This intermediate course is conducted over 20 sessions of 180 minutes each! total of 60 hours of intense learning!
This course is a must for all yoga enthusiasts, interested in Fitness, Health, Stress and Mind management and for persons who wish to experience Happiness and Success in life!
Students who complete the basic course – 1 and have fulfilled the goal of the basic level course,(which is to practice daily) can enroll themselves in the second level course! The course is conducted on Saturdays in many locations across Chennai.
Recent batch of Prathama Shibram – 2 conducted by Uma Jeyagopal
It is necessary to sufficiently prepare the body through the practices covered in the basic level course, before venturing into practice covered in the second level course.
#WARNING
- Strenuous practices taught in the second level course have several CONTRA INDICATIONS, they can cause injuries, when done without sufficient preparation.
- Practices have to be personally learnt from experienced teachers of the Satyananda Yoga Tradition!
Asanas
Dynamic and static asanas, covered in this course are effective in bringing #Flexibility #Strength #Endurance #Agility at the physical level!
Flexibility
Most people suffer from stiffness related pains and restrictions. Flexibility is severely affected.
When muscles are not used for long time, when they do not get the full flexion or extension, when they do not have opportunity to bear load, that they are naturally capable of! They become weak, accumulate stiffness and even become shortened! Shortening of muscles, can lead to experience of restricted movements, stiffness in joints, pain in the back, cramps in muscles.
Asanas help in improving blood flow into muscular tissue! Remove stiffness, make muscles, flexible. Restoration of normal level of flexibility, allows one to experience freedom in full, natural and unrestricted movement, freedom from pain, freedom from fatigue.
STRENGTH
When muscles become weak, even simple tasks become nightmarish! Leave alone sporting activities, even daily chores that are a need of the day, throw a challenge at you! Weak muscles, can lead to postural compromise, permanent disabilities. Muscle function is connected to the skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, cardiac, nervous systems! Balanced improvement of strength of muscles will have positive influence over all the systems that are intricately interconnected!
Asana practices and even breathing practices have a strengthening influence on the muscles! Several postures levy a load over specific muscle groups and thus improve strength of muscles without causing injuries!
ENDURANCE
When flexibility and strength come together, one is able to perform a physical function for an elongated period as required in life situations. This is known as ENDURANCE! When flexibility and endurance itself are not there! where is the question of endurance? Due to lack of endurance, one is unable to put in continuous and sustained efforts!
Success and achievements in life are impossible for people who do not have the critical component of endurance! Due to the inability to sustain effort, people give up mid way as they are progressing towards the desired outcomes!
Asana is defined by Rishi Patanjali as the ability to remain in a posture, for desired length of time, experiencing stability and comfort for the desired duration! Asanas when practiced in a systematic way, under the guidance of an experienced teacher, helps he practitioner develop endurance
AGILITY
Movement has to be like water, free flowing, smooth, powerful and quick! Quick movement is not possible for people with stiffness, weakness or lack of endurance!
Short yet intense power and immediate relaxation of muscles is necessary to have agility! Unless trained and used body will not have this quality! Without agility one begins to feel incapable, inadequate, diffident!
Asanas can help develop agility! There are several dynamic asanas that are included in the second level course, that can make you agile!
To achieve this asanas have been designed to provide scope for six types of stimulation! Also asanas are of two types Dynamic and Static practices.
- Upward Stretch
- Forward Bends
- Backward Bends
- Side ways Bends
- Inversions
- Balancing
In the second level course we introduce participants to a specific selection of, all the six types of asanas!
Dynamic asanas are preparatory in nature! In the second level course, predominantly dynamic postures are covered! Few static postures from intermediate stage of asanas are covered in this course!
PRANAYAMA
Yoga has several intrinsic disciplines to enhance the perceptional and functional aspects of one’s personality!
Pranayama is an important discipline in Yoga! It is at the threshold of the external and internal aspects of yogic disciplines!
Having said this about pranayama, it is important for every one to deepen their experience of pranayama. But! without even having proper breathing capacity, what is the point to trying to learn or practice pranayama!
In the basic level course itself, we introduce several preparatory breathing practices, these are known as pre-pranayama practices!
In the second level course, we help participants deepen their breathing capabilities and also help them get a personal insight of prana! Not as some concept that Rishis or Yogis talking about but as a reality that they can realize, connect with and utilize to elevate their experience of Self and Life!
Pancha Kosas described in yogic scriptures elaborate about the five dimensions of human personality. Practices that help in integration and strengthening of the gross, physical aspects of human personality are known as Bahiranga Sadhana, have been described in yogic scriptures. These are disciplines of yoga that are to be observed in the external dimension. Then there is the elaboration about Antaranga Sadhana. These are practices for refining, fine tuning and strengthening the inner, subtle aspects of the human personality.
Pranayama has a unique role in the scheme of yoga! Pranayama is at the threshold of Bahiranga Sadhana and Antaranga Sadhana. During the second level course we introduce the essential practices of pranayama! A strong foundation is laid in the discipline of Pranayama during the second level course.
Shatkarmas
Hatha Yoga is a popular branch of yoga! One of the important discipline of hatha yoga is the Shatkarmas! These are yogic cleansing practices, useful in restoring inherent health of the body-vitality-mind!
The system of Yoga takes an aspirant through the shatkarma practices, before introducing asanas and other bahiranga yoga practices. The cleansing and purification obtained through shatkarmas enhances the experiences of forthcoming practices! Allows the aspirant to get complete benefits without a loss of opportunity created through sincere practice!
Bihar School of Yoga has published several titles on the subject of Hatha Yoga. For details understanding you may refer to these books!
Click on the pictures below to read more about the second level course:
