Asana practice is one of many practices found in ancient sun/moon (hatha) yoga. Classical hatha yoga is the branch of yoga that includes asana, it also includes kriyas, bandhas, mudras, pranayama, pratyhara, visualization, dharana (visualization and other concentrations), dhyana (meditation), mantra and other yogic practices. Asana practice was never intended to stand alone separate from allied processes of self discovery. Although asanas are powerful as long as it is practiced non-mechanically (as a deep reconditioning/reprogramming process for the neurophysiology, biochemistry, and glandular circuitry), it is best works when integrated with other yogic practices.
Unlike gymnastics, acrobatics, or sports exercises where one uses the body/mind by exerting one's energy to accomplish a specific result, position, goal, or task; in functional process oriented asana practice asana is designed to open the body, the energy pathways (nadis), the mind, and melt down the obscuring emotions (kleshas), past negative programming (karma), bad habits (vasana), and past residual traumatic seeds (samskaras), while eventually (through consistent practice) awaken the innate but often repressed energy residing in the heart/core.
When the practitioner of yoga does asana consistently over time, then the bodymind organism becomes profoundly moved. An energy shift occurs as the new energy replaces the old stagnant patterns and mechanisms. The body/mind becomes sensitized and attuned to the innate life force (prana) and eventually cognizant of its source (and the Source of all) through the conscious amplification of the Prana Shakti (the energy of divine intelligence, the Cit-Shakti). At first the mechanism involved is to pay more attention to the breath residing within the body, and then through deepening that awareness to an increased sensitivity to the energy behind the breath, then one becomes more aligned with the innate transpersonal intelligent prana that exists in all beings and things -- all of creation. Eventually this is recognized as an intimate interdependent part of one's own mutuality -- as a co-evolutionary transpersonal process throughout beginningless time arising from primordial consciousness.. Such knowledge is transconceptional (nirvikalpa), non-linear, non-dual, and direct; being independent from thought contrivances, imputation, or construction processes altogether.
That is a large statement, but such an awareness spontaneously and effortlessly dawns in many cases instantaneously, but with others after consistent practice over time quite naturally. To be certain, such is not a cognitive or intellectual belief, but an empirical subjective discovery based on heightened awareness which has been finely tuned via a functional asana practice. This is based on the integration of the powerful networks associated with the neuro-endocrine and neurophysiological circuits, the afferent (receptive) and efferent (motor cortex) nerve functions, and the relationships between the autonomic and the enteric nervous systems with the central nervous system, the right and left hemispheres of the brain, the sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the evolutionary energy matrix alignments which support not only the body, but all of life and creation and are transpersonal in nature. It is in the development of acknowledging, respecting, and honoring these intelligent relationships that the inner wisdom awakens from a conscious asana practice with clear focused intention. By conscious, I do not mean intentional in a mechanical sense, but in a witness consciousness respect; i.e., by witnessing the spontaneous manifestation of the intelligent life force emerge and express itself.
It is thus best to seek out this direct relationship with prana at every move and moment, not waiting after many years of "correct" consistent asana practice. This type of practice is kinesthetic, energy, and awareness based in the NOW waking up not only the body and/or the native awareness, but rather more so, our evolutionary/creative highest innate potential (Buddha nature), through removing the residues of past negative conditioning and afflictive emotions that are stored within the body chemistry, cellular memory, and energetic imprints (samskaras), and similar pain based reflexive circuitry. As these circuits become disentangled from, new circuits and energy flow are activated. Then a strong life positive imprint becomes established that continues to instruct and inform the practitioner both on and off the yoga mat. Thus a natural expression of ahimsa (non-violence to self and others) is imbedded deeply as a natural result of practice. At the same time a higher sensitivity to health and the life force is established informing all one’s relationships. Vasana or bad habits (those that are destructive to life and health) and other neurotic compensatory activities eventually are released/abandoned, while new life positive, creative, and healing relationships naturally arise.
More energy, vigor, natural enthusiasm, focus, creativity, and inspiration for one’s spiritual practice becomes embodied when the practice becomes a full board dedication of devotion and surrender to the living spirit underlying the practice and All Our Relations. In turn this new found energy serves to activate synergistically further one’s innate dormant creative/evolutionary circuits and potential which in turn further potentiates even more efficient life affirmative activities thus creating a self perpetuating positive acceleration and complementary positive feedback loop fed by one’s self informed practice. The intelligence of other inter-related yogic practices such as the yams/niyams, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, pranayama, mudras, pratyhara, visualization, dharana, dhyana, and so forth will then be naturally understood as various mutually complementary adjuncts -- as different manifestations of the same realization process in diverse activities.
The sum up the basic underlying principles of Functional Yoga are:
Take responsibility for your daily practice. Responsibility means freedom, not dependence upon books, systems, peers, classes, etc. Responsibility means response-ability -- the ability to respond effectively and consciously. Yoga sadhana is self discipline, not a discipline imposed from outside by an outside authority, teacher, structure, or system. In functional yoga the teacher is innate and every present, both in and outside of time. The teacher is primordial consciousness itself, the teacher of even the most ancient of teachers. This teacher is always available to the sadhak at all times if one is so focused and onepointedly dedicated. This is helped along at first by focusing on the breath as the surrogate teacher. Then prana, Then cit-prana and Cit-Shakti, then Siva/Shakti.
Link body. mind, breath, energy, and the innate intelligent evolutionary power as one. Focus your movement with one pointed awareness on the movement, the breath, and awareness of the energy, and one's timeless relationship outside time and space as one uninterrupted continuum. Old karmic patterns are to drop away expunged as we move into new transconceptual dimensions which transcend limitation, but rather embrace fearlessly the unknown. Here that which was unconscious and unknown becomes revealed/known. That happens not by further ignorance here the predictability of what "was" known in the past is glommed onto, but rather by wild abandon and surrender -- vairagya and isvara pranidhana accompanied with complete conscious awareness. This way the intelligent life force moves us as we watch. Siva and Shakti remain united. The breath moves deeply of what appears as its own accord, but really it moves in accordance with the implicate order which is innate, natural, and unconstructed by artifice or human .
There is no separate actor (ego) apart from the evolutionary power. As our transconceptual wisdom/awareness grows, the third eye opens which then sees itself in all our relations devoid of an independent reference point apart from everything else. Within that natural buddhaverse functional yoga occurs.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras the most often quoted verse relating to asana practice is: II. 46 sthira sukham asanam which means that asana should create joy in stability. They should be stabilizing and joyful, joyfully stabilizing the core – centering us in the core so that we rest there easily and reliably. Here sukha means easy and/or joyful. Sthira means stable, centered, rooted, or balanced. When we abide at the foundational heart core, it is at the same time universal and unlimited -- both Here and Everywhere -- both Now and Eternal -- both Empty and Infinity Open. . . Indefinable yet immediate and intimate to the hilt.
Here if we take sthira to mean stable, centered, and balanced in the ordinary sense, as in maintaining equilibrium, we again come back to the idea behind balance -- a joyful balancing process – or a balancing process that creates happiness, ease, and joy. Here one finds one’s heart/center, not only in the physical body, but in the energy body, emotional center, and in one’s relationship with all things/beings throughout beginningless time. In energetic terms this universal foundational base is located as the core of the universe -- the universal tree of life or axis mundi -- accessed via the sushumna where Siva/shakti are united. We will explore this theme further.
A less well known Yoga Sutra of Patanjali’s is : II 48. tato dvandvanabhighatah: Asana resolves opposition. Asana destroys duality and polarity.
This way the polarities (dvandva) first appear to support each other (creating ascension in the central channel-- holding the spine erect by itself). Here lightness is achieved and gross heaviness and coarseness is replaced with increasingly more subtle qualities of effortlessness until the never-ending absolute is touched.
A literal translation is: "From asana practice which rests in steady joy and relaxed synchronicity (tato) one becomes invulnerable from the assaults (anabhighatah) of duality (dvandva)". This is another characteristic our true support base (asana) along with steady joy and balanced synchronicity. This is our seat of support to be accessed in meditation as well as in everyday life. Stress, tension, and conflict are thus resolved. It is also accessed in hatha yoga asana and pranayama practice as well.
As we do asana practice, we will discover some preexisting imbalances, tensions, or conflicts in the body-mind as well as in the neurophysiology, mind and emotions. Inner conflicts and tensions both emotional and physical will be revealed.
Sometimes the imbalance where one side is tighter, more rigid, or stiffer than the other side is due to an overly tight muscle group which needs to relax. Thus a practice can be geared toward stretching and relaxing those muscle groups. At other times it may be due to the opposite side whose weak muscle groups needs to be strengthened. Sometimes it is due to bony anomalies such as scoliosis or asymmetric interior joint shapes. Sometimes it is due to organ weakness, nervous system imbalances, right handed over use by right handers or left hand over use by left handers, imbalanced sitting habits, tight truck clutches, working anomalies, sleeping anomalies, life style situations, joint subluxations,... there are many possible causes that will be revealed once the conscious attention is established upon the balance point. Each one of these will require unique adjustments according to our own body wisdom/awareness and sensitivity.
Thus we can use the asana practice itself as an inquiry as to what is happening here, there, everywhere and ask that focused awareness as an informative instruction to make an informed movement. It's a two way street (afferent nerves informing us, listening in the moment, and then responding (efferent motor nerves) effectively in a responsible synchronistic synergy. This can happen instantaneously or even preemptory if the afferent/efferent (receptive/doing) nervous systems are in synch, finely tuned, and intelligently aligned.
Equilateral poses are of course the safest, but even there an imbalance can show up between left or right or top and bottom. For example, navasana (boat pose) while on the sit-bones (ischial tuberosities), uttanasana (standing forward fold), downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana),. etc. Equilateral poses reveal balance or imbalances well.
Often for males in their early years it is almost always a tight muscle group that needed to relax/release and let go. Usually it is on both sides, but sometimes just one. So when discovering within an asana an imbalance, one then could focus on what to relax and release, playing with asanas that stretched the tighter side more. This assumes that the joints and bones are balanced so tha the imbalance is in the muscles or fascia. However as males age they tend to get soft and flabbier, then some muscle groups might need to be tonified, firmed, and strengthened.
More often the open stretched out side is not necessarily weaker, rather it more stretched out/relaxed. Most often them, this does mean that the less flexible side is definitely more tight/tense. In this case reciprocal action of the opposing muscle groups (agonist/antagonist movement) can be utilized effectively. Thus activating the stretched out side more (by strengthening it) it can often then help stretch the tight side side).
For example, one may have very tight hamstring muscles. One way to stretch them is to build up their reciprocal (agonist) muscle group, the quadriceps, but then one can have overblown quadriceps that way, unless the hamstrings are taught to relax permanently. Likewise one can strengthen the upper back muscles in order to help pull the scapula down the back toward the sacrum away from the ears, if one tends to hunch their shoulders forward and/or collapse the chest inward. However, this achievement will become dependent upon maintaining the strength of these reciprocal back muscles to keep overpower the overly tight pulling of the chest muscles and arms, until the front of the body is allowed to relax. Obviously strengthening the back would not be necessary if the front was first able to become tension free and open.
As an example of flaccidness (hypo-tonification) in one part of the body, causing hyper-tonification at another location is the classic case of the beer belly or pot belly of middle age men. Due to lack of abdominal strength or over extension of the belly area, the lower back needs to work harder (contract) in order to hold the body erect (to prevent a forward fold). This can cause lower back compression at the lumbar spine if one is not careful.
Thus there exist two extreme approaches which are indirectly relevant to this. One extreme says that to build up strength around a tight and contracted core (hyper-tonified system or hypertonia) will create even more imbalance. That is, in normal movement, it is not wise to strengthen an agonist muscle in an attempt to counteract an already overly tight antagonist muscle (reciprocal muscle action) as that can result in an overly built up or massive reciprocal muscle. So the best approach is to relax the tight resisting muscle (the antagonist muscle (by allowing it to relax and hence open up passively. This can be done by using gravity or the floor. Thus one avoids over compensation by building up extra strength to counteract a chronic antagonist muscle group. Thus in this approach asanas are designed with the idea to RELEASE/RELAX muscle and core tightness first, then activate around a balanced open core.
In general males are more hypertonic than females (many may be hypotonic). Emotionally the former may tend to tighten up, armor, and tense under conflict or stress, while the latter may tend to collapse, cave in, go limp, and/or surrender to conflict/stress. Obviously the healthiest approach to stress stimuli is to stay balanced and centered.
The latter extreme assumes a HYPO-tonic (hypotonia) core (versus a HYPER-tonic core). In this situation where the system may be overly flaccid/soft, then the primary approach is to strengthen/tonify already weak muscle groups through activating the agonist muscles. This approach depends on stretching a tight muscle group through more effort of the reciprocal muscle group (usually the agonist muscle). Here the approach is to strengthen the core, and compact the energy.
So in the above mentioned former passive methods one can use visualization, gravity, the floor, walls, relaxation techniques, or other similar approaches to open and release tightness, tension, stress, clamping, or body armoring while opening a pre-existing contracted/constricted heart/core. After consistent practice then movement around a balanced open core builds a balanced strength naturally. This is likened for a hard or yang male type in finding balance, harmony, and increased functional ease by becoming soft and open. It is a yin approach to an imbalanced overly yang situation.
The second method is more active, willful, left brain, male, and yang where the overly soft, yielding, and flaccid preexisting imbalanced situation becomes tonified, strengthened, and concentrated reestablishing one’s focus and core strength. It is a more yang approach which caters to the inclination/predisposition of Westerners in general where it is generally assumed that more effort will get the desired results; yet the result for most Westerners is anything but balancing. In short Westerners are already imbalanced (left brain, yang, and wound up) and require more yin (right brain, soft, and female) approaches in order to achieve balance. This yielding, yin, and right brain oriented movement around an open core is evidenced by Chinese circus acrobats who do not have great muscle mass, but manifest great agility, flexibility, vitality, and balance.
Here we are dealing of course not just with the muscles, but the entire nervous system, organs, lymph system, emotions, life style, habits, thought patterns, gravity, the tides, mother earth, the moon, stars, energy patterns, and a lot more.
So one has to know oneself -- where is our own synergistic balance and harmony. That is, where a fitting customized and balanced asana practice really resides for our own unique constitution and genetic/karmic situation. We can fine tune this, I am certain, if we use the asana practice itself to inform us at every move.... it reveals through practice.
II 47. prayatna-saithilyananta-samapattibhyam
This profound state of balance and synchronicity (samapattibhyam) is accomplished through progressive and continuous relaxation (prayatna-saithilya) by aligning within the great self existing, self supporting, and self animating (ananta) endless Flow and Intelligence which always awaits the true seeker as the Great Continuum (Infinite Mind).
Yoga asanas thus work in many ways. Asanas work to awaken and empower one’s innate but dormant nervous/psychic systems (often referred to as the nadis, chakras, energy, body, subtle body, etc.) so that even greater conscious integration and realization can occur.
In this sense what appears and manifests as the physical body (annamaya kosha) is a reflection of the energy body (pranamaya kosha), and to an extent the reverse is true; i.e., the state and characteristics of the energy body reflects what is happening in the physical. Both influence the mental/emotional functions (manomaya kosha) and both in turn are influenced by the mental emotional functions.
So at one point in asana practice we bring conscious energy awareness to bear in utilizing breath awareness to open up the energy body as well as the physical body, as well as the mental/emotional body as a wholistic system so that such a conscious integrity is established in what is called the wisdom body (vijnanamaya kosha).
All this happens simultaneously in functional and authentic asana practice. As a result the energy and subtle bodies are capable of holding more of a charge (like a battery) and the foundational but previously dormant circuitry (nadis) become activated thus animating all four bodies. This is a palpable situation and can happen spontaneously as well as can be practiced/perfected. With increased awareness it can be repeated consciously – reversed engineered.
For example once one experiences this unity/harmony through practice, we have am imbedded memory of it or imprint which can be recalled later. Then we can scan the four bodies and become aware/conscious whether or not that the energy has become distracted/dissipated or distorted or on the other hand if it is freely flowing/bubbling. This way functional and natural self regulation becomes integrated at the core. If disharmony exists then we can consciously open the pathways, untangle the knots, and charge up the system using asana, pranayama, bandha, mudra, pratyahara, visualization, focusing, meditation, or other yogic methods.
In asana, there are many basic ways to move, stretch, become fluid, and open up to our evolutionary creative potential. Here the physical body being the coarse/gross representative of the energy/subtle bodies it is an excellent starting place for sensitivity training. All the tensions, distortions, traumas, samskaras, kleshas, fears, etc., of the manomaya kosha are stored in the physical body via the neurophysiology and hence can be accessed as well. This storage imposes a serious drain, imposition, and obfuscation upon the energy body. So here on a very elementary but powerful level we can release these dysfunctional holding patterns via asana with in many cases immediate positive effects. Eventually this can remove the dysfunctional mechanism, habit, vasana, imprint, samskara, trauma, and so forth while bringing in new energy and awareness.
So we start asana practice off with the gross physical body (sthula sharira) at the annamaya kosha (sheath), revealing the more subtle as progress unfolds over time naturally. The physical body is an objective coarse lever into the more subtle layers of existence. One begins over time to learn about the relationship between the breath and the body. Then the energy behind the breath enters into conscious awareness. Here one begins to consciously utilize the energy (prana) to energize the pose, to effect healing, to deeply, relax and release tension, and to work deeply within the organ, tissues, cells, neurophysiology. mental and emotional bodies, and eventually recognize these energetic interrelationships in all of living creation.
Thus an energetic balance within (in the inner ecology) with the energetic matrices outside in the physical cosmos or universe becomes attuned to aligned, and synchronized. One becomes harmonized with the Buddhaverse, body, mind, breath, nature/cosmos through the developing awareness or consciousness (cit-prana or prana shakti) of the energy body or envelope which intervenes between the two (inner and outer ecologies). On a profound level one works on the microcosmic and macrocosmic levels simultaneously.
The traditional medium for this work in traditional yoga parlance are the five koshas (sheaths) and three bodies (sharira): the pranamaya kosha, manomaya kosha, and jnanamaya koshas (sheaths or layers) which include the subtle body (suksmah sharira), energy body, astral body, vajra body, rainbow-light body, or illusory body or Buddha's bliss bodies (sambhogakaya). Eventually the pathways beyond even the most subtle forms (the formless realm) or causal body (karana sharira) is integrated a the timeless Beginningless realm - the heart of hearts (hridayam) depicted as the inner most axis or core anandamaya kosha or dharmakaya realm of the primordial Buddha.
There exist many hatha yoga procedures/practices that are designed to establish this profound synergistic balance through asana, mudra, bandha, pranayama, and visualization, but the basic components are always the same; i.e., the balanced manipulation of the left (ida or lalana) psychic nerve (nadi) with the right (pingala or rasana) psychic nerve (pingala), so that they are balanced and synchronized. When that profound synchronicity is realized, then the left/right polarization, imbalances, duality, and conflict all cease. Here the core energy is activated through the foundational root (muladhara) center (chakra). This energy then enters the central core (sushumna or avadhuti) psychic nerve (nadi) where the body/mind now is organized around. This is the activated core which occurs when the chakras (energy centers) are balanced , harmonized, and open forming the living components of the self instructing evolutionary/creative energy called mother kundalini. Here one realizes the non-dual union of spirit and nature, pure objectivity with pure subjectivity, consciousness with embodiment/beingness, creator/creation, male/female, yang/yin, samantabhadra/Samantabhadri, shiva/shakti, rasana/lalana, pingala/ida, ha/tha, which is transconceptional, all encompassing, and beyond words to describe.
This natural evolutionary energy is the true healer and instructor. The ancient yogis (Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, etc) would abide in sublime communion of total integration (samadhi) through meditation and contemplation techniques (sahaj samadhi), and thus the entire organism's energy system would automatically self regulate as above in synchrony. When the natural evolutionary energy entered the central channel (sushumna), these yogis would undergo various spontaneous ecstatic dances, movements, kriyas, songs, sounds, gazes, breathing (pranayama), and/or gestures (mudras) which were observed and written down. They were moved by their direct experience. Thus yogic pranayama, hatha yoga asana practice, bandhas, mudra practice, tratak, and prana vidya practices began as a method of reverse engineering this state of harmony, integration, and profound synergistic balance/symmetry. At the same time, yogis realized that these practices opened up the nadis, enhanced the pranic flow, stimulated greater awareness of cit-shakti, provided more balance, harmony, integration, and meditational stability. In short the science of hatha yoga began to flourish working from the coarse body to the more subtle, to that which was beyond even the most subtle (formless realm).
That intermediate alchemical vessel where integration was achieved was the vessel of the energy body or illusory body (the bliss body of the Buddha or sambhogakaya).
There are many teachers who teach yoga as a method of opening up the heart and clearing out the afflictive emotions (kleshas). This is part of how I teach as well. Fear is definitely one of the kleshas. Contrary to current beliefs in cognitive behavior theory, identifying the cause of the fear matters little, for therapy to occur. One can know the causes, but the mechanism can still negatively affect one. Sometimes delving deeper and deeper into the causal trauma actually can cause a retraumatization as well as a negative fixation that reinforces pain and suffering.
In yoga therapy, what is most excellent is that the practitioner recognizes fear or other afflictive emotions (kleshas) arise when one is doing an asana. That supplies a somatic hook (titrating the asana) in into releasing/clearing the emotional obscuration for good. This is also how body psychotherapy and somatics work to clear post traumatic stress syndromes. Hence one discovers an old unresolved emotion trapped (walled off) non-verbally inside the body. Not focusing on the cause of the fear, but rather focusing on releasing it through movement, breath, and energy work. The cause could be when one was in the womb all cramped up, or trapped in the crib with tight covers, or the fear or pain you experienced when you fell at age 4, or shame when felt at age 7, karmic (peri-natal), or even precognitive/anticipatory, etc. Therapeutically it simply doesn't matter.
The gift here is that through asana practice one has consciously recognized an emotion that is triggered when one visits that region or mechanism. So simply by slowly entering into that space (called titrating) one can adjust the intensity and consciously investigate the emotions and energetics involved. This handle affords the practitioner to clear out the energy blockage consciously by at first moving into it with the body and breath at their own pace s l o w l y and gradually and “safely”.
Here one “checks in” consciously with the breath, back off when needed, but then when one has recovered go back into it again until the mechanism is cleared/released. Eventually it will release and when it does a cloud will lift emotionally and energetically regardless if one has a conscious memory of the causal factors or not. Here one moves into joy and openness, rather than further into the suffering and pain body.
I heard this story from a fellow yogi who described going into a pose which had always eluded him one day. On this day he went into this same troublesome pose with heightened awareness and curiosity, and his knees and body started to shake uncontrollably. In an instant he recalled a childhood memory when he was attacked by a group of bullies and he contracted all over in an attempt to protect himself. That part of his body that the asana was provoking was one part that never let go – it had never recovered from the trauma and left a lasting imprint inside both his emotional body (as fear) and his physical body as well. That time he was able to let it go completely effecting an energetic change.
Some traumas are entirely physical. Some are mostly emotional where the body stores the emotional pain in specific representational/symbolic physical areas. Many traumas have both components, For example there are emotions around falling down, being beaten up, attacked, etc. that have strong emotional as well as physical trauma. Other strong emotional experiences may have been primarily emotional like shame, guilt, intimidation, anger, hatred, fear, but then one transfers the energy to the body such as the gut, the shoulders, the jaw, tongue, forehead, groin, or any other part of the body. Today neurophysiologists know that every thought and emotion has a biochemical and neurophysiological correspondence in the body, some of which severely affect future response to specific stimuli in a negative and habitual way unless the mechanism is reprogrammed. Most people's chronic problems are based on unresolved traumatic or intense past emotional experiences. They are emotionally based and such are stored in cellular reactive memory, but of which, they have little or no conscious memory.
A powerful aspect of hatha yoga is that it allows us to be our own therapists to -- reprogram/recondition the body/mind, to open up not just the body -- not just the emotions and the mind, not just the blocked energy body and nadis, but to open and activate the heart.
Hatha yoga has a rather large healing side to it of course. It always did, but it has to be wisely practiced as an awareness practice – as a practice that brings liberation through consciousness. It is not an external system, but only works when it is suited to our condition, past programming, and unique constitution. When such is remediated, then the universal life force is revealed in all one’s relationships.
For example, I may tend to be a bit kapha and tamasic. Thus I may often benefit from a fiery practice as long as can keep my own fiery pace if that is what I need that day. Which means that in our own home personal practice, we necessarily should titrate it -- customize it to our specific situation. On another day, I may need a cooling or relaxing practice. When we simply follow the prana (the life force/energy) -- the inner wisdom/inner knowing guides us and deep changes occur. Awakening this natural innate wisdom is a large benefit of hatha yoga practice. This way we can entirely turn around many illnesses, however that doesn't mean that one becomes totally disease free either. Of course it's best that the disease was prevented in the first place, but most of us learn the hard way (through suffering and pain). Wisdom (as self knowledge) allows us to learn through awareness and joy! Through consistent intelligent long term practice, one finds that there is corrective yoga regimen for any imbalance or injury. the tragedy is sometimes it may take a long time to find it.
More natural wisdom, insight, and vitality can be beneficially integrated into all facets of our life. For example, a wise diet both nutritionally and emotionally immediately following asana practice can be critical for one who is on the borderline of an illness. It is usually best, not to eat anything more than hot lightly sweetened lemon water or light tea immediately after practice. it is best to surround oneself in a pleasant natural environment with friends of light if possible. Perhaps do some chanting, service, devotional activity from the heart -- maintaining and affirming the love -- generate the bodhicitta.
Later if physical nourishment seems right, take some light food such as fresh fruit juice or fruit or other easily digested food. If one imagines that they need more nourishment, guide that by your newly developed prana meter, by ascertaining whether it is emotional, energetic, or physical. Be guided by the awareness of the life force in all your relations! Keep the nadis open and the prana freely flowing and continuously interactive in all relationships.
When asana practice is focused upon awakening and expanding our consciousness, honoring and respecting the life force in all our relations, then our own heart consciousness becomes activated in all aspects of life more continuously. Thus what we do in this life is spontaneously and simultaneously nurturing to self and others, wise, and loving. Our common interdependent bond and transpersonal loving identity as part of creation – as kin, as All Our Relations, is celebrated naturally and joyfully.
Jai Ma!
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Hatha Yoga Asana Practice: An Energy Body Approach
The Timeless Body of Infinite Life: the Divine Body
A Chakra Purification Meditation
Introduction to Chakra and Energy Healing
The Variety of Yoga Teachings and Teachers: How to Contact Your Inner Teacher (a large document)
Hatha Yoga Purification Page Index
Bandhas in Hatha Yoga Practice
HeartMind Links Page containing links to many hatha yoga classical texts