Looking good and staying fit tops the list for one and all. And so people across ages can be seen resorting to gymming, heavy exercises, diets and supplements, therapies and treatments and yet health evades most. I get mails and letters from people as young as in their late twenties complaining of problems of knee, backaches, spondylitis, greying hair, etc. What is the reason?
Let’s do a small experiment. Take a garden hose, connect it to a tap, twist it and turn on the tap…does the water flow?
In our body there run countless such ‘hoses’ called ‘nadis’ in which ‘prana’ flows. Prana is the force of the Creation, of which life force is a part. It is said you can live without food for months, without water for days, without air for hours but not even a nanosecond without the vital prana. In the course of modern lifestyle routines, one introduces countless twists and knots in the nadis preventing the flow of prana. The prana then starts to rot and breeds disease.
In this issue, we will attempt to open the clogs in the nadis, to ensure free flow of prana and in turn, health and longevity of the body.
Sanatan Kriya details six joint rotations: Neck, Shoulder, Wrist, Hip, Knee and Ankle which when performed with internal awareness of the joints, keeping the eyes closed and synchronising with the Ujjai breath (learnt in previous article), help keep ageing at bay. Each joint needs to be rotated seven times in one direction and seven times in reverse direction. All rotations are to be performed without straining any part of the body.
Finally, perform the Taad Asana. Stand straight; going on your toes, making sure that your body weight is evenly distributed on both your feet. Once you are evenly balanced raise both your arms with palms facing the sky. Hold the posture while breathing in Ujjai.
Most of you will find these basic rotations very difficult if you are doing them properly. You might also have a feeling of unsteadiness and a strong urge to open your eyes. This is your first experience of the state of disturbance within your own self. It also shows how uncoordinated are you with your own physical body.
Mail me your experiences. Yog, is not about rapid breathing exercises, or tying yourself in knots, it is a beautiful journey of the self. Tread on this path and you will be pleasantly surprised at the phenomenal potential that lies hidden inside you!
Ashwini Guruji is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and an authority on the Vedic sciences. His book, ‘Sanatan Kriya, The Ageless Dimension’ is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto to www.dhyanfoundation.com or mail to [email protected] for more.
