Who should practice Yoga?
This is very important subject of discussion, as to who should
do Asanas, Pranayama, cleansing techniques and other techniques
of yoga. Considering the effects of yoga on physical, mental
and spiritual dimension, yoga is being appreciated by millions
world over. Many teachers, medical professionals, health experts
started teaching yoga to every one. Kids, young adults, old
age people, people suffering from various diseases. But is yoga
really helpful to all and if it proves beneficial then how it
works?
There
are many different types of yoga practiced in India. Ashtanga
Yoga (Eight fold path) as taught by great sage Patanjali, Hatha
Yoga as taught by Swami Swatmaram and Nath tradition, Kriya
yoga tradition, Kundalini yoga and many more. This ancient scripts
talk about yoga as a complete science of evolution of consciousness.
From negative health, to normal health, normal to perfect health
and then reaching highest spiritual dimension. The text of Hatha
Yoga Pradipika written by Swami Swatmarama discussed who should
practice yoga and who should not !
From
Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1 – 64)
Yuva vrudhotivrudhova, vyadhito Durbalopi va ||
Abhyasat siddhim apnoti Sarva Yogeshwa Tandritah ||
Translation
-
From young adults (age 15 and above) to old and very old, very
weak (physically and mentally), patients suffering from diseases
can practice yoga. (Under the guidance of yoga expert or Guru)
All of them can achieve success in reaching the highest position
in yoga.
This
Sanskrit verse describes who can do yoga with benefits; this
verse describes young adults to old age people and very old
people as well. Interestingly this verse does not include kids
under age 12 or 15 years.
To understand the reason, we may have to look in to what is
the style of Yoga these ancient books recommend. Patanjali defines
Yoga Asanas as Sthir Sukham Asanam || steady and comfortable
posture is asana. One has to maintain the asana for long with
stability and comfort to master it. Hatha Yoga Pradipika says
that you can master the asana if you can hold it for 3 hours
without any discomfort. The medical science says that up to
age 12 the ossification process in the bones is not complete
which makes the bones soft and elastic (more proportion of organic
matter) and if you practice asanas for longer duration, then
the bones get twist and stretch which may affect the development
process of bones. So at young age Yoga Asanas should be performed
like exercise, with fast movement and not maintain the position
for more than 5seconds.
Also
the old age people can practice yoga with great benefits and
the ancient books say that sincere practice of yoga can even
reverse the old age making the practitioners young. There may
be exaggeration but the good effects can be seen. Also the patients
suffering from various ailments can get rid of their problems
(Yoga therapy is a subject of expertise, and patients need to
practice under the guidance of Yoga expert).
So in all if we see the ancient text, it says that YOGA IS FOR
ALL.
- Gandhar Mandlik
Under the guidance of Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik (Rushi Dharmajyoti)
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