A Wisdom Archive on Easy Yoga Positions

A yogic dictionary including desriptions of Matsyasana, Paschimottanasana, Halasana, Sarvangasana, Oordhva-Padmasana, Sirshasana, Siddhasana and Padmasana.
 
From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.
 

Read more here: » Yogic Exercises: Asanas and Yogic Exercises

RELIGION
The word "religion" derives from the Latin prefix, re (an intensive) + ligio, "to tie, to bind," hence "a practice designed to tie down tightly, as though by a spell-binding force." If religions were not impervious to change, they would quickly dissolve into the chaos of the occult.
 
Religion is worship. It is based on the strict separation of divinity and humanity. Magic, on the contrary, is the invocation or evocation of spirits or divinity based on kinship or identity with them.
 
Living religions begin by being as creative, spontaneous and iconoclastic as the arts. But that creative fire quickly damps down to immutable dogma and robot-priests. Worship for its own sake amounts to little more than useless idolatry. It is utterly infra dig for any intelligent human being. The sole purpose of ritual is the arousal of consciousness in the participant. When such awakening fails to take place, it is time to throw the ikons to the dogs. The universe is self-created and everything in it created itself and goes on creating itself. There are higher beings, to be sure, but it is a perilous mistake to worship "The Creator" who is as far from perfect as you can get and still live on this side of Nothing. Nor should we consider humanity, in its present condition, to be anything but imperfect. Along with Nietzsche, we should see man as capable of infinite improvement. But Nietzsche''s so-called "superman" will never evolve without struggle -- and not be the easy struggle of fascistic tyranny over material forms, but by the infinitely more difficult way of universal internal enlightenment.
 
Since there are infinite levels of enlightenment the majority of people are incapable of consensus or agreement, hence any idea of a religious "congregation" is absurd. As for the profane multitudes... unaware that omniscience, omnipotence and immortality comprise the deepest foundation of existence, they consider their own confusion to be the highest expression of consciousness. The ultimate purpose of creation is to know itself through the experience of eternal expansion of the mind. It is physical or fiscal expansion, however, that is of primary interest to homo vulgaris.
 
The mission of the magician isn''t necessarily to bring down the traditional houses of religion -- especially the monoliths: Islam, Christendom or Judaism. But neither can he support them. For it is a truism that there is wisdom in the individual and it is difference that we should value, not sameness. For the magician, far more acceptable alternatives to monotheism can be found in India, Egypt, Tibet, etc. with their practices of Lamaism, Tantrism, Yoga and so on, or in the atheistic systems of the Tao and Buddhism. But always -- though he understands and honors tradition, the magus creates his own rituals and observances, tailored to his own needs. He does not serve established orders. As Madame Blavatsky so hopefully put it, "There is no religion higher than truth."
 
RING-PASS-NOT
As the magician draws his circle to keep the demons from entering his world, so other monads draw their own circles to keep out the magician. The ring-pass-not is that Level of attainment beyond which you cannot go. In occult literature, according to Alice Bailey, it is a term used "to denote the periphery of the sphere of influence of any central life force, and is applied equally to all atoms, from the atom of matter as dealt with by the physicist or chemist through the human planetary atoms up to the great atom of a solar system. The ring- pass-not of the average person is the spheroidal form of his mental body which extends considerably beyond the physical and enables him to function on the lower levels of the mental plane."
 
HPB (The Secret Doctrine) defines the RPN as: "The circumference of the sphere of influence of any center of positive life. This includes the fire sphere of magnetic work of the solar orb, viewing it as the body of manifestation of a Solar Logos or to a planetary scheme and could equally well be applied to the sphere of activity of the human Ego."
 
 

 
(See also: RELIGION , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)
 

For more dictionary entries, see » Easy Yoga Positions Dictionary

Halasana
Spread a blanket on the ground and lie flat on your back. Keep the hands at the sides on the ground with the palm facing the ground. Join both your legs. Lift the legs slowly up as in Sarvangasana.
 
From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.
 

Read more here: » Halasana: Different Yoga Asanas - Halasana

These are a series of simple yet effective mudras, which if practiced daily can keep you healthy for life. Yoga has tremendous healing power and can cure all major diseases, if performed properly. It also offers happiness.
 
'Hastmudras' provide energy to the body which helps in the purification process, and so keeps the body healthy. Though these mudras are easy and can be practiced at any time of the day, they are most effective on an empty stomach,
 
Instructions and benefits for:
-       Vayu Mudra
-       Akash Mudra
-       Shunya Mudra
-       Prithvi-mudra
-       Suryamudra
-       Varunmudra

 
(See also: Mudras and Health, Mudras, Mudras and Health, Mudra Instructions, Yoga )

Read more here: » Mudras and Health: Yoga at your fingertips - Instructions and benefits with Mudras

Mantra-writing
When you write the Mantra, always observe Mouna or silence. Feel that the divine Sakti is entering your whole being. Do not change your seat till you have finished the day's number of pages. There is an Achintya Sakti (indescribable power) in Mantra-writing. It helps the concentration in the Sadhaka.
 
From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.
 

Read more here: » Mantra-writing: The power of Mantra-writing

There is no hope for you to have Self-realisation or knowledge of the Self if you are not well established in Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is the master-key to open the realms of eternal bliss. Brahmacharya is the very foundation of Yoga. Just as a house that is built on a rotten foundation will surely fall down, so also you will fall down from your meditation if you have laid no proper foundation, viz., the attainment of perfect Brahmacharya.
 
From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.
 

Read more here: » Brahmacharya: Power of Lust

A seeker asked, "What action shall I perform to attain God?" "If you wish to attain God" came the response, "there are two things you must know. The first is all efforts to attain God are of no avail."
"And the second?" the seeker asked.
"The second is that you must act as if you do not know the first!"
 
The stages in yoga:
-       The Beginning Stage
-       The Intermediate Stage
-       The Advanced Stage
-       The Achievement Stage
 

 
(See also: Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Health, Yoga Systems, Yoga Positions )

Read more here: » Yoga: Stages in Yoga

The Fish Yoga Position (Matsyasana) is the stretch that counters the Plough, and so follows them in Yoga session. The name of the posture derives from the fact that if you adopt the position in water, you will float quite easily.
 

Read more here: » Yoga Positions: The Fish - Yoga Position