Sheershasan - some more light

I began on Sheershasan some months back and I am hopeful that this post is going to be a detailed and thorough review on this Yoga pose that impresses me the most. First we'll begin with hindi version and below that you'll have it all translated in English too.

शीर्षासन

'शीर्ष' अर्थात 'सिर' या 'मस्तिष्क' l इस योगासन को करते समय पूरा शरीर सिर के आधार पर टिकाना और स्थिर रखना होता है, तो संभव है कि यही कारण है इस आसन का नामकरण शीर्षासन होने का / वैसे इस आसन को आसनों के रजा का पद भी दिया गया है तो ये भी एक वजह है इसके नामकरण की / शीर्षासन को 'कपाली आसन' 'वृक्षासन' और 'विपरीत करणी' भी कहा जाता है /

आईये बताते हैं इसे कैसे किया जाता है....

दो या चार बार तह किया हुआ कम्बल या चादर ज़मीन पर बिछा दीजिये / ध्यान रहे की अन्य योगासनों को करने में किसी भी चटाई या योगा mat की एक तह ही काफी होती है मगर शीर्षासन क्योकि सिर के बल किया जाता है तो हमें प्रयत्न करना है की कपाल यानि की skull की हड्डियों और मासपेशियों को कम से कम तनाव या क्षति पहुचे / वैसे भी योगासन करने का पहला नियम मेरे अनुसार तो यही है की किसी भी आसन को तभी तक किया जाना उचित है जब तक की सुविधा से या सहजता से वह हो जाए / जहाँ से या जिस स्थिति के पश्चात् अनुचित तनाव या दर्द महसूस होने लगे, उस स्थिति को फ़िलहाल के लिए आखिरी बिंदु मान लीजिये और उस के आगे आगले दिन ही जाईये /

हाँ तो हम इस आसन को करने के तरीके का आगे विस्तार करते हैं / तह किया हुआ कम्बल या चादर बिछाने के बाद अब दोनों घुटनों के बल बैठ जाएँ / दोनों हथेलियों की उँगलियों को परस्पर फसाकर उन्हें ज़मीन पर रखिये /

अब सिर को हथेलियों के बीच ज़मीन पर टिका दीजिये / ध्यान रहे की सिर का उपरी हिस्सा ज़मीन पर लगना चाहिए /

(check back tommorow for more)

The mantras chanted during performing SURYANAMASKAR

सुर्यनामस्कर करते समय निम्नलिखित प्रार्थना करने के बाद हर आसन के साथ सूर्यदेव के विभिन्न

नामो का उच्चारण करके उन्हें मन ही मन प्रणाम करें

While doing suryanamaskar,one should chant the following mantra/prayer and then at each specific posture one should chant the different sanskrit synonyms of sun,the lord.

The prayer

ll ध्येय: सदा सवितृ मंडल मध्यवर्ती

नारायण: सर्सिजासन संन्निविष्ट:

केयुर्वान मकर कुंडल वान किरीटी
हारी हिरण्यमयवपुर्धॄतशङख्चक्रः ll

Praising 12 Synonyms of The Sun in sanskrit

(all spellings correct)

ॐ मित्राय नम:

ॐ रवये नम:

ॐ सूर्याय नम:

ॐ भानवे नम:

ॐ खगाय नम:

ॐ पूष्णे नम:

ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नम:

ॐ मरीचये नम:

ॐ अदित्याय नम:

ॐ सवित्रे नम:

ॐ अर्काय नम:

ॐ भास्कराय नम:

good luck

slowly this blog will shift towards sanskrit translation

I know a lot is going towards unleashing the secrets of veda and ancient Indian sciences.
My blog that currently have topics on YOGA,will b shifted more towards translating and explaining sanskrit verses(shlokas),which have been my passion since school days.

Just to start with,i can remember one verse and its meaning,here it is..


ll अमंत्रं अक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलं अनौषधं

अयोग्यम पुरुषः नास्ति योगास्तात्रह दुर्लाभाम ll

(due to poor transliteration of sanskrit words,there are wrongly spelled words in the verse)

It is pronounced this way,

"amantram aksharam naasti,naasti moolam unaushadham,
ayogyah purusha naa asti,yojakastatrah durlabham"


Meaning of this verse is what todays corporates understand well,"there is no letter that is not a 'mantra',no root on earth possible which is not a medicine(medicinal qualities),no human being is uncapable,,but the people to make use of these all are rare.."

I liked it that time too much because of my beleif that nothing is impossible

More light on suryanamaskar

सूर्यनमस्कार अर्थात् भगवान सूर्यनारायण की वंदना । आयिये हम इस 'आसनों के सम्राट' का अलंकरण पाने वाले ,सर्वरोग-हर आसन के बारे मे कुछ और जानें । यह अत्यंत प्राचीन भारतीय व्यायाम-पद्धति है । प्रात:काल पूर्व दिशा में खड़े रहकर शांत चित्त से भगवान सूर्यनारायण कि स्तुति करते-करते सूर्यनमस्कार किया जाता है ।इसे हमेशा खुली जगह और स्वच्छ जगह मे किया जाना चाहिऐ । कभी भी इस आसन को (..किसी भी आसन को ) आप अपनी क्षमता से अधिक नही करें ।
The real attention which is to be given while doing sheershasan sequence is the period when you have to inhale and the time/posture during which you have to exhale.In next paragraph i m going to explain this in some detail,though its you to grasp whats written here slowly as you practise and get aquainted with the right technique of doing.


Suryanamaskar is a rhythmic combination of yogasana and pranayama.
It starts with a small prayer and a mantra. This asana is usually done at sunrise as well as sunset.
One has to face the sun। The asana begins with the chanting of the following verse:





ll हिरान्मयेना पत्रेना सत्य सपिहितम मुखं
तात त्वं पुसम अपवार्नू सत्य धर्माया दृस्ताये ll





''Like the lid of a vessel, O Sun, your gold covers the entrance to the truth। Please open the door to lead me to the truth। ''


Soorya is sun and namaskar is salutation.



Regular practice of suryanamaskar helps you prepare your body for other asanas by improving flexibility. It is also useful in weight reduction efforts.
As suryanamaskara is a chain of different asanas, one reaps the benefits of these asanas simultaneously. Individual benefits are described along with the related asana section. Suryanamaskar exercises the muscles, bones, the respiratory and digestive system and the nervous system, (the sympthetic and parasympthetic) which act on the thyroid, pitutory, pineal, adrenal, pancreas and liver.

If you do suryanamaskar for at least 10 min per day, you notice positive changes in you. You become more alert and get more happiness out of life.

Each time you want to start the suryanamaskar, chant the prayer given above. With every suryanamaskar, chant omkar, beejamantra and the corresponding name of the Sun. You can practice 3, 6, 12 or 24 suryanamaskaras in the given sequence, according to your requirement, endurance and convenience.

Patients suffering from hypertension, hernia, spondylosis heart disease or knee pain should not practice suryanamaskar, or should practice it under observation and guidance of an expert.


Suryanamaskar can be practiced in different ways.
a) in exact co-relation with breathing by extending natural breath effortlessly.
b) With the principle of Asana i.e.
Maintain each step for a longer duration, change the position only if the pain in the stretched muscles exceeds pleasurable limit or if the stretched muscles start trembling.
One suryanamaskar with exact co-relation with breath may be for 1 to 2 minutes but with the principle of asana it can extend to even half an hour or more, depending on the individual’s capacity to remain in each step.

c) Suryanamaskar can be repeated 12, 24, 30, 40 times or more to have aerobic exercise. If you practice it in this way, the muscles should not be stretched too much. Young Indian children who participate in Suryanamaskar competition repeat the pose in multiples of hundred.

We have discussed twelve-step suryanamaskar. One can do ten-step suryanamaskar by avoiding the fifth and ninth positions. Please remember that no practice can be adequately learned from a book, written instructions. The guidelines given in the web pages are intended to give you an introduction to different yogic postures. However, it is advised to practice the asanas under the guidance of a Guru or a qualified yoga instructor.

The Pranayama,positive breathing

Two gurus from India are emphasising over pranayam these days.One is Sri Sri Ravishankar ji,and Shri Ramdevji Maharaj.

A NEW spiritual revolution seems to be sweeping through people's living rooms. In this 24x7 era, everything is home delivered, now including your daily fix of spirituality. Riding on the satellite channel route, spirituality has grown by leaps and bounds, creating a new breed of couch potatoes (or is it couch devotees)!A program that has captured everyone's imagination in India as well as the Indian Diaspora (as this particular TV channel's programs are also distributed abroad), is Swami Ramdevji's Divya Yog program on Aastha TV. Aired at 5 am in the morning (the late risers can catch the repeat episode at 8.30 pm), it has turned many an early walker into an early TV gazer.In his rapid-fire manner, Ramdevji, of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust, belts out cure after cure for almost all diseases afflicting mankind. Very simply put, they all begin and end at the proper breathing techniques. In this age when short, snappy self-help books outsell classics, it is no surprise that there is a "technique" to breathing too.The program is probably one with the highest TRP ratings on the channel or indeed across channels. And, one of the reasons is because there are many ordinary folk who vouch for the remedies the 48-year old Ramdevji prescribes. Some are even beginning to call him Mahatma, for while most other 'gurus' exhort people to attend their camps and pay huge amounts to do basic meditation courses, Ramdevji's advice is for all – those who attend his camps or those who wish to watch him on TV.Swami Ramdevji believes that the secret to a healthy life is right living and by doing so we can easily beat most of the illnesses that afflict mankind. In his orange robes, jet-black, long flowing hair and beard, lean physique and oodles of energy, Ramdevji makes quite an impression. Extremely vociferous in his opinions, he uses public platforms to express the harmful effects of the banes of westernization like colas and fast food, going to the extreme of calling 'Leher Pepsi', 'Zeher Pepsi' (poison). He advocates the use of Indian-made products versus the wares dished out by MNCs. It is thanks to these scathing remarks that he has earned the wrath of several people and organizations. In fact, following threatening calls he has been granted 'Z-cover Security' (top-level security in India, which is granted to only VIPs and other very senior politicians) by the Indian government, says Ravi Kumar Rana who looks after the running of the ashram's activities, including sales of Ayurvedic medicines, in Vashi, New Bombay.

Ramdevji's biggest contribution to humanity has been demystifying Yoga and Pranayam (breathing technique). He asserts that apart from diseases connected to the bones, the rest can be cured by practicing Pranayam."Ailments like obesity, cardiac troubles, asthma, gastric problems, cholesterol and diabetes cannot be solved without the help of Pranayam," says Swami Ramdevji. He also goes on to add that "doing Yoga is also completely beneficial if it is done in conjunction with Pranayam. "Giving his own example, he says that in his childhood he was afflicted by paralysis of the left side which he cured himself thanks to daily practice of Pranayam. Pranayam is as old as Yoga, but Ramdevji has created a social stir by bringing it to the limelight. Though its origin is shrouded in antiquity, it was organized in a definite system by Maharishi Patanjali in his treatise "Yoga Darshana" (Philosophy of Yoga) or "Yoga Sutra" (Aphorisms on Yoga) as it is popularly known. While so far most of the focus was on Yogasanas (Yoga exercises), this unique and ancient breathing technique was not given much importance. Ramdevji says that in his life he has discovered that if practiced for a long duration of time, it has the power to overpower and counteract several illnesses, apart from rejuvenating the body.Keeping this in mind he advocates seven types of Pranayam techniques along with a set of Yogasanas for daily living. Some of these most popular ones are Bhastrika, Anulom-Vilom, Brahmri and Kapalbhaati. These techniques have become so popular that their names are on everyone's lips. Kapalbhaati has become the most famous mantra for those wishing to reduce their weight. And, more so as the visual demonstration (on TV) is extremely impressive - air being taken in through the nostrils and thrown out by pushing the stomach in.Ramdevji explains that Pranayam follows a scientific method. While the 'breathing-in' technique rejuvenates the tissues of the body and supplies more oxygen to them, the 'breathing out' technique churns out the toxins from the body.Somewhat dismissive of modern allopathic method, Ramdevji says these are good only in case of emergencies. Besides, they can't really cure chronic ailments, like diabetes or high blood pressure, only contain them. But, Pranayam is so effective that not only does it cure them (ailments), it also has no side effects. Day by day his popularity is soaring. Not only do common folk throng to his camps or are loyal viewers of his program, but also politicians, actors, industrialists and other powerful people who seek his advice. In fact, he has even held a special camp at the Presidential estate in Delhi, at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the behest of the President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Ramdevji follows a stringent daily schedule. He gets up in the wee hours of the morning at 3 am and then does Pranayam for over an hour. By 5 am he is at the hour plus Yoga Camp. After the camp between 7.30 and 8.30 he again devotes time to Yoga. During the day he spends time in meeting people, writing and of course practicing Yoga and Pranayam. He is an avid writer and has written several books on the benefits of Yoga and Ayurveda like 'Yog Sadhana Va Yog Chikitsa Rahasya' and 'Pranayam Rahasya'.He goes to bed by 10 pm and apart from these five hours of sleep doesn't sleep at all during the day. His diet consists of fruits, dry fruits, some green vegetables and milk.Ramdevji Early lifeAlthough pretty vocal in his TV programs, surprisingly Ramdevji doesn't like to dwell much on his early life. He believes that after a person becomes a sanyasi (somebody who has given up the life of a householder and stepped on to the spiritual path) there is no distinction between the family of his birth and the general public. For a true sanyasi the entire human race becomes a family. Keeping this in mind, Ramdevji doesn't interact much with the family of his birth, which include his parents and a brother.Ramdevji was born into an agriculturalist family from Gujarat. In school, he realized he was seeking something beyond the ordinary. In his own words he says that "by the time I was 14, apart from the works of Maharishi Dayanand Sarasvati, I had read all the works of Indian literature." This inspired him to seek further spiritual knowledge and study the Vedas in greater detail. Thus, at a very young age of 15-16, he left his home and joined the gurukul (residential school) of Haryana-based Acharya Baldevji Maharaj who taught the youngster Panini's Sanskrit Grammar and imparted the knowledge of the ancient Indian texts like the Vedas and Upanishads.For a short while he also stayed at the ashram of Dharamveerji Maharaj in Kishangarh Ghaseda, about 8 kms from Rewari in Haryana. Currently the Divya Yog Trust operates free Vidhyateertha Gurukul, a completely residential school. The school, spread over a huge area in the midst of nature, aims at providing a combination of modern and traditional knowledge for the all round mental and physical development of its students.After spending time with Dharamveerji Maharaj, Ramdevji moved on to the Himalayas, visiting the various ashrams nestled in the mountains. This is where he came under the influence of several philosophies and learnt about Yoga and meditation.It was while practicing Yoga in the caves of the mountains near the Gangotri glacier that he came in contact with his current co-workers Acharya Balkrishnaji and Acharya Karamveerji. At the same place he also met Acharya Muktanandji and Acharya Virendraji.

Suryanamaskar,one among the essential yogas.

सूर्यनमस्कार अर्थात् भगवान सूर्यनारायण की वंदना । आयिये हम इस 'आसनों के सम्राट' का अलंकरण पाने वाले ,सर्वरोग-हर आसन के बारे मे कुछ और जानें । यह अत्यंत प्राचीन भारतीय व्यायाम-पद्धति है । प्रात:काल पूर्व दिशा में खड़े रहकर शांत चित्त से भगवान सूर्यनारायण कि स्तुति करते-करते सूर्यनमस्कार किया जाता है ।
इसे हमेशा खुली जगह और स्वच्छ जगह मे किया जाना चाहिऐ । कभी भी इस आसन को (..किसी भी आसन को ) आप अपनी क्षमता से अधिक नही करें ।


The real attention which is to be given while doing sheershasan sequence is the period when you have to inhale and the time/posture during which you have to exhale.In next paragraph i m going to explain this in some detail,though its you to grasp whats written here slowly as you practise and get aquainted with the right technique of doing.

1. Namaskar - salute. Standing with the feet together in tadasana, the mountain pose.

2. Chandraasan - crescent moon pose. Inhale, raise arms above the head, extend the spine backwards.

3. Hastapadaasan - bending pose. Begin exhale, bending forward from the waist, place hands on the floor, relax head and neck.

4. Surya Darshan - sun gaze. Inhale, stretch the right leg behind in a big backward step, resting on the toes. Bend your back knee to the floor with your weight on your left foot and arch the spine backwards.

5. Adho Mukha Svasana - downward facing dog pose. Exhale, step left foot back in line with right, liftthe hips up.

6. Sashtang dandawat - lie down. Put the knees down first, then the chest to the floor. See that the 8 parts of the body are touching the floor: two hands, the chest, the chin or forehead, two knees and two feet. Sashtang means 8 limbs and dandawat means paying homage by touching the floor.

7. Bhujangaasan - cobra pose. Lower the pelvis and abdomen to the floor. Inhale and stretch toes and legs, raise the head slowly. Arch the spine and neck and look up. Keep legs together and elbows alongside the body.

8. Adho Mukha Svasana. Exhale back to downward facing dog.

9. Surya Darshan. Inhale and bring the right foot forward and assume pose #4.

10. Hastapadaasan. Exhale and bring the left foot forward, to pose #3.

11. Chandraasan. Inhale and return to pose #2.

12. Namaskar. Exhale and stand erect.

All steps are to b done with a slow and comfortable pace.Also inhale and exhaling should also b slower than ur usual freq.

office memo:MAY ALL MEMBERS OF STAFF PLZ NOTE THAT THERE WILL B ONLY ONE DRINK PER PERSON AT THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL PARTY...AND PLZ BRING UR OWN C-U-P

V-A-J-R-A-S-A-N :: The ONLY yoga posture which can b performed just after taking the meal

यह आसन कहलाता है वज्रासन । यह योग के प्रारम्भिक आसनों मे से एक है । इसे करने से पैरो कि शिराये सुदृढ़ होती है और भोजन का पाचन अच्छी तरह से हो जता है । यही एकमात्र आसन है जिसको कि भोजन के तुरंत पश्चात् करने मे लाभ है ।

This yoga posture is exceptionally useful in the proper secretion of all digestive juices.It also initiates motion in the intestine muscles.This asan strenghtens the muscles and tendents of legs and is also best for overall spine health.

My Picture taken a few years back

This is me

natural stones

sending human on moon is still an ambitious thing for india:: and its important

a lady doing the very basic pose of yoga

are women mostly involved in yoga in the world?

i m sure sex- ratio in yoga would b very near to 500 men for every 1000 women.

Back on the track

A confession:: This blog was satarted in the begining with a good cause,, writing my experience with YOGA and explaining what specific deseases it can cure .
But i handed it over to another guy who thought he had more time and expertise than me to make this blog look good,and result,it went out of track hugely.
Now my blog is again on the track,and i expect it will now provide more than just yoga experiments,as i have given five years of my life ,playing tennis too.