2020-06-02
Do's:
- Śauca means cleanliness - an important prerequisite for Yoga practice. It includes cleanliness of surroundings, body and mind.
- Asanas should be practiced on an empty stomach.Consume small amount of honey in lukewarm water if you feel weak.
- Bladder and bowels should be empty before starting Yogic practices.
- Practice sessions should start with a prayer or an invocation as it creates a conducive environment to relax the mind.
- Yogic practices shall be performed slowly, in a relaxed manner, with awareness of the body and breath.
- A Warm up or loosening exercise and stretches before asanas is mandatory to avoid injuries.
- Asanas should be done slowly and one should move to advanced postures with practice.
- Try to eat Satvik food (Avoid meat, eggs, onion, garlic and mushrooms from diet).
- Stay hydrated before going into yoga practice
- Wear supportive and comfortable clothing.Light and comfortable cotton clothes are preferred to facilitate easy movement of the body.
- Yoga should be practiced in a well ventilated room with a pleasant draft of air
- Use a mat with a good grip to do Yogasanas
- Be aware of breathing while doing Yogasanas.
- Complete the yoga session with relaxation techniques to cool down
- Do not hold the breath unless it is specially mentioned to do so during the practice.
- Breathing should be always through the nostrils unless instructed otherwise.
- Do not hold the body tight or give undue jerks to the body.
- Perform the practices according to one’s capacity. It takes some time to get good results, so persistent and regular practice is very essential.
- There are contra-indications/ limitations for each Yoga practice and such contra-indications should always be kept in mind.
- Yoga session should end with meditation/ deep silence / Sankalpa / Śānti pāṭha etc.
- For the spiritual seeker , the Yamas and Niyamas are yoga’s ethical guidelines and disciplines laid out in the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eightfold path and together, they form a moral code of conduct. The niyamas are things to do, or observances. They include Śauca (शौच): Purity, clearness of mind, speech and body; Santoṣa (सन्तोष): Contentment, acceptance of others and of one's circ*mstances as they are, optimism for self; Tapas (तपस्): Austerity, self-discipline, [8] persistent meditation, perseverance; Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय): Study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions; Īśvarapraṇidhāna (ईश्वरप्रणिधान): Contemplation of the Ishvara (God/Supreme Being, supreme consciousness).
Don'ts:
- Yoga should not be performed in a state of exhaustion, illness, in a hurry or in an acute stress conditions.
- Women should refrain from regular yoga practice especially asanas during their menses. Relaxation techniques and pranayama can be done instead.
- Don’t perform yoga immediately after meals. Wait until 2 to 3 hours after a large meal.
- Don’t shower or drink water or eat food for 30 minutes after doing yoga.
- During illness, surgeries, or any sprains or fractures, one should refrain from Yoga Practice. They can resume yoga after consulting experts.
- Don’t do strenuous exercises after yoga.
- Don’t practice yoga in adverse and extreme weather conditions (too hot, too cold or humid)
- According to the yoga texts for the spiritual seeker one needs to followThe yamas or restraints. They are the basic principles which are to be followed to lead spiritual growth.
- They include Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence; Satya (सत्य): Truthfulness; Asteya (अस्तेय): Not stealing; Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): Marital fidelity, sexual restraint; Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): Non-avarice, non-possessiveness. Other attributes such as Kṣamā (क्षमा): Patience, forgiveness; Dhrti (धृति): Fortitude, perseverance with the aim to reach the goal, Dayā (दया): Compassion Ārjava (आर्जव): Non-hypocrisy, sincerity, Mitāhāra (मिताहार): Measured diet etc are also to be adopted.
Consult health experts if you have any health condition or you are pregnant before doing yoga practice.
© 2024 Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, All rights reserved.