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First Step

Starting tonight, when you go to bed, no matter what kind of mood you are in, or how tired, I would like you to do this.

Lay comfortably in any position that is restful to you.

Now watch the breath come in and go out.

Don't try to change or hold the breath - just watch it.

Now try and capture the moment where the incoming breath meets the outgoing breath.

To help you do that, mentally say to yourself "Hong" as the breath comes in, and "Saw" as the breath goes out.

Keep on doing that until you fall asleep naturally. If you find your mind drifting, then go back to concentrating on the breath.

This is called the Hong Saw breath as was created by Patanjali, the Father of Yoga.

Second Step

When you get up in the morning, just sit on the edge of the bed, back straight but not rigid, hands folded on the lap.

Now take a long slow breath in to the count of 12. It can be a fast or slow count, whichever is comfortable for you.

When the breath is fully in - hold it in for the count of 3.

Now release the breath to the count of 12 and hold it out for the count of 3. Do this breath 12 times.

It will only take you about 4 or 5 minutes, but these two breaths done morning and night will work like a miracle.

I am not going to go into all the explanations of why, such as Pranic energy and the afferent and efferent nervous system, but that is what these breathing techniques will work on.

Now - Just A Few Exercises

These very simple postures will start and end your day perfectly by feeding and cleansing the large ganglia of nerves throughout your body with fresh blood and energy. They are very simple. I won't give you too many - just enough to do the trick of re-balancing body and mind.

You have just finished your breathing exercise, so stand up beside the bed and begin to stretch. Lift your arms as high as you can and tense them.

Now throw the shoulders back and tense.

Hold one leg out in front of you as high as you can and tense.

Now do the other leg (you can hang on to the dresser if you wish).

Now put hands on hips and begin to rotate the body at the waste - go as low as you can and all the way back, as far back as you can without losing your balance.

While hands are on the hips, do a few squats by bending the knees and going down slowly and then lifting up again.

Now try and touch your toes while keeping the backs of the legs straight. It doesn't matter if you can't - just do it anyway.

Good!

Now For Some Postures

This leg squeeze is very simple but important as it contracts the muscles, nerves, and tendons around the pelvic areas. When you have lifted the leg to this position, squeeze it by pulling it tighter to your body. The secret is to hold it for 1 - 2 minutes. Now do the other leg.

Lay flat on the floor and by keeping your pelvic region on the floor lift the trunk of the body with your arms as far as you can. Do not force this position, just go as far as is comfortable and hold for a minute or so. You can time yourself with a clock if you wish.

Raise yourself up on to your shoulders with the help of your arms. Tuck your chin into your chest while doing shallow but regular breathing. Hold this pose for as long as you are comfortable and love doing it.

As in the picture, place elbows under the rib cage and lift one leg as high as you can - hold it for a minute, and then relax that leg and lift the other one - hold it! After doing a number of these, just lie comfortable on your stomach for a few minutes to relax.

Lie flat on the floor on your stomach and gently raise the arms and chest and the legs all at the same time. Just go as far as you can and comfortably hold for a minute or so. Then relax. Do this a few times.

This one looks difficult, but it isn't - at least to start it isn't. Sit on the floor on your heels, now gently lean backwards by using your elbows as a prop to help you down. Only go as far as you can comfortably. When the muscles and tendons become stretched, you will be able to go further and further, until you attain the results below.

When you have finished this posture, stay sitting on your heels and lean forward with arms outstretched and push the hands forward on the floor until you have stretch the spine in the opposite direction of the back bending one.

By lying flat on your back, you can now begin to lift your back off the floor by pushing your feet up. Place your hands under your waist at the back to give support. Hold for a minute or two and then relax. Do a few times. Keep thinking comfort while doing these postures. Do not force the postures, as in time you will stretch into them quite naturally.

This posture is a bit difficult to attain, but start by just sitting cross legged until your joints, tendons and muscles allow you to go further into the posture. When you are ready, just take one foot and place it on the thigh of the other leg. Then later you can place the other foot over that leg onto the other thigh. This opens the pelvic region bringing great sources of blood and vitality to the organs in that region. It is also a posture that you can finish up with and just sit there as long as you like while being really quiet and still. You can sit and enjoy your own sense of being-ness.

If You Would Like More Lessons...

If you would like to continue studying these techniques further then please visit Swami Harinanda's Real Yoga web site for more lessons at www.real-yoga.com.

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