Yoga and ayurveda

Geza M. Timcak and Ivo Sedlacek

spjke@stonline.sk
ivo@savita.cz
Material for workshops
39th EUY Congress in Zinal
Savita Yoga International
2012
Yoga and ayurveda
 Yoga and ayurveda – both deal with
humans.
 Ayurveda is more interested in health,
yoga traditionally presumes good
health for its sadhakas.
 Present day yoga has lower demands
and is used for health purposes, too.
 These two sciences are
complementary.
Yoga and ayurveda
 What are the differences?
◦ Yoga uses the sankhya world model with a few
amendments.
 It works with the concept of 5 main pranas, 5 tanmatras,
5 mahabhutas, 5 jnanendriyas, 5 karmendriyas and 5
koshas. Further it works with 5+2 chakras. In practice
yoga works also with the concept of 3 gunas.
◦ Ayurveda uses the tridosha model (vata, pitta,
kapha)
 There is no simple mapping from one
system to the other, but we will show how is
it possible.
 Purusa Prákrti
Mahat (Buddhi)

Ahamkára

Manas

Indriják (ability to perceive) Tanmátras („that-ness“ that enable sensing and

energies that make perception possible)

Jnana (knowing) Karma Shabda Sparsha Rúpa Rása Gand

(activity) (sound) (touch) (form) (taste ha
Ability to sense ) (fragra
nce)
Srotra Tvak Chaks Rasa Ghrán
(hearin (touch) us na a
g) VATA (sigh) (tasti (smelli
VATA PITTA ng) ng)
KAP KAPH
HA A
Ákásha Váyu Tejas Ápas Prithi
Ability to act („ether“) (air) (fire, z ví
light) (wate (earth)
r)
Vák (ability Upastha Páyu Páni Páda Mahábhútas (elements, sensory pre-
to express) (procrea (elimin (holding) (movement in
VATA tion) ation) VATA space)
images)↑
KAPHA KAPH PITTA
A
Dhatus of ayurveda
 Dhatus - constituents
◦ Rasa – plasma
◦ Raktha - blood
◦ Mamsa – muscle
◦ Madas – fat
◦ Asthi – bone
◦ Majja – marrow and nerves
◦ Shukra – reproductory tissues/semen
 In yoga all this falls into annamaya
kosha.
Malas
 Malas are the products of excretory
systems
◦ Sweat (swed)
◦ Urine (moorta)
◦ Stool (shakrit)
◦ Ama – toxins that the body is unable to
excretre (can be eliminated by hot baths
and skin scrubbing and/or diet)
 For yoga malas are not physical.
Malas in yoga
 Malas of yoga are
◦ Avidya – incorrect perception of self
◦ Asmita - egoism
◦ Raga – attraction to things or processes;
attachment
◦ Dwesha – displeasure with things or
processes, repulsion
◦ Abhinivesha – fear of death
Bodily processes and tattvas
 The processes in the body governed
by the doshas have their rythms.
These rythms have some similarities
to those of tattvas as defined in swara
yoga.
 They differ, however in timing and
duration
Dosha rythms
 The differences sonsists of doshas
changing every 4 hours and the tattvas
every 24 minutes, with 1 greater cycle every
2 hours. In case of tattvas, the starting point
is at sunrise.
◦ 6-10 – kapha (meditation, yoga)
◦ 10-14 - pitta (also eating)
◦ 14-18 – vata (good for mental activity)
◦ 18-22 – kapha (meditation, yoga)
◦ 22-02 – pitta (sleep)
◦ 02-06 – vata (sleep)
 This system does not mention work
specifically, but 14-18h is considered as the
best for creative activities.
Chakras and doshas
Chakra Dosha Tattva
Muladhara kapha earth
Svadhisthana kapha water
Manipura pitta fire
Anáhata vata air
Visuddha vata akasha
Ajna - -
Sahasrara - -
Doshas and tattvas

Vata Air and akasha

Pitta Fire and Water

Kapha Water and Earth

Doshas and tattvas
 Yoga and ayurveda have different
working models, but ayurveda uses
shatkarmas (basti, tratak, special neti
[nasja], shanka prakshalana), ásanas,
pranayama and meditation.
 It uses 107 marmas that it can treat
through masage and other ways. Yoga
tradition has different types of marmas
and it uses them for pratyahara
training.
Prana, tejas, ojas
 Vitality needs 3 components
◦ Prana- vital energy
 To fortify use KRÍM
◦ Tejas – subtle fiery vitality, kundalini
 To fortify use HRÍM
◦ Ojas – subtle watery energy, amrit
 To fortify use SHRÍM
 Deficiency and overabundance both
are harmful.
Asanas and doshas
 Vata constitution – asanas for lower
back and hip; torsion, forward bending
(low vata level equalizing); backward
bending (high vata dissipation)
 Pitta constitution – asanas for lower
back (dhanurasana, bhujangasana...),
forward bending (energizing)
 Kapha constitution – longer keeping
the asanas (up to sweating), surya
namaskar..
Pranayama and doshas
 Kapha type of personality: surya
dominant pranayama
 Pitta type of personality: chandra
dominant pranayama
 Vata type of personality: nadi
sodhana pranayama or ujjayi
Mantras
 Mantras are used for meditation
◦ Meditation facilitates mental and physical
equilibrium
◦ Types of mantras used:
 Óm
 Bijas of the chakras and chakra yantra petals
 Bíja mantras – hrím, krím, hum, shrím
 The sounds of the Sanskrt alphabet
 Vedic mantras
 Tantrika mantras
Meditation for various constitutions
 Dharana and dhyana
◦ To induce inner fire: agneya ashtra
mantra
◦ To give inner aim . Gayatri
◦ To give inner peace – Mahamrtyunjaya
mantra
Mahamrityunjaya mantra
 Om tryambakam yajamahe
 Sughandhim pushti vardhanam
 Urva rukamiva bandhanan
 Mrtyor mukshya mamritaat.
Agneya ashtra mantra

 Om jatavédase sunavama
somá
 marati yato nidáhati vedáha
 Sanáh parshadatí durgani
vishvá
 Naveva sindhum durita
tyagnihi
Dosha purification through
Gayatri
 There are 5 Gayatris that purify and
charge the bhutas in us:
 They are used in such a way that after
the recitation of the appropriate
Gayatri, kapalabhati is done.
 There may be 1 or more cycles.
Prithvi Gayatri
 Om Prtihvi devayi vidmahe
 Sahasramurtyai dhimahi
 Tanno Prthvi prachodayat
Apas Gayatri
 Om Jala Bimbhaya vidmahe
 Nila purushaya dhimahi
 Tanno Varunah prachodayat
Agni Gayatri
 Om Maha Jwalaya vidmahe
 Agnidevaya dhímahi
 Tanno Agnih prachodayat
Vayu Gayatri
 Om Anjaneya vidmahe
 Vayu putraya dhímai
 Tanno Hanuman prachodayat
Akasha Gayatri
 Om Akshakashama vidmahe
 Shabdadevayi dhímahi
 Tanno Sabda prachodayat
Translation
 „Prthvi devayi Vidmahe"..meaning we will know
Prthvi Deva..
 „Sahasramurtyaye Dhimahi" meaning "we will
meditate on Sahasramurtha, we will attain the 1000
faced One"....
 „Tanno prthvi prachodayat" meaning "Through that,
prthvi will encourage, enlighten us"....
Work with the tattvas
Step one
 Shatkarmas
◦ Neti
◦ Dhauti
◦ Basti
◦ Shanka prakshalana
◦ Purification of marmas through massage
Danda neti
 Taught by the great yogi Prabhudatta
Brahmachhari
Danda neti

It has to be mastered under expert supervision

Tattva balancing pranayama
 The nose contains zones sensitive to
tattvas
 These zones help to „read“ the
information on tattvas in the external
environment and to synchronize the
inner tattva clock and the outer one.
Zones that synchronize outer
and inner tattva flow
Tattva rythms
Both nostrils
Right nostril
Left nostril

Ákásha

Air

Fire

Earth

Water
Placement of tattva zones

septum

Nasal cavity

1 – air
2 – fire 5
3 – earth
4 – water
5 - ákásha
Placement of tattva zones
starting areas
fire
earth
akasha

air

water
PRATYAHARA & DHYANA
 Meditation:
◦ Mahamrtyunjaya mantra
◦ Óm srim hrim lam namaha
◦ Feel the prthvi zone in the nose – slowly
inhale and feel the attention going down
to muladhara. During exhalation feel as
the earth type of tattva is reaching every
part of the body where it is needed.
◦ Dharana on the internal feelings
 The same for the rest of tattvas
Mantras
 Óm srim hrim lam namaha
 Óm srim hrim vam namaha
 Óm srim hrim ram namaha
 Óm srim hrim jam namaha
 Óm srim hrim ham namaha
The effect on doshas
 The vata dosha is strengthened by air
and akasha tattva distributed through
tattva pranayama
 The pitta dosha is strengthened by
agni tattva distributed through tattva
pranayama
 The kapha dosha is strengthened by
earth and water tattva distributed
through tattva pranayama
Christina
And
Stan Grof
(their archive)
 Tattva shuddhi

Purusha

Prákrti

Mahat

Ahamkára

DoshasTattvas

Bija and pranayama

References
 Bihar School of yoga material on swara yoga and
tattva shuddhi
 A. Avalon´s books on Shova and Shakti
 SAJ: Teaching materials for yoga teachers
 Books on yoga and ayurveda
 Web resources
◦ A. Grey web site
◦ Other web pages dealing with ayurveda, tattvas and
mantras
 Frawley D.: Yoga and ayurveda, Lotus Press, 1999
www.savitayoga.com