Young people the world over are turning to yoga to achieve better health, a fitter body and a relaxed state of mind; to experience and explore their spiritual personalities.
Yoga allows for absolute equilibrium and equipoise in all situations. Try these simple relaxing and concentration-developing practices. They might just urge you to further explore this mind-transforming science.
The first step to concentration (‘dharana’) is to relax the mind. To concentrate, the mind has to be like a tortoise withdrawing itself from sensory perceptions. Gathering scattered energies and internalising them (sensory withdrawal) is called ‘pratyahara’ in yoga.
‘Pratyahara’ is the stage prior to that of ‘dharana’. The mind then becomes like a prism, achieving a piercing clarity and sharpness.
ASANAS FOR CONCENTRATION Asanas can be performed dynamically or slowly holding the final pose for a minute or longer. All asanas that are done with awareness enhance concentration.
Start with simple balancing postures like ‘eka pada pranamasana’ the one-legged prayer pose. Move on to more complex balancing postures that require a higher degree of perfection and mind-body harmony and balance.
‘EKA PADA PRANAMASANA’ Stand straight with your feet together and arms by your sides. Fix your gaze on a point in front of you, at eye level. Bend the right knee, grasp the ankle and place the sole of the foot on the inside of the left thigh. The heel should be close to the perineum and the right knee should point out to the side. Hold the ankle till the body is balanced, then place your hands in front of your chest in the prayer position.
If you are comfortable, straighten the arms over the head. Hold the posture, for as long as possible, breathing normally and with your gaze fixed on the same point. Begin by holding the pose for 12 breaths on each leg.
BREATH AWARENESS The breath is the medium that connects the mind to the body. Thus, the way you breathe can influence your thoughts and emotions.
Abdominal breathing: Become aware of your natural breathing in the abdominal region, of the rise and fall of the abdomen with each inhalation and exhalation. By becoming aware of your breathing with your eyes open or closed, you tap into a powerful source of energy and relaxation. Yogic relaxation is a concentrated form of rest.
‘TRATAKA’: CONCENTRATED GAZING This practice makes the eyes clear and bright. It relieves nervous tension, anxiety, depression and insomnia. It improves memory, will-power and concentration. The ideal time to practise this ‘gazing’ is just after sunset or before you go to bed.
Sit in a cross-legged meditative pose, or in any comfortable sitting posture with head, neck and spine erect. Light a candle and place it at arm’s length away from you, with the flame at eye level. Close your eyes and relax the whole body, especially the eyes.
Be aware of body steadiness and try to keep the body absolutely still through. Open your eyes and gaze steadily at the wick. Try not to blink or move the eyeballs in any way. The concentration should be so complete that you lose awareness of your body. If the mind wanders, bring it back to focus on the wick.
When the eyes feel tired (after a minute or two), close them gently and gaze at the after-image in the space in front of your closed eyelids. When the after-image fades, open the eyes again and stare at the tip of the wick.
Alternate between this external and internal gazing four or five times. To begin with, five to 10 minutes of this practice is sufficient.
Caution: Epileptics should choose a steady object to gaze on.