Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha/2008 Fourth Revised Edition

1. Yoga: Unity of Body, Mind, and Spirit

Yoga is not an ancient myth buried in oblivion. It is the most valuable inheritance of the present. It is the essential need of today and the culture of tomorrow.

Holistic science. Yoga is more than just physical exercise; it's a comprehensive science of right living, designed to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, psychic, and spiritual aspects of an individual. The word "yoga" itself, derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, signifies unity or oneness, aiming to harmonize the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. This integration is achieved through various practices, including asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, shatkarma, and meditation.

Balancing act. Yoga addresses imbalances at all levels of being. At the physical level, it coordinates bodily functions, ensuring organs, muscles, and nerves work in harmony. On the mental and emotional planes, yoga provides tools to cope with stress and neuroses, fostering awareness of the interconnectedness between emotional, mental, and physical states.

Ancient roots, modern relevance. Developed as part of the tantric civilization over ten thousand years ago, yoga's techniques have been passed down through generations, evolving and adapting to meet the needs of modern society. Today, yoga offers a path to reclaim spiritual heritage, providing tangible benefits for individuals seeking health, well-being, and a deeper connection with their true selves.

2. Asana: The Foundation of Hatha Yoga

Having done asana, one attains steadiness of body and mind, freedom from disease and lightness of the limbs.

More than just exercise. Asanas are specific body positions designed to open energy channels and psychic centers, serving as tools for higher awareness. While they improve physical health by stretching, massaging, and stimulating pranic channels and internal organs, their primary purpose is to cultivate awareness, relaxation, concentration, and meditation.

Control of body and mind. Hatha yogis discovered that by developing control over the body through asana, they could also control the mind. This control is essential for preparing the body for extended periods of stillness required during meditation. Asanas are therefore practiced to develop the ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended length of time.

Progressive evolution. The yogic scriptures mention 8,400,000 asanas, representing the incarnations every individual must pass through before liberation. Great rishis and yogis modified and reduced this number to the few hundred known today, offering a way to bypass many evolutionary stages in one lifetime.

3. Pawanmuktasana Series: Releasing Energy Blocks

Pawanmuktasana means a group of asanas that remove any blockages preventing the free flow of energy in the body and mind.

Subtle exercises. The Pawanmuktasana series, also known as sukshma vyayama or subtle exercises, are designed to release energy blockages in the body and mind. These blockages, caused by bad posture, disturbed bodily functions, psychological problems, or an unbalanced lifestyle, can lead to stiffness, muscular tension, and eventually, disease.

Three distinct groups. The series is divided into three groups:

• Anti-rheumatic group: Releases tensions from the joints.
• Digestive/abdominal group: Strengthens the digestive system.
• Shakti bandha group: Releases energy blocks in the spine and activates the lungs and heart.

Mind-body connection. By relaxing the muscles and integrating breath synchronization and awareness, these asanas relax the mind, tune up the autonomic nerves, hormonal functions, and activities of internal organs. Right-handed people should practice with the left side leading to counterbalance the effects of habitual behavior patterns.

4. Eye Exercises: Restoring and Maintaining Vision

Solving the problem of lighting is fairly straightforward. Diet, however, is more complex and it affects not only the health of the eyes, but of the whole body.

Combating modern vision problems. Eye exercises address functional defects in ocular muscles exacerbated by chronic mental and emotional tension. Factors contributing to bad eyesight include artificial lighting, prolonged computer use, poor diet, and muscle inefficiency.

Holistic approach. Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach, including:

• Improving lighting
• Simplifying diet
• Reducing dependence on glasses
• Practicing relaxation techniques like shashankasana

Simple exercises, profound impact. Regular practice of eye exercises, such as palming, blinking, sideways viewing, and rotational viewing, can alleviate common disorders like short and long-sightedness and presbyopia. These exercises should be performed with total relaxation and awareness, avoiding strain.

5. Relaxation Asanas: Releasing Tension and Stress

The importance of this series of relaxation poses cannot be overemphasized.

Essential for well-being. Relaxation asanas are crucial for releasing tension in the body and mind, providing much-needed rest and rejuvenation. These poses, often performed in the prone position, are particularly beneficial for the spine and related structures, alleviating strain caused by postural abnormalities.

Conscious release. The key to effective relaxation asanas is the conscious release of tension in all muscles of the body. Even during sleep, complete relaxation is often elusive, making these practices essential for achieving deep rest.

Key relaxation poses:

• Shavasana (corpse pose)
• Advasana (reversed corpse pose)
• Jyestikasana (superior posture)
• Makarasana (crocodile pose)
• Matsya Kridasana (flapping fish pose)

These postures can be adopted at any time of day for any comfortable duration, combined with relaxing daily activities for enhanced benefits.

6. Meditation Asanas: Preparing for Stillness

Without securing a steady asana, you cannot progress well in meditation.

Foundation for meditation. Meditation asanas are designed to allow practitioners to sit for extended periods without discomfort or movement, essential for experiencing deep meditation. These postures require a straight spinal column, enabling the flow of energy and maintaining alertness.

Pre-meditation practices. Preparing the body for meditation involves practices that increase flexibility in the legs and hips, such as:

• Goolf chakra (ankle rotation)
• Janu chakra (knee crank)
• Ardha titali asana (half butterfly)
• Shroni chakra (hip rotation)
• Poorna titali (full butterfly)
• Vayu nishkasana (wind releasing pose)
• Udarakarshan asana (abdominal stretch pose)
• Shaithalyasana (animal relaxation pose)

Stillness and balance. When sitting in meditation postures, programming the mind with suggestions like "I am as steady as a rock" can help achieve complete body stillness, known as kaya sthairyam. Alternative postures, such as vajrasana, ananda madirasana, padadhirasana, and bhadrasana, can also be used for meditation.

7. Vajrasana Group: Channeling Energy and Grounding

Vajrasana is highly thought of as a meditation posture in many cultures throughout the world.

The thunderbolt pose. The vajra, or thunderbolt, symbolizes the weapon of Indra, king of the gods, and represents the mind's power over the senses. Vajrasana and its related asanas are beneficial for the reproductive and digestive organs, promoting grounding and stability.

Key asanas in the Vajrasana group:

• Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose)
• Ananda madirasana (intoxicating bliss pose)
• Padadhirasana (breath balancing pose)
• Bhadrasana (gracious pose)
• Simhasana (lion pose)
• Marjari-asana (cat stretch pose)
• Vyaghrasana (tiger pose)
• Shashankasana (pose of the moon or hare pose)
• Supta Vajrasana (sleeping thunderbolt pose)

Energy flow and balance. These asanas alter the flow of blood and nervous impulses in the pelvic region, strengthen pelvic muscles, and stimulate the vajra nadi, which regulates sexual energy. They also improve digestion, relieve stomach ailments, and promote overall physical and mental balance.

8. Standing Asanas: Strengthening and Balancing

This series of asanas has a stretching and strengthening effect on the back, shoulders and leg muscles.

Combating sedentary lifestyles. Standing asanas counteract the effects of prolonged sitting, improving posture, balance, and muscular coordination. They strengthen the back, shoulders, and leg muscles, increasing oxygenation and lung capacity.

Key standing asanas:

• Bandha hasta utthanasana (locked hand raising pose)
• Akarna dhanurasana (bow and arrow pose)
• Tadasana (palm tree pose)
• Tiryak tadasana (swaying palm tree pose)
• Kati chakrasana (waist rotating pose)
• Tiryak kati chakrasana (swaying waist rotating pose)
• Meru pristhasana (spine and back pose)
• Utthanasana (squat and rise pose)
• Druta utkatasana (dynamic energy pose)
• Samakonasana (right angle pose)
• Dwikonasana (double angle pose)
• Trikonasana (triangle pose)
• Utthita lolasana (swinging while standing pose)
• Dolasana (pendulum pose)

Improved posture and coordination. These asanas stretch and strengthen the back, shoulders, and leg muscles, improving posture, balance, and muscular coordination. They also strengthen the muscles used to keep the back straight during meditation and increase oxygenation and lung capacity.

9. Pranayama: Expanding Vital Energy

Pranayama is the means by which a yogi tries to realize within his individual body the whole cosmic nature, and attempts to attain perfection by attaining all the powers of the universe.

Beyond breath control. Pranayama is not merely breath control but the extension and expansion of prana, the vital energy or life force. It utilizes breathing techniques to influence the flow of prana in the nadis, or energy channels, of the pranamaya kosha, or energy body.

Four aspects of breathing. The practices of pranayama involve four important aspects of breathing:

• Pooraka (inhalation)
• Rechaka (exhalation)
• Antar kumbhaka (internal breath retention)
• Bahir kumbhaka (external breath retention)

Balancing the pranic body. By mastering these techniques, practitioners can purify, regulate, and activate the nadis, inducing physical and mental stability. Pranayama practices should be performed after asanas in an integrated yoga program.

10. Mudra: Gestures of Energy and Awareness

Mudras are a combination of subtle physical movements which alter mood, attitude and perception, and which deepen awareness and concentration.

Psychic gestures. Mudras are psychic, emotional, devotional, and aesthetic gestures or attitudes that deepen awareness and concentration. They are attitudes of energy flow, intended to link the individual pranic force with the universal or cosmic force.

Redirecting prana. Mudras create barriers within the body, redirecting energy within. By closing the eyes with the fingers in shanmukhi mudra, for example, the prana being radiated through the eyes is reflected back.

Five groups of mudras:

• Hasta (hand mudras)
• Mana (head mudras)
• Kaya (postural mudras)
• Bandha (lock mudras)
• Adhara (perineal mudras)

11. Bandha: Directing Pranic Flow

Therefore, the goddess sleeping at the entrance of Brahma’s door should be constantly aroused with all effort, by performing mudra thoroughly.

Energy locks. Bandhas are practices that hold, tighten, or lock pranas in particular areas, redirecting their flow into sushumna nadi for spiritual awakening. These practices act directly on the three granthis or psychic knots, which prevent the free flow of prana along sushumna nadi.

Three key bandhas:

• Jalandhara bandha (throat lock): Associated with rudra granthi and vishuddhi and ajna chakras.
• Moola bandha (perineum contraction): Associated with brahma granthi and mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras.
• Uddiyana bandha (abdominal contraction): Associated with vishnu granthi and manipura and anahata chakras.

Breaking through psychic knots. By mastering these bandhas, practitioners can break through the psychic knots that impede the flow of energy and awaken the chakras, leading to higher states of consciousness.

12. Shatkarma: Cleansing the Body for Higher Practices

When fat or mucus is excessive, the shatkarmas or six cleansing techniques should be practised before (pranayama).

Purification practices. The shatkarmas are six groups of purification practices designed to create harmony between ida and pingala nadis, balancing the three doshas (kapha, pitta, and vata) and preparing the body for pranayama and higher yoga practices.

Six shatkarmas:

• Neti (nasal cleansing)
• Dhauti (internal cleansing)
• Nauli (abdominal massage)
• Basti (colon cleansing)
• Kapalbhati (frontal brain cleansing)
• Trataka (intense gazing)

Holistic cleansing. These techniques purify the body of toxins, ensuring safe and successful progression along the spiritual path. While they may offer therapeutic benefits, their primary purpose is to promote health and awaken and direct energies in the body, mind, and deeper psyche.

Last updated: April 7, 2025