Rev

Rev. John Giunta, MA

Vienna Woods Studios

117 Moore Avenue, SW

Vienna, VA, 22180-5968

(703) 281-5498

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

Feel free to copy and distribute this, but please give me credit!

REGULARITY

In any spiritual practice, especially one as intense as yoga, regularity and consistency are very important. Choose a time when you will be undisturbed (and not a disturbance to others) and stick to that time. The ideal time for this work is before sunrise. If you consider yourself a "night person", this will require a bit of determination. Your biological clock needs about 2 weeks to adjust to a radical change in body rhythm, but if you are patient and gradual and go to sleep early enough, you will manage to adjust to your new rising time. You may be astonished and grateful for the way you feel when you have done yoga and meditated before the rest of the day.

THE COMPANY AND ENVIRONMENTS YOU CHOOSE

Being on the Path is enhanced when we have friends of like mind with whom to share our experiences and support. This is the very helpful aspect of being a member of a yoga class. We naturally want to gravitate toward friendships and deeper relationships that are good for us and to which we can contribute in a natural way. This includes television, movies and other materials that can have influences upon us.

TIMING OF MEALS

The most effective yoga practice is on an empty or nearly empty stomach. If you have breakfast or other meal after your yoga session, wait until you are really ready to eat. Eating at the same time each day based only upon the clock is not the most healthful way to eat. Your body will signal when you need food. Of course, for people with hypoglycemia or diabetes or other medical conditions which require specific nutritional attention, a physician's advice should be sought.

AN IDEAL MORNING ROUTINE

Awaken gently. Arise slowly. Empty the bladder and colon--after some practice, you will be able to empty the colon almost at will. Brush and floss your teeth and scrape your tongue with a scraper available at some Indian supply stores--this foul matter must be removed. When you see what comes off your tongue, you will know why it is recommended and you will do it regularly.

Take about a half glass of water, the juice of half a lemon, some honey, blend together and drink before breakfast. This is a refreshing and healthful way to prepare the stomach for a meal later.

Next, center the mind and perform the postures you have chosen, balancing the routine with standing, sitting, back-bending, forward-bending, twisting and inverted postures. If your time is limited, you may have to choose just two or three from each type, but perform a varied selection.

Then comes your meditation. Do some alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhanam) for a couple of minutes, let your mantra or other procedure start naturally without pushing, and continue for at least ten minutes, preferably twenty minutes. Allow yourself about two minutes to come out of the meditation slowly.

OTHER TYPES OF EXERCISE

Hatha yoga is best placed before meditation. If you need to put some jogging, swimming, bicycling, skiing or other vigorous exercise into your health program, these activities are best at times apart from the yoga and meditation sessions. If you wish to practice yoga after a cardiovascular workout, wait until you are cool and relaxed before you do Hatha yoga. The effect of a vigorously accelerated heart rate is not desirable immediately before meditation. Also, give yourself enough time after a meditation to mentally and physically adjust to vigorous activity before beginning the workout.

STRUCTURING YOUR OWN YOGA CLASS

Empty the bladder and colon before your session. Take a few minutes to relax and center your attention before practicing. Decide upon your overall goals, and emphasize your goals with the postures you choose. For example, if you choose greater back flexibility as a goal for yourself, then make sure to include both forward and backward movements to prevent injury and to balance the energy centers of the body more effectively. Whatever your goals in yoga, make sure to include a wide veriety of postures in the following body configurations: standing postures, sitting postures, backward bending postures, forward bending postures, twisting postures, inverted postures and a relaxation session at the end of the session.

KNOWING YOUR LIMITS

Breathe freely in the postures. If your breathing is labored or heavy, you are probably working too hard. Move carefully into postures with which you are unfamiliar. Stay out of positions that are painful. Modify some postures to accommodate your limitations and know what the

difference in sensation is between muscles that can be stretched over time and tendons or ligaments that are being stretched unreasonably. Remember that if you have any past injuries, you should ask a physician or other health professional for guidance in your choice of postures or other practices. Use common sense and pay attention to what your body is telling you.

Of course, your time limits are as important as your physical limits. If you know you have just half an hour, make sure you allow for a quiet time for contemplation after the session. If you finish your session feeling frustrated and rushed, then it is probably better to wait until you have enough time to do justice to the practice. On this point, if you are falling asleep during your meditation, you need more sleep at night. Although an effective meditation can be worth about two hours of sleep, meditation is not a substitute for sleep, so you can't cut out a portion of your rest in order to make time for yoga or meditation.

Every question you have is important and deserves an answer. Write down your questions as they come up and make a point of looking up your own answers. Start a library of reference books to which you think you will be using and go to them frequently. If you are a member of a yoga class, make sure you share the questions and answers with your classmates. The answers may help others in the class as well.

An Outline of the Practice of Raja yoga,

The Classical Yoga of Patanjali

(also known as Ashtanga yoga, the Eightfold Path)

SOME DEFINITIONS

What is yoga?

According to the second aphorism of Patanjali, “YOGAS CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA”—“Yoga is the control of the fluctuations of the mind.”

The fluctuations of the mind are: right knowledge, wrong knowledge, fancy, sleep and memory.

What are the Nine Obstacles to Progress?

Sickness, incompetence, doubt, delusion, sloth, non-abstention, erroneous conception, non-attachment to the goals of yoga, inability to stay in yogic state.

Kleshas (afflictions) and their Associated Fears

Avidya: Ignorance of our true, spiritual Self. Fear of God.

Asmita: Egoism, “I-ness”. The true, spiritual Self is experienced as the personality. Habits govern the body and mind. We fear others because we see them as being separate from ourselves.

Raga: Attachment to material objects. Confusion between what we want and what we need. Harmony within is neglected. Fear of the loss of happiness that material objects bring.

Dvesha: Aversion in the material world. Physical objects are feared as sources of pain. Fear of being harmed.

Abhinivesha: Ignorance of the immortality of the Self. Resisting change. We see the true, spiritual Self as vulnerable. Fear of death or change.

The five energy sheaths of the body, the Koshas.

We overcome fear by strengthening the Koshas.

Annamaya Kosha: The physical body sheath, our tool for awareness of the world. It is strengthened by building the physical health and general wellness. Birth and death, sleep and delusion belong here.

(The following three Koshas co-exist as the astral body

and cannot be separated)

Pranamaya Kosha: The breath sheath governs activities such as movement, balance and concentration. Hunger and thirst belong here.

Manomaya Kosha: Organization center of the mind: perception, language, emotions and habits. Exhilaration, depression, passion, anger and greed belong here.

Vijnanamaya Kosha: The knowledge sheath. Discrimination, decision-making, thinking critically, relationships between cause and effect.

Anandamaya Kosha: Center where inner harmony, peace and knowledge of God are perceived. Unwavering self-confidence, balance in the personality.

THE EIGHT STEPS OF RAJA YOGA

External Practices

1. Yamas - Restraints

Ahimsa—Non-Violence: Being kind, taking turns, not ridiculing, not retaliating, not carrying grudges, not abusing the environment, not hurting another’s feelings, not interrupting in conversation in order to feel important.

Satya—Non-Lying: Not exaggerating, not deliberately omitting details, not allowing others to be mislead.

Asteya—Non-Stealing: Not taking things without permission, not taking credit for the work of others, not pretending in order to be more impressive.

Brahmacharya—Moderation: Returning things on time. Not wasting resources. No sexual misconduct. Not abusing intoxicating substances. Respecting limits.

Aparigraha—Non-Possessiveness: Encouraging others to do well and giving praise, being a good sport and being gracious in losing. Not needing a lot of possessions in order to be happy, being grateful for what one has.

2. Niyamas - Observances

Saucha—Purity: Physical cleanliness, eating healthfully, raising the spirits with meditation and prayer, thanking others and doing thoughtful acts for others without being asked.

Santosha—Contentment: Being able to adjust to disappointment. Being happy with what is happening in the moment.

Tapas—Austerity: Adhering to a schedule. Choosing movies, books and friends that are beneficial to the mind and spirit. (This is emphasized in Kriya yoga.)

Svadyaya—Self-Observation: Being able to take advice, learning from our experiences and not having to repeat our mistakes. Seeing what makes us happy and what our most healthful direction is.

Ishwara Pranidhana—Surrender to God: Looking at ourselves as being part of the greater picture of the Universe and definitely part of the rest of humanity. Trusting the opportunities to serve as being the most precious of opportunities. . (This is emphasized in Kriya yoga.)

3. Asana - Postures—The practice of cultural and meditative postures of Hatha yoga for the purpose of strengthening and prolonging the meditative posture.

4. Pranayama - Breath focus

The breathing practices which balance the nadis, relax the mind and mind, or concentrate prana in the vayus:

Udana: moves in the throat.

Prana: moves in the heart.

Samana: moves in the navel region.

Apana: moves in the anal region.

Vyana: moves throughout the body.

5. Pratyahara - Sensory withdrawal

Separates the mind from the physical sensations in order to prepare for meditation.

Internal Practices

6. Dharana: The practice of repeatedly returning the concentration to a spiritually significant physical object or anything which is of spiritual significance to the meditator, such as a symbol, chakra, yantra or mantra.

7. Dhyana: The effortless flow of the meditator’s mind to the object of contemplation.

8. Samadhi: spiritual absorption, transcendence. Consists of two broad stages: Samprajnata samadhi, meditation with the presence of seed thought, and Asamprajnata samadhi, meditation without seed thought.

How can we further intensify the practice of Raja yoga?

Practice Abhyasa, making an effort to sustain the practice, and Vairagya, clearing the mind of unwanted content.

Kriya yoga (Yoga of action), is practiced to get rid of the Kleshas. Tapas and Ishwara Pranidhana are emphasized.

Beginners’ Reading List

Anderson, Sandra and Rolf Sovik. Yoga: Mastering the Basics. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press, 2000. 241p.

Arya, Pandit Usharbudh. Philosophy of Hatha Yoga. Second edition. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Institute, 1985. 95p.

Chapters: 1. Watching the Mind Watching the Body, 2. Worship, 3. Karma Purification, 4. The Whole Body Language, 5. Kundalini—The Coiled-Up Energy, 6. Hatha Yoga: Gateway to the Subtle Body. Quotes directly from several of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali.

Rama, Swami. Joints and Glands Exercises. Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., ed. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Institute, 1977. 83p.

An excellent preparatory text for individuals with limited or no experience with exercise, or for people who cannot perform yoga postures. Contains gentle stretches and contractions for all parts of the body. Spiral bound for convenient use.

Rama, Swami. Lectures on Yoga: Practical Lessons on Yoga. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Institute, 1979. 196p.

A basic text covering the yamas and niyamas (observances and restraints), asanas, pranayama, concentration, the nature of the mind, and meditation.

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HERE'S WATER UP YOUR NOSE
OR: THE PRACTICE OF NETI, THE NASAL WASH
Copyright(c), John P. Giunta

When was the last time you got water up your nose at the beach or swimming pool? You remember the feeling: just as you were inhaling, you dipped your head under the surface of the water. Your timing was off. Where was Noah now that you needed him and his boat? It ached and it continued to ache for a few more minutes until the water ran out by itself with your coughing, sputtering and blowing. Nasty experience.
How is it, then, that when you have a cold, it doesn't feel bad to have an excess of mucus coming out of your nose? It feels wet, but not uncomfortable to the inside of your nose. The reason is that there is salt in your tears and mucus.
The nasal passages are quite complex. Some of the many functions of the nasal passages are: to filter the air, cool or warm it appropriately and to humidify the air. It is important to keep the nose clean so that the natural movement of the cilia in the nasal passages can keep the flow of mucus moving and push the pollutants off the mucus membrane surfaces. If impurities stay on the membranes too long, they can overwhelm the concentrations of white blood cells that reside in the area that fight infections. The nasal wash can help diminish the symptoms of allergies and can make colds and other upper respiratory infections less frequent and less severe.
Who should do neti? Respiratory ailment sufferers (confirm with your doctor first, although he may already have recommended this procedure to you), people who work in polluted, dusty environments, just about anyone else may benefit as well. If you have any doubts, check with your physician.
The recipe for the nasal wash is a quarter of a teaspoon of salt in about 6 ounces of skin temperature water. This solution of lightly salted water is poured over the nasal passages. The practice does not cause any discomfort at all. You may want to change the proportion of the salt to the water after you have done neti a few times. Choose sea salt, Kosher salt or "plain" salt (no iodine).
Your tools: A "neti pot," available through the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, or a bottle with a little spout that will fit into one nostril, a portion of the water and plain salt solution described above that is skin temperature, a basin or sink under you and a towel or tissues.
Procedure: Determine which nostril is the more open by stopping one with your finger and inhaling/exhaling short breaths to feel the resistance of the exchange of air. You want to put the water through the more open side first. Bend over the basin, turn your head so that the nostril which is more open is up. Take the bottle or neti pot and slowly pour the water into your nostril. Don't inhale the water. If you do, it may not feel unpleasant, but it is easier and more natural to let the water flow at its natural rate. The sensation is going to be strange at first. It will feel as though your whole head is filling with water and that your hearing is stopped up. Don't panic. The water will not go into your lungs or cause any irritation or unpleasant sensation. It will run into your nose and will pass over your septum and run out the other nostril into the sink. You will not drown! You will be able to get the water out again! While the water is passing into your nose (and out again, I promise!) look at the water stream that is exiting into the basin. The desired effect is that the water should be flowing out in a steady stream. You may hear air bubbles as the water goes into the air pockets of your nasal passages. This is all very natural. After about half of the quantity of water has been used, stop, turn your head to face downward and blow the water out gently. Then turn your head to the other side and pour the water solution through the other nostril. When you blow the water out, don't use a lot of force. Above all, do not stop up one nostril to make the air flow more forceful. Blow only with both nostrils open. You may be surprised at how much debris is loosened and expelled by this procedure. After you do neti, you may feel a new clarity in your sense of smell and enjoyment of your sense of taste as well.
The times at which neti is especially desirable are after exposure to dust, trips to the inner city, on particularly pollen-filled days, before yoga practice and at bedtime.
So there you have it. Once you try this, it may be the most refreshing thing you do--right along with brushing your teeth.
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