Centre for Yoga Studies

The Art of Personal Sādhana

  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS
Skip to content
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS
YOGA TEACHINGPersonal & Professional Study
YOGA JOURNALNews Views & Blog Posts
YOGA FREENOTESOnline Texts & Commentaries
  • WELCOME TO YOGA FREENOTES

    • Yoga Texts & Freenotes Overview
    • Saṃskṛta Indexed Word Glossary
    • Paul’s Contact Options
  • YOGA SŪTRA FREENOTES

    • Yoga Sūtra Freenotes Overview
    • Yoga Sūtra All Verses Online
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 1
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 2
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 3
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 4
    • Yoga Sūtra PDF Workbooks
    • Krishnamacharya’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Desikachar’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Paul’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Paul’s Sūtra Questions Collated
    • Paul’s Sūtra Key Words Collated
  • SĀṂKHYA KĀRIKĀ FREENOTES

    • Sāṃkhya Freenotes Overview
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā All Verses Online
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā PDF Workbook
    • Desikachar’s Sāṃkhya Quotes
    • Paul’s Sāṃkhya Quotes
  • BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Bhagavad Gītā Freenotes Overview
    • Bhagavad Gītā Quotes Collated
    • Bhagavad Gītā All Verses Online
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 1-6
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 7-12
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 13-18
    • Bhagavad Gītā PDF Workbooks
    • Gītārtha Freenotes Overview
    • Gītārtha Quotes Collated
    • Gītārtha All Verses Online
    • Gītārtha PDF Workbook
  • UPANIṢAT TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Upaniṣat Texts Freenotes Overview
    • Upaniṣat Textual Quotes Collated
    • Upaniṣat Texts PDF Workbooks
  • HAṬHA YOGA TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Haṭha Yoga Freenotes Overview
    • Haṭha Pradīpikā All Verses Online
    • Yoga Rahasya Quotes Collated
    • Yoga Rahasya All Verses Online
  • ĀYURVEDA LIFESTYLE FREENOTES

    • Āyurveda Freenotes Overview
    • Āyurveda Collected Posts
  • WELCOME TO THE CENTRE FOR YOGA STUDIES

    lakṣaṇa

    Devanāgarī: लक्षण Translation: characteristic, attribute; a symptom or indication of disease Opposite words:vilakṣaṇa Related concepts:nāma, rūpa

    Appears in

    Yoga Sūtra:

    Chapter 3: 13 , 53

    Sāṃkhya Kārikā:

    29


    Click here for complete Saṃskṛta Index

    Commentaries around

    “Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is a Lakṣaṇa Sūtra in that it
    describes the characteristics of Yoga as Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.”
    – TKV Desikachar

    “The mind has the characteristics that make other things possible.
    To develop tendencies or Saṃskāra.
    The mind can also adapt and change or Pariṇāma.
    Saṃskāra is the opposite of Pariṇāma.”
    – TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

    “The Āsana in which you sit can alter the characteristics of the breath.”
    – TKV Desikachar 1980

    “Forward Bends are back stretching Āsana in terms of Bhāvana.
    Thus in Paścimatāna Āsana one of the foci is on avoiding pushing
    from the lower back as you bend forward.
    Thus move forward from the abdominal area by drawing it back,
    to encourage the lower back to respond by lengthening.
    If we push from the lower back in forward bends,
    such as Paścimatānāsana, it can tighten this area,
    thus inhibiting the focus on the quality of the Apāna Lakṣaṇa,
    as well as transferring stress to the sacrum, hips and hamstrings.”
    – 108 Postural Practice Pointers

    “As a teacher it can be helpful to consider Āsana as
    vehicles to transmit the fundamental principles of practice.
    For example a cardinal principle of practice is that Āsana
    have a primary and a secondary aspect within their Lakṣana.
    Thus we must inquire into what is the primary aspect in this Āsana,
    and what is the secondary aspect in this particular Āsana?
    The idea is to maintain the integrity of the primary characteristics.
    Thus we may need to compromise the secondary characteristics.
    For example in Uttānāsana to sustain the primary work in the spine
    we can consider a secondary compromise by releasing the knees.”
    – 108 Postural Practice Pointers

    “To help facilitate the characteristics
    inherent within a particular ratio,
    the mental counting needs to be
    stronger than the mental mood.”
    – 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

    “The ‘seed’ of potential for Ujjāyī as an
    Ajapā Mantra abides within the ‘shell’ of
    a Bhāvana for Ujjāyī as a Dhāraṇā Deśa.
    The Deśa also needs to be supported by
    utilising a locationally relevant Ādhāra,
    as in this instance, the Viśuddhi Ādhāra.
    Further considerations can be around the
    linking of the sound of Ujjāyī to a semantic
    thought-form, by adding Mano Japā Rūpa to
    this Ajapā, as some do through using Haṃsa.
    However, one could argue that this formation,
    shifting from a non-language feeling-based
    experience into a language thought-based
    experience, can detract from the Bhāvana,
    in that a unique Lakṣaṇa of Ujjāyī resides in
    the notion of ‘sounding’ without language.”
    – 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

    Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
    “This would also involve a theoretical study of
    the Lakṣaṇa of individual or groups of Āsana.
    This is supported by exploring the advantages and
    disadvantages of movement or stay in specific Āsana.
    All of which to help in appreciating which Āsana
    are best used dynamically, or which Āsana are
    best used statically and which Āsana can serve the
    practice in both a dynamic and static application.”
    – 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
    – The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

    Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
    “Consequently in looking at the principles
    of working with dynamic and static,
    we must consider the following:
    – The Lakṣaṇa of the chosen Āsana
    – The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s body
    – The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s breath
    – The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s mind
    – The Vinyāsa Krama to link the Āsana
    with the practitioner’s individual
    body, breath and mind.”
    – 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
    – The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

    “My Āsana study with Desikachar was shaped around forming
    a deep appreciation of specific core principles that underpin
    the planning and practice of Āsana and their application to
    the individual student’s constitution, psychology and need.
    Amongst these dozen or so core principles,
    the first group when looking at any Āsana in depth,
    were the concepts of Nāma, Rūpa and Lakṣaṇa, or the
    name, form and characteristics of that particular Āsana.
    Obviously, the Nāma is a useful tag point for identification
    and the Rūpa is vital as a reference point for the Sat Viniyoga,
    or right application of the Āsana within overall considerations of
    initial direction and outcomes through such as the Śikṣaṇa Krama,
    Rakṣaṇa Krama or Cikitsā Krama application of the forms used.
    However, I do feel these days that our understanding in Āsana
    practice is more dominated by the Nāma and the Rūpa with
    little emphasis on the Lakṣaṇa or inherent characteristics of the
    Āsana and how understanding this aspect can have a profound
    effect on the approach, application and outcome of the overall or
    accumulative impact of the Āsana within the student’s practice.
    The teachings of Krishnamacharya around Āsana included
    an in-depth appreciation of the Lakṣaṇa, especially around
    the thirty or so primary and secondary support Āsana such as
    Uttānāsana, Jaṭhara Parivṛtti, Bhujaṅgāsana or Januśīrṣāsana.”
    – 108 Teaching Path Pointers

    Links to Related Posts:

    • A sample Parivṛtti and Paścimatāna Themed Group Practice
    • Can we find some similar characteristics between various individuals around Āsana practice…
    • Guidelines for skilful dynamics within the performance of Vīrabhadrāsana……
    • Nāma, Rūpa, Lakṣana – The Name, Form and Characteristics of Āsana
    • The Viniyoga of Inversion as an Āsana or as a Mudrā……

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to print (Opens in new window)

    Related

    This glossary with its similar, opposite and related concepts categories, supplemented by textual references and additional commentaries around the key word, is a both work in progress and constantly ever-expanding in terms of further cross-references, textual cross links and commentaries.
    As it continues to develop your comments and suggestions on your experience and how it may be enhanced are very welcome via this link, thank you.
    Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: cysuk by Underscores.me.