Yoga

Invocation to Sage Patanjali

At the beginning of Iyengar Yoga classes, we chant an invocation to sage Patanjali ? the father of yoga.

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ABOUT SAGE PATANJALI

According to Indian mythology, Patanjali was the incarnation of lord Adisesa. Legend says he fell into the praying hands of Ganukia who had no children. One day she was praying to the Sun God while a little snake in the water in the palms of her hands turned into a human shape. She raised him as her child and named him Patanjali; pata = fall, anjali = the folding of the hands during prayer.

Patanjali is the author of three important commentaries; the Mahabhasya, on grammar for right speech, Ayurveda, medicine for health, and The Yoga Sutras ? showing how through Yoga practice we can gain control on our mind and emotions, overcome obstacles and attain union with the divine.

INVOCATION TO PATANJALI | ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Salutation to the noblest sage ? Patanjali,?who gave us yoga for serenity of mind, grammar for purity of speech, and medicine for the health of the body.

I prostrate before Patanjali, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch and disk, and whose crowned by a thousand headed cobra,

O incarnation of Adisesa, my?salutations to Thee.

ABOUT THE SYMBOLS IN THE INVOCATION:

The conch and the disk are symbols for alarm and destruction in the case of a danger such as evil thoughts or disease. Through the practice of yoga, one learns to recognize and eliminate these evil thoughts or diseases and reach God.

The Cobra has many symbols, every religion had some sort of serpent worship. In the ?Hathayoga Paradipika? the Lord of Serpents, Ananta (=infinite, eternal), supports the earth and protects it. It is believed that snakes shed their skins and emerge as new, therefore they are a symbol of eternity, fertility, regeneration, evolution and wisdom. It?s venom is poisonous but medicinal, it represents the practice of Yoga in which we learn how to convert emotions like anger, greed and lust to control, contentment, love and compassion.

The Human Torso?symbolises?the essence of Yoga, our evolution through the yoga practice. As Patanjali transformed from a small snake into a human body, so does anyone can grow, expand their intelligence and transform.

How Often Should You Do Yoga?

For many of us, especially those of us who sit at a desk all day, a consistent goal is to add more movement to our lives. And when people go looking for a new?exercise program, many turn to yoga thanks to it?s huge?list of benefits, such as weight loss, increased strength, and stress relief. But this new exercise routine brings up some questions, like how often should you do yoga, where should you do it, and how can you avoid injury.

To answer those questions and more, we turned to the experts.

No matter how often you want to practice, you can find classes that will fit your practice within our studio!?

How many times a week should I do yoga?

The answer to how often you should do yoga is dependent upon many different factors, including how much time you have, your ability to commit financially, your personal goals, your?fitness level, and your experience with yoga.

So although there?s not exactly a magic, one-size-fits-all answer to this question, Lizzie Brooks, E-RYT yoga teacher in Austin, Texas, provides some helpful insight into how often you should do yoga. ?Some yoga is always better than no yoga. So if you can only do one class a week, obviously that?s better than none,? she says.

However, since your body has a habit of reverting back to old tension patterns, you might want to make an effort to do yoga more than one day a week. ?If you can up your yoga to at least three classes a week, your body and brain will ?remember? the poses better,? Brooks adds.

How much yoga should I do as a beginner?

People who are just starting yoga can follow the same guidelines listed above, with a few additional suggestions.

According to?Yoga52?instructor Odette Hughes, yoga beginners should listen to their bodies to know what?s right for them. ?Starting with one class a week is a good general guideline so that you can gain familiarity with the postures and new ways of moving,? Hughes says. ?When you start feeling like you need more challenge, then start to increase your practice duration or do a harder class.?

But be cautious of overloading right out of the gate. ?I see folks go hard and fast for months only to burn out,? Brooks says. This is where ?listening to your body? really comes into play. If you feel like your body needs time to rest between yoga classes, then let it rest. If you feel discomfort or pain in a pose or movement, then modify it or opt out of it.

?Pain is your body?s signal that something is not working for it,? Hughes says. ?Even if another person doesn?t feel the same thing in the same pose, you need to listen to your own body. As long as you do this and don?t push yourself too hard, yoga will be therapeutic and not too taxing to your body.?

Can you get injured by doing yoga too much or too little?

As with most everything in life, balance is key. Both too much and too little movement can be detrimental to health, and this holds true for yoga, too.

?Our muscles become achy and imbalanced when we don?t move enough,? Hughes says. ?Our cultural habit of sitting for hours every day really harms our body and often contributes to pain we experience.? Adding some yoga into your routine is a great way to help you move more throughout your week.

As to the reverse, it?s also possible to do too much yoga. ?You can injure yourself in any type of exercise,? Brooks says. ?I see students pushing way too hard in poses and I remind them to pull back.? Instead of thinking that more is always better, listen to your body and slow down if it feels like you?re doing too much.

Do I need a yoga instructor, or can I do yoga at home?

Though a home practice gives you tons of flexibility with your schedule, having a teacher guide you through your yoga practice also has a lot of benefits. ?I am a huge fan of a home practice, but I feel that going to public classes first can give a student a bit more guidance and insight on healthy movement,? says Brooks.

However, yoga studios can be expensive and inconvenient. Luckily, if you find the right at-home yoga materials, you can get the benefits of an instructor wherever you are. Take?Yoga52?for example, which can be streamed from any device connected to the Internet. ?This program gives you all the benefits of yoga with an instructor thanks to the very precise and thorough instructions,? says Marie Grujicic-Delage, a Yoga52 instructor.

This gives you the best of both worlds: starting yoga with an instructor?and?doing it from the comfort of your home on your own schedule.

The Takeaway

There?s no one-size-fits-all answer to how much yoga is right for you. What?s most important is listening to your body and adding more movement as it?s ready. Start somewhere, and find how much yoga is right for you.

Taken From: https://www.openfit.com/