The father of Yoga,
Patanjali, described eight areas of Yoga and Yogic practices as : the
natural regulation of the nervous system, discipline; cleansing;
postures; concentration; contemplation; the awakening of awareness; and
the state of perfect equilibrium. Yogic excrcises have both preventive
and curative value. They bring man to the natural state of tranquility,
which is equilibrium yogic practices help to bring natural order and
balance to the neurohormones and the metabolism and improve the
endocrine system and thus fortify one against stress. Yogic practices
for the treatment of stress and stress-related disorders (such as
hypertension, diabetes, asthama, and obesity) are remarkably effective.
1.. Purification of thoughts and emotions:
To prevent internal disturbances from extraneous thoughts and sentiments
arising during meditation one needs to practice purifications such as
Five Yamas , Five Niyamas , four Brahma- viharas, The antidotes to
disturbing thoughts, & ethical behaviour. Another aspect of purification
is the conquest of the vikshepas, nine disturbances in the path of
concentration : sickness, mental, laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm,
sloth, craving for sense-pleasure, false perception, despair caused by
failure to concentrate and unsteadiness in concentration, and their five
accompaniments : grief, despondency, trembling of the body and irregular
breathing.
2.. Mindfulness
The practice of smrty-upa-sthana (buddhist sati-patthana) takes many
forms, the details of which are taught In personal instruction. The
asanas coupled with full awareness of the states of the body, breath and
mind in a detailed methodology. In fact a major component in the
practice of postures is self-awareness, a deep self-observation, in all
states of body, breath and especially the mind.
3.. Breath Awareness
It starts as part of mindfulness and becomes specialised as the very
first step in the practice of meditation. Here, it is essential to learn
diaphragmatic breathing that is slow, smooth, without jerks and without
a break between the breaths. The practice of breath awareness branches
off into many other modes of meditative experience. For Example :
Nadi-shodhana, Pratyahara, Kundalini breathing, Sa-garbha pranayama.
4.. Japa
This is not simply a mechanical recitation of a randomly- chosen mantra.
The science of mantra is based on an understading of sound vibrations
which are primarily centered in the various stations of the kundalini
And cannot be grasped without initiation. The ultimate purpose of japa
is to go into supreme silence.
5.. Shavasana
Practices serve as ways of entering one's own subtle body. The interior
exercises are detailed and complex and go far beyond mere relaxations.
They may be practised at the levels of annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha,
or manomaya kosha in a logical progression. The last of these in
shavasana is, as stated above, Yoga-nidra at several different levels.
6.. Dharana
Dharana or concentrations and pra-vrttis or resultant experiences. A
proficient preceptor in the Himalayan tradition is trained in various
methods of concentrations i.e. various focal points in the physical
body, the chakra points, the tattvas & Vijnana-bhairava Tantra teaches a
hundred different ways in which an altered state of consciousness may be
triggered, and the enumerates nearly thirteen hundred dharanas.
7.. Dhyana
Dhayana or meditation. All the methods described above are integral
parts of the approach to meditation, but meditation proper begins at the
level of manomaya kosha.
