These comprehensive two hour sessions will be on Wednesday evenings from 6.45pm-8.45pm and will cost £8 per session.

Your tutor will be Steve Brandon.

For further details and up to date information visit the Yoga Classes Page.

You can call Harmony Yoga on 01749 677470 with any enquiries, or email.

Then we have vridhi krama indicating the method of yoga practice during growing period of one’s life.

Sthiti  krama indicates the logical steps in yoga practice during the mid part of one’s life.

And then chikitsa krama is the yoga methodology to be adopted while treating a patient.

 So, since the requirements of people at different stages and conditions of life vary from individual to individual, the different kramas become valid.

 Chikitsa Krama uses the variety of techniques and procedures available in yoga, especially vinyasa movements, pranayama, bandhas/mudras, meditating techniques and it has the spiritual dimension. The therapist therefore has to have in her/his arsenal the complete rangeof asanas and vinyasas and other yogic procedures so that he/she can design a dynamic tailor made therapeutic regimen for the patient, in which also Sri Krishnamacharya excelled.

 Many people have been greatlyimpressed by the 1930s film clips of my guru doing exquisitely very difficult asanas . These and the pictures in the book “Yoga Makaranda”  have caught the imagination of many modern day yogabhyasis. However it should be remembered that these tough postures and routines are meant for a small percentage of able bodied skilled young adults and not for the majority of people.

But according to my Guru there is something Yoga can do to help every one, as Hatayogapradeepika says, whether one is young, grown up, old, sick or infirm yoga could be practiced. So as a Yoga teacher of excellence he taught yoga to everyone. And his helping/ healing hand had reached many who were having physical ailments, physiological deficiencies, psychological problems and spiritual yearnings. Since anyone may go through difficulties at different stages in life it will be worthwhile for a involved yogi to expand the horizon and be able to help oneself and others in a variety of ways with Yoga.

Srivatsa Ramaswami

Desikachar tell’s us that Krishnamacharya believed Yoga was India’s greatest gift to the world. Krishnamacharya dedicated his life to placing the benefits of Yoga at the service of humanity. He was deeply grounded in the ancient Yogic wisdom and at the same time was a great innovator.

I am going to start a training programme in June this year and have had many questions on the theme of ‘What kind of Yoga is it?’ So I wanted to reiterate the importance of understanding the tools of Yoga, developing a personal practice and individual application of Yoga.

Desikachar said that, ‘To Krishnamacharya, Yoga was a means to improved health; to restored well-being in the face of illness; and to emotional balance and enhanced mental clarity. It was the accessible path of progression toward union with the Absolute – whether conceived as a named God or nameless truth.’

In Srivatsa Ramaswami’s book, Yoga for the Three Stages of Life, Yoga is presented as an art form, a physical therapy and a guiding philosophy. These approaches of practice are traditionally applied to the three stages of life; art form in youth, therapy in mid life and guiding philosophy in old age. Although this model and the approaches are ideally applied to the appropriate stage of life, Yoga can always serve us to maintain and improve our health, to use as a therapy, and to support, uplift and inspire us spiritually. We only need to apply the appropriate practices, accepting and respecting our current situation.

The unique tools of Yoga; asana, pranayama, pratyahara, meditation, mantra, prayer and ritual, need to be used according to the situation. Diet, lifestyle, environment and activity are also important considerations. Ayurveda has much to offer here for health and healing. Krishnamacharaya himself was well versed in Ayurveda, having studied with a teacher named Krishna Kumar.

So although Yoga has a paradigm and methodology, a fixed practice of Yoga diverges markedly from Krishnamacharya’s style of tailoring what he taught to each student. Krishnamacharya was an adaptable teacher giving every student what was appropriate for his or her individual needs. This personal application of Yoga is the hallmark of Krishnamacharya’s teachings.

So I invite you to explore the possibilities that Yoga offers for health, healing and beyond in your own life.

If you do not have a teacher and wish to find one in this tradition I have included a few links.

Graduates of Srivatsa Ramaswami.

Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandarim

AYS-teachers trained in Desikachars tradition. Mainly UK based.

Svastha Yoga

American Viniyoga Institute

Wishing you health, happiness and peace.

And quadruple sneeze bout is said to be one of the documented causes
of fatal road accidents!

The air we breathe day in and day out when it reaches the chest should
be lungs-friendly. It should be warm at about body temperature even
when we walk in freezing cold. It should be moist even if the humidity
is very low outside. It should also be bereft of much atmospheric
pollutants like dust and particulate matter. It should be reasonably
free of harmful bacteria and viruses. So the respiratory tract should
not only add warmth and moisture to the inhaled air, but also prevent
the harmful substances and pathogens from reaching the lungs. And then
the Yogis of yesteryears insisted that the respiratory tract or the
nadis ida and pingala should be kept clean (nadI suddhi). Nadis are
tubular structures–blood vessels in the body are referred to as
nadis, so also nerves; they could also be air passages.

So how does the respiratory tract deliver the conditioned air to the
lungs and equally important how is the health of the tract itself
maintained and renewed continually? The nostrils with those thick
short hairs (vibrissae) help to trap dust and some other offending
substances within the nostrils. Then the air enters the nose and goes
through the much narrower naso-pharynx. The mucosa lining this tract
is supplied by nerves from the para sympathetic. It is said that the
nose secretes a viscous liquid continuously, but alternately. The left
part of the nose gets secretion for about 2 to 2 ½ hrs and then the
secretion switches to other side. The wet secretions help the nose
trap dust particles and some offending organisms like virus/bacteria,
etc. The cells of the respiratory epithelium have what are called
cilia which move the particulate matter towards the pharynx, which
passes into the esophagus and mostly this, the mucous with the
offending trapped material goes to the throat . When they reach the
throat, the tract changes and we involuntarily and periodically
swallow it to be neutralized by the powerful stomach acids. Sometimes
when the upper respiratory tract is congested due to infection etc.,
the cilia do not function well and sometimes we snort the secretions
and bring it to the throat, when it is normally coughed and spit out
After the two hour cycle there is the dry spell when one part of the
nose dries and periodically we blow out the scabs.

There are three yoga procedures that are designed to keep the
nasopharyngeal or the upper respiratory tract in good functional
health. Use of the now popular neti pot helps to reduce the
congestion and wash down trapped debris so that the passage of air to
and from the lungs will be smooth. Clean warm water with a pinch of
salt helps to reduce naso-pharyngeal congestion and breathe freely.
This procedure may be followed for a short period of time until the
other more involved exercises, Kapalabhati and Nadishodhana
procedures, start giving more lasting benefits.

The Nadisodhana pranayama, as the name indicates, cleanses the nadis
and here we are concerned with the upper respiratory tract. According
to Yoga Yagnyavalkya, the two nadis ida and pingala, emanating from
the Kandasthana in the pelvic region, extend up to the tip of the left
and right nostrils respectively. When we breathe in, the hollow of the
nostrils first fill up letting the vibrissae and moisture trap some
pollutants. Then when the inhalation starts, the air goes through the
much narrower nasal passage at a significantly higher velocity. This
effect is enhanced in Nadishodhana. In this pranayama we use the
Mrigi Mudra. In it one closes the right nostril with the thumb and
uses the little and ring fingers to partially close the nasal passage
on the left side, just below the ethamoid bone, giving more control
over the process of inhalation. The powerful flow of air over the
mucus membrane of the entire air passage when one sucks in or snorts
during inhalation phase of the nadisodhana pranayama helps to trap
much of the offending unfriendly pollutants and then evacuate into the
throat.

Further the area just beyond the ethanoid bone is considered very
sensitive (asthmagenic) and when allergens impinge on the membrane of
this area, histamines are produced which send signals to the sneeze
center (sneezing center) in the brain (medulla). (Believe me I did
not make up the ‘sneeze center‘. It exists just as other centers such
as the cough center, respiratory center etc). Sternutation or sneezing
is a semi-autonomous convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs

The Kapalabhati is a procedure that has multiple benefits (For more
information on Kapalabhati, please refer to pages 190 to 194 in my
book “Yoga for Three Stages of Life“). It also helps to clear upper
respiratory passages and remove congestion. Equally important is the
possible beneficial effects it has on sneezing, the sneeze center.
Come to think of it, Kapalabhati as one can see, simulates or closely
resembles the activity of ‘sneezing‘. So when one does Kapalabhati, a
few times at a time, and repeats it a few times a day, the procedure
presumably sends signals to the sneeze center and calms down the
overactive center of those who suffer from hay fever and those who
overreact to allergens and pollutants. In these people the sneeze
center is ‘on the edge’ so to speak. And they display a nervous
response to allergens, stress, etc. that is abnormal, usually
resulting in nasal congestion and multiple bouts of sneezing. This
Kapalabhati procedure if diligently practiced for a while should help
bring about considerable control over excessive sneezing. It is said
by medical doctors that some of the methods useful in the control of
sneezing would include deep exhalation of the air held in the lungs
and this is facilitated by both kapalabhati and deep exhalation in
nadishodhana pranayama. Holding the breath after a deep inhalation for
a count of 10 is another commonly known suggestion. It is actually
achieved while we hold the breath in antahkumbhaka after a deep
nadisodhana inhalation. Additionally, when we hold the breath the
sinuses are also filled with fresh air and are cleansed in the
process. Applying pressure to the nose is another commonly popular
remedy suggested with respect to sneezing. In fact that is exactly
what is done when one holds the breath in antahkumbhaka of
Nadisodhana. The nostrils are closed just below the ethanoid bones of
the nose by the thumb on the right side and the last two fingers on
the left side, using Mrigi Mudra. Hence these yogic procedures:
Kapalabhati followed by Nadisodhana breathing with the appropriate
occasional use of Neti could ensure the reduction and subsequent
prevention of recurrent cold, hay fever/ allergic rhinitis, and other
upper respiratory problems. One will not over-sneeze.

Yoga vs. Ach..choo

This article was written by Srivatsa Ramaswami and is reproduced with his kind permission.

The brain and its nerve pathways form an important system of the human
being and again Yoga has some unique procedures to help the efficacy
of the nervous system. The brain, the spinal cord containing the nerve
fibers, the ganglions, the plexuses and the peripheral nerves form
this system. We have already seen the benefit the yogic technique of
meditation can bring to the brain. It helps to create new neural
connections and reduce disturbances. This Raja Yoga technique works
within the brain and transforms (parinama) it to a better functioning
organ. The Hata Yogis through the Hata Yoga practices such as
Pranayama, viparitakaranis and some mudras help to maintain good
health of the brain. The two postures that really help the brain are,
as you can guess, the inversions, Sirasasana and Sarvangasana.

Many people, when they start to practice Headstand, find that their
faces flush and they feel a rush of blood to the face and the skull.
After some regular practice for a short period of time, the body
adjusts to the new posture and auto regulates the flow of blood. Even
so when one practices this posture for a significant time, the blood
circulation in the brain improves considerably, since the blood
vessels in the brain do not contract or dilate the way other blood
vessels do. This is very refreshing to the brain and normally people
get a cleansed feeling. Equally important is that the cerebro-spinal
fluid, which is a clear and colorless liquid surrounding the brain and
the spinal cord, drains and pools upon the top portion of the brain.
It enters the ventricles and small recesses in the brain and helps in
the nourishment of the brain cells. The third ventricle conveys a
small recess to the posterior portion of the pituitary gland. The
pressure of the CSF, while staying in Headstand, helps the gland to
secrete more of the hormones into the CSF which again is said to
stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. So people who have a weak
sympathetic system may benefit from remaining in Headstand for a
considerable amount of time. The weak sympathetic is considered to be
one of the causes of some ailments like bronchial asthma. Hence this
exercise could be useful for those who suffer from such conditions as
bronchial asthma, its cousin eczema and distant relative, epilepsy
stimulating the sympathetic.

Sarvangasana is similar to but yet different from Headstand. In this,
instead of the crown, the occipital portion of the head is on the
floor, and the CSF pools into the midbrain and the back of the brain
including the medulla. These areas are really stimulated by a good
stint in Sarvangasana. It is said the Vagas nerve nuclei are
stimulated by this exercise. Thus it results in the activation of the
para sympathetic. It results in reduction in anxiety and insomnia. My
Guru used to say that it helps normalize sexual functions. Thus a
judicious mix of Headstand and Shoulder stand would help to bring
about a healthy balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic
nervous systems.

Yoga is particularly directed towards maintaining the integrity of the
spine. The spinal cord is about 45 cm long for men and 43cm for women.
The enclosing bony vertebral column protects the relatively shorter
spinal cord. In fact, the spinal cord extends down to only the last of
the thoracic vertebrae, or the thoracic spine, and then the tail flows
down the lumbar region. The spinal cord is inside the neural canal –
almost the diameter of the thumb– of the backbone. The nerves from
the spine emanate on either side through openings called neural
foramina and then proceed to the autonomic nervous system and then
various organs. The slightest displacement of the vertebrae will
result in chronic or acute pain. In Yoga, efforts are made to maintain
the spinal column in proper position and mobility. There are fibers of
both the central and autonomic nervous system. When there is some
pressure on the nerves due to even the slightest displacement of the
vertebrae, there is pain which inhibits the various impulses that pass
through the brain, spinal cord, the various organs and muscles. This
can be compared to ‘noise’ in the telephone transmission system. In
such cases the signals do not properly reach the organs or the brain
and spinal cord do not receive the signals properly resulting in the
inefficiency of those organs. So Yogis take special care to see that
the spinal column is properly exercised, mobile and supple. The
exercises are designed to prevent any vertebral pressure on the nerves
by maintaining a healthy inter-vertebral space. And then these spinal
exercises help to circulate blood and CSF to nourish the spinal
nerves. They also suggest strengthening the back muscles so that the
spinal column is well supported. Paschimatanasana, as the name
implies, will meet the requirement admirably.

The movements for the spine include side bending, forward bending,
curving the back, back bending and of course twisting. These may be
done in different postures as is usually done in Vinyasakrama. One of
the simple sequences that helps achieve this is hasta vinyasas and
thoracic exercises in Tadasana, which include all these movements.
(See my book “Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga, Chapter on Tadasana).
This stretching of the spine will be enhanced if one practices the
scores of vinyasas in inversion poses like Sarvangasana and sirsasana.

The spinal cord is inside the thoracic region of the vertebral column.
So when we move the arms and do the various movements the spine at the
thoracic region does not stretch as the ribcage moves up and down as
one unit. The intervertebral discs in the region of the thoracic spine
are much thinner than in the cervical and the lumbar regions. As a
result there is generally less movement between the vertebrae of the
thoracic spine.  The yogis have found a unique way of stretching the
thoracic spine.  This is achieved by doing all the movements with deep
breathing, especially inhalation. When we do deep inhalation, the
chest expands side to side, front to back and also up and down which
will help stretch the vertical thoracic spine and maintain a good
intervertebral space for mobility and freedom for the nerves. Hence
the vinyasakrama method of doing asanas with good breathing has this
additional advantage. Again a good stint of Pranayama practice
especially Nadisodhana (nerve cleansing) with an easy, graceful and
secure Jalandharabandha should be very useful for the spinal cord.
Pranayamic deep inhalation and the long breath holding  (1:4:2) after
inhalation (antah kumbhaka) directly benefit the nerves inside the
spine. So when you do deep inhalation, hold the breath and stretch
the spine, the breathing itself acts as an internal traction of the
thoracic spine.

This article was written by Srivatsa Ramaswami and is reproduced here with his kind permission.

· Physical health
· Freedom from illness
· The ability to sit for long periods in padmasana and other seated postures for pranayama and meditation.
· Development of the breath as a preparation for pranayama.
· Development of awareness and focus.
· Mastery of the bandhas.

The practice of asana will give us the following health benefits, whether or not, our aim is to achieve our highest spiritual potential.

· Structural stability.
· Strength, flexibility and stamina.
· Physiological immunity.
· Correct function of all body systems.
· Emotional health.
· Mental clarity and peace.
· Promotion of longevity.

The classical goals of asana  are:

samakaya – balance of the body.

sarvanga sadhana – engagement of all body parts.

The ancients had a very different approach to health to our modern western paradigm which is based on various measurements and standards of performance. Yoga, on the other hand, is based on a qualitative approach. The practice is to create a feeling of lightness in the body, the ability to withstand change and a stable body and clear mind. Apart from the fact that we use the body they have very little in common. I will call the two approaches, physical culture and yoga and look at their main objectives.

Physical culture 

· Based on performance standards; target pulse rate, % muscle to body fat, capacity to run a distance, bench press a certain weight etc.
· Building an attractive external appearance.
· Raising the heart rate. (breath rate increases along with this).
· Cardiovascular conditioning.
· Competing with yourself and others.

Yoga

· Cultivates balance, harmony, freedom from tension, and tranquillity in the physical organism.
· Promotes good circulation of blood (rakta sanchara), lymph (nina sanchara) and life energy (prana sanchara) to the whole body.
· Harmonises the breath and heart.
· Promotes excellent respiratory function and heart health without straining the system.
· Balances endocrine system.
· Promotes healthy function of all internal organs.
· Slows heart and breath rate, which promotes a calm, tension free body and mind.
· Aims to promote longevity.
· Invigorates the whole system without overtaxing it, leading to heightened energy and revitalisation.

Physical culture requires more food, longer sleep and leads to many injuries and strains.

Yoga practice leads to a reduction in food intake, less requirement for sleep and naturally reduces tension and pain in the body and discourages any activity that could lead to harm.

Another advantage of Yoga is that it is simple. You can practice anywhere without any special equipment.
The ancients observed that the body sags with age leading to displacement of the internal organs. They believed that this lead to poor function of the organs resulting in disease. They came up with some innovative and unique procedures to address this problem.

The six main organs are contained in connective tissue in three cavity’s in the body. The organs were called kosa in ancient India. Kosa means a sac or bag.

· Hrdaya Kosa-Heart-Thoracic cavity

· Svasa Kosa-Lungs-Thoracic cavity

· Anna Kosa-Stomach-Abdominal cavity

· Mala Kosa-Large intestine -Abdominal cavity

· Mutra Kosa-Bladder-Pelvic cavity

· Garbha Kosa-Uterus-Pelvic cavity

· Bindu Kosa-Prostate-Pelvic cavity

General asana practice with synchronised breathing will help maintain good tone in the body tissues. The procedures peculiar to Yoga that work on restoring the organs to their correct position are:

· Inversion – headstand and shoulderstand.

· Mudras – maha mudra, tadaka mudra.

· Bandhas – jalandhara bandha, mula bandha, uddiyana
                            bandha.

Bandhas are practiced in the inversions and mudras and can be applied in many other asana.

According to Yoga there are three things that affect our health.

· External things.

· Food .

· Physical exercises.

External things that can support health are sunshine, fresh air, water, bathing. External things that can damage our health are dangerous activities, stressful situations and unhealthy environment.

Food needs to be of the right type and quantity, eaten in the correct way at the appropriate time and with regard to season.

Physical exercise is to promote good health, longevity and harmony in the system. Exercise should not cause any injury or undue strain.

Asana practice carried out according to the Vinyasa Krama system will improve the overall circulation and promote a healthy heart due to its unique effect on the system.

Please refer to the article ‘Yoga for the Heart’ by Srivatsa Ramaswami for a detailed explanation of this.

Also it is accepted in Yoga and Ayurveda that food affects the body and mind. Food will increase, balance or decrease the three doshas of vata, pitta and kapha leading to health or disease in the body. Food will increase, balance or decrease the three gunas of sattva, tamas and rajas so leading to peace, dullness or pain in the mind. It is very important to understand this and apply it to be successful in Yoga. Many people leave Yoga and say that it does not give the promised benefits. Others continue to practise and do not attain the full benefits suffering from vacillation and instability. This needs to be investigated. If you only boil potatoes for 10 minutes they will not be cooked, they will only be cooked if you keep them boiling for 20 minutes. In the same way the practice of Yoga needs the correct conditions and application to come to fruition.

Krishnamacharya gave three reasons for practitioners not succeeding in Yoga.

1) They are not following the rules such as vinyasa.
2) Their teacher is not teaching them using the secrets and techniques that are in his/her experience.
3) The teacher has not instructed them properly about the place and time of practice, the appropriate diet and drink and activities for the practitioner.

We can benefit ourselves and others by our practice of Yoga. It is considered that meat imparts rajasic vibrations to the mind and alcohol tamasic vibrations. Rajasic and tamasic input is to be reduced for success in Yoga. It is also estimated that if the wealthy nations reduced their meat and alcohol consumption by 50% this would release enough grain to feed all the worlds hungry. So by reducing the consumption of these items we could improve our health, progress steadily in Yoga, help many suffering beings and reduce our impact on the earth.

To give all the elements of a balanced Ayurvedic diet and lists of foods according to the gunas is beyond the scope of this article. I recommend that you investigate this subject with your teacher or through books. The following book is highly recommended on Ayurvedic aspects of diet. The Ayurvedic Cookbook. The recipes are mainly very Sattvic, therefore also meeting the requirements of a Yogic diet.

Please give careful attention to diet for health, to support your Yoga practice and for the benefit of other beings and the earth.

May you enjoy peace and happiness.

-Traditional Sanskrit prayer

In an ancient civilisation people were suffering from pains due to defilements of body, speech and mind so they prayed to the Lord for help. The Lord instructed Adisesa to take human form in answer to their plea for help. He was born to Gonika, the pure hearted daughter of a sage, and named Patanjali ‘one who falls to prayers’.

It is said that Patanjali wrote three treatises in order to provide the knowledge for people to develop good health, accurate and wholesome expression and clarity of mind.

· One on Ayurvedic Medicine (cikitsa)
· One on grammar (pada)
· One on Yoga (mental health) – Yoga Sutras
In the Yoga sutra there are two things that Patanjali says we can do with life;

· Bhoga – pursue worldy pleasures
· Yoga – seek spiritual knowledge

In order to pursue either of these goals, a healthy mind, speech and body are essential. We think, speak and act. These three are called karana, the three human activities and their refinement and perfection leads to the highest human happiness and the potential for the fulfilling achievement of spiritual freedom.

Ayurveda teaches us how to nourish and nurture ourselves, and how to live in harmony with nature.

Yoga teaches us how to attain optimum health, mental peace and spiritual freedom. 

So Harmony Yoga, inspired by the sage Patanjali, would like to share with you the knowledge by which you may achieve optimum health, peace and happiness, and spiritual freedom.

Note: For a more detailed story of the life of Patanjali see the book;

Yoga for the Three Stages of Life by Srivatsa Ramaswami p.21-29

Wishing you health, peace and freedom.

· Reduction of distraction, control of senses.
· Study of texts pertaining to Yoga.
· Spiritual practice appropriate to your own situation and religion.

Some personal self-reflection and the development of self-awareness is essential to engage with these practices.

It is beneficial initially, to bring our attention to the body & mind in three important areas, eating, speech and thought. I am going to offer a few simple practices that you can do to cultivate mindfulness in your daily activities.

Lets first have a look at eating.

‘It is always because of indiscipline in food that the agitation of the mind and imbalances in the body appear in a fearful form.’                                          Yoga Rahasya Sloka III-5

‘The body is the outcome of food. Even so, disease is the outcome of food. The distinction between ease and disease arises on account of wholesome nutrition or the lack of it respectively.’                                                  Charaka Samhita Sustrasthana 28:45

Yogi’s recommend eating moderate quantities of food that are nourishing and conducive to harmony. Food is ideally fresh, tasty and light. A Yogic diet is sattvic and supports a sattvic mind state and disease free body.

The first step towards making beneficial changes to our diet is to become more aware of our relationship with food and the choices we make. These mindfulness practices (along with a well thought out Yoga practice) help us to start mastering the senses.

Mindfulness practices for eating

· Look at your food for a short time before starting to eat. Take a mouthful of food, put down your cutlery and chew slowly. Swallow and then take another mouthful.
· Eat a meal in silence. No reading, music or TV. Be mindful of chewing, tasting and swallowing. Stop eating before you feel full.
· Miss a meal (evening is best to try first), and just have a glass of warm water. Observe your mental, emotional and physical reactions to this. Do not do this without medical advice if you have diabetes or a similar condition.
· Keep a food diary for a week, record everything you eat and drink and review it at the end of the period.
· Try making a new vegetarian dish that you have not had before.
· Replace something you eat or drink habitually with something different. For instance have a completely different breakfast to your usual menu. Or just replace a morning coffee with a warm water or herbal tea.

Try out these exercises and see what you find out.

To find out more about Yoga & Ayurvedic diets these books are a good start:

The Yoga Cookbook – Sivananda Yoga Centres. Gaia Books.

The Ayurvedic Cookbook – Amadea Morningstar. Lotus Publications.

 YOGA FOR THE HEART

Sri Krishnamacharya, my Guru would characterize yoga as a Sarvanga
Sadhana or a method that is helpful for all parts of the body, not
just the skeletal muscles. Every part of the body can be accessed and
treated, aver the yogis.  Therefore some of Yoga’s influence on the
heart may be considered here. One of the views expressed repeatedly by
my Guru was that the heart should not be strained; that even while you
exercise yoga procedures like asanas, the heart rate should not
increase significantly, which is markedly different from the ‘aerobic’
approach.

Further there is another aspect. There are six vital kosas
or sacs in the body which are the six important internal organs. The
Heart is called the hrudaya Kosa or the Heart sac, which is in the
thoracic cavity and is responsible for the circulation of blood (rakta-
sanchara) to all the purificatory organs like the kidneys, the lungs
etc., and also to all the tissues in the body. The heart is surrounded
by the twin walled heart covering or sac called pericardium, which
allows the heart to move smoothly within the thoracic cavity. This
organ which is made up of musculature is attached to the chest walls
which are also made of muscles. These muscles, due to our upright
position most of the time, tend to sag due to gravity, over time, even
though they are well supported. This sagging of the Hrudaya Kosa
according to Yogis has a progressively debilitating effect on the
Heart– which becomes less efficient by the slow downward displacement
of the organ from its original intended position. This hypothesis of
the ‘heart sag’ engaged the attention of the yogis.

So in this article let us examine what the yogis of yesteryears did to
1. Help the heart in its function of pumping blood and also
2. Correct the slow decline in its efficiency due to physical descent, albeit slight, of the heart
and also its elasticity.

There are two segments to rakta sanchara or blood circulation. First
is the return of the blood to the heart so that the heart can then
pump blood to various parts of the body including the purifying organs
like lungs (svasa Kosa) and kidneys. All the blood that is received by
the various muscles and tissues will have to return to the heart. The
muscles, especially the skeletal muscles are partially contracted all
the time so that they maintain a tone. This slight contraction helps
to squeeze some ‘used’ blood out of the muscles into the venous
system.  The veins contain valves which prevent the blood from
backtracking  to the muscles. Further, during the movements of these
muscles the blood is pushed slowly towards the main vein which carries
all the return blood to the heart.  In terms of skeletal muscles both
the extensor and flexor muscles under normal enervation maintain
constant tone while at rest. Thus even a ‘couch potato’ is able to get
the blood circulating, due to this phenomenon called ‘muscle pump’
though such circulation is not very efficient. If the return blood to
the heart is scanty or below normal, the heart will have to pump more
often to push out the same amount of blood per unit time. If this
‘stroke volume’ is increased then the heart would be able to pump
blood more efficiently. It will beat a fewer number of times to
circulate the same amount of blood, which according to yogis will help
to reduce the strain on the heart. It is considered desirable.

There are a few things the yogi does to improve this venous return. By
doing a number of vinyasas, she/he is able to squeeze out more blood
out of the cells. In vinyasakrama, by a well thought out regimen of
vinyasas and asanas, one will be able to work out all the muscles,
tissues and cells of skeletal system, so much so that there is a more
complete scavenging of the system. And as the ‘deoxygenated blood’ is
wringed out of the tissues, fresh nourishing blood enters the
tissues.

What is equally important or more important is the effect of breathing
on this venous return of the blood. When we breathe in we do it by
expanding the chest. When we expand the chest during inhalation, the
diaphragm also descends and there is a partial vacuum created in the
thoracic cavity, — there is a significant pressure gradient between
the thoracic cavity and the outside atmosphere. So as the chest
expands, due to the pressure difference, the air rushes into the lungs
through the nostrils, trachea etc. Normally this takes place for a
couple of seconds, then the involuntary inhalation stops, then the
exhalation starts  due to the relaxation of the chest muscles and some
air, say about 500ccs out of the 5 liters or so of air in the chest is
expelled. This is normal breathing. What is important in our
discussion is that when the chest expands, the partial vacuum created
has also an effect on the heart which is  in the same thoracic cavity.
The blood which is slowly moving through the main vein, the vena cava,
is sucked in by this partial vacuum and its suction has the effect of
accelerating the flow of blood to the heart chamber. The Yogis take
advantage of this phenomenon, also called the ‘respiratory pump’
effect. By expanding the chest more, and more slowly, the negative
pressure in the chest cavity is increased and maintained longer, by
holding the breath for a period of time, during Kumbhaka. During the
long inhalation and breath holding, the suction pump effect is
maintained and the flow of blood back to the heart is accelerated.
Thus a good Pranayama practice helps the venous return of the blood to
the heart.

The Vinyasakrama method of doing yoga practice therefore has an
additional advantage. Performing the tens of scores of vinyasas helps
squeeze out ‘bad blood’ from every muscle and joint , the simultaneous
synchronized slow breathing employed especially the inhalation helps
to suck more blood to the heart. As the vinyasas and asanas help to
squeeze out blood, the slow deeper inhalation by maintaining a
negative pressure of the chest cavity for a much longer period of time
helps to return more blood to the heart, so much so that every time
the heart beats it is able to pump more blood, i.e., the stroke volume
increases. In about half an hour of Vinyasakrama practice one can do
about 100 vinyasas taking the rest periods into account and during
this period there is a significant improvement in the blood
circulation in the entire system. This yoga method has a marked
difference with aerobic workouts. In these types of aerobic
exercises– which is what happens when people do yoga as a workout,
without any reference to slow breathing– the blood circulation
improves but due to faster working of the heart and lungs. The same
amount of blood circulation is achieved by a greater number of heart
beats, which according to Yogis is inefficient and strains the heart.
Further in the workouts, the body creates more waste products and
creates more ‘bad blood’ due to substantially increased metabolism,
whereas in Yoga where slow synchronized breathing is involved as in
Vinyasakrama taught by Sri Krishnamacharya, the increase in metabolism
is minimal.

Yoga also takes care of blood circulation to the internal organs.
Whereas the asanas help basically the skeletal muscles, Yogis have
devised methods by which the vast amount of muscles and tissues inside
the body are also exercised so that the large quantity of blood in the
muscles and tissues inside the body also is squeezed out and brought
into circulation. Deep inhalation done during pranayama pushes the
diaphragm down and puts useful pressure on the abdominal and pelvic
organs. Further some adept yogis also do mulabandha and some
Uddiyanabandha after inhalation (and holding the breath) so that there
is pressure on the internal organs (the abdominal and pelvic organs)
from above, below and the anterior side, virtually wringing more blood
out of these organs and muscles. Again after exhalation more powerful
bandhas are employed by which the internal muscles and organs are
exercised, squeezed and massaged. In Uddiyana bandha while doing bahya
Kumbhaka, the adept Yogi, like my Guru, is able to push the diaphragm
pretty deep up into the thoracic cavity providing a healthy external
pressure on the heart muscles to squeeze out blood even from the heart
muscles and providing a gentle massage to the heart, thereby helping
the elasticity of the heart muscles in the process.

There is another unique procedure the yogis employ for the venous
return of blood to the heart. It is the inversion asanas, like
Headstand, Shoulder stand and the various vinyasas in these poses. The
heart is way up in the body, almost 2/3rd  or even higher up, in
normal upright position. While it helps the heart to pump out more
blood efficiently to the 2/3rds of the body like the visceral organs
and the lower extremities, the return of the blood to the heart is
somewhat hampered  due to gravitational resistance. So the inversions
like Sarvangasana help to drain fluids, especially blood from the
lower extremities and also visceral muscles. This is accentuated by
doing a variety of Vinyasas in the inversions. The combination of
Vinyasas in inverted poses, synchronized breathing and employing the
bandhas helps to return more blood to the heart from the muscles and
tissues below the heart. Again exercises like Kapalabhati, Vanhi sara
(agni sara) and the bandhas help in the process.

As mentioned earlier, another view that used to be strongly expressed
by my Guru is that all the internal organs get slowly displaced or
tend to sag from their original positions and thus become less
efficient/ become diseased over a period of time due to partial loss
of tone. The muscle tone of the heart is very good when one is young
but with age and gravity the muscles start sagging–lose their tone a
bit, become less elastic, like all other muscles. So the yogis
resorted to inversions or viparitakaranis. For the heart, Sarvangasana
is ideal, and in that position the heart snuggly rests in the upper
portion of the chest cavity, well supported and rested. Perhaps this
is one of the reasons why Sarvangasana is referred to as the Heart of
the Asanas. A ten minute stint in Sarvangasana, with the bandhas helps
to restore — or slightly overcorrect– the heart back to is original
position. The Pranayama that is done thereafter is said to normalize
the position by neutralizing any over correction during the inversion.
Deep Uddiyanabandha and other abdominal exercises like Kapalabhati,
Vahni Sara etc, help to massage and strengthen the heart muscles, so
that the heart can continue to pump blood to all parts of the body
efficiently.

Therefore, if the heart condition is normal for a person, then, it may
be a good practice to do exercises for the chest and the accessory
muscles of the thorax first. Please refer to hasthavinyasas in
Tadasana chapter in my book “The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga”. These
help to exercise the accessory muscles of breathing and help to expand
the chest significantly. Then do as many vinyasas as possible in
different asanas to cover the whole body. Stay in Shoulder stand for a
good ten minutes doing also a variety of Vinyasas. It is better if one
can do Headstand as well for several minutes. Do Pranayama for about
ten minutes preceded by Kapalabhati and accompanied by Bandhas. Do
good meditation for about 10 to 15 minutes so that the mind relaxes
and the heart and the chest muscles relax. You may also consider
chanting aloud vedic or other laukika mantras like Sahasranamas etc.
Or read aloud from the scriptures for about 15 to 20 minutes
everyday.

It is said that prayer is very efficacious. There is a vedic prayer
addressed to Sun god (the sun is the god of health) specifically for
the good functioning of the heart.

“hrudrogam mama surya
harimaananca nasaya”

Oh! Lord Sun. Do remove my heart ailment and the greenish patches in
my skin (due to improper oxygenation and blood circulation)

In due course the rest heart rate itself comes down. Following my
Guru’s advice, one should avoid doing yoga as a workout as that
substantially increases the heart rate. In Hatayogapradipika, the
author Svatmarama, quoting another great Hatayogi, Gorkshanatha,
mentions that the yogi should not do strenuous activities (kaaya
klesa) and these are detrimental to overall progress in Yoga.
Brahmananda who has written a lucid commentary on this text, gives
examples that are considered to be strenuous exercises that are fit to
be eschewed by the Yogi. He specifically gives the examples like
lifting and carrying heavy weights and doing repeated Sun Salutations
(bahu surynamaskara) as strenuous exercise which a yogi should avoid
doing. My teacher also would say that the yogi should be thin (krisa)
and not overweight. One could say,
“Overweight is bad
Lean or fat”
as overweight puts additional strain on the heart.

Aerobic Exercises are good in their own way; they help to strengthen
the cardiovascular system. Even so Yoga, as practiced by the
Vinyasakrama system, is the antithesis of aerobic exercises. The
Breath-yoga deliberately reduces the breath rate and consequently the
heart rate, whereas the aerobic and the aerobic like yoga (like the
continuous 108 Suryanamaskaras), significantly increase the breath
rate and heart rate during exercise.  While workouts and practice of
yoga as a workout help to reduce Rajas, they also accentuate Tamas.
But, breath-vinyasakrama-yoga done slowly, with synchronized
breathing, followed by deep Pranayama helps not only reduce Rajas but
also Tamas. The reduction of these Gunas makes the mind calmer  and
fresh or Satwic and a calmer mind is conducive to the healthy
functioning of the heart. Therefore it may be a good ‘Health Policy’
to encourage youngsters, especially teenagers to practice yoga, the
breath-asanas and vinyasas, pranayama, various mudras, vipatitakaranis
and appropriate meditation, eat moderate and satwic food and thereby
they can take lifelong care of the heart.

Srivatsa Ramaswami