April 2022 | Volume 1

5 Elements of Yoga

The yogic system sees life in three phases: the body undergoing a growth stage where the cell rejuvenation (anabolic) exceeds the cell decay (catabolic).

This stage plateaus at around 18-20 years of age. Then comes the equilibrium phase from the age of 20 until 35- that is when the decay or catabolic processes gain precedence, slowly leading to decline in both body and mind.

The sages and seers who developed the science of yoga believed we were not just meant to go through these cycles of birth, growth, change, decay and death by default.

We can influence this ageing process significantly and, with that, live a higher quality of life both in body and mind. For this reason, they created the science and system of yoga.

The science and system of yoga stands on five main pillars that are pivotal for complete wellness.

1. Asana (Movement)

Imagine you have a car that you hardly take out and stays locked in the garage, gathering dust. In just a few years, it would start developing snags and rusting due to lack of usage, and demand major maintenance and overhaul.

Similarly, if we don't move our joints and muscles enough, our body too would start giving snags after a certain age. The Asana aspect of yoga ensures ample muscle movement and lubrication of joints for better flexibility and circulation. As the science of today shows us, such movement strengthens the bones, keeps up the tone of the muscles, and the health of the major organs.

2. Pranayama (Breathwork)

Pause for a minute and observe your breath. How is it: deep or shallow and broken?

Think of your breath as the battery and your body as the car. All your energy comes from the battery of life, that is, your breath. Without its battery, the body cannot go on for too long.

Yogic breathing techniques and pranayamas help in rasing the energy that is essential for your physical and mental vigor, keeping it balanced, and flowing without interruption.

3. Nidra (Relaxation)

Continuing with our analogy and thinking of our body as a car, Nidra is the radiator that ensures that the coolant circulates through the car and extracts heat from various components, keeping the operating temperature within normal parameters. Even though the car can run without a proper functioning radiator, it just takes one instance where it heats up and breaks in the middle of the road!

When the body and mind are overworked day in and day out, the efficiency drops. Timely relaxation in the form of deep sleep and conscious relaxation is like the coolant to the body.

Today, science tells us that sleep does not just help with body recovery, but is when the process of memory consolidation takes place, and the cleansing of the toxins in the body and brain. This is also when new neural connections are formed.

4. Ahara (Nutrition)

What will happen if a petrol car's oil tank is filled with diesel!? The car will likely stall, and the engine will misfire and emit a lot of smoke.

Our body also responds best to fresh and unadulterated foods, veggies, fruits, water, and sunlight. Packaged food is not what our natural system is meant to use as its fuel and is a nemesis to the body and mind.

Imagine dumping of stale and junk food into the body and expecting the body and mind to stay fresh? So, when in doubt just stick to eating fresh.

Science has shown us how food is the biggest cause of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, or even dementia. And that, changing our diet can actually reverse these very conditions.

5. Dhyana (Meditation)

So you have a Royal blue Bentley. You drive it regularly, check for the condition of the battery, put coolant regularly and fill the oil tank with premium quality oil. Absolutely all of this care goes waste if the person behind the wheel is not fit to drive. Would you give your Bentley to such a driver?

Meditation is essential for restoring your mind's control and balance. Like you shower everyday to keep your body cleansed and feed it healthy food, meditation keeps the mind fresh, cool, focused and balanced - fit enough to drive our Bentley on the road called life.

The science of today shows how meditation helps grow cells of cognition in our brain, slows down the ageing in our chromosomes, helps manage pain, and even grow relationships.

In the subsequent editions of halo, we wish to delve deeper into these five pillars of yoga and simplify the ancient yogic tools for everybody to understand and apply.

We look forward to having you on board for this wonderful journey!

SUMMARY
Through yoga, we can influence our body’s ageing process significantly and live a higher quality of life both in body and mind. These are the five elements of yoga which can together help you do just that:
1. Asana / Movement: The asana aspect of yoga ensures ample muscle movement and lubrication of joints for better flexibility and circulation.
2. Pranayama / Breathwork: Yogic breathing techniques and pranayamas help in raising the energy that is essential for your physical and mental vigor.
3. Nidra / Relaxation: Timely relaxation in the form of deep sleep and conscious relaxation is like the coolant to the body ensuring recovery and rejuvenation.
4. Ahara / Nutrition: Our body also responds best to fresh and unadulterated foods, veggies, fruits, water, and sunlight. So, when in doubt just stick to eating fresh.
5. Dhyana / Meditation: Meditation keeps the mind fresh, cool, focused and balanced, while also helping growth of cells of cognition in our brain, manage pain and maintain our emotional wellbeing.

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Here's a poem written by Shal to celebrate 2 years of Calm in Chaos weekly meditation in March 2022

The seeds have flourished

Put simply, for the skill/ habit you are working towards daily, just promise yourself that you do not skip it two days or more in a row. This allows you to take time off in fact multiple days in a week, at the same time keeps you committed to your goal!

What comes handy is a monthly tracker sheet to mark and track your progress. Click here to download, print and paste it in a frequented place of your home!