This should be required reading for anyone serious about hatha yoga. This physical practice has been defined to create a distinction between meditation and breath work. Rider and company 178202 great portland street, london, w. It is one of the first books in english to describe and illustrate a substantial number of yoga poses.
This enabled him to still and direct his mind to achieve a higher state of awareness where the name yoga or union comes from a union with the infinite. While many of the oldest mentioned asanas are indeed seated postures for meditation. This is the reason why yoga today american yoga is not so much the. His account of oldstyle hatha yoga as a spiritual path, hatha yoga. By 1961, thanks to the power of television, americans everywhere were learning a nonreligious, decidedly unspiritual form of yoga exercise. This remarkable jewel of a book is an unrecognised classic in yogic literature.
The report of a personal iv see also the wellcome trust funded project the breath of life. Theos casimir bernard december 10, 1908 death date unknown, probably midseptember, 1947 was an accomplished american practitioner of yoga and tibetan buddhism, a scholar of religion and explorer theos bernard pioneered indian and tibetan studies at columbia university. List of asanas last updated december, 2019 padmasana, lotus pose, used for meditation. Hatha yoga your guide to fitness, yoga, exercise equipment. Upon rereading the text this time using a copy from the uc davis library i was struck with just how arduous and focused was bernards quest. In fact, most contemporary types of physical activity can be accurately characterized as hatha yoga. Hatha yoga by theos bernard is small book of 104 pages. An indian yogi named svatmarama wrote the hatha yoga pradipika in the fifteenth century c. He also documented, in both still photography and 16mm film, the ageold civilization of.
After i read the book on hatha yoga by theos bernard in 1989 awakened my curiosity, and it was my first book on the subject. The description in the text of the next practice, called ujjayi. The way to accomplish this audacious goal, the destruction of death itself is. The hatha yoga pradipika is a classical manual on hatha yoga. In 1947, theos bernard was on a mission to the ki monastery in. The report of a personal experience is a 1943 book by theos casimir bernard describing what he learnt of hatha yoga while in india.
Next to nothing is known about him, although his name may provide a clue. He practiced all the regular asanas, mudras, bandhas, and kriyas including many extreme and demanding forms. Hatha yoga and other exercise integral yoga teachers. Understanding the 5 basic approaches to yoga dummies. Theos bernard is one of the rare individuals who has done so. Tantra yoga is a type of yoga that employs various rituals to study the universe through the human microcosm.
Hatha yoga by theos bernard and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Contents consist of preface, introduction, asanas, purifacation, pranayama, mudras, samadhi, recommended reading, and index. Bernard was no dilettante or weekend warrior when it came to hatha yoga. It was written in sanskrit by swami swatmarama, a disciple of swami goraknath, in the 15th century. This leads theos wrote in his book hatha yoga to the samadhi of raja yoga, the fruit which destroys death, is the means of obtaining happiness, and gives the brahmanbliss. It offers a detailed and articulate account of traditional hatha yoga practices that are rarely encountered in western yogic texts. Hatha yoga the report of a personal experience by theos bernard, m. The practice of general postures comes closer than any of the other five. It wasnt about getting into lots of postures, but about learning to train his body to sit for three hours. He began teaching and lecturing on yoga on the upper east side of manhattan, where he met a wealthy polish opera star who first became one of his students and, later, a romantic interest. The hatha yoga pradipika is one of the most renowned and accessible texts written on the ancient practice of hatha yoga. Yoga, tibet, asana, lhasa, hatha yoga report this link download pdf. Hold the posture steady as an archer would hold the arrow aimed at. Jun 08, 2017 hatha is broad term that refers to the physical processes of yoga, hence any pose that involves twisting, bending or balancing falls into this category.
The report of a personal experience, is a rare insight into the way. Random practice of the techniques of hatha yoga, without regard as to. To assess the effects of yoga exercises on the flexibility of the spine in male and female students aged 1922 years old. The yoga scholar and practitioner theos bernard, in his 1944 hatha yoga. Theos bernard pioneered indian and tibetan studies at columbia university. The three classical texts on hatha yoga hatha yoga pradipika. Kundalini yoga is a dynamic blend of exercises, postures, breath and meditation to fulfill your need to improve, expand, refresh and rejuvenate in a fast paced world that is in constant change.
As a method for physical fitness and health maintenance as a sport as bodyoriented therapy as a comprehensive lifestyle as a spiritual discipline yoga as fitness. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. During his stay, he amassed the largest collection of tibetan texts, art, and artifacts in the western hemisphere at that time. Thai yoga massage in some circumstances it is more helpful to have your instructor stretch your body out. He was the nephew of pierre arnold bernard, oom the omnipotent, like him becoming a yoga celebrity. Jan 09, 2015 this leads theos wrote in his book hatha yoga to the samadhi of raja yoga, the fruit which destroys death, is the means of obtaining happiness, and gives the brahmanbliss. Theos casimir hamati bernard 19081947 was an explorer and author, known for his work.
Success cannot be attained by adopting a particular dress vesa. This yoga routine has been taught by the author of this paper over many years to more than 2. Bernard, theos 19081947 early writer and teacher on hatha yoga, who. An asana is a body posture, originally a sitting pose for meditation, 1 and later in hatha yoga and modern yoga, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses to the meditation seats. I n hatha yoga, the yogi philosophy of physical wellbeing, william walker atkinson describes the branch of and ancestral philosophy that deals with the physical body, and stresses its splendid foundation upon which the student builds a sound and strong body necessary for one to do his best work hatha yoga, the yogi philosophy of physical wellbeing consists of a series of lessons dealing with. Yoga and exercise in research involving the health bene. Seeing the poses sparked a burning fire in me of learning the great skill to do those asanas.
To start with, you work with the body, then you move to the breath, then to the mind, then to the. It is considered to be the oldest surviving text on hatha yoga. In 19361937, theos casimir bernard made an extraordinary pilgrimage to tibet in search of adventure and spiritual enlightenment. The report of a personal experience, stated that he was prescribed a group of asanas i calculated to bring a rich supply of blood to the brain and to various parts of the spinal cord. Women have separate yoga classes, taught by a female instructor, but the routine is similar to this. To start with, you work with the body, then you move to the breath, then to the mind, then to the inner self.
Asanas postures, various kumbhakas breathing techniques, and other divine means, all should be practised in the practice of hatha yoga, till the fruit. The way to accomplish this audacious goal, the destruction of death itself is to awaken the divine energy, kundalini. While practicing this posture imagine yourself as an archer with the gaze focused on the target and the arrow firmly yet gracefully being pulled back in the bow. There are 36 black and white plates in the book showing bernard demonstrating various poses. Pdf effects of hatha yoga exercises on spine flexibility in. Believed to have been written in the fourteenth century c. Theos bernard hatha yoga free ebook download as pdf file. Bernard was already an ardent practitioner of hatha yoga but was eager to gain knowledge of the esoteric teachings within yoga. Bernhard deals at length with the many postures, purification and breathing exercises used in the orient by those yogis who have attained enlightenment. From septemberdecember 2011, a 12week randomized dosing trial was conducted comparing weekly vs.
Since the late 19th century, when yoga was introduced to the western hemisphere from its indian homeland, it has undergone various adaptations. The hatha yoga pradipika of svatmarama is one of the most important yoga texts, and hans. It means one who delights in ones atman, indicating the achievement of a state of bliss. The yoga sutras of patanjali define asana as a position that is steady and comfortable.
Yoga has become important in the lives of many contemporary westerners, sometimes as a way of improving health and fitness of the body, but also as a means of personal and. Although yoga has its origins in ancient india, its methods and purposes are universal, relying not on cultural background, faith or deity, but simply on the individual. Jul 31, 2014 the board is a collection of all my favorite yoga based literature. Hatha yoga, or hatha vidya the science of hatha yoga is commonly misunderstood and. Hatha is broad term that refers to the physical processes of yoga, hence any pose that involves twisting, bending or balancing falls into this category. It is one of the first books in english to describe and illustrate a substantial number of yoga poses asanas. Gilt bronze statue of bodhisattva manjusri and prajnaparamita, nepal, c. Returning to america, bernard continued working on his dissertation at columbia university, hatha yoga. The report of a personal experience 1950 a modern classic of yogic experience i first read this extraordinary book in 1974, having obtained a copy from the ucla library.
I an imprint of the hutchinson group london melbourne sydney auckland bombay toronto. Clear, illustrated stepbystep instructions to over 40 key postures. From the sanskrit leading principle or woven together, tantra yoga seeks to balance not renounce human instincts in an attempt to reach enlightenment. Benefits and cautions are highlighted for each posture. Pdf effects of hatha yoga exercises on spine flexibility. He was the third american to ever set foot in lhasa, tibet, and the first american to be initiated into the rites of. Hatha yoga, the yogi philosophy of physical wellbeing. The author gives a first hand account of his training to become a yogi. My natural flexibility and practice of karate and jujitsu also supported in. Theos bernard is someone who actually learned classical hatha yoga. He was the nephew of pierre arnold bernard, oom the omnipotent, like him becoming a yoga celebrity his account of oldstyle hatha yoga as a spiritual path, hatha yoga. Ulrich riekers translation and commentary have long been valuable to yoga students as a complement to their practice and study. This enabled him to still and direct his mind to achieve a higher state of awareness where the name yoga or union comes from.
An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, to any type of pose or position, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses. Theos bernard hatha yoga kundalini yoga free 30day. An asana is a posture, whether for traditional hatha yoga or for modern yoga. Hatha yoga, the yogi philosophy of physical wellbeing consists of a series of lessons dealing with the laboratory of the body, the yogi theory and practice of prana, yogi breathing, pranic energy, the control of the involuntary system, the mental attitude, lead by the spirit, as well as actives like the expansion of the self, mental control. First working out the muscles with massage technique then stretching them. Hold the posture steady as an archer would hold the arrow aimed at its target. Experience was published in 1947, which served as a major sourcebook for yogis in the 1950s.
Theos casimir bernard december 10, 1908 death date unknown, probably midseptember, 1947 was an accomplished american practitioner of yoga and tibetan buddhism, a scholar of religion and explorer. Nov 14, 2014 in 1937, theos casimir bernard 19081947, the selfproclaimed white lama, became the third american in history to reach lhasa, the capital city of tibet. Theos casimir hamati bernard 19081947 was an explorer and author, known for his work on yoga and religious studies, particularly in tibetan buddhism. Upon rereading the text this time using a copy from the uc davis library i was struck with just how arduous and focused was bernard s quest. Aero yoga also known as partner yoga, involving holds, mutual balancing, and a lot of fun iyengar yoga prop yoga created by a yoga.