Yog and Salah: Similarities on these Paths To Inner Peace My mat, a place of prayer, of meditation, of reflection, of peace and calm. My home! Watching my mother meditating on her prayer mat opened my eyes to the wonder of both Salah (or Namaz) and Yoga. She sat up tall, seated cross legged, eyes closed and she looked radiant. She appeared so graceful and yet so powerful! I wanted to feel the same peace and power for myself and that moment became the catalyst that spurred me on to the practice of yoga. YOG Tapas svadhyaya isvarapranidhanani YOGA SUTRA 2:1 Disciplined action, study of the self and surrender to the lord constitute the practice of yoga. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root word Yuj " meaning to yoke, join, attach and bind. It also means Union or Communion. Mahadev Desai in his introduction to the The Gita According To Gandhi describes yoga as the yoking of all the powers of the body mind and soul to God, it means the discipline of the intellect, the mind, the emotions and the will. Patanjali in the yoga sutra defines yoga Chitta vritti nirodhah Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 1
B.K.S Iyengar explains this as Yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy directed into constructive channels As a mighty river when properly harnessed, creates a vast reservoir of water, prevents famine and provides abundance of power; so also the mind, when controlled, provides a reservoir of peace and generates abundant energy for human upliftment. The common understanding of yoga is that it involves only the physical body. While the performance of asanas strengthen the body and promotes coordination and balance and improves physical health. It is also a science of the mind. Yoga improves concentration, increases our awareness and brings about a state of evenness. The practice of breathing which the 4th limb of yoga helps to still the mind and experience inner peace. Salah / Namaz Islam was founded by the Prophet Mohammed in the second half of the 6th century One of the 5 pillars of this faith is Salah. It is the name given to the formal prayer of Islam. The word Salah originates from the the Arabic "Silah" which means connection. It has been described as a means of connecting with God. The root meaning of this word is "to bend the lower back. The Persians translated this concept to Namaz (a common synonym for Salah in many countries including India, Iran and Pakistan) from the verbal root meaning to bow. It is a practice which must be performed five times a day: before sunrise, at noon, between noon and sunset, just after sunset, and before going to bed. In a prescribed sequence physical movements of prayer are combined with a spiritual exercise. Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 2
! The focus in both Yoga and Salah is the connection between mind, body and soul. Physical similarities between Yoga and Salah There are 4 major physical movement which correspond to certain yoga asanas. The following are used interchangeably Qiyaam / Qaym Rukoo / Ruku Sujood/Sujud Juloos/Jalsa Ashraf F. Nizami talked about the synthesis of Namaz and Yoga at the Rajpur National Yoga Convention, India (3.10.81). He is the author of the book Namaz: The Yoga Of Islam. Nizami describes the 7 postures of Salah, their impact on the nervous system also how the postures correspond to certain yogic asana both in their physical appearance and the benefits. Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 3
The sequence of positions in Salah These positions correspond to the following asanas Fig. 1 : QUAYM/TADASANA Fig. 2 : RUKU/ARDHA UTTANASANA Fig. 3 : QUANTA/TADASANA Figs. 4 & 6 : SUJOOD/BALASNA Fig. 5: JULOOS/VAJRASANA Fig. 7: UTKATASANA Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 4
Fig. 1 QIYAM Salah usually starts in a standing position. Hands are raised shoulder level or to the level of the top of the ears. Both arms are then placed over the chest with the right over the left. The eyes are soft as they focus on the center of the mat. This focus like drishti in the practice of asanas facilitates concentration and keeps the mind from wavering thoughts. Fig. 2 RUKOO This pose provides all the benefits of a forward bend. Hands rest on the knees, the spine is long and the head is relaxed as the eyes focus on the center of the mat Blood is pumped towards the upper half of the body. This is an effective pose for elimination of flatulence. Spine is made supple and spinal nerves are nourished; backaches and Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 5
pains are relieved. Also provides effective relief for constipation. Tones up calf and thigh muscles, backbone, abdomen and kidney. Fig. 3 QUANTA Back to standing. The body is again in a relaxed and evenly balanced position. Figs. 4 and 6 SUJUD This pose is similar to shashankasana or half sirshasana. It helps pump blood into the brain and upper half of the body, including eyes, ears, nose and lungs. As such, by the performance of this posture, all the benefits of shashankasana as well as a proportionate benefit of sirshasana are simultaneously derived. It is also an effective cure for cardiac and circulatory diseases. This position involves having the forehead nose both hands and knees touching the ground together. It is a position of surrender and letting go of the ego. Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 6
Sujud is the most important position in prayer. This position stimulates the brain s frontal cortex. It leaves the heart in a higher position than the brain, which increases flow of blood into upper regions of the body, especially the head and lungs. This allows mental toxins to be cleansed. This strengthens the stomach muscles. It maintains proper position of fetus in pregnant women. Fig. 5 JULOOS This hardy pose is like vajrasana. Again the fresh blood which was pumped towards the upper half of the body now returns to normal circulation. This is the best pose for relaxing the muscles, including those related to the spine. This pose stimulates circulation in the nerves and muscles of the thighs. It eliminates indigestion and constipation, and is beneficial in the case of peptic ulcer or other stomach ailments. It concentrates the mind on its spiritual pursuit, and is commonly used as a meditation pose by Japanese Buddhists. Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 7
Julus and Vajrasana aid the detoxification of the liver and stimulate peristaltic action of the large intestine. This position assists digestion by forcing the contents of the stomach downward. It helps in curing varicose veins and joint pains, increases flexibility, and strengthens the feet Fig. 7 - Returning to Fig. 1: This is like the squatting pose of utkatasana. It is a dynamic posture which involves standing up without any support, so that the entire weight of the body is on the toes. This exercises the backbone, thighs, knees and leg muscles, increasing strength by daily repetition. The person who regularly offers namaz in this posture will be free from backache and any degenerative disease of the joints, like osteoarthritis of the knees. Salah is concluded by looking over the right and then left while seated in Julus. Wudhu, Niyyah and Saucha There are 2 important prerequisites to Islamic prayer which closely relate to Saucha in yoga Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 8
One is Wudhu or ritual cleansing of the face and parts of the hands and legs. This ritual is accompanied by the chanting of Prayers. Setting an intention or Niyyah is the mental preparation of Salah. Together they prepare the mind and the body just as saucha does in the practice of yoga. The state of mind and the physical body that is ready to focus inwards, to concentrate and mediate on the Divine. Saucha simply put means purity of the body and the mind. Dharana and Dhyana in Yoga and Khushu in Salah The 6 th and 7 th limbs of Ashtanga yoga are Dharana, Dhyana. Patanjali describes Dharana as Binding of consciousness to a (single) spot. Concentration is the process of holding or fixing the attention of the mind onto an object or place. (Yoga Sutra 3:1) and Dhyana as Meditation is sustained concentration, whereby the attention continues to hold or repeat the same object or place. (Yoga Sutra 3:2) What is Khushu? The Quran states Spiritually successful are the believers. Those who maintain Khushu in their prayer. Khushu refers to a state of mind in Salah where we stand and fully direct our Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 9
minds and hearts to the divine. We can liken this state to a single minded immersion of oneself with a deep focus on the activity at hand. In other words it is a term which connotes the effects of being "fully present" body mind and spirit before the divine presence in prayer. Seen in that light Khushu can be seen as one of the goals of yoga, similar in its aspiration to Dharana and Dhyana. Benefits of Salah and Yoga The physical movements, repletion of mantras (Arabic and Sanskrit) the intention set before a practice and the physical and mental preparation before arriving on the mat in both practices have very many similar benefits. In the Yoga Journal an article published by Timothy McCall M.D highlights some of the benefits of yoga: Improves flexibility Builds muscle strength Improves posture Protects the spine Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown Increases blood flow Drops your blood pressure Relaxes your body and gives you peace of mind Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 10
In an age where the war cries of fatwas and bans seem to drown out the rational and peace loving majority there is a need to recognize and highlight that which binds us, that which is the same! By doing so we can perhaps tolerate and even celebrate that which divides us! Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 11
References Ashraf F. Nizami, Namaz, the Yoga of Islam Dr. Abdelfattah Mohsen Badawi, Peace Be Upon Islam Unity of Health Through Yoga and Islamic Prayer By Raul Ahmed Bhat, Syed Tariq Murtuza & Farkhunda Jabin In an article in the Academic Sports Scholar, Aligarh Muslim University Volume 3 Issue 10 The Islamic prayer (Salah/Namaaz) and yoga togetherness in mental health. Indian J Psychiatry 2013:55, Suppl. S2:224-3 By Sayeed S.A. & Prakash A. The Times Of India Article by Timothy McCall, Yoga Journal BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga Jameela Ali Nalukandy December 2016 12