Rules to be followed

1. Yogasanas must not be done in empty floors.

2. By doing on the empty floor, the heat in our body transfers to the ground and the heat of our body may reduce, and we may loose the balance.  Hence better to do it on grass bed, rug, on a cloth, or on bed.

3. Early morning or evening is good.

4. To rise early in the morning (before sun rise) to complete the natures call,  washing the face,  cleaning the teeth, to clean the tongue, gargling while cleaning the tongue the phlegm from the throat must come out, to prevent the diseases of throat.  Those who are suffering from cough trouble must clean the throat by using salt water (4 to 5 cups).  If they drink, the vomit comes out and the bad flame comes out.  If the consumption of salt increase, motion may start.  But no danger.  By this method those who are suffering from breathing trouble will be free.  If it is neglected they will have to meet heavy expenses for medical treatment.

5. Yogasana, pranayama, dhyana are to be practiced in sacred places.

6. After meals or when the stomach is full yogasana must not be practiced. When the stomach is empty asanas must be practiced.  After giving a margin of half an hour (after yogasanas) we must take food.

7. While doing yogasana, more clothes must not be worn.  By wearing more clothes, the movement of the bodies are not free.

8. In the begining easy asana is to be practiced, and then difficult asanas, should be practiced.

9. Asanas done, depending upon the strength, ability, doing too much is dangerous.  Gradual increase in timings and practicing may be done.

10. The bad water which comes, when doing asanas must not be wiped by cloth, it must be wiped with bare hands only.

11. We must not give more pressure, or pressure, slowly and scientifically done.

12. Each asana must be done within the prescribed time, and without exertion.

13. The room in which asanas are done must have windows and ventilation. Better to perform in an open place.

14. During summer the exercises to be reduced.  In cold season exercise to be increased.

15. Practice after passing urine and empty stomach.

16. While doing pranayama, after long hours practice, gradually the rechaka, kumbaka, pooraka, to be increased, but not all of a sudden.  Age increases in doing more rechaka, pooraka, kumbaka while doing pranayama But gradual increase.

17. We must try to control the mind influenced by outside environment to divert it inside, and praying or putting in diet.

18. Om Kara, mantra must be recited while doing pooraka, kambaka.

19. Neck, back body must be straight while doing asanas.

20. Everyday - asanas are to be practiced either in the morning or evening - practicing must not stopped under any circumstances.

21. While practicing in the beginning stages we can experience ache in the body, or laziness.  It will be alright, gradually, not to be exerted more. Showing much enthusiasm in the beginning and leaving in the middle is very bad.

22. While doing asanas long breath is essential.  How many times to breath, when to stop, to be learnt by experience.

23. It is easy to do asanas, after bath.  After doing asanas the smell of the seat may be experienced.  Again after 30 minutes it will be pleasant to take bath again.

24. Take rest between one asana and the other

25. Each asana is to be practiced five times.

26. Ladies who are pregnant must not do asanas.  They can do light domestic work.  They must not lift heavy weights.

27. While doing exercise to effect for one side, the other side effecting exercise must also be done.

28. We can do yogasanas even at home.

29. Those who use spectacles must remove it and do yogasana.

30. Suitable asanas for disease to be done.  First to take medicine and then to do asanas.  Those who are not healthy must not do asanas.  Such persons must do pranayama.

31. The duration of the asanas is to be reduced during beginning stage, and gradually increased.



32. Asanas to be done only as per the instructions of Patanjali Rishi, you must not change, as per your will and pleasure.

33. As we have to do the shirasasana by keeping the head down, people who are suffering from blood pressure, heart touble, brain disease, eyesore must not do shirasasana.

34. While doing asanas, we must practice by opening our eyes.

35. While doing asanas, we must not keep the mirror, side wards, it must be hung straight on the wall if not your body will not look straight.

36. We must not breath through mouth.  We must breath only through nose.

37. While doing asanas, we must give attention about the movement of the organs of the body, we must give rest to brain.  When we do mistake then we must give work to the brain.

38. The rules of breathing is to be carefully followed.

39. After completing, asanas we must take rest for 15 minutes, in shavasana stage, the object is take rest.

40. Those who do yogasana, and pranayama, must preserve bhahmacharya, very important, even a family, man must do yogasadhane. But patience is essential.

41. Anuloma, viloma, nadishudhi must be practiced for long time, and then kumba, yukta pranayama is to be done.  But before doing all this, without observing the formalities is dangerous.

42. Children below 16 must not do pranayama.  Their mind will be upset, and will have to face consequence.

43. Even women have got the right to do pranayama, as men, those who wish to have children, the man and the woman should do pranayama, dhyana, dharana.

44. While doing pranayama, and dhyana, eyes to be closed, and the attention to be inward. Because eyes and mind spoil concentration.

45. The entire life must be reserved for sadhana, it must not stop, not even a day.

46. Let there be enthusiasm and zeal (sincerity) clear mind.

47. Paraka 1 matre time, necessary, for pranayama of kumbakayukta, duration of kumbaka is 4 matre time, rechaka is 2 matre time.

48. If it is difficult to follow the principles of kumbaka, (possible) pooraka rechaka, possible - kumbaka to follow.

Patanjali's yoga sutras

We must know the meaning of astanga yoga. Yama, niyama, aasana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi eight routes of astangas.

Yama : ahimsa, truth, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha are the five things - not to trouble others, to speak the truth, not steel others belongings to preserve vitality is brahmacharya.  In addition to these, kshama, druti, daya, arjave (simplicity) limited food.

Niyama : cleanliness, happiness, tapas, swadyaya, eswara praneedana - moral duties. Cleanliness of body and mind to free from desires, tyaga, viveka, vyragya vivechane, to purify the mind by tapas, to study philosphy and shastras studying to ingle in godliness.

Studying scriptures must be the aim of yoga sadaka.

Asana : The posture of sitting of yogasadaka, itself is asana. In yoga shastra there are 86 asanas, but including their portions. It is learnt that there are 676 asanas.

Among those asanas siddhasana, padmasana, swastikasana, vajrasana, bhadrasana, are helpful to paramathama sadhana.  Remaining are for the health preservation.

Padmasana is good for all Siddhasana is useful for brahmacharies (bachelors).

The History of yoga

In the beginning it is said Parameshwara preached yoga to Parvati. Then Parvati to Brahma, then Brahma to Sanaka, Narada, Vasta's sons and from then it has come in force, from generation to generation.

As per Bagawad Geetha Sree Krishna preached Arjuna about yoga, its ancient background, and which he had already preached to Surya.  Surya to Manu, and Manu to Ikshwaku, and then it has come into practice from generation to generation. Patanjali Maha Rishi has narrated this long back in his 185 shlokas  as Patanjali Yoga Shastra.

In Ayurveda, before commencing the treatment to cure diseases, the bodies are examined by panchakarmas such as Spadhana, Snehana, Nirupana, Basti, Nasya, as in practice.  Similarly, for yoga sadhana, by shatkarma vidhi, like dhouti, basti, neti trataka, noulgi, kapala bhati.  This is told in vidhi.  As per procedure before pranayama practicing, these are to be done.  By doing this the body is purified and mental concentration achieved.

What is yoga

Yoga means concentration of mind. We can increase our philosophical, external powers of the mind, and also courage. This enables to expose the hidden power in our body. Both the body and the mind become strong.  The respiratory system is to be preserved, for he existence.  That controlling power is yoga.

Our aim must be to maintain the discipline of respiration and good healthy body.  We are spoiling our bodies by running the valuable power in us and thinking always about bad.  That will reduce our age. There is no use by thinking.  We will have to waste our lives, without securing happiness, in our life time. Thinking is the root cause for old age. If at all we are interested to achieve our objects in life, and to be healthy, we must have a healthy body. Our body health must be in equal stage.  If not we will have to experience the effect of several kinds of diseases and also to face unnatural death. The intelligent man depends upon the preservation of mind and health. Yoga is the only way which awakes the inner thoughts and to keep the body in normal conditions by a regular practice of yoga, the mind becomes pure and we can solve all the problems easily, by practicing new experiments of science, we can try to lead a happy life.  Scientific method is the only way to solve our problems.

We can prevent diseases like blood pressure, sugar complaint etc, by practicing yoga.