Yoga Sivananda ?is Hindu by origin, and came out of Rishikesh, India with the teachings of Swami Sivananda. His teachings are to "serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realize". Swami Sivananda sent a follower to start the SYVC (International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers) in the U.S. in 1957, six years before he died.
Swami Vishnudevananda started the centers, which spread through North America and around the world, and is the official founder. ?To emphasize relaxation and meditative breathing, his yoga stretches and tones every muscle group. Swami Vishnudevananda modeled the yoga after his master's teachings, and thousands have been trained as instructors to keep its practice authentic.
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Yoga Sivananda is a form of hatha yoga, which focuses on physical preparation in order to achieve a meditative state, and balance, so Swami Devananda pared his key yogic components to five: Exercise (Asanas), Breathing (Pranayama), Relaxation (Savasana), Diet (vegetarian), Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana). "Hatha" is derived from the Sanskrit words for sun and moon, and as hatha means "forceful". Since yoga comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning to yoke, or unite, or control, then hatha yoga is bringing the sides of human nature together in balance.
Asan means to sit in Sanskrit, and in the Yoga Sutras it is said that asana is a sitting position which is firm, but relaxed. In modern times, an asana can be any position from lying on the back to a headstand. The important thing is that asanas are static positions for meditation, and Vishnudevananda's methods try to stretch the yogi (practitioner) to be able to meditate more easily and for longer periods of time.
Pranayama means to restrain breath or prana, by Sanskrit definition, but many define it as "breath control". Prana has been defined as "spirit-energy", with varying levels and paths through the body. In hatha yoga, pranayama focuses on manipulating pranic currents by controlling one's breathing, while the more advanced raja yoga pranayama forces changes in consciousness directly with the mind. Both practices strive for a mental balance through a mesh of mental and physical self-control.
Savasana is a state of utter rest, and has been called the corpse pose. The yogi lies on his or her back on the floor, with arms out from the body at about forty-five degrees. Combined with completely natural breathing, this pose allows the yogi to pinpoint any tenseness. The emptiness of savasana is not waking, not sleeping, merely quieting the mind before the void. It is being aware, but not distracted, allowing ignorance - avidya, to pass by without needing to avoid it, allowing the yogi to fully be in every moment.
A vegetarian diet is also strongly encouraged. Natural foods with the nutritional value of growing under the sun provide necessary nutrients which are easily broken down by the body. This contributes to overall health by increasing the efficient use of nutrients by the body. For a true yogic diet, yogis avoid foods that aren't optimal for a serene mind. These yogis avoid fish, eggs, onion, garlic, coffee or tea, and alcohol or drugs as well as meats.
Vedanta and dhyana, or positive thinking and meditation, are the real goals of Yoga Sivananda. Positive thinking helps prolong the anabolic processes of cell reparation while slowing catabolic decay. Meditation removes the yogi from time, space, and causation into a peaceful void all the things that make for a long and healthy life.
Martin Randal is a Yoga enthusiast. He runs and maintains yogasivananda.com Yoga Sivananda a resource for Yoga fans. For more great advice visit yogasivananda.com yogasivananda.com
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