Place :
Asanas(postures) should be practised in a clean, airy and well lit room. The floor should be level. If it is not possible to practise indoors, you may practise on level ground out doors or on open terrace. Do not do them on bare floor.Do the asanas on a carpet or mat.
Time :
The best time to practise asanas is in the morning before breakfast or in the evening before dinner(between 5 to 8 am and 4 to 8 pm).But if it is convenient and possible for any individual to practise twice in a day he may do so.Before starting to practise asanas the bladder should be emptied and the bowel evacuated.Any individual practising yoga regularly can expect non constipated regular bowl movement. Never attempt advanced asanas without evacuating the bowel.
Practicse in the morning makes one work better in his vocation(It is a wonderful experience one should experience.It enhances your capacity to work) .In the evening it removes the fatigue of the day’s strain and makes one fresh and calm and will experience better sleep.
Food :
It is advisable to pratise yoga on empty stomach.Do not practise immediately after eating.Let two to four hours pass after eating a meal and one to two hours after eating a snack.Food may be taken half an hour after practice.
It is advised not to consume alcohol.
It is advisable to reduce the intake of other beverages like coffee, tea and coke. Instead may switch over to fruit juices , tender coconut water etc.
Bath :
Taking a bath before asana make it come easier. But initially one tend to perspire while doing asanas .So it is desirable to bath after fifteen minutes .Taking a shower before and after yoga refreshes the body and mind.
Sickness :
It is advisable to take rest when one has fever or heavy cold. One will get relief from mild headaches and similar ailments after practising asanas
Women :
Women should refrain from difficult and upside down posture while menstuating.It is advised that they may limit to breathing exorcises and practise savasana to keep the tempo of regular practising.
Who can do yoga? :
Yoga may be practised by anyone regardless of age, sex, or physical ability. It will enhance your studies, reduce stress, and help you enjoy your free time. However if you suffer from any specific medical condition, it is best to check up with your doctor before taking up asana practise. Yoga should not be seen as a substitute for a medical prescription although you may be able to reduce the medical support or eliminate it completely at a later date.(may be few months or few years).
Weight lifters, boxers, wrestlers may not derive much benefit from yoga. But football players, hockey players, cricket players and the sort may derive benefit from yoga.
What to wear :
Loose cotton fabric is advised since it permit freedom of movement and allows body to breath better than synthetic clothes. Asanas are best done with bare feet.
Pregnancy :
All asanas can be pratised during the first thee months of pregnancy. They can do light yogasanas twice daily but should avoid postures that exert pressure on the stomach like dhanurasana or naukasana. Regular deep breathing exercises will considerably help in labour.
Breathing :
In all the asanas breathing should be done through the nose and not through mouth.
Yoga is not black magic :
One can not expect results without regular and proper practise. Initially it is advised to do yoga with the company of other persons to avoid the monotony of doing it .Once you start deriving the benefit of it one can do it alone :by then one would have gained enough concentration and control of body and mind.
Continuous practise will change the outlook of the practiser. He will discipline himself in food,sex,cleanliness and character and will become a new man.
Faulty practice causes discomfort and uneasiness within a few days and this is sufficient for one to know that he is going wrong.Food habit :
Proper food habits have first and foremost role in maintaining good health. Those who have carefree food habits, will eventually suffer from poor health conditions. Unfortunately even educated people are not taking enough care in this direction.It is the bad habits that make us sick.According to Hindu philosophy man has life time of 120 years. It is curtailed by our own mistakes. It is unfortunate that we do not get enough knowledge on food habits in the schools. Man is the only creation of God which eats and drinks when it is not hungry or thirsty. We go by time others go by natural instinct.
Why vegetarian food ?
It is very important to know how much one can eat, how many times, how to eat, what time
One should eat, what type of food is best suited for humans. Until we have enough idea of the above ,however rich or nutritious food we take, we will land up in the grip of sickness. Good food habits and proper exercises are inter- related like two sides of a coin.
Simple vegetarian food supply essential energy while maintaining purity of body and mind.
The human digestive system functions best on a vegetarian food. Vegetarians have low cholesterol level and fewer heart problems. They have a 40% lower incidence of cancer and are less likely to suffer from arthritis, obesity, diet related diabetes, constipation, gallstones, high blood pressure, food poisoning, and many other ailments.
There are striking differences between the digestive tracts of the carnivores and humans. The human small intestine is 5.5 to 7 metres long which is several times the length of the meat eater. A carnivore’s intestine is smooth and straight while a human intestine is pocketed in structure to extract the most from a vegetarian diet. Man’s set of teeth with developed incisors, reduced canine teeth and flatter molar teeth suggest that man is more frugivorous. Eating meat in such a system is like running a petrol engine on kerosene. It will reduce the life of the engine.
Yoga has very specifically prescribed food habits for humans. Non vegetarian food is categorized as inhuman and also said that he will become sick on consuming it. It is said to influence the behavior of humans. We know that all the meat-eating animals are cruel in character. Some even eat their own babies. Were as we can find that all vegetarian animals like cow , deer , goat etc are passive animals. Meat eating harbours animal instincts in humans. There is nothing that a vegetarian diet can not give to lead a healthy life.
The scare of colon cancer has cut down the beef consumption drastically. Latest research has shown that a vegetarian regimen of non-excesses can reverse coronary diseases and even the cholesterol deposits can be drastically reduced.
Ideal yogic food stuffs
All nuts and fruits
All kinds of edible vegetables and green leaves
All kinds of pulses
Milk, curd
Dates, honey, jaggery
Wheat , rice etc
Sprouted pulses and cereals.
Rules of eating
Try to keep your meals on a regular schedule, but if you do not feel hungry at meal time, fast until next meal.
Eat slowly, and savour your food. Chew it thoroughly till the solids are made to a pulp in the mouth, remembering that digestion begins in the mouth. Drink solids and eat liquids is relevant here.It allows the saliva to mix up thoroughly with the food. Do not drink water in between, lest it will dilute the digestive enzymes. Drink only when you are thirsty.
Do not eat more ,fill half the stomach with food and quarter with liquid and leave the rest empty.
Do not eat complex mixtures of food that is difficult to digest.
Do not eat too much of oil fried food items, artificially coloured or with preservatives.
Avoid all junk foods, go for natural food.
Maintain peaceful attitude during eating. Try to eat in silence.
Change your diet gradually.
Avoid cola and all aerated liquids, instead go for fresh juices.
Eat at least one raw salad every day.
Try to fast one day a week.
Eat to live don’t live to eat :
Before you eat remember of god , who dwells in all foods and who bestows all bounties.
Take rest for 15 minutes after a heavy meal.
Leave a gap of atleast 4 hours before each meal.
Try to limit to two meals a day and preferable finish it before sun set. Remember, all vegetarian animals finish eating before sun set.
