October 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Pregnancy
Srivatsa Ramaswami
October 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami–pregnancy
In September I taught a four day (8hr) online program on pranayama and Yoga for Internal Organs. It was organized by Atmayogashala in Chennai. It was well attended, We briefly covered 10 different types of pranayama and also discussed about the yoga procedures available to maintain a healthy heart (hrudaya kosa) and circulatory system, healthy lungs (svsa kosa) and the respiratory system, and other systems as digestive, urinary, reproductive and excretory systems.
Pregnancy
When I was studying with Sri Krishnamacharya he would give considerable importance to the involvement of women in yoga practice. Here are a couple of slokas he dictated on pregnancy
पूर्वतान द्विपाद्बद्धकोण पद्म चतु्टयम् ।
शीर्ष सर्वाङ्ग पवनायामैः गर्भो विवर्धते ॥
pūrvatāna dvipādbaddhakoṇa padma catuṭayam |
śīrṣa sarvāṅga pavanāyāmaiḥ garbho vivardhate ||
This sloka lists the yoga procedures for a healthy development of a fetus, They are purvatanasana or anterior stretch pose, dvipadapeetam or desk pose, baddha konasana also well known as cobbler pose and then padmasanam or lotus pose. Additionally it includes sirsasana or headstand, sarvangasana or shoulder stand and an adequate number of times pranayama or yogic breathing exercises.
आद्यं जठरभागस्य विवृत्तिः कोण पञ्चकम् ।
शीतली नाडिका शुद्थिः द्विपाद्पीठञ्चवज्रकम् ॥
दण्डासनं पूर्वतानं सुखप्रसव हेतवः ॥
ādyaṃ jaṭharabhāgasya vivṛttiḥ koṇa pañcakam |
śītalī nāḍikā śudthiḥ dvipādpīṭhañcavajrakam ||
daṇḍāsanaṃ pūrvatānaṃ sukhaprasava hetavaḥ ||
Here are the procedures that may be helpful for normal delivery. They would include Jataparivritti (I) the five konasanas. They are trikonasana, baddhakonasana, urdhvakonasana, upavishtakonasana and suptakonasana/pasvakonasana, Then among pranayama specifically sitali pranayama, nadishodhana, Further asanas would include, dvipadapitam or desk pose, vajrasana, dandasana or staff pose and purvatanasana.
The pictures are from my book “Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga”
In India
