While prana certainly is the power behind creation and destruction, its real power is how it sustains our body. Without it, the body and mind cannot function. Therefore pranayama, often mistaken for merely breathing exercises, is actually a series of techniques developed to enhance the prana in our body which leads to greater vigor and vitality. Prana flows through our nadis, or energy channels, and it is through the use of breath that we are able to influence it.

Knowing this, it may be difficult to distinguish prana and aatma. The Prashna Upanishad clarifies the two when one disciple asks what is “prana and how it is related to aatma?” The Rishi replies, “Prana is same to the aatma as a shadow is to the body.” In other words, they are not the same but move together.

In the next article about Pranayama, we will discuss the nadis.

At its grossest manifestation, breathing involves the movement of muscles to transport air in and out of the body. Even at this level, the effects of how we breath extend to the heart and lungs. Beyond this, breathing occurs at the cellular level, as the functions of the nose, trachea, and lungs act together to transport oxygen from the air we breath in to our cells.

While breathing is an involuntary act, one in which we do not have to think to make happen, it can also be a voluntary act, with specific efforts affecting how we breath. As air enters the body, it eventually flows to the lunges and expands the chest. The diaphram is a muscle that divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Its resting position is like a dome shape, yet when we breath deeply, the dome flattens to create more room in the chest cavity, and thus pushes out the abdominal area. Breathing this way is often called “belly breathing” or “diaphramic breathing” and allows for a deeper, slower breath that brings more oxygen in our body.

In the next part of this series, we will discuss techniques for breath awareness. Please post and comments of questions below, and we’ll try to address it as we go along!

Nothing is more degrading for an aspirant than to keep his or her mind burdened with the many forms of anger, including contempt, intolerance, vengeance, hatred, and rage. All of these emotions darken the mind, dissipate willpower, create illusions, waste mental energy, and lead to various forms of misery.

Anger expresses itself in three ways – physically, verbally, and mentally. Physical expressions of anger needs to be controlled as the first step. Even though anger may linger mentally, and you may utter harsh words, at least let there be no physical expressions of anger in your life.

The second step in controlling anger is to curtail its verbal expression. Whether your anger is rational or irrational does not matter, as an uncontrolled tongue always leads to regret, repentance, and wastage of energy. Therefore, verbal anger must be controlled even if you are still struggling with anger in your mind.

Finally, your ultimate goal is to free yourself of the afflictions of mental anger. Ideally, your mind should be so free of this affliction that there is no effort involved; anger simply does not arise inside of you no matter what occurs externally.

To encourage yourself to reach the highest state of mental purity, remember that whenever you sustain anger in your mind, you are hurting yourself the most. Every time you hold a grudge and hurt another person by your thoughts or actions, you create a negative karma that keeps you bond to that person in the future.

Sattvic foods are more easily digestible and are not fat laden nor protein dense as in animal products; therefore, the sattvic diet is primarily lacto-vegetarian.  This type of diet leads to a greater clarity and equanimity of mind while also being more beneficial to the body.

Sattvic foods include:

• Whole-grain cereals which do not contain sugar and additives
• Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ghee, butter, yogurt, kefir, and cream
• Dried peas and lentils
• Fresh vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables
• Fresh fruits
• Whole Grains
• Legumes (the smaller the bean, the easier to digest)
• Raw Nuts and Seeds
• Herbal teas
• Raw Honey
• Fresh fruit juices
• Fresh vegetable juices
• Sprouts
• Whole grain bread, no sugar or additives
• Oils – Olive, Flax, Coconut, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower
• Mild spices, including ginger and turmeric
• Lightly steamed foods
• Raw foods
• Lightly cooked foods
• Alkaline foods
• Properly combined foods (Certain foods do not digest well when eaten with other foods)

Rajasic and tamasic foods are to be avoided due to their affects on the body and mind. They leave us sluggish and agitated. These foods include:

• Sugar-laden foods
• Foods with preservatives and chemicals
• Spicy foods
• Red hot peppers
• Black pepper
• Garlic
• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Coffee and non-Herbal Tea
• Fish and meat
• Chocolate
• Frozen foods
• Canned foods
• Microwaved foods
• Overcooked foods
• Acidic foods
• Refined foods (such as white flour, white rice, sugar, etc.)
• Improperly combined foods

These lists are not all inclusive, by any means; but are meant to give you a good idea of which foods constitute a sattvic diet and which ones constitute a rajasic and tamasic diet.

Pure sattvic foods need to be chewed carefully and eaten in modest portions.  Overeating is definitely tamasic.  The food should be enjoyed for its inherent taste and quality rather than for the spices and seasonings that are added.  Too much salt and spice has a rajasic effect.  Leftovers are decidedly tamasic.

The more we embrace these sattvic principles, the more helpful they will be in enhancing our practice of yoga, both physical as well as spiritual.

So in our asana practice, it’s important to focus not just on what our body is doing, but on how we’re doing it. With this in mind, here are some things to consider in your own asana practice, whether it be at home or in class:

• Gracefully coming into poses and holding them long enough to achieve steadiness and comfort is more valuable than quickly moving through a routine just to finish X number of poses. However, asanas can also be held too long in that you can no longer maintain steadiness and comfort. Over time and with practice your duration will naturally increase, but never push yourself beyond your limit.

• Observe your breath for an indication of the quality of your asanas. It too should be steady, not jerky or uneven. Listening to the gentle flow of your breath can also be calming to the mind and provide focus, creating that steady state that leads into meditation.

• Make sure your body is free from holding any tension in asanas, such as clenched jaws and scrunched toes. While this may be a natural reaction to a challenging position, the goal should be to  achieve relaxation with alertness in your practice.

Remember, the way asanas make you feel is more important than how you look in the mirror or to the person next to you. Yoga is ultimately for ourselves – to bring freedom, peacefulness and happiness to our body and mind.

While it’s easy to think there is not enough time to do yoga everyday, as little as 5 minutes a day can make a dramatic difference in how you feel throughout the day. Try doing 2 surya namaskars (sun salutations) each morning for the next week and notice how it affects your posture, how it feels to walk and sit, and how you sleep at night. You’ll be surprised at how far a little effort can go. Imagine what 30 minutes a day can do for your life!

For those who have experienced a growth in their range of motion, strength or flexibility from attending a regular yoga class, there is more room to grow as you build a personal practice. Asanas that seem beyond one’s reach can be mastered by discipline and a focused practice. For example, few people can perform chakra asana (bridge pose) or padma asana (lotus pose) at ease without practice, and a yoga class doesn’t provide enough time to learn these challenging poses. Yet most people who try these asanas everyday will achieve improvement over time and experience the benefit of these essential poses.

A home practice also means that we can go beyond asanas. The cleansing of the internal body using yogic techniques, such as neti and vaman, boosts our immune and nervous systems and help us fight disease. Daily practice of pranayama is also essential to the upkeep that our body requires. Its benefits are countless and the Ashram is always available to teach these techniques so that you can practice on your own. Finally, incorporating a short meditation or prayer before or after your asanas can give new meaning to your practice.

It’s clear that the physical benefits of home practice are alone worthy of making the time. However, the true benefit of yoga, whether in the class or at home, goes beyond the body. When you are calmer in stressful situations, more kind and generous to those in need, able to fully concentrate at work, and more aware of and faithful in the divine energy in all that exists, then you are witnessing the effects of yoga in your daily life. Setting aside time to practice yoga is thus a gift you give yourself. It’s easy to go through life’s motions and never feel connected with our true self. A practice that starts with the physical but ultimately brings us to the inner peace within us is worth making time for.