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General informations: We have collected these information from various internet sources for our practice references only.
Other reference Reading :YogAsana | YogaGyan | YogaMudra | Coming up soon -> YogaFor
Samkhya Yoga:Samkhya-Yoga is an ancient tradition, and one of the six major traditions of Hinduism. It is also one of the paths of yoga described in the yogic text, the Bhagavad Gita, where it is explained as the path of correctly discerning the principles or tattva of existence. Ref youtube video the relation of Samkhya yog and yoga philosophy.
The dualistic theory of creation or causation is called Sankhya Philosophy and it appears in texts as ancient as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Its founder was the sage Kapila who is considered by scholars to be older than Buddha. It is also the theory of creation recognized by both Yoga and Ayurveda. Sankhya-yoga is a practice that combines the activities of the body and the soul. It is a form of devotional Yoga or Bhakti Yoga. The goal of Sankhya-yoga is to achieve union with the Supreme Being. Through this practice, we can become more aware of our spiritual nature. Understanding the concept of Samkhya as Purusha and Prakriti, and studying its elements in detail can help practitioners reach a deeper level of awareness in their holistic yoga practice.
Tattva
Tattvas are the basic concepts to understand the nature of absolute, the souls and the universe in Samkhya and Shaivite philosophies. Samkhya philosophy lists 25 tattvas while later Shaivite philosophies extend the number to 36. Tattvas are used to explain the structure and origin of the Universe.
Parabhramha ->Purush, Prakruti.
Prakruti-> Avyakta, Vyakta
Vyakta-> Mahat Buddhi -> Aham Kaar -> Aham Kaar +Satva, Aham Kaar+Tama
Aham Kaar +Satva -> Organs of Senses, Action of Senses
Organs of Senses ->Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Skin
Action of Senses -> Hands, Feet, Voice, Organs of excretion, Organs of reproduction
Aham Kaar+Tama->Panchbhoot, Tan Mantra
Panchbhoot->Aakash, Vayu, Tej, Aap, Pruthvi
Tan-Matra->Shabda, Sparsh, Roop, Rasa, Gandh
| Granthi (Psychic “Knots”)
- The Granthis are psycho emotional knots that are housed along
the Shushumna Nadi and correlate with the seven main chakras along the
central nerve channel. Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra are the three
Granthi's. These knots prevent the life force from freely flowing.There
are many tantra yoga kriyas or
practices to pierce each knot. They are permutations of pranayama,
meditation, asana, mudras, and mantras. These practices must coincide
with a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and following Yama and Niyama. Bandhas
are inner body locks that engage both the physical and the energetic
body. They provide inner support during asana practice, stimulate the
flow of prana and help to release the granthis, which can be understood
as energy blockages or psychological knots. According to the yogic tradition, a granthi (“knot”) is an energetic and psychic contraction preventing the free flow of prana (energy) along sushumna nadi (the main energy channel in the subtle body). The granthis impede the awakening of the chakras and the rising of kundalini shakti (the fundamental force of our being, generally lying dormant in muladhara chakra). In order for kundalini to achieve its final upward movement to sahasrara, it must first pierce through each of the three granthis (Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra). These three psychic knots are located at the level of muladhara, anahata, and ajna chakras. |  |
Avastha
Avastha is state or stage, in yoga it is a state of mind. In general 3 known avasthas are waking (Jagrat), dreaming (Swapna) & deep sleep(Sushupti). There are also four known avasthas of a Siddha yogi on his path of yoga: the arambha (initial) avastha, ghata (second) avastha, parichaya (third) avastha and nishpatti (fourth) avastha.
Some of the names of Avasthas: Sahaj, Turya, Unmani, Manonmani
A clock to remember:
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Siddhi (Supernatural powers):
Siddhis can be translated as perfection or accomplishment. All religions accept the phenomenon of supernatural powers.
Eight main powers acquired by a spiritual person as listed in the Indian scriptures are Aṇimā, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prāpti, Prākāmya, Iṣhaṭva, Vasatva.
These are the most discussed yogic powers.
Anima - becaming small like atom, Mahima - becaming great, like akash (space), Garima - Being light but ability to became very heavy, Laghima - small or light, ability to became very light, Prapti - ability to acquire anything anywhere, Prakamya - ability to obtain anything desired, Ishatva - Power of absolute lordship over entire creation, Vasatva - ability to have everything under control, especially the physical manifestation made up of 5 elements.
Lord Hanuman ji has these siddhis as per context depicted in various incidents in Hindu Mythological scripts.
Nidhis (devine treasures) are:
Mahapadma: Great lotus flower , Padma: Lotus/ a Himalayan lake with treasures
Shankha: Conch shell, Makara: Crocodile/ Antimony
Kachchhapa: Tortoise or turtle shell , Mukunda: Cinnabar/ Quick Silver
Kunda: Jasmine/ Arsenic , Nila: Sapphire/ Antimony , Kharva: Cups, vessels baked in fire
Rudras:
According to the legend Brahma asked Rudra to create some other beings as he was bored of creating simple mortals.
It is said that Shiva created 11 forms of Rudra. They are called Kapali, Pingala, Bhima, Virupaksa, Vilohita, Ajesha, Shasana, Shasta, Shambhu, Chanda and Bhav.
| Panchakoshas: Yoga says that each person has five distinct energy bodies or koshas, vibrating at different speeds. These interacting and overlapping layers of energy form the complete spiritual, mental and physical nature of the human personality. Kosha is a Sanskrit word meaning sheath, moving from the gross physical body to the subtle spiritual body. Each kosha signifies a more refined dimension of consciousness. The koshas are known as : annamaya (the food sheath), pranamaya (the sheath of vital life force energy), manomaya (the mental or psychological sheath), vignanamaya (the intellect sheath) and anandamaya (the bliss sheath). Maya means 'composed of', so these sheaths are composed of food, energy, intellect, intuition and bliss. |  |
 | Pranas: Pranamaya kosha is made up of five major pranas, which are collectively known as the pancha, or five pranas: prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana. Prana in this context does not refer to cosmic prana, but rather to just one flow of energy, governing the thoracic area between the larynx and the top of the diaphragm. Prana:functions between the throat and the diaphragm, Apana:flows downwards and stimulates the downward movement of the wastes, Samana:operates between the naval and the diaphragm, Udana:functions above the throat, face and head region, Vyana:this vayu pervades the entire body Along with these five major pranas there are five minor pranas known as the upa-pranas: naga, koorma, krikara, devadatta and dhananjaya. Naga is responsible for belching and hiccups. Koorma opens the eyes and stimulates blinking. Krikara generates hunger, thirst, sneezing and coughing. Devadatta induces sleep and yawning. Dhananjaya lingers after death and upon its departure, decay and decomposition of the body begins to happen. |
PanchaKlesha(Mental afflictions):
Avidyaa (Ignorance), Asmita(ego), Raaga(attraction), Dwesha(repulsion), Abinivesha(urge to live at any cost).
With these 5 kleshas we are born into human life. Through Yoga we can understand how these control our life and see their effects on our behaviour.These 'Kleshas' hinder our personal and social life and must be destroyed through the practice of Patanjali's Kriya Yoga consisting of Tapas, Swadyaya and Ishwar Pranidhana (Atman Prasadhanam). These are the root cause of stress and by tackling them head on we can distress effectively.
Chitta Bhumi, Chitta Vritti, Chatur Bhavana, Samatvam
Purushartha
Purushartha can be translated as the “object of human pursuit” or “purpose of human beings.”
The four ultimate goals of purushartha are believed to be necessary for a happy and fulfilling life.
In simple terms, artha is equated with money, kama with pleasure, dharma with duty and moksha with death.
Artha and kama refer to the goals that humans are naturally inclined to seek, whereas dharma and moksha are considered to be of greatest importance to spiritual growth.
Chaturvidha Purusharths:Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha
Chatur Ashramas: Bhramhacharya, Grihasta, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa
Instant Relaxation Technique :
Yoga nidra is not a meditation practice though it looks similar. Stat with 15-20 minutes and later increase to 45 minutes If you are uncomfortable lying on the floor then you can do this on bed or recliner too. In this practice you make aware of your body parts while lying/relaxing. You make aware of your breathing to start with. Also you make yourself awy from your body by concious attempt to be unconcious. Once you complete with journey be seated for some time to be aware about how you felt. This is very good instant relaxation technique (IRT) and feel relaxed/fresh after you complete the session.
Ahar (Yogic/satvik food): Ref - hatha-pradipika-ch-1
पुष्टं सुमधुरं स्निग्धं गव्यं धातुप्रपोषणम् । मनोभिलषितं योग्यं योगी भोजनम् आचरेत् ॥६६॥
Pushtam
sumadhuram snigdham gavyam dhatu-praposhanam | Manobhilashitam
yogyam yogi bhojanmacharet ||
AyurVeda: Ayurveda means science of life and longetivity. Ayurveda is a holistic way to look at health - it doesn't just focus on treating illness but also on preventing it.
“Samadosha, samagnischa samadhatumala kriyaha prasanna atmenindriya manaha swasthya ityabhidheeyate”
-(Charak Samhita)
It follows that the doshas must be in equilibrium, the digestive fire must be in a balanced state and the tissues (dhatus) and malas (wastes) must work in a normal state. The sensory and motor organs and mind, atma must be also in a pleasant state. Such a person is called a healthy person or Swastha.
TriDosha - Kapha, Vata, Pitta
Ayurveda means “the wisdom of life” in Sanskrit, and the science links the rhythms of the universal elements—earth, fire, air, water, and space—to individual constitutions called doshas. The three dosha types are vata, pitta, and kapha, and while people all have some of each, generally, a person tends to have an abundance of one or a predominant combination of two.
Vata types are connected to the air and space, so they are similar to the wind—dry, cool, and capable of fast, unpredictable movement and thought. Pittas are aligned with fire, influenced by air, and act with intense determination. Finally, kaphas are a combination of earth and water, move slowly and gracefully, and tend to be both stable and loyal.
These doshic constitutions, known as prakruti, are determined at the moment of conception, according to Ayurveda. But doshas are like anything in life; they are fluid and affected by circumstance, emotion, or even the seasons.
Foods included in an Ayurvedic diet would be fresh vegetables (especially leafy greens), rice, whole grains and beans.
Rasa:
According to Acharya Punarvasu Atreya, the preceptor of Charaka Samhita, there are a total of six rasas.
All types of food items have been kept under these Shad Rasa. Each rasa has its own properties and effects, which when ingested perform different necessary actions in the body. Food containing "Shad Rasa" or "Six Ayurveda Rasa" is best,
they should be taken in proper proportion, if taking less or more than this, there is a possibility of the body suffering from diseases.
Madhura, Amla, Lavana, Katu, Tikta, Kashaya
The concept of 33 Koti Gods(Devata):
The number 33 comes from the number of Vedic gods explained by Yajnavalkya in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad –
They are: 8-Vasu, 11-Rudra, and 12-Aaditya, 1-Indra and 1-Prajaapati. (Chapter I, hymn 9, verse 2)
Sum Total of it is 33
8. Vasus are ~ Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, Moon, Sun, and Star. They are called Vasus, because they are abode of all that lives, moves or exists. (also mentioned in Mahabharat, 1/66/18)
11. Rudras ~ The ten Pranas (Praana, Apaana, Vyaana, Samaana, Udaana, Naag, Kurma, Krikal, Devadutta and Dhananjaya) i.e. nervauric forces which live in the human body. The eleventh is the human soul. These are called ‘Rudras’ because when they desert the body, it becomes dead and the relations of the deceased, consequently, begin to weep.
Rudra means one who makes a person to weep. { also mentioned in Harivansha 13/51-52})
12. Adityaas —the twelve months of a year called Adityaas, they cause the lapse of the term of existence of each object or being. (also mentioned in Mahabharat). Anshuman, Aryaman, Indra, tvashta, Dhnu, Parjanya, Poosha, Bhaga, Mitra, Varun, Vaivasvata, Vishnu. These names are varied in differnet puranas but basics of about are same.
1. Indra which is also known as the (all-pervading) electricity, as it is productive of great force.
1. Prajaapati, also called the “Yajna” because it benefits mankind by the purification of air, water, rain and vegetables and because it aids the development of various arts, and in it the honor is accorded to the learned and the wise.
The master of these 33 Devatas is the Mahadeva or Ishwar who alone is to be worshipped as per 14th Kanda of Shatpath Brahman.
Yoga is nothing else but a science of awareness. Do how much you can for others. A life lived for others gives happiness.
So we have duty towards our near and dear and then towards our work.