This Guide from Sadhguru shares the”powerful possibility that asanas represent, and explains that they are a means of creating a body that can download the cosmos.” Thanks again to Sadhguru and the Isha Volunteers for sharing this authentic information about classical hatha yoga from India that is so much missing in the West. It is my hope on this Most Auspicious Day and Night of Mahashivrathri that more yoga practitioners find their way to appreciate and honor the real yoga from India with a humble approach of surrender, Shambo, OM Namah Shivaya OM Shanti Shanti Shanti OM. [Do click the link to find the guide]
Source: Asanas Guide – Align With the Divine | Sadhguru
omlinkblog 
This was particularly mind-blowing for me, because for some reason I never put together that posture and emotions could have a correlation. Now that I have learned about this, it all makes so much sense. I have always had the worst posture, I have gone through a lot to attempt to correct it such as going to a chiropractor. However, I do struggle with depression so now I’m thinking that my incredibly poor posture could be related to this. From this reading on Asanas, I felt that Sadhguru tied all of the individual topics that were mentioned from the beginning of the course to present together.
One of the most important things I have learned is that yoga is all about finding balance both within ourselves and in our lives. It now makes sense to me that when our emotions are out of balance, our bodies then tend to be off balance as well.
The Asanas allow one to find their balance in the universe by aligning with cosmic energy and activating and channeling energy. Through the practice of yoga one can find balance within oneself and live a calm and peaceful life.
Abby Collins
Good that you are beginning to see how interconnected all aspects of our body, mind and energetic patterns are, OM
Jelan Winston
SUNY Purchase
Yoga – Money Session
In this reading Sadhguru talks about the asanas and what they really are. They’re postures and positions that are expressed both internally and externally. They all serve different purposes for different emotions.
In my everyday life I carry myself differently than I would during class, but every time I notice that I try to correct it and alter the way I hold myself. It’s just that it’s hard sometimes to keep yourself in good posture at all times because it doesn’t feel to good most of the time. It’ hard to st up straight and not slouch, but it’s just something that you have to rectify.
Remember the required number of paragraphs is 3, this article gave you loads of information to review. When you mention it’s hard to keep proper posture try to think about your body works best when fully aligned, if not you are using extra energy and creating stress.
This is a very informative reading. The article talks about the term “Asana”, which means posture, some are identified as yogasana. It is stated that our emotions can affect the asana. When we are happy, sad, angry, or excited, we have certain postures that we do accordingly. The science of asana, know as hatha yoga, aims to bring balance between the masculine and feminine in the body. and it is the first step to take in yoga.
I have never think deeply about how our emotions affect the posture. After reading this article, I did think about how my my emotion is connected with the posture. When I am happy, I tend to be more active and exaggerate my movement, when I am sad, I am in a rather close and tight posture, and when I am angry, my muscles tense up.
I already know that Yoga aims to bring balance to the body. However, the article also talks about how yogasana means taking charge of our lives. It is a new and interesting idea to me because I have always thought of practicing yoga as taking charge of my body. I wish that by practicing toga, I will have more control over my body, mind, and life.
Jenny Tsang
Namaste
Asana is a posture. The way you sit, stand and move all reflect your emotions. When you are happy your body moves one way and when you are angry your body moves in a different way. I never thought that you could change or affect your emotions by consciously sitting or moving in a way that reflects the desired result.
The practice of Hatha Yoga is about bringing balance. Although there are 84 asanas, I like that you do not have to master all 84 to ‘elevate… consciousness.’ [1] Because ‘…if you have mastery over even a single yogasana, everything that is worth knowing in the existence can be known.’[1] I like the idea of ‘… decide what purpose your body should serve.’[1] And then matching the yoga practice to that purpose. It is a much more conscious and deliberate decision; your body will not trick you as your mind will, it is either doing it right or wrong.
It is the same with breathing. I knew you were supposed to breathe through your nose, but I never understood why. So, the way Sadhguru explains it now makes it make sense. And not just why we breathe through our nose, but why and how we breathe and how it is related. Breathing is not something you think about frequently, but after reading this article, I am now conscious of all the ways breath and breathing are associated.
[1]
https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/wisdom/article/an-asana-can-change-your-life
“Asanas Guide – Align With the Divine | Sadhguru.” Isha Sadhguru, Isha Institute of Inner Sciences (USA), 23 Jan. 2015, isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/wisdom/article/an-asana-can-change-your-life.
Polly Hunt
Monday 6:30 PM Class
Wonderful that you can appreciate nostril breathing and the importance of posture connection to emotions, Namaste
One of the first things that I thought was really interesting in the reading was when it was talking about posture and emotion. I realized that it was true, when I am slouching and looking down it usually means I am sad. When I am on the edge of my seat I am usually anxious or tense. And when my shoulders are relaxed and my back is straight I am usually happier and calm.
I really liked the idea that I can manipulate my posture in order to manipulate my energy. I would expect that only posture would follow energy, but I see now that energy can follow posture. I’m not sure how true it is, so I will start to incorporate it in my daily life if I find that I am in a bad energy and am sitting poorly. Perhaps I will sit with more confidence. I would enjoy both feeling confident as well as being perceived as confident.
Something that surprised me in this reading was finding out there were 84 asanas or postures that can be obtained. I myself cannot even think of over ten postures. But I understand how people who have been practicing for years could learn how to manipulate their bodies in that many ways.In the reading it talked about the limitations of the body, and I definitely feel those limitations at times.
Glad you are catching up on your missed assignments, OM
This guide is absolutely key to the success of bringing peace to one’s soul simply through energies, posture and understanding of how Asanas work. An asana is a posture, while a yogasana is a posture that leads you to a “higher perception of life”. An asana can be best understood by the fact that as humans, we are able to feel and/or see what a person’s energy is like, simply through their posture. When we are angry, sad, happy, at peace, etc. our posture changes and this can be seen in one’s self as well. An asana is not necessarily an exercise- it is the practice of being able to direct your energy in certain directions.
The science of asanas are known as “Hatha Yoga”, which means the practice of yoga through the sun and the moon (Ha Ta). Hatha yoga brings balance between the masculine and feminine. Aside from the yogasanas, there are 84 basic asanas that one should learn to practice to elevate his/her consciousness. Not conversing while practicing your asanas, are key, as per Sadhguru. By doing this, your mind and body are at ease while your energy is balanced, yet assertive and vibrant.
Breathing through your nose and not your mouth, is also key, simply because the air we consume through our mouths are not as clean as our nasal passageways which has tiny hairs to remove the impurities. Yoga is about bringing your body to such peace and at such ease, that your body is unsure of its existence. This is how you will truly be able to explore other dimensions and accomplish a higher understanding of life.
This is a great article with a lot of information. It kind of deepens the understanding of the need to practice yoga. It points out that yoga is finding the balance within you but also the feminine/masculine balance and the sun/moon balance. I appreciate the different ways and practices for yoga. I like that you can interpret it in many different ways and use it for different reasons based on your person. “ If you try to come to this union with your mind, it will play too many tricks. With the body, at least you know whether it is doing it right or not, whether it is cooperating or not. If you push the mind too hard, it will make you believe all kinds of things and dump you the next day. The body is a more reliable factor.” I thought this was an interesting point of this reading because of how relevant it is. This helps me understand why there is a physical part to yoga instead of just focusing on concentrating. In the beginning of this practice I thought I was doing things wrong because I only knew how to do the physical things and I wasn’t really thinking while doing them. I realize as I went on with the practice I was actually clearing my mind unconsciously. It all makes sense no as to why taking naps after eating leaves me feeling sick afterwards. I knew that you were supposed to wait a while for your food to leave the stomach but I never knew why. It’s also interesting that the way your body is lying can affect the placement and pressure put onto your organs. This reading helps break down the basics of yoga and is a better translation of what these poses and breathing techniques do.
I really loved this passage especially when it said, “Neither your job nor your wealth nor your family nor your love affair – are as reliable as your breath.” This really stood out to me because when all else fades you will always have yourself. You have to always rely on yourself and take care of yourself. Your breath is what hold you together and keeps you grounded in everything. On top of this it talks about how your vision is 50% of your engagement to the world and how if you lose that then your other senses become stronger. I always found this concept fascinating, but it’s extremely helpful when practicing yoga. By closing my eyes it turns off the outside world and allows me to fully be alone in those moments. I’ve noticed that I do this practice of closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing a lot more now in numerous situations in order to decompress.
The article discusses how to perform Asanas, or postures. Essentially, the article explains that one’s emotions are reflected in the way that they move, and hold themselves. For example, one will move and posture themselves differently when they are happy than when they are sad. The upside to this, according to the article, is that if one changes how they carry themselves, they can also change their mood. if the two are connected, that means that each can affect the other.
The way that one breathes equally affects the state of the body and mind. Different energies are cultivated in the body depending on how one breathes, and this is why we breathe in specific ways throughout the yogic exercises we do in class. It makes sense as it is explained in the context of the article as to why it is important to be conscious of one’s own breathing.
I strongly agree with the moral of the article. Being aware of one’s own postures and movements is incredibly valuable to controlling how one feels. In my own life, I tend to find that when I slouch in my seats, and walk hunched over, I have less energy and feel less healthy overall. My body aches in ways that it doesn’t when I put effort into how I carry myself. These are just of the physical things I’ve noticed in myself, but I am sure that the effects go much deeper than even what I mentioned.
The way in which I interpret this is that the mind controls the body but the body can also control the mind. How we sit, stand, or pose can change the way in which we feel. If we practice our asanas in the way you have taught us, not only with poses but with a focus on our breathing we can change how we are feeling at that moment. It is not so much as the cliche says “leave your problems at the door” but it is more a way of dealing with our problems through asanas. Changing our bodies positions and our breathing will change how we feel about our problems and life stresses. This has the potential to change the way we live, and how we deal with problems.
Although it is “much easier said than done”. Finding the will, or even the energy to take this step toward a happier and less stressful life is a task in itself. I know when life stresses me out I tend to want to isolate myself, perhaps take a nap as a stress reducer. This unfortunately adds more stress in the long run as I’m not dealing with my problems merely just putting them on hold. I have consciously tried to make a change and in doing so I have seen big changes in my life.
Unfortunately I am not perfect and still have setbacks. I still avoid some stresses rather than trying to deal with them. This is something I am working on because I do believe in the benefits of the asanas even though I still use other ways to cope with life stresses.
Boris Yanez
In this reading, the term “Asana” is discussed. This term can be defined as posture. In this reading, it is stated that our emotions can affect our asana. For example, when we are happy, sad,or angry, it can affect our asana, or known as our posture. Hatha yoga, also know as the science of asana, studies and works to improve this. It is suggested that taking yoga will help to improve this and can help deal with your emotions.
I agree with this reading. I have seen differences in my body when I am happy, sad, or angry. Personally, it has definitely affected my posture. When I am happy, my body feels more relaxed and my mentality is much more positive. However, when I am sad or angry I immediately tense up and I either feel like crying or rage. I feel that this class has relaxed me in the sense that it lets me resets my week and gives me a break from whatever is going on in my life.
Again too short to be considered an essay, this article has lots of information not covered in your review.
I really enjoyed this article, because it affirmed a few things I already knew, but it also taught me new things. In terms of what I already knew, I liked learning about how important the postures are both in yoga and in real life. Because I’m always sitting or at a desk since I’m a student, I liked the reminder that even something like sitting up straighter can help me be more comfortable and keep me healthy.
I also was interested in the section on breathing. From former practices and being in this class, I’ve learned how important breathing is in yoga and in life. One thing I learned from a different instructor is that breathing through your nose keeps your body warmer, while breathing through your mouth is something you can do to cool down if you need to during your practice, because it releases some of the hot air. Obviously, when doing asanas, the point is to build up energy and heat. But, knowing the trick taught to me previously has been helpful if I felt like I was getting too hot.
OM
This reading is all about how yoga can make our bodies balanced through different aspects of the practice. Hatha Yoga is about bringing balance to your body. Ha means sun and tha means moon, so in the practice you are balancing the forces inside of you. When you are balanced your body becomes a conductive place to live. Practicing different types of yoga such as Hatha yoga they will all benefit your body differently. The biggest barrier in any type of yoga including Hatha yoga is the limitations of your body physically but with practice your body can start to transform and allow you to be able to practice poses that you weren’t able to do prior. The article talks about 84 postures that can transform the body and mind overtime so you can have a better overall well-being.
Throughout this semester of practicing yoga, I have found that I have been more relaxed and more stable than I have been prior in other semesters. I do believe that yoga helps you calm down and it keeps you balances as well as making you physically stronger. For practicing for just a few weeks I have seen improvements on myself physically which I wasn’t expecting. For the outside article that I choose a reading that has some tips on how to make your life more balanced outside of yoga.
The first step to make your life balanced is by assessing what your life is right now. Think about how you feel, who are you close to, where do you think you are in your life right now. The second step is to make conscious decisions about your life. Third, make a schedule for yourself. Fourth, set goals for yourself. Meaning that you should look to see where you can improve. For example, look into your relationships, physical being, employment, finances. Fifth, be willing to take risks. Lastly, always reassess yourself on a daily basis. As you grow you are going to want to change your goals and maybe adjust where you spend your time as your life changes.
Source: https://www.success.com/6-tips-to-create-a-balanced-life/
-Charlotte Johansen
Well stated and supported by the steps you have listed here. Namaste
Jordan Reynolds
This reading was about the Asanas. It goes into depth about what they are, postures, which help one to achieve a higher perception of life. There are different asanas for the moods that we take on during the day. By consciously getting your body into certain postures you may affect your mood, and elevate your consciousness. Asanas help us to be more aware of our bodies, including the breath which brings us into the current moment as opposed to thinking about the future or the past.
This reading was important because it shed some light on how what we are doing in class. I appreciate how it went into depth on how posture matters. It had never occurred to me to consider how I was sitting affected my mood. Breathing is important because it keeps us grounded in the present.
This website, https://www.yogajournal.com/poses , had list of different poses and their personal benefits. There were poses for depression, digestion and insomnia. My one thought when going over this information was why isn’t this common knowledge? If there are things people can do at home to improve their health, why don’t we share it? I then became grateful that I had access this the asanas. We have more control over our bodies, moods and experiences than we give ourselves credit for.
Namaste