YOGA FOR

STRESS
MANAGEMENT

Published by
Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashana
#19, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, Kempegowda Nagar, Bengaluru - 560019
City Office - Ph: 080-26612669 Telefax: 080-26608645
Prashanti Kutiram Campus - Ph: 080-22639996
E mail: svyasa@svyasa.org Web: www.svyasa.org

Contents
Ch.No. Title
1

Introduction

Body Systems in Improving

Physical Stamina

Physiology of Muscle Action

Physical Stamina According to Yoga

Yoga Practices for

Physical Stamina Development

Page No.

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INTRODUCTION
Stress has become one of the biggest challenges of the world. In
spite of millions of dollars being spent for development of management programme to deal with stress, we are no where towards solving even the pinch of the problem. If in early seventies stress used
to be in the executive world only, today it has spread everywhere.
Even small kids, small students, small children come and say oh Maa
I am so stressed up, I am so tensed up, I am so bored. In a multi
ethnic society like Australia 30% of the youngsters, teenagers suffer
from depression. The Federal Government is very concerned. Why
we have not been able to tackle the problem of stress? I consider
there is a fundamental reason for that. That is the knowledge base.
The knowledge base that we have is essentially limited to the physical world around us. Modern science started emerging. The goal of
modern science was to find reality. Is there a fundamental reality
from where this whole creation has come, became the search. Naturally when Newton and Deccan looked at the world at large, they
were bewildered. They said we cannot understand this multi various most complex bewildered creation. They said let us start with
things which are very small fundamental and simple, like how an
object falls down, how the lightening occurs, how the rain falls. So
once we complete the study of physical world around us we will now
go further to things which are beyond. Best of the brain, best of the
wise people put their heart and soul into it to understand the world

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around us. After four centuries we are in a fundamental position

where we understand almost everything about the physical world.
We know that every object is made of molecules and atoms, which
in turn are made out of neutrons, protons and the electrons and fundamental particles. What are these fundamental particles made of?
The fundamental particles are made out of energy, packets of energy
called photons. So we know that everything in the physical world is
nothing but energy. We can precisely calculate how much energy is
there in a given matter E=MC2. Then we also understood the laws
that govern them. The laws of the physical world are pronounced
by Newton mechanics, Pascal mechanics. Newtons Law of Motion
that we all studied in high school days. But as we enter into special
dimension, extremely high speed like electron wheeling round the
nucleolus, Newtonian, Pascal mechanism cannot explain. One need
to go to the quantum mechanics. Now having understood the physical world the time has come that we have to go beyond. Now we
have reached a stage that we understood the physical world and we
are in a transition to go beyond to understand prana, mind, emotions
and consciousness and it is in this region of subtlety that we have to
move.

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UNDERSTANDING STRESS
In this chapter we study factors which are regulating stress, factors
which can influence stress and how Yoga can be very helpful tool
in managing stress. Before we go on to any of the other details, let
us try to understand what stress is all about. All of us keep hearing
this terminology Stress most commonly. Somebody gets stress physically, somebody gets stress mentally, somebody feels heavy emotionally and express that it is highly stressful. It is very commonly
occurring phenomenon in every ones life. Let us try to understand
what exactly stress is all about. In simple terms Stress can be defined
as non specific basic response pattern which prepares an individual
for a demanding situation. This involves activities at physiological
level, activities at the behavioral level and emotional level. Let us see
how the whole event of stress takes place.
A stress producing factor what is called as a stressor can intervene
an individual either as an external agent or as an internal agent. External agent can be physical in nature. It can be due to emotions. It
can also be contributed from the
society. At the same time it can
also be a combination of the above
three mentioned factors. When
we are looking at the factors which

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can contribute us as stressor, it is important for us to understand how

we can regulate them. This is where Yoga comes into picture in helping us to understanding stress producing factors. Yoga also helps to
give us different methodologies and techniques to manage them.
Let us see how this whole concept of stress
can influence our body. As was mentioned, it
involves three different systems to function at
a given point of time. This whole process has
been divided into three phases. Phase one, an
alarm response, phase two where by an individual settles with the
stressful situation whereas stage three is exertion. What the Neuro
Scientists believe it as general awareness syndrome. In this basically
an individual in the first stage undergoes series of changes physiologically. This part is called as Basic Stress Response or the Flight or
Fight Response. Most of us have encountered this in different ways.
Some of us might have just encountered early in our life whereas
some others might have encountered it little later in our lives. But
stress response has become a mandatory to each and every individual. Let us see what happens when you interact with this Flight
or Fight response. Basically whenever you come across a stimulus
which demands a response from you, body prepares itself to handle
that demanding situation in the form of physiological as well as behavioral responses. For example, imagine you are just taking a walk
in a park. Suddenly you see a snake. You have any one of these
two choices with you. Either you attack the snake or you run away
from the snake. Another most commonly observed phenomena are
whenever you are going for a walk, you have been chased by a dog.
So you have once again two options. Either fight with the dog or run
away from the dog. In both the cases your body has to prepare itself

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to handle the situation. Let us see what all happens will happen in
the body when you are in such a situation.
Three physiological processes work in conjunction to bring out a
response. They are (1) The Nerves System, (2) The Endocrine System and (3) The Muscular Skeletal System. The parts of the Nerves
System which involve in regulating stress and different endocrine
mechanisms will be detailed little later, before that let us understand
how the whole process happens.
In the first part, Flight or Fight Response, here the body prepares in
three different ways. (1) It gets all the alarming inputs and it prepares the body to handle all these situations in a way so that you can
manage it effectively. What happens basically is at the physiological
level whenever there is a demanding situation, your body prepares
in the form of stimulation. Stimulation makes you ready to natural
situation. For this process Nerves System, Endocrine and the Muscular Skeletal System have to prepare. The whole Nerves System has
been divided into three parts. They are the Central Nerves System,
Peripheral Nerve System and Autonomic Nerves System. What we
are interested to look at is Autonomic Nerves System which controls
the involuntary functions. For example, the heart beating even when
you are sleeping, the respiration continues and the digestive activities goes on even when you are sleeping even when we are not conscious of these functions.

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PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
DUE TO STRESS
Before we go on to any of the other details, let us try to understand
what stress is all about. All of us keep hearing this terminology
Stress most commonly. Somebody gets stress physically, somebody
gets stress mentally, somebody feels heavy emotionally and express
that it is highly stressful. If it is very commonly occurring phenomenon in each one of our lives, let us try to understand what exactly
the stress is all about. In simple terms Stress can be defined as non
specific basic response pattern which prepares an individual for a
demanding situation. Having been prepared, it regulates it, makes
you work at different levels so that you can handle the demanding
situation. This involves activities at physiological level, activities at
the behavioral level and modifications at the emotional response pattern level.
A stress producing factor what is called as a stressor can intervene
an individual either as an external agent or as an internal agent. External agent can be physical in nature. It can be due to emotions. It
can also be contributed from the society. At the same time it can
also be a combination of the above three mentioned factors. When
we are looking at the factors which can contribute us as stressor it is
important for us to understand how we can regulate them. This is
where Yoga comes into picture of helping us to understand stress

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producing factors to begin with and then different methodologies

and different techniques to manage them.

Let us see how this whole concept of stress can influence our body.
As has been mentioned it involves three different systems to function
at a given point of time. This whole process has been divided into
three phases. Phase one, an alarm response, phase two, where by
an individual settles with the stressful situation whereas stage three
is exertion. What the cognitive Neuron Scientists believe it as general awareness syndrome. In this, basically an individual in the first
stage undergoes series of changes physiologically. This part is called
as Basic Stress Response or the Flight or Fight Response. Most of us
have encountered this in different ways. Whenever there is stressful
situation here the individuals response starts in the form of Arousal
of Autonomic Nerves System whereby a Sympathetic Nerves System takes a lead. Basically the heart starts beating faster. One starts
breathing quicker in order to take more oxygen to supply to the demanding parts, pupils dilate so that visual perception becomes more

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sharper. The blood supply to skeletal muscles increases so that the

muscles are strong enough to handle the situation. At the same time
other systems like the Digestive system etc., they withdraw their
functioning in terms of reduced blood supply etc. To do this task
you need more energy. Hence the glucose in the blood increases
whereby it is available to handle the situation. So overall there is an
Arousal. The muscles are ready, heart will be beating faster so that
more blood goes there, more oxygen is available in terms of breathing. Vision becomes sharper. Everything is ready to handle that
stressful situation.
Imagine if this continues for a long duration, the body cannot cope
up. Instead if there is a withdrawal of stressful stimulus the body
slowly comes back to its base line. As was mentioned earlier, suppose one has been chased by dog, now what happens suddenly because he person appear to be stronger, the dogs run away. So now
the body understands that there is no more threatening situation. So
you can relax yourself. It comes back to its base line. Having been
come to base line, now the life continues. Imagine if this repeats
again and again that is what has been observed in the present day
that we undergo stressful situations quite frequently say that we are
not giving our body enough time for it to come back to its normal
base line, hence resulting in the phase of exertion. Taking care of all
these three phases of Stress will lead to a positive stress which can be
used for developing better skills. If the three phases of stress are not
taken care, they can lead to chronic stress.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT
In the last Chapter we discussed how stress is multidimensional
and Yoga can offer a solution to this multidimensional challenge.
Because Yoga works at the Body level, Prana level, Mind level, Emotional level and the Intellectual level. The highly developed, systematically developed Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma
Yoga work at all these levels to bring solutions to the challenge of
stress. An Integrated Yoga Module that is developed is the one that
combines the whole wisdom base of our country and applied with
yoga techniques judicially to bring the results. Thousands and thousands of people have got the solution from their stress problem. The
Integrated Yoga Module that have presented is based on the Mundokapanishad and the commentary is written by Gowda Pada and
the Mandookya Karika. That Karika Shloka is:

Laye sambodhaye chittam Vikshiptam samayet punaha

Sakashayam vijaniyat samapraptam nachlayet
What does it mean? When the mind goes into drowsiness, sleepiness, lethargy, stagnation, saturation, awaken it. Dont allow that to
sleep off. Stimulate a sleeping mind. Then what is going to happen?
The mind is going to go haphazard. When the mind goes random,
calm down the mind, silence the mind and allow the mind to enjoy. If you do it once, the habit will die hard. Therefore we have to

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do it again and again, again and again. Punah, Punaha, vikshiptam

kshamayet he has added stimulate, relax, stimulate, relax that takes
us to deeper and deeper levels of growth. Takes us to deeper levels
of our inner dimension of silence and deep rest. Then he says understand the deeper levels of stress. Initially we start getting all the benefits in relaxation of the body, slowing of the growth and your face
will be relaxed and you will start getting wonderful results of normal
sleep and others. Then the Karika tells that you have to go deep
and observe those stresses which are in the settled form sakashayam
vijaniyat and it is the deep rooted stress, it is the deep rooted imbalance that brings about the distortion of our behavioral trends and the
changes in your personality. So one has to go deep down and change
those personality traits which we call as Samskaras Vasanas. There
are imbalances at the deeper levels of our sub consciousness in the
Manomaya kosa. We have all the techniques of Yoga for cleansing
using the meditation, using pranayamas and using the techniques
of stimulation and relaxation. When we start using it we start going
deeper and deeper and bring out all those dirt which we have accumulated for years and centuries and births and cleans ourselves.
A person who was practicing the stress Yoga module said after the
practice, Sir today I had such a wonderful great blissful experience
unparallel in my life. First time I had such a blissful experience when
you said that you merge with that totality with all pervasive beautiful
sky. Yet another person came and told, Sir today I started enjoying
very well nicely getting relaxed when you came now relaxed nicely
of the facial muscle, temple muscles and the forehead muscle and the
whole face is something triggered in me. I suddenly became very
angry. What are these things? This is called the Kashaya. They are
called the dirt. The dirt which is accumulated in our subconscious
will all starts coming out and we start getting purified. I told all these

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people that this is what is happening. Please continue the practice,

allow that to come out, allow that dirt to vanish and you will get purified. Thus continue the practice one month, one and a half month.
This is the total personality transformation that takes place when you
start reducing the stress. Therefore the Integrated Yoga Modules that
we are offering here consists of a judicious combination of Asana, the
Pranayama and the Meditation which all help us to go deeper and
deeper. This removes the blocks, knots, obsessions, fovea and grow
to greater heights by developing sensitivity on one side and awareness on the other side. An expanding awareness and a depth of perception brought harmoniously. The module works wonderfully.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT
Yoga for Stress. Stress is something that we find every day and
everybody is talking about stress today. What is this Stress? How
do we understand stress? Why it is becoming a major issue in the
present day life style? Let us try to understand this, find techniques
and learn yogic techniques of helping ourselves to be free from this
what could be called as monsters of present day life style. What is
Stress? As soon as I ask you what is Stress, you will start wondering
have you heard Stress. Yes. I have had lot of stress in my life. What
are your stresses? May be your office, may be your child, difficult
husband, difficult mother, difficult family, difficult politics. So we
tend to relate our stress to a mental state, a reaction, an emotion,
an uncomfortable feeling that is evoked by these different situations.
But stress is not just that uncomfortable feeling. Stress by definition
is a necessary helpful mechanism that is set into our system to be
able to cope up with demanding situations of life. It is a productive mechanism. So stress is not basically a disease. Stress is not
basically only a distress. Stress is a coping helping mechanism to
evoke to manage emergency situations. So for example, you are all
seated here. Suddenly fire alarm comes. What have we to do? It is a
dangerous situation. The sound of the fire alarm falls on your ear, it
goes to your mind, you recognize it as danger and immediately a big
surge of electrical activity comes down from the brain and stimulates
all activities of the body. To make that escape from the danger, we

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have to activate even if you are drowsy and sleepy. You are woken
up and you are very alert and then you start moving your limbs very
fast, your heart rate goes up, breathing goes up and just escape from
the danger. After you have escaped from the danger, or you have
gone and fought the fire, what you will do? My god, I have escaped
from danger. You sit there, you relax, you rest and now you will
start feeling how your heart was beating, how your breathing was
so very fast and how your mind was throbbing and your head was
throbbing and how all your muscles had become very tight and now
you starts sweating away so that all the heat in the body starts reducing. After another 5/10 minutes you start feeling hungry. Then
you want to sleep, rest, relax, rejuvenate and restore the system and
this is a natures protective mechanism a Stress Adaptation Response
which nature has provided for us to protect our organism from any
dangerous life threatening situation. Nature has not only provided
this response software, response pattern, response programming for
only physically demanding situation, but it has provided the same
type of response to emotionally demanding situations also. Like
we saw a office tension or a difficult family, difficult calamity or a
difficult situation, finance crisis we get tensed up, we react, we get
heightened alertness and the heart starts beating, pressure goes up,
all these changes. You have to go and face the exam, face the interview. So these are emotionally demanding situations. So to these situations also nature does the same type of response. First at the mind
level where we get anxious or tensed or angry or worry and this is a
psychological emotional response which makes our mind very alert
and then percolates into the body to bring about all these changes
that we saw in the accident fire alarm episode and once the danger
is over and the situation is over, we just restore the system. Nature
has provided a beautiful nerves and chemical mechanism to help us

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cope up with and that goes on very nicely. So when we want to get
alert, excited, stimulated, there is one set of nerves called Sympathetic Nerves System which activates increases the heart rate, Blood
pressure, increases the muscle tone, increases the blood glucose level
and makes our mind very very alert and increases the sweating rate,
decreases the blood that goes to the intestine so that the intestine can
wait digestive activity until we escape from danger and once we are
out of danger, Para Synthetic Nerves System takes over and then it
restores, rejuvenates, relaxes, reduce the heart rate, reduce the blood
pressure, improves intestinal motility, improves secretion of digestive juices and makes our system come back to base level of working.
This is a beautiful balancing mechanism. Imagine if this system was
not there, all the time heart only functions at a level which never
increase when required and decrease when not required. This is not
what our system wants. We want to activate and rest and relax and
rejuvenate when the system demand is over. So this process of stress
adaptation is called SAS or Stress Adaptation Syndrome, Stress Adaptation Mechanism which was beautifully described and elaborated
with lots of understanding by two doctors in 1960. The famous doctors Shelly and Levy worked on this stress adaption mechanism and
made us understand Psycho Neuron Physiology. What are all the
changes that happen in our system when we get stressed up and that
makes us understand how this stress is a useful adaptation mechanism.
Then why do we call stress a dangerous thing? What is happening
in the present day life style? Let us see, we activate the system. There
is a demanding situation that activates, heart rate goes up, blood
pressure goes up, alertness goes up and we have no time to get back
to normalcy. Again another demanding situation right from morn-

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ing till evening until you wake up, from the time you wake up until
you go to bed. Whole day demand and these demanding situations
are the ones which provoke our Synthetic activity to do its job and
we have no time for the Para synthetic to rest the system, to restore
the system, rejuvenate the system, relax the system, come to base
level of activity. Even after hectic day in the evening and when you
come home, you cannot just go back to sleep because the whole day
eight hours, ten hours, fourteen hours your system was working at
high level of activity. You come back home, you want to go to bed,
sleep does not come. Why? Because the mind is so alert a habit of
activated system is the whole of the problem that in a present day life
style, the fast way of life, the demanding situations packing up one
after the other, no time for restoring the system and lead to a habit
formation and that can lead to stabilize blood pressure which remain
high, stabilize heart rate which remains high, stabilize glucose which
becomes high which can declare as Diabetes, hypertension etc., etc.

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STRESS MANAGEMENT
We have understood that stress is not an abnormality if it is used in
the right way. It is the natures protective necessary mechanism, a
reflex, a software programming that is set into our system to help us
cope up with the demanding situation, elevate the blood pressure,
heart rate etc. to cope up with the demanding situation with heightened activity of the Sympathetic Nerves System and once the situation is over, get back to normalcy which is done by Parasympathetic
Nerves System and we also understood that it is the habit of being
activated all the time that is creating the problem. What can happen
if the mind is all the time stimulated? First at the mind level. At the
mind level we start losing sleep. One day it is OK, you had many
greatly demanding situation, you will lose sleep over a very anxious
situation. The next day you will sleep off extra. That is the system
gets rejuvenated. But what is happening in the present day life style?
You are not at all getting the time to get back to sleep. Through-out
the week, there is a demand to work eight hours, ten hours, fifteen
hours. The more you are growing, the more you are achieving, the
more you are progressing, more the demanding situation, more the
problem, more the anxiety, both in the family and in the office. So
this can create lot of demand on our nerves system. So this can lead to
a habit of the nerves system. So the very first manifestation of stress
is shown up in the form of Insomnia, sleeplessness, difficult to start
sleep. You go to bed; you switch off the outside light, switch off all

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the outside sound, cover yourself so that all the skin input becomes
off. You are warm inside the bed, but if you want to switch off the
mind it wont switch off because whole days activities, whole days
stimulation, whole day speed up set of mind in which you keep your
mind has become habituated to think. What is that you need to do to
switch off the mind and sleep?
First, we go to bed, put all the lights off. Remove all the stimuli
from all parts of the body, then tell yourself, let me now sleep. That
is enough of an input, a thought in the mind which helps you to slow
down the mind and then naturally gets switched off. The sleep centre gets stimulated. But you are not able to do that. Initial suggestion doesnt work. I want to sleep, I want to sleep, I cannot get sleep,
that happened, this happened, this happened in the morning, that
happened in the morning, Mind becomes very active. Because there
are so many unsolved problems there are many pending thoughts.
So mind becomes over active. You start worrying about what happened in the morning. Somebody insulted you, somebody hurt you
and some suppress feeling or worrying about the future. Tomorrow
morning I have this to solve, I have to solve that. So divert your mind
before going to sleep. We use to teach special techniques to all our
patients who come here to learn yoga therapy. Most of the people
whether they have anxiety or back pain or neck pain have this sleep
difficulty. So what we tell them is first before you go to bed before
you switch off the lights and get into bed do little fast jagging so that
your energy get diverted to lower parts of the body. Then do a little
fast breathing about 10 to 15, then one deep slow breathing and then
one om kar and keep on repeating that, if need be use an audio tape
of recorded instructions of relaxation or auto suggestions yourself.
Start from head. Relax my head, relax my forehead, let me give rest

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to my mind, relax my shoulders. Like this, go downward from head

to toe. Relax, relax. So this way keep on doing this inside your bed
clown. Then some way you will reach about lower parts of the body
you would have slept out. It is a beautiful trick to consciously help
ourselves to get out of this sleeplessness problem. It is a very first
manifestation of stress.
Then comes other problems related to stress. If you have slept
enough for few days and you can start becoming irritable, anxious,
worry, indecisive then go on to frustrations and depression also. In
depression another major problem with sleep is that you wake up
too early in the morning and then you cannot go back to sleep. This
also can be handled through this sleep special technique. Then all
the irritability, anxiety, fear, agitation, excessive excitement, impulsive behavior, a person who is always smiling and then will now
start becoming very angry everybody in the office start noticing,
now a days our boss has become more stressed out keep saying by
looking at your reaction. So for these problems Yogic Pranayama,
Meditation and these techniques that you are learning in this Stress
Management Programme will be very useful to help you to come
out of these psychological reactions. So this is the understanding of
how stress can be a major problem that is causing many of the health
related problems and today we find that we have, we can use this cell
corrective self management of extensive tension techniques which
has been handed over by our sages to overcome these problems.

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YOGA PRACTICE FOR

STREES MANAGEMENT
STEP-I: STARTING PRAYER
Lie on your back. Relax and collapse the whole body on the ground
legs apart, hands apart, palms facing the roof, smiling face, let go
all parts of the body. As you repeat the prayer feel the resonance
throughout the body.

Laye Sambodhayet Cittam Viksiptam Samayet Punah.

Sa Kasayam Viajniyat Samapraptam Na Calayet
Meaning: In the state of oblivion awaken the mind, when agitated pacify it, in between the mind is full of desires. If the mind has
reached the state of perfect equilibrium, then do not disturb it again.
STEP-II (A): INSTANT RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (IRT)

Bring your legs together; join the heels, toes together, palms by the
side of the thighs. Keep your face smiling till the end. Gently bring
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your awareness to
the tip of the toes.
Stretch

the

toes,

tighten

the

ankle

joints, tighten the calf muscles. Pull up the kneecaps. Tighten the
thigh muscles. Compress and squeeze the buttocks. Exhale and suck
in the abdomen. Make the fists of the palms and tighten the arms. Inhale and expand the chest. Tighten the shoulders, neck muscles and
compress the face. Tighten the whole body from the toes to the head.
Tighten.. tighten..tighten.. Release and relax. Legs go apart,
arms go apart, palms facing the roof. Assume the most comfortable
position, let the whole body sink down. Let all the groups of muscles
beautifully relax. Collapse the whole body. Enjoy body. Enjoy the
relaxation.

STEP-II (B): LINEAR AWARNESS

Now slowly bring the left hand over head along the ground. Slowly
turn over the left side. Place the head on the left biceps. The right
leg on the left leg. Right palm on the right thigh. Let the whole body
relax. The entire weight of the body coming down to the ground
through the left side. Fine linear awareness. Slowly start coming up
to Tdsana. Let all the movements slow down. Let the breathing
be deep, slow, and continuous. Eyes are kept closed. Carefully feel
the changes in your body as you reach the vertical position. Feel the
flow of blood down the heart. Feel the heartbeat and the pulse. Let
us chant Bhrmar to generate 3D awareness. MMM Feel the whole

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body resonating. Feel the fine massaging effect.

STEP-III: CENTERING
Now centering. Slowly lean forward. Feel the weight of the entire
body on the toes. Feel the pointed awareness. Slowly lean backwards.
Feel the weight on the heels. Surface awareness. Come to the center.
Lean to the right. The weight of the entire body is on the right edge of
the right foot. Linear awareness. Lean to the left. Come to the center.
Fine surface awareness. Now the whole body is centered, the weight
of the body is equally distributed throughout the soles of the feet.
Collapse the shoulders, arms hanging freely down. Smiling face. Feel
all the changes taking place throughout the body.
STEP-IV: STANDING SANA
ARDHA KATI CAKRSANA (AKC)
Now we pass on to the first set of stimulation
and relaxation.
Ardha Kai Cakrsana, the half wheel posture.
Slowly start raising the right arm sideways
upwards, 45 raise the arm further slowly
and continuously to horizontal position, enjoy the movement. As the right arm reaches
the 90 position twist the palms at the wrist.
Pointed awareness and glide the right arm
up to 135 position. Beautiful pointed awareness on the deltoid muscles of the right arm.
As the right arm reaches up the vertical posi-

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tion feel the nice stimulation in the shoulder muscles. The right
biceps touching the right ear, feel the beautiful surface awareness.
Feel the blood gushing down the arm. Smiling face. Stretch the
right arm from the tip of the finger of the right palm. The entire
right portion of the body gets stretched, but not the face. Face always smiling and relaxed. Slowly start bending down to the left.
Left palm sliding down along the left thigh. Fine movement of
surface awareness. Enjoy the fine stretch of the waist muscles on
the right side and compression on the left side. Observe all the
changes taking place in your body. Slowly start coming back to
vertical position. Feel the blood flowing down, the nerve impulses
throughout the body. Again stretch and pull up the right arm and
the entire right portion of the body stretched from the toes to the
tip of the fingers. Slowly start bringing the arm right down to 135
gliding down smoothly. Feel the pointed awareness at the shoulder as you reach horizontal position and at the wrist as you slowly
turn the palm downwards. Further bring down the right arm to
45. Feel the tingling sensation at the tips of the fingers. Continuously glide down the hand by the side of the thigh and hang it
freely. Have a glance of the whole body again from toes to head.
Entire right portion of the body is beautifully charged with nerve
impulses, light and energized.
Now let us perform AKC from the left side. Slowly start raising
the left arm sideways upwards. 45. Gliding smoothly upwards
to horizontal position, palm twisted upwards. Beautiful pointed
awareness at the wrist. Left arm beautifully moving up to 135.
Then to vertical position. Left biceps touching the left ear. Now
stretch up the left arm from the tip of the left fingers. Entire left
portion of the body gets stretched up but not the face, face smiling
and relaxed. Slowly start bending to the right. Right palm sliding
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down the right thigh. Movement of surface awareness, beautiful

stretch of the left waist muscles. Enjoy the changes going on. Feel
the heart beat, the nerve impulses spreading throughout the body.
Slowly start coming up to the vertical position. Feel the nerve impulses from the tips of the fingers of the left palm. Pull up the
left palm. Entire left portion of the body gets stretched up. Slowly
bring the left arm down to 135, then further down to horizontal position. Twist the wrist downwards and enjoy the pointed
awareness. Glide your arm down further to 45.
Continuously glide down the hand by the side of the thigh and
hang it freely. Collapse the shoulders. Have a glance of the whole
body again from toes to head. Entire left portion of the body is
charged with nerve impulses, energized and light. Enjoy the sense
of well being. Check the centrifugal. Both the sides of the body are
equally energized.
STEP-V: QUICK RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (QRT)

Now slowly sit down and then lie down to avsana from the right
side. Let all the movements be slow and continuous. The entire right
arm stretched, head on the right biceps, left leg on the right leg, left
palm on the left thigh, the weight getting transferred to the ground
from the right side, beautiful sharp linear awareness. Slowly turn
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over, the muscles of the back collapsing on the ground, bring down
the right arm along the ground. Legs apart, arms apart, palms facing
the roof. Assume the most comfortable position.
Phase I - Observing the abdominal movements
Bring your awareness to the movements of the abdominal muscles
moving up and down as you breathe in and out. Recognize the haphazardness and jerky movement of the abdominal muscles. Do not
manipulate the breathing, let it be natural, simply observe the abdominal movement. Count yourself five rounds mentally, one inhalation and one exhalation forming on round.
Phase II - Associate with breathing
Synchronize the abdominal movements with the breathing. While
inhaling the abdomen bulging up and while exhaling the abdomensinking down. Inhale deeply and exhale completely. Continue up to
five rounds.
Phase III-Breathing with feeling
As you inhale, the abdominal muscles are coming up feel the whole
body getting energized and feel the lightness. As you exhale, feel
the whole body collapses and sinks down nicely, releasing all the
stresses and tensions completely. Inhale deeply and exhale completely. Continue up to five rounds.
Bring your legs together and hands by the side of the body.
Come up straight with the support of the elbows to the sitting
legs stretched relaxation position Sithili Dandsana. Let all the
movements be slow and continuous without jerk. Legs apart take
the support of the palms backwards. Relax the neck muscles. The

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head hanging freely down backwards or resting either one of the

shoulders. Feel the changes throughout the body.
STEP-VI: SITTING SANA
Now we pass on to the next set of stimulation and relaxation. Vajrsana, anksana and Ardhaustrsana / Ustrsana combination.
VAJRSANA
Slowly fold the right leg backward and then the
left leg, sitting on the heels, coming to the Vajrsana
position. Palms on the thighs and keep the spine
erect. Enjoy the effect of harmonizing, the beautiful
balance. Recognize all the changes in the body.
SASNKSANA
Now slowly start taking the arms behind. Hold the right wrist with
the left palm. Star feeling the pulse at the right wrist, feel the heart
beat. Now slowly start bending down forward for anksana.
The abdominal and chest muscles pressing on the\ thigh, beautiful
surface awareness. Now collapse the forehead on the ground. Fine
surface awareness. Collapse the shoulders. Observe all the changes
going on, the increased
flow of blood into
the head and feel the
heaviness in the head
region. Inhale and
chant M-Kara, MMM

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Feel the resonance throughout the head, 3D awareness. Slowly come

up to Vajrsana. Carefully follow all the changes in the head region.
Feel the lightness in the head. Feel the heart beat, fine 3D Awareness throughout the body. Slowly release the arms place them on the
thighs near the knees.
USTRSANA
Slowly rise up to stand on the
knees for Ardhaursana, the
back bending camel posture.
Standing on the knees, observe
all the changes in the head region.
Slowly slide the palms up along
the thighs, fingers together and
support the waist with the palms,
fingers pointing forwards. Slowly
start bending backwards from
the waist. Relax the neck muscles; head hanging freely down.
Beautiful stretching of the abdominal and thoracic muscles. This is
Ardhaursana. Those who can, go further down to ursana by
placing both the palms on the soles of the feet. Have a beautiful smile
on the face. Inhale and chant an A- kra, AAA Slowly return by releasing the arms and placing them on the waist. Feel the avalanche
of nerve impulses throughout the body. Feel the heartbeat. Slowly
come back to Vajrsana and place the palms on the thighs. Feel all the
changes and let the changes continue. Fine 3 dimensional awareness
throughout the body. Unfold the right leg and the left leg. Assume
the leg stretched position. Head hanging freely backward or resting
on either of the shoulders.
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STEP-VII: DEEP RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (DRT)

Slowly slide down to avsana with the support of the elbows.

Legs apart, hands apart, palms facing the roof. Let the whole body
collapse on the ground. Let us make ourselves comfortable and relax
completely. We will now go for DRT:
Phase-I
Bring your awareness to the tip of the toes, gently move your toes
and relax. Sensitize the soles and relax, relax your feet, loosen the
ankle joints, relax the calf muscles, pull up the knee caps, release and
relax, relax your thigh muscles, buttock muscles, loosen the tip joints,
relax the pelvic region and the waist region. Totally relax your lower
part of the body. R..e..l..a..x.. Chant A- kra, AAA.. Feel the vibration in your lower parts of the body.
Phase-II
Gently bring your awareness to the abdominal region and observe
the abdominal movements for a while, relax your abdominal muscles, relax the chest muscles. Gently bring your awareness on your
lower back, relax your lower back and loosen all the vertebral joints
one by one. Relax the muscles and nerves around the backbones.
Relax your middle back, shoulder blades and upper back muscles,
totally relax. Shift your awareness to the tip of the fingers, gently
move them a little and sensitize. Relax your fingers on by one. Relax

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your palms, loosen the wrist joints, relax the forearms, loosen the elbow joints, relax the hind arms-triceps, biceps and relax your shoulders. Shift your awareness to your neck, slowly turn your head to
the right and left, again bring back to the center. Relax the muscles
and nerves of the neck. Relax your middle part of the n body, totally
relax. R..e..l..a..x.. Chant U-kra, UUU.. Feel the vibration in the
middle part of your body.
Phase-III
Gently bring your awareness to your head region. Relax your chin,
loosen your lower jaw and upper jaw, relax your lower and upper
gums, lower and upper teeth and relax your tongue. Relax your
palates-hard and soft, relax your throat and vocal chords. Gently
shift your awareness to your lips, relax your lower and upper lips.
Shift your awareness to your nose, observe your nostrils, and feel the
warm air touching the walls of the nostrils as you inhale. Observe
for a few seconds and relax your nostrils. Relax your cheek muscles,
feel the heaviness of the cheeks and have a beautiful smile on your
cheeks. Relax your eye balls muscles, feel the heaviness of eye balls,
relax your eye lids, eye brows and the space between the eye brows.
Relax your forehead, temple muscles, ears, the sides of the head, back
of the head and crown of the head. Relax your region totally relax.
R..e..l..a..x.. and chant M-kra, MMM.. Feel the vibration in your
head region.
Phase-IV
Observe your whole body from toes to head and relax, chant AUM
in a single breath A..U.M. Feel the resonance throughout the
body.

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Phase- V
Slowly come out of the body consciousness and visualize your body
lying on the ground completely collapsed.
Phase- VI
Imagine the vast beautiful blue sky. The limitless blue sky. Expand
your awareness as vast as the blue sky. Merge yourself into the blue
sky. You are becoming the blue sky. You are the blue sky. Enjoy the
infinite bliss. E..N..J..O..Y.. the blissful state of silence and all pervasive awareness.
Phase-VII
Slowly come back to body consciousness. Inhale deeply. Chant an
Om-kra. Feel the resonance throughout the body. The soothing and
massaging effect from toes to head.
Phase- VIII
Gently move your whole body a little. Feel the lightness, alertness
and energy throughout the body. Slowly bring your legs together
and the hands by the side of the body. Turn over to the left or the
right side and come up when you are ready.
STEP-VIII: CLOSING PRAYER

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah Sarve santu niramayah

Sarve bhadrani pasyantu Ma kascit duhkha bhagbhavet
Om Santih Santih Santih.
Meaning: May all be happy. May all be free from disease. May all
see only things auspicious. May none be subject to misery.

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