Badda Padmasana

Badda – locked.  Padmasana -Lotus posture.

Benefits:  This asana helps in strengthening the hands, strengthening and straightening the spine, opening up the chest muscles and in deepening the breathing. It energises the internal organs, stomach, reproductory organs, small and large intestines, reduces fat around the waist and releases tension from the shoulders, upper back and middle back regions.

Process: Sit in Padmasana with both heels touching the pelvic region.

Cross your hands behind your back and try to get hold of the right foot with left hand and the left foot with right hand.

Hold the chin up.

Feel the stretch in your shoulders, back, hands and spinal column.

Be aware of your breathing.

Remain in this position for as long as you are comfortable.

Release your hands from the toes and relax. Please refer to picture.

Caution: People with back, shoulder or knee injuries should do this asana with caution or under supervision.

 

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Badda Padmasana in Himalayas

2nd International Day of Yoga – A Report

19th June 2016 – Spingers Leisure Centre

Following the tremendous success at the 1st International Day of Yoga celebrations last year, Vasudeva Kriya Yoga hosted the 2nd International Day of Yoga celebrations this year on the 19th of June 2016. VMC and our many generous sponThe Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria Inc (FIAV), FIMO, FIMDV and the Confederation of Indian Associations of Australia (CIAA) lent their moral support to the event. Once again this year the event drew an overwhelming attendance from Yoga enthusiasts across all walks of life.

The day’s event commenced auspiciously with communal Bhagawat Gita Chanting.

This was followed by 108 Surya Namaskars (Sun Salutations) accompanied with vedic chants.

The students of Swara Sadhana Music School presented the International Day of Yoga Song. This song was specially written for the event by Shri. Suryanarayana Saripalle and was composed by Smt. Sundari Saripalle.

Further events included kids yoga performance, thematic music, asana, pranayama and meditation.

The guests of honor were

  • Hon Nicholas (Nick) Wakeling: Shadow Minister for Education
  • Garry Spencer: Liberal candidate, Vasan Srinivas: (FIAV) President
  • Chidambaram Srinivasan: VMC Commissioner.

The Speakers at the event were

  • Rajendra Yenkannamoole – Founder Vasudeva Kriya Yoga
  • Larissa Gita – Senior teacher Yoga In Daily Life
  • Christine Westbury – Brahma Kumari
  • Dr. Sanjay Raghav – Neurologist
  • Dr. Arun Dhir – Gastro Intestinal Surgeon

The IDY theme is “Yoga for harmony and peace”. Yoga is one of the main means to achieve Harmony and Peace in the community. Through yoga Vasudeva Kriya Yoga aims at reducing the health cost liabilities on the community and promote social harmony through harnessing (Physical, Mental and Spiritual) health in the community.

Vasudeva Kriya Yoga along with the event sponsors offered this event as a FREE gift to the community to encourage open participation. Participation brings in first-hand experience. Experience opens up higher possibility for adopting Yoga as a life-style, leading towards health, harmony and peace.

What Breathing taught me about Life?

By Sanjiv Kulkarni

As we were doing our routine breathing exercises during our yoga class today I had an epiphany about life. Our teacher practices at least 2 types of Pranayama or Breathing exercises per class. In this class we did Nadi Shodhana Pranayama which involves single nostril breathing; you breath in through one nostril only for the count of 10 as you close the other nostril. Then you close the open nostril and breathe out through the other nostril to the count of 15. One can then continue this breathing for another 10 times. This form of Pranayama has multiple benefits like harmonising the right and left brain and also harmonising the mind.

The other Pranayama we always practice is our signature Vasudeva Kriya Yoga – which is an Asana, Kriya, and Pranayama all in one. The Pranayama part consists of Breathing through both nostrils but in a disproportionate manner – breathe in to the sound a long Om, and exhale to the sound of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

As we were doing the Vasudeva Kriya Yoga it hit me today. We breathe out more than we breathe in. If we consciously observe our breathing that is how we naturally breathe. That is also what helps us relax after a strenuous round of sport, exercise or even Yogasanas (as we relax in Shavasana). We inhale short deep breathes and exhale long breathes to relax instantly! Additionally it helps exhale a lot of suppressed impurities from our lungs, soothe our nerves, and maintain our blood pressure. This is the best known way to relax ourselves when we are stressed or nervous. Observe yourself sometimes in the middle of a tense meeting or a busy day, you would have slipped to very shallow or sometimes no breathing. Switch to Pranayama breathing and you will relax instantly.

As this thought lingered in my mind another interesting point hit me. Life is also like this… it expects more output than the input we receive. You are happier and relaxed if you offer more as service to your church (or any religious institution), your family, your friends than what you expect from others. In fact, interestingly even your employer expects more output from you than the salary they pay you.

In fact it is better that way, because if they discover they pay you more than what they get from you then they would probably let you go.

So do take some time off to practice any of these Pranayama / Breathing techniques daily to expel all toxins from your body and life, stay elevated and relaxed!

Patanjali Yoga Sutra

It is believed that Patanjali was an incarnation of Adi Sesha. The story unfolds as Lord Vishnu reclining on Adi Sesha and Lord Shiva performing the Thandavam dance to please Lord Vishnu. While this was in progress, Adi Sesha experienced Lord Vishnu becoming too heavy at times to the point of suffocating him and at other times becoming as light as a feather. This created the desire in Adi Sesha also to please the Lord and thus happened the incarnation of Patanjali. The name Patanjali came from the circumstances of his birth: he fell (Pata) into his mother’s palms (Anjali) while she was praying.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra draws its inspiration from Bhagawat Gita. This treatise has 196 Sutras categorized into 4 sections:
  1. Samadhi Pada (Yoga and its aims.)
  2. Sadhana Pada (How to practice yoga?)
  3. Vibhuti Pada (Sidhis that can be achieved by practicing Yoga.)
  4. Kaivalya Pada (How to attain liberation?)

We will see each Sutra under a unique light in forthcoming articles.

  1. Sutra #1:  अथ योगानुशासनम् (Atha yogānuśāsanam)
  2. Sutra #2: योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः (Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ)

Deepawali – Celebration of Ultimate Light

Deepawali Greetings!   Deepawali means chain of light.  For a saadhak ( practitioner of higher knowledge) this is not merely external light.

Deepawali is celebrated on the new moon day. This year Deepawali falls on the 11 of November 2015. Deepawali also signifies return of triumphant Lord Shri Rama to Ayodhya after vanquishing evil forces such as Ravana. For many people Deepawali is a day of Lakshmi and they use this day as launch of financial new year.

The day before Deepawali which is on the 10 November 2015, is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi.  This day signifies the killing of Narakasura by Lord Shri Krishna and release of over 16,000  women who were held captive by Narakasura.

Three days before Deepawali (on the 8 November this year), a lamp is lit in the evening, facing south; it is called as Yama deep. This signifies the removing of untimely death (apa mrityu) in the house.

The day after Deepawali is celebrated as Bali Pratipat.  This day signifies the curbing of ego of a noble but arrogant king Bali by the Lord in the form of a dwarf boy Vamana.

Apart from the above Puranic stories, Deepawali has a deeper spiritual meaning to the yoga practitioners.  Outer light requires gross materials and when the gross material is consumed, the light extinguishes. Light means knowledge and it is fathomless.  Inner light is permanent and is the source of real joy and peace.  With one’s light, we can illumine the light in another person’s heart. Because of this Light all the other lights are illumined. Shri Krishna, in Bhagawat Gita, says:

jyotishaamapi jat jyoti tamasa param uccyate |
jnaana jneyam jnaana jamyam hridi sarvasya vishthitam ||13-18||

Light of all lights resides in everyone’s heart; only through knowledge and contemplation this can be experienced.

Once one experiences this light, one must share with others and enlighten others.  As theupanishad mantra says tamaso ma jyotirgamaya – Let us move away from darkness and move towards Light. This is the real Deepawali celebration!

Shri. Rajendra Yenkannamoole – Founder Vasudeva Kriya Yoga