by Which direction is best for doing yoga : East is where the sun rises each morning, serving as both source and symbol for life itself. East signals the time for awakening; reminding us it’s time to get up, wake up and begin moving with life once again. East gives us motivation and pushes us away from inertia to begin each new day on an upward path of success and adventure! At this stage, all our worries, anxieties, doubts and fears tend to surface; therefore, it is necessary to have someone there as our protector: whether that be willpower, determination or clarity of mind (in Yoga terminology ‘Lord Indra is said to protect this region of space). He uses his powerful thunderbolt to dispel our doubts, fears and anxiety so we may move forward with renewed resolve without anxiety and uncertainty. Because our daily journey begins in the East, sunrise is often considered to be an optimal time for spiritual practice.
The scriptures refer to night as jagatah niveshini – “She who cares for all.”
At day’s end, the sun sets in the West. Your day may have been filled with ups and downs of life: right, wrong, good, bad, success failure honor insult; but now comes time to relax, unwind and recharge so you can start fresh the following day. Without that rest you would become exhausted; therefore Varuna Devata (Lord of Waters), provides calmness and serenity so you can recharge for tomorrow. He puts you into the lap of night. Jagatah Niveshini (mother of Night), comforts you until you sleep comes over you and lovingly pats you until sleep finally overtakes her care until she puts all her worldly bed tucks you in with love until finally falls asleep. Which direction is best for doing yoga
The North is symbolized by the Polar Star, representing stability. It represents an unshakeable belief and commitment. There’s even an incredible legend surrounding Dhruva who came to embody it for some reason! Dhruva was chased away from sitting on his father’s lap by his stepmother when he attempted to do so, and returned crying to his mother who comforted him by encouraging him to look to Vishnu as his everlasting father and to find everlasting joy within Him. Taken seriously, Dhruva took his mother’s advice to heart, turning inward and becoming so immersed in meditation that he didn’t even notice Vishnu when he finally appeared before him. Vishnu was so pleased by Dhruva’s devotion that he appointed him the polar star’s guide force. Which direction is best for doing yoga
This story illustrates how to find direction in life and then shape that direction with confidence. When your convictions are strong, they’re protected by the North Star. But whenever things seem uncertain or unstable, God always gives grace for direction.
The South is associated with death. It provides us with complete rest. When our physical body no longer serves us on its journey, Yama Raja, Lord of Death ensures we shed it for another vehicle to assist our journey. However, due to our profound attachments to body, mind, and senses we become attached to this “vehicle,” believing it represents us and having difficulty letting it go. But once done we will discover a profound sense of relief. Death can be terrifying to people because they do not fully comprehend its mystery; therefore many fear death and seek ways of understanding how life, death, and the hereafter work together. The Katha Upanishad tells the tale of Nachiketa who goes in search of Yama Raja so as to learn the secrets of life after death from him.
How can we find our way closer to the North, and foster unshakeable faith in ourselves and Divine Will? Procrastination must be avoided at all costs; when an excellent thought crosses our minds, don’t delay taking action on it! By tuning into and listening to the voice of your soul, you are engaging the guiding power of the North. Delaying taking steps you feel are necessary will only prolong your journey along spiritual paths. Procrastination leads to feelings of doubt and fear, leading to uncertainty as you question if you should follow through with what inspired you. Unfortunately, life doesn’t wait until tomorrow for those who procrastinate; opportunities slip away without them even realizing what they were supposed to be doing! Therefore, take action now! Don’t stress too much over whether what you are doing is right; simply decide and act upon what has inspired you; mistakes will happen anyways so if something turns out bad it is still better than procrastinating and doing nothing at all! It’s better than procrastinating and doing nothing.
See More : How can yoga help you in your everyday life?
Postponing what inspires you can be one of the biggest hindrances on your spiritual path
Procrastination is our greatest enemy; not succumbing to it is like greeting the Lord of the North – you’ll then develop an iron willful determination which, like its namesake polar star, does not change with circumstances or life events. Once something has been decided upon it will get done no matter what because your courage, enthusiasm and inner strength come from this force that guides our destiny in this part of space and time.
At times the Divine grace pulls and at others the effort from yourself alone allows forward movement. Sometimes results appear immediately while other times they don’t. With North’s protection there’s no chance for slipperiness; God accompanies every aspect of life! Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga
Why don’t we see results of our practices immediately after doing them? According to karma’s law of cause-and-effect, every action has a consequence – yet sometimes we fail to perceive this result directly, leading us to think our practice wasn’t fruitful. What’s happening instead is that as we perform our practice there may be forces such as sadness, inertia, anger hatred jealousy greed working against us that neutralize its fruition; these adverse forces destroy themselves to an equivalent degree when counterbalanced by energy generated from doing our practice; once our energy production exceeds this energy then tangible results should emerge and visible results become tangible!
Say your practice generates 90 megawatts and 80.8 megawatts in opposing energy is standing in its way or coming at it; then the maximum results that may be visible at any one time would only be 10 megawatts – therefore keep practicing and soon enough you will definitely notice results! Which direction is best for doing yoga
I’ve read that it is best to face either North or East when practicing meditation, however this doesn’t always seem possible when facing your practice. Be practical; use common sense in choosing which direction is appropriate when setting aside time to sit comfortably on a cushioned seat in your own house or elsewhere in nature. Make sure that when entering your house or apartment, the experience doesn’t involve stumbles upon entering. Clear away clutter from passageways so there is enough space for free movement; don’t clutter up your space by bumping into things or being bogged down. For optimal organization of a small space like an apartment or house, have less objects but arrange them properly so convenience, comfort and usefulness are equally valued as aesthetics and usefulness.
Stay away from getting too caught up in feng shui and vastu shastra trends that you forget practicality is key. Life must be managed skillfully; once that has been accomplished, then facing one direction should become easy to decide upon depending on personal circumstance – for me personally it has always been East as I focus on sources of light such as fire (such as in practice I recently did) or sun for clarity of direction, vision clarity or simply minimum distractions; East should always remain our destination point!
Follow Some best Yoga Aasan
Early yogis were deeply connected to their environment and used it as inspiration when naming yoga poses, taking cues from nature, animals, birds and sages for most poses’ names in Sanskrit. Some poses also have directions like west (paschima) associated with them – seen for instance in Paschimottanasana and Jathara Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana. This article will focus on their significance as shown by examples like Paschimottanasana and Jathara Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana
In my post “Brahma Muhurta (The Ambrosial Hours),” I discussed how 4:00 to 7:00 am, approximately two hours prior to sunrise near the equator, is considered most auspicious for attaining knowledge and awareness of oneself. Both ayurvedic and yoga texts emphasize the tremendous benefits of such timings on body and mind practices such as scriptural studies, mantra recitation and chanting as well as silent meditation (dhyana), deep concentration (dharana) or breath practices (pranayama). At this hour, your mind should be clear and calm – an ideal state in which to conduct these practices. At this time of day, air and ether qualities dominate. Purity and lightness provide the ideal atmosphere for meditation, prayer, chanting and other spiritual practices to flourish. Being awake and alert during this period helps minimize any kind of distractions or sensory input. Temples would open their doors at this hour to encourage people to begin spiritual activities that could offer maximum benefits to all who participate. Which direction is best for doing yoga
My grandfather would begin his daily morning routines during Brahma Muhurta time and conclude it with yoga asanas in an open courtyard outside our home, sitting seated on a simple coir mat facing east towards sunrise. Once he finished his mental exercises and moved into asana practice, he would get his first glimpse of sunrays; by the time his practice was over, the sun would have fully risen on the eastern horizon. When facing the sun in the morning, when sitting facing it directly, only the front part of their body (anterior) faces directly towards it; their posterior is in shadow until they bend forward to bend directly towards its light rays. Which direction is best for doing yoga
Sanskrit word “pachima” denotes the western side (backside) when facing towards the sun. Yoga poses that feature this word include Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana, Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana and Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana. When these poses are performed facing east, their back side becomes the western side and forward bends expose your back to the sun. When performed in the evening while still facing east, performing those same asanas can expose your back side directly to setting sun rays in the west – while still facing east! Your entire backside (paschima) could therefore get exposed either to rising or setting sunlight depending on when they were performed.
Hindu tradition holds an appreciation of facing east to be of immense significance. Vastu Shastra is the Vedic system of design and architecture which emphasizes facing east as being significant. According to this system, east is considered to be the governing direction for solar deity from which all positive energy can flow to Earth, thus providing good luck, peace, prosperity, harmony, and health benefits to everyone on Earth. Therefore it makes sense that when praying towards these deities (in temples or homes), you face east when sitting for prayer services or making home entrances facing east brings much success for all involved parties involved! Which direction is best for doing yoga
You may wonder whether the benefits from such poses can be lost when practiced outside a studio setting, rather than facing East. My humble opinion is that practicing in an open space provides some benefits in terms of sunlight and vitamin D production; however, the health advantages gained through yoga practice will still prevail – according to BKS Iyengar’s teachings there are numerous health advantages from forward bends alone. He suggests that these poses help relax the brain, ease stress and mild depression, stretch spine, shoulders and hamstrings, stimulate abdominal organs such as liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus and improve digestion – as well as relieve symptoms associated with menopause or menstrual discomfort. So I wouldn’t stress too much over which direction your asanas should face; however, if given the chance try performing them with the eastern sun in mind and see if that makes a difference. While visiting UCLA last year, I took advantage of beach yoga classes in Santa Monica that offered sessions facing east, facing towards Angeles forest range and early morning practice of poses with my back towards this direction; these brought subtle but significant transformation in mind, body, and emotions for me personally.
Additionally, you may also wonder why other poses that expose the back side directly to sunlight while simultaneously stretching it deeply do not include paschima=west in them. Uttanasana (Intense Forward-Bending Pose, Stretch Pose, Standing Forward Bend Pose or Fold, Standing Head to Knees Pose or Standing Head to Knees Pose) when done facing east can expose and stretch back muscles – yet its name doesn’t include “paschima.” I reviewed the literature and did not come up with an adequate response, similar to asking why apples are named apples instead of bananas or oranges. Therefore, it would be prudent not to attach too much significance to the name itself and focus on its benefits instead; these poses can still be practiced while facing east.
Based on ancient Vedic texts and anecdotal reports, it appears that facing east while performing asanas facilitates mental detoxification and clarity for deeper meditational experiences. Which direction is best for doing yoga
Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga
Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga Which direction is best for doing yoga
