Swami Saradananda - 13 Nov

The Cleansing Power of Yoga

Swami Saradananda

First published in the UK and USA in 2018 by

Watkins, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited

Unit 11, Shepperton House,

8393 Shepperton Road

London N1 3DF

Design and typography copyright Watkins Media Limited 2018

Text copyright Swami Saradananda 2018
Artwork copyright Hannah Davies 2018
Photography copyright Watkins Media Limited 2018

The right of Swami Saradananda to be identified as the Author of this text has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1-78678-167-3
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Typeset in Agenda
Colour reproduction by XY Digital
Printed in China

Commissioning Editor: Kelly Thompson

Managing Editor: Daniel Hurst

Editor: Susannah Marriott

Head of Design: Georgina Hewitt

Production: Uzma Taj

Commissioned photography: Christina Wilson

Commissioned artwork: Hannah Davies

A CIP record for this book is available from the
British Library

Note/Disclaimer: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for any loss, injury or expense incurred in relying on the information given. In particular this book is not intended to replace expert medical or psychiatric advice. This book is for informational purposes only and is for your own personal use and guidance. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or act as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author is not a medical practitioner nor a counsellor, and professional advice should be sought if desired before embarking on any health-related programme.

Notes: Abbreviations used throughout this book: CE Common Era (the equivalent of AD) BCE Before Common Era (the equivalent of BC) b. born, d. died

www.watkinspublishing.com

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my teachers as well as to my students, many of whom have taught and inspired me.

apyayantu mamangani vak pranas caksuh srotram atho balam indriyani ca sarvani

May my limbs, speech, prana, sight, hearing, strength and all my senses, gain in vigour

OM Shanti Shanti Shanti

OM Peace Peace Peace

Shanti manta, found in both Kena and Chandogya Upanishads

By whom is the mind commanded and directed to go towards its objects? Who causes the prana to move? By whose will do people utter speech? What power directs the eye and the ear?

It is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, the prana of the prana, the eye of the eye. The wise, freed (from the pull of the senses and from false notions), renounce this world and become immortal.

Kena Upanishad, 1.1-2

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A yogic lifestyle is one of simple living and positive thinking. It goes beyond the purely postural forms that most people know as yoga, and encompasses the cleansing practices known as kriyas in Sanskrit, which offer a natural way to eliminate any tension, physical impurities and energetic blockages that can inhibit your enjoyment of radiant good health. In this book I present a variety of these techniques designed to purify body and mind.

Although this is a book about yoga, most of the exercises it contains are not designed to increase your strength or flexibility. They may well be unlike any yoga practices you are used to and yet when you start performing these cleansing rituals regularly you may well notice that you feel stronger and more flexible. As your body becomes purified, you will notice your health improving. As your mind becomes purified, you will find yourself feeling increasingly clear, friendly and cheerful. You will begin to realize that happiness comes not from the external objects and circumstances that bring a little transient pleasure, but from within your own being. Your body, thoughts and emotions will become vibrant reflections of your inner self.

Yoga cleansing has much to offer us in the 21st century. It is helpful if you find it difficult to reduce tension, eat properly, get a good nights sleep or enough rest, if you constantly feel stressed or try to force yourself beyond your limits. It is effective if you live in a city or town, work with other people, go to restaurants and shops or travel on public transport, when it is almost impossible not to pick up other peoples ailments and negative energies. You may worry that your food is adulterated with empty calories, processed sugars and unhealthy additives, that your water is not clean and your environment contaminated with airborne toxins, noise and light pollution. This all contributes to increased stress levels that can weaken your body. If you do not feel at ease or comfortable in your skin, dis-ease may follow, and then even a regular yogaposture practice can fail to bring about the inner joyfulness that yoga promises.

Kriyas actively counter this by ridding your body of accumulated impurities and strengthening the subtle energy channels that are the interface between your physical being and thought processes. The integration that results can be valuable in preventing and healing a range of chronic disorders. Regular practice also helps to remove many of the obstacles that prevent you from engaging positively with the world around you.

It takes very little time to practise kriyas its easy, for example, to build them into your morning routine. They are effective whether or not you already practise yoga postures or observe other yoga teachings. However, when you incorporate cleansing exercises into a regular routine of yoga postures and also combine them with a diet based around whole plant foods, they can be immensely valuable in helping you to experience a positive state of glowing, joyful wellbeing that is much more than the simple negation of disease.

Alongside the feeling of physical purity that comes with regular yoga cleansing, mental clarity develops and a lifting of the cloud that hides the immensity and luminosity of your true self; your connection to others blossoms and you start to reflect the wonder of life more completely in all your relationships. As you begin to include some of the cleansing practices in this book into your daily routine, I hope you will be amazed at their positive effects.

Swami Saradananda

The expression of the spirit increases in proportion to the development of the body and mind in which it is encased Swami Vishnu-devananda, Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga

WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM YOGA CLEANSING?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions you will find techniques in the book to help you:

Would you like to improve your general health and wellbeing?

Do you need to reduce physical stress and ease anxiety?

Do you lack focus or concentration?

Would you like to clear your mind, body and environment of clutter?

Do you notice a thick coating on your tongue when you wake in the morning?