Specific Advantages

1 A solid, triangular base for trunk and head.
2.The spine is kept straight and thus the nerve flow alongspine and between vertebrae is uninhibited.
3.The lungs are free for exercises in deep breathing as taughtin Pranayama.
4. Said to aid awakening of kundalini (latent nervous energylocked within the central nervous system).

Sukhasana has specific physiological and psychologicaladvantages. Physiologically, the internal viscera are relaxedbecause of the crossed legs, while psychologically the mindand body are brought into a harmonious state of stabilitythrough the consciously willed attempt to remain motionless.

Sukhasana is the ideal technique for those who wish tocondition themselves for shutting the door upon everydayworries, and thus prepare themselves for the meditative peaceto be found within the recesses of their own minds. Thistechnique is also valuable for nervous disorders involving poorneuromuscular coordination, twitches, nervous movements,and “tics.”

For those who cannot bend their legs or sit upon the floor,similar mental advantages may be cultivated by sitting in the”Egyptian Pose,” or “Egyptian God Posture,” on a chair. Wewill discuss this variant after the floor method.

Technique

1.Place a cushion or folded blanket on the floor. Sit uponthe blanket or cushion using only the front edge, or firstthird of the support this assists by tilting the hipsforward. Have your legs stretched out in front of you inpreparation for bending.
2.Bend your right leg under your left thigh and the left legunder the right thigh, assuming the cross-legged “tailorpose.” Check that your kneecaps are roughly level witheach other. If they are not, your trunk will lean slightlyto the lower side, disturbing body symmetry and balance.
3.Keep your spine erect and your head nicely poised uponyour shoulders.
4.Place your hands, palms down, upon your knees in sucha fashion that they will not slip off. Be certain that yourelbows relax naturally against your body.
5.Firmly close your eyes as if you were drawing downshutters. Continue to keep your eyelids under control forthe duration of the session.
6.You are now introverted within yourself. Concentrate yourmind upon the natural rhythm of your breath, controlyourself from dreaming, reasoning, or otherwise becomingmentally active, and keep your body erect, motionless,and as relaxed as possible. Concentrate upon just “being.”Meditate upon the movement of Life Force by attentivelyobserving the natural, spontaneous breath cycle as it goesthrough four phases: i.e., inhalation, momentary pause,exhalation, momentary pause. Each time your mindwanders, return to this breath awareness, simultaneouslycultivating a sensation’ of total frozen immobility in yourbody utter motionlessness.

The mind is a dangerous weapon, even to thepossessor, if he knows not discreetly how to use it.

Hatha is perhaps the aspect of Yoga best known toWesterners. To most students it is simply a difficult system of physical control involving the use of static poses (asanas)and the learning of specialized breathing techniques(pranayama).

The introduction of dynamic, calisthenic-like movementsfor the performance of the poses, as seen in the last twenty-five years, is strictly a modern innovation, for the originalSanskrit meaning of asana is simply “a firm seat.”

Few realize that the base upon which Hatha Yoga rests isan implicit axiom stating that if the mind can influence thebody (psychosomatics), then the converse is equally true. Thebody influences the mind (somatopsychics).

When we are nervous, depressed, or suffer from chronicanxiety, our mental state is reflected in the function, control,and appearance of our physical being. At a later stage (inchronic anxiety, for instance), our mental state and theconcomitant arousal of the sympathetic nervous system mayencourage organic changes in the body resulting in suchdisabilities as (depending upon our genetic predispositions) ulcers, colitis, heart disease, immune system impairment, anda host of other manifestations.

Hatha Yoga reestablishes the mental stability of theindividual and thus reverses the process which results inpsychosomatic diseases. This is accomplished by first teachingthe student to acquire control of his or her body. Control ofthe body, in turn, requires effort at controlling the mind,since no muscle is flexed, no nerve activated, and no bloodcirculated unless under the control (voluntary or involuntary)of the mind.

The Sanskrit roots of Hatha break down into Ha and Tha.Ha refers to the sun, a positive masculine symbol, while Tharefers to the moon, a receptive feminine symbol. GenerallyHatha is understood as indicating the union of the positive,sun-drenched inhalation (Ha) with the cleansing, coolingexhalation (Tha). Given a deeper interpretation, we see thatHa esoterically symbolizes the positive mind uniting with itspolar opposite, the material vehicle of Tha, the body. Hereinlies the clue to the true esoteric teaching of Adam (the mind)and Eve (the body) as depicted in Genesis.

Hatha Yoga may be defined as the “science of uniting andcoordinating the physical and mental aspects of one’s beingthrough consciously attempted discipline of the body.”

We may also note that the original Sanskrit root fromwhich Hatha derives is HATH, meaning “to strike a blowagainst” (by implication, working to overcome the inherentinertia of the mind-body complex).

It was during this century that the Russian scientist Pavlovrediscovered the principle of conditioning and the conditionedreflex known for several thousand years by the Hatha Yogis.It is with this idea of being able to condition the body andconsequently the mind that we begin our study of the firstexercise, Sukhasana.

The mind has great influence over the bodyand maladies often have their origin there. — Moliere (1622-1673)