The Yoga is not an exercise for which we can find any place. The yoga, well, it is activity; the physical, physiological, philosophical scientific and spiritual in nature and in process as well. There are certain essentials without which we may not achieve the best and the desired results. These essentials are the external aid for the internal and physical growth, development and evolution of the soul at the higher level. These essentials, as the requirements and the principles related to the practice of the yoga are as follows:
1. Time
2. Place
3. Silence at the place
4. Rest
5. Dress
6. Bath
7. Method of practice
8. Female problems
9. How much yoga
10. Proper diet
11. Balanced diet
12. Salad
13. Fresh vegetables
14. Fresh fruits
15. Raw nuts
16. Quantity of food
17. Method of eating
18. Time factor
19. Spices
20. Water
21. Coffee and tea
22. Alcoholic drinks
23. Gram (Chickpeas)
24. Bathing and cleaning
25. Rubbing
26. Body cleansing
27. Shampooing
28. Hair
29. Teeth
30. Oil message
31. Observing silence, when possible
32. Serving all, when time allows
Now these essentials have great significance, contribution and significant role in the all round development of an individual.
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ESSENTIALS:
The essentials, which we have stated above, need a careful consideration, so we need the description of the each. Thus, we have to consider these one by one:
1. Time: The morning time is the most suitable, though the evening is also good. In the morning or any other time when we want to do it, we need to consider that the stomach should be empty. The general principle is to give an interval of three to four hour after eating and then do the yoga. The other important factor is to do it on the same time, preferably in the morning and the evening.
2. Place: The best place is doing the yoga on the floor, while avoiding the bed and or the other place. The place needs to be neat, clean and well ventilated. The fresh air is preferable, while trying to avoid the cold and or very hot winds. The focus is on the sufficient supply of the air at the place where we practice yoga.
3. Silence at the place: We need to maintain silence wile doing yoga. Any conversation, mental activity any we need to avoid anything that may cause distraction.
4. Rest: there are two types of rest in yoga:
a.) Short rest: it needs to be for about six to eight seconds only. We observe it in between the two asana.
b.) Long rest: the long rest comes at the end of all asana, Pranayama and the other kiryas. The general principle is to devote one fourth of the time of the actual practicing the yoga.
The better way to have long rest is through the Shava asana. After the rest is over, one should wait for three to five minutes before eating or doing any other work.
5. Dress: there should be minimum cloths on the body, while doing yoga. The cloths, which are loose, not crating any problem in practicing of any asana, are good. In the winter, the loose and the woolen cloths are useful.
6. Bath: Though it is optional, however, the bath before doing yoga is preferable. The hot bath, and even the warm water would give better results if we take it fifteen minutes before and after our doing yoga.
7. Method of practice: In order to get the best results, we need to know the proper way of doing it, the methods of practice. The most important factor is that we avoid the perfection and doing many asana, which the beginner seems to attempt. If there are limitations, one can learn through the practice. The other factor is the steps, which the asana needs. If we miss some steps and do yoga as if it is and exercise, it may harm. Thus, we learn it slowly, stepwise and in a systematic way.
8. Female problems: the females, who want to practice yoga, need to avoid it during the menstrual period and during the advanced stage of the pregnancy, the fourth month onwards. In case of the pregnancy, some yoga in the supervision of an expert is highly useful. It is highly remarkable that the practice of yoga cures and heals the ailments of the female problems. Moreover, during the pregnancy it helps in an easy deliver and giving birth to a healthier baby.
9. How much yoga: We can practice yoga for longer time in the winter than in the summer. However, even in the winter, it needs the practice of forty-five minutes at most. Time of rest as mentioned above is also important. If we want to practice yoga in the two sessions, say morning and the evening, there should be gap of about eight hours. The minimum of the fifteen minutes is sufficient for a better and the balanced health.
10. Proper diet: It is noticeable and important point that diet occupies a most prominent place as rightly said ‘as you eat, so you become. The quality of the food significantly affects the physical and the mental conditions of an individual. Therefore, we need to understand the principles of eating. In yoga, we have three kinds of the foods, the Rajasi, Tamasi and the Sattvik.
1. The Rajasi: These foods are the ones, which are of high flavors, variety and the roasted and fried as well. These foods usually bring desires, which make it difficult to control the mind in a better way. Therefore, we need to avoid these.
2. The Tamasi: These foods are the fried and the cooked for stimulation. These cause the mind to get hyperactive leading to passion, which is different from the Rajasi food as that leads to desires only. The great passion cannot allow one to control the mind and thus in yoga; we need to avoid it as well.
3. The Sattvic: The foods, which are rich in the nutrients, easily digest and lightly cooked and make one feel at ease, these foods give better control over mind and thoughts. These nether create neither desire nor the passion. These foods mostly include the vegetables, salad, and sprouts and the products of the organic farming.
11. Balanced diet: The Sattvic foods lead to the balanced diet when we learn how to select, cook and eat the foods. We have some wrong notions about the balanced diet as we count the calories and the nutrients that any food contains. However, in yoga, the way we eat makes a greater impact. If we eat even a single almond for until our mouth is full of saliva, and then let it go to the stomach, it may seem that it has lesser amount of the calories and the nutrients as compared to 10 almonds; however, it is not the case. The way we eat makes all the desired differences allowing us to get the better of the quality from the lesser quantity. Thus, in the balanced diet our focus is on the quality not on the quantity. If we ignore this fact, we may not allow our body to use the natural catalysts and the enzymes of all types to enhance the vital energy, the essence of the balanced diet, in the foods. The yoga recommends the balanced diet with quality and they way we extract it from the food by eating properly. These include the major factors as discussed in the next points.
12. Salad: All the vegetables that we eat in the raw are the salad. For example, the cucumber, tomato, carrots, lettuce, cauliflower and the similar ones are the salads. The ideal way is to make the salad the preferred food before the lunch and the dinner.
13. Fresh vegetables: The vegetables that we have not dried and deformed are the fresh vegetables. These may be form the under the ground or grown on above the ground. The condition that is of the grater importance is the way we cook it. We have to make it to boil or have it cooked in the steam so that the natural quality does not leave the vegetables. This is cooking it in the Sattvic way.
14. Fresh fruits: The fruits are the source of the nutrients, mineral liquids (water) or the juice, with rich fibers. We do not have to eat lots of food to get the best results. However eating an apple, banana, orange or any fruit a day is enough. The important point is that we eat it daily and thus, regularly.
15. Raw nuts: The nuts, which are of significant importance, are from the hard shells. These may include cashew, pistachio, almond, pecan, walnuts and the similar ones. A handful mixture of these is enough for the day. It is better to decrease the intake during the summer. The way we eat still and always remains of great importance. We now may discuss about the quantity and way we eat.
16. Quantity of food: The ideal formula for it is that we should not eat more than eight five percent of our capacity. The overeating causes the disturbance in the stomach and the disorders so produced need great precautions. For it, the fasting once a week is the way, while using the salad or the fruits. The stomach needs rest; if we overeat, it goes restless. Thus, eating less than we need is the ideal way.
17. Method of eating: The proper way of eating is to crush the food properly and thoroughly that we do by chewing it many times. It is rolling up the bite until our mouth is full of saliva, that we allow the bite to leave our mouth, the swallowing, to reach the stomach.
18. Time factor: The eating of the food at least two hours before retired, going to bed is an important factor. The dinner needs greater attention as the harms it can cause are usually create many disease in the digestive system, while disturbing the other systems of the body as well. The other factor of time is that we eat on the same time everyday, if we ignore this factor, we may get the same disturbances in the digestive system as the eating at the wrong time before going to bed.
19. Spices: the salt, chili, pepper and other spices are the herbs in the Ayurveda; we should not fry or overuse it. These may cause harm. These need a little cooking, otherwise the spices, as the herbs though may produce taste, the healing effects vanish and it create the desires and the passion. Therefore, we need to take care of it.
20. Water: At least ten glasses per day are desirable for the body fitness in the yoga. If we drink water while eating, it may harm our skin and cause many other diseases. The water is a body cleanser both internally and externally. Therefore, in yoga the use of more water is favorable for our body, though with some interval.
21. Coffee and tea: Both the coffee and the tea are injurious to our health when taken in excess. We are so habitual of taking it, that we usually do not seem to bother about the intake. We need about two cups a day. The excessive use may cause the constipation, digestive disorders, insomnia and many symptoms, which may make one restless. The better is to avoid it as much as possible.
22. Alcoholic drinks: All of the alcoholic drinks are the vitamin thieves. These steal and destroy the nutrients of our body. The WHO reports says that the one peg of the alcohol destroys about the 10, 000 neurons, the brain cells. Thus, the yoga does not recommend it for use.
23. Gram (Chickpeas): The sprouted gram is one of the most nutritious foods we have. It is full of the protein, minerals and the vitamins. The regular handful use of the germinated gram is highly recommendable. The green grams may be useful if eat or take these directly. The ripe ones need that we soak these in for about eight hours. If the person is not able to eat the raw nuts and the fruits regularly, the sprouted grams give the same effects, the ideal compensation. Now, the diet accompanies the hygienic care as well. We will discuss it in the next points.
24. Bathing and cleaning: Water is one of the most essential elements as the air and the food are. Some of the plants can survive simply with water. Some people can live for months with just drinking water. The importance of the water is for the both the internal and external uses. The hair are having the name Rome-coop, the ‘rome’ is for hair and the ‘coop’ is for water and thus the well of water, as the hair not only excrete the wastage through the pores, but also absorb water though it. For the best use of these pores, we need to understand the importance, use, way and the principle of using of water.
25. Rubbing: The rubbing can be dry or wet, however our concern is of water. We rub with a cloth soaked in water, this helps to open the pores, while at the same time giving the benefits of the rubbing. After rubbing the body this way, we need to pour lots of water on our body to give it a better water care and cure.
26. Body cleansing: For body cleansing, we may use soaps, however these are having the chemicals, which may not be useful for our skin and body in general. In yoga, we have a substitute for the soaps; we use the gram flour. We take a handful or more of the gram flour and make a paste of it with lukewarm water in a pot. We rub it with the palms on our body and then wash thoroughly. The gram flour is rich with the minerals, proteins and the vitamins. It is thus beneficial in many ways, while we use it for body cleansing.
27. Shampooing: Well, for it, we take the kneaded flour and make a paste of it. Then put it up in a thin cloth and tie it up. Then we squeeze the paste containing cloth in the water until only the rudiments remain in the cloth. We do not use the rudiments, and the dissolved paste is for using as a shampoo. We properly wash the hair as we do with the shampoo. Then wash thoroughly. It nourishes hair. We may, though use other shampoos depending on the nature of our hair, preferably with the herbals.
28. Hair: It is of great use if we rub at the roots of the hair, while washing it. We rub at the roots with the fingertips and when there is warming up effect, we rub little more and then pour lots of water. Then we dry the hair with rubbing it with the clean towel. We then comb the hair. We may use the hair oil. The combing from top to bottom and left to right is having the effect of combing and rubbing, giving us greater benefits. It may remove many diseases of the hair slowly as the dandruff is.
29. Teeth: The teeth also need massage at the gums, and at the roots, while at the same time it needs the brushing. We need to brush our teeth before going to bed. The rubbing may need the herbal paste or powder on the fingers; we check that all the parts of the teeth get the full attention.
30. Oil message: For oil message, the mustard oil is the best on, which most of the Indian people use. It is also in use for the babies, wrestlers and the old people. It has warm effect on the body, so we may better use it in the winter. It penetrates through the pores and imparts elasticity and strength to the muscles, bones and the nerves. It soothes, cleans and gives a good, tanned complexion to the body and makes the skin healthy. It also helps in removing the wrinkles and the dryness of the skin. We may apply the oil on the body and leave it for fifteen minutes, the pores soak it in. then we may clean it in two ways; we may take a shower without using soap. Then wipe, while rubbing with a clean and a dry towel. The other way is to use the gram flour paste instead of the soap. We apply the paste and rub until the oil and the paste mix. Then after rubbing, we wash thoroughly. It gives the benefits of the oil, gram flour, rubbing and washing, and thus is highly useful.
31. Observing silence, when possible: The essential of the practitioner of the yoga is to observe the silence when possible, as it is useful. The observing of the fasting is also useful.
32. Serving all, when the time allows: The humbleness without serving others seems difficult, so the practice of yoga guides to serve nature as watering the plants and feeding the birds and the animals. While serving others is the means for the self and social uplifting, we may serve, when we have time.
Thus, the essentials of the yoga have great significance if we want to practice it properly for the best health benefits. Thanks!
