Evolution Of Yoga : Word “Yog” is derived from the Sanskritword “Yuj”, which means to join. It means joining or union of anindividual with the Supreme Being. It can also be interpreted asthe union between Body, Mind and Soul. Yoga is actuallypronounced as Yog. The oldest Text on Yoga – “Patanjali YogDarshan” was written by Sage Patanjali around 200 B.C. and sohe is considered as the founder father of Yoga. This texthowever gives only the basic concepts of Yoga and does notgive any description of the types and techniques of Asanas,Mudras, Pranayams, etc, or how to do them. Another renownedtext on Yoga is the “Hathapradapika”, written by SwatmaramSuri, around the 15 Century. This text actually describes how Asanas, Mudras, Pranayams, etc are to be done and so hasbeen used by various Yoga stalwarts. The other Texts on Yogaare “Gheranda Samihita”, “Shiva Samhita” and “GorakshaSamhita”.

Classification Of Yoga : There are various types of Yoga, likeAshtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raj Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yog,Karma Yog etc. Each has its own philosophy and does notnecessarily consist of Asanas, Pranayams, etc. The type ofYoga followed in general is Hatha Yog, comprising Asanas,Mudras, Pranayams, etc.

Various Schools Of Thought on Yoga : Over a period of time,many stalwarts who have done a deep study on Yoga, havedeveloped their own styles of practicing Yoga and establishedYoga Institutions. A few renowned Yoga Institutes are Iyengar Yoga, Bihar School Of Yoga, Ambika Yog Kutir, SantacruzInstitute Of Yoga, Kaivalyadham and Yoga Vidya Niketan.Kaivalyadham and Yoga Vidya Niketan have more or less acommon philosophy, as the founder of Kaivalyadham – SwamiKuvilyanand, was also the Guru of the founder of Yoga VidyaNiketan – Padmashri S.P. Nimbalkar. The style and concepts ofYoga being taught at “Yog Abhyas With Ashdin” is the oneadvocated by Yoga Vidya Niketan, which is the Alma Mater ofAshdin. However a few practices of other schools of thoughthave also been taken, without in anyway comprosing on thefundamental concepts and basic principles advocated by YogaVidya Niketan.

New Forms Of Yoga : Due to the popularity of Yoga, manyinstitutes are creating their own styles of Yoga, by blendingvarious exercise techniques with traditional Yogic Asanas.Power Yoga (Yogic Asanas, done one after the other and in aquick series of movements, akin to Circuit Training in Athletics)and Aqua Yoga (Yogic Asanas done in a swimming pool) aretwo of the newer forms of Yoga. But these are only fitnessoriented and just give physical benefits, in terms of increasingstrength and stamina. They do not really work onpsychosomatic issues or maintaining the health of the internalorgans in the body. 

Benefits Of Yoga : Yoga does not only have physical benefits,but also mental, emotional, social and spiritual benefits. Mostimportantly, Yoga maintains the health of the entire body, as itworks on the internal organs and the sympathetic andparasympathetic nervous system. Yogic Therapy has beensuccessfully used in the rehabilitation of various ailments likeHigh Blood Pressure and Hypertension, Asthma, Diabetes,Obesity, Musculoskeletal & Neurological issues, etc. YogicTherapy has also been very successfully used in thedevelopment and treatment of Mental Health issues like,Anxiety, Depression, Phobias, etc. Since Yoga works ondeveloping the Body and Mind, it is now widely used bysportspeople, to not just increase their strength and stamina,but also to increase their concentration, focus anddetermination and to remain calm during competitive matchesand tournaments, especially in crunch situations. So Yoga is acomplete holistic package for the health and fitness of thebody and mind.

ESSENTIAL GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED, WHILE DOING YOGA

Perform all your Yoga practices on a Full Sized Towel orYoga Mat.

Carry a small Napkin with you (to wipe sweat) andHandkerchief (to clean nasal discharge, if any)

Wear loose comfortable clothing. Shorts / Track Pants andTee Shirts / Singlets are ideal. Tights and Bicycle Shortsare not at all recommended, as they restrict bloodcirculation. Ladies could wear a loose Salwar Kurta.

Yogic practices should be preferably done on an emptystomach. A little quantity of tea / coffee, etc is ok, but noheavy meals should be consumed around four and halfhours prior to the practices. If a moderate quantity ofsnacks has been consumed, then there should be a gap ofaround two and a half hours. After finishing your Yogasession, there should be a gap of around half an hour priorto consuming meals.

Yoga can be practiced at any time as per onesconvenience. The ideal time though, would be earlymornings or evenings.

If one has a bath prior to doing Yogic practices, especiallyin the mornings, when the body is a bit stiff, then it wouldhelp in doing the practices, as one would feel fresh. Butthis is not mandatory.

Ensure that there is a gap of atleast 20 minutes, betweendoing Yoga and some other physical exercises, especiallygymming, playing strenuous games, etc.

Do not practice Yoga to the point of fatigue. After thecompletion of your Yoga session, you should feelrefreshed, physically and mentally and not feel tired.

Perform Yogic practices when you are in a calm andpleasant mood. If you are mentally upset, or physicallytired, then first do “Shavasana” for some time and thencommence with your practices.

Do not indulge in yogic practices haphazardly orindiscriminately, especially when seeing someone elsedoing a particular practice, or after watching it in aphotograph or video. This could be very dangerous. Followonly those practices that have been outlined for you andunder the guidance of your Yoga Teacher.

IMPORTANT ASPECTS TO BE MAINTAINED, WHILE DOING YOGA

Regular / Natural Breathing : In all Asana and Mudras, pleaseensure that your breathing is absolutely regular and natural. Donot hold your breath while going in for the posture, coming outof it and while retaining it. Do not also quicken your breath atany stage.

Focus Completely On The Physical Steps : When doing anyAsana or Mudra, focus completely on the steps involved. Whenattaining the final posture, fix your attention on the posture andexperience and enjoy the twist / stretch / bend, etc, that theposture is giving.

Prandharana : Once you are comfortable with completelyfocusing on the physical steps, slowly shift to doing“Prandharna”. “Pran” means “Life Force”, which is the breadthand “Dharna” means “”Focus”. So “Prandharna” meansfocusing your mind on your breath, which is the Life Force.There are various stages in “Prandharna”, which are explainedin detailed while doing the postures.

Differential Relaxation : When doing a particular posture, allother parts of the body not in use should be thoroughly relaxed,especially the facial muscles.

Retention Of Movement : Retaining the final posture for a longertime is more important than doing the same posture repeatedlyand holding it for a shorter duration of time.

Do As Per Capacity : Hold the final posture as per your capacityand slowly increase its duration. Do not push yourself.

Avoid Competitive Spirit : Do not try and hold a posture longerthan your colleague to try and outdo him / her, even if it’sbeyond your capacity.

Movements : Please ensure that all your movements are

Slow – Slow Rate of progression for optimum Neuro MuscularCo-ordination.

Steady – No Tremors.

Controlled – Be able to stop or change the speed of themovement at will.

Rhythmic – Constant speed should be maintained rightthrough the movement.

Attractive – Graceful and pleasing to the eye.

Conditioned – Go into the movements with great ease.

Pleasurable – Enjoy the movements.

Least Exertive – Movements should entail minimum exertion.

Lying Down / Getting Up : When lying down on the back andgetting up, first turn to the side and then lie down / get up, sothat there is no pressure on the spine.

Contraindications : If a student has any specific health issues,or injuries, then certain practices which can aggravate theproblem, should be avoided. Hence the teacher should take thecomplete Medical History of the student, before devising his /her schedule.