Yoga — The Optimal Lifestyle: More Than 1250 Yoga Postures, With a Supplement on Jet — The Miracle Pet

By Yogini Shubh Veer

This book is the final instalment in the trilogy by the author. The first book, Yoga & Meditation: a holistic approach to perfect homeostasis and health was an introduction to yoga with a hint of meditation. The second book, Meditation & Yoga: Discovering the higher spheres of existence, concentrated more on meditation as a spiritual practice. 
Thousands of photographs of Yogini Shubh Veer, aged between 45 to 70 years, were taken by her students. All the different yoga postures shown, happened spontaneously during deep meditation. The author used to record them as notes and sketches to remember what had occurred during meditation. Unfortunately many postures where adequate notes couldn’t be made were lost. This book still has more than 1,250 different hatha yoga postures described in more than 2,350 photographs. 
Also included is a section about Jet, the miracle pet. She was the life companion of the author, Yogini Shubh Veer, a Siddha Yogini, sharing her life and meditation. In 1994 Jet’s body was exhumed, months after burial, and was found to have remained in an intact state. To date the body is still intact, and she appears to be in a state of suspended animation. Something astounding!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Nov 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781800468481

Yogini Shubh Veer

Yogini Shubh Veer has been teaching Siddha kundalini mahayoga meditation and hatha yoga for more than four decades. She has mastered over 1500 yoga postures, many of which are shown in this book. 

Book preview

YOGA

THE

OPTIMAL LIFESTYLE

YOGA

THE

OPTIMAL LIFESTYLE

MORE THAN 1250 YOGA POSTURES

WITH A SUPPLEMENT ON JET – THE MIRACLE PET

DR YOGINI SHUBH VEER

PH.D. (Y, M & A.M.) USA

PH.D. (A.M.) INDIA

D.SC. (A.M.) INDIA

Copyright © 2020 Yogini Shubh Veer

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

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ISBN 978 1800468 481

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DEDICATED

WITH ALL LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO MY GURUS SHRI SURYANARAYAN & SHRI MAHAVEER

All yoga postures shown in the book are by the author when aged above 40 up to 70 yrs

Photographs were taken by the author’s students

CONTENTS

1.PREFACE

2.INTRODUCTION

3.PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA AND MEDITATION

4.MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA

5.YOGA AND HOLISTIC HEALTH

6.FAITH – SHRADDHA

7.CONCLUSION

8.GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE

9.YOGA POSTURES

MEDITATIVE POSTURES

RELAXATION POSTURES

SUPINE POSTURES

PRONE POSTURES

SITTING POSTURES

TOE BALANCING POSTURES

KNEELING POSTURES

STANDING POSTURES

ADVANCED POSTURES

SURYA NAMASKAR – SALUTATION TO THE SUN

HEAD STAND SERIES

DEEP YOGIC BREATHING

MISCELLANEOUS POSTURES

10.JET – THE MIRACLE PET

PREFACE

Almost five decades back we started the teaching of yoga and meditation. It has helped thousands improve their physical and mental health. There has been improvement in personal and social lives of so many.

To make a wider public benefit from these age old holistic systems, we set out to publish a trilogy: a comprehensive set of books on yoga and meditation, without frills. To give a scientific outlook on the science of yoga in an attempt to help sincere seekers lead a truly fruitful life.

The first book was an introduction to yoga and meditation. Emphasis was on the physical through hatha yoga techniques with an introduction to meditation. Our second book delved deeper into the intricacies of meditation as a spiritual practice.

This present book completes the trilogy we set out to publish. It provides an ‘encyclopedia’ of yoga postures. All the different yoga postures shown were experienced spontaneously by me, during meditation. Only included are these postures. They have not been ‘copied’ from anywhere. I used to record them as notes and sketches to remember what had occurred in meditation. Unfortunately many postures where adequate notes couldn’t be made were lost.

Taken together the three volumes give a comprehensive picture of yoga and meditation.

We have included a supplement on Jet, the miracle pet, whose body stayed intact months after burial. It is an event unique in the field of spirituality. She had been my constant companion for nine short years. After her demise she was buried on the ashram premises. Her body was removed from her grave five months later in an intact state. She is still present at the ashram. This book coincides with the date of her disinterment on July 9, 1994, some twenty five years back.

YOGINI SHUBH VEER

July 9, 2020

INTRODUCTION

The ultimate aim of religion is freedom from the cycle of birth and death. ‘Yoga’ refers to the practical aspect of religion. It means union of the individual soul with the universal soul, the Absolute. Yoga practice helps gain control over the mind through concentration and meditation.

The greatest aid to spiritual unfoldment is meditation. A scientific approach to God and religion, it gives a holistic approach to live life fully. Meditation is intense thought upon God to reveal the immortal, eternal spirit, our true nature. Closing our eyes to glance within and discover the light of our soul! Only individual personal experience counts; not book knowledge nor mere speculation.

Different paths or types of yoga were designed to suit different temperaments. Before attempting meditation, one has to be physically and mentally fit. Hatha yoga has different types of postures for physical perfection and for comfortable sitting in meditation. Bhakti yoga, the yoga of love, is the path of complete devotion to a personal God. Jnana yoga, the path of wisdom, is based on the principle of monism, the non dualistic system of the Vedanta. Karma yoga is the path of action: work is performed as a spiritual discipline. The person is not attached to the fruits of action. Raja yoga deals exclusively with the power of the mind. It is considered the surest path to perfection. Kriya yoga, Laya yoga and Mantra yoga are other yoga paths. Siddha Kundalini Maha Yoga is the true synthesis of all other yoga paths. Here, the different yogas spontaneously occur according to the aspirant’s needs.

It should be understood that all these different yogas are not mutually exclusive. There can be no love, Bhakti without knowledge Jnana, nor knowledge, without love. There can be no work, Karma without knowledge Jnana, nor knowledge without work. There can be no love, Bhakti without work Karma, nor work without love. Only a blend of the three (Bhakti, Jnana & Karma), Love, Wisdom and Work, leads to Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation and realisation.

All paths of yoga have existed from remote past. They were not devised or invented by man. They had been experienced by seers during the superconscious state. These different paths cater to different human tendencies. Each person is thus provided with the means to God realisation according to his inclination. No one can make any excuse not to do so.

Meditation is the highest form of worship, where the individual soul merges with its creator Lord. As a first step, prayer, fasting and idol worship etc may be considered. But one has to keep going higher and higher, not stagnating at the level one started. Everyone will have to evolve to reach meditation and selfless action.

God communion is known as meditation. Meditation is practical religion. We are not asked to believe blindly. We do need verification! How can we claim that God exists if we have not seen Him? Or we have a soul if we do not feel it! If we have a soul we must sense it. If there is a God we must see Him. He is not the God of a select few to be seen by them alone! He is the universal perfect God for anyone to see. Meditation is the science that teaches us how to get these perceptions.

The process of meditation enables us get spiritual sustenance from the subtle forces of nature and provide the subtle body necessary nourishment and ideal conditions for progress. Prayer becomes direct personal experience; no longer externalized and separate! Meditation is the great scientific method of knowledge. It rids us of our ignorance and superstition. The mind gets knowledge and the spirit, food.

In deep meditation there is no body consciousness. The body is forgotten. No matter what the bodily condition, stress is eradicated, replaced by a state of absolute wellbeing and inner joy. The mind, when completely free, enjoys rest and peace. This state of complete calm and perfect rest is only possible through the scientific discipline of meditation.

Progressively one attains the highest state of purity and is able to transcend the intellect. Meditation gives intensity to our thoughts. The more concentrated they are, the more the potential power. There is no limit to the power of the human mind. We rediscover our spirit, our true identity, our true nature, the Higher Self, pure and perfect, in the true likeness of our Creator Lord. The aim of meditation is to realise this perfection.

All knowledge in the world has to be gained through concentration. Meditation teaches that all knowledge has its source in the concentration of the mind. Existence cannot be limited to consciousness (awareness and memory), and sub-consciousness (instinct or habit). Meditation reveals a higher state: the superconscious state.

Man is a most ignorant being. He knows only one part of himself. So he obviously knows but one part of the universe, not the whole of it. The subconscious, conscious and superconscious are the three states of the mind. Together they constitute man’s intelligence, and the Universal Intelligence. Man knows only one part of the three states of his intelligence; day to day ‘consciousness’ is only one part of the three states that make up human nature.

In his ignorance, he neither knows the subconscious nor the superconscious. Only knowledge of all three states will make the human perfect. The three states merged, reveal his untapped intelligence, his true potential. Man knows only one part of God just as he knows only one part of the universe. All the rest is beyond cognition. Man’s own imperfect knowledge makes him see imperfection in God and His creation.

The basis of the unconscious is the conscious. The unconscious thoughts (impressions) are the millions of our old conscious thoughts, conscious actions, sunk deep within our subconscious mind. This is the potential danger: some of these past impressions are still acting within our subconscious. They represent the unconscious causes that might bring our downfall. It is therefore vital to control the unconscious and bring it under the control of the conscious.

The most crucial consists of going beyond the conscious. When we reach the superconscious we become free and divine. That is the goal of this phenomenal life: the infinite realm of the superconscious. This is man’s spiritual perfection which can only come through living a life of yoga and meditation. Meditation is the highest form of prayer, the highest activity. God has to be known here in this life. If not been found here, He would be found nowhere else.

Concentration and meditation lead to Samadhi, the final state of meditation. These are the three stages to God realisation. Samadhi is the tranquil state where the conscious mind has subsided completely and the Self manifests itself in its exalted, glorious nature; the state of pure being, of peace, the state of divine communion; the individual spirit becomes merged with the Universal spirit and realises perfect Oneness. It is the state of salvation; transcending the bondage of birth and death; attaining freedom; the state of spiritual realisation, God consciousness.

The mind stops, all thought waves stop; the world stops. Consciousness expands. The ultimate goal of meditation is to reach this pure consciousness. It is the highest state man can attain and become capable of enjoying his full potential. True religion begins after one reaches the state of Samadhi.

The science of meditation has as its basis the science of yoga. Yoga is a way of life. All spiritual and religious knowledge are revealed through yoga. Yoga consists of different methods of spiritual practice to enable us realise our true divine nature and merge with our creator. All the different yogas are but stages in preparation for meditation. The various practices help the vital process of purification and gaining perfect control of body and mind. Thus, a yogic way of life should be adopted.

Each discipline or science has its own principles that have to be adhered to meticulously for the best results. Unless the body is strong enough it will not respond. Some yogic breathing exercises will strengthen the physical state. Yogic breathing is the easiest way of gaining control of ‘prana’, the cosmic energy in the body. Furthermore, for meditation to succeed a balanced diet is an absolute must. Over eating or too much fasting disturb a steady mental effort.

The earlier stages in most yoga disciplines are meant to quieten the mind in preparation for meditation leading ultimately to awakening of the kundalini, the inner power, the vital life force lying dormant in us all. When the body is sufficiently disciplined, control of the mind becomes less difficult. A peaceful mind is man’s greatest friend. For the mind to be calm one has to have a peaceful life, achieved through self discipline and moderation. This will decrease all tendencies to sense objects. Additionally, mantra repetition helps by preventing the mind to flit from one thought to another.

Day by day the world is plunging deeper into spiritual sickness, the greatest ill of all times. Only deep meditation will lift the veil of ignorance and reveal to man his true nature. Only a highly moral life makes of meditation a success; purity of mind, purity of action and purity of speech alone will reveal God to man. To experience divine awareness, a constant prayerful attitude is absolutely necessary. One has to live a life of self discipline and moderation based on the highest moral values. Morality is the means to spirituality. It is not spirituality. Spirituality is the culmination of the highest morality – Perfection.

The path to God realisation is through the mind. To control the mind, we have to meditate. Meditation teaches us what we really are. It helps us make use of the powers and forces in the body to make the mind stronger until it regains its lost glory. The only way to understand the Absolute and the universe is to go beyond reason, beyond consciousness: beyond what is known. Only when we go beyond them will we find ‘Perfect Harmony’, and not before.

The perfect human is the one who through life long practice of yoga and meditation attains to this truth.

PHILOSOPHY

OF

YOGA

AND

MEDITATION

Yoga is practical philosophy and practical religion. Meditation is the very foundation of Yoga. Yoga philosophy is meditation philosophy. They are one and the same. Yoga means union with the Absolute and meditation is the means to this union. Rather than mere physical fitness, yoga is an enlightenment practice. Meditation is the great scientific method of knowledge. Meditation rids us of our ignorance and superstition. The mind gets knowledge and the spirit, food.

Yoga is an applied science of the spirit, mind and body, helping bring about a natural balance of body and mind, leading to an enhanced state of health. Physical yoga techniques should never be seen apart from the philosophy of yoga. Else we risk not understanding the significance of yoga and never achieve the core spirituality that this art has to offer.

The basic philosophy of yoga is simple: mind, body and spirit are all one and cannot be separated. Yoga philosophy comprehensively deals with every aspect of life and delves into the very nature of reality. It shows how to eliminate suffering from human life through the realization of a higher identity.

The search for happiness is inherent in every being. But most settle for temporary pleasures, failing to achieve anything higher. After many lives of dissatisfaction with fleeting pleasure might start the search for everlasting happiness. When worldly pleasure, instead of happiness brings pain, we start looking elsewhere for meaning. In the later stages of spiritual evolution, pain is no longer needed to impel us. When we get a taste of such peace and happiness, it is motivation enough to entice us go higher and higher. Reward is then the prime mover.

The central doctrine of Yoga philosophy is that nothing exists beyond the mind and its consciousness, which is the only ultimate reality. Its aim is to uproot misconceptions about the existence of external `realities` from the mind. It advances that it is possible to reach this stage of self realization through regular practice of yogic meditative processes that bring a complete withdrawal or detachment from all false sources of knowledge and inculcate an inner sense of balanced calm and tranquility.

Yoga philosophy gives insight into every aspect of life: the spiritual, the mental and the physical. Central to the philosophy of yoga is the Law of Karma, the concept of reaping what you sow! Karma is the future cost of present actions, in thought, behavior or deed. However, karma is not our fate. We have the freedom to choose how we react to any event, thereby reducing the current impact of our karma and eliminating or reducing future karma.

Yoga traces back to the Vedas, the oldest books of humanity. Ancient Vedic sages taught this combination of philosophy, religion, science and ethics. They showed how to holistically muster physical, mental, and spiritual resources. Yoga shows how right discipline restores or maintains homeostatic balance. It helps create an internal environment to achieve a natural balance of body, mind and spirit, crucial for perfect health and happiness.

Yoga consists of several paths to suit different tendencies. Among the most popular are Karma yoga, the path of selfless work and duty; Bhakti yoga, through devotion and worship and complete surrender to the Lord; Raja yoga, the realization of divinity through the control of mind; Jnana yoga, through right knowledge and direct experience.

Yoga is both theoretical and practical. The postures and meditation are the practical side while knowledge of human problems and their remedy is the theoretical. Yoga teaches how to attain that superconscious state, to reach God. Yoga and meditation is practical religion. One is the means, the other, the culmination.

Yoga and meditation target every aspect of our being, whether physical, mental, emotional, psychological or spiritual. The aim being complete wellbeing. Yogis understood the importance of being healthy both within and without. Hatha yoga is very helpful in getting a beautiful and well-endowed body. Yoga postures also strengthen internal organs and cure various ailments. But yoga does not by itself create health. It creates an internal environment that allows an optimum state of dynamic balance.

Above all, yoga postures are meant for preliminary purification or conditioning of the body for spiritual development. Yoga helps build a serene and untroubled mind and the awareness that our highest self is identical with the spirit of God. It helps achieve a healthy harmoniously integrated unit of body, mind and spirit.

It is a widespread belief that we are just body and mind. We are body, mind and spirit. Without perfect equilibrium among all three, ill health, sorrow and eventual failure ensues. Body, mind and spirit are closely interrelated. Physical health and well-being cannot be dissociated from mental, emotional and spiritual states. Good health does not result from taking care of just the physical body. Emotional