Controlling the Physical Body: Asans

"Asans" or "easy postures" are a scientific system of exercises developed thousands of years ago by Yogis. They not only maintain the health of the body by stimulating circulation, limbering the joints, toning the muscles, and massaging the internal organs, but they also help to calm and control the mind.

Yoga asans are totally different from vigorous or strenuous exercise; in Asans, glow, gentle movements accompanied by deep breathing is alternated with periods of complete immobility which creates a deep relaxation in the muscles and nerves. During Asans, vital energy is increased rather than spent; and thus, by regular practice, the yogi accumulates a storehouse of internal energy to be used by the mind for the attainment of higher consciousness. By learning to quiet the nerves and bring the body to a total standstill for extended periods of time, one develops control over the muscular and nervous systems, and attains the physical equipoise necessary for long meditation.

But the most important effect of Asans is on the endocrine glands. As we have seen, the endocrine glands have a profound influence on our emotions and on the state of our consciousness. The subtle pressures of yoga Asans on the various endocrine glands affect the hormonal secretions and bring about emotional balance and mental peace. For instance, in the Hare Pose (Sha'shaurga'Sana), the crown of the head is repeatedly pressed against the ground, which exerts a delicate pressure on the pineal gland. By the repeated practice of this Asan, one develops patience and tranquility of mind.

Thus, yoga Asans are not simply physical exercises for health, beauty and long life, as is popularly believed; they are an important part of an integrated physical and psychic practice to refine the body and prepare the mind for higher consciousness.

What we Eat?

 The physical body is not something different and separate from the mind- it is the mind's outermost layer and the base for meditation. In yoga, it is called the "arnnamaya Kosa" or "food layer" because it is composed of the food we eat. As the mind becomes more subtle through meditation, the body must also become more subtle as well otherwise the parallelism between the psychic and physical layers of our being will be lost and our progress will be retarded. Thus, yogis have always emphasized the importance of the vegetarian diet to maintain the purity of the cells of the body, just as the practice of meditation is purifying the layers of the mind.

More and more doctors and nutrition experts are coming to realize that compared to vegetables, meat is a highly toxic source of protein - "50% impure" according to the Encyclopedia Britannica - and may ultimately cause many diseases including gastric and kidney trouble, high blood pressure and even cancer. Societies which consume primarily vegetarian diets, like the Hunzas of Pakistan, Peruvian Indian tribes, or Seventh Day Adventish lower inence of disease and a longer life span than meat-eating populations. Vegetable proteins have been proven to be as nourishing as meat protein, and without any of its harmful effects on the body.

According to yoga, meat-eating has an ill effect on the mind and personality as well, for our minds are subtly agitated by the ingestion of animal flesh. As Albert Einstein - himself a vegetarian - said, "it is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."