AYP Plus Lesson 71, Yoga Asanas, A Wonderful Billion Dollar Industry

Advanced Yoga Practices Plus
Main Lessons - Expanded and Interactive

Lesson 71 - Yoga Asanas - A Wonderful Billion Dollar Industry (Audio)
    Addition 71.1 - Asana Starter Kit, with Instructions and Illustrations
    Addition 71.2 - Maha Mudra
    Addition 71.3 - Sequencing Kumbhaka (breath retention) in Maha Mudra
    Addition 71.4 - Adapting Asanas (Postures) for Seniors
    Addition 71.5 - Videos: AYP Asana Starter Kit
    Addition 71.6 - Videos: AYP Abbreviated Asana Starter Kit (Standing)
    Addition 71.7 - Video: Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lift)
    Addition 71.8 - Conscious Seizure during Yoga Asanas
    Addition 71.9 - When is the Best Time to Add Asanas to the AYP Routine?
    Addition 71.10 - Can't Suspend Breath Much When Doing Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lift)

Jan 7, 2004

A billion dollars is only a guess. Maybe it's more. Maybe it's less. No one can deny that the teaching of yoga asanas (bodily postures) is a huge worldwide business. It is a good thing.

The important thing is that yoga has caught on with the public and become very popular. So much good comes from it. It doesn't matter which branch of yoga caught on in a big way first. All the branches of yoga are connected. If you do asanas, you will be drawn to pranayama and meditation eventually. If you do meditation, you will be drawn to asanas eventually. That's how it goes. Our nervous system knows a good thing when it sees it. Wake up the nervous system a little and it wants more. All of the branches of yoga are, after all, expressions of the natural ways that our nervous system opens to divine experience. In truth, our nervous system determines the practices, not the other way around. They come to us when we need them. It is amazing how that happens. It is the power of bhakti. In time, all of the practices come together automatically. We just have to give a nudge here and there. A little bhakti is enough to put us in nudging mode. See how simple it is?

It is no surprise that yoga asanas are so popular. We live in a world where human experience is based mainly on physicality. Our senses are yet to be drawn inward to the point where inner experiences will become as real (or more real) than experiences in the external world. So we are always looking for a physical solution. Yoga asanas begin to take us from physicality to more subtle experiences of divine energy in the nervous system. This is why asanas are so relaxing. It is their main draw. People do asanas for relaxation, for some inner peace. Yoga asanas are very good for that. They are also very good for preparing the body and mind for pranayama and meditation. This is the way we will look at them in these lessons - as a preparation in our daily routine for pranayama and meditation.

There are exceptions to the "relaxing" mode of asanas. Nowadays, you can go take a class in power yoga, aerobic yoga, and get a good workout. That is okay. It is not suggested for right before meditation though. We are going the other way in that case, to less activity in the nervous system, not more.

Asanas in the traditional sense are for quieting the nervous system. But more than that. They are designed to facilitate the flow of prana in the body, particularly in the sushumna, the spinal nerve. So you can see that this makes asanas an excellent preparation for pranayama, for spinal breathing.

Asanas are part of a broader system of yoga called hatha yoga. Other yoga systems include asanas too. No one owns them. In hatha yoga there are some additional practices that are more direct approaches to moving prana in the body. There is an Indian scripture called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika that goes into these additional practices. They can also be found in other systems. For example, kundalini yoga and tantra yoga use them.

It all comes down to what we were talking about in the last lesson dealing with balancing kundalini - the joining of feminine and masculine energies in the nervous system, the joining of Shakti and Shiva. Hatha yoga means "joining of the sun and the moon," masculine and feminine energies. We will run into this theme in every tradition, because it is an essential characteristic of the human nervous system. The Taoists call it yin and yang. The Christians call it the Holy Spirit (or ghost) and God the Father. The Christian patriarchy has tried to make the Holy Spirit androgynous, but it doesn't matter what they say. It does not change what she is inside us.

There is some overlap between asanas and the more advanced practices of hatha yoga. Some of these advanced yoga practices keep the name "asana," while others carry the name "mudra" or "bandha." Whatever you call them, they are mainly physical practices facilitating the movement of prana and pure bliss consciousness inside us. We have discussed a few of these methods already - mulabandha and sambhavi mudra. We are about to take on some more.

But first, let's talk some more about asanas. If you live in or near any town or city, the chances are good there is a yoga studio close by. If you have not already, go and take a yoga class. This will give you a basic routine to do at home, if you are so inclined. About five or ten minutes of gentle asanas before pranayama and meditation is an excellent way to start your session. If you are not inclined to do asanas, or don't have time, it is okay. Review the lessons on "finding the time" (#18) and "managing the time" (#50) back where we covered keeping up a daily practice of meditation and pranayama. These same time management procedures apply when adding asanas to your schedule. When time is short, asanas are last in the pecking order. If there is time for only one thing, the best choice is usually meditation. If two things, then pranayama and meditation. If three things, then asanas, pranayama and meditation. Like that. This is not to say that one practice is better than another. You may be naturally inclined to do asanas and leave pranayama and meditation behind. That's okay. It may even be necessary if you are having some kundalini imbalances. Asanas can help smooth out the inner currents. But if you do not have a strong urge one way or the other, you will usually do best to pick meditation if you have time to do only one thing. It is the deepest practice. It puts us directly in touch with pure bliss consciousness.

If you know nothing about asanas and live out in the wild somewhere, and are inclined to learn, there are plenty of good books and videos on yoga asanas. Any of them will do. (Also see the lesson addition below for an "Asana Starter Kit.") For our purposes here we are looking for some very simple bending and stretching before our pranayama and meditation. What you do is up to you. If you want to do more than five or ten minutes of asanas, that is okay. Some people love to do yoga asanas. It can become an end in itself for some. That's okay too. Whatever practices you choose to do, make sure you build a stable daily routine that you can keep up without undo strain or discomfort. If it feels good after practices for the rest of the day and night, you are in the right ballpark. Then you are in the best position to consider adding more advanced yoga practices at some point.

In upcoming lessons we will look at several additional advanced yoga practices that add stimulation to the flow of prana in the body.

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.1 - Asana Starter Kit, with Instructions, Illustrations and Video (Audio)
Feb 26, 2014

Since Lesson 71 (above) was offered, and even before, many have written wanting to know what asanas they should do. Practitioners have even asked about the minute details of postures, where attention should be while doing them, etc. With thousands of hatha yoga teachers around the world, and dozens of systems of practice, the possibilities are practically endless.

However, there is something we can add to the asana discussion here. You know from this lesson that in Advanced Yoga Practices we regard asanas as a warm up for our sitting practices of spinal breathing, meditation and so on. Therefore, asanas are not the primary focus here. After all, in Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga, asanas are one limb, or one-eighth of the total of yoga practices. You'll find more on the eight limbs later on in the lessons.

Quite a few beginners have written just wanting to know where to start with asanas. You know, starting from scratch with a few basic postures. That we can help with, at least until you can get to a class. Let's call it our "Asana Starter Kit." It is the least we can do. It will be very simple.

First we will cover a starter routine that can be done in about ten minutes right before pranayama and meditation. Illustrations for these are included. We will also provide an abbreviated starter routine of just a few minutes for those with little time, the rationale being that, when there is a pinch, it is preferable to spend most of our limited practice time doing meditation and pranayama.

Asana Starter Kit

We will look at a dozen or so basic postures here, which are done on the floor. If you have a mat, great, but there's no need to run out and buy one. A soft carpet with a large towel or blanket laid out will do just fine for this routine. Make sure you have your comfortable meditation clothing on before you start.

It is important that you not force any of these postures. If the posture calls for a toe touch and you can only reach your shin comfortably, stop there. That is the perfect posture for you. Never strain in a posture. In fact that is the rule for everything in Advanced Yoga Practices. It is the essence of self-pacing, and of all progress in yoga. Here is the routine:

Heart Centering Warm-up - Sit on the floor cross-legged. Gently massage your head with both hands as you move your hands down toward your heart - first down the front of your face and neck to your heart, and then down the back of your head and around your neck and down the front to your heart. Those two movements can be done in 15 seconds or so. Not too fast and not too slow. Now do the same thing with the left arm, starting with the left hand, using the right hand to gently massage all the way back to the heart - first along the top of the arm, over the shoulder and down the chest to the heart, and then along the bottom side of the arm, through the arm pit and to the heart. The left arm is done with the right hand like that. Now switch to the right arm and do it with the left hand the same way. Now do both legs from the toes all the way up to the heart - just a gentle moving two-handed massage on each leg. As you come up from each leg press in gently on your belly and solar plexus region with both hands on the way up to the heart. Finally, reach in back with both hands and do one moving massage from the buttocks, up your back and around to your chest and heart. All of these heart centering warm-up movements can be done in a minute or so. If you are wondering what to do with your attention during this heart centering, just let it be easy, going with your hands as they gently massage your energy toward your heart. Let your breathing be easy also. This is how we handle attention and breathing in all these basic postures, easy and relaxed with whatever we are doing physically, unless instructed otherwise.
Knees to Chest Roll - Lie on your back and bring your knees up far enough so you can grasp each upper shin with each hand. Or, if you can reach, clasp you fingers together around your upper shins, near the knees. Let your knees come toward your chest. Now roll from side to side, about five times each way, right to left, letting your head roll from side to side on the floor along with your torso. Roll as far to each side as is comfortable.
Kneeling Seat (Vajrasana) - Get up straight on your knees with legs nearly together. Put one big toe over the other behind you, and then sit down on your heels, keeping your torso up straight. Let your hands rest on your thighs or in your lap. Sit like this for about 10 seconds. (Use a mental count until you get a good feel for the 10-second hold on all of these postures.) Then go up straight on your knees again for a few seconds and back down into the seat for another 10 seconds. Go up again, and then relax. Sit on the floor with your feet in front of you.
Sitting Head to Knee (Janushirshasana and Paschimottanasana) - While sitting, put your left leg out straight and bring your right foot in toward your crotch. If it will go comfortably all the way, then let your right heel rest against your perineum. If the right foot won't go all the way in to the crotch, then just let it rest however far inward it will go with comfort. Now lean forward while extending your hands toward your left foot. If you can reach, then grab your left big toe with both hands. If you can't reach your toe, then just let your hands rest on your left shin however far you can comfortably go. Let your torso and head come down as far as comfortable. If you are very limber, your head may end up resting on your left knee. If it won't go that far, then just stop at your comfortable limit as you lean forward. Hold that position for about 10 seconds. Now reverse the whole thing and do it with your right leg extended and your left leg in toward your crotch. Hold it again for 10 seconds. Finally, do it with both legs out straight. This time, grab your left and right toes with your left and right hands, respectively. Or, if you can't reach, just let each hand rest on its corresponding shin at your comfortable limit of stretch. As with the other head to knee positions, let your torso and head come down toward your knees to a comfortable limit, and hold for about 10 seconds. Then relax.

A more advanced version of the left and right head to knee posture involves sitting up on the heel, putting more pressure on the perineum, and holding a full breath inside (kumbhaka) while doing the posture. The breath is taken in and expelled using spinal breathing, and sambhavi, mulabandha, jalandhara and abdominal lift (see below - done while full with air in this case) are used during the posture. This advanced version of head to knee is called "Maha Mudra."
Shoulder Stand (Viparitakarani or Sarvangasana) - Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Bring your knees up and roll your buttocks up in the air, while bringing your hands under your upward curling back. Keep going up and straighten your legs and back out above you. Use your hands to support your back by propping them up with your elbows on the floor. Find a comfortable balance in this posture, and hold for about 10 seconds. It doesn't have to be straight up. The idea is to achieve inversion of your body. That is the main purpose of the shoulder stand. Before you come back down, go to the next posture.
Plow (Halasana) - While in the shoulder stand, let your legs and torso come down over your head, going toward the floor. Continue to support your back with your hands with elbows on the floor, as necessary. If you can, let your feet come all the way down to the floor with your legs straight, and let your arms down to lie flat on the floor behind you. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds. If the legs and back will not come far enough to let your feet touch the floor, then stop at your comfortable limit. In that case you can let your knees bend toward your shoulders for comfort, as if you are curling into a ball while propped up on your shoulder blades with your arms supporting your back as in the shoulder stand. If you end up in that curled up position, hold it for about 10 seconds. Whichever degree of the plow you come to, after the 10 second hold, uncurl yourself gently back down to lying flat on your back with your hands at your sides.
Seal of Yoga (Yoga Mudra) - Sit on the floor cross-legged. Clasp your hands comfortably behind your back with arms hanging loose. Lean forward with your head and torso to your comfortable limit. If you are limber, your head may touch the floor. Hold this posture at your comfortable limit for about 10 seconds, and then sit back up.
Cobra (Bhujangasana) - Roll over onto your stomach, lying flat on the floor. Put your hands under your shoulders as if you are going to do a push-up. Lift your head and shoulders up using your upper back, with a little help from your arms. Your belly should not leave the floor. You will have a good arch in your back. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds, and come back down gently.
Locust (Shalabhasana) - Still on your stomach, lying flat on the floor, extend your arms with both hands, palms up, under both sides of your pelvis. Keeping your legs straight, lift your knees up using your lower back. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds, and come back down gently.
Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) - Sit on the floor with your right leg out straight. Place your left foot on the floor just outside your right knee. Your left knee will be sticking up in front of you. Reach with your right arm past the left side of your left knee and use your elbow against the knee to twist your torso to the left. With your left arm, reach around behind you, further twisting your torso to the left, and touch the floor behind you with your left hand. Turn your head to the left also, looking as far around to the left as you can. Hold this twist for about 10 seconds. Don't strain in the twist. Only twist as far around as is comfortable. Now, switch legs and do the same posture the other way, twisting to the right, again holding for about 10 seconds. Then relax.
Abdominal Lift (Uddiyana Bandha or Nauli) - Stand up, with feet shoulder-width apart, leaning with your hands on your knees. Take a deep breath and expel as much air from your lungs as you can. With air expelled, suck your belly in and up using your diaphragm. Hold your belly in and up like that for about five seconds, and then release your belly, but do not breathe in yet. Pull the belly in and up again for five seconds. And again for five seconds more. Now relax and take a deep breath. This posture is called uddiyana bandha. See demonstration video in Lesson Addition 71.7 below. It can be advanced to be nauli when you have reached it in the lessons. Nauli is covered in Lesson 129, including a demonstration video.
Standing Back Stretch (Urdhvasana) - Standing with feet a little apart, reach with your straightened arms over your head and back as far as you comfortably can. Bend back with your spine as you do this, being careful not to fall over backwards. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds. Then stand up straight again and relax.
Standing Toe Touch (Padahastasana)- Standing with feet a little apart, reach down toward the floor with your hands while keeping your knees straight. Touch or grab your toes if you can without discomfort. If you are limber, you can let your palms rest flat on the floor. In doing this posture, your head may come close to your knees, or even touch them. If you can't reach, that is okay. Let your hands and head come down to whatever your comfortable limit is. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds.
Corpse Pose (Shavasana) - Lie down on your back with arms and legs spread a little, and relax. Let your mind relax completely. Remain in this posture for about one minute. Longer if you like. Now you are ready to take your seat for pranayama and meditation.

All of these postures can be done in about 10 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can do them in less time, but that is not recommended.

These are basic asanas, and most of them can be done in more advanced versions. Nauli, an advanced version of uddiyana, is mentioned because it is already in the lessons further on from here (#129). Maha mudra is covered for those who want to incorporate the principles and practices of pressure at the perineum (siddhasana effect), spinal breathing, breath retention (kumbhaka), sambhavi, mulabandha and abdominal lift (uddiyana) into a single asana. Maha mudra is the posture for doing that, and it is an excellent way to loosen up the sushumna before pranayama and meditation. There are many additional postures that are not mentioned here. This is a basic routine - a starter kit. It is good enough to prepare the nervous system for sitting practices.

See the illustrations for the Asana Starter Kit below. In time, you may tend toward more advanced versions of these, and add more postures into the mix. Or you may stick with this routine. Either way, you have this starter routine and can do some good bending and stretching that will aid you in settling into your sitting practices. Enjoy!

Note: The posture illustrations shown below can also be viewed and printed from the AYP Easy Lessons Vol 1 Online Book, or from the Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas Online Book.

You can find a video of the AYP Asana Starter Kit routine in Lesson Addition 71.5 below.

Abbreviated Asana Starter Kit

For those who are short on time, there is still the opportunity to do some limbering up before sitting practices. The trick is to do some twisting, abdominal lift, backward bending, forward bending and inversion. These are the essential elements that lie at the core of most asanas. Together, they flex and manipulate the spinal nerve, preparing it for spinal breathing and deep meditation. For that purpose, the following abbreviated all-standing routine is offered that can be done in a couple of minutes.

Standing Spinal Twist - Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and reach around behind you to the left as far as you can with both arms wrapping around your torso in that direction. Let your torso and head twist in that direction as far as comfortable. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds. Relax, and then do it in the other direction.
Abdominal Lift (Uddiyana or Nauli) - Stand with feet apart and do this the same as above.
Standing Back Stretch - Stand with feet a little apart, and do this posture the same as above.
Standing Toe Touch - Stand with feet a little apart, and do this posture the same as above. Besides flexing the spinal nerve forward, this posture also provides inversion, though not to the same degree as a shoulder stand.

From here you can go straight into your sitting practices. If you have the time and space to lie down for a minute (corpse pose) before beginning pranayama, that is good too. These four postures can be compressed down into a minute or so if time is very short, or stretched out to several minutes. If there is not enough time for a full set of asanas, this abbreviated session will be much better than no asanas. It does not require getting down on the floor, and can be done in street clothes just about anywhere.

Time is our most precious commodity in this life. Often, we find ourselves with too little of it. The topic of time management in our practices is visited periodically throughout the lessons, culminating with Lesson 209, "Fitting Daily Practices into a Busy Schedule." There you will see how asanas fit into the pecking order in relation to all the other practices when time is short. We would like to do a full routine twice each day. This is how we speed our way along on the road to enlightenment. In this busy world, we are sometimes faced with having to make compromises. So we try and be as efficient about it as we can, prioritizing our practices and reaping as much spiritual benefit as possible from the time we have available.

Here are illustrations for the Abbreviated (standing) Asana Starter Kit, available only on AYP Plus. You can find a video of the AYP Abbreviated Asana Starter Kit routine in Lesson Addition 71.6 below.

Addition 71.2 - Maha Mudra (Audio)
Mar 17, 2015

Q: In Kriya Yoga, Maha Mudra is considered to be one of the most important practices. Is this true? And if so, is it included in the AYP practices? At which step in the AYP routine would you recommend adding Maha Mudra ?

A: Maha Mudra is included in both the starter (#71.1) and enhanced (#383.1) AYP asana sets as an advanced version of the head to knee posture, with siddhasana (heel at root), sambhavi, jalandhara (chin lock), mulabandha (root lock), kumbhaka (breath retention) and uddiyana (abdominal lift) added. See instructions and an illustration for maha mudra above under posture #4 - "sitting head to knee."

Extending the hold of maha mudra extends its effect. It is a powerful kundalini practice, similar to yoni mudra kumbhaka (Lesson 91). If there are any prior symptoms of dullness or excessive energy flow, better to go easy on kundalini related practices. Better to cultivate abiding inner silence in deep meditation and keep active in daily life. Then the energy awakening will come along naturally, and kundalini practices (including maha mudra as part of our asana routine) can be used sparingly with positive effect.

The various schools of Kriya Yoga tend to emphasize maha mudra and claim it as their own. It isn't. It is just one of many hatha yoga tools in the box. There is no magic bullet, except the cultivation of abiding inner silence, which penetrates all aspects of life and is the foundation of enlightenment.

By the way, for a clarification on terminology, in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, "Mahamudra" refers to something different -- it is the entire integrated system of practices they use, with no relationship to the hatha yoga posture discussed above.

Practice wisely, and enjoy!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.3 - Sequencing Kumbhaka (breath retention) in Maha Mudra (Audio)
Jun 2, 2016

Q: I have a question with regards to the advanced maha mudra pose in AYP.

On sequence, do I sit with one leg folded and one extended with heel to perineum, breathe in, and then apply mulabandha, sambhavi, jalandhara and uddiyana, and then go down holding breath all the while, come up and then breathe out like a spinal breath while releasing the bandhas? Or do I bend down and then whilst down breathe in - apply bandhas - hold - breathe out and then come up?

In short, when do I breathe in and out during the maha mudra sequence?

A: Yes, your first description is correct. Breath is taken in right before applying the locks and going into maha mudra, held during the posture and released when coming out of the posture. Inhale and exhale can be done tracing the spinal nerve like with yoni mudra kumbhaka. The difference between the two is the form of the posture. Maha mudra, described in the last paragraph of Posture #4 in the Asana Starter Kit above, is a powerful kundalini stimulator (the longer held the greater the effect), so be sure to start slow (10 seconds or less) and self-pace as necessary.

All the best!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.4 - Adapting Asanas (Postures) for Seniors (Audio)
Sep 27, 2016

Q1: I am 84, healthy and in good shape, except I have a very limited range of motion. I have been doing morning stretches for years, including leg stretches, so I am clear my stiffness is permanent. I can barely touch my knees with my legs straight, and there is no way I can sit on the floor, except for sitting on my heels for short periods. Other than that, I am very active and exercise regularly. For meditation I use a chair or kneeling bench.

So, my question is what set of asanas should I do? Currently I do the standing asanas plus shoulder stand from the AYP lessons. Can the heart centered warm-up be done standing or in a chair?

A1: Yes, any adaption of the AYP postures, standing or sitting, that you can do without straining is very good. The heart-centering warm-up can be done sitting in a chair, if desired.

You may find that you have more flexibility in the afternoon before pranayama and meditation than in the morning. Whatever it is, just be very easy and gentle with the body.

The shoulder stand may be a bit ambitious for you. You can achieve inversion (the main effect of shoulder stand) in other ways. Bending over forward, or lying down with legs vertical in the air (against a wall if desired) will provide a similar effect. It is up to you. No restrictions here. Do what is best for your practice and health with comfort and safety.

Doing spinal breathing and deep meditation in a comfortable chair with back support is very good. You will not compromise the results of your practice. Best to be comfortable and clear with minimal distractions coming from the body while practicing.

Q2: Thank you. In following my bhakti, I did a few weeks of a standard hatha yoga class. Then the light bulb came on: painfully working up a sweat is not conducive to pranayama and deep meditation! Sweating, but no pain, is for the weights and pull-up bar downstairs later in the morning. Gotta listen to the body. Is sitting heart centered warm-up, the abbreviated asana starting kit with knee touch, and shoulder stand a balanced set? I understand that that's important.

A2: Yes, bending and stretching before practices with the heart-centered warm up and the abbreviated standing asana set, as you describe, is a good balanced set, covering forward bend (with some inversion), back bend, spinal twist and some abdominal lift. As mentioned, shoulder stand is a more ambitious option, and up to you.

You can do these standing with no strain. As mentioned, in any posture we go as far as we can comfortably reach. This is the formula for any yoga we do, to take it to our comfortable limit without straining, no matter where that is. This is good practice. Straining or overdoing in any practice is not so good, as it could lead to injury and a recovery period during which our ability to practice will be limited. The trick is to do a little each day, not being too heroic with anything we do in yoga. It adds up.

As they say, "Rome was not built in a day."

And yes, the strenuous forms of yoga are not for right before sitting for spinal breathing pranayama and deep meditation. If interested in this form of yoga, it should be regarded as exercise to be done after practices, or well before. With postures, we are looking to settle down the nerves and metabolism as a preparation for pranayama and meditation. Then when we sit, we will go much deeper in pure bliss consciousness, and bring that out into our daily activity.

Your bhakti is very good. Be sure to temper your enthusiasm for best results. We call that "self-pacing."

For some more discussion on AYP for seniors, see Lesson 74.

Thank you for your kind sharing, and all the best on your path!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.5 - Videos: AYP Asana Starter Kit (Audio)
May 3, 2017

We are pleased to add the following three videos covering the AYP asana starter kit as described (with illustrations) in the above Lesson Addition 71.1.

The first video shows all the postures in a summarized version of the routine, lasting about 3 minutes. The second and third videos show all the postures in a full length version of the routine lasting about 9 and 12 minutes respectively. The work done on these videos by all involved is greatly appreciated!

There are a few minor inconsistencies between the videos and the asana set described in Lesson Addition 71.1 above. Several of the postures are shown in more advanced versions. These variations are noted in the subtitles of the video. When in doubt about any of the postures, refer to the descriptions and illustrations in Lesson Addition 71.1.

Keep in mind that the full postures are not required to complete the asana routine. If we can comfortably reach our shins for a posture that may show the toes being touched, this is the perfect posture for us. Never strain with any yoga posture or practice.

As we know, variations may occur as each practitioner approaches asanas from their own background and perspective. The most important thing is to be moderate in our approach and to balance (not overdo) our asanas in relation to deep meditation, spinal breathing pranayama and related sitting practices. Balance enabling sustained daily practice over the long term is the key to permanent human spiritual transformation.

Practice wisely, and enjoy!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.6 - Videos: AYP Abbreviated Asana Starter Kit (Standing) (Audio)
May 24, 2017

We are pleased to add the following two videos covering the AYP abbreviated asana starter kit standing routine, as described (with illustrations) in the above Lesson Addition 71.1. The first is done in business attire, and the second is done in casual attire. Many thanks to those in front of and behind the camera who made these videos possible!

This short standing routine is for practitioners on the go and can be completed in a few minutes, loosening up the nervous system for sitting practices, which can also be abbreviated according to time available, as discussed in Lesson 209.

Practice wisely, and enjoy!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.7 - Video: Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lift) (Audio)
Oct 26, 2017

We are pleased to add the following video covering Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal lift), as described (with illustration) in the above Lesson Addition 71.1. You can also find it shown in the routine sequence in the AYP Asana Starter Kit Video above in Lesson Addition 71.5. The more advanced practice of Nauli is demonstrated in a video in Lesson 129.

Practice wisely, and enjoy!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.8 - Conscious Seizure during Yoga Asanas (Audio)
Mar 31, 2020

Q: I have been following your teachings for a while on my spiritual journey. Can you guide me on what could have led to my below experience?

As part of my morning rituals, I was doing Hasta Uttanasana (standing back stretch) - and I collapsed and repeatedly banged my head on the floor for about a minute - similar to a seizure, but conscious. I was conscious but I had no control of it.

Thanks.

A: That is an unusual result for a simple standing back stretch. It could be a form of purification and opening related to your overall practice routine that is temporarily causing you to lose control of balance and body. It is likely to pass as the purification works itself out. For those who have been meditating for some months or years, it is common to "witness" occurrences that may otherwise result in a loss of conscious control of the body. But that is no reason to let such occurrences continue in a way that could result in injury.

If you are falling down, risking injury, it will be best to "self-pace" your practice by reducing or eliminating any yoga technique that may be causing difficulty (or excessive discomfort) until safety and stability return. Once stability returns, practice can be inched back up as appropriate. This goes for any practice in the AYP system.

Generally, yoga-related symptoms will work themselves out in a reasonable time. Self-pacing of practice is the means by which we reduce the difficulties that may arise with such symptoms. It is like slowing down an automobile when entering a curve or rough patch in the road. It is common sense that enables us to continue our journey to the destination.

It is also important to keep active in daily life, as this is what integrates the results of our practice into our life and the world around us.

If this or any concerning symptom continues, then it will be wise to get checked by a physician to make sure there is not a health issue involved.

Wishing you all the best on your continuing path!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.9 - When is the Best Time to Add Asanas to the AYP Routine? (Audio)
Nov 12, 2020

Q: Reading through the lessons, it seems that some practices are classified as more powerful or aggressive than others. With these practices, it makes sense to me to keep self-pacing in mind at all times and move slowly.

Asanas, however, don't seem to be classified that way. That led me to wonder:

1) Why are asanas given in the lessons after mulabandha and sambhavi?

2) Why not begin asana practice at the same time - or shortly after - beginning spinal breathing pranayama? I have not tried any of these practices yet, but I am curious about the roadmap of what is to come, and curious to hear what is your expert opinion.

A: Asanas are introduced in the lessons after several of the sitting practices because AYP is mainly about sitting practices. This is not to the exclusion of asanas, which are an important limb of yoga. It is only that they have been emphasized to the extreme in our fitness obsessed culture, often to the exclusion of the rest of yoga. So in AYP we don't start out emphasizing asanas. That said, you can add an AYP asana set to your daily practice routine any time after beginning daily deep meditation. It is best to start with deep meditation, and make sure you are stable in your practice before adding on new elements of practice. That goes for adding asanas, spinal breathing pranayama, or any other practice. Best to add one thing at a time and make sure the routine is stable before expanding. That can take six months or longer for each practice taken on, so no need to be in a hurry. You will know soon enough when you have taken on too much, and self-pacing of practice is advised. This is very important.

Many have been doing asanas before they came to AYP, sometimes with long routines for years. This can actually be problematic sometimes, because with all that surface purification and opening having occurred with long time asana practice, beginning deep meditation can lead to sudden and uncomfortable deeper openings (Lesson 409), which can make it a bit of a challenge adding a sitting practices with deep meditation and related techniques. It can take some time to get things back in balance across the limbs of yoga. But that is not what we are talking about here. If you are new to asanas, or have been moderate with them in the past, then adding them to your established routine of deep meditation and spinal breathing pranayama should not raise any issues. The order of practices is discussed in Lesson 385.

As always, if you ever feel symptoms of overdoing, then self-pace your practice as needed.

All the best!

The guru is in you.

Addition 71.10 - Can't Suspend Breath Much When Doing Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lift) (Audio)
Nov 25, 2020

Q: I was recently inspired to include asanas into my AYP routine. Was reviewing the asana lessons this morning, and I see that abdominal lift (Uddiyana Bandha) in both the starter kit as well as the shortened sequence. I have tried to follow the instructions, but was not successful at it. I inhaled and then exhaled fully in the defined position. I am unable to hold the breath for more than 5 seconds - let alone do other multi-tasking of bringing in the diaphragm up etc. All that the body was urging to do was to catch the breath.

Just wanted to see if this is an indication that something is not right with my prana flow? I can hold my breath inside for 30-45 seconds without much strain. But doing it with breath expelled is difficult for me. So Uddiyana with its several components seems complicated. Any input will be much appreciated. Thank you.

A: Postures, including uddiyana bandha, are not all or nothing. If after you exhale, you need to inhale a few seconds later, that is fine. Don't strain. If you can pull your abdomen in and up a bit during those few seconds, then that is good enough. If not, then have only the slight intention to do it, even if nothing moves. All asanas are like that, very gentle, with each being an intention, not pressed beyond our physical limit. Over time, each will become a little more, without discomfort or injury. That is how it is with nearly all the practices in AYP. We start from where we are and gently nudge a bit forward day by day. In fact, many things in life are like that. Gentle consistency over time is far more important than how much we may be tempted to force things on any given day.

All the best!

The guru is in you.