Ethan Archibald Yoga - KNES 40 May 2017

Professor Fay

Regarding the Different Approaches to Yoga

Yoga dates back as early as 550 B.C. and is possibly first mentioned in the Rigveda; a collection
of hymns and one of four sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas (see Table 1.)
Note: Veda ~ knowledge in Sanskrit

Table 1 - 4 Principle Texts of the Vedas

Sacred Texts of Hinduism - the Vedas (1500 B.C.)

- First mention of the practice of yoga
- A collection of 1000 hymns
Rigveda - Dedicated to Rigvedic deities
- Deal with the origin of the universe
and nature of god
- Prose mantras
- Compilation of ritual offering
formulas
Yajurveda - Bifurcates into:
Yajus ~ prose mantra Krishna Yajurveda - black
Shukla Yajurveda - white
- Builds upon Rigveda
- Largest collection of Upanishads
- The Veda of melodies and chants
Samaveda - Contains:
Saman ~ song Chandogya Upanishad
Kena Upanishad
- Procedures of everyday life; cotidiano,
quotidian
Atharvaveda - Contains:
Mundaka Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
Prashna Upanishad

Yoga is the union of the mind and body. Some of the main physical forms of practiced yoga
include the following:

Hatha Yoga (hatha ~ force) using physical exercises to master the body and mind exercises
to detach from external objects. Encompasses details of proper diet, body cleansing, breathing,
postures, mudras and vital energies, meditation, and goals. Pays particular focus to pranayama
(breathing control). Siddhasana is recommended for breathing exercises.

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Ethan Archibald Yoga - KNES 40 May 2017
Professor Fay
Vinyasa Flow a practice usually taught as one breath, one movement. Deals with the
transition between two different positions. Essentially it is the sequential movement that
interlinks postures to form a continuous flow.

lyengar Yoga a form of Hatha Yoga that emphasizes detail, precision, and alignment in the
execution of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama). It is named after B.K.S. lyengar
and is firmly rooted in the traditional eight limbs of yoga.

Kundalini Yoga Foceses on awakening kundalini energy (primal energy located at the base of
the spine and depicted as a coiled female serpent). It is thought of as the the yoga of
awareness. Does so through practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantras, and yoga
asana.

Other types of yoga include prenatal, Acro, hot, power, Anusara, Ashtanga, and Jivamukti Yoga.

Sri Dharma Mittra, an internationally known yoga teacher is famous for photographing himself
in 1,350 asana postures to honor his guru. Although it is generally regarded that there are 84
basic poses, five of which are explained in Table 2.

Table 2 - 5 Common Poses

Asana posture Description Benefits

Vrksasana Tree Pose - Basic asymmetrical - Works the lifted

standing balance legs Iliacus and
(Balance)
psoas major, all
- Option for the arms external rotators
to be elevated or in and extensors,
Namaste or flow gluteus maximus
freely
- Standing Leg:
Piriformis, tensor
fascia lata

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Ethan Archibald Yoga - KNES 40 May 2017
Professor Fay

Asana posture Description Benefits

Adho Mukha Svanasana - Intermediate - Works latissimus

inverted arm dorsi, gluteus
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
support maximus,
(Strength) hamstrings, and
- Great opportunity gastrocnemius
to observe the
effects of the arms - Lengthens
and legs on the diaphragm,
spine intercostals, soleus

- The spine should be

neutral

Virabhadrasana Warrior I - Basic asymmetrical - Works spinal

backbend extensors, psoas
(Standing)
major, rectus
- Articulate pelvis, femoris, vastus
integrity of spine, lateralis, vastus
action in legs medialis

- Hip flexion, shoulder

flexion, spinal
extension

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Ethan Archibald Yoga - KNES 40 May 2017
Professor Fay

Asana posture Description Benefits

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana - Intermediate seated - Works internal

lateral twist obliques and
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
extended-leg-side
(Twist) - Spinal rotation and external obliques,
lateral flextion. Hip quadratus femoris,
flexion, adduction, piriformis
internal rotation;
knee extension

Baddha Konasana Bound Angle - Basic seated - Works

hip/groin stretch intertransversarii,
Pose
interspinalis,
(Resting) - Spinal neutral rotatores, gravity
extension, sacroiliac nutates the sacrum
joint nutation, hip and flexes the hips,
flexion, foot serratus anterior
supination, ankle and rhomboids
dorsiflexion

Pranayama (breathing control) is essential as the asanas to yoga. Knowing this, three breathing
exercises are described.

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Professor Fay
1. Kumbhaka Pranayama (Breath Retention) Kumbhaka is the central practice of
traditional Hatha pranayama; there are two types of retention: after an inhale (antara),
and after an exhale (bahya)

2. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Channel Cleaning Breath) Alternate Nostril Breath helps
the mind become peaceful, calm, and happy. Performing this pranayama technique for
only a few minutes can relieve fatigue, tension, and stress. The Sanskrit name for this is
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, which translates to subtle energy clearing breathing
technique. It is also known as Anuloma Viloma.

3. Ujjayi Pranayama (Conquer Breath) - Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jai) is commonly translated

as victorious breath, and has been used for thousands of years to enhance hatha yoga
practice. Also commonly referred to as the oceanic breath, the sound
that Ujjayi provides helps us to synchronize breath with movements during yoga,
making the entire yoga practice more rhythmic.

Resources:
All information pertaining was gathered from Wikipedia. Some sentences are almost direct
facsimiles of the original content and credit should be given as necessary.

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