Hatha Yoga Tip
INCLINED PLANE VARIATIONS – All levels
First the Inclined Plane: After practicing forward bends practice the inclined plane as a counter posture. Sit with your legs stretched in front of you. Place your hands about 12 inches behind you on the mat. Drop the head back, relaxing the throat and neck muscles. Keep arms straight. Point fingers away from the body. Open Th. Chest. Relax the feet and legs. Inhale. Lift the pelvis up as high as possible to the ceiling. Push the feet into the floor, aiming to bring the big toes together and soles of the feet to the floor. Keep knees straight. Relax the neck. Keep arms in a vertical line from the floor. Exhale and return pelvis to the floor as in the first position.
Variations:
One leg up – Intermediate
With pelvis in air in the inclined plane, inhale and lift right leg up in the air, keeping knee straight. Exhale and lower right leg down to floor. Inhale and raise the straight left leg up, pause, then lower left foot to floor. Lower pelvis to ground and swing around into Child’s pose for 1 minute.
One arm up – Intermediate
With pelvis in air in the inclined plane, shift weight into the left arm then inhale and lift right arm off the mat to the sky. Exhale and lower right hand, returning it down to floor. Inhale and raise the straight left arm up, pause, then lower left arm to floor. Lower pelvis to ground and swing around into Child’s pose for 1 minute.
Benefits:
Helps improve flexibility of spine
Helps improve strength of spine
Helps strengthen the arms, legs and back muscles
Aides in balance
Your sole duty is to realize God. Self-realization can be achieved in this very life. – Sri Swami Sivananda
Quick Links
Spiritual Calendar
| AUGUST 2022
08 Ekadasi SEPTEMBER 2022 06 Ekadasi
08 Swami Sivananda’s Birthday Truth is simple. Truth always expresses itself with the greatest simplicity. – Sri Swami Sivananda |
Glossary
CHITTA SUDDHI – purity of heart; purity of the Antahkarana
Karma Yoga is rooted in self-sacrifice, blossoms as Chitta Suddhi (purity of heart) and Chitta-Visalata (expansion of heart) and bears the fruit of Knowledge of the Imperishable. Worldly desires, unholy ideas, sexual Vasanas, anger, vanity, hypocrisy, egoism, greed, jealousy, etc. will not arise in your mind if you have Chitta Suddhi. You will have no attraction for sensual objects. You will have sustained and lasting Vairagya. Even in dreams you will not entertain evil thoughts. You will possess all the virtuous divine qualities such as mercy, cosmic love, forgiveness, harmony and balance of mind. These are the signs to
indicate that you have attained Chitta Suddhi.
The fire of wisdom and the fire of devotion destroys the fruit of action and brings about Chitta Suddhi, the knowledge of the Self and final emancipation. Knowledge of the Self dawns in a pure mind. Knowledge of the Self is the only direct means to freedom. As cooking is not possible without fire so is emancipation not possible without knowledge of the Self. Karma cannot destroy ignorance because they are not hostile to each other. But knowledge certainly destroys ignorance as light destroys the thickest darkness.
Listen to this story: In Hanuman Ghat two girls were in a drowning condition. Two young men jumped immediately into the Ganga and rescued them. One man asked the girl to marry him. The other man said: “I have done my duty. God gave me an opportunity to serve and improve myself.” He had Chitta Suddhi. The external action is the same (the act of saving the life) but the motive is different. The fruits also must be different. Never care for the fruits of your actions. But do not become a victim of sloth or inertia. Pour forth all your energies in the service of humanity, country, etc. Plunge yourself in selfless service.
May the indweller of our hearts, the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent Isvara grant you all strength, peace, spiritual power, discrimination, alertness, far-sightedness to practise Karma Yoga and to realize the grand truths of the Upanishads after getting Chitta Suddhi through incessant and untiring selfless service, is the humble and earnest prayer of any sevak.
The Absolute is above time and space, above all changes and relations, above all differences and limitations. – Sri Swami Sivananda