ancient yoga teachings hatha yoga learn important information

ancient yoga teachings hatha yoga learn important information, this short instruction is very important to learn and understand if you are partake of the discipline of yoga.


The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
of
SVATMARAMA

Raja Yoga

The Yoga of Light

Translation of the ancient Sanskrit
The Pradipika is divided into four parts. The first explains yamas (restraints on behavior), niyamus (observances), asanas (posture) and food. The second describes pranayama (control or restraint of energy), and the shatrurmas (internal cleansing practices). The third deals with mudras (seals), bandhas (locks), the nadis (channels of energy through which prana flows) and the kundalini power. The fourth expounds pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). In all, the text contains 390 verses (slokas). Out of these, about forty deal with asanas, approximately one hundred and ten with pranayama, one hundred and fifty with mudras, bandhas and Shatkarmas and the rest with pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

The following translation contains the text of the first of these four parts comprising the first 67 of these slokas which deal with the broad evolution of the whole human organism through asanas.

Asanas

The text begins with asanas as the first step in hatha yoga. For this reason it has been referred to as six-limbed yoga (sadanga yoga) as opposed to the eight-limbed patanjala yoga (astanga yoga) which includes, as its foundation, the first two limbs, yama and niyama. However, hatha yoga does not overlook the yamas and niyamas. Possibly, in Svatmarama's time, the ethical disciplines were taken for granted, so he does not explain them at length.
He does speak of non-violence, truthfulness, non-covetousness, continence, forbearance, fortitude, compassion, straightforwardness, moderation in food and cleanliness as yama, and zeal in yoga, contentment, faith, charity, worship of God, study of spiritual scriptures, modesty, discriminative power of mind, prayers and rituals as niyama. (The ethical disciplines of what to do and what not to do are given in the text. Asanas, pranayamas, bandhas, rnudras and shotkarmas are illustrated by examples to assist aspirants with their practice. Dharana, dhyana and samadhi cannot be explained, but only experienced, when the earlier stages have been mastered.)


1 Reverance to Siva the Lord of Yoga, who taught [his wife] Parvati
hatha wisdom as the first step to the pinnacle of Raja Yoga

2 Having thus solemnly saluted his master, Yogi Svatmarama
now presents hatha vidya [vidya = wisdom] solely and exclusively
for the attainment of raja yoga.


3. For those who wander in the darkness of conflicting creeds
[and philosophies], unable to reach the heights of raja yoga
[self knowledge and cosmic consciousness] the merciful Yogi
Svatmarama has lit the torch of hatha wisdom.

4-9. Goraksha and Matsyendra were masters of hathya vidya,
and by their grace Yogi Svatmaram learned it. Sive, Matsyendra,
Shabara, Anandabhairava, Chaurangi, and many other great Sidhhas
who have conquered time are still roaming thru this world.

10 [Therefore] hatha yoga is a refuge for all those who are scorched
by the three fires*. To those who practice yoga, hatha yoga
is like the tortoise that supports the world.


11 A yogi who is desirous of developing siddhis should keep hatha
yoga strictly secret, for only then will he have success.
All his efforts will be in vain if he reveals everything without
discrimination.


12 The student of hatha yoga should practice in a solitary place,
in a temple or hermitage, an arrow shot away from rocks, water,
and fire. The land should be fertile and well governed.

13 The hermitage should have a small door and no windows.
It should be level with the ground and have no holes in the walls.
[It should be] neither too high nor too long, and clean and free
from insects. It should be laid daily with cow dung. Outside there
should be a raised platform with an elevated seat and a water
tank. The whole should be surrounded by a wall. There are the
characteristics of a yoga hermitage as described by the siddhas,
the masters of hatha yoga.

14 Seated in such a place, the yogi should free his mind from all
distracting thoughts and practice yoga as instructed by his guru.

15 The yoga forces are dissipated by too much eating, heavy physical
labor, too much talk, the observances of [ascetic] vows, [promiscous]
company, and a growling stomach [too much fasting].

16 Success depends on a cheerful disposition, perserverance, courage,
self knowledge, unshakable faith in the word of the guru, and
the avoidance of all superflous company.

17a Not to cause suffering to any living being; to speak the truth;
not to take what belongs to others; to practice continence;
to develop compassion and fortitude; to be merciful to all and
honest; to be moderate in eating and pure in heart. These are
the first prerequisites of yoga [the yamas]. Self limitation,
[tapas, austerities], cheerfullness, religious faith, charity,
contemplation, listening to sacred scriptures, modesty, a clean mind,
recitation of mantras, and observance of rules, these are the second
requirements of yoga.

17b Asanas* are spoken of first, being the first stage of hatha
yoga. So one should practice the asanas, which give [the yogi]
strength, keep him in good health, and make his limbs subtle.

* Seated postures remembered in the genetic material of man.


18 I shall now proceed to impart some of the asanas that where adopted
by such wise men as Vasitha, and practised by yogis like
Matsyendra.

19 Sitting straight on level ground, squeeze both feet between calves
and thighs [of the opposite legs]. This is svastikasana.

20 Place the right foot under the left buttock and the left foot
under the right buttock. This is gomukhasana, and looks like the
mouth of a cow.

21 Place one foot upon the other thigh and the other foot below the
opposite thigh. This is virasana.

22 Press the anus firmly with crossed feet and sit thus. But do it
with care. This is kurmasana.

23 Assuming the lotus posture, insert the hands between the thighs
and calves. Put the hands firmly on the ground and raise the
body up. this is kukkutasana.

24 Assuming the above mentioned kukkutasana posture, put both arms
around your neck and remain raised like a tortoise [with the back
touching the ground]. This is uttana kurmasana.

25 Grasp both toes with the opposite hands, keep one leg straight
and draw the other to the ear as you would a bow. This is dhanurasana.

26 Place your right foot on the outside of the left hip joint and
the left foot outside the right knee [which is flat on the floor].
Grasp the left foot with the right hand [passing the arm to the left
side of the knee] and the right one with the left hand. Turn the
head all the way over to the left. This is matsyendrasana.

27 This matsyendrasana increases the appetite by fanning the gastric
fire and destroys physical ailments. Kundalini is awaked and
the moon made steady.

28 Stretch our both legs and, taking hold of the toes, lay your
head upon the knees. This is paccumasana.

29 This most excellent of all asanas causes the breath to flow
through the sushumna, fans the fire of appetite, makes the loins
supple and removes all ailments.


30 Press your hands firmly upon the ground and balance your body
by pressing the elbows against your loins. Raise your legs
straight in the air till your feet are level with your head.
This is mayurasana.


31 This asana heals various diseases of the spleen and dropsy,
and removes all illnesses caused by excess of vata, pitta, or kapha.
It digests an overabundance of food, and even destroys the poison
halahala.

32 Lying full length on the back like a corpse is called Savasana.
With this asana tiredness caused by other asanas is eliminated;
it also promotes calmness of mind.

33-34 The asanas taught by Siva* are 84 in number. Of these I
will describe four of the most important ones. They are
siddhasana, padmasana, simhasana, and bhadrasana. Of these,
siddhasana is the best and most comfortable posture.


35 Press one heel into the place below the sex organs and
put the other heel over your pubic bone. Press the chin
upon the chest, sit up straight, with controlled organs,
and fasten the eyes between the eyebrows. This is siddhasana,
where by all obstacles on the path to perfection are
removed.


36 Place the right heel above the sex organ and the left heel
over the right. This too is siddhasana.


37 Some call this siddhasana; others say it is vajrasana, or muktasana,
or guptasana.

38 The Siddhas say; Just as among the yamas the most important is to
do no harm to anyone, and that among the niyamas moderation, so is
siddhasana the cheif of all asanas.

40 The yogi who meditates on the atman and eats moderately acheives
the yoga siddhas after he has practiced siddhasana for 12 years.


41 If siddhasana is perfected and the breath is carefully restrained in
kevala khumbhaka*, what need for all the other asanas?

* The practice of folding the tongue back so it closes of the breath
canal.

42 When siddhasana is accomplished, we can enjoy the ecstasy of the
meditative state (unmani avastha*), the moon and the three bandhas
follow without effort naturally.

* Samadhi, the state of being entirely absorbed into the pure state of
no-mind. The three bandhas are three major emotional blockage points.
The moon is the source of illusion. It is lighted by the sun, the real
centre of the being.

43 There is no asana like siddhasana, no kumbhaka like kevala, no mudra
like khecari, and no laya equals nada [anahat nada].

44 Place the right heel upon the base of the left thigh and the left
upon the right thigh. Cross the arms behind the back and grasp the
toes, the right ones with the right hand and the left with the left.
Press the chin on the breast* and look at the tip of your nose. This
is called padmasana and cures all diseases.

* there should be a space of four inches between breast and chin.

45-47 Place your feet firmly on the opposite thighs and place
your hands firmly in the middle, one upon the other [in your
lap], fasten your eyes on the tip of the nose and touch the back
of the upper teeth with your tongue. Press the chin on the chest
and raise the air [apana vayu] slowly up while contracting the
anus muscle. This is padmasana that destroys all diseases. [But]
this can be acheived by only a few very intelligent persons.

48 Having assumed the padmasana posture, with the hands one upon
the other, and the chin firmly pressed upon the chest, meditate
on Brahma, frequently contracting the anus muscle to raise apana.
Similiarly, by contracting the throat, force prana down. Thus
with the aid of kundalini [which is aroused by this practice]
we acheive highest knowledge.

49 When the yogi remains in padmasana and thus retains the breath
drawn in through the nadi gates [nostrils] he reaches liberation.
There is no doubt about it.

50 Place your ankles in the region of the sex organs [between anus
and scrotum]: the right ankle to the right and the left to the
left side.

51 Place the palms upon the knees with fingers spread out and
eyes upon the tip of the nose [and breathe] with open mouth
and concentrated mind.

52 This is simhasana, held in great esteem by the highest yogis.
This asana facilitates the three bandhas.

53-55 Place the ankles under the buttocks, right below right,
left below left. Then wind your hands around the thighs. This is
bhadrasana and cures all diseases. The siddhas and yogis call it
gorakshasana. The yogi should practice this until he feels no more
pain or tiredness.

56 Then he should cleanse the nadis by practicining pranayama,
as well as mudras and kumbhakas of various kinds.


57 Then follows the concentration on the inner sound [nada].
The Brahmacharin* who, observing moderate diet, renouncing
the fruits of his (good) actions, practices [hath] yoga
will become a siddha in the span of one year.

* one who practices complete celibacy.
Economy of forces, not repression of nature.

58 Moderate diet means pleasant, sweet food, leaving free
one fourth of the stomach. The act of eating is dedicated
to Siva.

59-61 The following are considered as not being salutory: sour,
pungent, and hot food;mustard, alcohol, fish, meat, curds, butter-
milk, chick peas, fruit of the jujub, linseed cakes, asafetida,
and garlic. It is also advisable to avoid: reheated food,
an excess of salt or acid, foods that are hard to digest or
are woody. Goraksha teaches that in the beginning the yogi
should avoid bad company, proximity to fire, sexual relations,
long trips, cold baths in the early morning, fasting, and heavy
physical work.

62 The following items can be used without hesitation: wheat
products [bread etc.] rice, milk, fats, rock candy, honey, dried
ginger, cucumbers, vegetables, and fresh water.

63 The yogi should eat nourishing, sweet foods mixed with milk.
They should benefit the senses and stimulate the functions.

64 Anyone who actively practices yoga, be he young, old, or
even very old, sickly and weak, can become a siddha.

65 Anyone who practices can acquire siddhis, but not he who
is lazy. Yoga siddhis are not obtained by merely reading
textbooks.

66 Nor are they reached by wearing yoga garments or by conversation
about yoga, but only through tireless practice. This is the
secret of success. There is no doubt about it.

67 The various asanas, kumbhakas, and mudras of hatha yoga
should be practiced as long as raja yoga has not been
attained.