Health – A healthy physical, physiological, and psychological state is a prerequisite to achieve an intellectual and spiritual state, facilitating the evolution towards a higher natural genetic state allowing us to evolve into a higher level of consciousness.
Physical laws govern our naturalization, and by following these rules, we can protect and improve our well-being. By aligning with these laws, we can prevent diseases and work sustainably towards optimal health, fostering overall wellness.
The fast-paced lifestyle is taking a toll on our health, and it’s like we’re treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. Medical science’s approach can be seen as a band-aid, focusing on managing symptoms with chemicals and interventions, rather than promoting holistic wellness. This can lead to a cycle of dependency, rather than true healing and growth.
Yoga shastra is all about understanding natural laws, and it’s like a roadmap to a higher state of consciousness. Health is key, and diseases are like roadblocks. By tackling the root causes, yoga helps clear the path, bringing balance to body, mind, and spirit, and unlocking our full potential.
*Naturalization and Yoga Shastra*
Naturalization refers to understanding and aligning with the physical laws of nature that govern our body and the universe. Yoga shastra emphasizes this alignment to achieve optimal health and well-being.
*Key Principles:*
– The universe operates on systematic processes with rules and regulations that are inherent to nature.
– Nature is always in a state of ease, and discomfort arises when we deviate from these natural laws.
– Our body is governed by these universal physical laws, making it essential to follow them for optimal functioning.
*Why Yoga Shastra Guarantees Health:*
– By understanding and aligning with naturalization, we can restore balance and ease in our body and mind.
– Yoga shastra provides a systematic approach to work within ourselves, following the physical laws of nature.
– This alignment enables us to prevent diseases and maintain overall well-being.
One should know the importance of understanding and respecting the natural laws that govern our body and the universe. By working in harmony with these laws, we can achieve a state of ease and optimal health, which is the core principle of yoga shastra.
Therefore if we really want to prevent, to improve our to enhance or evolve further, we must understand naturalization and use physical laws to protect our naturalization. Naturalization is essential in yoga asanas to evolve as human beings as bipedal and higher species. Other species do not need to work on themselves as they are “ Bhog yoni ‘s” nature itself take care of them but we are “ Anubuth yoni” with free will and consciousness .
Therefore, we need to work on our physical bodies physically through mind and intellect to understand naturalization . As vyadhi / disease is the first obstacle to evolve. It is sad that we are technologically advanced but still deteriorating early and devolving instead of evolving .
State of Naturalization:
The state of naturalization is facilitated in the human body through various pathways, primarily through the interplay of two distinct systems. The voluntary system, encompassing the musculoskeletal framework, operates under the direct influence of the nervous system, responding to our conscious volition – our own conscious will and command. This inherent capacity empowers us to bring our nervous system under our conscious control, a crucial step towards harnessing our overall well-being. Notably, this voluntary system serves as the singular medium through which we can attain optimal health, propelling us towards a higher level of evolution.
Therefore, we can bring our nervous system under our conscious control. This is a very important point, as it enables us to harness our overall well-being and unlock our full potential.
This conscious control enables us to:
– Regulate our physical and physiological stress response
– Foster a sense of physical balance, stability and harmony with all the organ systems
– Enhance our resilience
– Adapting to Healthy change: adapting positively to life’s stressors, whether they are big or small, and finding a way to thrive despite them
– Improve our mental clarity for the stillness of the mind
By harnessing this power, we can proactively shape our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, paving the way for a more evolved and fulfilling life.
The other system is an involuntary system, a vegetative system, it controls functions that are automatic and essential for survival.These processes occur without conscious effort, including organs responsible for respiration, circulation, digestion, reproduction, excretion, and special senses like sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. This system is controlled by nature through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, operating beyond our conscious control. It’s driven by the principle of demand and supply, where emotions significantly influence organ function, often leading to agitation or depression.
Increasing demands on this system, fueled by physical and mental activities, can slow down its functions and accelerate degeneration. The sympathetic system bears the brunt of this workload, while the parasympathetic system struggles to keep pace, leading to an imbalance. This disparity is a primary contributor to ill health in today’s fast-paced lifestyle, despite its seemingly active nature.
*Equilibrium: The Key to Unlocking Yoga’s Potential*
“As Yoga Shastra emphasizes, “Samtva yoga uchaye jeth mana buddhiche ekya adhi” – Equilibrium is the foundation upon which Yoga is established, where the mind and intellect are united in harmony”.
This profound sutra from the Bhagavat Gita highlights the importance of balance and equilibrium in achieving the ultimate goal of Yoga: union with the self. The following text explores the intricacies of achieving this equilibrium and its impact on our overall well-being.
To achieve equilibrium between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, it’s essential to focus on the voluntary muscular architecture that houses the various organ systems. This architecture has its own ancient memory coded in our ancient brain, which is decoded by the child after birth, but not consciously, leading to its loss in automation and forgotten, resulting in wrong adaptation.
By encoding their natural behaviour patterns and gaining conscious control of the voluntary nervous system through conscious movement of muscular architecture in Asana, we can effectively regulate the autonomous nervous systems. The muscular architecture plays a crucial role in creating pressure differences within the body cavities, maintaining inner spaces, and fostering an ideal internal environment.
To attain this balance, it’s necessary to alleviate physical pressure on the organs by promoting smooth movement of the muscles. The external atmospheric pressure and forces acting on the body are significantly stronger than the inner forces, and the elastic and expansion properties of the muscular architecture serve as the primary medium to counterbalance these forces.
Smooth voluntary muscle movement creates the necessary pressure differences within the body cavities, whereas muscular stiffness and hardness disrupt this delicate mechanism, leading to organ system imbalance and impaired physiological function. By addressing this muscular tension, we can restore balance to the organ systems and promote overall well-being.
*Achieving Equilibrium: The Key to Balancing the Nervous System*
To attain equilibrium between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, it’s crucial to focus on the voluntary muscular architecture that houses the various organ systems. By gaining conscious control of the voluntary nervous system through Asana, we can effectively regulate the autonomous nervous systems.
The muscular architecture plays a vital role in creating pressure differences within the body cavities, maintaining inner spaces, and fostering an ideal internal environment. Smooth movement of the voluntary musculature is essential to remove physical pressure on the organs and promote balance.
The external atmospheric pressure and forces acting on the body are significantly stronger than the inner forces. The elastic and expansion properties of the muscular architecture serve as the primary medium to counterbalance these forces. Muscular stiffness and hardness disrupt this delicate mechanism, leading to organ system imbalance and impaired physiological function.
By addressing muscular tension and promoting smooth movement, voluntary musculature creates optimal pressure differences within the body cavities, allowing all organ systems to work harmoniously and improve their physical and physiological state. However, muscular stiffness and hardness can bring obstruction and imbalance to this mechanism, disrupting the physiological function of the organ systems. By releasing this tension, we can restore balance and promote overall well-being. This conscious control enables us to harness the power of the muscular architecture and create a harmonious balance within.
*Harmony Between Voluntary and Involuntary Systems: The Key to Well-being*
In normal life, both voluntary and involuntary systems work hand in hand through the nervous system.
These two systems can be grouped into three parts:
Peripheral nervous system supplying energy to muscles and joints.
Autonomous nervous system supplying energy to vegetative organs.
Central nervous system which controls all organs through discriminative intelligence “Vivekaja gnyanam”, “Vivekaja gnyanam”. This is made to activate only through the medium of the central nervous system.
The smooth and harmonious work of the voluntary and involuntary system is disturbed by dis – ease either physical or mental. Physical distortion in cavities where the nervous system is situated furthermore triggers mental disturbance. This slows down their working and death permanently stops it.
Lord Patanjali has precisely described the aim of yoga as “Heyam duhkham anagatam” which means that the practice of yoga guards against pain, which has not even arisen on the horizon of time. Regular and dedicated practice in the right path of Asana protects the body from unforeseen pain. This is done through two pathways of voluntary and involuntary systems of the body. The mode of action on the voluntary system consisting of the musculoskeletal system is a direct one to reach the central nervous system.
*Relearning Natural Movement Patterns: Unlocking Conscious Control*
The effect of Asana on the involuntary system is indirect. Doing different forms of the human body is not very important. Anatomical distortion and what exact inner efforts person does within for movement of voluntary muscular system is most important factor to bring conscious control on our nervous system and stored in our memory that is “smruti parishudhi” to get further control on autonomous nervous system.
All movements of voluntary muscles, joints, and bones are under the command of the central nervous system, consisting of Cerebrum, large brain, our conscious brain, and spinal cord. Reflex actions are governed by the spinal cord, final execution of movement. This reflex action is a defensive mechanism of our own body. Intentional and intellectual movements of the voluntary system are controlled by Cerebrum.
The role of Asana’s are conscious movement of voluntary muscles in their natural sequential order with synchronised direction of flow is essential to bring conscious control of our own nervous system.
Initially, in infancy, all movements of voluntary muscles have their natural sequential order of flow in a particular direction that was stored or imbibed in our ancient brain. Slowly, they are brought under the volitional control of the cerebrum by the learning process, right from rolling over, on the belly to sliding, crawling, sitting to standing, and walking.
All these movements exist in a genetically programmed form, i.e. decoded and are stored in the memory centre in our ancient brain. A child unwinds these actions with their own pathways of efforts – failure and success quickly over a period of 1 to 2 years. Once the art of standing and walking is learnt, these are brought under the volitional control of the Cerebrum. These actions are programmed and stored in the memory centre. This centre makes the information available at any time.
Through repeated and continuously prolonged practice of sequences of different motions, all activities are transferred into reflex mechanical actions governed by the spinal cord. They are executed any time without the consultation of Cerebrum. This becomes automation, which is naturalization. This automation in process gets stuck into reflex action and not learnt consciously and intellectually. Hence, deterioration begins at this level. We have to learn these sequential order of movements of voluntary muscular architecture consciously and intellectually, which we lost in automation and reflex action, that are defensive and lead us to diseases early.
*The Principal behind Yogasan: Unlocking Conscious Control*
One must note down the above process of Naturalization, which gets ignored while working in our body in the name of Yogasana. The intelligence of naturalization is stored/coded in our ancient brain that becomes automated. We need to decode and encode to learn consciously to store that is memory programming in our conscious brain to program deeper in our memory centers.
Once this is achieved, the physical properties of each cell assume a new dimension to suit the new character of that species, and then this information is stored in genes and gets transferred to the next generation of the same cell. This is the secret, intelligence of the human being who can stand and walk on his two feet without much difficulty.
Note down, Once any action like standing and walking posture becomes automatic, it assumes limitations of minimum and maximum skills, which is governed by genes. For example, in horse racing, one finds that a particular breed of a race horse wins a maximum number of races. This is true in human beings also. Defects in a posture in any member of the parent-father or mother are also visible to some extent in their children, and we also acquired if not learned intellectually.
The limitations in any automatic involuntary and natural action can be modified by coaching. Since the musculoskeletal system is under volitional command, it is easier to modify its limits by adopting with their natural behaviour patterns with conscious learning processes, like practicing varieties of yogic postures with natural sequential order of Muscular architecture with their natural synchronised direction of flow consciously and intellectually, not as reflex action, which is defensive, easier and enjoyable.
By practicing yogasan in this manner, we can consciously decode and re-encode our ancient memory of muscles , leading to a new level of physical transformation for its optimal state of healthy adaptation. This process can help us overcome limitations and achieve an optimal state of higher level of consciousness that is known as moksha.
*The Five Facets of Yogasana: Unlocking the Secrets of Posture*
The cause-and-effect theory is indeed a fundamental principle in understanding the relationship between our every physical actions we perform on our body (including yoga postures) can either bring ease or dis- ease and their impact on our physical and mental well-being.
By understanding the five facets of Yogasana, we can modify and overcome the limitations of our musculoskeletal system.
The main obstacle in maintaining a pose is the resistance from muscles contraction, strong gravitational force that is strong passive quality of muscles. Passive Contraction happens in Excitation which makes muscles stiff , shortened and hardened and muscles lose their elastic quality . Expansion quality of muscles is an active force that is known as relaxation which is the most vital quality that requires strong will and strength.
By understanding the physiology of muscle qualities, contraction and expansion, we can control defensive mechanisms like reflex action in joints, where flexion is a strong passive force before birth. The reflex action is always involuntary action. We assume that muscles will recoil their natural elastic state, but instead with reputative joints movements they get more and more stiffer. Therefore when the muscle is stretched or expands from both ends, the central portion starts contracting to resist the stretching process beyond limits. This inhibits the attainment of the final pose. Any amount of struggle is useless. On the contrary, any additional force in stretching the muscle results into a spasm of the contracting muscle, and the whole process ends up in chaos.
This chaos can be averted through understanding the basic physiology of contraction and expansion , relaxation of a voluntary muscle.When a muscle contracts, we assume that the opposite group expands, which can’t because of stiffening and when it gets stretched and gets tears. This is inflammation of muscles where defense mechanisms take place and scar tissues occur. Muscles usually get tears at the Musculotendinous junction (MTJ) , the area where the muscle meets the tendon, which attaches to the bone.The central portion contraction resist. Additional forces can lead to spasm and chaos.
The “stretch reflex” is a protective mechanism that prevents muscle damage by contracting the central portion of the muscle spindle when it’s stretched beyond a certain point. This reflex is activated to prevent tearing of muscle fibers.
Forcible contraction of one group of muscles can lead to overstretching of the opposite group, causing damage. The muscle spindle, the smallest unit of voluntary muscle, has a bulky central portion that tapers at both ends. When stretched, the ends contract, lengthening the central portion. If this lengthening crosses a danger level, the stretch reflex is activated, contracting the central portion and halting the stretching process.
This prevents the opposite group of muscles from contracting further, which would lead to increased friction, energy expenditure, and heat generation, visible as excessive sweating and exhaustion.
At this stage, the ego starts functioning by forcing further contraction.Forcing beyond this point is not yogic movement, but rather anatomical movement, neglecting the subtle aspects of movement and energy which is resulting in an increased friction and excess of energy expenditure. Normally, 25 % energy is utilized in action, and the remaining 75% is wasted in the form of heat. This increase in metabolism is visible as excessive sweating and total exhaustion. I’m sorry to say these are not yogic movements , these are anatomical movements.
Yogic movement aims to work with the body’s natural flow, using awareness and sensitivity to navigate the physical postures, conserving energy and promoting balance.
Therefore, we have to follow the ancient sequential order and specific direction in flow of movement of muscles step by step and link together in any static and dynamic movements.
The five facets of Muscular movement in any poses are:
1. *Anchor*: Point of anchorage in each asana is reinforced through the use of the gravitational force to create anti gravitational force.
2. *Pivot or Fulcrum*: where the motion is executed.
3. *Moving Axis*: where directional flow of movement takes place.
4. *Direction and Flow of Movement*: the specific direction in which the movement is executed.
5. *Moment*: Freezing the movement is a moment, maintaining the final posture for a sufficient length of time to bring about physiological changes in the muscular architecture and simultaneously functioning of organ systems in different involuntary systems.
By understanding these Universal principles, we can work with our muscles, not against them, and achieve a deeper level of physical transformation.
The key to yogic movement is working with the voluntary musculature consciously and intellectually, focusing on the sequential order, force, and direction of flow of movement. Expansion, or stretch, is not about forcing or torturing the muscles, but rather about extending with the direction of flow, balancing gravity and anti-gravity forces.
This approach allows us to tap into the natural state of ease, or “sahajawastha”, which is the ultimate goal of yoga. By understanding the physiological principles underlying yogic movement, we can cultivate a deeper sense of relaxation and awareness in our practice.
The emphasis on expansion highlights the importance of working with the body’s natural tendencies, rather than against them. By doing so, we can achieve a more harmonious and sustainable practice that promotes overall well-being.
In yogic movements , exactly the opposite should happen, that is 75% is utilized in action, which is a conscious movement of Musculature, and 25% is wasted in the form of heat. This movement is beneficial for all organ systems to enhance their work effortlessly, where movement will be smooth, and regeneration is more than degeneration.
Once the biomechanics of stretch reflex is fully understood, it is possible to avert the disaster of tearing the muscle fibre by avoiding precipitation of stretch reflex. This yoga method exactly teaches the methodology to counter the stretch reflex by executing precision in stretch without precipitating the contraction force. This is called modification of stretch reflex.
Once the biomechanics of stretch reflex is fully understood, it is possible to avert the disaster of tearing the muscle fibre by avoiding precipitation of stretch reflex. This yoga method exactly teaches the methodology to counter the stretch reflex by executing precision in stretch without precipitating the contraction force. This is called modification of stretch reflex.
We modify how we do modification of stretch reflex?
That it is easier said than done, but it can be done. I will give you a secret, how it can be done. I have learned from My Guru , My Acharya, Dr S.V.Karandiker ( Kabir baug matha sanstha,PUne ).
Every cell has got a nucleus and cytoplasm, water .There is water inside the cell, called intracellular fluid and outside the cell called extracellular fluid. In extracellular fluid, there is domination of sodium atoms, and in intra-cellular fluid, there is dominance of potassium. So, the balance of sodium and potassium is the balance of the sun and moon, which is the balance of Ida and Pingala. Sodium stands as the Sun and Potassium stands for a Moon fluid inside the cell, which is kept together because of Potassium it maintains the wall and structure of the cell. So if we want to extend, bring sodium more, so along with sodium water, it will also come.
In our methodology of teaching, Yogic posture acts by fractional dilution of the density of muscular architecture ,the matter. At the Anchor, it is very tight ( not stiff) at the Pivot it is diluted, and moving axis dilution is more and at movement dilution continuous. It is like a wave pattern. It is like a flow. For example, a piece of ice kept doesn’t flow but gives heat it will start flowing. So give heat, where is the heat and we must have the heat source i.e. energy source and this energy source we have to activate we have modification of stretch reflex, that is sequntial order with secronised direction of movement of muscles , otherwise we just can’t do fractional dilution and when it become state of the pose freeze everything i.e. moment. So what an Intellectual capacity one must have and are we using it when we practice postures is important How the Sun ( active force) must shine and the Moon ( defensive force) should take care off and nullify the exaggerated effect of Sun.
This is done with the help of different props and support. Without it is not possible because without reference, we really do not know what direction of movement is. Its formlessness, which we have to program in our memory, will tell us what form we should get in the name of Asana. Suppose we name it Trikonasan. The body has to go into Trikonasana. Therefore formlessness that’s the quality which is in the brain in the form of ancient memory, a coded memory and decoding this memory intellectually that will help our Motor center to recognize our body in the form of a Triangle. So, what we learn is an informative process. We inform the individual by programming this memory by giving different Symbols in the name of those postures to help them to go into the postures by the teacher with the help of different props .
What we are really doing is arranging the energy flow in the body. Suppose we have a small river flowing into our city .It gets obstructed by something, then we remove that obstacle, and then again, flow goes. The same is true in our bodies. The life process is a continuous process like a flow of River , so any obstruction in that flow we remove and that should be the aim of practising Yogasana .So that gradually we will come to such a state ,we will get pleasure inside our body just by sitting, I.e. possible stimulating different centres in the brain . The pleasure which we get from five organs of perception, the same pleasure is not the contact of subject and the object but pleasure is in the form of memory. So if we can bring out that pleasure from that memory and chew it in our mind.
Modification of posture which smooth movement of the stretch reflex.
By this method, it is possible to minimize the extra expenditure of energy perceptible as the absence of sweating and exhaustion. In fact, all cells are perfusing with abundant bio- cosmic energy. Continuous, prolonged , sincere, and dedicated regular practice in this manner will bring perfection and precision in the action of each muscle. This will bring activation of wider areas of motor and sensory cortex, expanding the human capacity in performing varieties of activities without spending excess energy. On the contrary, the metabolism in each cell is brought down to the level of sleep while performing an asana. This state of body and mind, which is stable and natural or comfortable, brings total tranquillity of body,mind, and intellect.
Difference between exercise and yogasana :
In any form of exercise, other than this method, all the movements are mechanical, repetitive, and reflex actions without involving the cerebral cortex in the execution of actions. Therefore, there is not much scope for precision and perfection without extra expenditure of energy. Hence, with advancing age, these activities can not be performed immaculately because of stiff joints and toneless muscles. Therefore, these isometric exercises can not be practised throughout life and, if practised with determination, will lead to strained muscle and painful joints.
The key of this method is modification of stretch reflex, bringing more cortical control over the activities of the musculoskeletal system. This brings a perfect balance between work output and energy expenditure. Hence, optimum energy is used in functioning, and less energy is wasted in the form of heat. Every muscle in the body is exercised to its full capacity. It improves the supply of nutrients to every cell in all muscles and helps in removing the toxic products of cellular metabolism from each cell. By regularly practicing varieties of postures, wider areas of the motor and sensory cortex are awakened with different permutations and combinations that improve the range of movement in each muscle which help in proper alignment of bones in the joints. Ultimately, the perfect balance between gravity and antigravity with the left and right sides of the body is brought about.
Once both sides become symmetrical, undue stress on the organs of vegetative system is removed and slowly but surely all organs in the body are subjected to voluntary control. Normally, all organs of respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and execratory systems are beyond volitional control. Their functions are totally controlled by nature at a subconscious level at the brainstem (ancient part of the brain) on the basis of demand and supply. Diurnal variations in their functioning are definitely perturbed by other forces like gravitational pulls, rotational and revolutionary motions of the earth, and the presence of different planets and constellations and atmospheric pressure .Natural bio-cosmic energy in each individual cell has to resist all the above forces in order to exist, survive, function, grow, and regenerate.
When external forces overpower the bio-cosmic energy in each cell because of infection, metabolic disorder, or degeneration, the physiological function of the cell is disturbed, and anatomical architecture is also distorted resulting into disease in the body.
A physiological function of the cell involves multiple biochemical activities. In the presence of a disease, these activities are distorted, and any medicine, either modern or ancient, tries to rectify this imbalance. Surgery does the job by removing the diseased part of the body. As surgery or medicine can not uproot the causative factors of the disease, their role in maintaining the health is limited. But by practising different yogic postures, most of the degenerative and metabolic diseases can be permanently cured. This is possible because ‘Asana’ has a direct effect on the metabolism of the diseased cell.
Every chemical reaction in a cell requires energy, which is obtained from glucose, water, and oxygen. Since different chemical reactions in the cellular metabolism are disturbed in a disease, physiological functioning of the individual cell slows down. The cell can not store enough energy, which is required for its functioning and ultimately leads to premature death of individual cells.
Practice of Asana can avert this disaster. In each physical posture, different organs are placed in different anatomical and fractional variations of muscular architecture for a considerable length of time. It results in disturbance in the physiological activities of each individual cell. In short, each cell is subjected to starvation without tormentation. This process teaches every cell to function normally, even in abnormal circumstances created intentionally in an Asana.
These physical postures are initially matured into physiological levels by activating the process of starvation without tormentation. In this process, the direction of forces inside, efforts to remove inner obstruction and create natural space. Different methods like squeezing and spreading, damping and drying, heating, and cooling are used.It is not easy because we never make such efforts inside our body, but it’s not difficult also .
Yogic movements in posture at gross level and in Asana at subtile level to bring physical stability to our unique vertical and biped species.
Yogic movement, which is a conscious movement of voluntary musculature and not a reflex action which is a defensive force, where contraction is a strong force . Yogic movements are modification of stretch reflex Where expansion force is essential and an important factor to enhance our human species at physical, Physiological, psychological, intellectual, spiritual , genetic and naturalization which is evolved at higher level.
It is possible to modify and overcome the limitations of the actions of the musculoskeletal system in a human being through regular practice based on the basic principle of biofeedback technique.
There are five facets of performing yogic postures, One must know firstly that it is not about going into the pose or movement of the body through the joints. One must make conscious efforts to move muscles that are under our will. The flow of muscular architecture is most important. ( To prevent cells , tissues become hard ,it’s degeneration where degeneration is fast and the regeneration process becomes slow and which leads to distortion leading to tumours, which can be cancerous too) .
What I am saying about is movement of muscle flow
First, the point of anchorage differs in each asana and is reinforced through the use of the gravitational force.
Second, pivot or fulcrum, where the motion is executed.
Then third, the moving axis where movement takes place.
Then forth, movement .
Then fifth, freezing the movement is the moment.
In this way ,maintaining the final posture with conscious flow of movement of muscles like strings of pulleys in opposite direction with synchronised movement of joints in the same direction for a sufficient length of time.
This is the most important factor to bring about physiological changes in the functioning of different involuntary systems.
In simple words, posterior Musculature moving towards foot and anterior Musculature towards head. Extension from head to tail where smooth movement of voluntary musculature should be our aim.
The main obstacle in maintaining a pose, for a particular length of time, is the resistance from the set of muscles that are in a state of contraction ( short,stiff, and hard). Since contraction is a natural property of a voluntary muscle aided by gravitational force and which is reflex and decisive, too.
Therefore, it is difficult to execute the phase of contraction in any muscle. When one set of muscles starts contracting, the opposite group of muscles gets stretched, which is already hard to move . When the muscle is stretched or expands from both ends, the central portion starts contracting to resist the stretching process beyond limits. This inhibits the attainment of the final pose. Any amount of struggle is useless. As we never make efforts for conscious movement of musculature ,instead stuck into movement in joints . On the contrary, any additional force in stretching the muscle results in a spasm of the contracting muscle, and the whole process ends up in chaos.This is again reflex action. This happens in the majority of yogic asanas and the name of physical exercises.
Yogic movements differ, that’s why it gives a guarantee about health if done correctly and diseases are the first obstacle in Raj yoga / Patanjali’s Yoga, which has ashtanga ( eight stages of evolution).
This chaos can be averted through understanding the basic physiology of contraction and retraction or relaxation of a voluntary muscle.
Retraction ,relaxation, or expansion of muscles is an active process that needs more strength. The key word of this method is expansion, which does not mean torture or abuse of force in the joints. On the contrary, expansion means extension or active relaxation. Here, the direction of the force of musculature in the opposite group is the key and is the most important factor.
This method is based on a total and complete understanding of the basic physiological principle,” stretch reflex”. This reflex is the process of contraction and retraction of the minutest working unit of voluntary muscle, which is known as muscle spindle. This reflex is a protective mechanism. The contraction of a voluntary muscle is more powerful and is naturally accentuated by gravitational force. Therefore, during any physical activity or posture , forcible contraction of one group of muscles will lead to over stretching of the opposite group of muscles and result in tear of muscle fibres and hardening of tissues This is the main reason for wear and tear and reducing spaces between two joints is a common factor.Which brings extra abnormal pressure on structure leading towards hardening of overall soft tissues including organs to make us stable . Therefore, learning to create anti gravitational force through musculature is a must.
This damage is averted by ‘Stretch Reflex”. The muscle spindle is the smallest unit of voluntary muscle, visible only under the microscope. A muscle spindle has a bulky central portion tapering at both ends. During stretch both ends portions start contracting and lengthening the central portion when this lengthens process crosses the danger level of tearing the fiber the stretch reflex is activated by contraction of central portion which instantaneously halts the process of retraction or relaxation or stretch and stops the contraction of opposite group of muscles trying to achieve the final pose.Hence there is a technique one must learn in a pose
At this stage, the ego starts functioning by forcing further contraction, resulting in an increased friction and excess of energy expenditure. Normally, 25 % energy is utilized in action, and the remaining 75% is wasted in the form of heat. This increase in metabolism is visible as excessive sweating and total exhaustion. Which actually leads towards degeneration instead of regeneration.
In any asana yogic movements , exactly the opposite should happen, that is 75% is utilized in action, which is a conscious movement of Musculature, and 25% is wasted in the form of heat. This movement is beneficial for all organ systems to enhance their work effortlessly, where movement will be smooth, and regeneration is more than degeneration.
Once the biomechanics of stretch reflex is fully understood, it is possible to avert the disaster of tearing the muscle fibre by avoiding precipitation of stretch reflex. This yoga method exactly teaches the methodology to counter the stretch reflex by executing precision in stretch without precipitating the contraction force. This is called modification of stretch reflex.
We modify, how do we do? That it is easier said than done, but it can be done. I will give you a secret, how it can be done , let’s go deeper.
Every cell has got a nucleus and cytoplasm, water. There is water inside the cell, called intracellular fluid, and outside the cell called extracellular fluid. In extracellular fluid, there is domination of sodium atoms, and in intra-cellular fluid, there is dominance of potassium. So balance of Sodium and Potassium, is the balance of Sun and Moon, is balance of Ida and Pingala.Sodium stands as the Sun and Potassium stands for a Moon fluid inside the cell which is kept together because of Potassium it maintains the wall and structure of the cell. So if we want to extend, bring sodium more, so along with sodium water, it will also come.
So Yogic posture( remember ,what efforts one makes is important) acts by fractional dilution of the density of the matter At the Anchor, it is very dense, at the Pivot it is diluted, at moving axis dilution is more and at movement dilution continuous. It is like a wave pattern. It is like a flow. E.g. A piece of ice kept doesn’t flow but give heat it will start flowing. So give heat, where is the heat? We must have the heat source and energy source. This energy source we have to activate, we have modification of stretch reflex. Otherwise, we just can’t do fractional dilution, and when it becomes state of the posture, freeze everything, moment. So what an intellectual capacity one must have, and are we using it when we practice postures. How the Sun must shine and the Moon should take care of and nullify the exaggerated effect of the Sun.
This is done with the help of different props and support. Without it, it is not possible because we really do not know what direction of movement is. Its formlessness, which we have to program in our memory, will tell us what form we should get in the name of Asana. Suppose we name it Trikonasana. The body has to go into Trikonasana. Therefore formlessness that’s the quality which is in the brain in the form of memory, a coded memory we do not know, how it is coded but that will help our Motor center to recognize our body in the form of a Triangle which is most stable structure with minimum vectors which applies to human spices.
So, what we learn is an informative process. We inform the individual by programming his memory by giving different Symbols in the name of those postures to help them to go into the postures by the teacher with the help of different props .
What we are really doing is arranging the energy ( is ability to arrange) flow in the body. Suppose we have a small river flowing into our city .It gets obstructed by something, then we remove that obstacle, and then again, flow goes. The same is true in our bodies. The life process is a continuous process like a flow of River , so any obstruction in that flow we remove and that should be aim of practicing Yoga ( it’s not at all going from.one pose to another pose from movements of joints ) So that gradually we will come to such a state ,we will get pleasure inside our body just by sitting I.e. possible stimulating different centres in the brain . The pleasure which we get from five organs of perception, the same pleasure is not the contact of subject and the object but pleasure is in the form of memory. So if we can bring out that pleasure from that memory and chew it in our mind. This stage you don’t need to do many asanas/ postures. Sitting Pose is enough that it is evolved and natural . Sitting is not killing , if it is killing us, that means our species is deteriorating very fast and not evolving. It’s high time to be aware and work in the right direction .
Modification of posture which smooth’s the stretch reflex.
By this method, it is possible to minimize the extra expenditure of energy perceptible as absence of sweating and exhaustion But it wont be that easy this happens as it needs more strength for expansion ) In fact all cells are perfusing with abundant bio- cosmic energy. Continuous, prolonged, and sincere regular practice in this manner will bring perfection and precision in the action of each muscle. This will bring activation of wider areas of motor and sensory cortex, expanding the human capacity in performing varieties of activities without spending excess energy. On the contrary, the metabolism in each cell is brought down to the level of sleep while performing an asana. This state of body and mind, which is stable and natural or comfortable, brings total tranquillity of body,mind, and intellect.
In any form of exercise or performing postures, if you observed , all the movements are mechanical, repetitive reflex actions without involving Cerebral cortex in execution of actions. Therefore, there is not much scope for precision and perfection without extra expenditure of energy. Hence, with advancing age, these activities can not be performed immaculately because of stiff joints and muscles. Therefore, these isometric exercises can not be practised throughout life and, if practised with determination, will lead to strained muscle and painful joints, further damaging and hardening all over soft tissues.
The key of this method is modification of stretch reflex, bringing more cortical control over the activities of musculoskeletal system, I call these intellectual movements. This brings a perfect balance between work output and energy expenditure. Hence, optimum energy is used in functioning, and less energy is wasted in the form of heat. Every muscle in the body is worked to its full capacity. It improves the supply of nutrients to each and every cell and helps in removing the toxic products of cellular metabolism from each cell. By regular practising certain postures, wider areas of motor and sensory cortex are awakened, and different permutations and combinations improve the range of movement in each muscle, which helps in proper alignment of bones in the joints Ultimately, the perfect balance between gravity and antigravity with the left and right sides of the body is brought about.
Once both sides become symmetrical with fractional variations in muscles ,undue stress on the organs of vegetative system is removed and slowly but surely all organs in the body are subjected to voluntary control Normally, all organs of respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and excretory systems are beyond volitional control. Their functions are totally controlled by nature at a subconscious level at brain stem (ancient part of the brain) on the basis of demand and supply. Diurnal variations in their functioning are definitely perturbed by other forces like gravitational pulls, rotational and revolutionary motions of the earth, and the presence of different planets and constellations and atmospheric pressure .Natural bio-cosmic energy in each individual cell has to resist all the above forces in order to exist, survive, function, grow, and regenerate.
When external forces overpower the bio-cosmic energy in each cell because of infection, metabolic disorder or degeneration, physiological function of the cell is disturbed and anatomical architecture is also distorted resulting into disease in the body.Therefore working on inner forces is most important factor.
A physiological function of the cell involves multiple biochemical activities. In the presence of a disease, these activities are distorted, and any medicine, either modern or ancient, tries to rectify this imbalance. Surgery does the job by removing the diseased part of the body. As surgery or medicine can not uproot the causative factors of the disease, their role is that maintaining the health is limited as treating symptoms chemically and physically. But by practising different yogic postures for the prolonged period waiting with corrective movement inside the body , only most of the degenerative and metabolic diseases can be permanently cured. This is possible because ‘Asana’ has a direct effect on the metabolism of the diseased cell.
Every chemical reaction in a cell requires energy, which is obtained from glucose, water, and oxygen. Since different chemical reactions in the cellular metabolism are disturbed in a disease, physiological functioning of the individual cell slows down. The cell can not store enough energy, which is required for its functioning and ultimately leads to premature death of individual cells.
Practice of Asana can avert this disaster. In each physical posture, different organs are placed in different musculaturel architecture for a considerable length of time. It results in disturbance in the physiological activities of each individual cell. In short, each cell is subjected to starvation without tormentation. This process teaches every cell to function normally, even in abnormal circumstances created intentionally in an Asana.
These physical postures are initially matured into a physiological level by activating the process of starvation without tormentation. In this process, the direction of forces inside, efforts to remove inner obstruction and create natural space. different methods like squeezing and spreading, damping and drying, heating and cooling are used.It is not easy because we never make such efforts inside our body but it’s not difficult also efforts has to be in right direction.
Swati Joshi
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