mind in the supreme Brahman, without
allorving it to wandcr here and there, is brahnacharya. The word veerya
means vitality. The transformarion of the thirty-secc.rnd drop of bloocl is
oeerya, or dharu [semen]." Ifthe strength ofthe mind, as well irs ofthe sense
organs, is to be preserved, then the strength of the dhatu, which is the
el{ect of the blood'.s transformation, must also be preseneil. If dfiatrz is lost,
the strength of the mind, as well as that of the sense organs, will also be
lost, and it will not be possible to perceive the nature of the Self
Therefore, to say that from brattrurlwrryo there will be a gain in vitality is
to say that if the mind tums toward the Inner Sel{ for the sake of knowrng
the nature of the Self, then the strength will increase. Conversely., if the
mind is ir-rterestcd in extemal objects, then the strength u,ill be dirninin-
ished. Frorn the scriptural statement,,.N ayam anr.a balahinem khfuah
lThc
Sel[ cannot be gained by the weak]," we see thar mental srrength is grearer

I2 It is belicved thar rhe lood ue eat is transforrrecl, over a pcriod oi thirry_r\ro dr!s, into a sin-
gle drop oi blood. Afrer thirty-two drops of btood have heen disrilted,
rhtrtv-roo day,m,,sr pas for
rhese drolrs to, in nrrn, become one drop ol vitalitl.. Alrer rhirtv-nro drops
of vitatuy have been
generared an,l, asain, rhirry-rwo davs have passed, one drop of am*a bur,,tu,
calted ri" n..t,. ui
rnmortaliry,, is produccd. Stored nr the hcad, b,ndt lends strengrh and shine
to rhe body and minc1.
When thc srore c,f6indu dccreases, the liie sprn is shc,rtencd. But when bindr ts preserved
rhrough
lralrnror[arya rnJ dre pracricc of riparirl,l t rani ( see
t'n. 4,1and.yoga r'saru: secnonl, hea]th, tongcv_
ity, anJ mental clarity all incrcasc.
than physical strength. Therefore, if the mind is to be steadied and
brought to concentration, it must contemplatc tlle Suprenrc Self at all
times. ln other words, whetlrer working, sleeping, eating, playing, or cven
enjoying intercortrse with one's wifc-that is, during the threc states of
experience, namelv rvaking, drcaming, and dcep sleep, and in all objects-
one sl-roukl think of the Supreme Self at all times lf the n.rind is thus grven
ro rhc constant thought of the Supreme Sclf, then its strength will
increase. And it is this strcngtl.r that should be regatdcd as bral'tnl;:.charya'
ll Inahmachrulr of this kind is achieved, thcn the capacity to realize
thc Self, lvhich is the result of a gain in viality, will he attained' Witl.t
this, the rihatt, which is the effect of the transformation of the blood, will
not bc lost, bLrt will continue to nourish the body propcrly Only the
stror-rg, not the weak, can perceive thc Self, as thc scriptural statement
above tells us. Thcrcfbre, the mcaning of the phrase t''irya iabhah is indeed
correct. Hcnce, the grcat importancc of brahmtchmla'

Brahmtchmla pratishtholam uir -"ta labhah

[Upirn being established n Inahnachmya, there is the

attainment of vital encrgY.]
Paanjali Yoga Sutras ii : J8

APARIGRAHA
What is aparigraAa I lf thc mortal boJy is to be sustained, things like {ood
are essential. After all, by srrstaining the body, does one not attain divin-
ity rhrough fbllorving the righteous patll Thus, the food we eat shotrld be
pure (-sattcic), untaintcd (nirmala) ' and acquircd throrrgh righteousness,
and not be secured b-v cheating, deceit, persecution, or other unjust
means. C)nly takit-rg as much food as wc need to maintain our bodies' and
not dcsiring things of enjoyment wl-rich are superfluous to the physical
bod1,, is aparigraha lf thc lin.rb called apangraha is finnly practiced, details
of prcvious anil future births arc revealed to the yogi'

Aparrg"raha s jatma katharnta sanbodhoh .

rhairye

[Upon n foundation of non-posscssiveness, thcre arises the

ft'11

understanding of the wherc{ore of birth.l

Patanirtli Yoga Sunas ii : 39
-
 EACH OF THE FIVE SUB.I-IMBS ABOVE IS ASSOCIATED WITH YAMA,
THI FIRST
limb, and only the actlons of previous lives will lead us to practicc
them.
Thus, the mind will tum itself to the practice of yoga onlv u,hen
a scm-
skara .,r q,asarrr is
prerunt.' Yer cven rrherc.r .,antsk,1l,i e\i5t.. ir.piranl.
must expect to practice thc yogic stcps with etfort.

Nlyal,ra
We come now to a discussion of nilama,
tlre second step, rvhich has five suh-limbs : shuucha; sar.rtosha;
np as ; s w adhl ay a; an <l i shwu LTn anidhant.

SHAUCHA
There are trvo types o{ shaucha, or purilication: bahir shaucho
[extemal
purificntion] and antnh sAaucha Iinternal purification].
Bahir shaucha, the first, involves washing tlrc outer part of thc
body
with red clay and water, By rubbing the body with clay, sweat and dirt are
remoycd, and the body bccomes soft and shin1,.
The second, otltd,h shaucha, means viewirLg everything and every
being as a friend, and trcating all with affcction (rnairri). This
ureans
engaging the mind with the supreme feeling that all are our 1iiencls,
and
considering evcryrhing to be a reflection of Cod. Such fbcusing
of our
attention on rhe Supreme Being is anaA -s,haacha.
From this twofold shaucfta, a loathing is devekrpe,-l for the body,
which is seen as abominablc, essenceless, and perishablc, and
a disgust Ls
felt when touching thc body ofanother. It is then that one fcels tl-re
boclv,s
prrritv lnJ rhu' hesitares r., jndLrlge rn r n.

lr IrislrJrrredrhr..,nt)*,,...,..,, ,.rqsrt,t. rr L,,.nrr r

"^*irh,t,"r.,.,,.",;,.,..,,""r.r.r
rice in.rhe pr.senr lile; to come re yosa, i"
",1.;*",,j.,ue .- ,..t,..,,"1,,, ,f..ru., ." ,."rr,,r* f." ,,
must alreadv exirt in one! consciousness. Erqnrhirrg
ern.rrn.. rnr.,",.1 ;;,,;.,,..".
ci<,usness. Each imprinr gives risc ro an rtcracrion o. "
aversion For the rcr",ii,,n .i.i. .,p..*.-.
Each imprinc, or suLtle imprcssion, is callcd ri,,rls,a. The artraction
.rr r,,.r",. ,rr.,l.o* r.,-,
rt is called-oasanr, which tircmlly means ..fraqrancc.,Our
entirc re.sonalirr o ,"..]"-rn ,,f ,f"*
courtLess "ftagrances." lir Jeepen this sdrns/ura in .tt,o, ,n p-.."A irJr". ,,f,,.r-,i,. ,,,". *,
tem.and padr, an aspirant must prncn(e with .ler ". grca(r Jrlrrrnlri urh.,*,.., .oi,nr".rr.n ,vlU
notl)eforned.SarruIar.,or!,adndistikeh.,tL,vlltrehhi.l,,L.i,rc,,,,k,rrgg,.L..,n.i.li.r,.g,,.-
l,c,,Fulhdfor r.unsrde,bt. renoJ, r,,,,s. rh.n r.,,.r, r r _p.i,t. .il
.,.',,.,r *rrr
^n rn rl,( nar lnr I
rr'.Uer runp irn e. T|,,,n
r1.rr rrr uh,,. Ir I fi.r I r.. . In \Mfhn r rjlr
necr and who, in rln' life, ha. be"" bom inro a Brahmin tamitv,
wi lnril his or her mind dr.twn
torvard englneering.
 Shauchnt suang,r jugap sa parair asamsargoh'
own body'
fOwing to prrrity, there is a desire to protect one's
being the non-contact with whatcver is adverse (to that)'l
PatnjaliYoga Sttrcrs ii ; 40
-
SANTOSHA
Sanrosha, or contentment) is a notion we are all quite familiar with'
Ordir-rarilv, human beings cxperience elation rvhen thcir incomes
unexpectedly rise or they experience a windfall of some type
Yet hap-

piness of this kind is momcntary and short'lived Whether one is

rich or poor, whether thc Coddess of Fortune smiLes on one or not'

or u,hether honor or dishonc,, comes to one, one should never feel
dejected. Keeping the mind focused in a single direction' always
be-

ing happ1,, and never feeling re-gret for any reason, this is the con'
joy
,a.,,rn"rl, known as santosha. lf santosha is practiced, unsurpassed
comes-

Santosht/J dn ttam{l sukha labhah.

attainment of
fOwing to contentment, there is an unexcelled
happiness.l
Patmjali Yoga Satras ii : {2
-
TAPAS
Thpas means observances performed to discipline the body and sense
Krclva
org^.rr. A..orrli.tg to the Yogo Ycgna{r alkla: "Vidhinoktena margend
Chm"4ra)&Mdibih, Shanra Shoshanam prahuh npa:astapa Lrf'arnom [Sages
and
well-versed in austerity saY that performing penances such as krchra
chnndrc.'tum (food regulation in accordance with the Iunar cycles)' which
of all
discipline the body in accordance rvith the scriptures, is the greatest
should
the tapas)."'' Thus, t rpas that follow the injunctions of the shartras
the
be ,.garded as great.r' By means of them, impurities are destroyed'
tnlt{Lh k{Lrav. lthe inner instrument, made up of mind,
intellect' ego' and

sage Yagnavalkva
lffhe )bea l'a$41,aU(ra contains rhe logic teachings iftrparted bv the ancienr
t,,, his srudent, Cargi
as weLl as rcligious and scien-
15 The shn-srras are anr sacrecl texts or books ofdNine aurhorirl'
rific writirgs.

t4
 the faculty of discrimination] bccomes purified, and the bodv and
sense
organs are perfccred.

Kalendriyasidlhitu hullhiks ay ah ap as ah.

[The perfection of the body and sense organs is due ro intcnsiB,
in spiritual practice, bcing the elimination of impurities.]
Patmjali Yoga Sutrcrs ii : {3
-
SWADHYAYA
Suadhlala is the recital of Vedic verses and praycrs in accordance
with
strict rules of recitation. Vedic hymns must be recited without damagrng
the arrlra [meaning] and Deuata [deity] of a mantn rhrough the
use of a
rvrong sua1.d [pitch] or rhe improper :rrticulation of akshara
[letter], pala
[u'ord], or ruma [scntence].'o
The Galari manrra forms the basis for the study of all Vedic verscs,
or mantras, which fall inro rwo caregories: rhe Vedic and Thntric.,
Vedic
mantras consist of two types, namely the progzta and apra$n, and
Tantric
mantras, of three tlpes: rhe srrillngd; pull.rhga; and napumsaktlinga, To
learn
their nature, a text known as rhe Manfa Raha-sla rnusr ie studied.
Howcver, as mantras such as these are not very helpful to raTa yoga,
we
shalI put off discussing them for the time being.,,
Cods related to the mantras give sidrlhis [powers] to those who
chant
them and ponder their meanings, and a Satgzra
ftrue or supreme Guru]
should be consulted to learn their secrets.

S w aih."r ayd i shtad.e v aa samprir)ogaft .

[Orving to the learning and application of personal mantras.

there is union rvirh (onet) desired deity.l

- Patnnjali Yoga Sutras ii : !!

lo I: \.Jrc..h rnrrn;, rherc are rrn .,r,., ,,+,,or *.,,",..

chanpe . r rn :,hanr .r plrh. ror errmlte. atrcr.
ri.,"
"f [,n *a ,.*f ,*.a..i
am ,nrra! me"rr;ng. Thc De, ar.. r. rhr derrr embod-
rFJrnJnJn-rd.thro,rphrhec^rre.,r,,,,.,"onolrmanrr,r.rheJcrrvre*eal.rtrh.:ndrr,realirl
Ls expericnced. Thus, in mantras, u.orLl, iom, and n*ni"* r*..., ,""*,.aril1' ..""-"a
1? The Graam ""a
is a vene ofrhe sacred Rg vedd adtlressed ro the Sun, anclis herd ro te rhe holiesr

l8 In Yoga Mala, rala 1'oga and ashranga voga are rreated as synonymous,
ISHWARAPRANIDHANA
Ishwmapru'tidfutu, or surrcnder to God, means carrying out all
out
actions, spokcn or unspoken, without desiring their fruit, and offertng
their fruit to the Lord. This is the message of the great sages:

K&rru1tah rikrlmaloq api at knr omi shubhnshubham

-^t

tat so.rdm t'in1as1c tvat ptaluktth kmomlaham '

ttoli
good or bad,
lWhatever I do, u'hethcr out of dcsire or not,
having surrer-rdercrl all that to you, I act as directed by you ]

Strch an offering is knou'n as ishwtrapronidharut Through ishworaPrd-

nirlho.na, samor)hifunion with the Supreme] is attained, which in turn
lcads to thc attainmcnt of perfection and fulfillment'

Sdrruidhi Siddih I shwcLr apr ani dhatat

alignment of
[The perfection of somalhi is due to the pedect
irttention with the onniscient seer within ]
Pannjali Yoga Suttas ii : 45
-
If thc limbs anJ sutr-limhs of lama and nilama are to be practiced' thcn steps
should be taken to ensure that one does not fall victirn to disease' obligation'
nor
or povert-\r For when tt pcrson becornes il[, his rnind cannot be steadl"
can he do any lvork. Theref,-rrc, the bodi', sense Qrgans' and mind
mrrst be

stabilized to prevent obstacles, such as disease, from occurritlg'

To bring the body and sensc organs under control, the asanas' or
pos-

tures, should first be studied and practiced' At various points

in the
Upatishads,the great sages agrec that asaruz is the first step in the
practicc

of the linbs of yoga:

Auuam prarusamrodhth S'rat1 al'atascha dharanarn

Dh1 melm samaihiretmti shaLdltgdlli prl'kitita'
are
fAsarra, pranalama . fratlahara, dhatann, db,"tana' and samadhi
knou'n as the six limbs.]
Shandillo UPonishu)
-
Here it has been written that there are but six limbs of yoga' lamn and
niyamn being included undcr the limbs of yr;ryo)wa ar,d
dlwavL Since the

t6
 views of Swatmarama and the Upanishadic sages are in agreement on [his
point, their view is also acceptable to us. lt is, alier all, not possible ro prac-
tice the limbs and sLrb-limbs of 1,amn and nilama when the body ancl sense
organs are weak and haunted hy obstacles. To destroy diseases of the body irml
sense organs, dsolul must be studied and practiced, \.vhich is rvhy Swirtmarama
speaks of it as tl-re limb ro be undert:rken first. From its practice, the body rvill
be conditioncd and this, in rum, ,ivill leaLl to itllpmved heakh.
If asana is pracriced in accorclance with established rrrles, then dis-
cnses related r(, the body and sense organs can he preventerl., According
to Swatmarama;

Hathas,"ta ytathamangatvad asanan purvarnuchl ate

Tasmo.t osaram kwyat moglam clwngakLghauant.

[ltis said that asana is primary, due to its being the first limb oi
harha yoga, One should practice thirt asar.ra which is a statc ol
steadiness, freedom from sickness, and lightness of body-l
* Hatha Yoga Pradipilu r : 17

Ti.l understand the word hathc here, we should know thar ha rueans
the surya ruuli and rha means the clum,*a naLli. The proccss of controlling
the frdna [breath] that moves through rhese two nalis is known as hat]ra
yoga. Yoga means rclation and strength. li the air we breathe
through the
nostrils govemed by the rules and practice ofpranayama, or breath con_
is
trol, then the mind will bc arrestecl, as a verse from the Hathn yoga
Pradipika af{irms:

Chale u&te chalam chituun

nischtb nischahm bhavet.

[The breath being in motion, rhe mind is moving. The breath

being without motion, rhe mind must be motionless.]
Hatha Yoga prudipika ii : Z
-
Il however, our breathing is moving and urregulared, thcn the miml
w,ill be urntead_v. Regulating the breathing stahilizes thc rnind and makes

19 Thc rutes here rcfcrred ro are scriptural mstrucrnns.

it firm. The method for directing the stabilized mind toward the Inner
Sclf is what is known as harha Yoga.
lf thc rnind movcs towards the Self by means of hatha yoga, this is
known as raTa yoga. Many people rvrongly believe that harlra yoga and raTa
yoga are diffcrent, but this is r-rot true, As Srvatlnarama explains in the
HathaYoga PradiPika:

Bhranqa bahumautdhvante rajt loga majanawm

H uha pradipiktm dhatte Swatmaramah kripakraah'
[Because of the ignorance of the many opinions
of those '"vho
through error do not LLnderstand TaJe yoga' rhe compassionate
Su,atmarama offers the Hatho Pradipika (the lllurnination of
Hatha Yoga).1
Hatha Yoga PruliPika i : 3
-

PReuaYeua
There are many kinds o{ prctnalama' Sri Shankara
Bhagavadpada speaks of a thousand and explains their methods,
rvhile Swatmarama names but eight:

Sw abhed'tnomujj a1 i s khkari shithali tatha

"^r

Bh*strikn b:hrmwri mwccha plminiti ashtokwnbhakah'

lsuryabedma, ujjai, sitkmi, shitali' bhastika, bhramari,
mwchha, and plminr are the eight klmbhokzs']
HathaYoga P idi1ifu it | 44
-
Of these, only lbur pranalamas are suitable for us'
Some pranalamas are rrseful for curing diseases' some for the purifica-
tion of the nadis, and some for the arrest of the rnind All are important,
however, though their practicc requires that the preceding step-nanely
asana-be practiced, as well.
If asana is practiced, then bodily and sensory diseases rvill he
destroyed. l{ pranayama, conducive to concentrating the mind, strength-
ening thc sense organs, and enabling the mind to be stilled without
becoming unstable, is practiccd, then diseases present in the body, sense
 orgam, and mind will bc cured, allowing the mind to achieve concentra.
tion and perccive the Inner Sclf. C)nly then will human birth, which
results from the penance of many previous lives, be fulfilled, and not br,.
living lives like animals.
In this scientific age, rve accept only what wc see and reject rvhat ue do
not. \(/e make no effort ro perceive the Universal Sell which is rhe
Indweller that witnesses all acrions, that is the cause of the crcation, slrsre.
nance, and destruction of the universe, and that is of the nature of con-
sciousness. Great scholars and intellectuals u,ho attract artention by using
pedantic Vedantic terms which mean that all things are traruitory and that
only thc Supreme Self is real, are only imprcssing tlrcmselves and their lis-
tcners for the moment. But soon, the net of delusion is surc to bind them.
Therefore, those who \.vant intensely to lift themsclves ouc of the ocean of
samsara, and to stop rvallorving in it anti experiencing pleasure and pain, nnd
thercby becoming depressed, should pracrice yogil, anrl experience its bliss.,,
Nothing happens in the rvorld according to our will; rhat is definire.
Everything in the in accordance rvith rhe will of rhc
universe occurs
Universal Se[f, not man'.s desires. If wc properly undcrstand the rvise gospels
of the Bhagat ad Gira, however, and bring them daily into practice, we will
be able to acconplish our goals in life. In no other way can human beings
fulfill their wishes. Theref<rre, per{orming our dharma and karma frec from
desire and attachment is our dut1,.'' This duty requires us to per{orm our
actions withour any wonies and to offcr all dharma and karma to God, with
no expectation of reward. It is difficult to plcase the Lord by lecturing orh-
ers on spiritual mattc$ or by attaining popularity or iirme. lf Hc is to be
pleased, yoga must first be achieved tllrough the relinquishment of rhe
sense of "1" and "mine." Fiom this, we can verv shortly attain supreme bliss.
In the Gita, the Lord sa1,s, "Purvabhyasena tr,r&iva hri)&te hyauasho'pi
sah," rvhich means rhat, like a magnet, the mind will be effortlessly
attrircted to thc pracrice of yoga in this birth hy tendencies developed in
past birrhs.I In other words, if the mind is to develop a love for rhe prac-

20 Samsara mcans rhe world, mundane existence, and the cvcles ofbirth anJ re,brrh.
21 Dhamd, in rhis case, rcfcr"q to rhe tlrrties and responsibiljrres rhsr musr be performciJ a+ a rerult
ol one! srarjon in life; harna is one's trcrrcns or work.

22 Bhagarad Cia yt | 44
ticc of yoga, a tendency must already exist from a prior life Given the
earthly and heavenly benclits to be derivcd from yoga, it would be a great
blessing if all people, men and !\()nen, were to achieve the practice of the
Lmbs of voga, r.vhich gives happir-ress both here and hereafteq and is the
fulfillmcnr of human cxperience' This is the noble objective of the arrrhot
of this book.
Whatcver work lvc attempt cannot be perfectly done unless our
nrincls are tranquil and calm; happiness canntlt be attained frorn it'
"Ashanrasla kuah sukhtm [For one who is without peircc, rvhere is there
happiness]i" " Hou' can a disturhed urind enjoy comfortl Surely, a human
being cannot .lerive peacc ancl happiness from material objects Such
l-rappincss, even u'lren it does occur, is short-lived, though the suffering
rhat follow-s is eternal. L)iscase is the sole consequence of the enioyment
of plcasure, and yoga cannot be attainecl- Yet yoga liberates us from the
.levil known as disease, Even bhoga [pleasures] become yoga for a mind
established in ),1)ga.
lf one's mincl is impurc and overtakcn by "1" and "mine," then one's
truc nature of hliss will be spoiled, and one will bccome miserable' But the
one u'hosc tuind is purc will experience eternal bliss. To disco'er the
lmrer Se[f, onc should thus ptactice yoga. Yet, just as a gramophone enter-
tains people by repeating the music sung by others, so too can we attract
innocent peoplc b-v repeating what rve bavc read or heard, and thus win
their estcem. When this happens, rvc soon come to think of ourselves as
schLrlars beyond contpare and fall prey to lust and mge Thc method fcrr
bringing tlre mind into focus instead and dissolving it in the Atman
should be learneJ under the tutelage of a Curu'o On[y through the
achievemcnt of the yogic limbs, and through the practice of them, can we
cornc to be upliftcd-and in no other way-
Focusing the mintl in a single direction is extremely important' Since
the mind is very unsteady, it is difficult for it to maintain itself in this rvay'
Tb er-rable it to stay fixed and in place, prnnalama is essential lfthe breath
thirt moves in and out of the body is arrested, then the mind becomes

l l ilhaeald.lGira ii , 66

24 Arman, rlrc -sLrprerne StLi., is rhc all-pen'aLtLng,

sclf-illumineJ consciousness'
 arrestedj as the Har,ho Yoga Pradipika attests. Thus, the narure o{ prana-
lama shcxrld be known properly ar.rd practiced.
ln this worlcl, many things lrave been created firr the pleasure nnd
enjoyrnent ofhuman beings, and we desire each and every one of them. yet
from these objects of enioyncnt come diseases u,ithout our desiring them.
Wc should thus kmrw their real nature and develop a dehchmenr from
them. By rhis kind of deachrnent and by thc practice of voga, or-rr minds
wilI become focused on tinding thc path to the SrLprcme Self, u,hose narure
is bliss. When the mind is not attachecl to things, such as the objects of the
senses, it rvill be able to dissolve itself into rhc Seli This is what is knorvn
as the state ofjiuanmui<n [liberation w,hile in the prescnr lite].

To bc properly learned, pranayama must be practiced according to

the directior-rs of a Guru. No one shoukl attempr ir u,ho thinks that a
reading o[ the scriptures has made him an expert in its knowledge.
Rather, an aspirant must carefully learn the rules of pranalama first, and
avoid haste.

Yatha simho gajo u"tago bhaveduashlah sfuinaih shanaih

Tathniva seuito yaJurtm)atha hd11ti sadhafum.
[Just as a lion, clephant or tiger may be gradually brought urder
control, so is prana attcnded to. Othenvise it destrovs rhc
pracritioner.]
Hatht Yctga Pradipikd ii : 5
- 1

In thc same way as, with zeal and enterprise, a trainer catches hold of
a dangerous animal that wanders thc forest freelv. such as a tiger, lion, Lrr.

elephant, and very slorvly tames and 1inally brings it under control, sr.r roo
will the breath be brought under control, little hv little, by the strength of
one'.s practice. Verydifficult though this is, it is possible. Il
however, an
aspirant engages in this practice while violating the rules or u,ith an air of
pride and feigncd expertise, then he puts himscl{ in danger_ Aspirants
should bcar this fact in mind.
In short, there is no doubt that, through the prucrice of yoga, one can
attain the peace and bliss one desires, the cnpacity to discriminate between
Self and not-Self, peace of mind, and freedom fronr disease, death, and
poverty. A man cannot achieve anything in the world if his sense organs
are weak. Thc experience of the Self, for the u'eak, is simpl-v not possible'

Nalum atna balnhinena ltbhlah

N a medho.^ra na bahutoshrutena
[The Self cannot be attained by the weak, by the intellect, or
by rnuch learning.]
Mundaka UPanisftad
-
So say the V'e&*. Here the rvord bala rneans strength, both physical
and mental. The body must be free from diseirses of an-v kind, which
divert thc mind elservherc. Physical strength, mental strength, ancl the
strength of the sense organs-all these are very important. Without them,
one cannot attain spiritual srength. But intellectual power and a knowl-
edge of the scriptures alone do not lead to Self-realization; the analysis
of commentaries and their various explanations do not lead to Self-
attainment. Indeed, it is not even enough tc, srudy V'edanta at lengtl.r
under *re guidance of a Guru." Practice alone is the path to atma l.r.hhah
[gaining the Sctf]. The aspirant who follows the precepts and instructrons
of a Guru rvith a subdued mind unshackled from the extcmal and inter-
nal sense organs, will realize the authentic form of the Universal Self'
This is the true nature of yoga.
Body and mind are inseparabL-v related' one to the other' If pleasure
and pain are experienccd by either the physical body or the sense organs,
the mind will cxperience them as well- This is known to all' If thc mind
is in pain, the body loses weight, becomes weak and lusterless; i[ the mind
is happy and at peace, the body thrives and develops a strength and lrIs'
ter beyond compare. Hencc, the body and sense organs are linkcd to, and
depend upon, the strength of the mind. lt
is for this reason that thc
method firr concentrating thc mind should he known- Tb learn how to
achieve such concentration, the body first must be purified, and then
mental strength developed. The rnethod for purifying and strengthening
the body is called irsana. When the body is purified, the breath alsir

becomes purified, and the diseases of the body arc elimiuated.

Z5 Vidanta, which lrrerallr merns rhe end of rhc Vedas, rs a philosophv oi non-duatism'
 Once the asanas have been leameci well enough to be practiced with
the next limb to be pracriced is rhat of bringing the breath under
ease,
control. Ir is this that is known as pranala[u. Yct simply sitting, taking in
the breath, and letting it out through rhe nostrils is not pranaJarEl-
Pruayama means taking in the subtle porver o{ the vital wind through
rechafta [exhalation], puraka [inhalation], and kumbhaka
[breath rctention].
Only these knyas, practiced in conjunction with the three bandhas
Imuscle
contractions, or locksl and in accordance with the rules, can he called
pran;rlama.'u Wltat are the three bandhas? They are mti.o. bandha,
ud.di,^ranu
banl,\a, antl jalandhara bandha, and they sl-rould be per{ormed u,hile prac-
ticing dsand and the like." Through the practice o[ Drdnclanu, the mind
becomes arrested in a single direction and fcrllolvs the movement of the
breath, a fact known frour the scriptural sratemenr ,,Chak vate chalnn chit_
&am. " It is common knowledge that rve lift heavy objects rnore
easily if we
hold our breath and concentrate on the objecrs wc are lifting. By control_
ling the breath through the processes of rechal<a, pural,,a, and Wmbfuika, it
becornes possible to esrablish the mind in a single direction.
ln hatlra yoga, there are thousands of methods for pranalarna. Some
purify the nadis, others purify and strengthen the body, still others cure
diseases and purifl, the seven dharus, rvhile still others are rhc means ro
the knowledge of Brahman thrrxrgh the ccssation of the mind.,' Arnong
these, only rhe kumbhaka ltranalama, whicl-r is pLrrificatory and useful for
Self-realization, is very imporrant. Evcn lrujla Shankra Bhagauadpada
calls it the rnost imp()rtant of rhc pranalanus;

Sahcsrashah sanru hacheshu kumbhah sambhaulate keuab.

kumbha eo.,a.

[Among the hatlras, there may be a thousandfold kum6hcs. The

pure Lurnbha alone is highly esteerned.]
Ytga Taraualli lA
-
26 A(n.va . J !.,,,tr!drinn.. r, i,,urrrr.rirr.
27 Mula barulha [nula root:bandha lrx,t] treans tifrng rhr anus up roward the navet; ldtirrirxr
bandha [adlirana flying rrp , bdndlr" lockJ, at;o Lnown as rhe srorrach tock, meaDs
liritng .hc ..re
muscles four inches below rhe nrvel plandhara banlfra mcans rhc rhnar lock.

23 Arurocdc mcdicine divides thc boJy irto sevcn clemenrs called dAarrn, which incturle: lymph
and l-.lood plasma; blooJr ilesh; fatr hore; m:rnow; and sexual lluids (spem and
ova).
 On tlrt suhjcct c,{ kumbhtka ptanalama, texts such as the Yogd

)irgnrivalkla, Stitasamhitakara, Devi tshtgatata, Yoga Vashishtha, Bhagauod

Gira, and fol[ou', on the whole, the opinion of Srimad
L./panishads
Acharya Shankara Bhagavadpada l{orvever, because, in generat, Iiews
about lranaJom.i tend to differ, it is important that this yogic limb be
leirrned and practiced ttmler the guidance o[ a Guru'
For thc !',ractitioncr of yoga, the rules regarding food, sex, T nd speech
are vcrv inlport,rnt, Anong thc foods, thosc called sattt'ic [pure] are the
best. Vegetables, hou'evcq should not be consumed much As the
Ayurvedic pramnna, "shakna vmdate t'ladhih [By vegetables, diseests

expand]" and thc yoga ptdrn&md attest, vegetables are unpleasant ftlr prac-
titioners of yoga." Wheat, snake gourd, half-churned curds, mung beans,
gingcr, milk, and sugar, on ttrc other hand, are best lndeed, foods that
extend the Lif-e span; tbods that increase -\4ttuic qualities, as wetl as
strength, health, happincss, and love; foods that are easily digested; and
foocls that are nirtural, genuinc, and fcrjlov'the seasons-these are the
rnost suitablc, as they are worthy of being offered to God'
Sour, salty, or spicy foods, on rhe other lrand, are not good for any
part of the body an.l shorrld not be consumed much' I[ a personi food is
pure, thcn his minil ltcornes purc, since the mind assumes the qualities
of whatever food is consumcJ, as an Upanishadic authority states: "Ahara
shuWhtru sattoLa shuddih / Satrc/a shuddhnu druvasmrtih fWhen the food wc
tnke it-r is prrrc! our minds become pure / \ hen our ninds becomc pure,
memory becomes steadyl."'u The practitioner ofvoga should therefore eat
only food posscssed r:,fsartulc qtralities. Foods that give rise to passions and
mental darkness, or that are fl.eshy and fattening, should never be con-
surned, and intoxicating substances, smoking, and the like should 'rlso
l.re

relir-rquishcd,
Only half thc stomach should be taken up by the food that is eatcn'
One quartcr of tl-re othcr half shurld be given over to water and the
remaining quarter lc[t to the nrovement oI air. Consuming too nuch fixld
or no iixrd at all; sleeping too much or not slceping at all; having

l9 Awroeda, rvhrrh lnerrlly mcans scittce of liti, Ls tire lndian slstem ol livrng in harmonv wirll
.Luselvcs anJ nature th,)roLreh the resLrl.rtlon oi our loo.l a d activities'

lO Charulora t.llnnisha.l ui ' 26 , 2

 too much sexuaL intercourse; or mixing with undesirable or uncultured
people-all these should be given up as much as possible, as they are
obstacles to the practice of yoga. Moderation in regards to eating, sleep-
ing, and thc like is thus importanr to folkrw.
Similarly, it is not good to talk roo much. By talking too much, the
power inherent in the tongue decreases and the power of speech is
destroyed. When the power of speech is destroyed, our words, too, lose
their power, and whatever we utter has no value in society at all. Thlk
of spiritual matters, however, increases the tongue,s power, and is thus
helpful to the world. But speech related to mundane matters desroys
the powcr of the tongue, and shortens our life spans. The shastrakmas
have reflected on and described rhis facr, so it is better if man follows
their path.
Too much sex leads the body, sense organs, and mind to become
weak. Ifthe mind and sense organs are weak, we can achieve nothing; our
minds grow unsteady and are unable to do anything at all. Therefore, too
much sex is to be avoided.
Yoga should neither be practiced in the open air, in a place that is
unclean or makrdorous, in a basement, nor on a roof. Instead, the place
of its practice should be spotlessly clean and level, have windows, and be
suitable for smearing with cow dung.''
Sweat formed during practice should be wiped dry by rubbing the
body with the palms of the hands. If this is done, the body will become
Iighter and sttonger, as a scripturirl authority asserts:

Jalena shrmnjatent. gatra mardhuwm acharet

Drdharha laghuw chaiva teta gurrasya jalare .
[Onc should practice rubbing thc body with the perspiration
that comes from exertion, As a result there occurs a firmness
and lightness of thc hody.]
Hatha Yoga Pradipika it : 13
-
But tl.re body will be sapped and its power exhausted if, in an effort
to dry the sweat of practice, it is exposed to the outside air. When this

31 In India, corv dung is commonly sprcad on the ground as a flooring because of the anrLseprrc
qualiries ir has when ir dries.
occurs, a practitioner grows weaker and weaker over time Thus, the
sweat gencrated by yoga should be gradually dried by rubbing it into
the body with the hands, and not by exposing it to the air or by drying
it with a towel or cloth. As this is borne out by the experience of yoga
practitioners, aspirants should bear it in mind.
The body should not be exposed to the open air for a period of one
hal{ hour after practicing. After half an hour, it is good to bathe in hot
water. ln addition, for the first three months of practice, bathing in cold
water and fasting are to be avoided. But, after a practice has become
steady and established, these restrictions no longer apply'
During thc period of yoga practice' it is advisable to take in much
milk and clarified butter, or ghee. Those that cannot afford these should
pour a little cold water into some warm cooked rice' mix it together, and
eat it before taking any other foods. In this way, the essence that results
from using milk and ghee will be generated, and the body will be ener-
gized and nourished.
Aspirants should be mindful to fcrllow the above'mentioned rules
regarding food, sexual habits, bathing, and practice. They should also be
devoted to Cod and Ciuru, Practicing yoga for the sake of one's health, a
firm bc,dy, or enjoyment is not the right approach. Only the purification
of the body, sense otgans, and mind, and the dedication of all actions and
deeds to the Almighty, is the true way lf our minds are offered to the
Supreme Self in this rvay, our hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled by
Him at the appropriate times- Aspirants should thus guard against those
things that u'ould disrupt their mental equilibrium.
Tb be able to practice yoga, one must possess enthusiasm, zeal,
courage, and a firm faith in tatt ajnane [philosophical knowledge]' One
should alsc, not mingle with the crowd. Vith these qualities, an aspirant
can attain yoga. Yogis describe the path to yogic attainment in this way:

(J tsahatsah.ss adhaivJ dttattvajtansh cha nischai dt

I ona.sanghapmitlogat shadbilogah prasitldlqate.

[By means of enthusiasm, boldncss, firmness, discrimination of
truth, conviction, and thc avoidance of public gatherings, by
these six things, is yoga accomplished.l
Hatha Yoga ProliPika | : 16
-
 Aspirants should lcarn the rules outlined above. They should not lis-
ten to, nor become discouraged by, the rvurds of those who have no
knowledge of yogic pr:rctice, or who are too lethargic to bring therr own
bodies umler control.
There is no age lirnit for the practicc of yoga and it can be practiced
by anyone-by wornen, men, the weak, and by those who are sick or dis-
abled-as the shcs rrakaras affirm:

Yuta yrd.dho'thiwddho va vyadhito durbalo'pi ua

Abhl asat siddimapno ti surva..r o ge shvatmttlinh.
[Whether young, old or vcry old, sick or debilitated, one who is
vigilant attains success in all the yogas, bv ncans of practice.]
Hathn Yoga Prdrlipika i | 64
-
Thus do the cxperts give rhcir Lrnanimous approval to this idea, and
experience also confirms it. lndeed, only lazv people find the practice of
the yogic limbs useless. Otherwise, yoga is very imporrant for anyone
eight year. or older. rcgarJless ol sex.
Pregnant u,omen who have crossed into the fourth month should
abstain from doing asonas. They can, however, practice ujjai
fnarwltma.
sam,avritti pran&J&ma, and eishanlauntti lnuruqoma, without kumbhaka,
until the seventh month. Ll this rvay, if they regularly practice deep
rechakn, or exhalation, and puraka, or inhalation, while sittrng rn
Padmasaru [lorus postrrre] ot Mahtmudra [the great seal], they will have a
smoothcr and easier dclivery. It is good ibr wornen to keep this in mind.
For peoplc over fifty', it is enough ro pntcrice some of the easier and
rnore useful ds.rrurs, as well as some of thc pranalamas. Those who have
been practicing for many yea$, h<.ru,eveq can do any asola or prani.lJamq
without a prohlem. Older people who wanr to starr yoga, however, will
find pracricing the firllowing ten rlsan4s sufficient [see Chapter 2 for
dctailed descriptions of individual asarzs]: first, rhe Surya Nmtaskma
(types 1 and 2); then Paschim&ttrinasana; Sarvangasana; Halasana;
Karnapidasana; Urdhua Padmasana; pindasana; Matsyasanai Uttana
Pa,l,asana; and ShirsAasana. It is preferable to do these in concert with the
ulnlruas [breathing and movement systerns], but if this is not possible,
then practicing while focusing on rechaka arld puraka will suffice.
Shirshasanrr should be practiced for at least ten rinutes, and thc rest, for
at least ten rechaka and purakz while in the state of the asana [see fn 39]'
By practicing in this way', the body and sense organs will become firm, the
mind Purified, Iongevity will he increased' and the body ''r'i11
be filled u'ith
fresh energy.
For the middle-aged, it is hest to do all the asanas' The more they are
practiced, the stronger the body becornes, and obstacles such as rlisease
cease to be a problem. Prmrtlcana is easieq thc mind becomes more har-
monious as the quality ofsarta fpurity] comes to predoninate, and intel-
lectual power and longevity are a.,gmented.
For the very old, howcver, who find the practice t* Saruangasana,
Halmana, Utarur Poiasona, Shitsfiasana, and Palmanana too difficult, it is
enough to practice mdh4bandha daily, as well as rechaka kttrnbhaka ptana'
yonn, pwaka kumbhaka prana.'trtna, samawitti )ishdxrlrlwitti Ytanr:1 &fifi , ar.d
e

sithali praulana. These will help them live happier and longer lives, and
rvill insulate them from disease.
The weak and the sick, too, shlruld gradually Practice suitable d'sdnils
rLl:rd, ptanayam*;, and over time, as their strength increases, their
practices

should also increase. In this rvay, the diseases of the sick and the strength-
lessness of the weak will be eliminated, leaving them healthy and vigorous'
The aspirant that goes to a fluru will find that the Guru will tailor
his practice to his particular hodily constitution Yoga should never be
Ieamed from reading books or looking at pictures lt should only be
leamed under the guidance of a Guru who knows the yogic science and
is experienccd in its practice. lf this is ignored, it is possible for physical
and mental problems to occur. For while it is truc that all the diseases that
afllict the body and mind of a human being can be eliminated by the
practice of the limbs of yoga, it is also true that this will only occur if
the science is brought into practice under an experienced Guru who
knows the yoga shastra properly and wl.ro implernents it in prirctice Only
in this way can lhe body, mind, and senses be purified' just as gold is in a
crucible.
Through the practice of yoga, many types of incurable ailments, such
as asthma, can be cured, and the bod-v, mind, and scnses will comc to radi-
ate with new energy-. Indeeil, some physicinns who conderrrn the science
o{ yoga have been dumbfourlded tt, find former patients of theirs being
 cured of their diseases by yoga. This is bome out by experience. Diseases
that cannot be cured by medicine can be cured by yoga; diseases that can-
not be cured by yoga canmrt be cured at all. That is definite. A doctor can
find remedies for illnesses that result from an imbalance of the three
doslras, but no dhanuonthari [doctor dealing ir.r rredicine] has a remedy
to offer for mental illness." Yet yogis say thar even for this, there is a
yogic cure. lndeed, the practitioner that keeps fairh in and practices the
linibs of yoga can achievc anything in rhe world. He can even redo
creation.ll
The wo d is fu1l of falschood, deceit, and exploitation.
A yogi has the
power to corect this and to attract people of the world ro the right path.
It is thereforc necessaty to stress again the importance of practitioners of
yoga keeping faith in, and showing devotion ro, the yogic limbs aml
the
Guru. But neither faith in nor devotion to the Guru is common among
voung people today. The rveakness of the mind and sense organs accounts
for this. And yet knowledge learned without devotion to God and Guru
is like pouring the milk of a sacred cow into a bag of dog,s skin, or the
undrir.rkable milk of a donkey's udder. But if young men aml women gen_
uinely pursue knowledge, practice true faith and devotion, and do not
yield to mental unsteadiness or sham piety, then the divine power wi[[
confer knowledge on them in abundance-knowledge which wifl make
them theists of firm bodies and strong minds who are freeil from lust and
the like; there is no doubt about it. There is also no doubt that a counrry
privileged enough to have the majority of its young people be possessed
of rninds devoted to God, in addition to firm bodies and mental powel
will be blessed rvith bounty. This is on Vedic authority. Thus, ler it be
cmphasized again that if practitionem know the path described above,
and practice it, thcy will attain happiness here as well as hereafter.
As the bodily consrirution of each human being is different, it is
important ro practicc rhe asatu1s accordingly. The benefit to be had from

J2 r/d.d [wind], prffd [fire, brle], and l,pt"" t.*,r,, prlt.c.l *.,r.," ,t ...
a,,m*1ri.fl r..i,.*
rional elemeDrs responsihte for each and every acrivity of the bodv and which are excirecl
by food
and acrions. When thc dos/us are in harmony, chere is health; when rhere is
disharmon) anong
drem, discase follows.

33 in dernonsrration of rhis, Vishvamira,a sreac ristu fteerl, created another Indra Lola
[world of
the Godsl for a low-crsre uun who wrnteil to go to Ileaven.
one ioru or prand)amd can be derived just as well from another that bet-
ter suits the structure of a person'.s body. Some asanas are not suitable for
pirrticular people and may be painftrl- A Guru will undcrstand this and he
able to explain it, so the practitioner of yoga must be certain to follow his
guidance.
To begin the practicc of yoga, an aspirant should first do the Surya
Namankara [Sun Salutations], and then procecd to the asanas' The Surya
Namas,<nra and asanas must be practiced in the correct sequence and fol-
low the method of vinyasa- lf they are not, ()r the movemcnt o{ rechal<n
and pwaka is neglected, no part of the body will become strong, the
sub-

tle nadis will not be purified, and, owing to the resulting imbalance, the
body, sense organs, mind, and intellect will not develop' They may even
come to be further imbalanced
lf the asanas and the .Sur1a Nam askara are to be practiced, they must
be done so in accordtrnce with the prescribed t'inlasa method only As the
sage Vamana says, "Vina tinyasa loge na uantuTin nakmalet [O yogi, do not
do asanr:r without vinl'asa]."" When yoga is practiced with a knowledge of
its proper method, it is quite easy to leam, but practiced withoLrt such
knowlerlge, it becomcs a very difficult undertaking' Therefore, aspirants
should not forget to learn the method of vinyasa, as well as of rechaka and
pwaka, and to follow it in their practice.
The asanas described in the next chapter belong to the curative
aspect of yogic practice. They will be discussed systematically, and aspi-
rants should be careful to practice them in the order in which they are
rlescribed, and not to skip one posture in preference for another' This
must be borne in mind.
'Winter
is the best time of year to smrt yoga and an aspirant should
practice before five o'clock in the morning' Warming up by the fire or by
jogging during the winter is to be avoided, hou'ever, as is too much sex-
ual intercourse. These are things an aspirant should not forget'

Srirairangais tushtut, agumsasnnubhih

V 1 ashema dru ahirr:rr n Ydlta uh
Om Shann Shsnri Slunti.

14 Vamana is the aurhor of Yr.rea Konrnta, rhe aulhorirarivc text on drdflz and frrlna)arrra in ari-
tangd yoga.
[\fhile praising, may we of strong and steady limb
enjoy the life given by the Gods
Om Peace Peace Pcace.l
Shcnri Manrra from the Rg Veda
-
Sunya Nauasxana
AND
Yoca AsaNas
 SunYa Nauasrana
HAS COME
THE PRACTICE OF THE SUII.YA NAMASKARA.' OR SUN SALUTAIIONS'
down to us from the long distant past, and is capable of rendering human
life heavenly and blissful. By means of it, people can become joyous'
experience happiness and contentment' and avoid succumbing
to old
age and death."
Yet, nowadays, without ever having leamed the traditions and
prac'

tices of their ancestors and having no control over their sense organs'
people engage in self-indulgence and destroy their mental powers for the
sake of tangible gain- Thcy deny reality simply because
it cannot be seen
and make their lives miserable, or sublect to disease, poverty' and death'
lf they were to follow the traditions of their ancestors, however' they
would develop their bodies and minds, and, in so doing, make possible the
realization cf the nature of the Self, as a scriptural authority con{irms:
"Nayam anw balahinena labhyah [This Self cannot be gained by one
r'
devoid of strengthl." With strengthened bodies, sense organs' and

minds, they wou[,1 become healthy and righteous, live tong and intellec-
tual lives, and be able to attain eternal liberation Thus, if we want
lives

of health, righteousness, intellectuality, and longevity, let us never forget

the ways and traditions of our ancestom'
By following the precept of the great sages, "shariramadyom khnlu
?lrlirma Solharum [The first duty is to take care o( the body' which
is the
means to
means to the pursuit of spiritual life]," our ancestors found the
bodily health.'? Such means, they knew, should not violate the scriptures'
but be in accordance with thetn. And this, they knew, could only be
pos-

sible through the Surya Nomaskara and limbs of yoga' So they studied
yogic science, brought it into practice, and were jo1'ful' In all comers of
India, too, people of every class were bringing the Surya Nam'e.skma
described in the yoga shastra into practice' This they did with the
feeling

that they were performing a righteous action which was a daily duty' for
they knew the blessings ofthe Sun Cod are essential to good health l{we

l5 lr r. said that, l r rhe gr.u,*"er, o * r\'s(rble to; e rower o;'"' ^ ^'**

'' ''
extended by conaolling the breath
36 Mm/ak, Uparuriud iii : 2 | l
pub'' Bangalore'
l? Melranon dnil Stinrual Ltle, Swami Yatishwarananda, Ramakrishna Ashram

34
 reflect on thc saying " Arogam bhaskaradiccher [One should desire health
from the sun]," it is clear that those blcssed by thc Sun God live healthy
lives- Thercfcrre, for health-the greatest wea[th of all_to be attained,
the blessings of the Sun God must akrne be sought.
To secure these blessings, the Surya Nanaskara should be practiced
in accurdance rvith scriptural rules. The worship of the Sun must always
be in thc Namaslara form, since, while there are other fonns of worship,
the Ntrmrxlzua alonc are important. In rhe words of the scrrpture:
"Nmrasl<arapriya suryah [Namaskara is the beloved of the sun].,, Thus,
they should not be pracriced whimsically, but in accordar.rcc with
thc
method prescribed in thc shasra. For it is only by the Namtrskara,
done
in consonance with the rules and without violating the scripture, that
the Sun, the God associated with health, will be pleascd and confer
the
wealth of vitality upon us, and protect us as well. In short, if a person
is
to sccure the fortune of health, he should perform the Surya Namaskara
without abandoning rhe path prescribed in the sharras.
What are the siasrras i They explain the meaning of mantras in such
a way rhat even dull minds can easily understand thern. Among
the sfias-
trds, thosc that elucidate the import oF rnantras rclated to the
Sun God
offer adorations and prayers to Him as follows: ,,Bhalram kanrebhih
shrunularno. rlevah I Bhadram
futshlema I ,\t<shabhir yjatrah [O Cods, while
engaged in sacrificesr may we hear with our eirrs what is auspicious,
may
we see with our eyes what is auspicious The purport of this mantra is
].',
to discern diviniry in all the objccts of rhc senses through the srrengrh-
eniug of the senses. It is a priryer not merely for the strength of the body,
senses, and the rnind, and for the elimination of diseases, but for inner
happincss and ultimate liberation from ransmigratory existence.
lf such
happiness is to be gained, it can only be so by the healthy, not by
the sick.
Therefore, to become healthy, one should practice the Srrla Namaskara
in accordancc witlr scriptural illjuncrions.
Tlrc method for doing rhe Surla N unasknra has been described in
various wavs hy various people. \X/e cannot caregorically state which
is
coffect, but when we reflect on the science of yoga, we see that the
tradition of the Surya Nam,esknrr follows, in rhe main, the method of
vinyasa, or breathing and rnovement system, the movemcnts
of rechaka,
or exhalation, puraka, or inhalation, and meditation. According
to the
FIRST SURYA NAMASKARA, 2ND VINYASA (UTTANASANA)
FIRST SURYA NAMASKARA,3RD AND 7TH VINYASA
 ,1 .
s*1t

ETH AND
FIRST SURYA NAMASKARA,4TH VINYASA; SECOND SURYA NAMASKARA'

yoga sh.asfa, this tradition includes: uinyasa; rechnka artd putolu; dhlara
bmfuns [muscle con-
[meditation]; dniha [sight, or gazing place]; and the
the method which should be followed
tractions, or locksl. And this alone is

when leaming the Surla Namaskara, as yogis declare from experience-

lndeed, the Sun Salutations done without following the rules mentioned
above are little more than exercise, and not nue Suryo Namaskara'
There are two types of Surya Namaskara' Thc first consists of nine
vinlasos, and the second, of seventeen' Tir learn the method {ot the
vinyo^sos, rechaka and puraka, the bandhas, dhlana, arrd {ot rataka [gazing]
and the [ike, one should be certain to consult a Satguru, for it would be

wrong to try to leam yoga without recourse to such a teacher' lf' how-
ever, one follows the scriptural path, and brings it into practice under
the

guidance of a Satgunr who is not only well-versed in the yoga shastra but
who has brought it into practice himself, then the three-fold diseases will
be destroyed, and one will live a healthy life''o
There is a common perception that no medicine exists for mental ill'

sprrr
:S th. three-fold dis+rses arcr manasil'a' or menral; &sika, or bc'ditv; and aJhlannila' "r
tual.
 ness. The Shrvds, however, say rhat rhrough the Srr1,a Namaskaro,
even
mental illness can be cured, Now, if we ref1ect on the meaning of a
mantra such as: "Hridrog_r,am mdma surJ(r hqrimanam chu nashaya
[Remove, O Sun, the pallor unhealthy to my heart and mind],', we see
that evcn mental illnesses and diseases b,.rn o{ prarabdha lanma [the
rcsults of past actions that are bearing fruit in this lifetime] car-r be
destnryed. Our ancestors certainly studied rhe nanftas, understor.rd their
rneanings, and put them inro pracrice. As a result, they lived long livcs
of good health, great strength, and high intellect, and, withour ever suc_
cumbing to disease, death, or poverty, they attained divine knowleJge,
mcrged with bliss, and wcre forever conrent.
Thus, if the scriptural way of practicing the Surya Nomcrslara is fol_
Iowed, the most terrible diseases, such as leprosy., epi[eps1,, and jaundice,
will bc cured. In this regard, no one need entertain any doubt or rJisbe_
lief; without question, the terrible diseases jLlst referred to can be
destroyed. Sorne people have received medical treatment for illnesses
such as leprosy for years without ever being cured. Wirhin five to srx
months, howeve! of practicing the .Sur,-a Namasi<ara, .log&\&nd, pr(ma-
yoma, and the likc, they have found themselves relieved of thcir ail_
ments. This is borne out hy my orvn experience. Therefore, people who
practice yoga and the Surya Namaskara will not fall victim to maladies of
any type. Hence, aspirants should engage in their pracrice and leave
behind all fear and doubt.
Some people work by sitting or standing in one place fbr long pcrL_
ods of time and experience pains in their joints which make rhem unablc
to sit or walk without great difficulty. Thcy pursue all kinds of rnedical
treatment, and lcad futile lives. But thcir attlictions can definitely be
cured by the Surya Namaskcra. Yogis speak of sucl-r afflictions as bcing
associated with the nadis. To keep the body, which is the fountlation
ot
the performance of all sorts of merirorious decds, pure and fiee frorn
obstaclcs such as disease as much as possible, the Surya Namaskara ancl
)ogrlsrtna are very important. Indeed, in the present world, they are essen-
tial to all, men and women, young and old.'Were all people to rccegnlze
thcir usefulness, bring thcrn into pracrice, and teach their traditions to
thelr families, it can be sald with pride rhar our holy land of India would
rejoice to find itself filled with fresh energy. Wcre rhe govemment itself
 gTH AND l3TH vINYASA
FIRST SURYA NAMASKARA, sTH VINYASAi SECOND SURYA NAMASKARA'
(URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA)

l4TH VINYASA
EIRSI SURYA NAMASKARA, 6TH VINYASA; SECOND SURYA NAMASKARA' lOTHAND
 to understand thcir usefulness, and make rhe practice of logasana, rhe
Surya Namaslara, and rhcir traditions compulsory for all students in all
educational institutions, boys and girls alike, u,hich woulJ help to render
their lives pure, it would be doing a grear seryicc to the world. Indeed,
Mother lndia would be very pleased- We should, thercfcrre, never forget
r() carry thc torch of this divine light of yogic knowledge, $.hich has
been
passcd down to us with our Vcdic culture, and to keep its flame alight
for
a[ eternity.

METHOD FOR DOING THE FlRST SURYA NAMAsXARA

The first type of Szrla Namtrskara has nine ulnlasas. To begin, join thc
legs together, with the heels and big tocs torrching, push the chest up,
krwer the head slightly, and stand straight, gazing at the tip of the nosc;
this is called Samtrsthiri, which means standing up in a straight linc. Then,
taking thc breath in slow,ly through the nose, raise the arms straight up
ovcr rhe head, bring the hands rogether, lean the hcad back a little, anrl
look ar the fingertips; this is thc lst vrnyasa. Then, relcasing the breath
slowly, bring the hands down ro the floor on either side of the feet,
straighten the knces, and touch the knees slowly with the nose; rhis is the
2nd vinlasa (see figure). Then, doing puraka (which means inhaling), lift
only the head; this is the 3rd t,iny,nsa. (For all subseqtent vinyasas, see
/rg_
ures.) Next, cloing rechal<a (which means exhaling), press rhe hands
squarely onto thc floor and, with only the strength of the hands, throw
the legs back and hold the body straight on the hands and toes only; this
is the 4th oinlasa. Then, doing puroJ<a, push the chest forward u,ith the
strengrh ofthe hands, lift the head up, bend the waist, straighten the arms
without touching either the thighs or knees ro the floor, and extend the
feet, toes pointed and tops pressed to the floor; this is the 5th vinlasa. For
all the vinyasas, the body should be kept tight and straight. Then, doing
rechaka, li{t rhe waist up, tilt the head under, press rhe heels ro the
floor,
pull in the stomach completely, and hotd posirion, gazing at the navel;
this is the 6th uinlasa. Follorving this, the 7th vinyasa conforms to thc
method of the 3rd ulnlasa, meaning that rvhile moving from the 6th
ulnlaso to the ?th tinlasa, do puroka, jlmp the fect in betrvecn the hands,
press rhe legs together, and stand with the knees straightened anrJ
feet
joined. The 8th tinlasa thcn follorvs the method of the 2nd
uinyasa, and
the 9th c,inlasa follou's the method of the 1st r,'in1asa. One should then be
strndrrrg up <rrrri*hl in Samasrhiri.
This is the rnethod fi:rr the first Surla N anaskora, rvhich is often prac-
ticed rvhile chanting mantras. For this, meditation is very important, as
are the drishrj, or gazing places, which includc: nasagra ddshti [the gaze on
the tip of the nose] for samasthiti; broomaAh'1a dr*hri [the gaze between the
eyehrorvs] for the lst uinlasa; nasagra drism for the Znd t''inlasa; the gaze
betrveen thc eyebrorvs for the 3rd vinlasa-in other words, for the odd-
numbcred rinyasas, the gaze should be focused bctween the eyebrows and,
for the even-numbered ones, the gaze should be on the tip ofthe nose ln
additiur, for the evcn-numbered uirryasas, rechaka s1.ro'-rld be performed
and, for the rxld, one should do puraka. On the whole, the method for
doing rechaka and puraka is the samc for all the cdnlasas and asanas ahead-
A salhat'a [spirittLal aspirrrnt] sholrld learn it with patiencc'

METHOD FOR DOING THE SECOND SURYA NAMASKARA

The second type of Surya Nam/rskara has seventeen uin)asas and its move-
ments of rechaka and puraka are the same as for the first SwyaNonuskma'
To begin, stand straight, joining the legs together, as in the first Surya
Nonasknro. Then, doing puraka, bend the knees, $'hich should he to-
gethcr, lift the chcst, raise the arms straight up over the head, join the
hands together, lean the head back a little, and stirnd gazing at the tips of
the fingers; this is the lst t'rlnlasa (see figure). Next, doing rechaka,

straighten the legs (do not bend the knees), press the hands dorvn onto
the floor on either side of thc feet, as described in thc first Szrya
Namrrskara. and touch the knees with the nose; this is the Znd uinlasa'
Then, doing puraka, straighten the back, lift the head only; this is the 3rd
tinlasa. Next, doing rechala slowlv, iump the body back into the form of
a stick with only thc strength of thc hands, as dcscribed in the first Surya
Nannskara, and rest rvith the head lifted a little; this is the 4th uinyasa'
Then, doing puraka, push the body forward rvith the force of the arms, lift
the chest, arch the back, and make the legs tight and straight, rcsting
with the tops of the fcet pressed to the floor; this is the 5th t'inlasa Then,
doing rechaLa, lift the waist up, press the heels to the flooq tilt the head'
drarv in the stomacb tightly, and stare at the navel; this is the 6th vinyasa'
Next, doing puraka, place the right foot between the hands, which are

46
 pressed to the floor, bend the knee of the right leg, straighten the thigh
and knee of the left leg which is stretched back, raise the arms straight up
over the head, bring thc hands together, swell the chest, lean the head
back a little, and resr, staring ar rhe tips of rhe fingers; this is the 7th
vinyasa (see figwe) . The Sth tmlasa then follows the method of the 4th
ulnlasa. The 9th uinlasa follows the method of the 5th uinlara. The lOth
tinlasa follows ttre method of rhe 6th. The llth vinlasa follows the
nethod of the 7th, though for the ?th uinlrua, the right leg cornes firrward
and, in the l lth vinyasa, the left leg comes frrrrvard; this should be noted.
Then, the 77th uinlasa again folkrws the methocl of the 4th, The llth
uirrlasa follows the method of the 5th. The 14th vinlasa follows the
method of rhe 6th. The l5th uinlasn follows the method of the '3rd. The
16th uinyasa follor+'s the method of the 2nd, and the 1?th e,inyasa follows
the method of the 1st. Then, comes Samasr/riri.
For the sccond Surya N amasktra, rhe einlaJas, rcchoka, and puraka
follow the method described in the first Surya Nunaskma. The only dif-
ference is that, in the second Surya Namasluua, the 1st, Zth, llth, arrd
17rh uinyasas introduce a different form; othenvise, the rernurnLng
vinyasas irre rhe same as those for the first Sun Salutation. As earlier
noted, even-numbered oinlasas indicate rechaka, aml those with ocld
numbers signal paraka.
Aspirants should know this method, which is best learnerl from a
Curu. They should also note rhat kumbhafta, or breath retentien, does not
occur either in the Sarya Nomasknra or the asanas, Those who pracrrce
the Surya Namaskara in accordance with scriptural rules must never for-
get to be rnindful of the drishti, batdhas, dhlun, rechaka, atd, pttraka, as
disctLssed earlier. After finishing the Sun Salutations, worship and other
religious activities should he performed while sitting h po.&nasuu. For
those rvho practice dsdnas, the Slrya Namaslara must be perfcrrmed first
and then followed by the dsdn s. This is the rule. Those who follow this
nrle wi ru eive whatever they desire.
\7ith this, the topic of the Surya Namaskara comes to a close,
 Yoca AsaNas
The a-sanas that follow tl.re Surya Namaskara should be
practiced in the manner described bclorv'

r. PADANGUSHTASANA
Padangushtasana has three vinlasas, of rvhich the 2nd is the state of thc
asana (.see figure)."'

METHOD
First, stand up straight, inhaling through the nostrils deeply, jump the legs
apart as much as l-ralf a foot, slowly lct the breath out, reach dowrr and
take hold of the hig toes, lift the head and chcst up completcly without
bending the knees, and stay in position while inhaling; this is the 1st
uinlasa. Then, letting the breath out, take in the lower abdomen, placc
the heacl in the regi,on between the two knees, straighten the knees, and
sta-v in position, doing puraka and rechaka as much as possible; this
is the

2nd vinliua (see figne).0" Next, inhaling, slowly lift the head, renaiutng
in position with the fingers holding the hig toes; this is the 3rd uinlasa'
Then exhale and return to Sama';thiti. While in the state of this asanrr, the
Irwer abdomen should be Jrawn in and held tightly, and recftoi<a antl
pural<a should be donc slowly ancl as much as possible' This is the rvay to
do Pa.dangushtasana.

BENEFITS
Palangrshnsana dissolves the fat of thc lower abdomen, and purifies hoth
the i<anda, or egg-shaped nerve plexus in the anal region, and the rectum

2, PADAHASTASANA
I?dahast.rsana has thrce uinlasas. Ttre Znd vinlasa is the state <d the asanc'

l9 Thc stare of an asana rclers to dle kev nosition of a posrurc'

+tl N.rc' Thr,.,ughour rhc dcscriptrrns of thc asana.1, trreathing insrru'riolrs are given whr''h dircct
,*,,lann - a" ,.'-.Iol*, ontl pLrral'a, or e^h:rl. rnd inhate, as much as pos'ible. Ir rs sufticiett' hoq-
.' ". r.r l,r.,:rhc rn .u,J ,rLrr frt'c t. <rr.l t rLrnes nT each posture' To remedv a particular aiLmtirl' a!1
aspira.t m,," rcmain ;, the ,,,Lative postures s$cific to a comll'int tor i0 tr' 8r'r hrcaths

4A
 METHOD
Tb begin, stand rvith the legs as much as half a foot apart, as in
Po,Cmtgushthasona, and doing pr.raka and then recha[at, place palms under
the feet and, doing puraka, lift the head up ancl stay in position; this is the
1st uinlasa. Then, doing recha&a, place the head in the region between
the knees, keeping knees straight, irnd hold position, doing rechaka and
prai<a fully as much as possible; this is rhe Znd t inlasa. Then, taking the
breath in, lift only the head; this is the 3rd lmlasa. Then Samasrhiti, as in
the earlier asana. In the srate of rhis asantr, the lower abdomen should be
drawn in tightly, and rechaka trnd puraka donc as rnuch as possible,

BENEFITS
Padahnstasana pttifies the anal canal, kidneys, and lower abdomen.

3. UrrHtrA TmxolrasaNa
Utthia Tiikonasma has five vinyasas, of which the Znd and 4th are the
states of the asana . Rechnka and puraka should be performed as above and,
as with the Surya Namaskcra, rechaka occurs in the evcn-numbered
vmlasas and puraka in the odd. Aspirants should note the correct move-
ments of both, and perform them properly.

METHOD
First, beginning wirh ptuaka, jump the legs open ro the right, three feet
apart, stretch the arms our wide on either side of the torso at chest level,
and hold; this is the 1st uinyasa. Then, turn the right foot to the right and
exhaling, reach down and take hold of the big toe of the right foot with
the right hand, lift up the other arm, (ix the gaze on its fingertips, and do
puraka arrd rechdr,a slowly and as much as possible; this is rhe Zrrd uinyasa;
for this uin1,asa, both knees must be kept straight (see /igzre.) Then, doing
puraka, retum to the position of the lst uinlosa, and hold; this is the 3rd
uinyasa. Then, turn the left foot to the left, and doing rechaka, reach down
and take hold of the big toer gaze at the tip of the raised hand, and do
purokn ar.d rech.aJ<a as much as possible; this is the ,fth vinlasa. Then, doing
parala, retum to the position of the 1st t inlasa; this is the 5th uinyrun.
Then, retum to Samasthfui.
BENEFITS
U tthita Trikonasana Jissolves the bad fat at rhc,"vaist, ar-rd brings thc briy
into sh:rpe. lt also expands the narrorv portion of the breathing channel
and strengthcns the backbone-

4. UrrHrTA Pans nvaxoNesaNa

This asana has five t inlasas, of which the 2nd and 4th constitute thc
states of the asana (see figre). Rechr;l<t ard puraka should fbllow the
method described for earlicr asanns.

METHOD
For this a.sarur, jump the legs open to rhe right, doing puraka, and stand with
the legs as much as five feet apart,
in ?ilonasznc, stretching out the arms
as
tightly at the level of thc chest, and swelling the chest. Then, doing r,:-
chaka, tum the right foot out, bcnd the kr-ree complctcly, place the right
hand by the side of thc right foor, stretch thc left arm straight out over the
ear, and g:uc 1rr rhe fingertips; *ris is the 2nd uinyasa, which is the state of
thc asana and cluring which puraka and rechal<t shcmld be done as rnuch as
possible. Then, doing pwaka, rcrum ro the position of the lst vinlasa; this
is the 3rd uinlasa. Then, as with the right leg and doing rechaka, repeat
above for the left leg; this is the 4th uinlasa. Nexr, doing paraJ<a, rerun) ro
the position of the 1st uinlasa; this is the 5th unlasa. Then come to
Sama.st[iri.
In thc 2nd and 4th uinyasas, which are the srates of rhis crana, the body
slrould be held tlghrly, rntl rechnl<a ancl pwakt done slowly and irs much as
possible. lndeecl, in whatever asaru, aspirirnts should not forgct to perform
reclnkn antl ptuaktt slowly and as much as possiblc rvhile ir-r the asanat state.

BENEFITS
Utthita Parshuakon*sana purifies the ribs and lower abdomen, disoh,es the
bad fat at the rvaist, and sofrens the Limbs so that subsequent asdnas can
bc more easily practiccd.
 5. Pnasanlra PenorreNasar.ra (A)
This four-part asana has five vinyasas, of which the lrd is the state of the
aana. ln the Znd uinyasa, aspirants should note that both rechai<a and
purakt arc to be performed.

METHOD

Jump to the right, doing purai<a and spreading the legs as much as five
feet
apart, as in lJtthin Parshqtakanuana, and place the hands on the waist;
this is the lst vinlasa. Then, doing rechala, press the hands to the floor
with the fingertips in line with the big toes, keeping the head lifted and
doing purala slowly; this is the 2nd vinlasa. Next, doing rechaka, place the
head on the floor between the hands, keeping the legs straight and tight,
and hold position with waist lifted, doing pr.raka and rechala as much as
possible; this is the 3rd uinlasa, during which the stomach should be
drawn in properly, using only the uddilana funllv, ot stomach [ock, and
by slightly loosening the mula bmdha, or anal lock (see figure). Then,
doi\g purakt,lift and hotd the head up completely, and do rechaka; this is
the 4th vinlasa. Next, doing puraka, lift the hands and place them on the

54
waist, and retum to rhe posirion of the 1st vinlasa; rhis is rhe 5th uinyasa.
Then follows Samasthiri.

PnasaRrre Panorrar,raseNa ( B)
This is the second part of Prr.smita Pal.ottoru$ana. Rechalu arrd puraktt
should be performed as above.

METHOD
Doing puraia, starrd, :r.r in Prasaria Padatttttrsana (A), stretch arms out to
the sides at chest level and straighten them, as in ?ikonnsana, and hold posi-
tion; this is the 1st c,rn1,asa. Then, doing rechaka, place the hands on the
this is the 2nd oinlasa. Next, after doing puraka arrd then rechaka,
r.r.aist;
place the head slowly on the floor, using the strength of the rvaist and legs,
ar.d do pwakt and recluJ<z as much as possible; this is the 3rd t inlasa. Thcn,
without placing the hands on the floor and doing pura,ka, lift the head up,
using only the strength of the waist and legs, and stand up straighr; this is
the 4th vinlasa. Next, after doing rechaka and then paral<a, bring arms out
wide at the level ofthe chest, as desoibed in the 1st vmlasa, and hold posi-
tion; this is the 5th r.rn1asa. (Aspirants should note rhat in each part of
Prumim Padotxutrsmw, both rechaka and puraka occur in thc same tahytuas. )

Pnasanrra Pano.rraNasaNa (C)

METHOD
Place hands on waist and stand, doing puraka, as in (A) ancl (B) above;
this is the lst einlasa. Then, doing rechaka, lock the fingers hehind the
back, swell the chest, and stand; this is the 2nd vinlasa. Then, doing pu-
raka and then rechaka, slowly place the head on the floor, straightening
and tightening both rhe arms and legs, and do pwaka and rechala as
much as possible; this is the 3rd vinlasa. Then, doing parai<a and without
unlocking the hands, lift the head up, using the strength ofthe waist only;
this is the 4th vinlasa. Then, after doing rechala and then puraka, unlock
the hands from behind the back and place them on the waist; this is the
5th r,rn1asa. Then come into Samarthiti.
PRASARITA PADOTTA:!ASANA (A)

rr q r_-_ irllr t
.4}t,a4i 1i.;- r'r

PRASARITA PADOI'IANASANA IB)

 Pn-aseRrr,r PanorrauasaNa ( D)
METHOD
Stand with the legs apart, as in PrcLstLria Padattawsana (A\, and doing para-
la, place the hands on the waist; this is rhe 1st uinl,nsa- Then, while doing
rechaka, take hold of dre big toes and lift the head, kceping the arms and
spine straigl.rt; this is the 2nd uinlasa. Thcn, doing puraka and again rec-iaka,
placc the center of the head on the floor in line with the feet, keeping thc
legs straight and the lower abdomen pullecl in, and L-.reatl.re fully and deeply
as rrruch as possible;this is the }rd uinytua. Next, &irrg pnraka,lift thc head
up cornpletely and l-rold, c{oing rechakzr; this is the 4th uin}a.sa. Then, doing
puraka, lift thc hands, place then-r on thc waist, and retrLm to the position of
the lst uinlds6; this is rhe 5th linlasa. Then follrws Samasrhid.

BENEFITS
Great attention should be paiJ to the stomach and the anal channel
while practicing thc four parts of Pros rito. Pal,t)ttr,:.asana. lt is bcst to learn
the proper method from a Guru. lf this is d re, the anal canal will bc
purified, the bad iat in the lower abJomcn w-iL[ dissolve, thc w,aist will
become thin and strong, and the bodv will bccome light and beautiful.
This asana also cures constiparion, antl purifies the tLrp part o( the spinal
column and the waist.

6. PansuvorraNASANA
Parsh\)ottmasanahas only five uinlasas, thc 2nd and 4th of which are the
states of the a.sana. Rechr;k:l: and pwakd are as in Trikonasana.

METHOD

Jump to the right, standing with the legs three fcct apart, as described in
Trilunasant, bring hands togedrer bchind the back in a prayer position
and, doing puroka, turn rhe right foot and waist ro [he righr, and lift the
chest; this is thc lst oinyasa- Then, doing rechaka slowly, touch the nose
to the knee without bending the knees, and hold position, doing fwrLkt
antl rechaka as much as possible; rhis is the Znd vinlasa(see
frgure). Then,
doing puraLa, lift the hcad up and turn to face the left, following the
PRASARITA PADO'I TANASANA (C)

t':'.'
PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA (T' I
 method for the 1st uinlosa; this is the 3rd vinlasa. Then, doing rechal<a,
touch the knee with the nose and hold, while doing puraka and rechakt
as much as possible; this is the 4th oinyana. Then, inhale, lift the head and
chest, using the strength of the waist, and stand up straight; this is the 5th
oinyasa. Then, Samasthrti.

BENEFITS
Like Prasanra Padntanasana, Parshuottmayma eliminates the bad fat at
the waist, which makes the lower abdomen thin, the r,,,aist strong, and the
body light.

IN SHORT, ALL THE ASANAS DESCRIBED ABOVE L-OOSEN THE LTMBS OF THE BOD!
u'hich aids movement and renders the practice of subsequent asanas eas-
ier. They can be done by men and women ofall ages. For people suffering
from rheumatic or joint pain, the first and second Surya Namaslara and
first six asarues are especially important. Done properly with rechaJ<a and
purakn, rhey eliminate the pain that occurs in rhe joints, and help the
body to become light and healthy. lt is very important, howevel that the
particulars of the uinlasas above be kept in mind during practice by rhose
who are weak or i[. As rhese are very difficulr to convey to aspiranrs,
however much rhe correct merhod for doing thc asanas is described, it is
better that they learn them from a Guru first, and then practice them.

7. UrrHrrA Hasra PanaNcusHTAsANA

There are fourteen vln)a.sas in this asana. The 2nd, 4th, ?th, 9th, l1th,
and l4th uinlasas are rhe states of the asana.

METHOT'

First, join the legs together, hold the arms by the sides, and stand erect.
Then, doing plraJ<a, place the lcft hand on the waisr, straighten the right
arm, raise the right leg, catch hold ofthe big toe with the right hand, and
straighten the knees, chest, and waist (see figure); this is the 1st r.,inyasa.
Holding this posture and doing reclui<a, touch the nose to the knee, which
is lifted, and hold, doing p rdkd and reclul<a as much as possible; this is the
2nd vinlasa. Then, doing puraka slowly, lift the head, straighten the chest
 PARSHVOTTANASANA

and waist, and stand as shown in the figure for the lst oinyasa; this is the
3rd vinlasa. Next, doing rechaka, bring the right leg out to the right, hold
the arm, leg, waist, and chest straight, and look to the left, breathing fully
and deeply as much as possible; this the 4th rrinlasa. Then, doing pzraka,
bring the leg back to the center, as in the 1st vinlasa; this is the 5th
Next, doing recAaka and keeping the leg lifted, touch the nose to
t-,in1asa.

the right knee; this is the 6th t inlasa. Then, doing putaka' lft the head,
straighten the chest and waist, and stand straight, placing the hands on
the waist and keeping the raised right leg extended straight, while breath-
ing fully and deeply as much as possible; this is the ?th uinlasa' Then,
doirgrechd<n, bring the right leg down. Repeat the above for the left leg'

60
 BENEFITS
Utthia Hasta Padangusht*sana loosens the hip loinrs, destrovs defccts of
the testicles and male organ of generation, anrl purifies nnd strengthens
the vertebral column, waist, hips, and lower abdomen- It also elimrnates
constipation.

8. Annua Baoona PaorvrorraNasaNa

This asana has nine uln)cuas, the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and Zth of which are the
states of the asana (see figure t'rr 2nd vinyasa). A scdhakz, or spiritual aspi-
rant, should pracrice ir under the careful guiclance of a Guru.

METHOD
Firsr, stand erect. Then, doing puraka, place the right foot on the lefr
thigh, pressing the heel into the lower:rhdomen, circle the right arm
around the back, grasp the right big toe with the right hancl, and place
the left hand on the waist; this is the 1sr uinlasa. Next, after doing re-
chakz sJowly, bend rrt the waist, press the left hand to the flimr bv the sidc
of the lefr f<rot, straighrcn the knee, and roLrch the knee rvith nose, doing
purakt ar'd rec[aka slowly, as nruch as possible; this is the Znd tinlasa.
Then, doing puraka. h{t the head only; this is the lrd uinlasa. Next,
doing rechaka and rhen prirdka, stand tLp straight again, place left hancl on
waist; this the 4th vinyasa. Tl.ren, doing rechaka, release the right leg,
which is in the Padmasatul k)rm, and straighten it; tl.ris is the 5th vinyasa.
Next, place the left fixrt on the right thigh, bring rhe left ann around the
back, take hold of the big toe of the left leg with rhe left hand, as orLtlined
for the right, place righr hand on waisr, and stand, doing puraka; this is
the 6rh vinyasa. Then, as for thc 2nd tinlasa and doing rechakc, bend for-
ward, placc the rigl.rt hand on the floor by the right lcg, which is straighr,
and touch the knce rvith the nose, <loi:ng purctka and rechakt as much as
possible; this is the 7th uintara. Then, doing ptraJ<a, lift rhe head only;
tlris is the 8th virrlasa. Next, doing rec,haka and then pural.a, place the
right hand on the waist ancl stand up straight; rhis is the 9th l,irLlaso.
(Aspirants should note rhat ds&nas such as this one which involve both
legs are to he performed with the left leg as with the right.)
 BENEFITS
The recturn, esophagus, and liver are purified by this asana. It also pre-
vents gas from occuring in the stomach, prevents diarrhea, and quells
the gas that arises from inappropriate food. Should gas occur, it wards it
off. Ardha Baddha Padrnotta'rasana can he practiced by anyone, includ-
ing women of all ages, except those whose pregnancics have crossed
into the fourth monrh-

THERE WILL BE DIFFERENC]ES TN THE STEADINESS OT' ASPINENTS' RECHAILA.

and puraka while practicing rhe asdn.ls described above. lf they con.
ccntrate their rninds on their breathing only, the state of an asana
wiI be spoiled. If, on the other hand, they concentrate only on an
asana's stare, rheir rechaka an<1 puraka will be spoiled. Therefore, it
must again be stressed emphatically that these asanas be learned
under the guidance of an able Guru.

g, UrrurasaNa
There are thirteen {rin)asas in IJ tkaasona; the 7th vinlasa is irs stare. The
vinlasa method described for the first Surla Namaskara is important to
knot, for this asana.

METHOD
First, begin with the initial six vinlasas of the first Sarya Nonuskma. A{ter
the 6th vinyasa and dotng pmaka, jump into the 1st o,inlasa of the second
Surya Nanraskara, and perform rechtlk-o ald puraka as much as possible;
this is the 7th uinlasa. (Rechaka antl purai<a for the first six vinlasas must
be performed in the same manner as in the first Sarya N amaskma.\ T6en,
doitg rechaka and puraka, press the hands to the floor by the sides of the
feet, put the whole weight ofthe body on the two hands, and lift the body
up off the floor; this is the 8th uinyasa. Then, doing rechalu, throw the
body back with the force of the arms, and hold rhe posirion, as in the 4th
vinyasa of the first Surya Namas/<ara; rhis is the 9th vinyaso. Then, doing
puraka, do the 5th uinlasa of the Sarya Nomaskma; rhis is rhe l0th
tinyasa. Next, doing rcchaka, do the 6th o,inyasa of the Surya Nomas!..ara;
this is the l lth vinyasa. Then, doing puraka, do the .3rd qinlasa of the
 Surya Namaslara; this is the 12th vinlasa. Then, do the 2nd oinlasa ofthe
Surya Namaskara; this is rhe 13th uinlasa. Then, Salra*hiti.

BENEFITS
L.itkansana increases the srrengrh of thc waist, which hecomes slender,
and makes the bodv light. It also prevents pain associated with the verte-
bral column.

THE VINYASA METHODS FOR THE FIRS'I' NINE ASANAS HAVE NOW tsEEN
described. The oinlasas of the asanas that follorv begin as they do fbr
tlre first six olnlasas of the first Surya Namaskart. Tlren, from the ?th
uinlasa on, the uinlasas, as well as rechal<a and paraka, prescribed for
respective ds.ln&s differ- I will try to describc the differcnces as much as
possiblc as they occur.
Again, no asana should be perforned witl-rout following the proper
methftl of vinlasa. l{ this is ignored, the organs of the body may not
develop, firt mav not bc reduced, and the body could grow ill, In addi-
tion, some organs may sttengthen, wl.rilc others become rveak, or an
organ that was meant t() be strengthened may wcaken instead. In addi-
tion, if there is no steadiness in the movement s of recfutka and pwal,a,
then the balar-rce of the heart could be upset, which coulcl weaken it.
\X/hen this occurs, the nalis become spoiled, and when they spoil, a[
parts of rhe body are weakened, Therefore, a-ranas and the like (puraka,
rechaka, etc.) should bc practiced folftru,ing the rnethods of uinlrasa,
which is best learned irom a Curu expericnced in loga shasrra. I con-
sider it my earnest duty tc, caution the reader and aspirant not to rry to
learn these methods from books, rcflections [photos], or pseudo-yogis.
Llereaftcr, vinyasa urcthods are not dealt with deeply. Instead, only
the statc of an asaru, vinyasa, and their benefits nre describecl. However,
shou[d somerhing special come up, I will describe it.

Io. VIR.{jHADR-{SANA
Thcre are sixtecn c,in}asas ro this asorui, of which the ?th, gth, 9th, and
10th are the states of the asana. \X/hen in the states of Utkatasana and
Virlbhu)rasun, there is no need to do rechala and purakt more than five
 times- However, aspiranh should not forget to do rechakt and puraka
while performing the vinlasas, In addition, while in the asana,s stare, rr is
always important that the body be held firmly and steadily.

M ETH OD
Begin this asana in the same way as the first Sarya Namaskmaand con,
tinue through to rhe end of the 6th uinlasa. Next, stand as in the Zth
oinlasa of the second Surla Namaskara, and do rechakt and plrraka five
times; this is the 7th vinlasa (see /rgzre). Then, d oingrechaka, turn to the
left, bend the left knee, keeping the arms raised over the head, with the
palms together, the chest lifted up, and do paraka and recluka five times;
this is the 8th uinlasa. Then, keeping the legs in thc same posirion and
doirrg puraka, bring arms down to shoulder level, and stand gazing at the
fingertips .rf rhe lefr hand. kecping rhe arms stretcheJ oLrt ,rraighr
and
tight; this is the 9th uin1,asa. Then, doing rechaka and without bending
the arms, rurn to the right, bend the right knee, and stand gazing at the
tips ofthe right hand with concenrrarion; rhis i. the lOrh vinlasa. Next,
place the hands on the floor on eithcr side of the right foot and,
with.
out allowing the legs to rouch the floor, lift both the left leg and bent
right leg completely off the floor with only the strength of the hands;
this is rhe llth c,in1asa. Then, the 12th, l3th, 14th, 15th, and 16th
uinlasas should be performed in the same manner as the 4th, 5th, 6th,
Jrd, and 2nd vinlasas o{ the first Surya Namasftara . (See
figwes for 9th and
IOrh vinyasas. )
Again, it is best to learn the rrinyasas of all the asnnas, as well as their
stares and the series of rechala and pwdkt, under the guidance
ofa Guru,
as these are very difficult to relate in the written descriptions given
here.

BENEFITS
By means of Virabhadrasana, all the joints of the body, as well as
the lower
abdomen, spinal column, and organ of generation, are purified. In addi-
tion, pain associated with the knees, as well as the pain from standing
or
sitting all day while working, is eliminated.
 I I, PASCH I MATTANASANA
Therc are sixteen vinyasas to this nsana. The 9th is its state
(see figares)'

METHOD
To begin, fbllow the first Surya Namaikara thrrxrgh the 6th t'in-'-asa Then'
doing puraka and w-ith or-rly thc strer-rgth of the arms, jump thc legs
betwecn the hands withorrt irllowing thcm to touch the floor, nnd stretch
out the legs. Then press the hands to the fl(xx on either side of the hips'
straighten the chcst and u'aist, lower the head a little, draw the anus up
tightly, lift the lower abdomen and hold firmlv, and sit erecc, slowly doing
rechaka and purakt as much as possible; this constitutes the 7th uinlasa
Ncxt, doing rechaka, grasp and hold the upper parts of the feet; tl-ris is the
8th uinlasa (as your practice becomes firm, yorr should be ablc to lock
your hands bchind your feet). Then, doing puraka slowly, then rechoka'
straighten both legs, and placc the l-read between the kneesi this is the 9th
virtlasa ancl tlre state of the osana, !(/hile in the state, do purakt and re-
puraka'
chaka slowly and rleeply, trs rnuch as possible Then, slowly doing
lift only thc head; this is tl-re IOth uinlasa Next, doing reclraka and rhen
r,tnnkn ler oo,ri the feet. Drcss lhe hands to the floor, bend tlre legs, and
lift the entire body up off the flrlor merely with the strcngth of thc arms;
this is the 11th uirrr-,rsa. Thc remaining oinlosas are the samc as those ftlr
the Surya Namasl<ara,
There are three types of Paschimtttwusana: 1) holding the big roes
of the
and touching the nosc to the knees; 2) holding on to either sidc
feet and touching the nosc ro the knces; and 3) locking the hand
and

wrist beyoncl the feet, and touching the chin to the knec' All three types
should be practiceJ, as each is usefu['

BENEFITS
The practice o{ this asana tre[ps the stomach to become slender by dis-
solving its fat. It also increases ia thara agni [the fire of hunger], hclps food
(jir-
to digest well, and strengthens the organs of the digestivc systems
nntga krxha).ln adilitior.r, it curcs weakness in the hands and legs result-
and
ing fron a loss of appetite and low digcstive fire, as li'ell as indolence
gid,liness $tcmming fr(lm an aberration in the liver, and gas prohlen.rs in
the stomach.

68
 YIRABHADRASANA. STH VINYASA

VIRABHADRASAI{A, I OTH YINYASA

PASCHIMATTANASANA ( I.t IYPC)

PASCHIMATTANASANA (2Nd IYPC)

PASCHIMATTANASANA (STd tYPG)

 It is worth noting that, for this a.sana, one has to retract, or squeeze,
and hold the anus tightly, as well as squeeze the lower abdomen antl
hold it in, and concentare on rhe ndlis relirted to the kanda, or egg-
shaped nerve plexus in the ar.ral region. As there is no place for the
apana raJu [downward-flowin g pran.a, $ energy], which circulates in
the anus, to go, it moves upward and becomes one with prtna ualu
[upward-moving prana]. \l7hen this occurs, an aspirant has nothing to
fear from old age and death, as Svatmarama yogendra, the author of
Gheranda SamArta, and the sage Vamana both inform us from their
own experience:

hi P aschimattanam o.sanaglam Pavanam

p as chimav ahinam kar o ti
U daym j athm anfuu1 a kur y a.duJu e
krtr sh1amm o ganm cha p umsam.

[Principle among asa?us, Pachimatanasona causes vital energy ro

be carried rp the spine. As well, it should lead to the rising of
the digestive fire, slenderness in the abdomen, and freedom
from sickness for all.1
Hatha Yoga Pradipika i : Z9
-

I2. PURVATANASA-}IA
Purq.tatanasann represents Pd;chimattanasarul,s opposite, It has fifteen
uinlaras, of which the 8rh is the state of the asana.

METHOD
To begin, follow the method for Paschimatamasanl" unril the ?th
{,in)asa. Nexr, place the hands on the floor at a distance of twelve
inches behind the waist, lift the legs and torso entirely off the floor
doing purai<a, press the soles of the feet firmly on the floor, Iower the
head back, making the body firm, and hold, while slowly performing
rechaka and parala; this is the 8th uin]asa (see /lgure). Then, doing
rechaka slowly, return to the state of the ?th trlnlasa and sit; this is the
9th uinlasa. The vinlasas thar complete rhis asana follow those of
Paschimntanasana,
BENETITS
Pu:fl)dtulos{no purifies and strengthens the heart, anus, spin{l colunln,
and waist.

'HE PERFOR]VIANC-E
ASPIR{NTS SHOTJLD NOTI] I'HATJ I]V{ME])IAIEI-Y FOLLOWINI]
of an asana involving l:cncling the hody fonvard, onc that is oppt'rtre
(that is, one that bencls the h,rdy backr'r'ard) is to be rlone Siruilarly,
asanas in u'hich the bodv bcrrds backrvard shorLld immediately be fbllou'ed
by oncs bending the bocly forwaril. From this, any pain in the u'aist result-
ing, for exarnple, fron i'aschimarranasan,r, rvill disappear'

rJ. ARDHA BaolHa Penua Pasc-sttuATTANASANA

There are trventy-t,'vo uinlasrts with tl.ris ascna, the Sth and 15th of ul-rich
constitute its states.

METHOD
To begin, foLl,.rrv the flrst six r.in-rasas oI thc first -Sur1a Nanuskata Ncxt,
sit as in the 7th lin,,-asa o{ Po-schimtttanasana' stretch the left leg out, place
the right lcg on the left thigh, !'ressing rhc rlght heel into the navel' hring
the right arm behin.l t1-re back and grasp the big toe of thc right fbot,
take the leit loot rvith thc left l-rand, stririghten the hcad and chest, antl
do puraka slou'lv; this is the 7th t'in1asa. Then, doing rechrrlzr sklvly, place
the chin on ttre outstretchcd left leg, and do plraka and rechako as much
as po".sihle; this is thc 8th urnla-ra. Ncxt, doing puraka slor'vlr', litt only the
hcacl; this constittLtes the gth ui )oso. Then, unfolding thc legs and cros'..-
ing them, as in lrreschimartanasrtnc, lift up the cntire hodv with the
strcngth of thc arms; this ft)rms the 10th vrrrlasa. Next come the 11th,
Llth, anil ll1[ lrinya:as, which resemble the 4th, 5th, and 6th uin-r-asas of
Paschimattantsun We are norv back at the Tth r'in1n-sa of rhe {irst Surta
N,rmaskara. Doing Jr.(raka, i[mp the lcgs thlough thc arms on the strength
of the hands alrnc, stretclr the riglrt leg out, place tl-re lefi lcg on the right
thigh, grasp the leit big toe with the lcft har.rd ftorr bchind, take thc right
fcxrt rvith the right hand, straighten the head irnd chest; this is tlre 14th
vinfasa. Thcn, doing rcchaka, place rhc chin on the right knee, u'hich is
stretchcd out flat, and do pr'traka untl recirakl slowly, as much as possible;
 PURVATANASANA

this is the 15th uinlasa. Then, doing pwaka, [ift the head only; this forms
the 16th uinyasa. Next, unfold and cross the legs, lift the entire body up
with the hands, doing puraka, and stay in this positioni this constitutes
the 17th tinlasa. Then, follow Paschimattanasana for the next five
vinyasas (18th-22nd ).

BENEFITS
The practice of this asana alleviates the enlargement of the liver and
spleen, It also cures abdominal distention due to bad food and activities;
the spoiling of the tissues due to a continually provoked oaa; and weak-
ness due to an inability to take food.., Constipation is also cured, and the
operation of the bowels is rendered easy.

14. TTRTANGMUKHATKAPADA PascuruanraNasaNa

This asana has twenty-rwo urnyasas, with the 8th and l5th vinyasas con-
stituting its states. The methods of t,tnyasa are the same as those for Ardlu

41 Vata is one of the three dosias, or functional elements, respomible for each and every activiry
9f+: bodl, and provoked by acrions
healrhy; when thel are not,
and food. When the ioshas are in harmony, rhe body is
the body become. ilt
ARDHA BADDHA PADMA PASCHIMATTANASANA
 Badtht Panna Paschirnottaru$ana. Indeed, the method of inhaling and
exhaling for each oinlasa follows the same pattem throughout the aranas.

METHOD
Begin by doing the first six uinlasas of the first Surya Namaskara. At the
7th trnyasa, jump through the arms, sit as described in Puchimattanasaru,
stretch the left leg out, fold the right leg back, placing the right foot by
the side of the thigh, join the knees together, take hold with both
hands of the left foot, which is at a right angle to the floor, lift the head
and chest up fully, and do puraka; this constitutes the ?th trinlasa.
Then, doing rechala slowly, place the forehead on the outstretched leg,
and, do pttraka and rechnka as much as possible; this is the Sth uinyasa.
Next, doing puraka slowly, lift the head only; this is the 9th uinyasa.
Then, do the 11th uinlasa described in Paschimatcanasana; this forms
the 1Oth oinlasa. The next three vinlasas, namely the 1lth, 12th, and
13th, follow the 4th, 5th, and 6th o,irLlasas ofthe first Surla N amaskara.
Then, while again sitting in the 7th vinlasa of paschimdttanasanr,,
stretch out the right leg, fold back the left leg in the same manner as
the right leg above, take hold of the right foot with both hands, and lift
the head and chest up, doing pr,rraka; this constitures the 14th oinlasa.
Then, doing rechaka slowly, place the forehead on the outstretched
knee, and do ptuaka arrd rechaka as much as possible; this is the l5th
c,inyasa. Then, doing puraka slowly, Iift up only the head; this is the
16th orn1a.sa. Next, the 17th uinyasa follows the method of the i0th
tinyasc; the 1Sth vinyasa follows that of the 4th; the lgth follows that
of the 5th; the 20th follows that ofthe 6th; the Zlst follows that ofthe
3rd; and the ZZnd vinyasa follows the method of the Znd vin.vasa of
P aschimd,tcandsenl,.

BENEFITS
Tiriangmukhaikapala Paschimawmasana cures a number of afilictions,
including: body fat; water retention; thigts swollen out of proportion to
the size of the body (elephant [eg); piles; and sciatica. It also makes
the body symmetrica[. However, aspirants should not forget to do rechaka
and pwd.,t slowly and as much as possible, while in the state of this
ayln&,
JANU STTIRSHASAI{A (A)

JANU SHIRSHASANA (B)

JANU SHIRSTiASANA (C)

 ASPTRANTS SHOULD NOTE THATI THROUGH THE 6TH VINYASA OF THE FIRST
Swla Nannskara, the opening uinlasas are the same for all the asanas. In
addition, all asanas conclude wirh uth pluthi [lifting up off the floor with
the strength of the arms], and then a jump back into rhe 4th vinyasa of
the Snrya Namasl<ara, followed by the 5th, 6th, ?th, and Sth oinyasar.
Aspirants should know the methods for doing these o,inlasas, as well as for
recfutkt arrd pnakt From this point on, I will describe only the uinlnr-as,
the state, and the benefits of an individual asana. Readers and aspirants
should leam these fully, which ls best done under the guidancc ofa Guru.
(To see the sate ofan asana, consult its fig,tre-)

15. JANU SnrnsHasaNe (A)

Janu Shirshasana, which some call Mahamudra, is of three types, each of
which has twenty-two vinyasas. The Sth and 15th e,inlasas are their
states. Janu Shirshasana's method for rechaka and, plucka follows that of
preceding csanas.

FOR ALL THE ASANAS, THE DETAILS OF THEIR BREATHING AND VINYASA
methods, as wellas ofhow to remain in their states in accordance with the
vinl,asa method, have to be leamed from a Guru. Whatever my descrip.
tions here, there will always be a difference in the actual method of a
practice. For the convenience of the reader and irspirants, however, I have
tried to be as descriptive as possible.

METHOD
For the 7th c,inlasa of this asanrr, sit as in Paschimatnnasuta, stretch the left
leg out, press the area between the anus and the organ of generation with
the heel of the right foot, pulling the right knee back 90., bend forw.ard at
the waist, take hold of the foot of the outstretched lcg with both hands,
tighten the anus and lower abdomen, straighten the back, lift the head
fully, and do puraka. Next, doing rechaka slowly, place the forehead or chin
on the knee of the outsrretched leg, and do rechaka and paraJ<zr fu[[y as
much as possible; this is rhe 8th vinyasa. Then, doing puraka, lift up the
head slowly; this is the 9th uinlasa. The next vinyasas follow those of pre.
ceding asanas. This asana is ro be practiced for both the left and right sides.
MARICHYASANA (A)

MARICHYASANA (B)
 While in the state of Janr Shirslusana (A), aspirants should not for-
get to do recAai<d and parakz as deeply as possible. The reason I repeat this
reminder so often is that the bodies o{ sat)hakm will become as strong as
diamonds through the practice of yoga. They should therefore not allow
themselves to become indifferent, but should pursue their practices with
faith and reverence.

Jarvu SHrnsnasANA (B)

METHOD
In the 7th vinyasa of this asana, sit as inPaschimdtttTnasanrL, stretch the left
leg out straight, bend the right knee back 85 ", sit the anus directly on rop
of the right hee[, take hold of the left foot with both hands, tighten the
anus and lower abdomen, straighten the back, li{t the head fully, and
do pwaka. Next, doing reciaka slowly, place the forehead or chin on
the knee of the outstretched leg, and do parai<a antl rechaka as much as
possible; this is the 8th vinlasa. Then, doitg ptna)<a, slowly lift the head;
this is rhe 9th vinyasa. The next vinlasas follow those ofpreceding asanas.
The method described above is to be practiced for both the left and right
sides.

Jaruu SurnsHasANA (C)

METHOD
For the 7th vinyasa of this asana, again sit as in Poschimattfilasrlna, stretch
the left leg out straight, bring the right foot in toward the groin, twisring
it so that the toes are pressed to the floor and the heel is pointing up
toward the navel, press the dght knee forward to a 45'angle, take hold of
the left foot with both hands, straighten the back and arms, tighten the
anus and lower abdomen, and do puraka. Then, doing rechaka and folding
at the waist, place the forehead or chin on the outstretched [eg, and press
the right heel into the navel, and do paraka and rechaka as much as pos-
sible; this is the 8th vinyasa ( see figure). Again, doing plrafta, lift the head
and straighten the arms; this is the 9th uinlasa. The urnlasas that follow
are as those in ea ier asanas.
BENEFITS

Jau Shirsluuma cures maladies such as muthra krcclra [buming while uri-
natingl, dhatu kxcch1"6 [semen loss], and diabetes. Fluids secreted by the diges-
tive glands-the pancreas, liver, and so on-break down as a result of poor
food habits, excessive coffee drinking, indiscriminate movements, the sight
of bad things, poor sleeping habits, excessive sex, intercoume at the wrong
timcs, and eating at the wrotlg times. When this happens, the liver becomes
weak and food fails to digest. The vitality, which resuls from the transfor-
mation of digested {ood, breaks down and tissues become wateq', and a man
begins to lose his strength. As he $,-cakens firrther, his urination becomes dif-
ficult to control, and he begiru involuntarily to urinate. His organ td gener-
ation becomes r,r,cak and ailments such as mtt]ua Lrcchta occur Bedwetting
then ensues and his semen is passed out with his urine. Afflictions such as
swalno skdmalnocturnal emissions while dreaming] s<xrn develop, weaken-
ing the body further. If an af{liction of this kind overtakes the body, others
will quickly follow, bringing death closer. As disorden such as mut)va l<rcchta

and dlntu krcchra are sometimes symptoms of diabetes, it is imporhnt to

remedy them as early as possible. Ifone becomes indil{erent to them and fails
ro cure them, then one will develop anemia, which may lead to emaciation
and other ailments. It is thus important to be careful regarding these mal-
adics. Medical experts call such ailments :Japla roge . Jmu Shirshasm"t

destroys thcse terrible afflictions, and purifies and strengthens the nadi
known as sir,rni, which is related to the dJratu. As the -siuani nadi becomes
stronger, it destroys defects of the dlurt , as well as diabetes' In addition, Janu
Shlrshasana purifies and sttenghens tbe uirya naln, the nar.L that connects to
the liver and is responsible for crcating iruulin. Janu Shirsfiirsona (A & B)
press on the vina nda for rnen, and Ja[u Shirshasana (C) presses on it for
women, though all three are necessary and useful for br)th nen and women
alike. In this way, diseases of the rype just describcd will be cured, the fire of
hunger increased, and food digested easil1'.
Janu Shirshasana can be practiced by anyone, lTlan or woman-
irrespective of agc or sex. ln this context, I feel duty bound to say that
the reason for the overpopulatiorl of todiry's society is the sensory
weakness of cxrr youth. Whenever a person controls his sense organs,
he has a limited number of children, produces progeny that are intelli-
gent, healthy, and religious, and lives a krng life. Therefcrre, young men

ao
MARICHYASANA (C)

MARICHYASANA (D)
and women should practice ways of controlling their sense organs and,
thereby, of restricting the numbers of their children, instead of resort-
ing to platform speeches or medical operations, which are not very use-
Artificial methods such as these, though helpful to a degree, do
ful.n'
not destroy weakness, If our country is to produce robust, intellectual,
and long-lived children who believe in God, we must, in my humble
opinion, learn ways to control our sense organs' Limiting the number
of children is necessary, but it is hest to avoid unnatural, allopathic
means, which are against nature and bad for the body' Birth control by
natural means, on the other hand, helps us to lead long, happy lives,
while it, at the same time, nourishes our intellects and frees us from the
scourge of disease, Without it, we become subject to sickness, poverty,

42 At the time Yogo Mala was written, the Indian camPaign for population conrrol included "plat'
form speeches" made by govemment officials who traveled thoughout the corintry in an etrort to
pemuade people about the need for, and henefits oi one-child families.

a2
and shortened Iifespans. Aspirants should take this into account, Thus,
those rhat want to lead long, happy lives free from illness, and want to
bring forth offspring who are healthy and intellectual, musr rake to the
philosophy of yoga and its practices. This the science of yoga declares
like the sounding ofa drum. And this i say again to the youth of today,
so strongly do I feel about the matter.
By practicing Janu Shirshasana, the dlutu strengthens and, gradually,
the onsann o{ karut [the tendency to desire] is destroyed. This is confirmed
by the scriptures, and has been my own personal experience as well.

16. MemcuyasANA (A)

There are eight types of Marichlasana. The first four are related to yoga
chikitsa [yoga therapy], and I will describe only these four here.
Marichyasana was discovered by the sage Maricha, who gave it its
name. The first and second forms of the asana (A & B) have twenry-
two uinlasas, and the third and {ourth (C & D) have eighteen uinyasas
each. The states of Marichyasana (A) and (B), respectively, are the 8th
and 15th vinyasas, and of Mmichyasana (C) and (D), the ?th and lZth
vinlasas. The methods for the odnlasas ar,d for rechaka and puraka have
been specified in earlier asanas.

METHOD
To begin, stretch the left leg out as for the 7th uinyasa of
PaschiflattanasdrnrL, bend the right knee up, pulling the right heel in
toward the right buttock, take the right arm around the knee of the bent
leg, bring the left hand behind rhe back and take hold of the right wrist,
stretch the left [eg, raise the chest, ar.d do puraka slowly; this is the Zth
t,in1asa. Then, doing rechaka slowly, place the forehead or chin on the
knee of the outstretched leg, keeping the outstretched leg straight and
tight, and doing purakn and rechaka as much as possible; this consrirures
the 8th uinyasa (see /rgure). Next, doing puraka,lift the head up; this is the
9th o,inyasa. Then, Uth Pltthi is the l0th t+n1a"sa. Practice in this way for
both the right and left sides.
 BHUJAPIDASANA, 8TH VINYASA

r?. MARIC HYAsANA (B)

METHOD

Do the first six uinyasas of the first Strla Namaskara. Then, in the 7th
uinlcsa, sit with the legs sretched out, bring the left heel toward the
navel, as in Palnvsarn, bend the right knee, sit firmly with the right
knee bent and right heel pulled toward the right buttock, bring the
right arm around the right shin, grasp hold of the left wrist with the
right hand, and do purakq this is the 7th vinyirsa. Next, doing rechala,
touch the nose to the floor, and do pwal<n and rechaka as much as pos-
sible; this is the 8th unlasa and the state of the aana (see figure) -'lhen,
dohg purafut, hft the head and straighten the chest; this is the 9th

84
uin]dsd. Next, follow the method of ulnlasa specified in earlier asanas
and then rcpeat the above for the left side.

r8. Mamcnyasarla (C)

METHOD

First, sit in the same manner as aboveJ stretch the left leg out, press the
right foot to the right buttock, as in Marichlasana (A), straighten the
chest, tum the waist toward the right, bring the left arm around the front
of the right knee, twisting the left hand and ann around rowirrd the back,
bring the right arm around the back and grasp the left wrist with the right
hand, straighten and tum the chest and waisr fully, doing rechaka and
purakt as much as possible; this is the 7th oinlasa, and rhc anana'.s stare
(see figure).
The vinyalas that follow are specified in earlier asanas. In the
same mannerr practice the above for the left side.

r9. MARrc HvAsANA (D)

METHOD
Sit, bending the arms and legs as in M aric\losana (B). turn the waist, bring
the left arm around dre front of the right knee and around tou,ard the
back, as in Manchlasanc (C), bring the right arm around the back and take
hold of the Ieft wrist with the right hand, tum the rvaist fully, lift the chest,
doing rechakt and puraka slowly and deeply, as much as possible; this is the
?th uinlasn (see figure). ln the same manner, practice tl.re above for the
left leg. The method for the tanyasas has been specified earlier.

BENEFITS
The benefits of the four Manchyasanas are different, though all cure dis-
eases in accordance with man's physical nature. Aspirants should know
this and practice them. They each cure gaseous movements in the stom-
ach and intestines, as well as movements of the recturn. such as diar-
rhea, and restore digestive power. With that, flatulence, indigestion,
and constipation are eliminated. Some women suffer from abdominal
pain during menstruation. This is removed by the practice of these
asanas. The wornb becomes powerful and enables ir woman to carry a
 KURMASAI{A, 7TH VINYASA

SUPTA KURMASAXA, gTH VUIYASA

child strongly, and miscarriage due to weakness is cured. The uatn pittt
kosha [arge intestine and gall bladder] are purified, as is the manipura
chakra [the third chakra at the navel cenrer], and the body gains strength
and power. It is a very good idea for women to practice Marichl asana.but
they should do so under the guidance of a Guru. There should be no error
in sitting firmly and holding the hands and legs. Pregnant women should
not practice this asana after the second month.

zo, NavasaNa
There are thirteen o'inyasas in Navasona and the 7th one is the state of the
asana. The method for the t,rnlasas has been specified earlier.

METHOD
The first six oinyasra of this asana follow those of the first Surya Namasftara.
To come into the ?th uinlasa, jump the legs in between the arms, doing pa-
raJ<a and using only the strength ofthe arms, and without allowing the body
or legs to touch the floor, sit squarely on the burtocks, raise and straighten
the legs, sit in the form of a boat, straighten the chest, waist, and legs, hold
the arms out straight on either side of the knees, and do recha)<a and pwol<t
as much as possible; this is the 7th vinyasa (see figure). Then cross the legs
without rouching the floor, and use the strength of the arms and hands to
tift the body up offthe floor; this is rhe 8th uinlasa. (While going liom the
7th to the 8th oinyasa, do pwaka.) Then, doing rechaka, come back to the
7th t,inyasa. ln this way, repeat the dsdna three to six times. The vinyasas that
follow have been specified earlier. \7hile coming into the state of this nsana,
never do kumbhaka, that is, never hold your breath.

BENEFITS
The anal channel, spinal column, ribs, and lower abdomen are purified by
Nauuana- It also cures gastric trouble resulting from food not digesting
completely and provoked oarz due to a lack of digestive fire. The waist
additionally gains strength.
 2I. BHUJAPIDASANA
There are fifteen urnyasas in this asdnd, of which the 7th and 8th consti-
tute the states of the asana.

METHOD
First, begin with the first six tnnlasas o[ the first Surya Namaskara. Then,
while coming into thc 7th tinlasa and using the strength of the arms,
jump the legs around the shoulders without touching the floo1 doing
pural<a, place one foot over the other, squeeze the shoulders forcefully
with the thighs, and sraighten the arms; this is the 7th vinyasa. Then,
slowly doing rechoka arrd without touching the legs or feet to the floor,
touch only the chin to the floor, and do puraka ar.d rechtkn as much as
possible; this is the 8th vinyasa(see figzre). Next, doing puraka, come back
into the 7th vinlasa; this is the 9th vinlasa. Then, doing rechaka, take
back both legs without touching the floor, and balance them on the backs
of the arms; this is 10th vinyasa. Then, again doing pwda and rcchnka,
corne into the 4th vinlasa o[ the first Surya Ncmaskara; this is the 11th
t inlar-a. The next oinlasas follow those specified earlier.

BENET'ITS
Bhujapidosuw pvifies the anna nala [food channefesophagusl, and the
body becomes Iight, and the shoulders and waist become strong.

22. KURMASANA
Kwmosana has sixteen tinyasas, the 7th and 9th oin)ffas of which con-
stitute the states of the ruana. The state of the 9th vinlasa is called Slpa
Kurmasana [Reclined Tortoisel (see figure).

METHOD
Begin with the first 6 vinyasas of the first Surya Namaskara, as specified in
carlier asanas. ln the 7th vinyasa and doing pural'.n, jump as in
Bhujapir)o^sam, lower down to the {1oor with the strength of the arms,
stretch the arms out under the thighs, straighten the [egs, put the chin on
the floor, lift the head to some extent, and do rechakn and puraka as much
as possible. Then, doing rechaka, bring the hands up behind the back and

aa
GARBHA PINDASANA
BADDIIA KONASANA. 7TH VINYASA

BADDHA r(ONASANA. 8TH VINYASA

 take hold of the wrist; this is the 8th vinlasa. Next, cross the legs over
each other, put the head on the floor, and do pural<n and recAaka as much
as possible; this is rhe 9th vinyasa, the state of which is called Sr4ta
Kurmasana. The next oinyasos follow those o{ Bhujapida"sata.

BENEFITS
Kurmasana purifies the karrda, or nerve plexus in the anal region from
which all 72,000 nadls grow. It also purifies the heart and lungs, and
eliminates ailmenrs caused by an imbalance o( kapha dosha lphlegrn].
The chest becomes broad, bad fat is dissolved, and the spinal column
becomes strong. Chest pain due to over-tiredness is cured, disorders
from bad food remedied, and the fat in the lower abdomen dissolved,
allowing the body to become healthy.

23. GannHe flNoaseNa

There are fourteen ein)dsds in Garbha Pinfusona, the 8th of which is its
state (see fgure).

METHOD
Begin by doing the six vinyasas described in earlier asanzs, and then sit in
the 7th vinlasa of Paschimattanasana. Next, do Padmasana by placing the
right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh, insert both
arrns pasr the elbow through the openings between the thigh and calf,
hold the ears with the hands, sitting purely on the buttocks, straighten
the chest and spinal column, press both heels on either side of the navel,
and remain in this position, doing rechcka and pmaka as long as possible;
this is the 7th vlnlasa. Then, bend the head forward completely, take
hold of the head with the hands and, doing rechnka, roll back on the
spine, keeping the spine rounded. Next, doing puraka, ro[1 forward toward
the buttocks and, in this way, continue to roll in a clockwise direcrion
until a full circle has been completed, doing rechaka on the roll back and
puraka on the roll forward; this is the 8th vinyasa. Next, roll forward and
up, pressing rhe hands to the floor and lifting the body up olf the floor,
doing ptuakq this is the 9th vinlcsa. The uinlasas and breathing that fo[-
low are described in foregoing asanas.
UPAVISHTA KONASANA. 8TH VINYASA

UPAVISHTA KONASANA, 9Tt{ YINYASA

AENEFITS
Garbha Pindasana dissolves the fat of the lower abdomen, purifies the
manipura, or third, chdL?'d, and wards off diseases of the liver and spleen.

24. KUKKUTASANA
Kukkutasana has fourteen uinyasas, the 8th of which is the srate of the
asana (see figure) .

M ETHO D

Do Gofiha Pinlasona above until the 7th vinlasa, which means doing
Padma:ana and inserting the arms through the space behind the knees.
Then, pressing the palms ro the floor and doing purala, lift up thc
Palntasuta, ar.d stand on the strength of the pahns; this is the 8th vinyasa.
Then, in this posirion, revolve the stomach (nauli), lift the back and
chest fu[[y, and do rechala and pwaka. Next, doing rechaka, come down
slowly. The next ein)asas are the same irs rhose for Garblu PinAtsma-
When in the state of this asan.a, one should do rechd<a and, purakt
deeply while keeping the chest, waist, and back completely straight.
Then, with the heels pressing on either side of the navel and keeping the
head lifted, one should do udliyanabandha and nauli (see fn.27). There is
no mula bandht in this asana.

BENEFITS
By rneans of Kukkutasana, the intestines are purified, the fat of the lower
abdomen dissolved, and diseases affecting the bowels and urinary tracr, as
well as excess phlegm, are cured.

25. BADDHA KoNasaNa

This ar^arur has fifteen oinyasas. The 7th and 8th oin).Lras constitute its
states (see figures) .

METHOD
After doing the first six t+nyruas of the earlier dsands, come to the 7th
tinyasa of Paschimttra,nasano.l and doing ptaxakta, join the feet, fold them
open, press the lrcels to the si{r.rni nali [the nadi between the anus and the
genitalsl, hold the feet open with both the hands, lift the chest, and sit
with knees on the floor; this is the 7th vinyasa. Next, doing rechaka, fold
forward, place the head on the flcxrr, and do puraka and rechala as much
as possible; this is the Sth vinlasa. Then, follow the t'inlasas of earlier
a\c111{1 .

BENEFITS
While in the states of this asalra, one should do rechako and tighten the
anus fully. By pulling the stomach in completely, holding the lower
abdomen irnd anus tightly, and practicing rechal<n ar'rd priraka, terrihle
aft'licrions related to the anus, such as constipation and piles, will be
destroyed, and indigestion will no longcr haunt an aspirant. Vamana
speaks of tsaddha Konasara as the greatest of the asanas, and says:
"Baddhakomsane tishtan gudunoJ<unchayt budlha gudarogniwittih slat sat'
)am iaryam bravimlaham [The wise one should rctract the anus while in
Baldha Konasuu as it wards off anal disease, this I declare is true]." Many
have had the expcrience of being relieved of bhagal.lma ffistula] and
mubuloAhi lhemorrhoids] by this asana. Thus, through its practice, dis-
eases related to the anus and the dharu will definitely be cured.
In this context,point must be made to readers and aspirants that they
a

should be care{ul to remember. Mren one follows the methods of arana

ar,d lnmaymw, there is no doubt that all diseases rvi[[ be cured. But if an
aspirant thinks that this will occur by his merely practicing asarus while
conrinuing to eat ra.Jasic [stimulatingl and ramasic fheavy] fcrcds, then he is
misguided. Such a coursc will actually lead to an increase in sickness.
For diseascs related to the anus, sattt ic and oily foods, such as milk,
ghee, half-churned curds, are the best and, of the satt+ic foods, only those
that are thin (ranu) should be eaten. Thus, purc and pleasant foods should
be consumed. By doing so, someone who is ill, but who practices asand and
pronarafl , u,ill become strong in body, mind, sense organs, and intellect,
and will be cured. The sick u'ill become free of sickness and the weak
rvill become sftong, enabling them to practice subsequent inner steps,
such as p,raryalura [r.vithdrat'al of the senses]. However, one should not
abandon the practice of yoga after becoming disappointed or indifferent
because of an inabilitv to follow the sattuic diet strictly' The practice ofyoga

94
should continue to be pursued while following a diet suited to one's capac-
ity. However, it is good to practice taking sattuic foods as much as possible.

26. Upavtsnra KoNasaNa

Upavishta Konasana has fifteen vinlasas, the 8th and 9th of which are
the states of the asana. The method for the oinyasas is described in
earlier asanas,

METHOD
First, follow the uinyasas for the first Surla Namaskma through the 6th.
Then, doing puraka and without touching the floo1 jump the legs through
the arms purely on the strength of the arms, spread the legs as wide iu pos-
sible, sit with straightened knees, take hold of the sides of the feet, and lifi
the head and chest; this forms the 7th uinyrr,a. Then, doing rechaka, pull
in the stomach, slowly place the head and chest on the floor, and do pu-
ral<a andrechaka slowly, as much as possible; this is the 8th u,in1asa. (As your
practice becomes firm, you should be able to rest your chin on the flmr in
the srate of this ayn4 while holding your feet.) Next, doing pur&a,lift only
the head, do rechaka, and without losing hold of the sides of the feet, come
up to sit straight on the buttocks while doing pura.la, hold the raised legs
wide apart and straight, as in the 8th {.,in}ara, keep thc chest, arms, and
waist straight, look up, and do rechalu and ptnaka as much as possihle; this
is the 9th vinynsa. Then, follow eadier asanas for the next vinlasas.

BENEPITS
While in the states of L)pavishtt Koncsana, holding mula bandfut and
uddilana bandha is very importirnt. lf the nadi called grdhrasi [sciatic
nervel, which is in the mid-region beru'een the anus and the organ of
generation, becomes weak, then the strength of the waist wi[[ decrease,
and the other nalis will weaken as well. When the grdJuasr nadi is weak'
the waist becomes stifi and sitting and walking become difficult. Through
the practice of this asana, however, such afllictions will go. With the
retum of the grdhrasi nadi's strength, othcr nadis and organs also will
become strong, atd udma bhramann [gaseous movcments in the stomach]
will no longer occur, and peristalsis will be resolved' The practice of
Upavishta Konasar.a, however, is not appropriate for pregnant women.
Otherwise, it is useful for all, men and women alike.

.^ e,,^TA
z tt vvL KONeSeNe
Supn Konasana has sixteen +,in1asas. The 8th t inlasa is the state of the
ast711t7.

METHOD
To begin, do the first six uinlasas of the first Surya Namaskara. Then,
dolng pwoJa, as in Paschimatanasana, lie flat on the floor, legs together,
and stretch the legs out tightlyi this is the ?th uinyasa. L)o rechaka Then,
doing paraka, lift both the legs up and, doing rechai<a, bring the legs over
the head, open them out wide on the floor, and hold the big toes; this is
the 8th uinlasa. Next, doing paral<a and without bending the legs, come
up into the 9th vinyasa of L)pavishta Konasana, exhale and slowly lower
into the 8th tinyasa of lJpauishta Korwsana; this constitutes the 9th
uinlcsa. Then, doing puraka,lift only the hcad; this is the 10th tinlasa,
The next oinlasas are the same as those in earlier asdn.ls.
The state of Sapar Konasanrr, which t c.rrrs in the 8th uiryasa, com-
prises lifting the legs, as in Saruanganana lasana 321, doing rechaka and

96
 SUPTA PADANGUSHTASANA (I ST PART)

SUPTA PADANGUSHTASANA (2ND PART)

 UAHAYA PADANGUSIITASANA

holding the legs as in Hdasana lr.sana 331, placing the full weight of the
body on the shoulders, holding the big toes with the hands, legs wide
apart, and dorng rechaka and pwakn. WhiLe in the state, the abdomen
should be drawn in completely, but not with mula banlha' or evert
ullilana ballha. Aspirants should remember this.

BENEFITS
The benefits of Supta Konasana are the same as those for Bollha Kotvsana
and Upauishra Konas ana: the grdhrasi na becomes purified and the spinal
column and waist become strong.

9E
 28. SuprA PaDaNcusHresaNa
Supa Pcdangushtnsona is a two-parr dsan&, the first part consisting of
tu'enty vinlasas, and thc second of rrvcnty-eight. Thc 9th and 13th
vinyasas constitute the states of the first part, and the l1th and 19th
uin}asas, the states of the second. While in the srares of this asana, aspi-
runts must be mindftrl to practice t[.re brcattring methods wirh attention.
As this is an asana un[ike previous ones, I feel prompted to repeat this.

METHOD FOR (PART I)

First, lie down on the back, as in the prepararions for .\an.,ngasarulrrvnla3Zl,
doing rechal* and ptral<a; this is rhe Tth uinlasa. Then, doing pural<a, bring
the straightened right leg up roward the head, straighten the left leg,
strongly take hold ofthe big toe of the right leg with the right hanc1, prcss the
left hand firmly on the left thigh, and 1ie flat, kceping the head on the floor;
this is the Sth uinyasa. Then, doing rechafta, lift only the head a little, touch
the nose to thc struightened right knee, and do pura.la and recfial<a as much
as prxsible; this is thc 9th uinlasa. Next, doir-rg pr.ral<a, lower the head to the
floor; this is the l0th oinyasa. Next, doing rechaJ<a, lower the right leg to the
floor and join the legs together; this
is rhe 1 I th vinlrna. Repeat the above for
the left leg. Then, come into the position tt{ Llalosan [asana 33], prcss the
hands to the floor by the ears, and roll the whole body back over the head,
coming into the position of the 4th c,in1asa. This is called C/raLrasana. The
next r.,ihlasas follow those of the previous asanrs. This is rhe first part.

METHOD FOR (PART 2)

Perform the first tcn uinyasas of Part l. Then, doing rechaka, bring the
right leg out to the right and lower it to the floor and do rechaka
and paraka as much as possible; this is rhe 11th olnlasa. Then, doing pu-
raka, raise the right leg, and retum to the 8th einlasa of part l; this is the
12th oinlasa. Next, doing rechaka, rouch the nose to the knee; this is
the 13th vinyasa. Then, doing purala, lower the head to the floor; this is
the 14th vinlasa. Then, the next oinlasas repeat rhe above for the left
side. Indeed, whatever the asana, one should practice first on rhe righr
side and then on the left side. This is the second parr of Supm
Pafungushmsana, both parts ofwhich are very important.
URDHVA MUKHA PASCHIMATTANASANA
 BENEFITS
Supta Padangushasana purifies and strengthens the waist region, knees,
food and anal channels, and the spem passageway (uirya nala). It dis.
solves the bad fat on the sides of the body and the waist, making the waist
slendcr and strong, and the body ligh t. Supw polatgushr,asana can be done
by all and sundry, except pregnant women.

29, UBHAYA PanaNcussrasaNa

Ubhay Padangu:htasana has fifteen vinyasas, the 9th of which is its srare.

METHOD
Having reaclrcd the 7th oinyasa of Supm Polmpshwsana, Iie down and
join the legs. Then, doing purala, straighten both legs, as in Saruangosana
It;ana 32), and doing rechaka, in Halasana lasana 331, bring the legs up
as
over the head, place the feet on the flour, and tightly take hold of the big
toes; this is the 8rh vinlasa. Next, doing paraka and without letting go of
the toes, roll forward, and come to sit purely on the butrocks in the man-
ner of Navannnn, doing rechala and pwaka; rhis is the 9th crinlasa. The
ncxt rinyasas fol]ow rhose of earlicr asanas.
In the Sth uinlasa of this asdna, both reclraka and pura&a occur.
Aspirants should note this. \X/hile sitting in the 9th uinyasa, rcchaka and
plraka should be done slowly and irs much as possible, and the chest
lifted and sr.,'m,rch drawn rn [ully.

BENEFITS
Ubhay Pofun$sh&asatut is an asara that purifies the anus, waist, stomach,
genital organs, and the granrhi tra1a, or the three knots below the vrru
danln, which begin at the :rnaI canal.., It also eliminates the burning sen-
srrti()n thar can occur during urin.rli()n-

43 The three knoa referred o, known as Brahnra, VtrAn , and Rrlrd crrrnrhi, rcspecrively, are rn
the srrbtle bc,dy and hlock rhe frec rlow ofEa,u from moving up the srr,lrrrniu nJi.
 30. URDHVA Muxua PascHtuerraNeseNe
LlrdhvaMukha Paschimnttanasana has sixteen oinyasas, the 10th of which
is its state.

METHOD
To begin, lie in the 8th uinlasa of Ubhal a Padongushasana, and take hold
of the sides of the feet near the heels. Then, doing puraka, come into the
state of Ubhala Padangrahasana with straightened knees and sitting firmly
on the buttocks while holding the feet, not the toes; this constinrtes the 9th
o,inyasa. Next, doing rechaka, place the face between the knees slowly, then
do pnat<a and rechakn; this is the 10th uinyasa (see figwe) Next, doing
puraka slowly, come hack into the 9th ttinlasa of Ubhaya Palmgushtasana'
and sit. The urnyasas that follow are the same as th<xe for Paschimatanasana'

BENEFITS
llrdhua Mukha Pasch twtmnasarll- purifies the kntti granthi [lower back],
the esophagus, and the su,adishan a chn)ua, or region berween the anus
and navel. When the swa.dishnrw chal<ta is purified, bodily activities
become light, all physical activities are fiee and easy, and impediments,
such as disease, do not torture one.
 3r. SETU BaNnnasaxa
Setu Bmdhasonahas fifteen !m1asas, of which the 9th is the state.

METHOD
Do the first six uinyasas specified in earlier asanas, and lie down, as rn
Supm Polangusht*sana; this is the 7th tinyosa, Next, do puraka.'lhen.
doing rechal<a, bend the knees a littlc, join the hecls together, placing
the little toes firmly on the flour, bend the head back, place the top of
the head on the floor, lift rhe chest a litrle, and maintain position, bend-
ing the back; this is the 8th virryasa. Then, crossing the arms oyer the
chest and doing puraka, lift up the waist and back, and stand straightly on
the head and feet alone, while doing rechaka artd puraka as much as
possible; this is the 9th uinyasa. Then, doing rechal<a slowly, lie down; this
is the 10th uinlosa. Next, doing purakt again, raise the straightened
legs toward the head, press the hands to the floor on either side of
the head, do rechaka,lift the head and ro11 the body over on thc strength
of the arms, and come into the 4rh vinyasa of the first Surla Na-
maskara; this is the 11th vinyasa. The next uinlasas follow those of pre-
vious asanas.

BENEFITS
Setu Bandhasana purifies and sfiengthens the waist and neck, purifies
the mublhara chakra [root chakra], and increases the jathma ugni, or
digestive fire. It also purifies the esophagus, heart, and lungs, making
them strong.

THE ASANAS DESCRIBED THI,'S FAR HAVE BEEN OITLiANIZED SYSTEI\,L TICALLY AND
should only be practiced in the order in which they are presenred here, irs
they purify all the organs of the body in a methoclical manner. One ol-ana
must not be performed at the expense of another, because the muscles on
one side of the body will become strong while those on the other will
weaken. ln other words, the order of these osanas should be followed
faithfully by aspirants.
Most of the asanas just described are related to yoga chiLitsa, or yoga
therapy. Others are shodhakzr [purificatory]. They can be pmcticed lry any-
one, men and women alike, except by women who are more than four
months pregnant.aa Evcn the very elderly who practice them knowledge'
ably will find thcir bodies becoming soft and light, and increasingly under
their own control. This does not mean, however, that they should be
learned from pictures or books. C)n the contrary, they should be pracriced
under the tutelage of a benevolent Satgru. This I repeat over and over
again in order that aspirants will remember it.
Following this initial sequence, the succeeding asanrs can usually be
done by one and all. Those described next, especially, should be practiced
every day by everyone. Practicing the asanas described above every day is
also a good idea. When time is short, not necessary to practice every
it is

dsano, though those that are done should be practiced in a systematic

manner. After a practice becomes firm, it is useful to set aside enough
time every day to c()nplete a fi.rll practice. Again, the asatus I describe
next should be practiced daily for good health.

32. SARVANOASANA
Sarvangasmta has thirtecn uinlasas, of which the 8th is its state As rhe
next five asanas are related to -saruanagasana, I will describe their respec-
tive fruits collectively.

METHOD
To begin, do the first six oinyasru o{ the first Surya Namaskara' Next, coming
into the 7th uinlaa of Paschimattfil;osd.lw lie down, arms by the sides and
legs straight; this is the ?th tinlasa, during which puraka and recha)<a should
bedone four to five times deeply. Then, with the legs held straight and
tightly together, slowly raise the legs up over the head, doing prral<a, and put
the full weight of the body on the shouldem only, hands holding the waist,
and elbows ptessed to the floor; this is the 8th vinynsa (ln the 8th t'in1asa,
the chin should press into the chest properly, the legs be held straight, and
the big toes and tip of the nose should fonn a single line') (See igure ) Stay
in this state for five, ten, fifteen, even thirty minutes, doing recha'ka and pu-
raka deeply. Then, lower the legs toward the head, doing recha.la, place the

44 The aranas that shoull not be pracricecl bv thosc who are preguant are Manrhytana D and
Garbha Pintuona.

104
SARVANGASANA
hands on the iloor on either side ol the hcad, push the legs back and
behind and, lifting the head, come into the 4th vinyasa of the first Surya
Namaskcra; this is the 9th uinlasa. Then fbllow thc t'inJasas specified in
earlicr asanrzs.

J3. HALASANA
Halarsana l.ras thirteen r,nJosas, the Sth of which is the state of thc asana.

METHOD
Do the iirst scven t in)asas described in Sarvangasana, Then, doing
purtko, jotrr together and ririsc the [egs, as in Saroangasana, aml rloing
rechaka slow[1', krwcr the legs to the floor over the head, keeping
them straighr, place the feet on the floor, lock thc fingers behinrl rhe
back, arms tight and straight, prcss the cl-rin into the chest without
bending the legs, and do puraka and rechaka deeply, as much as possible;
this constitutcs the 8th t'in1asa. The next vinlasas follow those of
.sarvangasana. Aspirants shouLd note tl-.ar rechakn and putrka both occur
in the Sth vinyasa.

34. KARNAPI DASANA

There are thirteen vinyasos in this asana and the 8th is the state of
the asana.

METHOD
To start, lie down, as in Sart atgasanrr; this is the 7th vinlasa. Then, doing
puraka, proceed to thc Sth t,inlasa of
Satuangasant' which is
Karnapidasana's state and, doing rechaka, lower the legs to the floor, as in
HokLsana, bring the knecs to the floor, take hold of the ears tightly with
dre knees, lou,er the arms to the floor, lock the iingers, and do puraka and
rechaka as much as possiblc; this is the 8th vinlasa. In the sratc of this
.rsdrlr, the stomach should be dra*n in ful[y without tightening the anus,
and r.cchaira and prlraka perf<rnned.
 35. URDHVA Peoltesana
IJrtlhc)tt Padmasana has foutteen uinlasas, of which thc 9th oinyasa is
its state.

METHOD
Do all t,inlascus outlined abovc through to thc state of S{rq'urgasana; this
is the 8th tinyasa. Thcn, maintaining the same state and doing rcchtrka,
d,o Palmasana; this is tl-re 9th t'in1asa. While in this state, tightetl the
anus, draw in the sttxnach {ully, hold the knees with tl-re hands,
straiglrten the arms, and slowly dct futral<a and rechaka as much ;rs p"sst-
ble. Then, doing paral<a and rechal<a, unlock the legs ancl come into the
4th t lntresa of Sarvangasana; this is the 10th vinlasa. The subsequcnt
uinlasds are as those for Sarvangasmta.

36. PrNuasaNe
Pinlasu'tn hlrs fourteen t'inJdras. The 9th is the state oI thc asana'

METHOD
First, follo'iv the trin]osds of Urdhc,a Padntasua above through to the 9th
uinlasa; this is the Sth ulnlasa. Then' 'Jcirrg puraka and then rechaka,
bting thc legs in Padrnarana slot'ly down to the fcrrehead, envclop the
thighs with thc arms, embrircc the Padmasana, hold the rvrists tightly, bal'
ance thc lrcdy on the shoulders only, and slowly d o puraka and rechaka zs
much as possiblc; tl.ris is the 9th oinlasa. Srrbscquent t'in1an'Ls are as those
of Saruanqasann (see figue|

MOSf PEOPLE WITTI S(]ME KNOWLED'iE OF YOCA KNOW ABOUT SARVANGASANA'

Thcy may not know the method for the vinlasas, but it is my helief tl-rat
they have hcard, at least, of Sort'angasana itself. What they may not bc
au.arc of. however, is the order in which the asancs associated with it must
bc per{ornrerl, or how steady to make thc rechaka anJ plral<a, or how
much tirne to der,,otc to their practicc. This is because they get their infor-
mation from books on the pmctice oi yoga written by peoplc rvho rvant trr
spread word of the science of yoga out of a love and respect ftrr it, br'rt
withour know-ing it properly thcmselves- lf u'e rcad these books, we notice

r oa
q
UTTANA PADASANA
 that the relation betrveen one asana and another, and a descriptior.r of
rechaka and puraka, are norvhere to be found; moreover] in such books,
diffcrences regarding the mcthrxls of practice abound.
It is my vicu,that ir is betrer ro pur accurate knowlcdge before aspi-
rants. I have thus rie-J to write this book in such a u,av that, if readcrs fo1-
low its mcthods properly, they will derive some bcne{it frorn what it
Jescribes. ln the modern wor1d, people have many kinds of fears and inac-
curatc notions about tlre scicnce of yoga. In ordcr to allay sucl-r fears and
correct such notions, the path of yoga should first be practiced in accor-
dance u,ith the scriptures, its fruits experienced, and then be passed on to
otherc. As many grear people in thc rvorld are knowledgc:rhle about the
science of yoga, they should foster able disciples, direct them on the
proper path, and then send then forth for the benefit of the universe. lt
is not enough to lecrurer "Simply do it; you rvill profit." i)ne must be able
to demonstrare what one speaks oi This is the primc goal of yoga.
The sfrasrrakaras refer to Saro,angasana and Shirshrsana [asana 39] as
"uipmia l<mtni."1' lust as a counrry's king and ministcm are important, so r(x),
fbr the practicc of loganga [yogic limbs], are rhese two as.o16 importanr.
Accordingl,,,, having startcd ,"vith the Surla Namanlcra and then proceeded
through all the other oscl?rdsl ole shorrld end with thesc seven ,rsa?usr the
ordcr of whicl-r must ncver vary: Saroangasaruz; Halxona; KamapirJtLuna;
I)rdhua Po.dmasarut; Pindnsmn; Marryavma; and lJttma Polasma.
Again, these sevcn {Ls.rnas must be practiced s_vstematically j after
finishing them, one should never go on ro do ar.r asana like paschirn,rr-
tarrasona. On[y thc five n-anas just described and those ahead-
Marslasanc, L)ttuw Pa.dasona, and Shirshosana-shoukJ be practiced after
all thc other asanas have been done- Otherwisc, ir could be harmful to an
aspirant. Thcrcfrrre, one should practice fblLowing only the methods spec-
ified here. This is the rule, which musr nevcr be tbrgotten.

BEN E FITS OF ASANAS 32 TO 36

Some of tlre fivc asanas just describcd strengthen the skeletal muscles,
others purily different parts of the body, and still others purify and

15 "Vifa7rtu /<armi" mcans inverreJ, nrrned around, or workurg in a conrran manner, anct retlrs to
thc sho'rlder sutrJ rnd h.aJsr.nd
strcngthel.\ the inner nalis, chakras, sira, dhanrani [blood vessels ant] rret,-
ral netu.orkl, three doshas, digestivc system, and d-re lrircra agn/.
Normallr', the toi wc eat mixes with bilc and is well digested' with
the result rhat thc essence of the digcstcd food becomes bkxrd. The trans-
torrnarion of every thirty-scctnd drop of blocxl is vitality, ancl the thirrv-
secollJ transforrnittion of this vitality is called binlu [necrar; dropletl,
u'hich is also knorvr.r to yogis as anuira hindr.i, or drop of imrnortality. Amrirn
binda l.,ervades all prrrts ancl limlrs of the hody, strengthening, nourishing,
and soothing them. As long as nntrira binrfu remains in thc bodl', life abi.les
in rhc bodr,. But when anrrite binda attenuatcs, death is drawn r:loscr. As a
scriptrrral stirtcncnt states: "tr4aramrm bindu patena jivautm hit iu dhuanat
[Thc falling of the drop is deadr, t'hile retaining bind, is life]." There(rrc,
we have first t() prcserve mtitobindu.lt has to be purified nnd preser.'ed
propclly, un.1 tlris can be achieved hy r.ro other mcthocl than Saroangrtraru
and the othcr outlined ahovc, These five nsrtrcs puritl'- all parts of
&s.1r1ds

thc hodl,, nrlil stimulatc bindu to pren ade it, Sorvangasana purifies thc heart,
l,,u.rgs, and all other parts of the bodv by tnaking the hh.,od hot. Tlrat is
probal..lv u,h-v it has enrned the name Sctruangosana *
By mearrs <.,[ tl.rese five rLsarns, the qtishuldhi chakra lthroat cl-rakra],
horrt, lurgs, limbs, rligcstive system, and iathara [stomach] are puri{icd, and
perversions o{ the vital r.r'ind, which result in hiccups, dry cough, corrsrip.r-
tion, irnel indigestion, as rvell as high blooJ pressure, are u'ar.led c,ff. The,v
also prevcnt illnesses such us asrhma, and ailments related to the heart
Doctors believe that changes in the o'dtu, pitld, or kaphc do-sas causc disease.
If tl-rere is a the krphz doso, the defective kapha increases ar-rd trtl'-
change ir.r

els to rlrc lungs, rvhere it congeals and impedcs respiration, weakenirrg the
bLrdr,. Sucl-r a .liscirsc results from contirct rvith contaminatcJ lood' li/urrzr
with contagioLts people'
do-ia Iinall,rLrpriate recreationl! or contact
lllnesses relatcd to the heart and nadis, doctors believc, arc laplo, or
congenital; they are a deiirnnatiott of prakriti [nature] N'[e,-lica[ cur's ti'r
)apld rog.rs are tirtilc; tlrough the treatments for them mav lca.1 a person
to feel bcrrcr for a while, rhcy can never be fullv successful Like a thorn
irr a leg thnt is renroved by another thorn, rhese diseases arc not c'-Lrable
l.'y nredicinc. A[opathic i]octors are unable to cure thcm and, after look-

46 Sar,.urgas,rrra lsorra- ,rll + ungl- Lu,hs t rrvura-porcl

112
 ir-rg ir.rto thc yoga shastras, they have rightly begun ro believe rhal rnany
physical and menral ailmenrs can l.e rernedicJ bv nattLral therapie-s,
which is the path of yoga.
Sart.angasona cures aLl diseases, purifies the rishrrddAi chalira, and
nakcs the nmrirrz binda firm, Halesana purifies drc intestines, the regrLrn,ri
the rvaist, ancl the throat channel, and strengthens them. By means rrl dn
csano such as Sarudnq.isdn r, ailments of thc rhnrat or those Iikelv tr, ati.rt
the throar, are ilestroye.l, including the inabilitv to pronounce \.\,ords
clearly, throat pain, and diseases associatcd with the heart- Sdn,arrgiuana
also purifies the base of the throat (kanta kupa), prcvcnts chokir.rg, antl
stops the i,tppeiiritnce of boils caused bv interoal heat. In adJition, rrrrsL-
cians who practice this LLsuna for a period o[ tirne will fir.rcl that it helps
their singing become melodious and tuneful.
Karupidasann eliminates diseascs ofrhe ears, such as rhose rhar cause
pus an,-l hl,rorl to flow frequcnrll,, or a rir.rging in the ears. If srLch rtrings
are ignorecl, mcn grarlually lose thcir hearing. It is thus hetter to cLLre
thcnr as early as tr.rossiblc rvith Karnrrpidrsana.
Urd,hyd Padmlasana purifies thc anal and ulinary chirnnels, ar-rrl causcs
thc anrerior section of the spin:rl colunn to bccome film.
Pinddstno purities the lorvcr abdomen, the spinal column, Iiver ancl
spleen, and thc stornach.
The five u,ith Sarlangasarrr jnvrh,e bending the
asanzrs associ:rted
trody fonvirrcl, The next two, namely MatsJasdnd and []rrana Padrrsana,
bcncl the L.rodv back.
The iivc a.ianas describeJ ahove musr be practicerl systematically,
Alicr practicit-rg thcm, an aspirant should t()r go o11 to practice othel
a)-.rnas, slich as Paschhnattunasana. Folkrwing these five-, Nj.r.!1.1s.trui,
L)ttana PcLdr;:srlara, ar.rcl S/rirshasoru should be practiceLl. To do othcru,ise

w,oLLld he harmful to an aspirant. Therciore, the method spccilied l-rere

shoul.l bc lirllou.ed during practice. This is the niyama [rule], which ln
irsfirlrnt sharuLl nevcr hrrget.

37. MATSYAS{,\A
Matslrrsana has thirtecn uinlasas, the Bth oi r.vhicl-r is its sritre.
METHOD
To begin, lie down, as in Sartangasana; this is the 7th vinlasa. Then,
doing prrata and Padmasana, press the hands to thc floor on either side of
the head and, doing recha[a, lift the head up and place the crown of the
head on the floor, bend the hack up by lifting the waist, take hold of the
feet, straighten the arms, and do puraka and rechaka as much as possible;
this is the 8th t-,in1asa. Then, do puraka and next'rechaka' lowet the head,
unfold the legs from Padtnnsaru, hold the legs and feet as irt HaLtsarn'
place the hands ncxt to the ears and ro[1 over into the 4th ulnlasa of the
first Surya Namaskcrd; this is the 9th uinyasa, which is called Chakrasana.
The next uin3,cuas nre the same as those in earlier asanas.

38. UTTANA PanasaNa

Llttau Padmanahas thirteen einfasas, of which the 8th is its state.

METHOD
Perfcrm all the t,inldsds liorn the beginning of Sarvangasana to the ?th
vinla:a; this thc 7th tinlasa of UttrtrnPalnma.Tlnen,
is alscr as in Matsyasana
above, lift the head, place the crown of the head on the floor, arch the back,
extend the legs, as in Natrasana, hold straightened arms out parallcl with the
legs, bring the palms together, tighten the entire krdy, and do recha'i<a and
para&a as much as possible; this is the 8th vinlasa. Then do the 9th uinlasa of
Matsyasana, and roll into the 4th uinyasa of the first Slrya Nanrrrknra; this is
the 9th uinlasa. The nexr oinlasas follot' thosc of earlier asan rs.

BENEFITS OF ASANA S 37 & 38

Matsyasana and L,Jtnna Pad,asana counterpose the five asanrn that precede
them and remove the shoulder and waist pain that result from their prac-
tice. They also puriS' the esophagus and anus, as well as the liver and
spleen, and furnish the waist and neck with increasing strength,
Matslasana artd, lJttarn Palasma should be practiced after .Sarvatgasanc
and the [ike are compLeted.

r HAVE DESCRIBED EACH OF THE SEVEN ASANAS ABOVE AND THEIR VINYASA
methods separate[y to help aspirants better understand them. Howcver, it

ll4
SHIRSHASANA
is not necessary to rlo all the oin)aJas specified for each asana, as this
rvould take a very Long time. lnstead, one should practice consolidating
rhem, after l-raving clearly grasped the impottance of the steadiness of
rechaka a.r<! pr.naka. Thus, after Sttruangasana, one shouLd d,o Halasuta,
then corne into the state of Kama Pidtsanu, followed by Urdhua
Pahnasarw, then do Pirdrrsana and, finishing puralo, move into the state
of Matslasana while doing rech,ri<z, and then, pass into thc state of Uttuta
Padasana, and finally, doing purakc and r echah, do Chakrasana. Aspirunts
shoulJ k.ep thn rnethod in minJ.

3q. SHIRSHASANA
Sone peop[e call this asona Kapalasan a or VipmiaKarani but, as it is most
conmonly known as Shirshasana, we have calLed it so as well. Shirshasana
has thirteen uinyasas; the 8th constitutes its state. (Pregnant women
should not practice this asana. )

METHOD
'While corning from the 6th to the 7th uinlasa of the first Suryc
Namaskara and doing puraka, sit on the knecs, lock the fingers togcther
and place the elborvs on the floor; this is the 7th c,inlasa' Then, doing
rechaka and then puraka, place the crown of the head on the floor, inter-
locked hrrnds cupping the back of the head and, doing rechaka and pu-
raka again, straighten the legs and, keeping thern together and straight,
lift them up u,ith the power of the arms, tighten the body, point the toes,
and keep the body erect using the strength of the arms; this is the 8th
tinyas-a, during rvhich rechakc and pmaka should be done slorvly and as
many times as possiblc. Then, doing rechaka slowly, bring the feet back
dowr-r onto thc floor, rest with the huttocks on the heels and the head on
the tliror for two minutes, Next, doing pwda and then recluko, jump
back into the 4th vinlasa o{ the first Stnla Narnaskma; this is the 9th
uinyasa. The next uinfdsas are as those described above.
Aspilants should note that merely putting the head down and lcgs up,
,rnd thcn standing upside tlown is not Shirsha.-anai vcry simply, this is
wrong. lndeed, no one should be detuded into thinking that Shirshasana
is an easy asana. The proper method for it must be carefully learned. For

I l6
example, fhe entire bod) musa stdnd upside down on rhe srrength of the anns
alone. lf tl.re full bodily burden is carried by the head, the circulation of
the blood from the hearr, which is flowing properly to the limbs, will be
preventcd from uraking its way to the subtle nrdis in the crown of the
head, which is pressed to the t-loor. Then, follou'ing thc dcsccnt from the
in the brain
srare of the asana, thcre is the possibility that the subtle nrrdis
could become spoiled by the inrush ofblood u'hen the hcad is lificd. This
could impede bodily and intellcctual grorvth, and lead to delusions, men-
tal abnonr.ralities, illness, or a shortened life. Aspirants should thcrcfcrrc
practice thjs a.ana knowledgeably and with great care. Some people,
ignorant of the proper method, practice Shirshasana after seeing it in a
book or photograph, and so subicct themselves to nLrl.nerous problems,
and even inspire fear in others who practice the dsan& correctly, as I have
rvitnessed from my orvn experiencc. I have also cone across situations ilr
which many ailnents resulting fiom the improper practice of this asana
have been cured by an aspirant'.i Lcarning the method properly- Thus, let
mc rcpeat again that aspirants should take great care with Shirshasana.
Some say that practitkrners should sta-v in this asana for only trvo to five
minutes; otllem,ise, harm could come to them. lt must bc stressed, holv-
ever, that this is nor correct, as the following scriptural sa-ving attestsr
"Ymna mauar' wshe nitlam [We can du'ell in (Shirshasnna) fbr three hours]."
This is a view supportcd by cxperienced and learned people well-versed
in thc scriptures. [t is also the right one. One lnma equals thrcc hours. To
be able to stay in Shirshcr.sanzr firr thrcc hours, an aspirant should begin bv
pracricing it firsr for five, then ten, and then fifteen minutes, that is, hc
should gradually increase the time in the statc of Shirshasana by increments
of five minutes. ln this way and by force of slowly practicing over many
days, months, and years, an aspirant should be nhlc to stay in the asana for
a ful1 three hours. Practiccd in this rvay, Shirshasana will nourish the body,
scnse organsl mind, and intellect, and thereh,v promotc thcir evolution.
I-lowever, if an aspirant stays in the state of Siirshasana for one to five min-
utcs, or even less than a minute, he will not get the specificd benefits.
In Shirshasanat state, hoth the krwcr abdomen and the anus should be
taken in fully and held tightb,-in other words, mub ban)ha should bc
done. In addition, the entire buly should bc kcpt erect and rechaka and
puralu performed deeply, wirhout ktm&hal<a.

114
BENEFITS
Through the practice of Shirshasana, the subtle nadis of the hcad that is,
those related to the brain and sensc organs, such as the eyes-are purified
by an inflow of warm blood, and the power of mernory is increased. Eye
disease is destroyed, the eyes glow, and long-sightedness improves. Thc
five scnse org?rns, too, become purified. Morcover and by means of this
d:aru only-the binlu that results from the transformation of food into
blood and is preserved through pure food and fresh air (both of which are
needed for the body\ survival) is able to reach the sahasrara cha/<ra (the
seventh and highest chakra, where spiritual illumination occurs).
Knowledgeahle people regard the attenuation of amrira bindu as death and
its preservation as life. It is betteq therefore, to preserve it. As long as
there is pure bindrl in our bodies, fresh yourhfulness u,il[ be manifest rn us.
As experience demonstrates again and again, practicing without fail for
a long time not only endows the body with power and brightness, but
increases intellectual power. This is affirmed by the yoga shastra:
"Marutam binlu patena I Jivarutn bindu dharanat I Tasmat sdrr&[naJocnena
I Bindu dhmanam abftyaset [Loss of binda is death / and the preservation of
it, life / So, by all means / ls the holding of 6indu to bc preserved]."
To repeat, with bindr's loss comes death; with its retention, [ifc. Thus
men should pracrice to preserve it with all their might. And preserving
bindu is what Shirs/rasana does. Yet no amount of writing can convey the
utility of this asand. An aspirant can only cnjoy its happiness through irs
practice. lt is impossible to try to describe the sweetness of sugar. Only by
tasting sugar can the experience of its sweetness be had, even for Brahma
[God]. Just as people feel the sweetness of sugar by eating it, so too will
they experience the happiness of this asana by pracricing it.
As I mentioned earlier, there are differences of opinion about the
practice of Shir-\hasana and other yogasatux. According ro some, delusions
and other afilictions result from the over-practice of Shirshasana, and it
may also wcaken the heart. Indeed, it is claimcd that it is harmful to prac-
tice for any amount of time. This, irt least, is the theory propounded in
books written hy publicity-hungry people who may or may not pracricc
yoga, or who call themselves yogis out of some attachnent ro the yogic
science. And, to some extent, their words are true, at least for those who
think they are practicing Shirshasana when they put thcir heads dorvn on
 YOGA MUDRA, BADDHA PADMASANA,9TH VINYASA

the floor and theit legs up in the air whenever the fancy strikes them. Not
surprisingly, such theories create great fear in people who have the zeal,
godly devotion, and desire to practice yogai and those that advance them
gain nautes for themselves and great fame. After all, when someone
achieves something others have not, can fame not come as a resulti But
there are no grounds for such wrongheaded notions whatsoever. lndeed,
i[ there were any danger in yoga, people long ago would have lost inter-
est in the science, become indifferent to its practice, and declared its say-
ings, the sayings of the greatest of the great yogis, such as Pirtanjali, to be
a bundle of rnyths.
But how can there be any danger i{ one follows the path of those who
have studied the sluxtras fully, correctly, and in the naditional manner,
and who understand their meaning; where can be the harm if one reads
the scriptures properly, understands them rightly, and practices under the
guidance of a pious Curu for many years, and gains experience, and ftrl'
lows the path of people of this kindl For the great souls of the world who,

r20
toiling incessantly, have renounced all pleasures ar.rd wealth, thinking
thnt selfless service is man'.s true goa[, and who, knowing yoga's reaL
nature firct themselves, have resolved ro 1re[p othcrs, scck nothing else in
the world but this service. Thus, as these great souls are the helpers of the
worlJ, then ro follorv thcir path and leam the scriptures correctly is to
find no danger come to oneself.
Claims are also made that Shirshasano or yoga of any kind should
not be practiccd by pcoplc after they have reached the age of forty.
This is not borne out by experience or by the shas,rakdrds, Aftcr all,
grcat sccrs such as Patanjali brought us the science of yoga fbr the cure
of diseases and, very naturally, embodied beings are prone to things of
rhis kind. Do diseases not haunt men after fortvl
The bodv is the abodc of discasc. If it is tired due to a lack of food,
sleep, or the like, or from great difficulty or poverty, disease will overtake
it. Thereforc, it is csscntial to cure it of its ailments. From this stand-
point, as the mind weakens in old age, tlre senseorgans wcaken, too.
When the mind is u,eak, diseases can easilv overtake the body,. Therefore,
a mental cure too is a Dlust, In slrort, thcrc is no irge restriction for the
practice of yoga. As the shastrakaras sav: "Yuua urddho'tiwddho {a uJadito
dtnbalo'pi L)a I AbhJasdt sidihim apnoti / Sar+,alogeshvatandntah [Whether
young or oLd, or very old / sick ol debilitated / one who is vigilant attains,
by means o[ practice, success in all the yogas.]"" This means that
whether one is young or old ("old" here neaning abovc sixty years ofage,
and "very old," beyond ninety), whether one is a woman or a man, or suf-
fering from a disease oliveakness, i[ one practiccs yoga, then one can
artain perfection. lndeed, an-vone--men and women of all ages, sick or
u,eak-can practice yoga, except those who are [a21,.
Finally, ir is thc claim of some books that Shirs,lrasann shorrld be the
first asana aspirants practice, followed by the others. This is contrary tir
the scriptures and not bornc out hv experience. Moreover, such a claim
is made by those who do not know the nature of the body. Shir-shasana
always creates peace Lrf mind and alleviates the fntigue of the bod1,.
According to experts in the field of the Ayrn eda shasta, as wcll as those
experienced in the subject, if onc does .Shirshaszura {irst, after getting rLp

4i Hatha Yos'l Pt.lJiipil:d i | 64

before five o'clock in the moming and doing one's moming ablutions, it
can lead to all sorts of trouble. This is so because ordinarily the food we
eat at night, which is responsible for nourishing the body, is transformed
into the seven dhatus. Food eaten during the day is not as effective for
this purpose. ln order for the food that we eat to be digested, and there-
by to become one with our blood, it must join with the bile of the liver;
only if thc bile mixes with our food is the food digested and transformed
into the seven dhatr6. That part of what we eat that the body has no use
for is eliminated in the form of feces, urine, sweat, and phlegm. For the
bile produced by the liver to become one with our food, it must leave the
liver. Until bile mixes with food, digests it, and then retums to irs own
source, namely the liver, things that lead to pitta o,ikara [activities that
aggnvate the liver and create excess heat] should not be engaged in. This
is the rule. And this being so, if one does Shirshasana immediately after
gerring up in the morning, while the bile is still pervading the limbs of
the body, and does not first do th e SuryaNmuskma and the other asanus,
then the bile will not retum to the liveq but will flow in various direc-
tions and spoil the brain. If one first practices the Surya Namaslara and
then the other asanas, however, then one's blood will become hot and
pure, and will flow to every part of the body, decreasing the excitement
of the bile. If one then practices the seven dJarLB of Suumtgasano, {ol-
lorved by Shirshuana, then one's heart, intellect, and mind will evolve,
preventing any harm from coming to the brain, and ensuring a long life.
Hence, aspirants should never practice Shirsfursana first. Moreover, fol-
lowing Slrirshasana, they should only sit in Padmasana and do pranayma
and the like, but no further asonds. Otherwise, danger is certain.

40. BADDHA Paol,aasaNa

BaldhoPolmosma is the nsana to be practiced after Shirshasana. It is of two
types: Baddha Padmuana and Keualn [Simple] Padmasana. Yoga Mulra
occtrrs in Baddlu Pa.dnr/1sdll:. and is therapeutic for diseases. Pafunasana ls
useful for prirctices such as dJrlana [meditationl and prancyama. It is also
useful for the practices of the badkc and mudras. Baddla Pa&nasww has
sixreen vinlasas, the 8th of which is its state, and the 9th of which is Yoga
Mudra, which is very important. Aspirants should note this.
Tir begin, do the first six (,inJasas of thc first Surya Namaskara, Then, srt
and stretch thc lcgs out, as in Paschimattanasana, straighten the back nnd
chest, and do rechaka ard pwaka; this is the 7rh rinlasa. Next, place the
right foot on the left rhigh and the left foot on the right thigh, press the
heels of both fect into the lower abdomen on either side of the navcl.
reach around the L.ack, take hold of the lcft hig rrre with the left hand and
the right big toe with the right hand, pusl.r the chest forward, straighren
rhe spinal column and rvaist, bcnd the neck frrru,arcl so that dre chin
presses into the chest, anrl r1o rechaka and puraka deeply; this is the 8th
vinlasa. Then, doing rechaka slou,ly, place the chin on the floor, pull rhe
navcl in completely, stiffen and push the boJv all rhe way for-w,ard, ar-rd
do puraL,a and recfurka; this is rhe 9th tinyasa, ,,vhich is known as Yoga
Mutlra. Then, doing prraka and without letting go of the toes, lift the
head up, sit up straight, and plrsh the chest our; rhis is the 10th tirrlasa.
The next vinlasas follow- those of preceding asanas.

4I. PADMASANA
Keoala, or Simple, Ptt)masana, as this as&nil rs also callcd, is useful for the
practice of p,r.1ft1]ama, dh1ma, sandhla uandann [Brahmin ritual pedomrcd
at sunrise and sunsed, and pu;'a [worship], among others. Til practice these,
one should sit in KesLala Padmasaru after doing Badlha Padm.xnw.

METHOD
Tir start, follorv tlre uinlasas above for Bo&lht Pahnasmra through tl.re 7th
tinrrasa. Then, place the righr foot on rhe leit thigh and the left foot on
the right thigh, press the heels into the lorver abdomcn on either side of
the navel, make the knees rest on the floor, place the hands on the knces,
sit LLp, and straighten the back, cl-rest, anr-l rvaist; this is Padmasana, dur-
ing $,hich rechaka a:nd purakn should he done deeply and slowly as rnany
times as possiblc. The next crinlasas are as dtose in earlier asanas.

BENEFITS OF BADDHA PADMASANA & PADMASANA

\?hen in the 9th uinlasa o{ Baddha Paimasana, or Yoga Mrdra, one
shoulcl urcditatc upon one's chosen deity (rshta detata), u,hile directing
the gaze between the eyebrows and doing rechaka ar.d pwaka as much as

possible. This is important. Through Baldha Pa.dmasarn's practice, the

liver and splcen are purified, the spinal column straightened, and the
anal canal remedied. Thus, easy to do and very useful, its practlce is desir-
able for everyone, frorn young to old. The greatness of tsadiha Padmuana
has been affirmed by the Upanishals.
The sages and seersof u,orks such as the yoga Yagnaualkya and Yoga
Vashishra have said that the practice of Pdlrndsana destroys not only dis-
eases of the body, but great sins, as wcll. According to them, this is defi-
nite. Thercfore, as Palmasana is the best and greatest of the asanas, and
easy to practice in all respects, it should bc performed by everyone.

42. UrH PLUTHT

While not an actual asana, Uth Pluthi is ncvertheless highly beneficial.

METHOD
At the conclusion of Pa.dmasana and without releasing the legs, press the
hands firmly on the floor on either sidcs of the thighs ar-rd, on the force
of the hands alone, lift the body up off the floor and hold, retnaining in
this position and doing rechaka and purakn fully- as much as possible. The
arms, spine, and neck should be kept complete[v straight, the chin tilted
down a little, and the gaze should bc directed on the tip of the nose.
Then, jump back into the 4th uinlasa of the first Surla Namasi<ara and
folkrw the virrlasas described in earlier asanas. Finally, jump through the
arms, lie down, and rest firr five urinutes. This concludes the practice.

BENEFITS
tJth Pluthi is useful for strengthening the u,aist and perfecting abdominal
and anal control. The three granthis, Iocated in the sacrum, gradually
open conplctcly,
THE ASANAS L]ETAILED TO THIS POINT, WHICH ARE CURIflIVE IN NAIURE, }IAVE

norv bcen described as completely as possib[e. They commonly belong to

that part of the yoga method called roga [disease] chikitsa, which is useful
lor the cure of diseases. Of the asanas of the second series, which is
not described in this book, some belong to roga chikirsa and others are
sirodakz, or purificator_v. A number of the asanas of the third series, v/hich
also is not dcscrihed here, are also purificatoq,, while others are capable
of destroying terrible diseascs, or have the power to maintain the body's
firmness. The ar-anas reviewed in this book, such as Saruangasana,
Hahsana, Karnapidastna, U rdhvo Padmmara, Pindtsona, Matsyasuna,
Utttna l?adasana, Slrirs/rasana, and Polmasana, should only be practiced
after the othcr asanas have been completed. After these nine asancs, no
further asanas should be done. (Those who do only a limited number of
asanas daily should be sure to include these nine in their regimen.) If
aspirants heed this advice and carefully practice rhe asanas described
above, then they will have the means to prosperiry, both material and
spiritual.
.ry*
 AcxuowlsocvrN'rs

The completion of this translation of Yoga Mala would not have been pc,s-
sible without the extremely generous help of mirny people, in particulan
Sri Vishwanath Kadarn and Dr. H. L. Chandrasl.rekar, translators; Deirdre
Summerbell, editor; Swami Nityasthirnanda, editoral adviser; Dr. Anil
Kumar, Ayurvcdic adviser; Jon Hertzig, production assisrant; Kathi Rota-
Tebh, designer; Holton Rower, for cover and prefacc photographs,
Stephan Crasnianski for asana photographs of K. Pattabhi Jois's grandson,
Sharath; Vyaas Houston and the American Sanskrit Institute, Sanskrit
translators; Swami Pra.jnatmananda and Manju Jois, for guidance; and
Courtney Hayne, Kara Stern, and George Minot, proofreaders. Special
thanks also to Stephanie Guest for hcr introduction to Jeff Scroy and
Becky Saletan of North Poinr Press.
I irm especially grateful ro Sri K. Partabhi Jois and R. Sharath for the
many hours rhey spent working to correct the manuscript, and to
Jocelyne Stern for her unending patience and support.
The efforts of this translation of Yoga Mala are dedicated to the lorus
feet of Sri K. Panabht Jois, and ro the loving memory of his wife, our
Indian mother, Savitramma Jois.

Eddie Stem
 AN INDISPENSABLE HANDBOOK
I-OR SI'UL)ENI'S AND I'EACHERS OF }OGA
This small book b1' one o[ the great -voga ligures of our time '
attests to the tirneless nature of ash.tanga voga practice. Based
on 1,irr1.?6a-1hc coordination of brcath and movcment----<rsilar€a
yoga has bccomc onc of the most widespread and influential styles
rrf practice todal, and Yoga MaIo is its most important written guide.
In this book, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois outlines the ethical principles and phi-
losoph;- uncterlying ashtangrt toga, and explains its terms and concepts. He
then guides us through the Sun Salutations and the prinrarr series. which
consists of lbrtv-tlvo asanas, At every step he describes holl' to execute each
pose and u'hat benefits each provitles.
Patiabhi lois introduced ashlanga yoga to the \!'est a quarter of a centurv ago
and has been the drir'ing force behind its *orldwide dissemination. Having studied f.rr
trventy-five years with T. Iirishnamachana, he has passed on his knowledge to generations
of students around the world, Jois lives in Nl-vsore, India, r,here he runs tlre Ashtanga Yoga
Research Institute.

",l1ala is a Sanskrit term thut mc.tns garland. In lnclia, thcrc lrc rnrny tliflercnt kintls
rr{ rrralrrs. Thcrc arc japunalas. rrrrr<le up of sacretJ heads strung on ir thrr':rd u hich are
used in praver firr counting and keeping fircused on the repetitjon o[ a mantra. l here
are Ttushpanal.as. r,rhich arc g rllnds o[ r'ivitl [lo,,'crs. smclling oI jasminc antl ot]rtr
scents, that ar( strung in thc ftrnn of r'r,rcr1hs and oftered in rrorship t{r deilies in hones
lncl tcmplcs. Jois hcre offers another kirrd of rlalrr, uhich is itncient in traditiotr. as
sa.'red as rr praver,:rnd as beautiful as flou,ers, IIis lrola is a garlund of voga,
in uhich each lirnasa is lil\c ir sacred beird to bc cotrnletl alcl {ircrtscrl ,rn, irnd
each a.sarrc is likc a I'rlgrant l)orvcr rtrung on lhc tlrrcacl of tlre brcath. Just as a

.jLr'putnuh arlorns tht' neck artd a pt*ltprtrnnlu adorns the gods, so too drtes this gar-
lanrl of voga. u lren diligentlv pr:rcticrd, adorn our entire being u,itlr peace, health,
radiance. and. trltimatelr, selIknou lcclge." I HI: f o Il Ij \\'() R t)
-rIloxt

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