Yoga Vyayama or Yoga Vyayam

Vyayam Yoga Means: Exercises of Yoga

By Swami Shankarananda Saraswati

Swami Shankarananda  AYURVEDIC & YOGIC CONCEPT OF VYAYAMA (EXERCISE) Dr.Ghanshyam Sharma  International Vyayama Yoga Fellowship India Membership Sithilikarana Vyayama Suksma Vyayama Vyayama-Vijnan in Ancient India (Science of Exercise in Ancient India) Purna Swasthya Yoga Dr Pragna Patel Mumbai Yoga Medicine International Association of Yogatherapists Remedial Yoga  Deutsche Yoga-Akademie Yoga-Vyayam Foundation, USA     Straße: Gaisbergstraße 97  D-69115 Heidelberg Germany

The Vyayamas are part of traditional Indian medicine, yoga therapy and yoga (Charak Samhita) Vyayamas (movements) simple, loosening exercises. Asanas (postures) bodily postures, isometric exercises for muscles, Svapadas (positions) varieties of postures  Vyayama Yoga: Three exercises prescribed by vihara which give energy rather than expend energy: 1) hatha yoga postures,  2) pranayama (swara yoga) and sun salutation, chandra salutation, vira, maha, pavamuktasana vyayamas, etc. vihara: The Ayurvedic knowledge of proper lifestyle. One of the three pillars  Vyayama is part of Swastha Yoga (Health Yoga), Chikitsa Swasthya Yoga (Yogatherapy) and Ayur Yoga (Ayurveda Yoga Exercises) 1) Yoga Postures, 2) Vyayama (physical exercises), 3) Pranayamas and 4) Sat Karmas The famous Vyayams in Yoga are: Suksma Vyayama, Sakti Vyayama, Sithilikarana Vyayama, Sun Namaskar Vyayama, Aruna Sun Namaskar Vyayam, Chandra namaskar Vyayama, Natharaj Vyayama, Nakra Kriya Vyayama, Pavamuktasana Vyayma, Narayana vyayam, Simha vyayam, Maha nasmakar vyayam, Vira vyayam, Jagrad vyayama, Sat Karmas vyayamas, etc.  Vyayama-Vijnana was a part of Ayurveda. The discussion in this paper is limited to Vyayama-Vijnäna. It covers definition and concept of physical exercise, principles of the practice of exercise, over exercise and its ill-effects, under-exercise, diet and exercise, therapeutic use of exercise, somato types, bodily strength and its types, physiology of strength, ideals of physical development, etc.  By Dr. S. H. Deshpande  Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal, Amravati.   RG Pandey (translated from Hindi by Urmila Bhargava) Difference between Asana and Vyayama: In western countries yoga is understood to be Vyayama (physical exercise). The main difference between yoga and vyayama is that - there is no contemplation on the breathing in vyayama, where as in asana, there is special attention paid to the breathing. It is very essential to rest after every asana, so that our breathing becomes normal before performing the next asana. While performing an asana, the body should be fully stretched, and while resting, it should be loose. Through this we reach the Shaithilya Avastha (state of relaxation). If we synchronize our mental state with breathing while resting, our breath become smaller and subtler and a time comes when we need breathing no longer, the vital air comes to nose only and returns. This is called shaithilya avastha, because the whole body becomes lax in this state. We not only benefit health wise from this process, but also get pleasant experience of fresh vitality, new consciousness, clarity of mind, and equipoise of spirit. It is sad that in western countries, the asana is limited only to vyayama, which does give good health, but not equanimity and focus to the mind. Neither we are able to concentrate on the breath, nor we are able to achieve the shaithilya avastha.