Main Principles of Yoga:
There are some principles which one must observe while doing Yoga.
An account of these principles is given below:
1. Yoga Asanas should be performed in the morning after the practitioner eases himself. It is better to perform Yoga Asanas after having a bath. After taking bath body feels light and flexible and Asanas get performed very easily. Asanas can, of course, be done on empty stomach in the evening, too.
2. The place of Asanas should be clean and peaceful. It is desirable if Asanas are performed in a green park or garden.
3. The place where Asanas are to be performed should be even. Asanas should be performed on a mat so that one’s concentration is not disturbed by gravitational pull of the earth or by anything else.
4. One should not indulge in talks while performing Asanas. One should concentrate on one’s breathing and on the organ on which pressure is felt. The more one gets concentrated, the more shall be the benefit of the Asanas performed. Perform Shavasana before doing other Asanas to make body, mind and breath calm and poised.
5. Yogic exercises are slow and non-aggressive. They should never be performed with jerks. Each Asana should be performed slowly by making the body alert and tense. Then the body should be kept in a relaxed state after some time. The second Asana should be performed when breathing becomes normal.
6. Increase the duration of the Yoga Asanas slowly. Practise daily to reach the optimum level of an Asana. The body will become flexible slowly.
7. One should put on minimum clothes while doing Asanas,
keeping in view the needs of the season, of course. .
8. The Yoga Asanas can be performed by persons of all ages, children, old men, men or women. Persons from 10 to 80 or 85 years of age can perform Yoga Asanas. But Asanas should be performed systematically.
9. The person who performs Asanas should take light food. Food should be easily digestible, fresh and ‘Satwik’. Lighter the food, the more will be the efficiency of the Yogic practitioner.
10. A person suffering from some acute disease should not perform Asanas or Pranayam.
11. Don’t perform many Asanas in the beginning. Every Asana should be done slowly by keeping the eyes closed. Sarvangasana and Shishasana can be slowly performed upto 10 minutes. Don’t come back too soon from the initial stage to the last.
12. The order of the Asanas should be so arranged that one should be able to perform the counter-pose of the Asana performed. For example, Paschimotanasana followed by Konasana, its counter-pose, and Sarvangasana followed by Matsyasana, its counter-pose.
13. Shavasana must be performed after the completion of Yoga Asanas. One can have the benefit of Asanas only if one allows the body rest and relaxation by doing shavasana. Shavasana is a complete Asana in itself. It generates great power in the body.
14. Don’t eat anything at least for half an hour after completing the programme of Asanas or Pranayam.
15. Practise stopping breathing after exhaling air.
16. Yoga Asanas should be performed daily.