Exam Review

26 important questions on Exam Review

What is Santosha and how do you achieve it?

Santosha is contentment, and it is in generally achieved by thankfulness.

What is the point of surrender (niyama) and what is it called in sanskrit?

Ishvara Pranidhana is all about trust. Letting go of control and trusting that things will come.

What are the five branches of yoga?

  • Jnana yoga: intellectual approach. Studies texts.
  • Karma yoga: being of service. Ghandi. Selfless action.
  • Raja yoga: the royal path. Meditation. We get ready for meditation through asanas and pranayama.
  • Bhakti yoga: devotion. Kirtan (chanting). Mantra. Offeringer flowers.
  • Hatha yoga: Asanas
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What are our thoughts and beliefs and habits that we constantly see the world through called in sanskrit?

Samskaras

What is the liberation from Samsara (the cycle of reincarnation) called?

Moksha

What is Parusha and Prakriti?

Parusha: The spark of life.
Prakriti: everything manifested (matter).

What are the three gunas and how do they relate to our asana practice?

Sattva
Rajas
Tamas

Everything is made out of this.

In Asana practice we want to balance our gunas to find Sattva.

What are the three most important Bandhas and what is their function?

Mula Bandha: Pelvic floor - Stability and control of pelvis
Uddiyana Bandha: Diaphragm - Upward Flying lift
Jalandhara Bandha:  Throat - breath controller
  • Pull chin down and back and lift chest to meet chin


--> Maha Bandha: the great lock (all three combined)
By activating all three a vacuum seal is created controlling the flow of prana by either holding it in or keeping it out.
So, Bandhas are for creating the flow of energy through the body.

What are the two meanings of pranayama?

Prana yama: breath control
Prana ayama: breath expansion

Describe Nadi Shodhana.

Alternate nostril breathing. It balances out energetic level of the nervous system.
In yoga it is said that it balances to nadis called Pinkela and Ida.
Pingela: right, masculine, sun.
Ida: left, feminine, moon.
--> balancing masculine/sun and feminie/moon energy

What are the 7 chakras called and where are they located?

Muladhara - Root chakra
Svadhistana - Sacral chakra
Manipura - Naval chakra
Anahata - Heart chakra
Visuddha - Throat chakra
Ajna - Third Eye chakra
Sahasrara - Crown chakra

Describe the root chakra. (Sanskrit,  colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Muladhara
Colour: Red
Verb: I am
Function: survival (gathering what I need to survive)
Demons: fear (anything taking you away from feeling safe)
Guna: tamas (heavy, inerged)
To balance muladhara: standing and seated poses focused on grounding.
When balanced: grounded, secure in who you are.

In a nutshell: About what is needed for survival: safety.

Describe the sacral chakra. (Sanskrit,  colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Svadisthana
Colour: Orange
Verb: I feel (allowing yourself to be passionate, sexual, emotional)
Function: desire and creativity
Demon: guilt
Guna: tamas
To balance Svadisthana: hip opening, fluid flow.
When balanced: creative, friendly, attuned to feeling, sexually expressed.

In a nutshell: connected to sexuality, but also largely to all creativity: to think and bring things into the world that does not already esist, e.g. Babies, art etc.

Describe the naval chakra. (Sanskrit, colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Manipura
Colour: Yellow
Verb: I can (your own personal power, being strong)
Function: willpower
Demons: shame (what takes you away from willpower and confidence)
Guna: rajas
To balance Manipura: twists, abs, surya A+B
When balanced: joyful, good self-esteem, strong personal power.

In a nutshell: all about whether you have power in your own self, in being able to take the next step and feeling strong in moving through life.

Describe the heart chakra. (Sanskrit, colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Anahata
Colour: Green
Verb: I love (towards yourself and others)
Function: love
Demons: grief/sadness (taking us away from feelings of love)
Guna(s): Raja/sattva
To balance Anahata: Backbends/heartopeners, pranayama.
When balanced: unconditional love, compassionate, empathetic, emotionally balanced.

In a nutshell: All about the relationships we create with other people and the love we feel for them and for ourselves.

Describe the throat chakra. (Sanskrit, colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Visuddha
Colour: Blue
Verb: I speak
Function: Communication
Demons: Lies (going against speaking your mind)
Guna(s): Rajas/Sattva
To balance Visuddha: shoulder and throat opening, chanting, Jalandhara Bandha
When balanced: good speaker, articstic, centered, lives in the now.

In a nutshell: all about speech and expressing oneself.

Describe the third eye chakra. (Sanskrit, colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Ajna
Colour: Indigo
Verb: I see
Function: intuition
Demons: illusion (seeing things that are incorrect)
Guna: Sattva
To balance Ajna: meditation, child's pose, full pranam.
When balanced: no fear, charismatic, total vision, master of oneself

In a nutshell: Wisdom. Helps you perceive a cosmic vision beyong the physical world. Connects you to your intuition and illuminates everythung as it is without the filter of your past, expectations, or judgment.

Describe the crown chakra. (Sanskrit, colour, verb, function, demons, guna, how to balance, when balanced, in a nutshell)

Sanskrit: Sahasrara
Colour: Purple/white
Verb:  I know
Function: Understanding
Demons: Attachment (anything that takes you away from your true self)
Guna: Sattva
To balance Sahasrara: meditation, headstand
When balanced: no fear of death, miracle worker, open to the divine (not religious to an extreme extent, but only in a healthy way)

In a nutshell: Consciousness. All about understanding the divine and knowing that there is more to you.

Describe box breath (sanskrit, how to, benefits)

Sanskrit: Sama vritti which translates to equal fluctuations.
How to: making inhales and exhales equal lenth and building towards making the pause inbetween the same length.
Benefits:
  • Builds awareness
  • Reduces stress
  • Improves lung capacity
  • Introduces breath retention  

Describe Ujjayi (translation, how to, benefits)

Ujjayi: victorious breath
How to: resistance on inhale and exhale which activate the vagus nerve
Benefits:
  • The activation of the vagus nerve means the breath is stimulating parasympathetiv nervous response
  • Breath guides moevemnet
  • Helps maintain rhythm
  • Creates presence and awareness
  • Regulates blood pressure
  • Builds internal heat

  

Describe skull shining breath (sanskrit, how to, benefits)

Sanskrit: Kapalabhati pranayama (sometimes called breath of fire)
How to: rapid active inhale, passive exhale.
Benefits:
  • Builds heat and clears out impurities
  • Brins clarity and lightness to frontal cortex
  • Promotes digestion by massaging organs
  • Cleanses nasal passages and lungs
  • Improves circulation by increasing heart rate  

Describe tongue hissing breath (sanskrit, how to, benefits)

Sanskrit: Sitali Pranayama
How to: make a straw with tongue, breath in through it. Breath out through nose. Alternative: breath in through teeth (Shiktari).
Benefits:
  • Cooling effect

Describe Humming bee breath (sanskrit, how to, benefits)

Sanskrit: Brahmari Pranayama
How to: stick thumbs in ears. Close eyes, put fingers on eyes. Breath in through nose. Breath out with closed libs and hum 'OM'.
Benefits:
  • Turns off the monkey mind

Describe Viloma I, II, and III. (how to and benefits of each)

Interrupted breathing.
Viloma I:
  • Interrupts inhale
  • Benefits: rajas increase. Sympathetic tone.
Viloma II:
  • Interrupts exhale
  • Benefits: tamas increases. Vagal tone, so parasympathetic.
Viloma III:
  • Interrupts inhale and exhale
  • Benefits: Sattva increases. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic.
  

What was the grandfather of modern yoga called and what is three people he taught?

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya taught Iyengar, Pathabi Jois, and Indra Devi (mother of modern yoga).

Who was Patthabi Jois?

Created Ashtanga Vinyasa:
  • A number of set sequence.
  • No or few modifications and props
  • Athletic

Abusive - including sexual.
Not as focused on alignment as Iyengar.

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