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CONTENTS:
Teaching 1: Value of the Postures
Teaching 2: Degeneration in Postures
Teaching 3: The Spinal Column
Teaching 4: Exercises for Straightening of the Spinal Column
Teaching 5: Dynamic Mobilization of the Spinal Column
Teaching 6: Main Differences in Postures
Teaching 7: Standing (Vegetative) Posture
Teaching 8: Standing (Mental) Posture
Teaching 9: Seated (Vegetative) Posture
Teaching 10: Seated (Mental) Posture
Teaching 11: Seated (Mystical) Posture
Teaching 12: Ascetic Postures
Teaching 13: Lying Down Postures
Teaching 14: Ancient Postures (Numbers 1 to 10)
Teaching 15: Ancient Postures (Numbers 11 to 20)
Teaching 16: Ancient Postures (Numbers 21 to 32)
Teaching 1: Value of the Postures
The ancient masters have highly developed the science of postures. Unfortunately, just a fragmented knowledge about this wisdom reaches our times through the Hindu people, but its true meaning is not grasped because currently people makes the mistake of analyzing everything separately and do nor look for relations with the Unity.
A posture is of very little value as a physical attitude exclusively. So, those who have practiced it for getting powers, or for simple curiosity, were unable to observe greater results, and disappointed, have abandoned them before they could understand them truly and intimately. But when a posture intends to support the mind in its approach to the Highest Ideal, its result is invaluable because after one acquires certain habits with them, its use puts the soul, even in adverse circumstances, in the soul disposition desired. A posture is a true physical representation of a spiritual state; therefore, can be used to be prepared for the achievement of this very state.
Also rituals and ceremonies practiced in different religions work in the same sense and their use is generally collective. They dispel worldly mental desires and passions and grant to the mind higher serenity that is necessary for the spiritual absorption.
On the other hand, postures are particularly used individually and that is why they should be valued again, such as nowadays other elements of individual asceticism emerge anew.
In this course you can find a detailed explanation about ordinary postures for the practice of spiritual exercises, and also about those postures that you can use in the ordinary course of your ordinary living, so that the Son may take advantage of a continuous absorption, which shall permit him to move forward quickly on the Path leading to the Divine Mother. Many delays in the spiritual development come from a mental instability that today, more than ever before, is caused by environment, education and ancestral effects.
If the Son refuses to succumb under this powerful influence, he must make efforts –like those efforts made by hopeless castaways in search for a raft– to take hold of every ascetic means and, among these means, that of recognizing how postures give, to the fact of being standing, seated or lying down, a particular sublimating touch that enriches substantially even the most non-transcendent moments of his life.
In the last teachings, you shall find a description of many postures so that the student willing to investigate may personally discover their wonderful effects, which shall enable him to recognize with deep admiration the sublime wisdom of these ancient Masters.
Teaching 2: Degeneration in Postures
The noble upright posture, acquired by men after millennia, is an emblem of his evolutionary state, distorted at present by usual human postures, curved and asymmetric, which faithfully reflect human depressions, limitations and disharmonies. The human postures that usually we observe are a true caricature of the posture that should be naturally assumed.
When human reason tries to satisfy desires and passions that are fostered by selfishness and is not guided by the Divine, this reason changes every natural development and therefore destroys the harmonious rhythm and beauty. All events in the physical plane are no more than reflections of subtle –by much more real– astral, energetic and mental planes, which the Spirit watches over as total and main synthesis; when in one way or another one omits this, as it occurs quite often, its effect is degenerative on any level, whether in sciences or arts, and even in the spiritual path itself.
So, the present man, constantly unbalanced within, is continuously in stressed from foot to head. In order to relieve somewhat his painful members, self-absorbed in an easy chair, he crosses his legs and adopts a position that is entirely ridiculous as much from the aesthetic as from the physiologic viewpoint; by no means this can be named relaxation, and you deceive yourself when you change your position by assuming other Posture that even can be tenser. A long unnecessary tension in one or several muscles, as it occurs quite often, means useless energy waste that many have tried to avoid by practicing certain relaxation exercises. But these outer systems of relaxation are however not entirely successful because one cannot get a true muscle relaxation through physical means alone; we can achieve its true perfection during the Divine Ecstasy.
Also, a continuous change of posture, that is, through useless movements, is an unnecessary energy waste, and at the same time reveals mental instability.
Gradually, the study and practice of postures enable to remove these difficulties by educating in the Son his capacity of continuous self-control, which is a power that by itself already becomes an invaluable conquest for seekers of a quick spiritual development.
To stand leaned on a wall, table, chair, et cetera, or bent with the body weight leaned on one leg, or to drop on an easy chair with the legs crossed, separating or stretching them too much, with the body totally inclined backwards and sunk in the back of the easy chair... all this is an unpleasant spectacle for Superiors and other Sons; this attitude is not only disrespectful, but also reveals inner disharmony with everybody.
Most bad habits in postures can be corrected by paying a little of attention, while other bad habits –especially the back curvature– demand true re-education.
The Son cannot practice and understand wonderful ancient postures –some of which demand extraordinary flexibility– if previously he is not able to remain self-controlled during the three basic postures that continuously are assumed: standing, seated and lying down.
A right placement of the spinal column depends entirely upon a higher perfection grade in postures. Many ancient postures have been devised in such way that during their practice are forcing the spine to its right position. You reach this right position when your centers, rooted in the spine, work in harmony. The spine is the Spiritual Path placed in man and goes through all evolutionary existent states from the sacred plexus to the coronary plexus. Continuous subtle currents ascend and descend through their channels with a movement that can be substantially helped by postures. Spiritual exercises intensify this stream, while postures place the spinal column and its channels in a position where it offers lesser resistance to the stream. Different centers placed throughout the spinal column are like goods train stations. The most goods arrival in the last station of the line depends upon the demand in every previous station, upon the power of the train, and upon the straight and free railroad if possible. While spiritual exercises fulfill the first two requirements, postures do with the last one.
That is why postures mainly influence the state of mind; this can be easily verified as follows: In the usual posture, engrave on the consciousness the state of mind in which you are. Later try to straighten a little your spine, with no effort, as if your body were hanging from a thread fixed in the center of your head, and now see how your limited and selfish ideas try to vanish from your mind and are replaced by wider and higher thoughts.
Even to an unaware spectator, postures of ancient statues, for instance Ramses’ posture, which can be taken as the model of perfect posture seated, are superb and impressive. Under analysis, the sculptor has created this impression by means of a perfectly straight and vertical pillar. On the other hand, on Egyptian stone engraving representing slaves, their heads and shoulders are inclined forward; this posture reveals narrowness and limitation.
Even physically, the spinal column is quite important in the human body. Every movement must start from the spinal column to become really harmonious and rhythmic. A flexible spinal column reveals youth, although the age could reveal the opposite.
In fact, the different vertebrae have little possible movement one regarding the other, but a normal spinal column can become extraordinarily flexible and elastic by practicing certain exercises.
Teaching 4: Exercises for Straightening of the Spinal Column
In natural human postures, the spinal column should form a line with very light undulations, but usually in most men convexity more or less marked in their backs can be found on the upper area of the spine (chyphosis). When a person affected by this usual posture notices it, unsuccessfully he tries to straighten the spine because its tissues have lost flexibility; so he assumes a new defective posture by curving the spine inward and forming a concavity on the level of the hips (lordosis).
Next the following exercises shall describe and enable to straighten the upper area of the spinal column but not curving inward the area placed on the level of the hips.
First: Kneeling on the ground with hands forward and leaned on the ground (Crawling position). Now move the support of hands a little forward. Bend the arms, keeping the forearms vertical, so that the shoulders are placed on a lower level than the elbows. Now straighten a little your arms pushing at the same time the trunk backward, keeping it quite low and breathe in. Later push the trunk forward, under the level of the elbows and breathe out. Repeat several times with continuous pendulum movement.
Second: The same position as in the former exercise. Straight arms and muscles, being both vertical (Crawling position). Round your back upward and approach buttocks to heels. Later put kneels apart and lower substantially the trunk with arms bent. In this position, push the trunk forward, with the chest as near the ground as possible. Stand up slowly closing up knees to return to the crawling position.
Third: Knelt on the ground, arms stretched upward; incline the trunk forward until your hands lean on the ground. Buttocks must form a line with arms stretched, and hands leaned on the ground. With certain elastic and repeated insistence, now try to approach your chest to the ground as much as possible. Meanwhile, breathe out.
Teaching 5: Dynamic Mobilization of the Spinal Column
Once you expanded the movement of the spine with exercises of straightening, you should practice the following exercise, which makes your spine more flexible and dynamic, and that at the same time is the synthesis of every natural movement of the spine. Also this exercise develops the sense of balance, and strengthens and drives natural movements. According to observations, one can obtain these natural movements when every movement starts from a point placed in the spine on the level of the hips.
Though there is little or no movement throughout postures, the sense of natural movement developed gives the disciple sufficient spontaneous sensibility to place the spine on the right form, which usually coincides with the position with which the spine stands by itself, with as few muscular exercises as possible.
Exercise: Bend lightly the knees, and incline a little the spine forward. Now move forward the hips quickly, straighten a little the knees and along with this, the spinal column. Now the knees get straightened naturally, while the hips remain forward and the spinal column is entirely bent backward; eventually the head is also bent backward. The head and spinal column return to their initial position while contracting the hips; this exercise can be repeated from there. Soles of the feet contact entirely the ground.
Be entirely aware of the gravity bodily center. The drive coming from the knees only moves this center that, as we said above, is placed in the spinal column on the level of the hips.
The hips and body remain entirely relaxed during this exercise; so, this movement –like a wave going through the spinal column from its lower end to the higher one– can be practiced softly. If there is certain tension while straightening the trunk, this marks a defective work with the legs since the knees have been straightened before the proper time. This exercise has been properly made when the whole movement is continuous and eventually expressive.
Teaching 6: Main Differences in Postures
First, the three main postures shall be considered since at every moment we are assuming one of them, that is, the standing, seated and lying down posture. We got so much used to pass from one to another posture, or to remain for hours in certain posture, that we have lost any critical sense to notice if our present posture is correct or not. Only sometimes, after being seated long time and dealing with an absorbing task, we notice that our continuous tension on certain muscles of the back and legs becomes unbearable. We change position straightening the back momentarily, and a little later we find ourselves again in the same position as before.
But in the standing position, which is somewhat easier, we find certain weakening habits. Usually we lean the weight of our body only on one leg, and when the latter is tired, we pass this weight to the other one, while we ever look for a wall or the frame of a door to lean on.
Deficiencies and lack of relaxation in lying down postures, which usually we assume to rest, are the outcome of deficiencies acquired in other postures.
Therefore, old usual incorrect postures should be replaced by new habits and by practicing exercises and continuous self-control, assuming in the beginning those postures described in this course, until the inner awakening of a sense of natural posture. Henceforward, any description of future postures assumed is unnecessary.
Generally, postures can be divided into three groups, according to their characteristic influence. There are favorable postures to vegetative life; favorable postures to mental life; and finally favorable postures to mystical individual life.
Through vegetative postures, that is, through postures that stimulate physical wellbeing by increasing good health and vitality, the body is in tune with universal physical energies. Externally, a wide and steady contact with the support, that is, with earth, can be recognized in them. On the other hand, this support decreases in mental postures; therefore, certain absorption along with mental activity stimulated by the sense of balance is obtained and kept quite awake by reducing the support.
It is very difficult to say something about mystical postures, since they can be very different according to him who practices it. Generally, in such posture bodies look like lifeless.
Teaching 7: Standing (Vegetative) Posture
In this posture, the weight of the body remains evenly distributed on both legs. Feet remain parallel and somewhat apart (20 to 30 centimeters). The trunk remains naturally upright, arms pending freely at both sides and head supported by the least possible effort from the neck. The disciple must practice quite often this posture by taking advantage of any eventual opportunity, since this posture is very important because permits certain rest, that is, an energetic recovery, even when he is in standing position.
Through practice you can develop muscular sensibility and perceive when your muscles are in useless tension; later you shall assume this posture naturally and subconsciously.
The following mistakes should be avoided: The habit of leaning the bodily weight only on one leg, and that of leaning oneself on walls and furniture. If this defective posture is the result of incorrect positions of the spinal column –which often occurs– one must practice those exercises described in the fourth and fifth teaching.
Sailors and farm laborers and, in general, men who are in touch with nature assume this posture. It is difficult to unbalance a man standing like that. Certain pictures represent standing medieval knights, with their hands leaned on the sword; this posture gives a sense of energy and physical power. Recently this posture has been recognized as the best to start the majority of physical exercises; so, the absurd military standing “at attention”, used in an exaggerated way to this purpose, has been discarded. Also it is an ideal posture when you use it to hold heavy burdens.
Through this posture, man is in touch with forces of nature, his breath develops rhythmically, and every organic function becomes harmonious. For all these motives, this posture favors vegetative life.
Teaching 8: Standing (Mental) Posture
This posture is like the vegetative posture, but with the heels together, and the points of the feet somewhat apart. The hands can catch one another before the body, and the arms must be loose. Contract a little the chin so that the breath goes naturally up to the higher area of the lungs. This posture should be kept with the least effort, and it is necessary to practice it very often.
In this posture, one can easily see that the support plane is far more reduced than in the vegetative standing posture. This forces to keep the sense of balance more active, which is placed in the brain; this circumstance keeps the mind alert and receptive.
This posture favors the mental concentration, because by closing magnetically up your hands and feet, it avoids any distraction from senses.
This is a basic posture that should be assumed during vocal prayers and hymns, and one takes part in ceremonies. The bodily posture should not be changed, and the arms should be placed according to the form prescribed for prayers and hymns.
Also this posture should be assumed by the Son before his Superiors. When one controls this posture, this marks that certain inner serenity has been achieved and passions have been subdued.
No other standing position is better for mystical life; so, all esoteric schools use seated and kneeling positions for mental prayer, meditation and contemplation.
Teaching 9: Seated (Vegetative) Posture
Most likely, our ordinary seated posture is a legacy from the ancient Egyptians, who exalted and perfected it to the utmost. The cultural level of a people, or of an individual, is proportional to his concern for perfecting little daily habits. This constant and healthy concern dispels tedium from the soul, and affirms a continuous trend toward spiritual elevation within.
To sit down correctly is an art, and quite seldom we can find around a good example of this posture. We shall see rather seated postures that, for a critical eye, reveal how much they hinder any inner craving for progress, when they do not become seriously harmful for health by repeating them stubbornly. On the contrary, the Son must reveal through this posture an example of absolute control, serenity and composure. So, he can teach the souls not uttering a word.
This posture, like all the rest, starts as soon as one assumes it. So, you should stand with your legs in light contact with the front edge of the chair, and incline the trunk forward just through the upper joint of the muscle; that is, you should not bend the spinal column in any sense, but on the contrary, you has to keep it naturally upright, and to bend your knees simultaneously. You should not lose the control of your balance at any moment, until your body is leaned on the chair; just then, the spinal column assumes the respective position.
It should be added that, though the act of sitting down must be performed in a serene, controlled and paused way, when you stand up –whose description is unnecessary because becomes exactly the inverse of being seated down– you must do this with vigor, by reflecting the ever-young disposition of the soul.
You get the vegetative seated posture by distributing evenly the weigh of the upper area of the body over your buttocks, but keeping the latter in proper contact with the chair. In certain way, this impedes the use of the chair back, which is not a disadvantage, because you shall find soon that the backs of chairs and easy chairs are the main responsible for bad postures. You should keep your knees somewhat apart, but never more than twenty centimeters; so you can get a better plane of support on the chair. You should lean your legs vertical on your feet, which must remain parallel, apart, and in contact (by the whole sole of the foot) with the ground. Later you shall find the most natural and relaxed form to place legs and feet, which coincides with our description. The lower area of the spine must be almost in contact with the lower area of the chair, and from there your spinal column raises upright, and looks for a position that can be kept with the least efforts possible. Generally, you find this position by inclining your spine, entirely and naturally upright, somewhat forward.
Of course, the chair back cannot be used in this position, but those who refuse to do without it in certain occasions can lean on the chair back by contacting with the latter the area of the shoulder-blades, that is, they must lean the trunk on the chair back, avoid the common tendency to curve it, and remain naturally upright. The head rests freely on the neck, or in poetic words of the ancient masters, “the head is held by your neck, like the corolla of a lily by its stem”.
This posture should be often practiced, and in daily life there are a lot of places for it; for instance, transportation vehicles, theaters, waiting-rooms, working places, home, et cetera.
Teaching 10: Seated (Mental) Posture
The fundamental difference between vegetative posture seated and mental posture is again its reduced support point. In fact, heels are together in this position; so, knees come close and even can join together. Here we repeat this: you can take Ramses’ statue as a perfect model of mental posture seated. This posture proves the achievement of a full control not only physical but also mental.
The trunk weight –which is quite upright– is evenly distributed on those areas in contact with the chair. The head rests on the neck, and the chin somewhat contracted; this enables to increase the activity in areas of organs that stimulate mental functions.
Through continuous practice one should get used to this posture. You shall find occasions like that during meetings, retirements, particular lectures, study, and spiritual reading. In all these occasions, the Son will take substantial advantage of this posture, because by means of it his attention shall be easier and higher, with lesser effort, which reduces his tiredness to the utmost.
Mental postures should not be used for ordinary occasions of life; one has vegetative postures for these occasions. Use mental postures when the activity demands a stimulation of your mind.
Teaching 11: Seated (Mystical) Posture
It is hard to give instructions about the mystical seated posture. Generally, this posture starts with a mental posture, but not necessarily so. The mystical seated Posture, in contrast to previous postures, is not assumed through a conscious effort of the individual will, but it is a consequence of deep introspection, which make you forget the presence of your body and leads to full physical insensibility. The soul is self-absorbed, and the body looks like a void cover.
Sometimes the body is seemingly dead, and hardly breathes. Other times, the breath becomes majestically deep, as if it wished to compass the whole universe. This depends upon the way you consider the potential spirit or the active spirit.
This is the typical posture of ecstasy that may have a different form according to each individual being but its ordinary particularity is that by means of it you obtain the wonderful feeling of getting you free of physical limitations.
Here you shall find in detail main postures used in meditation and concentration.
For meditation, you should use the “mental seated posture” described above, but with your arms freely hanging from your shoulders at each side of the body. Now bend your elbows, and leave the upper area of the arm in the same position, until leading your arms to the level of the heart. There, not leaning your forearms or arms on the chest, join the fingertips –stretched and half-open– of the one hand to other fingertips of the other hand.
For concentration, also you start from the “mental seated posture”. Incline your spine a little forward, but do not bend it, and keep it naturally upright so that your hands, with stretched arms, may lean on your knees. Join all fingers of each hand together, except the thumb that in contact with the forefinger must form an “O” closed up on the inner side of the knee. In order to make your concentration easier, you may keep your chin a little backward.
Teaching 13: Lying Down Postures
Also in lying down posture you can notice the difference between vegetative posture and mental and mystical postures.
Generally, you use the vegetative posture for sleep or physical rest. The bed should not be quite soft and the pillow rather thin. You should lay down on the right side of the body, and look for a more restful position with the joints of your legs and arms somewhat bent, but avoiding any curvature in your spine (hardly you can avoid this by using so soft beds); your spine must be quite upright. Now, loosen all your muscles by using a proper mental picture.
Also, try the face-downward lying posture, with no pillow, the head turned to left. Once you get used to this posture, you shall find its advantages: a great possibility of muscular relaxation and the impossibility of curving the spinal column.
You should sleep with the body and head north or east oriented; it is not recommended to sleep in supine posture.
You can use the mental posture especially for your backward survey in bed; lying down, in supine posture, with no pillow. Legs should be totally stretched, heels together, and hands entwined on the solar plexus. Relax all muscles of your body, but keep your mind quite alert.
The Son waits for death in mental posture. Lying down in supine posture, legs should be entirely stretched, and feet together. All limbs should be quite relaxed; think that you are lifeless; let the eyelids close softly over your eyes. Try to loosen all your muscles, particularly those of neck and face to dispel any usual rigidity.
Assume often this posture, whose mystical meaning is like the shovelful of earth that Cistercians use to dig their tombs. Remember always that the true Son must be prepared to welcome death any time.
Teaching 14: Ancient Postures (Numbers 1 to 10)
Postures to find in this teaching and in following teachings are described in detail according to the Sanskrit translation, and belong to Yoga. According to Goroskasatakam there are 840,000 postures in the human body, of which only 84 are the best, and of which only 32, that is, those described in this course as “Ancient Postures”, are named useful and healthy for Humanity.
Posture 1. While you concentrate, being entirely immobile, the activity of your senses and with the sight fixed on the brow, sit down on the ground crossing your legs and pressing strongly an end of the foot downward, internally, against the thigh; lean the other foot on the front area of the leg, and put your chin (without violence or tension) on the area of the heart.
In this posture and in the following, there are no instructions about breath because once you achieve the posture the breath approaches the Unity, by flowing deeply and with cosmic serenity through your body. But it is important to bear in mind that while you practice your movements, you have to breathe in to start this posture, and to breathe out at its end.
This posture, Siddhasana (perfect posture), is considered the most important posture. “Put your chin on the area of the heart”, means to contract your jaw in order to achieve a deeper concentration.
Posture 2. Put you right foot on the left thigh, and also pass the left foot beneath the right leg, and put it on the right thigh, in such a way that the soles of your feet look upward. Grasp with both hands the big toes, that is, your right hand grasps the left big toe, and the left hand grasps the right big toe. Put your chin on the area of the heart, and observe the point of your nose.
This posture is named “Figure of Lotus”, and underdeveloped bodies cannot achieve it. We are told this posture has the virtue of impeding the progress of any disease.
Posture 3. Pay close attention and put your crossed ankles in front and beneath the scrotum, hold the big toes with both hands, contract the chin, and look at the point of your nose.
This posture is named “Noble Posture”.
Posture 4. Put your right ankle on the anal area and the left ankle over it, in such a way that the anus rests lightly over the two Meanwhile, body, head and neck must form a straight line. This posture is named “Free Posture”.
Posture 5. Press both legs outward against thighs, and breathe out lightly with short intervals, breathing in with a sigh.
Posture 6. Put both soles of the feet on the knee and thigh of the opposite leg. Toes of both feet must be put in the cavity that is opposite to the knee, and heels leaned on the upper third of the thigh.
Stay seated with upright body.
This is a difficult posture. We are told that it grants happiness. It liberates the trunk from the sense of terrestrial gravity.
Posture 7. Bing knelt with thighs in parallel and the weight of the body on knees, cross both feet on the area of the ankles, and lean each foot on the inner area of the opposite thigh.
Put both hands open with your fingers apart in your knees, and keep your mouth open. Look at the point of the nose, contracting your chin with no violence.
This posture is named “Figure of Lion”. It is overly difficult, and should not be repeated many times. It produces inner work by forcing the energy.
Posture 8. Lower elastically with the right body until you are knelt, and stay leaned on the line of the knee and the back of the left foot, while you grasp your right foot and leg inward and forward, putting the leg in such a way on the thigh that your right knee remains on the left knee, your right leg on the left thigh, and your right foot, with the sole looking at your face, on the left groin.
Hands should be lightly crossed on the lap.
Do the same contrariwise.
According to its form, it is named “Face of Cow”. This posture is very difficult, but actually does not produce tension. It is refreshing if you are able to keep your breath calm during this posture.
Posture 9. It begins as in Posture 8. Later, grasp the right leg and put it on the left thigh, with your knee outward on the air (the opposite of Posture 8). Right foot with toes downward, being parallel to the outer side of the left thigh. The right hand can rest on the right knee, the elbow on the right thigh (this is difficult), and the left hand on the right ankle. Do the same contrariwise.
It is a difficult posture called “Posture of the Hero”. It makes your blood flow to one side and the other in the low area of the trunk.
Posture 10. Seated on the ground, your legs stretched forward. Grasp with both hands your big toes; this should produce only a light tension in your body. If possible, keep your trunk upright. Bend your left leg inward and lead your toes toward the point of the nose, while the right leg remains stretched laterally in tension.
Keep this posture during 12 respiratory cycles.
This posture is named “Figure of Arch” by virtue of its peculiar form. It grants elasticity and harmonious proportions to the body.
Also, practice this posture not touching the ground with feet or arms
Teaching 15: Ancient Postures (Numbers 11 to 20)
Posture 11. Lying down, in supine position, your face looking upward. Bend lightly your knees by forming a 150 grade angle. Join your ankles together and keep your soles of the feet and toes in straight angle outward. Lean your feet on their edge (ankle-little toe). Hands lightly contacting sides of the body. Keep this posture during 12 breaths.
Do not stay extremely loose, but think that your body is a line. This posture is named “Figure of Dead Man” and relaxes totally your body like any horizontal position. It is excellent when you apply it after strong mental or physical challenges.
Posture 12. Put both feet between knees and thighs, hiding your feet as much as possible, and stay seated on both ankles.
This posture is called “Hidden Seat”. You can practice it only if your breath flows throughout long and deep cycles.
Posture13. It is equal to Ancient Posture number 2; both elbows on your feet, and your face leaned on your hands.
Its name is “Posture of Fish”.
By constricting the breath, a stronger pressure is produced on the body. In Sanskrit, “it kills any disease”.
Posture 14. Seated on the ground. Your feet should be lightly stretched. Put your right foot, with your hands grasping strongly the inner area of the thigh. Displace totally the weight of your body to the right thigh.
Keep your right knee lifted from the ground as much as possible. Grasp your left foot and put it on the right knee. Now set your hands free, or hold one foot that cannot keep alone its position. While you are leaned on the right thigh, displace the weight of the body toward all sides not touching the ground; forward, backward, and laterally, with no fall.
This posture is difficult but very effective because grants a substantial and steady balance to your body. It is called “Posture after Matsyendra”.
Posture 15. Standing, rotate your legs strongly outward from the hips. Bend your knees and stand on tiptoe by joining the soles of the feet together and coming close to the scrotum. Cover carefully the ankles with your hands (the back of your hands forward), contract your neck, and look at the point of your nose.
Goraska’s Posture (in the antiquity, a well-known master of breath). It grants magical powers.
Posture 16. Seated on the ground. Put your legs vertical in front of the body. Bend the body forward, with arms stretched forward, and put the forehead in the midst of both knees. Your hands should grasp carefully your feet (over the toes, and touching as much as possible about a half of the soles of your feet).
After certain respiratory development, try to keep this posture during 12 breaths.
This posture is named “Position with the back above”.
We are told that this is the seated posture of the “Kings of Breath”, and ad litteram “it grants thinness and good health to men”.
Posture 17. Lean on the extreme point of your feet, your knees bent, open and quite apart, until 180 grades if possible; your thighs on your ankles, which are on the air. The soles of your feet meet together in a flat form.
Its name is “High Seat”.
Posture 18. Cross your feet (like in the Ancient Posture number 7), but lead this crossing further inward in order to put your feet behind your thigh. Put the hands forward, on both feet, and your thighs forming a 45 grade angle approximately.
It is named “Dangerous Posture”. If unduly made, you run the risk of losing your balance and falling forward.
Posture 19. Lean both hands on the ground, and put the area of your navel on your elbows. Lift lightly your head. Your spine should form a horizontal line. Legs properly together; bend your knees in a 90 grade angle upward. Your entire body is only leaned on the palms of your hands.
Its name is “Posture of Peacock”. According to the Sanskrit text ad litteram, “if you have eaten certain quantity of bad food, the Peacock Posture converts this food into ash, vivifies the digestive fire, helps to digest poison, removes quickly a fever and dispels disturbances and juices”.
Posture 20. Legs placed as in Ancient Posture number 2. Pass your hands between legs and thighs respectively, raise the whole body, and keep this posture; the body remains free on the air, leaned only on the palms of your hands.
“Position of Poultry.” It is very difficult and its achievement demands much exercise. Once you achieve it, it grants a sense of freedom and unity as no exercise ever before.
Teaching 16. Ancient Postures (Numbers 21 to 32)
Posture 21. Raise on the point of the right foot, and bend your knees; join your leg to the thigh with parallel thighs forward. Press the inner area of the right heel against the inner thigh, and put before it the left heel, in close contact and partially before the right foot. Lean lightly your arms on the thighs.
“Position of Tortoise.” It gives energy and possible tension. It makes flow your breath more strongly.
Posture 22. Position of poultry as Ancient Posture number 20, but instead of leaning the body on your hands, you should pass hands and forearms until the elbow between thighs and legs. Bend arms on elbows, and grasp you head between your hands. Meanwhile, you can enable your body to fall by assuming the supine position.
You can practice this posture only if your body is quite flexible, but you should be assisted by other person in the beginning.
Posture 23. Kneel with your thighs together, and sit down quite flatly on your heels. The back of your feet is making good contact with the ground. Both big toes should be side by side. Cross your hands on the navel. Count until 28 breaths out.
“Posture of Frog.” It demands sufficient flexibility in spite of its apparent simplicity.
Posture 24. As in the previous one. Breath in deeply and raise your arms; forearms on respective temples; arms, resting on straight angle, joined together on the wrist, palm against palm of the hand.
“Position of Frog Stretched.” It expands substantially the chest, and “clears the mind” in the end of this posture.
Posture 25. Standing, feet together. Grasp the right foot, lift and place it on the left groin. Right knee strongly bent. Do the same with the left foot.
Count 12 breaths in each position.
The name of this posture is “Tree”. It forces alternately the breath in both lungs, and presses on this side.
Posture 26. Kneeling with knees and legs somewhat open; seated down on the ground between your legs in such a way that your head touches your knees. When you breathe in, raise your head, not moving the rest of the body. Place arms in parallel along with legs and grasp the knees with your hands.
Do this during 3 breaths, three times a day.
Lead the breath to upper areas of your lungs.
Posture 27. In knelt position, press the right heel as much as possible against the inner area of the thigh, in such a way that it remains by itself in its place, and put the left leg from behind, as much as possible, toward the right, that is, a kind of crossed legs behind, with one leg held by your hands. Do the same contrariwise.
“Position of Bull.” It demands the strength of a bull, and concentration.
Posture 28. Lying down mouth downward. Bend legs upward and form a straight angle. Your body is leaned only on hands and knees. Do not raise your thighs but keep the body on one line.
“Position of Lizard.”
Posture 29. Lying down mouth downward. With no special pressure, place the area of the heart on the ground with your legs stretched. Place the head between your arms stretched forward, which are leaned on the elbow upward, and join the forearms before the forehead. Raise your face.
“Position of Dolphin.” Vivifies the vital fire.
Posture 30 Lying down mouth downward, bend knees and cross your legs behind, and grasp with each hand the big toe of the opposite foot.
Contract deeply the skin of the abdomen.
Posture 31. Lying down mouth downward. Your body, from navel to feet, remains properly contacting the ground, while your head and trunk are bent upward, with the help of your hands leaned on the ground. This exercise is more difficult as your hands are nearer to the hip.
“Position of Snake.” Press your breath toward the higher area of your lungs.
Posture 32. Eastern seated position, with your legs crossed in such a way that a foot is placed on the opposite area of one knee, and the other foot on the other area. Place one foot from above and another foot from below. Place hands with their palms on the ground below your thighs, in such a way that your body remains seated on your thighs. Separate lightly, as much as possible, your knees and thighs from the ground.
Breathe deeply, and fix your sight on the point of the nose.
This is a mystical posture par excellence, makes your breath flow almost imperceptibly, and gives a substantial sense of serenity.
CONTENTS:
Teaching 1: Value of the Postures
Teaching 2: Degeneration in Postures
Teaching 3: The Spinal Column
Teaching 4: Exercises for Straightening of the Spinal Column
Teaching 5: Dynamic Mobilization of the Spinal Column
Teaching 6: Main Differences in Postures
Teaching 7: Standing (Vegetative) Posture
Teaching 8: Standing (Mental) Posture
Teaching 9: Seated (Vegetative) Posture
Teaching 10: Seated (Mental) Posture
Teaching 11: Seated (Mystical) Posture
Teaching 12: Ascetic Postures
Teaching 13: Lying Down Postures
Teaching 14: Ancient Postures (Numbers 1 to 10)
Teaching 15: Ancient Postures (Numbers 11 to 20)
Teaching 16: Ancient Postures (Numbers 21 to 32)
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