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Lesson - 04

Fourth Week

Physical pain, melancholy, unsteady limbs, irregular inhalation and exhalation, all are causing distraction of the mind.

—YOGA DARSHANA

Today you are starting the second half of the course and only three more weeks remain before you will have completed it.

So far, you have learned seven of the basic exercises, ten additional postures, and six breathing exercises. Choose from among them those which best suit your particular physical condition as well as your personal needs, ability and time. From now on, use these as the basis for your own exercise routine. Stay with the basic postures and vary only the additional ones. On the first day of each new week's lesson, however, you may, if you wish, give preference to the new postures, in order to get acquainted with them.

Even after you have completed the course, it is advisable for you to re-read the instructions from time to time, directly before assuming one or another of the postures, since there is always a tendency to start deviating from the correct way of doing the exercises without being at all aware of it. This, then, will be a way to keep a check on yourself.

I remember once watching a former student doing the postures together with his wife and children. The four of them went through the exercises at such high speed, keeping time in unison besides, that it looked to me more like an acrobatic performance than a Yoga lesson. For without poise, concentration, relaxation, and, above all, without deep breathing, these postures, no matter how well executed, automatically cease to be Yoga Asanas and become ordinary calisthenics. This is the sort of mistake that checking will help you avoid.

Yoga postures should remain an individual matter regardless of the number of pupils doing them together.

Today, after you have finished the Rocking exercise, we shall start our lesson with the Headstand and do it against the wall—but only if you feel absolutely sure that you are ready to "graduate" from the corner. Otherwise continue as before, using the corner as a safety measure until you no longer need it.

The Headstand: Second Stage

TECHNIQUE: TO do the Headstand against the wall, keep the pad about a foot away from the wall. Then kneel down in front of it, interlock your fingers, and place the hands on the pad. The distance between the hands and the wall should be approximately that of the length of your arms from wrist to elbow.

Place your head, about one inch above the forehead, on the mat and, nesting it in the hollow of the palms, find a comfortable position for it. When standing on your head, always remember to lean on the forearms for better support: hence the elbows should not be kept too far apart. Now move your feet closer toward your head, take a deep breath and, lowering the buttocks, make a slight jumping movement in order to get your feet off the floor.

Continue to raise your legs, with knees bent, in a slow-motion movement. When you get half way up, tuck in your buttocks and only then straighten the knees; otherwise you are bound to lose your balance and fall over. To avoid this, quickly bend the knees and prop up the soles of the feet against the wall.

Until the Headstand has been perfected, it is helpful to place the feet against the wall for balance. (Photo by Jim Buhr)
 
Hold this position for a while—the body in a straight line from head to knees, knees bent, feet on the wall for support. Now, keeping your feet together, close your eyes, and do some deep breathing.

After a while, straighten your knees and try to get your feet away from the wall. Hold this position for about thirty seconds, then bend the knees and start lowering your legs slowly until the toes touch the floor. Don't forget to keep the toes inverted so as not to injure them. It is important to come down slowly, otherwise you may fall on your knees and hurt yourself.

Should you begin losing your balance while standing on your head, quickly put your feet against the wall. But do not remain like this—leaning against the wall with out-stretched legs—as this is bound to result in arching the spine and offsetting the correct posture of the Headstand. Keep knees bent.

Now get up, raise your arms, take a deep breath, then lie down for a rest.

TIME: Increase the duration of the Headstand by fifteen seconds a week. The maximum time is twelve minutes, when done along with other exercises.

The Swan Posture

Next you will do an exercise which, as one says in English, kills two birds with one stone. This posture is called Swanãsana in Sanskrit. The first movement affects the spine, shoulders, pelvic region and wrists, while the second benefits the digestive organs, the abdomen and the knees. The starting position is the same as in the Cobra Pose.

TECHNIQUE: Lie down on the abdomen, palms on the floor at shoulder level, elbows up, toes inverted. Inhale deeply and, leaning on the palms, raise your head, shoulders, chest and abdomen off the floor until you have straightened the elbows.

As I just mentioned, this posture resembles the Cobra Pose, with the difference that here the elbows are kept straight and the toes inverted. Remain in this position for as long as you can. Hold your breath, then exhale while getting into a kneeling position. Do not move the palms, which should remain flat on the floor. Now your thighs are pressed against the abdomen, your forehead touches the ground and your buttocks rest on your heels.

The Swan Posture, or Swandãsana: (Above) The first movement affects the spine, shoulders, pelvic region and wrists. (Below) The second movement helps to keep the digestive organs, the abdomen, and the knees in good shape. (Photos by Jim Buhr)

Stay in this position for a while, holding your breath. Then, while inhaling, raise your buttocks off your heels and move the body forward (again without changing the position of your palms) until you have returned to the previous Cobra-like position. Having accomplished this, remain in this posture, holding your breath; then, as you exhale, move back into the kneeling posture again.

TIME: Repeat this to-and-fro movement three to four times, making sure you do the breathing correctly.

BENEFITS: This exercise strengthens the spine, arms, wrist, chest and throat. It also straightens the back and shoulders. In the kneeling position the thighs massage the abdomen by pressing against it and the shoulders and arms receive a good pull. The to-and-fro movements help promote better elimination and reduce the abdomen.

The Twist Posture: First Movement

Take a little rest before starting the first movement of the Twist Posture. It is called Ardha Matsyendrãsana in Sanskrit, quite a tongue-twister for most non-Indians, and also quite a spinal twist for everyone. We shall take it in three stages so that it should not be difficult for you to learn.

The Twist also belongs to the group of basic Yoga postures.

TECHNIQUE: Sit up straight with both legs outstretched. Cross your right foot over your left knee, place it firmly on the floor, keeping the left hand on the right toes. Stretch out the right arm and twist it around the back of your waist line as far as you can. The open palm and the wrist should be resting on the left hip bone. Keep both head and spine straight, and the entire sole of your right foot on the floor. Inhale deeply. While exhaling, slowly start turning your head, then shoulders and back, to the right. When you have finished exhaling, you will find that you are able to twist still a little more to the right. Do not bend your head while doing so: keep your chin up.

The Twist Posture, or Ardha Matsyendrãsana, is one of the basic Yoga poses. Done in three stages, it should not be too difficult to learn. (Photo by Jim Buhr)

Remain in this position, holding your breath for as long as you can, then start exhaling, at the same time slowly unwinding the twist until the head, shoulders and back are in the original position again. Pause for a while and repeat the Twist. Then reverse the position of legs and hands, and assume the same position with the twist to the left side.
TIME: Maintain this posture for five seconds, holding your breath. Increase the time to one minute, adding five seconds per week. When holding it for more than several seconds, resume the deep breathing while remaining in the posture, but always unwind on exhalation. Repeat the twist two to three times.

BENEFITS: The Twist affects the adrenal glands. It also tones up sluggish kidneys and a congested liver and spleen. Obesity, constipation, and indigestion are counteracted by the practice of this posture. The spine and its deep muscles are strengthened and made flexible; stooping shoulders, a bent back, and defective posture are corrected. People suffering from asthma should emphasize this posture as well as the Shoulderstand, the Head-stand, and the Supine Posture.

The Twist, especially the last stage of it, is a beautiful posture. When you begin to do the slow turning of the body to either side, you should feel like a peacock majestically unfolding his large, colorful fan.

After finishing the exercise, lie down and rest until your breathing becomes normal again; then breathe deeply several times.

The Abdominal Lift

Now get up to do the Abdominal Lift, called Uddyiana Bandha in Sanskrit. It is considered one of the very essential Yoga exercises and is practiced not only for its physical values but for the way it also influences our psychic development. This last is true even though this pose does not make either a particularly aesthetic or impressive picture.

TECHNIQUE: Stand with feet about a foot apart, inhale deeply, exhale with force. Then, without inhaling again, draw in the abdominal muscles with a strong upward pull, until a hollow forms under the ribs. Place your hands on your thighs, bend the knees a little, and slightly tip your trunk forward without lowering it. The diaphragm then rises easily. Keep both hands pressed firmly against the thighs when leaning on them. Stay in this position as long as you can without breathing. Relax. Stand up straight and resume normal breathing. Repeat the Abdominal Lift only once more.

TIME: This exercise should not be done more than twice in the first few days. You can gradually bring it up to seven times, adding one time per week.
 
BENEFITS: The Uddyiana Bandha strengthens the abdominal muscles and flabby stomach; it brings relief from gas, constipation, indigestion and liver trouble. Yogis also practice this exercise to develop spiritual force. It is considered to be the best exercise for toning up those nerves which have their roots in the solar plexus region.

The Abdominal Lift, or Uddyiana Bandha, is practiced by the yogis for both spiritual and physical benefits. (Photo by Jim Buhr)
 
The Abdominal Lift is also often used by the yogis for internal cleansing. For this, take several glasses of water, always at room temperature, with about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt per glass, and then do the contracting and relaxing movement several times in standing, sitting and lying position.

Just as a matter of interest I must mention here that one of my students recently sent me a booklet on the "avalanche treatment," 1 which is based on cleansing the intestine by drinking large quantities of salt water and afterwards assuming five different positions in each of which successive contraction and relaxation of the abdomen is practiced. This is just another example of how, whether knowingly or not,, Yoga methods infiltrate into Western health practices.

CAUTION: The Abdominal Lift should not be attempted by people suffering from a weak heart or serious abdominal or circulatory troubles.

To be able to check on whether the abdomen is being pulled in properly, do this exercise over a mirror placed against the back of a chair or sofa. Tip the mirror a little, otherwise you will not be able to see much, since your trunk must bend slightly forward. Be careful not to bend your knees too much, however, as the body should not be lowered, but should merely be slightly inclined.

A variation of this Bandha may be even easier for you to start with. Instead of keeping your abdomen drawn in, pull in and let go, pull in again and let go again. Repeat this two or three times more in quick successive movements. Relax and stand up straight. Repeat again and make sure that after the pulling-in movement, which should be done with full strength, you do not use any force at all for the pushing-out movement: let this be gentle. In other words, the accent is on the sucking-in movement, not on the letting-go.

On the third day of your lesson you can do this quick con-tracting-and-relaxing exercise first, then follow with the full Abdominal Lift, which you should keep up for as long as you can without breathing.

The Churning Pose

The Churning Pose, called Nauli in Sanskrit, should not be attempted until after you have gained full mastery of the Stomach Lift.

TECHNIQUE: Assume the Stomach Lift, as described above. While still holding the exhalation, try to isolate the recti muscles by pushing forward with an effort and a contraction which is similar to that used when one feels constipated, the difference being that the "push" should be directed to either right, left or middle rectus in order to isolate it. If you have succeeded in isolating the middle rectus, it will stand out like a rigid vertical band, because in this area above the pubic bone the recti muscles alone can be separated. Having separated the middle rectus, proceed in similar manner to separate the right, then the left rectus. When isolating the right rectus, slightly incline the body to the right; when working on the left rectus, incline to the left. To make it easier for yourself, use a mirror placed on a chair, as recommended for doing the Stomach Lift. When you have succeeded in isolating each in turn, begin to "churn" these three muscles from left to right or from right to left, whichever is easier for you.

l Dr. Charles B. McFerrin, The High Enema Without Apparatus, New York: Benedict Lust Publications.

It is not easy to obtain results at once in this exercise, and one has to be patient. Often people push out the whole abdomen or do not perform the contraction properly. If you find yourself doing either, you can avoid mistakes by relaxing the muscles immediately and starting over again. Keep trying until you succeed in separating the recti muscles alone. Do not over-tire yourself by making too many attempts at one time.

 
The Churning Pose, or Nauli, tones the abdominal region and keeps it healthy. (Photo by Fine Arts Studio, Chicago)
 
BENEFITS: The Nauli Pose tones up the abdominal region and keeps it healthy. It is also a good exercise for people troubled by indigestion, constipation or malfunction of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and pancreas. It helps as well to overcome ovarian insufficiency and painful periods.

CAUTION: People over forty-five should not start on the Nauli exercise without consulting an expert. The same applies to sufferers from appendicitis, tuberculosis of the abdomen or high blood pressure. Children should never do this exercise before the age of puberty.

The Footlift Pose: Third Movement

TECHNIQUE: Stand erect, place your right foot high up on your left thigh, holding it up with your left hand while putting your right arm around the back of your waistline, as you have done in the twist. Now with your right hand catch the toes of your right foot while letting go with the left hand. Take a deep breath, then, as you exhale; bend forward, until you touch the ground with your left hand and if possible your left knee with your forehead.

The third and final stage of the Footlift Pose may present some difficulties at first. Therefore it is meant only for more advanced students.

TIME: Maintain this posture for a few seconds, then return to the original standing position. Reverse position of your hands and feet and repeat the Footlift or "Stork" standing on your right foot.

BREATHING EXERCISES

First Breathing Exercise

The Footlift Pose, in its third and final movement, requires the balance which only patient practice will give. (Photo by David Hernandez)

Stand erect, feet together, hands along your sides. Inhale a deep breath while slowly raising your heels off the floor until you are standing on your toes. Remain in this position for a few seconds, holding your breath. Exhale while slowly lowering your heels to the floor. Repeat two or three times.

First Breathing Exercise, done while up on the toes, strengthens ankles, calves and weak arches. (Photo by Jim Buhr)

Now do the same, getting up on the toes of your right foot while keeping your left foot "hooked" to the back of your right leg just above the ankles.

TIME: DO this exercise two or three times, then repeat after reversing legs.

BENEFITS: Through the practice of this exercise you will be able to acquire good balance. It also strengthens your ankles and develops your calves. It is a good exercise for fallen arches and flabby calves.

Second Breathing Exercise

Stand erect, feet together, hands along sides. Inhale deeply while raising your arms (keeping the elbows straight) high above your head until your palms join each other. Stay in this position while holding your breath for a few seconds, then turn palms over so that the back of your hands are touching, and start slowly exhaling while lowering the outstretched arms. If you do this exercise correctly, you will experience a tingling sensation in your palms and fingers.

The final Breathing Exercise just before the Relaxation Period.

As you hold your breath while your palms are joined above your head, you should lock your throat by tightening its muscles to make sure that no breath escapes.

Repeat this breathing exercise again after a little pause, then finish with the Cleansing Breath.

Do not forget the Relaxation at the end of the lesson.

ON THE KUNDALINI POWER

Man can send a current only along a wire, but nature needs no wires to send her tremendous energies.

—SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

The subject of our discussion today is the most secret and sacred of all Yoga practices, the awakening of the mysterious Kundalini (pronounced Koun-da-lëë-nee), or Serpent power.

This belongs to the very advanced stages of Yoga, and it would be both impossible and dangerous to attempt to accomplish it here in America. Certainly it cannot be done by means of written instructions alone as each step requires the close supervision of one's guru, or spiritual guide.

But as a student of Yoga you should at least have some theoretical knowledge of Kundalini since its awakening is the heart and root of Yoga.

You may recall that at the end of our first lesson I mentioned Prana, explaining that this is an energy which exists in fluidic form in the atmosphere—and is present in everything that lives, from amoeba to man. The air, the sunshine, water, plants, minerals, food, all are impregnated with this life-substance which is the source of all energy, vitality, and power.

The yogis teach that Prana circulates in our bodies through a network of special channels which they have named nadis, from the word "nad," meaning movement in Sanskrit. The nadis are distributed throughout our astral body, just as the arteries, veins and nerves run through the physical body. 2

2 The astral body of a man is supposedly of the same shape and size as his physical body, but being of a finer substance, it is not visible, except to a clairvoyant. The yogis ascertain that we possess seven bodies including our gross physical body. The same conclusion was reached by three Frenchmen, Col. Albert Rochat, his pupil Charles Lancelin, and Dr. Gaston Durville, who have been conducting extensive experiments and research for a number of years. (1. L'Exteriorïsation de la Sensibilité, par Albert Rochas: Editeur P. G. Leymarie, Paris. 2. Méthode de Dédoublement Personnel, par Charles Lancelin, Editeur Jean Meyer, Paris. 3. L·e Sommeil Magnétique, par Gaston Durville, Paris.)
 
Being astral and not physical matter, the nadis are not visible to an ordinary eye: to perceive them requires a certain amount of clairvoyance. It was the ancient yogis' clairvoyant capacities that made their research work and findings possible: otherwise how could they have made such accurate studies o£ the human organism with all of its functions thousands of years before there were any instruments available? Clearly they must have known about the existence of the endocrine glands, since most of the Yoga postures were devised in order to affect one or several of these glands. Modern science, on the other hand, knew next to nothing about them until 1899 when endocrinology was officially born.

Yet Western scientists took, and continue to take, a very skeptical attitude toward the whole Yoga theory of Prana, for they can find no instruments which register it. Hence the entire subject is dismissed as non-existent.

Incidentally, the existence of Prana was known not only to the yogis of India, but also to the ancient occult schools of the Egyptians, the Hebrews, the Tibetans, the Chinese—later the Japanese—and finally the Greeks. Even the early Christians knew of this mysterious cosmic energy, for which there were many different names.

In the book of Genesis, for instance, the Hebrews called it Neshemet Ruach Hayim, which means Breath and Spirit of Life. The Tibetan Naldjorpas and the Japanese Zen school, which originated in China where it was brought by the Hindu missionaries, included Pranayama, the Yoga breath control exercises, in some of their practices; it was designed to raise the degree of circulation of Prana in the body. To keep the nadis clean, the yogis have devised special purification processes called Shodana.

The three most important nadis are the Shushumna, the Ida (pronounced Eeda), and the Pingala. Shushumna is the chief nadi, located inside the spinal cord, with Ida and Pingala spiralling on either side like the two snakes in the Caduceus of Mercury.

Shushumna is represented by the straight rod; Ida and Pingala by the intercircling snakes, and the two petals of the Ajna chakra by a pair of wings. The small ball on top of the rod supposedly symbolizes the pineal gland.

Ida, flowing through the left nostril, is lunar, feminine, and cooling; Pingala, flowing through the right, is solar, masculine, and heating.

The physical counterparts of Ida and Pingala are probably the sympathetic chains of our nervous system, while that of Shushumna is the spinal cord. Taking root in the lowest center of Cosmic Energy, the Muladhara chakra (or wheel, as we explain below) extends to the highest center situated in the top of the head, the Sahasrara chakra.

Before we go any further, I suggest that you first look at the chakra chart on page 131 to get a clearer understanding of this subject.

In the picture you can see the seven major centers of Cosmic Energy situated on the spinal cord, or Shushumna nadi, and intercircled by the other two nadis, Ida and Pingala. These centers are called chakras, wheels, or padmas, lotuses. They are the astral counterparts of the plexuses of our anatomy. However, they should not be identified with them because, just like the nadis, the chakras also belong to another dimension.

A chart of the chakras, which are the astral counterparts of our anatomic plexuses.

There are seven basically significant chakras. The lowest, Muladhara chakra, is situated at the base of the spine. It controls the process of elimination and corresponds to the sacral plexus. This is the real occult center of the body because it encloses the secret, dormant energy called Kundalini which is symbolized by a snake coiled three and a half times with its tail in its mouth. It closes the entrance to the chief nadi, Shushumna, which takes its root in the Muladhara chakra. Incidentally, all of Asia, as well as ancient Egypt and Greece, frequently represents Divine energy in the form of a snake. The second is the Svadishthana chakra, situated opposite the genital organs. It controls sexual desires and corresponds to the epigastric plexus.
 
Third comes the Manipura chakra, which is opposite the navel and is concerned with digestive functions. Its counterpart is the solar plexus.

The fourth, or Anahat chakra, is at the level of the heart. It controls respiration and corresponds to the cardiac plexus.

The fifth, the Visuddha chakra, behind the throat, controls speech and corresponds to the pharyngeal plexus.

The sixth, Ajna chakra, is located between the eyebrows. It controls the autonomous nervous system and corresponds to the cavernous plexus, or more probably the pineal gland. It is the seat of the mystical "third eye" of Shiva, the seat of clairvoyance, according to the yogis. The biblical Yehovah is also often represented as having it. The Ajna chakra is where Shushumna, Ida, and Pingala meet and form the sacred knot called Triveni.

The seventh and last chakra is the Sahasrara, corresponding to the cortical layer in the brain. It is also known as the Thou-sand-Petalled Lotus.

All the lotuses, or chakras, have a certain number of petals, ranging from two to sixteen, with the highest chakra represented as having a great many petals.

When the Kundalini power, awakened by special exercises, passes from the lowest chakra, the Muladhara, through the central nadi, Shushumna, and through all the others, they begin to "spin" like true wheels and open their petals like lotuses. When Kundalini finally enters the last and highest center, the Sahasrara chakra, the yogi reaches his goal: "The divine marriage of Spirit and Matter" takes place. At this point, his individual consciousness unites with Universal Consciousness, and he enters a state of ultimate bliss, called Samadhi. It must be noted that even among yogis there are very few who attain a complete state of spiritual illumination.

Great mystics and saints of all religions have also on occasion experienced and described this state, but without possessing the knowledge of how to reach it consciously.
The ascending of the awakened Kundalini power, achieved by various practices and exercises, is the most secret of all Yoga teachings and is always given verbally by master to pupil. It cannot and should not ever be described.

In his Higher Psychical Development, Hereward Carrington 3 says that much has been done in order to prove that the mystical "Tree of Life" mentioned in the book of Genesis is connected with Kundalini. This extraordinary energy which brings with it the knowledge of good and evil was wrongly awakened by a being known in the Bible as Adam. The author suggests that the entire Genesis legend of the serpent is, according to Oriental views, merely a way of symbolizing the awakening of the fire serpent Kundalini, which is also the primordial electrical energy known as Speirema or the serpent coil. In the sacred writings of India this power is spoken of as coiled like a "slumbering serpent." In the book of Genesis it is symbolized as "The Serpent, more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord has made." Eve, when this force stirred within her, was tempted to misuse it. Directed downward to the lower physical centers, the serpent force brings knowledge of evil; directed upward to the brain, it brings knowledge of good. Hence the dual operating of the solar force that is symbolized as the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." This fundamental key energy in our bodies is closely connected with fundamental sex energy and may be controlled and transmuted by certain Yoga practices.

As to the subject of sex itself: Like so many others, you may possibly be under the misapprehension that Yoga advocates the suppression of sex, since most of the yogis are ascetics. Let me say here that this is not so. The yogis merely know the secret of transmuting sex energy into more subtle forces, called ojas, and directing these into psychic channels. Through this transmutation, excess sex energy is neither lost nor suppressed: it is merely changed into finer substances, just as ice may be changed into water, or water into steam.

Suppression of sex usually results in all kinds of mental and physical troubles, in abnormalities or perversions. On the other hand, this same energy, instead of being utilized in the normal manner or else in healthful exercise and mental activity, may be drawn upward to the solar plexus or to the brain. This is a Yoga practice. When describing it in the chapter on sex in my previous book, I only very briefly mentioned that sex energy was closely connected with the Kundalini power, but did not touch upon its actual operation. Let us now take a closer look at it.

3 New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920.

When awakened in a yogi, this solar energy gives him poise, harmony, freedom from desire and a lasting feeling of happiness. He then arrives at the realization of the true Self. The divine spark in him grows into a flame and merges into the Universal Consciousness. This God-realization is the final goal of all yogis. It is the highest state at which a human being may arrive on this earth.

Many need a lifetime, or several lifetimes to achieve this state, others only a few years. It also may come suddenly, like an unexpected gift. This has been known to happen not alone to yogis and rishis of India, but to mystics, saints and spiritually-developed persons the world over.

We ordinary human beings cannot expect to reach this exalted state of consciousness so long as we lead a worldly life and are caught up in the web of its illusions. But it is good to know that a paradise-like state can exist even on earth, that it is a reality, and that eventually, in other lives to come, we too may enter this realm of eternal bliss and untold happiness.

To quote from Yoga by Major General Fuller,4 "The Yoga philosophy has been the solace of millions for many centuries, not only in India but throughout the world. This philosophy has produced the greatest and most influential masters, Gautama, Christ, Mohammed, whose mastery over the Unknowable has been the driving force of nations. All these men were yogis of one sort or another. Their lives, though outwardly differing from one another were inwardly the same, and so was their teaching, which, in each case, led the aspirant to the one Reality, the Peace which passeth understanding."

4 Philadelphia: David McKay Co., 1925.

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