The principles of Yoga are following: principle of perfection, principle of energy.
The perfection – some how you do your Yoga exercises, if you try to do them according with the direction you have got, some how you can do your best (if your muscles are spraining or not, etc.), you do it perfectly. Even if outwards it doesn’t look like the direction demand. The fact of the realization makes it perfect, and certainly, this realization of the perfection will be changed with any new approach (cleaning of channels, spraining, etc), until it reaches the invariably perfection. That’s why if we say “the exercise is done in a wrong way” it is not correct. The most important is to do it regular and prolonged, and to be sure that in our personal universe in this moment we do it perfectly (some how we can do it).
The principle of the Energy (funnel) – As a ball thrown in the funnel always rolls down in it, we awake an energy, doing our yoga exercises (even if our exercises are not so correct), and the energy effects on the body, folds and transforms it the way Yoga needs. It isn’t necessary to be worry about correct done exercises. The main thing is to do as much as possible, honestly and regular.
The tale of Hatha-yoga (from the seminar stuffs)Author of seminar – Zaporozhcev Vadim
1. Adya asks his Shacti (girl-friend): “How did that science of body and breath springs up?” She answers: “The primordial (Shiva) who orders the life and the death for welfare of all alive, gave people the teaching of Hatha-yoga. He uses to own that science absolutely and he has done lots of exploits in the Hatha-yoga practice.
2. Adya says: “Tell me about that science and where from do you know about it?”
Shacti answers: “Shiva himself taught me and you had to know the following (here the Hatha yoga directions begin).
3. Shi says: “there are as many positions in Hatha-yoga as many animals are in the world”
4. Before man reaches his body of human he passed a row of many animal bodies. During the evolution human lives millions and millions lives in the animals bodies, until he deserves the happiness to be born in a body of man.
5. During the life in the body of animal, soul uses to realize (or not) that animal’s life directions. And everything that the soul doesn’t execute in the body of the animal passed in the body of man as Karma.
6. If the soul, being in the body of a snake absolutely owns the snake’s body, passing in the man body it uses to keep the all positive qualities since snake being times. But if the soul in a snake body doesn’t execute all predestinations which it had to, all of the shortcomings passed in the body of a man. And that’s why man could be suffered to some illnesses, or he could be not flexible, or he wouldn’t have some qualities which he had to develop in the body of the animal.
7. That’s why in the precious body of man some shortages turn out. It comes since the life in animals bodies.
8. Shiva (thanks to his charity) shows us the way to correct lots of shortages (gathered during milliards of lives in the animals bodies), during one man life. This method called Asanas.
9. Executing Asanas man takes away all kinds of pollutions, seeds of illnesses and other tracks, which presents since animal being times. Executing Asanas man neutralizes negative tendencies (so the illnesses left to the secondary plan until he is doing Hatha. But as soon as he stopped doing, they come back). Later on man reconstructs his organism such way, that it becomes absolutely perfect and it never changes even if man stopped doing Yoga.
10. Imagine a heavy stone pushing up a hill. Before a passing the stone can drop back, but
it slides down to the necessary side after the passing. The passing are Sidha in Asana
(a perfection of Asana execution).
11. When you reach Sidha in Asana (it doesn’t depends if you go on doing yoga or not), positive qualities of Asana are yours forever. As a baked jug can never get wet, body burnt in yoga fire is free from aches.
12. Shi says: “There is a low of rough, slim and slender union. Acting at a rough body you have got an effect at a slim body, and acting at a slim body you have got an effect at a rough body.
13. Prana is a tie between the bodies (it is a passing link).
14. Adya asks: “How shall I do Hatha –yoga?”
Shi answers: “Shiva gives Hatha yoga and those who execute this yoga acquire all knowledge. He gives it those who get tired of endless empty debates about the highest nature of universe.
15. Shiva said: “May be you don’t know what yoga is and have no knowledge, but if you practice it you will get all knowledge, including the knowledge of yoga.
16. In order to reach a success you mast practice every day carefully, attentively and by turns. This is the only way to reach a success in Hatha-yoga. Empty debates are useless.
17. Executing Asanas you’ll not only clean your body and reconstruct it, but you’ll understand the low of similar in similar that says: For Hatha-yogi the whole universe is his body and his body is the whole universe. And changing your body you change the universe, and changing the universe you change your body, and there is no difference –inside your body or outside of it.
18. From all countless forms of alive being which man soul passed, Shiva chose 64.000 beings or 64.000 Assanas. 85 of them are the actual now. The important from that 85 –are 35. 3 of that 35 are more important. And the most important one is Sidha in Asanas.
19. Start learning Hatha-yoga from easy to difficult. Get possess one exercise then the second and so on, until the group of exercises will be gathered. Then gather another group, the third etc. The all 85 exercises must be included in this or that group.
20. Every day practice Hatha-yoga, better at same time, in same place. If you can’t do all exercises of the group, just do those that you can. If you can’t do at usual time, do as mach as you can. If you have no conditions even for it, just think about what you have be done. If you forgot to think about it, do it next day.
21. Adya asks: “What I must be afraid of learning Hatha-yoga and how can I do it without making mistakes?”
Shacti answers: “Be afraid of laziness, depend your mind from dimness. The principles of achievements of Hatha-yoga are next: First principle is principle of perfection (senses of perfection), second is principle of energy (doing energy or principle of funnel).
23. The principle of perfection says: Some how you do Hatha-yoga exercises (Assanas), if you try to do them according with directions (which you have got from your teacher or from text), some how you can do, you do that exercises perfectly, even if they outwards looks different from the directions. The fact of doing the exercises makes your execution perfect. But from trial to trial you’ll do it better and better. That’s why it is an intermediate perfection. At least you’ll reach an invariable (final) perfection. That’s why “the exercise is done in a wrong way” notion is senseless. The most important is to do them regular and prolonged and to be sure that in your own universe in this moment, in this circumstances you do them perfectly (some how you can do).
24. The principle of Energy. As a ball in the funnel always rolls down in it, we awake an energy doing this or that Asana, and the energy effects on the body, folding (transforming) it the way body needs. You shouldn’t worry about right done exercises. The main thing is to do all your best executing your Asanas, honestly, regular and long. Awake the energy and the energy will make Yoga.
25. Adya asks: “What is the evidence of success when you do Hatha-yoga?”
She answers: “The habit of doing Hatha-yoga every day. The habit is inertness of conducts and mind. Your negative habits serve bad. There is no worse enemy. But Shiva in his charity gives people some Assanas. If you make habit to do them, they bring about highlight kinds of life and liberation then. The habit of Hatha-yoga doing overcomes laziness, dimness of minds, diffidence, anxiety, weakness of intellect, neurosis, nervousness, bad complexion, terrible illnesses, gloomy Karma and many other ailments. If you feel that you can’t live even a day without yoga it means you have reach perfection (success), you are in a right, clear direction. It is a Mark on the way.
26. Adya asks: “Are there any other marks of success?”
She answers: “Good feeling, strength of mind, beauty of the body, nice complexion, an ability to stay without movement, an ability to fix a glance on the object, absence of mind twaddle, first displays of super gifts, good being, joyful outlook, deep mysterious dreams, calmness, risen sex appeal – these are the success marks in Hatha-yoga”.
27. Adya asks: “What kind of hinders there are in Hatha-yoga and how to get rid of them?” Shakti answers: “ Strange sounds, as twaddle, quarrels, if you are not alone in the room doing your exercises; when somebody makes inquiries, mocks at you and indicates you; when somebody says that you do yoga in a wrong way; when there is not enough clean, nourishing tasty food; when air is polluted; endless debates with rude people and proving of your standpoints; attempt to persuade the fools; when you devote the inquisitives to your causes; it hinders if you don’t execute yoga in the same place, at same time; much work and much laziness, wrong waste of energy; extra oppressing of your body; not caring of your body and not letting it to have rest and joy, much waste of energy in sex (look yoga of Sex); doubts in yourself, doubts in the teaching. These are some of hinders.
28. Adya asks: “What are the consequences of doing Hatha-yoga and are there any negative effects? And if there are some, how can I neutralize them?”
Shi answers: “When you are doing any exercise your inner common sense and feelings must be your main advisers. If they told you to relax loading – relax it; if they told you to reinforce it –reinforce. Remember the principle of Energy – funnel. Energy will show you how to do the exercise. It will transform your body. It will give you the sensation what to do or not. It will warn you about negative effects. Listen it.
29. In the beginning of training yoga, when your organism is cleaning, when the channels are dirty still, the effect of flight and fall could be evident. As a man climbing on a hill, either climbs hardly on the top, or easily runs down, same is yogi – either he throws himself into yoga, or hardly makes himself to do it. The intervals between ascents and falls became bigger, and ascents and falls became smaller. In a year or more the practical yogi comes to a flat level, free from exaltations and deep falls. If you can stay on a flat level a year and more the augmentation of sensations (flight) begins. But it can past by absolute change of life. If the practical can stand half a year, he begins to form a habit.
30. You mast be very attentive to respiratory exercises in Hatha-yoga. You mast be more attentive and use much common sense than wherever else in yoga. You can neutralize negative affects, shorting the strain, substituting exercises, extending the rest, creating comfortable conditions, eating tasty curative food, doing sex only according with yoga of sex, using cures (medical plants, pills, cleaning treatments, etc).
31. Learn the treatise of yoga, consider them, associate with practical yogis, live among them, find a competent teacher, make inquiries, serve him and get initiation from him. Using the common sense listen to your sensations.
Keep the directions and you’ll escape all possible negative tendencies of your Karma. Not clever, absent-mind, silly disciple can be damaged even if he eats soup, not to mention of worse things that could happen.
32. Adya says: “Tell me about assanas. What are them, what are their names, which way they must be done and what illnesses they help from?”
From 33 to 146 aphorisms Hatha-yoga exercises are described.
33. Pashchimottanasana
Shi says: “Here is a position for the stomach (pashchimottanasana). Lie down on the ground take a breath, thrown your hands over the head. Then bend in the waist with an exhalation and capture the ankles with your palms. Watch your legs stay straight in the knees. Thus give yourself up to the energy flowing inside you. Then touch your knees with forehead. Doing this position you’ll eliminate all illnesses in the bottom of the stomach. You’ll have a joy in your legs.
34. Bkhutjangasana
Here is a cobra position (bkhutjangasana). O, glorious disciple, lie on your stomach, place your palms under your shoulders. Lift up your eyes, then slowly lift up the head, curve your neck, then curve the back. Help yourself with hands to curve more. Stay such way and give yourself up to the energy. Then do all this in the opposite direction, in order to get out from the posture. This asana brings a clear rage to minds. Like a cobra on the point of attack. You’ll cure your eyes and upper part of spine. Doing this asana you’ll get a clearness of mind. You will awake forces slumbering in the sacrum.
35. The stick position
Put your straight body on nice bedding, on the stomach. Place your palms under the shoulders. Take a breath and raise straight body on the straight hands, as if the body is straight as a stick. Doing this position you’ll mobilize your consciousness. If you feel you can hardly control yourself, doing this asana you’ll let the anger to break away. This asana gives a clearness of consciousness. It cures all hand illnesses.
36. The dog position.
Do all the same as in stick position. Then bend in the waist the way to keep your legs straight in the knees. Your hands, body and head must be in one straight line. This is a dog position. Doing this you’ll get cleanness of channels in hands, legs and waist. The blood will wash your hands, body and head together with prana. So you’ll renovate the blood in your legs. You got endurance with this position. It balances blood and energy in your organism.
37. The cat position
Stand on both your legs and both hands. Put your head, hands and breast on the ground, like a cat wriggling under the fence or arching its back. Stay in this position for a long time, in order to let energy to flow down along the surface, from pelvis to head. Watch up your spine to be curved elegantly. This position helps to remove the lungs and stomach upset. You’ll be capable of great endurance and you’ll develop your mind.
38. A half-fish position (Ardkha-matsiendrasana)
Sit down on your bent knees, straighten the neck, back, head, put on and then throw your left foot over the knee. Then turn your neck, back and head to the left. With the help of your hands try to turn left as much as you can and set your right elbow on the left knee. Try to soil your left leg ankle with left hand. Stay for a long time in this position. Doing this you’ll remove all of your spine illnesses. With this position you can change the flowing of lunar energy to solar or solar energy to lunar. In way back return to the point of departure and do the exercise to the right. Doing this position you’ll understand the duality of the world. You’ll realize Single behind Dual. This position is known as a Half-fish position.
39. Now listen to the description of turn- over position Viparita Karani. Lie down on your back in a nice place, lift up your legs, hold the bottom of your body by hands and stay so for a long time. You’ll turn back the time river with this exercise. You’ll look younger, the wrinkles will be relaxed. Doing this position yogis change the places of energy and consciousness.
This position grants lots of blessing. But don’t overdo it. Increase the duration gradually. Eat well and avoid of bad companies. Yogi that executes this position folds the time in his arms. And if you lead your legs farther from your head to be hold only by hands, you’ll be the master of the complete energy. Brakhmacharya is reached only in case of keeping this energy under control.
40. A Half-Royal position (Ardkha-sirshasana)
Place your head on the floor, fold it in your arms and place your legs on the knees. Then straighten legs in the knees and lean on you’re your feet, head and folded the head arms. Your body must be bended a corner in the waist. Staying this way you’ll acquire keen mind, excellent vision and knowledge of slender energies. According with the result this asana compares with a point on a head – Royal position (Sirshasana). That’s why it is called Half-Royal position (Ardxasirshasana). And if you, o, my glorious disciple, would have a power, if you would reside Rajah life, which expects your personality radiance, like a Sun radiance, do this position or the Royal position in order to stir up a respect of your closes and a fear of your enemies.
41. Here is a Rajah position – Sirshasana.
Let Rajah (or his rani) places his straight body on the head in a beautiful place. Leaning only on the head and elbows he must keep his body straight. If you rule over the land and you have a shortage of time, practice this attitude.
42. Now I am going to tell you about a Bow position (Dkhanurasana). Place your body on the stomach, bend your legs in the knees, seize your ankles with palms and stay so for some time. Wait until the energy of this position will rose up. Then o, nice disciple, start unbend legs in the knees and cave in the back. This way you’ll take a shape of a bow. Stay in this position as long as your body lets you. This position is unsurpassed for umbilical fire kindle. The vital sickness and weak vital fire are cured by this position. Shoulders and joints are recovered by this position and a lot of negative Karma is burnt through it like in fire-chamber.
43. Stretched legs position
In a preventing objects free place stand on your legs, breathed in a bracing fresh air with all breast and at same time throw your hands up. Stoop down with an exhalation and capture your ankles. Your legs must be straight in the knees. Stay so for a long time. This way you will recovery lots of illnesses, you’ll get rid of outer and penetrate into inner. The upper part of the body will have a complete recovery from all illnesses.
Now I am going to give you an account of perfect positions for meditation, energy awakening and lots of yoga realizations.
44. Vajhasana
Sit down on your bended knees in the secluded place. Your back, head and neck are on the straight line. Put your hands on your knees and fix your eyes in front of you. The solidity of diamond is acquired by this position. That’s why this asana is called Diamond position.
45. In the position of sitting placed your left or right foot accordingly on the right or left hip. Straighten your neck, back and head. This is a Comfortable position (Suckhasana).
46. In the position of sitting placed your left leg on your right hip and your right leg on your left hip in order to interlace your legs with each other. Straighten your back, neck and head. This position is called Lotus position (Padmasana). This asana is unsurpassed if you are practicing Pranayama.
47. Siddkhasana
Now listen about the most excellent position gifted by Shiva himself. It’s impossible to describe all of the blessings that this asana gives. It gifts all perfections, even to a negligent disciple. That’s why it is called Perfect position (Siddkhasana). Disciple sits down on the floor in the secret place, and bends his right leg a way to set his heel against the perineum –a region between genitals and anus. Set the other heel above the genitals and press to the pubis. Straighten the spine and stay in this position for a long time. All of perfections are acquired with this position.
Nothing and nobody can disturb the peace of mind or confused this successful disciple. Man becomes a master –Brahmacharya, if he owns this position. It is considered that only such man controls his sex vital energy. Keep this position in secret, don’t tell anybody about it.
48. Plough position (Khalasana)
Lay down your straight body and take a breath. Throw your straight legs over the head with an exhalation. Touch the ground with them over your head. Let your hands lie freely along your body or place them under the head. This position is known as a Plough position. It eliminates all illnesses of waist and neck.
49. A Triangle position (Triconasana)
Now listen about the triangular position. Stand straight and put your legs on the breadth of your shoulders. Keep your neck, head and back on a straight line. Taking a breath lift up your hands and keep them in parallel with the ground. Your hands must form a straight line. With an exhalation tilt right and touch your right or left foot with right hand. Fix your eyes on your left hand. Try to keep your hand on a straight line. Than do the same exercise to the different side. This position eliminates pains in spine and feet. It also changes Solar and Lunar currents.
50. Circle position (Chackrasana)
Lie down on the back, bend your legs in the knees, throw your hands over the head and put your palms on the ground. Lean on the palms and feet, sag your body up and let your feet and palms go to meet each other. So you’ll get a Circle position (Chackrasana). This position eliminates spine pollutions and augments the vital power.
51. Peacock position (Mayurasana)
Stand on the knees, stoop forwards and put your hands on the floor, palms looking on the legs. Bring your elbows together and lean them against the umbilicus. At the same time leaned your forehead against the floor. Unbend your feet, tear off your head from the floor to be hold on your palms and feet fingers only. Stay so until the energy glides, then move forward and tear off feet fingers from the floor, in order your head, body and legs be in parallel with the floor and all your body be hold only on the palms. This position is called a Peacock position (Mayurasana). The one who practices this asana have a strong digestive fire that digests all poisons. This position eliminates all stomach illnesses.
52. The rest of hero position
Sit down on the ground between your feet. Helping with hands sink down on the ground, throw your hands over the head and stay so. This position removes the illnesses in joints and shoulders. It is known as a Hero resting position.
53. A Corner position (Vackrasana)
Sit down on the floor with straighten legs. Keep your body, neck and head on one straight line. Lean your hands against the floor and rice your body a little in order to lean only on your palms and heels. The one who do this position finds lots of positive qualities of other positions. That’s why it must be practiced with diligence.
54. A Tank position (Dyanasana)
Lean on your palms and fingers of feet, bend your hands in the elbows and place your knees over the elbows to lean the knees against the elbows. Then vigilantly tear off feet fingers from the floor and lean only on the palms. This position is known as a twisted handstand. It develops stomach muscles.
55. Shavasana
The implementation of Hatha-yoga exercises ought to be concluded by precious position of Shavasana. This position grants a success in yoga as none else. If you know Shavasana – you know all positions. And if you don’t know it you’ll hardly achieve a success in yoga. So listen, o glorious disciple, put your body on the ground immovable and straight like a corpse. Weaken your muscles, slacken your face, and like a corpse stay in this position for a long time. Try not to breathe and even thoughts will leave away.
This position gives calmness to mind and nerves worn out, it restores the energy, redistributes senses. As a chief diamond in a crown Shavasana is the same between the other positions. Consider yourself dead. Then come smoothly back to living. Start from breathing, then sense and only after that move your body. Never jump up sharply, but if you did, you have to do calming exercises. Always practice this position. It is folly to neglect it.
THE STORY OF HATHA-YOGA
Adya asks: “What means Hatha and how it must be understand?”
Shacty answers: “Ha -is father, Tha-is mother, Ha -is mother, Tha-is father. Hatha is their union, their child. Ha-is Sun, Tha-is Moon, Ha-is Moon, Tha –is Sun. Hatha means Eclipse. Ha-means day, Tha- means night, Ha-is night, Tha-is day. Hatha means daybreak and sunset. Ha-is breath, Tha-is exhalation, Ha- is exhalation, Tha-is breath. Hatha means that there is no breath and no exhalation, that breath absorbs the exhalation and exhalation absorbs the breath. Ha-is vowel, Tha-is consonant, Ha-is consonant, Tha is vowel. Hatha means Mantra. Ha –is right, Tha –is left, Ha-is left, Tha-is right, Hatha means middle. Ha-is white, Tha-is red, Ha-is red, Tha is white. Hatha means sky-blue. Ha –is realize, Tha-is act, Ha-is act, Tha is realize. Hatha means to reach the highest result. Ha-is strain, Tha –is enfeeblement, Ha-is enfeeblement, Tha-is strain, Hatha means the course of Life. Ha-means force yourself, Tha-means allow yourself, Ha- means allow yourself, Tha –means force yourself. Hatha is an achievement of Life acme.
Adya asks: “How should it be understand?”
She answers: “In this yoga you can do your exercises either by Ha method, or by Tha method. You can practice all yoga exercises by maternal method of wisdom – method of energy, method of sensation. Or you can practice it by paternal method of self-overcoming – method of consciousness, method of resolution. In treatise it is told that as mother and father are needed for a child birth, for Hatha-yoga understanding it is necessary to practice exercises and by maternal method of energy and by consciousness paternal method.
She says: “That is why the word Hatha can be explained as a union of mind and sense, as a union of mother and father, as a union of consciousness and energy, as a union of right and left, as a union of vowel and consonant, as a union of day and night, as a union of breath and exhalation, as a union of increasing and diminution, as a union of effort and inaction, as a union of asceticism and delight, as a thing that places between the extremes. Refuse the extremes and you’ll realize Hatha-yoga. This is a great way of giving suffering and ignorance up.
Adya asks; “What does it mean – to practice feminine energy method and what does it mean to practice male consciousness method?”
She answers: “When you do the exercises for long time and without special efforts, when you surrender yourself wholly to your senses, when you let energy to rise up inside you and bend your body correctly doing your Hatha-yoga exercises –it is called maternal method of energy, wisdom, sensation. Don’t care especially about exercise rightness, take a roughly stand pending that energy itself will bend your body correct way. Like a careful mother Energy will bring you to the perfection. Trust in body energy as in your mother. This is a method of energy, wisdom, sensation, a famine method.
She says: “Now listen about the male method of consciousness. Do your exercises for a limited time long, it can be even a time of one breath. Strain all your will, exert every effort, see yourself a perfect yogi with your inner gaze and override yourself your body. Use your will and resoluteness maximally. But don’t hart yourself. Pass from one posture to other, as Shiva in the dance. All this is method of consciousness, paternal method of effort and resolution, that defeats inertness and body imperfection.
Adya asks: “How to master the unknown before positions and how to practice the well-known postures?”
She answers: “The wise men said it is better begin to study positions with Energy method. As careful mother nurse new-born child, Energy method also let a beginner yogi to strengthen in his exercises. It could be only one exercise a day. Then like a mother nursed child begins to see and play with his father, the beginner yogi also must learn yoga exercises with paternal consciousness method.
She says: “Choose 5-7 exercises for your daily practice and execute each of them during 20-30 breaths and exhalations at least with Energy method, or during the same time do maximum positions of Hatha-yoga which are passing one to another by method of consciousness.
She says: “If yogi is already skilful in Hatha-yoga exercises he can do his daily group of exercises with Energy method at first during a long time, then he can do the same with consciousness method during a short time. Using a will and resoluteness, this nice yogi can already use both methods at same time. It means he can start doing exercises with energy method –surrender himself wholly to the sensations, and finish with the method of consciousness – himself forcing. Or back in front – he can start doing with consciousness method –himself forcing, and finish with method of energy – allowing himself enjoy the sensation of execution. Later this nice yogi clarifies himself which of exercises he shall do with maternal method of energy, which with paternal consciousness method and which of exercises with both of this method. But only by the union of both this method yogi reaches the final result in Hatha-yoga. O, Adya, realize my words good and you’ll be avoided of many impediments and snares in the way to Hatha-yoga, and you’ll reach the highest happiness.
Adya says: “You have told me about 2 methods of Hatha-yoga exercises doing. Tell me about negative aspects of each from this method.
She answers: “Man who practices this yoga only with energy method is disposed to roll down into inertness and passiveness. But if he practices only consciousness method he rolls down into the fanaticism – into superfluous activity and thrusting his opinion on others. Only between 2 these oppositions the narrow path of reaching highness results in hatha-yoga is passing. That is why wise men said “give up extremes and you’ll reach a success”. Balance maternal method with the paternal and you’ll be born like an immortal perfect Hatha-yogi. Think of it Adya again and again. Give up the extremes, there is no result in them.