Over the centuries, yogis have devised methods on lifestyle management. With years of research, The Yoga Institute has made some of these tenets applicable to your daily routine with a Twenty-one Day Better Living Course which has gained immense popularity over the years.
It is estimated that habit formation takes about twenty-one days. There is a heart-warming anecdote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi in which a mother came to him with her son and complained about the young man’s habit of eating excessive jaggery.
Gandhiji listened quietly and told the mother to come back after twenty-one days. After twenty-one days, confused and frustrated, the mother asked Gandhiji what took him so long to give advice to her son. Gandhiji replied that it took him all those twenty-one days to get rid of his own habit of eating too much jaggery and it is only now that he was worthy to persuade her son into leaving the habit!
Gandhiji strongly believed that nothing else can change without changing oneself. To bring about a change in oneself, we need to cultivate good habits. A habit is formed when we do something repeatedly or day after day unconsciously. Our day-to-day activities sum up the quality of our lives. Those who are not satisfied with their lives must make the effort to correct faulty habits and poor lifestyles.
With an open mind and little effort, we can dramatically bring positive changes into our lives. Developing good habits requires a strong will power, focus, determination, and discipline. The Better Living Course has been planned in such a way that it meets these objectives. It explains what yoga is and is not and provides a simple course of yoga which can be undertaken safely by a householder while doing his/her regular duties. The course duration is twenty-one days since it is believed that anything practiced regularly for twenty-one days becomes a habit.
21 Day Better Living Course Content
This certificate course offers an excellent introduction to the discovery of Yoga. It is designed for householders and working professionals who may devote a little more than an hour every day to learn more about yoga and experience the difference in their daily lives.
Experienced teachers trained at the institute explain yogic concepts and their practical applications to everyday life. The topics covered are: Maharshi Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga or the Eight-Fold Path, Asanas, Pranayamas, Kriyas , and other unique techniques developed by years of research at the institute. Regular live Parisamvad sessions with Smt. Hansaji Yogendra included in the course schedule are very popular with the participants as they can interact personally with a living Guru and seek answers.
Eight-Fold Path of Yoga/ Ashtanga Yoga
Those who are new to yoga may wonder what the Eight-Fold Path is. This is a way of self-control and discipline introduced by Maharshi Patanjali around 200 B.C. or even earlier to quieten one’s mind in order to merge with the infinite.
Maharshi Patanjali, a great Indian sage, was a grammarian, physician, and a philosopher. In his phenomenal text, the Yoga Sutras, a set of 195 aphorisms, he has presented the purpose, scope, and methods of a science of self-development. In his view, yoga was a process of complete control over one’s personality in order to discover one’s own true self. The ultimate goal was to transcend our mortal human existence and to experience the absolute in consciousness. Maharshi Patanjali, who summarized the ancient practices in an organized way, has given methods to attain this goal in his Eight-Fold Path as listed below.
I. Yama (Restraints)
Ahimsa (Non-violence)
Satya (Truth)
Asteya (Non-stealing)
Brahmacharya (Self-control)
Aparigraha (Non-greed)
II. Niyama (Observances)
Shaucha (Purity/cleanliness)
Santosha (Contentment)
Tapa (Fortitude)
Svadhyaya (Self- study)
Ishvarapranidhana (Surrender to the will of God, Higher Reality as you perceive)
III. Asanas (Physical Postures)
IV. Pranayama (Regulat ing the Breath)
V. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of Senses)
VI. Dharana (Concentration)
VII. Dhyana (Meditation)
VIII. Samadhi (State of Oneness)
The Eight-Fold Path or Ashtanga Yoga, as stated by Maharshi Patanjali, tersely articulates the moral principles upheld in the Bhagavad Gita.
Maharshi Patanjali defines the word Asana as Sthira Sukham Asanam. In other words, an asana is a bodily pose or posture which gives steadiness and is also pleasant and comfortable. Ancient yogis developed some of these poses to sit in meditation for long periods of time. Inspired by nature – plants, animals, insects and birds – they developed some other physical postures. Asanas aim to effectively accomplish neuro-muscular co-ordination, and synchronize the responses of nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory and excretory systems. These are not merely physical exercises to develop muscles and a strong body but they also bring about physical, mental, and spiritual well-being in those who practice them regularly.
Among other asanas, a selection of the following significant poses has been included in the 21 Day Better Living Course:
Sthitaprarthanasana (Standing prayer pose), Ekpadasana (One foot pose) , Talasana 1,2 (Palm tree pose), Utkatsana (Chair pose) , Konasana 1,2, 3 (Angle poses, 3 variations), Vakrasana (Twisting poses, 3 variations), Parvatasana (Mountain pose), Bhujangasana (Cobra pose), Makarasana (Crocodile pose), Yashtikasana (Stick pose), Pavanamuktasana (Anti-flatus pose), Shavasana (Corpse pose)
With a little practice, these asanas can be easily mastered by the participants during the course. It is believed that practicing a few asanas with total concentration and focus is better than performing too many difficult asanas. Concentration, focus, and balance while practicing asanas is strongly recommended. The participants are advised to choose a few asanas or do the entire routine daily.
Must know: 7 Asanas you should perform daily
Yogendra Rhythm
The founder of the institute, Shri Yogendra Ji, experimented and analysed extensively the right ratio of breathing time to the holding time during the performance of the asanas. He observed Nature’s rhythm and concluded that the right ratio is 1:2:1—that means the holding time is twice the time of inhaling/exhaling. Practicing asanas by following this rhythm has various advantages. Our breathing is affected when we perform different postures. For example, in forward-bending postures, the abdomen and the chest area become smaller, and the lungs are contracted, so exhaling is advised. On the other hand, in backward-bending postures, the chest and abdomen spaces expand, therefore, inhalation is advised. When twisting, these spaces are contracted and hence, we have to breathe out during twisting and breathe in during ‘untwisting’.
Pranayama is the f ourth step of Maharshi Patanjali’s Eight-Fold path. Etymologically, Pranayama can be d ivided into two words – Prana and Yama. Prana is the vital force through which life is sustained and Yama is controlling or regulating this life force. We can control our mental activities by regulating the breathing processes.
During the 21 Day Better Living Course, through introduction of Pranayama, the res piratory system is trained, the respiratory muscles are strengthened to allow better oxygenation.
Pratyahara
We receive knowledge about the external world through our senses. Our eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue provide these inputs continuously and our mind interprets this information as good or bad. With these continuous inputs, our brains are flooded with relevant and irrelevant information. One important duty towards our self is to maintain a balanced state of mind all the time. However, with the continuous bombardment of sensory information, sometimes our thoughts run amok like a drunken monkey. Whenever we really need to concentrate, we have to watch out for these distracted thoughts and control our senses. It is the mind which can control the senses and there are some unique yogic techniques such as the Yoni Mudra which effectively do so.
Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
These are higher yogic techniques and require prolonged dedication and practice to master. Some of these methods are introduced as conditioning and relaxation techniques during the course.
Kriyas
Kriyas are yoga hygiene practices. These are also called six Shatkriyas – Neti, Dhouti, Basti, Nauli, Kapal Bhati and Trataka. The Shatkriyas are purificatory practices and take care of all parts of the body.
The following are the aims of practicing Yoga hygiene:
The 21 Day Better Living Course includes the study of kriyas such as Jalaneti, Kapalrandhra Dhouti , Karna randhra Dhouti, and Kapal Bhati.
To live a healthy and joyful life, ancient yogis have developed their system of education by devising different techniques for the care of all the body parts. With a daily practice of asanas, the body can achieve a great power of endurance; through different kriyas, the inner organs are purified and made free of toxins; with pranayamas, the fl ow of bio-energy in the body is controlled.
Bhavas – the right attitude
Bhava is the attitude with which a yoga technique is practiced. The four Bhavas are – Dharma, Jnana, Vairagya, and Aishvarya, in that order. There is a predominant Bhava in every technique but there is the possibility of experiencing all the Bhavas in the same technique.
Dharma means duty; it also implies discipline. It improves our concentration and our knowledge about our self. Jnana means knowledge, and after gaining knowledge, we realize that we are not the doers and that there is a higher power which does everything and we are only instruments. This cultivates humility and the attitude of letting-go. This attitude is called Vairagya. When ego is discarded, there arises clarity of mind. This results in joy and elevates self-esteem. This feeling is Aishvarya. In this way, all four Bhavas are inter-related and one positive attitude or Bhava leads to another. Personal growth happens only when we approach life positively.
Yoga gives significance to the four important lifestyle aspects as preventive and curative measures for any ailment – Ahara, Vihara, Achara, Vichara (AVAV).
Aahar – Food: what to eat, when to eat, how to eat, how much to eat and what not to eat.
Vihar – Relaxation and Recreation: wellness through rest, creative activities and healthy relationships.
Achar – Behavioral Patterns: routines to set and follow to improve one’s lifestyle.
Vichar – Thought Processes: encourage positive thought patterns to achieve goals in life.
More about the Course Details
This course has been conducted at The Yoga Institute for over half a century with the objective of applying yoga philosophy into the daily lives of participants. More than one lakh participants have successfully completed this popular course over the years. During the times of the lockdown, when the on-campus courses could not be held, this course was redesigned for an online set-up. Presently, both the online and offline courses are offered in English and in Hindi and they start on the first Sunday (7 a.m.) of every month with morning and evening batches. The course continues for twenty-one consecutive days without a weekend break and each session is of 1 hour 30 minutes. Every participant is given a hard copy of the 21 Days textbook for easy reference. Participants who attend at least 18 sessions are eligible to receive a course completion certificate.
Learn More: 5 ways to add Yoga to your life
Prerequisites of the course
Prior registration is required as every batch has only 30 seats and registrations are made on a first-come, first-served basis only. Although the course is open for all, people with severe health problems are not advised to join this course. They may join the specific health camps or the special regular classes conducted at the institute from time to time.
Course registrations start 3 weeks prior to the commencement of the course and close two days after the commencement of the course. On the first Sunday of every month, spot registration for the course starts at 7:00 a.m.
During their visit and stay on campus, participants cooperation is expected in following all the safety protocols laid down by the institute. Since this is a non-residential course, outstation students are required to make their own lodging and boarding arrangements. Participants also have to bring along their personal yoga mats, water bottles and face masks.
Making Yoga your way of life
When you complete the 21 Day Better Living Course with an open-minded approach, you will find that your life has changed forever. A regular practice of the various asanas, techniques and yogic principles will complement your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and make your life livelier.
Check Out Our Course: 21 Days Better Living Course (Online | On Campus)