Yoga & Meditation

Helios Institute's Hatha Yoga Page

Yoga instructor Steve Carver.

The classes are taught in the Sivananda yoga tradition, each class last about
90 minutes and is comprised of a complete routine of about 40 hatha yoga
postures that stretch every part of the body, breathing exercises, and a
deep relaxation (meditation) period of 10 minutes at the end of the class.

Classes are held:
Monday Mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM
at Villa Esperanza
22 Lake Wallkill Rd
Sussex, NJ 07461

And
Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 PM &
Friday Mornings from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
at Integral Nutrition
314 Route 94 South
Warwick, NY 10990

Telephone: 1 800 969 4129 Fee: Individual classes $10.00
Subscription for 5 consective Classes $25.00 Individual sessions with instructor $35.00
Information: About Hatha Yoga Yoga, noun (Sanskrit, union) in Hindu philosophy, a practice involving intense and complete consentration on something, especially the diety, in order to establish identity of consciousness with the object of consentration: it is a mystic and ascetic practise usually involving the discipline of prescribed postures, controlled breathing and inner visualization. Websters 20th Century Dictionary

Hatha Yoga, noun (Sanskrit, union) The most popular form of yoga, Hatha emphasizes health and well-being through breathing exercises, special postures (called asanas), and concentration. Gorakhnath, a Hindu master yogi who lived about 1000 AD, created many of its primary breathing exercises and postures, including the famous lotus position. What most people simply refer to as "yoga" is, in fact, Hatha yoga. Yoga has proven a very effective way to blend exercise with relaxation techniques. Its popularity in the West exploded during the late Sixties. Exercises and class techniques vary widely -- for some it's just a workout, and for others, well: "Normally the Hatha yogi with the calm mind focuses awareness at the ajna center half an inch above where the eyebrows join and directs awareness to move through that center into a super-conscious state. The individual life, the finite life, meets and fuses temporarily, at first, with the infinite life." So whether you're in the market for a healthy new exercise regimen or a temporarily fused infinite consciousness, Hatha yoga may be worth investigating.

Welcome

Dear Prospective Yoga Student,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our yoga classes and explain a little about hatha yoga.

Yoga is a 5000 year old scientific method of promoting a strong, healthy body, reversing the aging process, developing the powers of the mind, and developing spiritual knowledge. It can be used to achieve any of these individual goals or to achieve all of them. Some students may only be interested in the physical part which deals with the body. This is perfectly valid. Some may be interested in developing both the mind and the body and will find that there is an inter-relationship between them. Others will also want to be involved in the spiritual aspects of yoga. What ever your interest is, yoga can be beneficial to you with only a little practice each week.

Our classes meet on Monday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 9:30PM and on Friday mornings from 10:00AM to Noon. Bring a blanket and an exercise mat or two blankets. Wear warm loose fitting clothes, an aerobics outfit or leotards and tights with a sweat suit on top would be good. The class starts with 5 minutes of deep relaxation and breathing while you are laying on your back. We then do a series of about 30 stretching and bending exercises, some standing, some sitting, some on your back, some laying on your stomach and some kneeling. Most of them are easy and can be done by any one. A few are more difficult and require some practice. It is recommended that you only do what you feel comfortable with. You may sit out on any that are too difficult . You will find that after doing the class for only 3 or 4 weeks all the exercises seem much easier. At the end of the class we do breathing exercises for 5 minutes and then you have the option of doing deep relaxation or meditation for 10 minutes. The fee for the class is $10.00 for individual classes. Individual instruction and stress reduction is available at $35.00 per class.

Click on the directions to the studio link, on the home page, to see an area map with directions to the studio. A list of exercises and suggested reading is shown below. Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of any help to you with yoga, tension reduction or meditation. I will be looking forward to seeing you at class.

Sincerely,

Stephen Carver

Yoga exercises performed in class. First Set:
1) Deep breathing, 5 minutes, laying on back, hands at sides, palms up.
2) Right Knee to chest, forehead to meet knee, repeat with left knee and then both.
3) Leg lifts, right, left, both; move toes up and down while doing these.
4) Stretch hands above head while lying on back, point toes, stretch out totally.
5) Lying on back, bring hands straight out at sides, bring right toe to left hand, turn head to look at right hand, repeat on the opposite side.
6) Stand up, stretch arms up toward ceiling, come up on toes try to touch ceiling.
7) Standing up, bend over, let hands dangle down by toes, relax, let head dangle down.
8) Stand up, bring right hand to left toe, bring left hand up toward ceiling, turn head and look up at left hand, repeat on the opposite side.
9) Stand up, bring left hand down thigh, bend sideways to the left, raise right over head
and so that it is pointing to the left, repeat on the opposite side.
10) Dancers pose: stand up, palm together over head, bend knees so you are squatting, heels come up off floor, stand up come up on toes and balance.
11) Tree Pose: bring left foot against right thigh, bring palms together over top of head, balance on one foot, repeat on opposite side.
12) Tree Pose (variation): bring left foot over the front of right thigh, bend forward, bring hands down toward floor, balance on one foot, repeat on opposite side.
13) Dancers Pose (second variation): raise left foot behind you, grasp left ankle with left hand, bend forward, bring right hand out straight, balance on one foot, repeat on opposite side.
14) Sun Salutation:
        (1) standing, feet shoulder width apart, arms raised up in front, salute and visualize the sun.
        (2) bring palms together at heart, take a deep breath, bend down and sweep the palms along the floor in front    of you.
        (3) stand up, bend over backwards with knees bent a little, bring palms together over head, look at wall behind you.
        (4) bend forward, put palms on floor beside feet.
        (5) move right foot back so that right knee is on the floor, arch back and head up.
        (6) bring left foot back even with right, arch buttocks up in the air.
        (7) bring knees, chest and chin down to the floor,
        (8) come up into the Cobra Pose, hands on floor, lower stomach on floor, back and head arched up.
        (9) push back up into the arch, hands and feet on floor, buttocks up in the air.
        (10) move right foot back so that right foot is between hands, left knee is on the floor, arch back and head up.
        (11) left foot steps up next to the right, hands are still on the floor, head hangs down.
        (12) stand up and bend over backwards with knees bent a little, bring palms together over head, look at wall behind you, straighten up, bring hands down to the sides, relax, breath deeply for 30 sec. Repeat this exercise 3 more times. The second and the last time bring the left leg back and forward first.
15) 2 minutes, deep breathing laying on back, hands at sides, palms up.

Second set of exercises (done laying on floor):

16) Right Knee to chest, forehead to meet knee, Repeat with left knee and then both.
17) Leg lifts, right, left, both; move toes up and down while doing these.
18) Shoulder Stand and the Plough: do these at your own pace, hold the pose as long as it feels comfortable, sit up, roll backwards, so buttocks comes up in the air, support the back by bringing the elbows down on the floor and the palms in the small of the back, bring the legs over behind the head, let the knees dangle down by the ears, straighten the legs up into the Shoulder Stand, feet are pointing straight up in the air, lower the legs back down into the Plough position, toes are touching the floor behind the head.
19) Fish Pose: sit up, bring elbows on the floor behind you, hands under the small of the back, arch backwards so top of head is on the floor.
20) Bridge Pose: Lying on back bring feet up close to the buttocks, thrust stomach up the head.
19) Fish Pose: sit up, bring elbows on the floor behind you, hands under the small of the back, arch backwards so top of head is on the floor.
20) Bridge Pose: Lying on back bring feet up close to the buttocks, thrust stomach up and support lower back with palms.
21) Wheel Pose: Lying on back bring feet up close to the buttocks, bring palms on floor beside ears, push up so that you are on the top of your head and feet, thrust stomach up and raise head off floor with palms next to ears.
22) Deep breathing, 1 minute, laying on the back, hands at sides, palms up; sit up and lay down on the stomach so that you are facing in the other direction, make a pillow with the arms turn the head to one side, deep relaxation 1 minute.
23) Cobra Pose: laying on stomach, bring ankles together, bring hands on floor under shoulders, keep lower stomach on floor, arch back and head up. 24) Boat Pose: laying on stomach, bring ankles together, bring arms and palms together in front of you, raise both arms and legs off floor so that you are balancing on your stomach.
25) Bow Pose: laying on stomach, bend legs up at knees, reach back behind you with both arms and grasp ankles, pull so back is arched, rock back and forth on stomach.
26) Locust pose: laying on stomach, make fists and bring them under the hips, raise the right leg , left leg, then both at once.
27) Deep breathing, 2 minutes, laying on stomach.

Third Set of Exercises (kneeling and sitting poses):

28) Cat Cow Pose: come up on hands and knees, bring head back, let belly bow down, and slowly reverse the posture by arching the back up and letting the head hang down, repeat the movement several times.
29) Diamond Pose: come up on the knees, bring the palms to the small of the back, bend backwards, hold this for 30 sec., reach down and grab the heels, thrust chest forward, arch back.
30) Child's Pose: still kneeling, bring head to floor in front of you, clasp hands around behind the back, raise arms up straight in the air.
31) The Lion Pose: kneeling, sit back on the heels, bring hands on the knees, stick out tong, roll eyes up into forehead, take a deep breath and say hum out loud.
32) Head to Knees: sit with left foot against the right thigh, grasp toes or ankle, bring head down toward knee, repeat on the left side, then with both legs together, out in front.
33) Shoulder Rolls: while sitting, roll shoulders up, back, around, and down several times, repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.
34) Neck exercises: move head forward and backward, then from left shoulder to right shoulder several times, twist head so you are looking over left shoulder then around to the right shoulder, repeat several times, roll head around several times, repeat in the other the direction.
35) Eye Exercises: Roll eyes up and down, right to left several times, around in a clock wise circle and then counter clock wise.

The fourth set of exercises and deep relaxation:

36) Head Stand, Half Headstand or Tripod: kneeling bring head to floor, place hands on floor so that they form an equilateral triangle with the head, bring knees up on elbows, slowly raise legs so they are pointing straight up. Do this only if are ready and have some one to help you, you can hurt your self if you fall !!! Remember to roll out of this by doing a somersault if you start to fall over backwards.
37) Breathing exercises, practice contracting and relaxing the diaphragm in rapid succession while forcing the air in and out through the nose (breath of fire), practice taking in the maximum amount your lungs will hold, then expelling every drop of air
you can by contracting the chest and stomach muscles.
38) Vocal Cord Exercises: fill your lungs up with air, pronounce OM until the breath is
gone, repeat several times.
39) Gazing at candle while sitting in the easy pose.
40) Deep Relaxation or Mediation: concentrate on rhythmic breathing and total relaxation, may be done siting up (active) or laying down (passive).

Important Things to Remember * Do only what you feel comfortable with, don't push your self, just sit out the exercises that seem to be to difficult, work up to the more difficult exercises slowly by practicing the easier ones.
* After practicing for a couple of weeks your body will start to stretch out and become more limber, if you are not used to exercising in this fashion or getting much exercise at all it may take a little while to get into shape.
* Always wear warm loose fitting clothes and have some good padding underneath you.
* Don't eat a big meal right before doing yoga, moderate amounts of food is all right. Suggested Reading

The following can be found at your local library or book store:

The Complete illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda Bell publishing Co. Inc., New York

The Sivananda Companion to Yoga by The Sivananda Yoga Center A Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York

Integral Yoga Hatha by Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchitananda Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles