Yoga Questions

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi : I have been doing Yoga(I mean mostly asanas) for quite sometime. Appreciate if some one can answer me with the following.

  1. Is it okay if some one does only poses that is beneficial to him. Like for example if some one benefits from fish pose, he just want to do that only…is that okay ?

  2. I found if you do Yoga regularly you “look” as if you haven’t eaten anything eventhough you may be feeling great. Is any food that you can eat which makes you look “normal”

  3. Is any one has any answer how ancient yogis found out how these poses help certain parts of the body. Is it by reaching a higher state of consiouness or do they have any (experiments) like western sceince does ?

  4. Why in Yoga and Ayurveda original texts are followed. Never seen people modified these texts…it is like some where continuity is lost . Can anyone explain this ?

Thanks

#2

[QUOTE=Layman;35592]Hi : I have been doing Yoga(I mean mostly asanas) for quite sometime. Appreciate if some one can answer me with the following.

  1. Is it okay if some one does only poses that is beneficial to him. Like for example if some one benefits from fish pose, he just want to do that only…is that okay ?

[B]Its ok. Fish Pose away.[/B]

  1. I found if you do Yoga regularly you “look” as if you haven’t eaten anything eventhough you may be feeling great. Is any food that you can eat which makes you look “normal”

:o [B]What are you talking about?[/B]

  1. Is any one has any answer how ancient yogis found out how these poses help certain parts of the body. Is it by reaching a higher state of consiouness or do they have any (experiments) like western sceince does ?

[B]I guess they used their practical application and knowledge[/B].

  1. Why in Yoga and Ayurveda original texts are followed. Never seen people modified these texts…it is like some where continuity is lost . Can anyone explain this ?

[B]I don’t understand the question.
[/B]

Thanks[/QUOTE]

mOre clarity in the questions would be helpful

#3

I have a feeling you have no clue about anything. Read carefully.

#4

Question 1: It really isn’t a good idea to just do one pose all the time unless your body is strong enough to hold yourself in that position with no preparation or counteracting the effects of it. Also, if postures are practiced improperly, and out of context, they can be damaging for people rather than giving providing benefit.

Question 2: Are you saying it makes you look thinner? Eat fried donuts to counteract this effect.

Question 3: There are many institutions operating in the east that have done research on the effect of yogic techniques on the body as used in therapeutic situations, and they would be the best resource to go to in terms of finding how poses affect the body - but it should be noted that it is never just the pose that gives the effect. It is the proper teaching of something that is applicable to a student which gives the effect. Try looking up the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, SVYASA University and Kaivalyadham. Im sure I missed a lot but that is what comes to mind. There is also a lot of western scientific research that has been done on the effects of different asana techniques, pranayama techniques, and meditation in regards to health, healing and other body/mind effect. Google Scholar (i think) will let you search journals for information.

Question 4: I don’t understand that question either.

#5

Why in Yoga and Ayurveda original texts are followed. Never seen people modified these texts…it is like some where continuity is lost . Can anyone explain this ?

By this if you mean say example why Matyasana is still called Matyasana and similarly why Ayurvedic old names are still in use then I would say what is purpose of changing them?
Those names have specific meaning and having original names is like giving respect and value to Patanjali who kept those names.
Tomorrow someone will say that “AUM” should be changed to some other names.

Layman all of your questions indicate that you need more study of Yoga science. I would suggest that read more about them and their meaning and gradually you will understand its importance, but it will take time.

#6

[QUOTE=Layman;35794]I have a feeling you have no clue about anything. Read carefully.[/QUOTE]

:cool:

nope.

#7

I absolutely love cheese and if I could I would eat it all day, however I know it is not good for me and before long I will have various health problems. In short it will throw my whole body out of balance.

Same with yoga, yes initially it might seem a good idea to only do those asanas you like and it may be initially beneficial, but yoga is very much about balance. An able teacher will sequence a class that the asanas are balancing to the mind, body and soul. If you only do the asanas you like you might be in danger of creating an imbalance somewhere in the long run.

It depends largely on your constitution, I am a kapha and doing yoga now nearly for 13 years, it looks most of the time as if I had too much to eat, so I am seeking food that would not add to my already large stature. In my yoga classes there are a mix of people and none of them have the look as if they haven’t eaten anything. Most look healthy, vibrant, full of energy and as if they had a good meal or two.

Mostly by trail and error I suspect. Meditation certainly played its part I suspect in reaching a clear idea about an asana.

Sorry, I am also one of those who do not have a clue about what you mean here. Can you be more clear, elaborate with examples perhaps?

#8
  1. Is any one has any answer how ancient yogis found out how these poses help certain parts of the body. Is it by reaching a higher state of consiouness or do they have any (experiments) like western sceince does ?

As this knowledge is so ancient going far into prehistory it is not known how this knowledge originally arrived on Earth. The tradtional story we are told is the Vedas were revealed at the beginning of creation to sages, and since then this knowledge has been passed down.

The theoretical aspect was first covered in Samkya philosophy where philosophers analysed creation and discovered the irreducibility of consciousness and matter to conclude that embodient was a perceptual error and we are not in fact inside the body or inside the world. They also discovered a valid metaphysics of how reality was constituted consisting of planes of reality ranging from gross/physical at the outermost layer and mental at the innermost. This naturally lead to developing Yoga as an actual practice whereby we can reverse the perceptual error and realise we are pure conscousness and already contain an infinite source of wisdom, compassion and power within us.

So the original experimenters who did the process of Yoga in order to realise the Samkhya theory would have gone through the process of Yoga and gained super intellectual and super-perceptual faculities. At this stage it would have been easy to see how certain body postures or breathing technique would produce different dynamics of energy in the body, and based on this kind of research they created Yoga as we know it today.

Yoga will sharpen your faculities and make them very acute, that you will begin to notice very subtle and minute details and relationships in the world very naturally.

#9

Thanks everyone for taking time out to answer my questions. Some of your answers were very informative but didn’t answer fully. I take blame to a certain extent for not explaining enough . Here is another attempt.

  1. Is it okay if some one does only poses that is beneficial to him. Like for example if some one benefits from fish pose, he just want to do that only…is that okay ?

What I meant here is, is it okay for reasons of time constraint I can practice a capsule form of Yoga. Here is what I have in mind

Prayer - 3 minutes by sitting in vajrasan
Savasan - 3 minutes
Tree Pose - One time each leg 20-30 seconds
Fish Pose - 10-15 deep breaths
Savasan- 5 minutes
Pranayam - Deep Breathing - 10-15

Is this causes any inbalance or anything?

  1. I found if you do Yoga regularly you “look” as if you haven’t eaten anything eventhough you may be feeling great. Is any food that you can eat which makes you look “normal”

What I meant here is…My body type is lean. With yoga, especially if I do inversion poses like viparita karani/shoulder stand it makes me look more leaner as if I haven’t eaten anything for 2-3 days. I can understand there is certain level of fat-burning going on here but I found this more severe compared to a cardio exercise. Any thoughts ?

  1. Is any one has any answer how ancient yogis found out how these poses help certain parts of the body. Is it by reaching a higher state of consiouness or do they have any (experiments) like western sceince does ?

This question is about how yogis arrived at these poses. For example how did they found out saying fish pose or shoulder stand help your thryoid glands…or certain other poses helps this particular gland or that particular nerve ?

  1. Why in Yoga and Ayurveda original texts are followed. Never seen people modified these texts…it is like some where continuity is lost . Can anyone explain this ?

What I meant here is for Yoga there is the text by patanjali.And there is explanation of what he wrote by others…But I haven’t seen any one modified these poses later on…Like for example you have different versions of MS office or different models of a car every year… To me Yoga reminds of me the ambassador car we had in India. It never changed its body ever since it is manufactured.

#10
  1. Is it okay if some one does only poses that is beneficial to him. Like for example if some one benefits from fish pose, he just want to do that only…is that okay ?

What I meant here is, is it okay for reasons of time constraint I can practice a capsule form of Yoga. Here is what I have in mind

Prayer - 3 minutes by sitting in vajrasan
Savasan - 3 minutes
Tree Pose - One time each leg 20-30 seconds
Fish Pose - 10-15 deep breaths
Savasan- 5 minutes
Pranayam - Deep Breathing - 10-15

Is this causes any inbalance or anything?

[I]
Not at all. Many yogis does only one or two asanas. They master few asanas they find best suitable for them and practice them for long time.[/I]

  1. I found if you do Yoga regularly you “look” as if you haven’t eaten anything eventhough you may be feeling great. Is any food that you can eat which makes you look “normal”

What I meant here is…My body type is lean. With yoga, especially if I do inversion poses like viparita karani/shoulder stand it makes me look more leaner as if I haven’t eaten anything for 2-3 days. I can understand there is certain level of fat-burning going on here but I found this more severe compared to a cardio exercise. Any thoughts ?

[I]Thats normal. Thats why yogis eat Ghee (clarified butter). You can take one teaspoon of ghee per meal. It will protect your body from drying up.[/I]

  1. Is any one has any answer how ancient yogis found out how these poses help certain parts of the body. Is it by reaching a higher state of consiouness or do they have any (experiments) like western sceince does ?

This question is about how yogis arrived at these poses. For example how did they found out saying fish pose or shoulder stand help your thryoid glands…or certain other poses helps this particular gland or that particular nerve ?

I[I]ts through both. Through visions and experience.
yoga, Ayurveda,Taichi, Chi-gong all these things were revealed to sages through visions . You will know how in advanced stages.[/I]

  1. Why in Yoga and Ayurveda original texts are followed. Never seen people modified these texts…it is like some where continuity is lost . Can anyone explain this ?

What I meant here is for Yoga there is the text by patanjali.And there is explanation of what he wrote by others…But I haven’t seen any one modified these poses later on…Like for example you have different versions of MS office or different models of a car every year… To me Yoga reminds of me the ambassador car we had in India. It never changed its body ever since it is manufactured.

[I]Original must be kept original. Ptanjali’s text can be only modified by himself not others. Ayurvdic text are not modified, but medicines are. Yoga texts are not modified, but yoga technics are[/I]

#11

Thank you for your kind answers.

#12

[QUOTE=Shivoham;36078]

Tree Pose - One time each leg 20-30 seconds
Fish Pose - 10-15 deep breaths
Savasan- 5 minutes
Pranayam - Deep Breathing - 10-15

Is this causes any inbalance or anything?
[/QUOTE]

Doing the fish pose puts in the classical positioning causes quite a strain on the neck, especially for 10-15 deep breaths. What benefit are you looking for and how would you practice it? Directly on the head or with support of the arms? Perhaps there is another way to gain it, or you could incorporate something else into your practice that might warm you up for it by working out the neck. There could be detrimental effects or imbalances resulting of practicing this for so long every day if one is not ready for it physically. For instance, neck pain, upper back pain, headaches, tension, etc. It is contraindicated for anyone with blood pressure problems or back problems at well.

#13

hmm…confused…

gentleman before said it is okay but you are saying it is not okay…

whom to beleive ?

#14

[QUOTE=Layman;36170]hmm…confused…

gentleman before said it is okay but you are saying it is not okay…

whom to beleive ?[/QUOTE]

I said it can be ok if conditions are such that you are prepared or strong enough, and your health is not contraindicated. As stated earlier on posts, only someone who can see you could really say what is ok for you personally or not. It could be fine, but it is not a great pose to be in if you suddenly find out it isn’t good for you.

#15

Well I would suggest that read more about them and their meaning and gradually you will get lots of information about Yoga. Yoga is the best for maintain our body and stay a way from any kind of problem.

#16

[QUOTE=Layman;36170]hmm…confused…

gentleman before said it is okay but you are saying it is not okay…

whom to beleive ?[/QUOTE]

Its just commonsense. In fish pose you bend your neck backward.To create a balance you practice an asana were you have bend your neck forward.
I used to practice fish after sarvangasana. Thy both are opposites