Sivananda/Satyananda-Bihar School of Yoga-South Delhi-Dr.Sandeep,India(delhi)Yoga

Sivananda Yoga Sevashram, South Delhi

Satyananda Yoga is world renowned school of Yogic Studies set up by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1963 in Munger, Bihar. Today, 'Satyanada Yoga' has found its niche in every nook and corner of the globe through its innumerable centres that are run by trained yoga teachers and researchers. Basic tenet of Satyananda yoga, also known popularly as 'Bihar school of Yoga', is its comprehensive and integral approach to ancient sciences of Yoga and Tantra.
Swami Satyananda emphasizes on cultivating yoga as a life science, as a culture of this and future generations. He has written more than eighty books where all the imaginable aspects of yogic science are exposited in very simple, lucid and scientific manner.

Swami Satyananda's expositions of yoga bring it out from the ancient garb of religious embellishments and make it shine in a secular context which is accessible to every individual in modern age regardless of their region, religion, caste, class and gender.

Swami Satyananda defines yoga as:

Yoga is a system of living with sense and science, of the realization of ultimate values and altruistic missions of life.
Yoga evolves a harmonious order in mind, matter and man.
Yoga is an absolute departure from basic animal tendencies.
Yoga is a slate of aloofness from the artificialities of life and relationships.
Yoga is the culture of tomorrow.

‘Satyananda Yoga’ focuses on all the four aspects of being viz . body, mind, psyche and soul or physical, mental emotional and spiritual It focuses on bringing these four aspects of human individual in health and harmony with each other. Satyananda Yoga integrates into its curriculum all the available wisdom of Ancient Indian knowledge systems that come from the Upanishads, Bhagwad Gita and other Shashtras on Yoga and Tantra . It subtlety makes use of various yogic streams like Hath Yoga, Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Karma yoga. Bhakti yoga to name a few in order to heal specific ailments and also to bring out complete human potential. For instance, to cure the physical ailments asanas can help, to cure the emotional aspect 'Kirtan' (a part of Bhakti yoga)can help and to heal the psychological imbalances techniques of 'yoga nidra' and 'Ajapa Japa' can help.

Satyananda yoga offers to each individual a path which begins exactly from that station where he / she is already located in terms of health and spirituality. In this School, even the most basic step of yoga that begins with 'Asanas' is conceived in such a way that it can offer health to a seeker of health at bodily level. At the same time it can also offer a meditative state to somebody who does it from a different level of awareness. For instance, complete integration of breath with the movement in an 'asana' and complete involvement of awareness in here and now makes 'Satyananda Yoga' a unique tradition among various other schools that have evolved in recent past.

Bihar School of Yoga is also famous for some very simple yet extremely effective tools of Meditation. Most important systems that have been evolved by Swami Satyananda are 'Yoga Nidra' (Yogic Sleep) and 'Anter Mouna'(Inner Silence).

Out of these two, the first one is being used extensively by the followers of Swamiji and many others to bring positive transformation in their outlook on life and its situations. This ancient technique of 'Pratyahara' or ' withdrawl of senses' is being used as a method of improvement of positive skills and for opening the hidden potential of the energies hidden in the subconscious and unconscious layers of mind. In modern times, 'Yoga Nidra' as developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati is being used in various fields like schools, prisons, corporate world and in common households by men and women to suit their own diverse requirements.

Yoga Nidra has proved to be highly effective in bringing the stress levels down and in curing diseases like high B.P. and heart ailments \\'hich have beoofTle menace of the modern world. In the prisons, it has helped the criminals to transform their negativity and to vistJalize a positive future for themselves. It is also being used to improve memory. concentration and focus in children and sportspeople.

'Sataynanda Yoga' bases itself on extensive studies of ancient philosophical traditions of India and scientific research which is a constant engagement of the Yoga Research Foundation, a subordinate body of the Bihar School of Yoga.

Yoga is the life science and it is an ancient Indian traditional discipline. The word Yoga originates from a Sanskrit word, which is generally translated as "union" or "integration". According to Yoga experts, the union referred to by the name is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, or the Supreme In this modern era yoga is becoming the means of getting healthy life apart from one’s spiritual pursuit. Yogic practices give direct and tangible benefits, on physical and mental health, to everybody regardless of their spiritual aims. According to Yogic science every health problem has its root in the mind. If we want to solve the problem completely we need to remove its root cause from the mind. Yoga therapy is not only useful for solving health problems but also very useful in generating high levels of performance in various spheres of life. In a competitive environment, only the best come out at the top. The high difficulty levels of top competitive examinations like Pre-Medical and Pre-Engineering put a lot of stress on the students. Students often feel depression, frustration, lack of good sleep, lack of concentration, headaches, lethargy and loss of enthusiasm and interest in studies. These are outcomes of the intense mental stress that a student undergoes during such a preparation. Yoga is the best and the most natural way to get rid of stress. Yoga helps rejuvenate an individual so that one can work and achieve the aims of ones life. Yoga can help students unwind during stressful times such as exam week. Yoga can be a proactive approach to doing your best on finals. It makes me more aware and relaxed.

Yoga Asanas and Pranayama can be done by all.
Yoga can be done at anytime by anyone.
The best time to do yoga is in the morning before starting your day, (but) yoga stretches can even be done from your chair as you study for exams.
10 minutes of yoga a day can make a difference in your level of stress.
Deep breathing exercises are like an internal massage, each inhale stretches the body, while each exhale allows the body to compress.
Using deep breathing exercises help him focus throughout the day.
Deep belly breaths allow you to slow your breathing to quiet mind-chatter including negative thoughts about failing tests.

Exercising, talking to friends and listening to soft music are some of the many ways to relieve stress. The basic aim of yogic management is not only deal with the manifested symptoms but provides the way to cope up with stress, so that, the root cause can be eliminated. Integral yoga of Satyanand tradition provides all the means to full fill the physical, psychological and emotional well-being.

Asanas
Pranayamas, Mudra & Bandha
Meditation
Shatkarma

When we stand our sit-prolonged period on a chair our muscles accumulate stress. This causes lactic acid to get formed, which causes feeling of stiffness, tiredness and low energy level. When we practice asanas then we get rid of all the above uncomfortable feelings. Asana have several benefits but following are the major.

The internal biorhythm is harmonized.
The blockage and tension in different muscles are removed.
The pranic energy in our body becomes regulated.
The harmony in the performance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities of the body.

Thus, asanas activate tone and revitalize the organs, massage the joins, stretch and relax the muscles, optimize endocrine glands secretions, develop stamina. Awareness, concentration and relaxation are the integral part of performing asana.

Stress, irregularities in our life style and dietary indigestions etc. deplete and abstract the pranic flow. This results in what people experience as being drained of pranaya (energy). The technique of pranayama reverses this process, energizing and balancing the disharmony in the body and mind. Pranayama helps in the following way:

Open up alveolar sector (air sacs) of the lungs
Remove blockages & stiffness of body organ
Control the mind

Pranayama teaches us to breathe correctly and deeply. It is a science of breath dealing with prana. Our breathing pattern actually affects our physical body as well as our mental body and even our emotions. Therefore, when we control our prana through pranayama we also control our mind automatically. Moreover, if we can control our mind then we will be able to get rid of negative impact of stress, we will also be able to cope up the stress.

Stress directly affects the mind and then affects the body indirectly. Meditation is a panacea for controlling and removing stress from the mind. It helps in the following way:

Relax Body and Mind
Internalize the Mind
Develop Awareness
Improve capacity of dormant mental faculties

Thus meditation ultimately improves the mental power by removing stress. Satyanada yoga has specialty in this regards. We are expert in the meditation for our tradition known to the world.

Six cleansing process of hatha yoga known as shatkarma. They are used to remove the pranic and emotional blockage of body and mind. Following component of Shatkarma generally we are for cleansing of our body and mind.

Neti
Kunjal
Sankhaprakshalana
Trataka
Kapalbhati