Tantra Yoga is an integral practice of all different Yoga systems through the practice of: Hatha Yoga, Astanga Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Shiva Shakti Yoga.
Every morning we practice asanas. One the asanas we practice everyday is Surya Namaskara.
Fun fact: During our 200-hour Teacher Training Course of March - April 2020, The last week we accomplished 108 full rounds of Surya Namaskara every morning!
Every morning we practice asanas. One the asanas we practice everyday is Surya Namaskara.
Fun fact: During our 200-hour Teacher Training Course of March - April 2020, The last week we accomplished 108 full rounds of Surya Namaskara every morning!
In Hatha yoga, there is movement, breath and awareness. One good example of an asana in Hatha yoga is Surya Namaskara, which is a dynamic movement done with movement, breath and awareness. Gradually, once the body is comfortable, one turns deeper inside. First, the body gets strengthened and enhanced with simple asanas; joint series, abdominal series, Surya Namaskara. These are all on hatha yoga level. Once the body is perfected, one becomes free from the body and able to meditate deeper. Maybe one is already a spiritual person, but still one has to start on bodylevel. Physical awareness must be maintained as long as there is a physical problem. Once body is comfortable, one moves to ashtanga yoga.
In ashtanga yoga, the definition of asana is different; the posture must be still and comfortable and one must be able to hold it for a longer amount of time. When it has these qualities, it is asana. After dynamic asana, we go to static asana. In this static asana, the body must be still and comfortable. When the asana is uncomfortable, it is not asana. So stretch gradually and slowly and practice regularly. In the scriptures of ashtanga yoga, no specific asanas are mentioned. One has to hold the same asana for a few breaths, seconds, minutes etc. After 3 hours and 36 minutes, one is master of the asana.
In this stage, you meditate on the stretching bodyparts. Visualize the health you wish to see. Supply the area with blood circulation and prana. When there is physical tightness, meditate on the area. Once the posture is comfortable, you can go deeper inside to chakra level. Then, one can meditate on the chakra, located on the spine, or the kshetram (triggerpoint) on the frontal side of the body. This is when it becomes kriya yoga. Of course this asana part is not completely what ashtanga yoga is. Ashtanga yoga consists of the eightfoldt path.
In kundalini yoga, the awareness goes to the chakra and mentally its corresponding bijamantra is repeated. Hatha and ashtanga yoga are preparations for Kundalini yoga. As we know now, the body and the mind must be ready to handle the energy. First, one must release the tightness and awakening prana on the bodyparts. For each chakra there are certain asanas. For example, for Swadhisthana you can hold Bhujangasana as a static posture with Sambhavi mudra, khechari mudra, ujjayi pranayama and vajroli/sahajoli. In our Tantra Yoga APMB (Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha) book, we worked out every asana in detail and we mention all asanas per chakra.
When does it become tantra? When mantra is applied! Before mantra is added in the practice, it is not yet tantra. Hatha and ashtanga are just the preparation for the further practice of tantra. Tantra only starts when there is mantra included. That is what makes the difference between asana for the general yoga practitioner and the tantrica.
After awakening the energy through asana, the tantrica wants to generate the light through mantra, to transfer himself and spread the light around.
When you can hold the posture and it is comfortable, now you can add the mantra. Most of the time, tantric bijamantras are used for this. These are the short seedsounds without any meaning, only their frequency matters. They are usually combined with Vedic mantras. Bijamantras are considered as the seed and Vedic mantras as the land. Only when the seed and the land come together, something can grow.
One example is the story of Durva. Durva was an eight years young boy from Nepal. He meditated in Eka Pada Pranamasana (one-leg prayer pose) and repeated the mantra :”Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”. In this condition, he got enlightenment.
That is the tantric application; tantric as a means to enlightenment. Asana is a preparation, then on top we add the mantra and meditate on the chakra.
However, energy is not just awakened by just asana and pranayama, but by one's entire lifestyle!
In ashtanga yoga, the definition of asana is different; the posture must be still and comfortable and one must be able to hold it for a longer amount of time. When it has these qualities, it is asana. After dynamic asana, we go to static asana. In this static asana, the body must be still and comfortable. When the asana is uncomfortable, it is not asana. So stretch gradually and slowly and practice regularly. In the scriptures of ashtanga yoga, no specific asanas are mentioned. One has to hold the same asana for a few breaths, seconds, minutes etc. After 3 hours and 36 minutes, one is master of the asana.
In this stage, you meditate on the stretching bodyparts. Visualize the health you wish to see. Supply the area with blood circulation and prana. When there is physical tightness, meditate on the area. Once the posture is comfortable, you can go deeper inside to chakra level. Then, one can meditate on the chakra, located on the spine, or the kshetram (triggerpoint) on the frontal side of the body. This is when it becomes kriya yoga. Of course this asana part is not completely what ashtanga yoga is. Ashtanga yoga consists of the eightfoldt path.
In kundalini yoga, the awareness goes to the chakra and mentally its corresponding bijamantra is repeated. Hatha and ashtanga yoga are preparations for Kundalini yoga. As we know now, the body and the mind must be ready to handle the energy. First, one must release the tightness and awakening prana on the bodyparts. For each chakra there are certain asanas. For example, for Swadhisthana you can hold Bhujangasana as a static posture with Sambhavi mudra, khechari mudra, ujjayi pranayama and vajroli/sahajoli. In our Tantra Yoga APMB (Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha) book, we worked out every asana in detail and we mention all asanas per chakra.
When does it become tantra? When mantra is applied! Before mantra is added in the practice, it is not yet tantra. Hatha and ashtanga are just the preparation for the further practice of tantra. Tantra only starts when there is mantra included. That is what makes the difference between asana for the general yoga practitioner and the tantrica.
After awakening the energy through asana, the tantrica wants to generate the light through mantra, to transfer himself and spread the light around.
When you can hold the posture and it is comfortable, now you can add the mantra. Most of the time, tantric bijamantras are used for this. These are the short seedsounds without any meaning, only their frequency matters. They are usually combined with Vedic mantras. Bijamantras are considered as the seed and Vedic mantras as the land. Only when the seed and the land come together, something can grow.
One example is the story of Durva. Durva was an eight years young boy from Nepal. He meditated in Eka Pada Pranamasana (one-leg prayer pose) and repeated the mantra :”Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”. In this condition, he got enlightenment.
That is the tantric application; tantric as a means to enlightenment. Asana is a preparation, then on top we add the mantra and meditate on the chakra.
However, energy is not just awakened by just asana and pranayama, but by one's entire lifestyle!
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Shanti Yoga Ashram
Machhegaun Village, Kathmandu Nepal Tel: (977) 1-5214063, 9841-574957 info@shantiyogaashram.com |
