Obstacles and Aids

• The sadhaka must be aware of the obstacles which distrub his pranayama practice consciously or unconsciously. He should avoid distractions and lead a disciplined life to prepare his body and mind.

• Patanjali gives a list of obstracles to yogic practices. They are: sickness(vyadhi), lack of mental disposition, doubt about one's practices, insensibility, laziness, sensuality or rousing of desire when sensory objects possess the mind, false or invalid knowledge, failure to attain continuity of thought or concentration, inability to continue the practice due to slackness and failure, pain, despair, unsteadiness of the body and breathing. These either originate in man or are due to natural calamities and accidents, man-made afflifctions, brought about by overindulgence and lack of discipline, affect the sadhaka's body and mind. Their cures are laid down in yoga texts.

• It may be noted that out of thirteen obstacles to yogic practices mentioned by patanjali, only four deal with the physical body, namely,sickness,laziness, unsteadiness of the body and respiration. The remaining nine obstacles deal with the mind. The sage mentioned the stage of asanas to enable the sadhaka to get rid of the obstacles affecting the physical body, before he was ready to tackle the mental obstacles by the practice of pranayama.

• The Hatha yoga pradipika mentions the six destroyers of yoga practices; over – eating, over exertion, useless talk, undisciplined conduct, bad company and restless inconstancy. According to the Bhagavad Gita, yoga is not for those who gorge themselves, starve or sleep or stay awake too much. The yoga upanisads include bad physical posture and self – destroying emotion, like lust, anger, fear, greed, harted and jealousy.

• To continue these obstacles. Patanjali offered the four-fold remedy of friendliness and feeling at one with all that is good, compassion with devoted action to relieve the misery of the afflicted, delight at the good work done by others, and avoidance of disdain for feeling superior to the victims of vice. The hatha yoga pradipika prescribes enthusiam, daring, fortitude, true knowledge, determination and a feeling of detachment, of being in the world but not of it, as the means to overcome the obstacles in the path of yoga.

• By moderation in eating and resting, by regular working hours and by the right balance between sleeping and walking, yoga destroys all pain and sorrow, says the Bhagwad Gita. Yoga is working wisely and living a skillful, active life in harmony and moderation. What the sadhaka needs most is single-minded, devoted practice.

References

The above mentioned information is added from the book called LIGHT ON PRANAYAMA by B.K.S. IYENGAR.