Yoga guru, author, researcher and director of The Yoga Institute, the oldest organized yoga centre in the world (founded in 1918), Dr. Hansaji Yogendra was the guest on the recent edition of The Navhind Times talk show, Talk from the Heart.
Winner of several prestigious awards, Dr. Yogendra simplified the concepts of yoga while speaking extensively on its benefits and also sharing important tips for various ailments.
Millions of people all over the world practice yoga however a majority of practioners are still unaware of the true meaning of yoga. Most consider this ancient practice to be associated only with asanas and pranayama and the other crucial aspects are not given much thought. “To put it simply, complete mastery over mind, a balanced state of mind, excellence in work derived through focus and concentration are aspects of yoga. Caring for the body is just a by-product,” said Yogendra and explained the three subjects that make yoga a practice like no other; namely psychology, philosophy and technology. “Technology comprises assanas, pranayams, mudras, meditation and kriyas. There are many people who follow the technology part of yoga but at the smallest instance get angry and this affects the entire being. We have heard of so many instances where young people have died due to a heart attack although they were physically fit. This may be because they did not handle their mind in the right manner,” she stated and added, “Remember the mind supersedes the body as the mind has its own will. Therefore the mind is supreme and control over it is crucial for overall good health.”
As one of the best self care tools, yoga has several practices that help alleviate mental stress, relieve muscle tension and help general synergy of all the systems in our body. Sharing some of these tools Dr. Yogendra said, “The two most important areas are the spine and the abdomen. The spine should be strong yet flexible and there are asanas to take care of this however unnecessarily doing too many twist and many turns is not required.” For the stomach too she shared several techniques to keep the fat off around the waist. To maintain flexibility, she suggested sitting on the floor whenever possible especially while eating meals and explained, “When the extremities are closer to the heart, the food is assimilated better and digestion too improves.” An asana she highly recommended was sarvangasan or the shoulder stand. “This asana is one of the most preferred by yogis and helps to maintain physical as well as mental health due to the fact that it releases tension in every muscle,” she elaborated.
Not only can yoga improve your flexibility, improve your energy levels, increase your strength and reduce stress but it is also a good way to jumpstart your day. Speaking on the topic, Dr. Yogendra said, “When you wake up, you can start on your bed itself by hugging your knees and bringing them close to the stomach or chest, doing slow diaphragmatic breathing and other similar exercises. This will help the intestines function better and bowel movements and digestion also improve.” Prayer and meditation too she stressed should be a part of the morning routine to keep not just the body but also the mind healthy and happy.
She also spoke about food, work, hygiene, women’s problems and home remedies for common ailments.