
Why focus on asana? Because we are to start our journey
at the periphery, what we can see, feel and touch, and move to the core. The body is the yogi's vehicle on the path to ultimate
liberation. Unless we gain mastery over the body, we cannot hope to glimpse our soul.
-B.K.S. Iyengar
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Vinyasa: means breathing and movement system. For each movement, there
is one breath.
The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing.
Breathing and moving together while performing asanas makes the blood
hot. Thick blood is dirty and causes disease in the body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and makes it thin, so
that it may circulate freely.
The combination of the asanas with movement and breath make the blood
circulate freely around all the joints, taking away body pains. When there is a lack of circulation, pain occurs. The heated
blood also moves through all the internal organs removing impurities and disease, which are brought out of the body by the
sweat that occurs during practice.
Asana: purify, strengthen and give flexibility to the body.
Breath: is rechaka and puraka, that means inhale and exhale. Both the inhale and exhale should be steady
and even, the length of the inhale should be the same length as the exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the nervous
system.
Dristhi: is the place where you look while in the asana. Dristhi
purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind.
There are nine dristhis:
the nose
between the eyebrows
navel
thumb
hands
feet
up
right side and left side
The eight limbs of yoga:
Yama, Niyama - controls passions and emotions. Keeps you in harmony with your fellow
man
Asana - keeps the body healthy, strong and in harmony with nature
Pranayama, Pratyahara - teaches you to regulate your breath, thereby controlling
the mind
Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi - takes you into the innermost recesses of your soul, keeping you in harmony with yourself and
God
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