Where Yoga Comes to Life SUN SALUTATIONS, ROUTINE DESIGN, DIET READ All Diet Sections, Step 1-14 Handouts: Designing a Personal Routine Diet for Body, Mind and Soul ASANA PRACTICE Next week, we will practice Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations. Proper practice of Surya Namaskar requires the art of being still in the midst of movement. Each pose in Surya Namaskar is done with either an inhaling or an exhaling breath. Pause momentarily in the pose at the end of your inhalation or exhalation. Use this moment, however brief, to contact that stillness. BREATHING AND PRANAYAMA At the end of the asana routine as you sit in Siddhasana, continue your practice of full alternate breath with a ratio that is comfortable to you. Increase the number of rounds to 5. When you finish with the pranayama, sit with uplifted gaze contemplating the point between your eyebrows with great interest. If you feel any signs of restlessness or discomfort, reduce the duration of your breath. JOURNALING Next week we will also focus on diet and the spiritual qualities of food. Here are some activities to try this week: Spiritualize your meal by blessing the food. Here is a simple food blessing for you to try: Receive Lord in Thy light, the food we eat for it is Thine. Infuse it with the love, Thy energy, Thy life Divine. (repeat 2x) Aum... Eat a meal in complete silence. Record in your journal how you felt when you tried eating in this fashion. How does it compare with, for example, eating on the go? Or eating in the midst of chatter, where the mind is on talking instead of connecting with the meal? YOGA TEACHER TRAINEES: POINTS TO PONDER Different asanas have different the state of consciousness. For example, forward bends naturally create a quality of peace, while backbends are energizing. How would you sequence the poses for: - A morning routine - An evening routine, done before bed time - Prior to meditation?
DIET FOR THE BODY, MIND AND SOUL THE MAGNETIC DIET Food is of three kinds: material food, mental energy, and Divine Wisdom, affecting the body battery, mind battery, and Soul battery respectively. Remember that good thoughts and concentration are nourishing food for the mind. Evil thoughts are poisonous to the health of both body and mind. Your magnetic diet consists of: 1. The thoughts you are thinking. 2. The thoughts you receive from the close thought contact with your friends and relatives. (Either peaceful or disquieting.) 3. Rays and oxygen: A. Vitamins are different kinds of rays. When you are eating, you are eating energy B. The ultra violet rays which one absorbs in a day at the bathing beach exert a beneficial vitalizing effect on the body. C. Treatments with artificially produced ultra violet and infracted rays under guidance of a specialist are beneficial. D. Bathing in sunlight heated or ultra violet ray saturated water is very good. 4. Vigorous rubbing of the body with the hands generates Life Force. 5. Occasional charging the body with electricity by holding onto two electrodes of a battery is a good method of supplying the body with free energy. The current should be very weak. To overcome mental stagnation: 1. Give the 20 body parts a breakfast of energy the first thing in the morning by practicing the tension exercises (Energization Exercises taught in the Kriya Preparation Class). 2. Practice techniques of Concentration and Meditation. 3. Exercise with the instruments of judgment, introspection, and initiative. Exhale poisonous thoughts of discouragement, discontent, and hopelessness. 4. Feast on the creative thinking within yourself and others. 5. Take mental walks on the path of self-consciousness. 6. Take up intensive spiritual study and intensive spiritual dieting, and refuse to suffer longer from the infection of ignorance. Praecepta Lessons, Volume 4, by Swami Yogananda, 1938 SPIRITUAL QUALITIES OF FOOD The food we eat not only has nutritional qualities that affect the material bodies such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins, etc but it also has spiritual qualities. For example, Grapes have the quality of Devotion while banana has the quality of calmness. Listed below are the spiritual qualities of some common fruits and nuts. Bananas: Calmness and Humility Page2
Grapes: Devotion, Divine Love Strawberries: Dignity Raspberries: Kind-heartedness Peaches: Selflessness, Concern for the welfare of others Dates: Tenderness, Sweetness Figs: To soften too strict a sense of Discipline Almonds: Sexual self-control Apples: Health THE DAILY DIET: Your daily food intake should be chosen from the following list of foods which contain all the elements needed for the proper maintenance of the body: 1/2 apple 1/2 grapefruit 1 lemon 1 lime 1 orange 1 glass orange juice with 1 tbsp. finely ground nuts 1 small piece fresh pineapple 6 figs, dates, or prunes (unsulphured) 1 handful raisins (unsulphured) 1 tsp. honey 1 baked, or half-boiled or steamed vegetable with its juice 1 raw carrot, including some of green top 6 leaves raw spinach 1/4 heart of lettuce 1 tsp. olive oil 1 glass milk 1/8 glass cream 1 tbsp. cottage cheese 1 tbsp. Clabber (soured or curdled milk) Eat at least some of the above foods every day, distributing them over your three meals. For instance, you may take the milk at breakfast, bread and egg and vegetable salad at noon, and the ground nuts and fruits at night. Individual food habits may be taken into consideration, but if they are bad gradually change them. At any rate, add some of the foods in the above list to what you are used to eating. Omit those foods mentioned above which do not agree with you, eating only very lightly when you feel the need of nourishment, and gradually accustoming yourself to a more wholesome diet. You may increase or decrease the quantities given above, in accordance with your individual needs. It is, of course, obvious that the person doing strenuous muscular work requires more food than the sedentary worker. Page3
Whenever one is hungry one may take a large tablespoonful of thoroughly ground nuts in half a glass of water or in a glass of orange juice. When thirsty, drink a glass of orange juice or water (preferably distilled or boiled). However, nature s distilled water--undiluted fruit juice is best. Do not drink too much ice water with meals. Ice water should be taken sparingly at any time, but especially during and after meals as it lowers the temperature of the stomach, thus retarding digestion. Never drink ice water when you are overheated. NINE-DAY DIET The Nine-day Cleansing and Vitalizing Diet, given below, has proved a most effective method for ridding the system of poisons. 1 1/2 grapefruit 1 1/2 lemons 5 oranges 1 glass orange juice with 1 teaspoon Senna Leaves or new Original Swiss Kriss*(3) 1 cooked vegetable with juice (quantity optional) 3 cups vitality beverage (one at each meal) 1 raw vegetable salad VITALITY BEVERAGE Ingredients for beverage: 2 stalks chopped celery 5 carrots (chopped) incl. part of stem 1 bunch chopped parsley 1/2 quart chopped dandelion or turnip greens or spinach 1 qt. Water No salt or spices The beverage may be prepared in two ways, the first being preferable: (1) After putting celery and carrots through meat chopper, lightly boil them in the water for ten minutes. Then add selected greens and parsley and boil ten minutes more. Strain by squeezing through cheesecloth. (2) Use the same ingredients, but do not cook them. After putting them through meat chopper, strain as above. Drink one cup of the beverage, prepared by either method, at each of the three meals. This vitality beverage has been found to be a blood tonic and very effective in rheumatism, various stomach disorders (including acute indigestion), chronic catarrh, bronchitis, and nervous breakdown. While on the cleansing diet, strictly abstain from spices, candies, pastries, meat, eggs, fish, cheese, milk, butter, bread, fried foods, oil, beans--in fact, all other foods not mentioned above. If one feels the need of additional nourishment, one may take a tablespoonful of thoroughly ground nuts in a half glass of water or a glass of orange juice. Page4
Following the nine-day diet, one should be especially careful in the selection and quantity of one s food intake the first day and resume a normal diet gradually. If one is not successful in ridding the body of all poisons during the initial attempt, the cleansing diet may be repeated after an interval of two or three weeks. While on the cleansing diet, it has been found beneficial every night just before going to bed, to use two pounds of some good bath salts in one-fourth tub of warm water, and also very helpful to take a bath-salts bath every now and then, for several weeks after finishing the cleansing diet. Page5
SURYA NAMASKAR Salutations to the sun. To the awakening light within. To the dawning of higher consciousness in all beings Page6
ROUTINE After 3 rounds of Surya Namaskar stand in Tadasana with hands in front of chest and continue affirming for 2 min For 5 Minutes Page7
DESIGNING A PERSONAL ROUTINE The goal is to create an asana routine for your personal home practice. Create something that s useful for you. Whether you have 10 minutes of 1 hour to practice, it doesn t matter set a realistic goal that you can stick to. An Asana routine is not just about what asanas to practice, but the sequence in which to practice them as well. SEQUENCING AN ANANDA YOGA ROUTINE In Ananda Yoga, the postures are sequenced to help bring energy from the periphery of the body into the spine, and up the spine to the brain. This basic sequence (which can of course be varied based on the occasion), is as follows: 1. Sitting upright, do one or more pranayams (breathing exercises), then meditate briefly so that you can do the postures with centered, inward awareness and concentration. 2. Use warm-up exercises to energize and limber the body, and to harmonize breath, movement, and awareness. (If you use Energization Exercises to warm up which we highly recommend you may wish to follow them with another pranayama to draw the awakened energy to a focus.) 3. Begin the asana portion of the practice with standing asanas to help develop right posture and vitality, and to center the consciousness in the spine. 4. Come down to the floor for seated and floor asanas that relax the extremities, stretch and open the spine, and energize the spine (more or less in that order). This includes a wide range of asanas backward bends, forward bends, sideways bends, and spinal twists that will make your astral spine a free and open channel for the energy to flow upward to the brain. 5. Complete the active asanas with inverted asanas to use the force of subtle gravity (the earth s subtle downward pull on our consciousness, akin to the physical force of gravity) to draw your energy up the spine toward the brain. 6. Do an extended deep relaxation in savasana to immerse yourself deeply in the inner awareness that has been awakened. 7. Finish with a sitting meditation. Always follow a bend in one direction with a bend in the opposite direction, so as to return the body to a state of balance. This reflects the overall teaching of Raja Yoga, which is that one must neutralize the opposites of duality (dwaita) and become identified with the one central reality: the adwaitic ( non-dual ) Spirit, which rests forever at the eye of the storm of creation. Page8
SAMPLE ROUTINES The following sample routines show how the poses can be used to accommodate two different people. Jennifer has a 45 minute routine which energizes her afternoons; Joseph has a 20 minute routine which prepares him for meditation. Analyze the sequence and content of these routines; apply what you have learned and create your own. PERSONAL ASANA ROUTINE SAMPLE 1 (JENNIFER KANDEL) Length of practice: 45 min (Warmups: 10 min, Asanas: 30 min, Meditation: 5 min) Jennifer Says: I meditate for 1 hour in the morning, so it is not realistic to add asanas to it. I practice this routine 3 times a week during my lunch break. I used to feel tired during late afternoon, but since I started this routine, my energy has increased significantly. Vrikasana Tree Pose I am calm! I am poised! Ustrasana Camel Pose With calm faith, I open to Thy Light Ardha Chandrasana Half Moon Pose Strength and courage fill my body cells. Sasamgasana Hare Pose I am master of my energy; I am master of myself Trikonasana Triangle Pose Energy and joy flood my body cells! Joy descends to me! Navasana Boat Pose or V Pose Within my every breath is infinite power Virabhadrasana I Warrior I Pose I attune my will to the Source of all power. Adho Mukha Shvanasana Downward-Facing Dog Calmness radiates from every fiber of my being Padahastasana Jackknife Pose Nothing on earth can hold me. Matsyasana Fish Pose My soul floats on waves of cosmic light. Bhujangasana Cobra Pose Balasana Child Pose I rise joyfully to meet each new opportunity I relax from outer involvement into my inner haven of peace. Savasana Corpse Pose Meditation in Siddhasana Perfect Pose Bones, muscles, movement, I surrender now. Anxiety, elation & depression, churning thoughts, all these I give into the hands of peace. I set ablaze the fire of inner joy. Page9
PERSONAL ASANA ROUTINE SAMPLE 2 (JOSEPH BAUMGARTNER) Length of practice: 20 min (Warmups: 5 min, Asanas: 15 min) John says: This asana routine is followed by 40 min meditation. I feel very calm and centered by the time I sit down for meditation. For variety, I have 2 different routines and I alternate between them. Routine 1 Routine 2 Vrikasana Tree Pose I am calm! I am poised! Vrikasana Tree Pose I am calm! I am poised! Garudasana Eagle Pose At the center of life s storms I stand serene. Trikonasana Triangle Pose Energy and joy flood my body cells! Joy descends to me! Ardha Chandrasana Half Moon Pose Strength and courage fill my body cells. Padahastasana Jackknife Pose Nothing on earth can hold me. Ardha Matsyendrasana Half Spinal Twist I radiate love and goodwill to soul-friends everywhere Ustrasana Camel Pose With calm faith, I open to Thy Light Setu Bhandasana Bridge Pose I offer every thought as a bridge to divine grace. Simhasana Lion s Pose I purify my thoughts, my speech, my every action. Sarvangasana Shoulder Stand God s peace now floods my being. Adho Mukha Shvanasana Downward-Facing Dog Calmness radiates from every fiber of my being Savasana Corpse Pose Bones, muscles, movement, I surrender now. Anxiety, elation & depression, churning thoughts, all these I give into the hands of peace. Savasana Corpse Pose Bones, muscles, movement, I surrender now. Anxiety, elation & depression, churning thoughts, all these I give into the hands of peace. Page10
ANANDA YOGA ASANAS AND AFFIRMATIONS Adho Mukha Shvanasana Downward-Facing Dog Calmness radiates from every fiber of my being Janushirasana Head to the Knee Pose Left and right and all around life s harmonies are mine. Ardha Chandrasana Half Moon Pose Strength and courage fill my body cells. Jathara Parivartanasana Supine Twist I open to the flow of God s life within me. Ardha Matsyendrasana Half Spinal Twist I radiate love and goodwill to soul-friends everywhere Matsyasana Fish Pose My soul floats on waves of cosmic light. Standing Backward Bend (no Sanskrit) I am free! I am free! Navasana Boat Pose or V Pose Within my every breath is infinite power Balasana Child Pose I relax from outer involvement into my inner haven of peace. Padahastasana Jackknife Pose Nothing on earth can hold me. Bhujangasana Cobra Pose I rise joyfully to meet each new opportunity Padmasana Lotus Pose I sit serene, uplifted in thy light Dandasana Staff Pose No affirmation Parvatasana Seated Mountain Pose My thoughts and energy rise up to touch the skies Dhanurasana Bow Pose I recall my scattered forces to recharge my spine Paschimotanasana Posterior or Stretching Pose I am safe, I am sound. All good things come to me; they bring me peace! Garudasana Eagle Pose At the center of life s storms I stand serene. Pavanamuktasana Wind-Freeing Pose I release my spinal energy to rise in light. Halasana Plow Pose New life, new consciousness now flood my brain! Plank Pose No Sanskrit No affirmation Page11
ANANDA YOGA ASANAS AND AFFIRMATIONS Sarvangasana Shoulder Stand God s peace now floods my being. Trikonasana Triangle Pose Energy and joy flood my body cells! Joy descends to me! Sasamgasana Hare Pose I am master of my energy; I am master of myself Ustrasana Camel Pose With calm faith, I open to Thy Light Savasana Corpse Pose Bones, muscles, movement, I surrender now. Anxiety, elation & depression, churning thoughts, all these I give into the hands of peace. Utkatasana Chair Pose My body is no burden; It is light as air Setu Bhandasana Bridge Pose I offer every thought as a bridge to divine grace. Vajrasana Firm Pose or Thunderbolt Pose In stillness I touch my inner strength. Siddhasana Perfect Pose I set ablaze the fire of inner joy. Viparita Karani Simple Inverted Pose Awake, my sleeping powers, awake! Salabhasana Locust Pose I soar upwards on wings of joy! Virabhadrasana I Warrior I Pose I attune my will to the Source of all power. Surya Namaskar Sun Salutation Salutations to the Sun. To the awakening light within. To the dawning of higher consciousness in all beings. Virabhadrasana II Warrior II Pose I joyfully manifest the power of God. Tadasana Standing Mountain Pose I stand ready to obey Thy least command. Vrikasana Tree Pose I am calm! I am poised! Page12
DIET AND ROUTINE DESIGN: SELF STUDY QUESTIONS Name: 1. Create a personal routine. Attach this routine on a separate piece of paper, and bring it with you to the next class. We will refine it during class. 2. 3. The food we eat is more than an assortment of chemicals. Essentially it is. As such, it affects our. (Hint: Study Diet section of Step V) 4. Match the foods with their qualities 1) Dates a) Mental Freshness 2) Coconuts b) A simple nature 3) Figs c) Mildness 4) Beets d) To soften too strict a sense of discipline 5) Egg Yolks e) Tenderness, Sweetness 6) Spinach f) Rajasic, Outwardly directed energy 7) Maple Syrup g) Generally spiritualizing 8) Tomatoes h) Mental Strength 9) Unpolished Rice i) Courage (Hint: Study diet section of Step 10) 5. Of all material foods, fruits manifest guna in its purest form. Page13