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I've studied yoga for 20 years. The style in the west was developed during the Raj, influenced by European physical exercise. Classic yoga takes Asana as mainly

I've studied yoga for 20 years. The style in the west was developed during the Raj, influenced by European physical exercise. Classic yoga takes Asana as mainly the precursor to loosen the body and correct the flow of prana (where minds meets body). Pranayama and meditation and are more central. Patanjali's defining text makes very little mention of asanas at all.

achow 7y ago
Hatha Yoga is primarily physical can be traced to 1st century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga
- crucialfelix 7y ago
  Yes, but it's but one of the 8 limbs of yoga. What is recent is for people to refer to yoga as primarily asanas and European style exercise sessions. BKS Iyengar was the one who really revitalized and established yoga in the modern era, but know it's been over run by pure Hatha Asana.
crucialfelix 7y ago
This year I started practicing Qi Gong. It emphasizes slow conscious movements and soft breathing. You are supposed to do this in yoga as well but it's very easy to make mistakes, even injuries. Qi Gong has solved all of my lower back problems and the tensions in my shoulders and arms. You loosen and breath rather than pulling and stretching.
- abledon 7y ago
  check out "Spark in the Machine" if you want the anatomical analysis of how Qi travels through our fascial planes.
- nprateem 7y ago
  Qi Gong tends to put more emphasis on working with "environmental qi", drawing it in from the outside (Earth, nature, space, your imagination). It can be great for charging yourself up when combined with a practice like 5-point breathing. The kicker is that you can also do it while doing yoga asanas. Yoga pranayama typically only works with prana in the body or uses mechanical breathing techniques (e.g. bhastrika, etc) to draw in prana as a by-product. But it'd be impractical (and probably dangerous) to do a practice like bhastrika while performing yoga asanas. Doing Qi Gong practices while practicing yoga can really supercharge them. On the inhalation draw energy in from deep in the Earth through your feet to your lower dan tien/navel, and on the exhalation send it out your hands wherever they're pointing (probably the sky or Earth). Then on the next round inhale from where your hands are pointing, taking the qi/prana to the lower dan tien and then exhale out the feet or crown. Keep repeating this, always inhaling in through the 'gate' you just exhaled from. Do this for 5-10 minutes at first and build up. It'll really charge you up. You should learn the Macrocosmic Orbit first, but hopefully you already know that if you've been learning Qi Gong. If not, check out Mantak Chia's Awaken Healing Energy through the Tao.
  - crucialfelix 7y ago
    At Sivananda in Rishikesh they alternated between Asana and Pranayama. This was quite effective. I have had some good teachers (eg. Dharma Mittra in NYC), but rarely do they get into Pranayama at all. The Mantak Chia book is exactly the kind of text I've been looking for. Thanks!
    - rramadass 7y ago
      Please do not read Mantak Chia books on Qigong. He is considered a fraud by many. Just like authentic Yoga has been corrupted in the West by incompetent teachers and plain charlatans, so is the case with Qigong. You should always go to the original sources i.e. Chinese works where possible. To that end you may find the following helpful; 1) Qigong Essentials for Health Promotion - https://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Essentials-Health-Promotion-Guorui/dp/7507201007/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=qigong+essentials+for+health&qid=1562229876&s=books&sr=1-2 https://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Essentials-Health-Promotion-Gu... 2) Chinese Qigong Therapy - https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Qigong-Therapy-Zhang-Mingwu/dp/7533103785/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=chinese+qigong+therapy+shandong+technology&qid=1562230053&s=books&sr=1-2 https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Qigong-Therapy-Zhang-Mingwu/d... Some of them may be expensive because they are hard to get but no need to pay too much for any of them. You can get authentic works from the website "china-guide.com".
      - nprateem 7y ago
        > He is considered a fraud by many. By whom exactly? People who are upset that he's selling books on the practices for less than $10 instead of $300? Apparently some schools' highest teaching is the Macrocosmic Orbit. Of course you'd be annoyed if someone was giving away your highest secrets in a $10 book - you'd struggle to find new students prepared to sit at your feet for several decades while you drip feed it to them (which is what I've heard of). There may be an issue with making sense of the volume of material he's put out and its repetitive nature, but to imply he's incompetent and a charlatan is just spreading FUD.
        rramadass 7y ago
gingabriska 7y ago
Parana is life itself, and they equate it with breath and even nutrients, literally whatever we gain from the environment.

achow 7y ago

Hatha Yoga is primarily physical can be traced to 1st century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga

crucialfelix 7y ago
Yes, but it's but one of the 8 limbs of yoga. What is recent is for people to refer to yoga as primarily asanas and European style exercise sessions. BKS Iyengar was the one who really revitalized and established yoga in the modern era, but know it's been over run by pure Hatha Asana.

crucialfelix 7y ago

This year I started practicing Qi Gong. It emphasizes slow conscious movements and soft breathing. You are supposed to do this in yoga as well but it's very easy to make mistakes, even injuries. Qi Gong has solved all of my lower back problems and the tensions in my shoulders and arms. You loosen and breath rather than pulling and stretching.

abledon 7y ago
check out "Spark in the Machine" if you want the anatomical analysis of how Qi travels through our fascial planes.
nprateem 7y ago
Qi Gong tends to put more emphasis on working with "environmental qi", drawing it in from the outside (Earth, nature, space, your imagination). It can be great for charging yourself up when combined with a practice like 5-point breathing. The kicker is that you can also do it while doing yoga asanas. Yoga pranayama typically only works with prana in the body or uses mechanical breathing techniques (e.g. bhastrika, etc) to draw in prana as a by-product. But it'd be impractical (and probably dangerous) to do a practice like bhastrika while performing yoga asanas. Doing Qi Gong practices while practicing yoga can really supercharge them. On the inhalation draw energy in from deep in the Earth through your feet to your lower dan tien/navel, and on the exhalation send it out your hands wherever they're pointing (probably the sky or Earth). Then on the next round inhale from where your hands are pointing, taking the qi/prana to the lower dan tien and then exhale out the feet or crown. Keep repeating this, always inhaling in through the 'gate' you just exhaled from. Do this for 5-10 minutes at first and build up. It'll really charge you up. You should learn the Macrocosmic Orbit first, but hopefully you already know that if you've been learning Qi Gong. If not, check out Mantak Chia's Awaken Healing Energy through the Tao.
- crucialfelix 7y ago
  At Sivananda in Rishikesh they alternated between Asana and Pranayama. This was quite effective. I have had some good teachers (eg. Dharma Mittra in NYC), but rarely do they get into Pranayama at all. The Mantak Chia book is exactly the kind of text I've been looking for. Thanks!
  - rramadass 7y ago
    Please do not read Mantak Chia books on Qigong. He is considered a fraud by many. Just like authentic Yoga has been corrupted in the West by incompetent teachers and plain charlatans, so is the case with Qigong. You should always go to the original sources i.e. Chinese works where possible. To that end you may find the following helpful; 1) Qigong Essentials for Health Promotion - https://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Essentials-Health-Promotion-Guorui/dp/7507201007/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=qigong+essentials+for+health&qid=1562229876&s=books&sr=1-2 https://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Essentials-Health-Promotion-Gu... 2) Chinese Qigong Therapy - https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Qigong-Therapy-Zhang-Mingwu/dp/7533103785/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=chinese+qigong+therapy+shandong+technology&qid=1562230053&s=books&sr=1-2 https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Qigong-Therapy-Zhang-Mingwu/d... Some of them may be expensive because they are hard to get but no need to pay too much for any of them. You can get authentic works from the website "china-guide.com".
    - nprateem 7y ago
      > He is considered a fraud by many. By whom exactly? People who are upset that he's selling books on the practices for less than $10 instead of $300? Apparently some schools' highest teaching is the Macrocosmic Orbit. Of course you'd be annoyed if someone was giving away your highest secrets in a $10 book - you'd struggle to find new students prepared to sit at your feet for several decades while you drip feed it to them (which is what I've heard of). There may be an issue with making sense of the volume of material he's put out and its repetitive nature, but to imply he's incompetent and a charlatan is just spreading FUD.
      - rramadass 7y ago

gingabriska 7y ago

Parana is life itself, and they equate it with breath and even nutrients, literally whatever we gain from the environment.