INTRODUCTION TO YOGA AND YOGIC PRACTICES

1.1 YOGA ETYMOLOGY ,DEFINITION ,AIM, OBJECTIVE AND MISCONCEPTION

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What is yoga?

Derived from Sanskrit word yog which means “Jod” in Hindi or” Joining” in English this is
joining of” Jivatam”( human) with “Parmatma”( God).Through through yoga practice we can
have self realization and achieve God you guys another form of physical exercise by doing
physical exercise we can develop only body muscles. But by yoga we can achieve the
conditioning of all internal prhan like heart , liver,brain etc

Some human body parts that are positively affected by yoga are :
● Heart
● Lungs
● Intestines
● Liver
● Spleen
● Pancreas
● Backbone
● Glands
● Brain

Some points about yoga:

● Yoga originated in ancient India. Yoga typically means union between the mind body and
spirit.
● Yoga makes us use different movements, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and
meditation.
● Yoga is perfect way to ensure overall health and physical fitness through meditation
breathing exercise called Pranayam
● The amazing positive thing about yoga is that there is no visible side effects are
associated with the practice of yoga on regular basis
● Yoga reduces the stress and the risk of many diseases.
○ Pre - patanjali period (before 500 BC)
○ Patanjali period ( 500 BC to 800 BC)
○ Post patanjali period ( 800 AD onwards)

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 1. PRE- PATANJALI PERIOD ( BEFORE 500 BC) : It is also called a veda era since
all Veda and upanishads were written during the period.

Veda: These are the text which contain hymns ,philosophy and guidance for life these are
written in Sanskrit with considered to be mother of all language it is considered to be
oldest return document why are you one there are four Vedas.

● Rigveda
● Yajurveda
● Atharvaveda
● Samveda

UPANISHADS: MEANING OF UPANISHADS IS SITTING DOWN ON FEET

WHICH MEANS GETTING SHIKSHA OR EDUCATION THESE ARE THE ESSENCE OF
VEDAS THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 UPANISHADs AVAILABLE.

2. PATANJALI PERIOD ( 500BC TO 800 AD) Maharishi Patanjali compiled all yoga in
the book called yoga Sutra this book has total 196 Sutra or formula the book has four
segment call samadhi pada ,Sadhna pada ,vibhuti pada , kaivalya pada

Samadhi pada : in this segment Patanjali explain about samadhi

Sadhana pada:. In this segment he explains about meditation

Vibhuti pada: in this segment Patanjali explains about yoga

Kaivalya pada: in this segment Patanjali explain the connection of yoga with body mind
and soul

3. POST PATANJALI PERIOD ( 800 AD ONWARDS) : after Patanjali there were many
Yogesh who developed yoga with their own personal style the created in new form of
yoga

Modern yoga is called Hatha yoga aur physical hoga this is also related to “ kundalini
yoga “ which is part of Raja yoga. modern yoga is a mixture of all four parts of yoga and
gives more stress on posters.

JOURNEY OF YOGA FROM INDIA TO THE WORLD

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 ● For many the practice of yoga as restricted to hota yoga and asanas I were among the
yoga Sutra just three sutras are deleted to asanas preparatory process so that the body can
sustain high level of energy
● Traditional school of yoga: different philosophy is traditions Guru shishya tradition of
yoga lead to emergence of different traditional school of yoga jnana yoga, bhakti yoga,
karma yoga, kundalini yoga ,hatha yoga Mantra yoga, laya yoga, Raja yoga etc school
has its own principle and practices leading to ultimate aim of yoga

CONTRIBUTION OF YOGA GURU'S IN SPREADING YOGA

HAS SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD BY TEACHING OF GREAT PERSONALITIES

LIKE SWAMI SHIVANANDA ,SWAMI NANDA SRI YOGENDRA SWAMI, RAMA
MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI ,BKS IYENGAR WAS FOUNDER OF THE STYLE OF
YOGA KNOWN AS IYENGAR YOGA WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FOR MOST
YOGA TYPE IN MODERN DAYS SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR AND SWAMI RAMDEV HAS
CONTRIBUTED A LOT IN SPREADING YOGA TO THE COMMON HOUSEHOLD.

YOGA TERMINOLOGY AND THEIR MEANING

COMMON TERMINOLOGY USED IN YOGA

1.Asanas: Body posture in yoga

2.Ashtanga : one of the major yoga path which has eight leaves

3.Ayurveda: Ancient Indian science of medicines

4.Bandha: Internal lock which is used during yoga

5.Chakra: 7 energy centers of body

6.Dosh: body types as per Ayurveda, Pitta( fire) ,vata( Air) , kapha ( Earth)

7.Hatha yoga: A type of yoga path

8.Mudra: Hand gesture during yoga practice

9. Mantra: group of words chanted for positive environmental meditation

10 Dhyana: practices of controlling and focusing the mind and process of self awaking

11. Nadi: this is an energy channel as per Vedic believe in which prana

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12. Ojus: the subtle energy created in body by discipline of chasting Om or Aum: the original
universal syllabus as per Vedic believes

13.Patanjali: Indian sage who compiled all yoga Sutra earlier scattered in different forms

14. Pranayama: it is a type of breathing exercise in yoga practices

15. Props,: tools which are used for assigning yogis in doing yoga practice for example mat
,straps etc

16. Power yoga : it is a type of ashtanga yoga which has more focus on fitness

17. Sacrum : a triangular shaped bone situated at the base of spine

18 . Samadhi: It is a state of meditation

19. Sadhana: virtual discipline for getting Sidhhi

20. Shani: it means piece and very frequent chanted during yoga practices

21. Shodhna: it is a purification process in hatha yoga

22. Sutra: ir is a classical text for yoga created by yogis

23.Sushma Nadi: the central Prana current

24 Svadhyaya: Self study

25 Ujjayi: sound of bridge taken from slightly constricted throat

26 Upanishad: it is ancient Vedic tax return by Indian stages

27 Vinyasa: it is a body movement linked with breath

28. Yogini or Yogi: Disciple of yoga

BASIC RULES OF YOGA

1. Age for yoga

2. Ideal place for yoga
3. Ideal clothes for yoga

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 4. Yoga mat for exercise
5. Ideal diet for you
6. Condition of yoga
7. Way of breathing
8. Body condition whole doing yoga
9. Asanas in inverter position
10. Pain in body while doing yoga

DO’S OF YOGA

● YOGA SHOULD BE DONE IN EARLY MORNING and take bath and start yoga it is
advisable that yoga should be done in “Brahma muhrat” which is from 4:24 a.m. to 5:24
a.m.
● Yoga should be practiced one hour after a liquid diet, three hour after refreshment or 5
hour after full meals
● Yoga yoga should be practiced on flat floor in a room where doors and windows are kept
open for air and light
● Yoga should not be performed in ground or cement it should be perform on carpet aur
clean cloth

STREAMS OF YOGA

Yoga has 4 path Bhagavad Gita has detailed on this four par they these four paths are listed
below:

1. Raj yoga
2. Bhakti yoga
3. Janan yoga
4. Karma yoga

1.RAJ YOGA: yoga is practiced to gain mastery over the mind through will power there are
further two branches under Raj yoga.

● BAHIRANGA yoga: bahiranga means external it is controlled by four limbs of a

Astanga yoga: yama, niyama ,asana and Pranayama sometimes the 5th limb pratysihara
is also associated with this

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 ● ANTARANGA YOGA: means internal that is control by last three leaves of a Astanga
yoga Dharana, dhyana and samadhi

2. BHAKTI YOGA: helps a person evolve emotional maturity love for society and to spread the
message of universal brotherhood and desire combined with thyaga sacrifice form per Prema
love Prema along with Saran gati surrender result in bhakti the bhakti yoga relation is between
soul and super soul Bhagwat purana provide us with 9 forms of bhakti:

● Sravan ( listening)
● Kirtana( praising)
● Smarana( remembering
● Pada- sevasna(rendering services)
● Archana( worshipping)
● Vandana( paying homage)
● Dasya( servitude)
● Sakhya( friendship )
● Atma- nivedana( complete surrender of self)

3.JANAN YOGA: this part help in developing logical mind with initiative knowledge and
immense awareness there are three phases in Janan yoga

● Sravana: the first exposure to knowledge in any form ( reading a book, listening to a
lecture etc
● Manana: revisiting the knowledge for understanding
● Nididhyasana: the phase of experimentation

In Janana yoga ultimate aim is to understand the reality of atma soul and the ability to
differentiate it from the body

4. KARMA YOGA:. IT REFERS TO DO OR PERFORMING ACTIONS WITH THE

ATTACHMENT WITHOUT WEARING ABOUT THE RESULTS

ACTION CATEGORISED AS

● Tamsik: they are binding deteriorating violent and is a result of state of delusion and
confusion
● Rajasik: when performed with craving for desires with egoism and lot of
● Sattvic: when it is a free from attachment and done with love or hatred

EIGHT LIMBS OF ASHTANGA YOGA

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The meaning of ashtanga yoga is it limd yoga according to Patanjali the path of internal
purification for revealing the universal self consist of the following 8 is spiritual practices are:

1. Yama: Yama refers to guidelines for how to interact with the outside of world at a
social level the 5 yamas are:

• Ahimsa ( non violence) : the word I am in not to enjoy or show cruelty to any creature
or any person in any way it means kindness friendliness and thoughtfulness consideration
of other people and things

• Satya ( truth) Satyam means to “speak the truth”yet it is not always desirable to speak
the truth in all conditions ,for it could harm someone unnecessarily

• Asteya ( non- stealing) means” to steal” the practice of ascertain prices not taking
anything that has not been freely given by other

• Brahmacharya ( abstinence)it refer to sense control it means that we don't use this
energy in any way that might harm others

• Aparigraha ( non hoarding ) aparigrah means to take only what is necessary and not
to take advantage of a situation or act like a greedy we should only take what we have
earned if we take more we are explorating someone else

2. NIYAMA( PERSONAL OBSERVANCE): refers to guidelines for self discipline Teri

photo da attitude be adopted to word ourself as we create a code for living soulfully

• Saucha ( cleanliness) socha hai both inner and outer expect outer cleanliness simplify
means keeping clean ourselves . Practicing asana of pranayama essential mean for
attending to his inner tone the entire body and remove toxins while Pranayam cleans our
lungs and oxygenated our blood and purify our nerve

• Santosha ( contentment) we should accept that there is a purpose for everything yoga
calls it Karma and we cultivate contentment to accept what happens it means being happy
with what we have rather than being unhappy about what we don't have

• Tapas ( austerity) Tapas refers to the activity of keeping the body fit up to confront
and handle the inner ashes without an outer show literally it means to heat the body and
by doing so to cleans it

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 • Swadhyaya ( the study of self study and scriptures) sava means self adhyay means
study it means to find self awareness in all are activities and efforts even to the point of
welcoming and accepting our limitation

• Ishwarapranidhana ( surrender to god) it means to lay all your action at the feet of
God. The practice require that we set a side sometime is day to recognise that there is
some Omni present force larger than ourselves that is guiding and directing the course of
our lives

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Unity in diversity is a concept of unity without uniformity and diversity without

fragmentation that shift focus from unity based on tolerance of physical cultural linguistic
social religion political ideological differences towards the more complex unity based on
the understanding the difference in human interaction:

● One should practice yoga Kamli without any hast or

● We Should try to practice yoga everyday regularly at the same time
● While performing yoga ,concentrate on yoga and try to keep away the other
thoughts
● During the practice of yoga the dirt in the internal organ of the body is directly
toward the union and bladder so soon after completing yoga we should pass out
the urine
● If one sweaters during yoga practices so he or she should slowly wipe it out either
with a cloth it is better than if it dry up an automatically in the air
● Pranayam should follow the asna and meditation should follow Pranayam
● Always lay on your bed for 2 to 5 minutes with relaxed breathing after finishing
yoga posture
● Women should be slow in every case sudden movement should be avoided

DON’T’ S OF YOGA

● Women should avoid from regular yoga practice during their menstruation or
pregnancy some specific set of asmas to be done
● Don't have a full dummy while doing yoga wait until 1to 3 hours after large meals
● Don't take a shower or drink water for 30 minutes after doing yoga

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 ● Don't do strenuous exercise after yoga
● Yoga should not be practice on unclean or smoky place

MAJOR BENEFITS OF YOGA

Some benefits of doing yoga

● IMPROVEMENT IN IMMUNITY- protection from disease

● HEALTHY HEART- protection from heart problems
● IMPROVE BODY FLEXIBILITY -protection from injury
● IMPROVED BODY POSTURE- better personal image
● POSITIVITY IN MIND - protection from hypertension, depression etc
● WEIGHT REDUCTION /WEIGHT INCREASE- body attain ideal body weight
● IMPROVED MUSCLE STRENGTH
● IMPROVED VITALITY