1. Sathya Sai Ladies Wing Workshop
Introduction to Yoga – A Short Course
Venue: Strathfield Sai Centre
October 2012
© Copy rights Protected. Sree Harshini Kare ABN 54146966381

2. Disclaimer
“All the participants of the “Yoga Short Course” are participating at
their own will/risk. They will not hold the organizer/ facilitator(s)
responsible for any loss of property and/or accident on the premises.
Participants will take full responsibility for the same & give
permission for medical/ambulance assistance in case any
emergency/accident occurs and agree to pay such costs incurred.”

3. Program Outline
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Prayer
Introduction to Yoga
Breathing Exercises
Warm Up and Loosening Exercises
suryanamaskaras

4. Prayer
Starting Prayer:
“Om Sahanavavatu, Sahanou bhunaktu,
Saha viryam karavavahai,
Tejasvinavadhitamastu, ma vidvisavahai
Om Santih, Santih, Santih”
Meaning:
May he protect us both (the teacher and the student). May he
nourish us both. May we both work together with great energy.
May our study be enlightening and fruitful. May we not hate
each other. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

5. Introduction to Yoga
The Root Of Word Yoga:
1. The term yoga has its verbal root as YUJ in samskrta.
2. YUJ means joining. “Yujyate anena iti yogah”.
3. Yoga is that which joins. What are the entities that are joined?
4. In the traditional terminology it is joining of individual self with the
universal self.
5. One of the great Rsis(Seer),Patanjali compiled the essential features
and principles of yoga in the form of sutras.
6. According to sage Patanjali, “Yoga is a conscious process of
gaining mastery over the mind”

6. Prerequisites For Yoga
1. Everyday you should practice yoga for at least 30-45
minutes to get maximum results.
2. The best suited time to practice yoga is early morning
hours,but it can be practiced in the afternoon after
following food restrictions.

7. Food Restrictions
 Stomach should be empty while practicing. That is you should consume solid
food 3-4 hours before practicing and liquid one hour before practicing.
 Place should be clean, airy, spacious, bright and away from disturbances.
 Yoga should not be practiced on bare floor. But keep mat or carpet below.
 Clothes should be comfortable, loose, clean.
 Yoga prefers vegetarian diet.
 One should have faith in yoga and what he/she is doing.

8. Breathing Exercises
 The respiratory system is a bridge between the conscious
and subconscious, voluntary and involuntary or in general
body and mind
 Using the voluntary control we change the involuntary
functions

9. Objectives of Breathing Practices
 Bringing into action all the lobes of the lungs for full
utilization
 To normalize the breathing (slow, deep, continuous and
smooth)
 To make the breathing uniform, continuous and rhythmic

10. Principles of Breathing Exercises
1
Slowness
2
Awareness
3
Synchronizing the movement with the breathing.
4
Exhalation should be longer than Inhalation.
5
Ability to increase and decrease the breathing rate.
6
No tightness in the body.

11. Special Tips
 Emphasize the movement of hands, legs, abdominal and
thoracic muscles as needed in each exercise.
 Use ‘in and out’ instructions in the mind.
 Emphasize on full breathing each time.
 Synchronize the breathing with corresponding movements.
 Develop an awareness of breathing.
 Close the eyes and repeat a few rounds retaining the
awareness.

12. Breathing Exercises
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Hands In and Out Breathing
Hands Stretch Breathing
Ankle Stretch Breathing
Dog Breathing
Rabbit Breathing
Tiger Breathing
Sasankasan Breathing
Straight leg Raise Breathing

13. STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
Feeling Changes In:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Breath
Arms
Shoulders
Back
Neck

14. Hands Stretch Breathing
(At 90, 135, and 180 degrees)
STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Collapse the shoulders at the beginning and end of each cycle.
Maintain perfect awareness of the breathing.
Exhalation should be longer than inhalation.
If required, it can be practiced sitting in a chair too.
Synchronize the breathing with hand movements
Balance the Prana in the chest.
Improves concentration and calms down the mind.

15. Ankle Stretch Breathing
STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Eyes open
Fix your gaze on a point in front of you.
Feel the stretch from ankle to finger.
Enjoy the stability

16. Dog Breathing
STHITI : DANDASANA
RELAX: SASANKASANA
NOTE
AVOID
1.Mouth is open.
2.Tongue is pushed out to its maximum.
3.Practice rapidly.
4. Forceful inhalation & exhalation.
5. Abdominal breathing.
Those who have:
•Epilepsy
•High Blood Pressure

17. Dog Breathing
Benefits:
1. Increased diaphragm contraction empties lungs
2. Rapid exhalation cleanses the lungs.
3. Increases awareness of middle and lower part of lungs.
4. Open up Prana blocks.
5. Calms down the mind.

18. Rabbit Breathing
STHITI : DANDASANA
RELAX: SASANKASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
BREATHING RAPIDLY THROUGH MOUTH ONLY.
THORACIC BREATHING.
ABDOMEN SHOULD PRESS ON THIGH
NO ABDOMINAL MOVEMENT.
DO NOT DROP HEAD ON THE FIOOR.

19. Rabbit Breathing
Benefits:
1. Helps in acute episodes of asthma.
2. Develops voluntary control of muscles of lungs.
3. Opens up Prana blocks.
4. Quick way to calm down the mind.

20. Tiger Breathing
STHITI : DANDASANA
RELAX: SASANKASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ensure that you are comfortable with the posture before starting
Co-ordinate the movements with breathing
Eyes closed, Practice with Awareness
No movement of Arms and Thighs
Awareness on spinal movement

21. Tiger Breathing
Benefits:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Awareness and mastery over all three sections of the chest.
Empties the lungs fully.
Harmonize the muscles of respiration.
Calms down the mind.
Feed back of airway status by sound in case of asthmatics.

22. Sasankasana Breathing
STHITI: DANDASANA
RELAX: SASANKASANA
NOTE
1. Exhale and collapse the shoulders.
2. If necessary, Apart knees to avoid unnecessary pressure on the abdomen
and chest.
3. Synchronize Breathing with movement.
4. Close the eyes.
5. Awareness on the breathing.

23. Sasankasana Breathing
Benefits:
1. Expels air trapped in lower part of lungs.
2. Trains diaphragmatic breathing.
3. Release Pranic blocks.
4. Calms down the mind.

24. Straight Leg Raise Breathing
STHITI: SUPINE POSTURE
RELAX: SAVASANA
Stage I : Alternate legs
Stage II : Both legs
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Keep arms either by side of the body or above the head.
Do not bend the knees.
Do not disturb the leg lying straight on the ground.
Do not raise the leg beyond 90 degree.
Synchronize the breathing with the leg movement.
In the case of both legs, use strength and have control over the movement.

25. Straight Leg Raise Breathing
Benefits:
1. Reduces abdominal fat.
2. Tones abdominal muscles.

26. I.R.T.(Instant Relaxation Technique)
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Lie in Shavasana. . . Bring legs together, hands by the side.
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Stretch and tighten the toes. . . Stretch the ankles.
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Tighten the calf muscles. . . Pull up the knee caps and tighten.
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Tighten the thigh muscles.
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Exhale and suck the abdominal muscles.
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Make fist of hands and tighten.
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Inhale, expand and tighten the chest.
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Tighten the neck muscles. . . Tighten the facial muscles.
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Tighten the whole body. . .Tighten . . .Tighten . . .Tighten . . .
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Release and Relax.

27. Warm Up
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Hand Clinching
Wrist Rotation
Elbow Bending
Shoulder rotation
Slow Jogging
Forward jogging
Backward Jogging
Side Jogging
Forward/Backward Bending
Side bending
Twisting

28. Loosening Exercises
(Sithilikarna Vyayama)
Principles:
1. To loosen the various joints in the body.
2. Flexibility of the spine
Objectives:
1. Remove lethargy and tiredness in the body.
2. Build up the stamina of the body.
3. Discipline the body-mind complex.

29. Special Tips
1. Practice the exercises stepwise.
2. Count the steps slowly and perform the same with
attention.
3. Check the performance of each step before increasing the
speed.
4. Synchronize steps with group.
5. Increase the number of repetitions as per your capacity.

30. Jogging
STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Loose fists and place them on the chest.
Collapse and relax shoulders.
Increase the speed of jogging gradually.
Continue the practice till 4 stages of jogging.
Fists on the chest throughout the practice.

31. Stages
STAGE
STAGE
STAGE
STAGE
I: SLOW JOGGING.
II: FORWARD JOGGING.
III: BACKWARD JOGGING.
IV: SIDE JOGGING.
Mukha Dhouti to Relax
Benefits:
1. Through exhalation the strain of jogging and jumping relieves.
2. Pulling the abdomen inwards, during exhalation can improve the force of
expulsion of air.

32. Jogging
Benefits:
1. Tones up the calf and thigh muscles.
2. Warm up the body.
3. Stimulates breathing.

33. Forward And Backward
Bending
STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Start slowly and increase gradually.
Practice with either legs apart or together.
Swing the body when bending forward.
Always bend from the lower waist.
Make the movements free, easy and flowing.

34. Forward And Backward
Bending
Benefits:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Reduces fat from waist, back and specially from abdominal region.
Increased flexibility of spine.
Increases exercise tolerance; helpful in exercise induced asthma.
Expels blocked air from the lungs.
Expels phlegm from the air ways.
Harmonize flow of Prana.
Calms down the mind.

35. Side Bending
STHITI: TADASANA
RELAX: SITHILA TADASANA
NOTE
1.Legs about one meter apart.
2.Avoid forward or backward bending.

36. Side Bending
Benefits:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Open up the airways of middle lobes of lungs.
Free flow of Prana.
Calms down the mind.
Strengthens middle part of chest.
Empties middle and upper part of lungs.
Stimulates middle lobe of the lungs.

37. Twisting
NOTE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Legs to be firm on the ground.
While twisting side to side, look at the side of the finger.
All twisting should be above the waist level.
Keep the body below the waist, straight and firm.
Do not bend the knees.

38. Twisting
Benefits:
1. Reduces fat from the waist and abdomen.
2. Increases flexibility of spine.

39. Q.R.T.(Quick Relaxation
Technique)
 Stage I- Observation
Observe your abdominal movements
 Stage II- Recognition
Synchronize your abdominal movements with your breathing.
 Stage III- Sensitization
Feel the relaxation and fresh energy in the body. Also, feel the
temperature of the air as well as the feeling of the breath.

41. Suryanamaskar
Prayer:
“Hiranmayena Patrena
Satyasyapihitam Mukham
Tat tvam Pusan Apavrnu
Satya Dharmaya Drstaye”
Meaning:
Like a lid to a vessel, O sun your golden orb covers the entrance to
truth. Kindly open the entrance to lead me to truth.

42. Special Tips
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Do at sunrise and sunset, facing the Sun.
Practice after loosening exercises and before Asanas.
Combination of Yogasana and Pranayama.
Two modes of doing Suryanamaskar
12 steps/10 steps.
With each round, chant BIJAMANTRA with name of the
SUNGOD.

43. Round
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
BIJA MANTRA
Aum Hram Mitraya Namah
Aum Hrim Ravaye Namah
Aum Hrum Suryaya Namah
Aum Hraim Bhanave Namah
Aum Hroum Khagaya Namah
Aum Hrah Pusne Namah
Aum Hram Hiranyagarbhaya Namah
Aum Hrm Maricaye Namah
Aum Hrum Adityaya Namah
Aum Hraim Savitre Namah
Aum Hroum Arkaya Namah
Aum Hrah Bhaskaraya Namah

44. Suryanamaskar
Benefits:
1. Increases flexibility of the body.
2. Tones muscles.
3. Improves circulation.
4. Harmonize breathing.
5. Releases Prana blocks.
6. Prepares for Asanas and Pranayama.