PERKEMBANGAN YOGA
Pengkajian sejarah yang berhubungan dengan keberadaan yoga yang tertua dimuka bumi,adalah temuan kepurbakalaan di Harappa dan Mohenjodaro (Pakistan) berupa patung patung Dewa Siwa dan Dewi Parwati yang sedang melakukan berbagai asanas yang berbeda.Peradaban ini diyakini telah ada sebelum jaman veda (sebelum peradaban bangsa Arya). Sejak masa itu tradisi meyakini bahwa pencipta Yoga adalah Dewa Siwa sendiri sedangkan murid pertamanya adalah Dewi Parwati.Menurut Hatta Yoga Pradipika (abad XIV),yang dipercaya sebagai guru Yoga pertama adalah Matsya yang kemudian dinobatkan dengan nama Matsyendrasana. Yogi penerang Yoga asanas adalah Gorakhnat. Sedangkan Maharsi Patanjali adalah penyusun kitab yogasutra yang popular disebut Astanga Yoga atau Raja Yoga. Jumlah total asanas dalam system Yoga kuno itu,mula mula sebanyak 8.400.000 Asanas,menunjuk kepada jumlah total badan wadag atau bentuk bentuk kehidupan yang ada dimuka bumi.Asanas- asanas tersebut menggambarkan perubahan yang progresif dari bentuk kehidupan yang paling sederhana menuju kehidupan manusia seutuhnya (ras manusia super).Melewati kurun waktu berabad abad,asanas asanas itu telah berkurang jumlahnya dari beberapa ratus asanas yang diketahui hingga sampai sekarang sekitar 1000 asanas yang dikenal secara terperinci.
Dalam Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Asana atau yogasana merupakan langkah ketiga berupa latihan sikap tubuh untuk mencapai keadaan yang nyaman dan mantap (sthiram sukham asanam). Latihan asanas dilaksanakan untuk memperkuat kemampuan seseorang untuk duduk pada satu posisi secara mantap dan nyaman dalam jangka waktu yang panjang,karena hal ini diperlukan untuk menempuh pelajaran berikutnya seperti
pratyahara, dharanam dan dhyanam untuk mencapai Samadhi.Berbagai teknik asanas telah diciptakan oleh para yogi sebagaimana digambarkan dalam naskah kuno Hatta Yoga Pradipika dan Geranda Samhita. Asanas atau Yogasanas merupakan pondasi untuk membangun jalan spiritual,karena itu para yogi menganjurkan praktek asanas sebagai bentuk meditasi dan penyucian batiniah, bukan sekedar olah tubuh belaka. Sebagai jalan menuju Raja Yoga, latihan latihan dalam disiplin Hatta Yoga tidak saja mencakup asanas,melainkan juga pranayama,mudra dan bandha.
Beberapa asanas,partial Hatta Yoga telah memberi kontribusi penting dalam dunia pengobatan moderen dewasa ini ketika manfaat manfaat setiap asanas dieksplorasi melalui riset kesehatan dengan hasil yang sangat efektif sebagai upaya pencegahan dan pengobatan berbagai penyakit.Buku buku tentang Yogic Healing yang mereferensi basis Hatta Yoga pun semakin banyak ditulis pakar kesehatan moderen dalam dekade terakhir ini. Senam Hatta Yoga untuk peremajaan dan kebugaran, mulai bertumbuh dalam club club kebugaran atau sanggar sanggar aerobic di pusat pusat kota.Yogasana dari Hatta Yoga dilakukan secara perlahan dengan perpaduan rileksasi dan konsentrasi.Dengan cara ini,susunan syaraf,kelenjar endokrin dan organ tubuh bagian dalam dan juga otot otot distimulir untuk berfungsi sebagaimana mestinya.Sebab itu,praktik yogasana yang benar akan memberikan efek positif bagi vitalitas fisikal dan kejiwaan yang amat berguna untuk menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit.Yogasanas berkembang pesat sehingga menjadi popular diberbagai belahan dunia; apakah dalam kemasan original Hatta Yoga atau dalam paket lain “bercampur aduk’ dengan seni kebugaran fisik lainnya.Dalam hal yang belakangan ini, konsep konsep Viniyoga atau vinyasa flow of yogic postures menjadi lebih diminati. Karena rangkaian gerak dinamis beberapa asanas ini mirip dengan senam yang lazim dijumpai dalam pusat pusat kebugaran. Beberapa vinyasa yang paling popular misalnya adalah rangkaian asanas Surya Namaskar dan Candra Namaskar,disamping 18 Kriya dari Babaji’s Hatta Yoga yang diyakini mampu memberikan kesehatan,penyembuhan dan peremajaan. Istilah yoga kemudian hampir identik dengan latihan latihan asanas yang dinamis (vinyasa).Sekedar melakukan gerak peregangan atau stretching untuk memudahkan yogasanas pokok (Hatta Yoga), banyak orang mengatakan ia sedang berlatih yoga.Bahkan,ketika melihat figure duduk khusuk dengan tangan bersidekap didepan dada,banyak orang menyebut itu adalah Yoga Samadhi.
Perluasan pendekatan yoga kedalam system therapy telah memberi kontribusi berharga sebagai suatu pelengkap efektif untuk menangani penyembuhan penyakit ; baik pada masa pengobatan maupun pada masa rehabilitasi. Fakta menunjukkan bahwa yoga juga telah memainkan peran vital dalam pencegahan penyakit. Banyak club kesehatan telah memasukkan yoga sebagai bagian dari schedule mereka atau bahkan hanya mengajarkan yoga saja (khususnya Hatta Yoga). Yoga menjadi populer di seluruh dunia dengan berbagai kemasannya. Ada istilah Yoga Klasik untuk menyebut praktek yoga yang didasarkan pada satu proses latihan fisik dan mental guna memahami dan mengalami secara langsung realisasi diri (pencerahan spiritual). Ada juga Yoga Iyengar yang menunjuk kepada system latihan yoga sebagaimana yang diajarkan oleh B.K.S Iyengar (salah seorang murid dari Krishnamacharya),kemudian ada Yoga Kripalu yang diturunkan dari garis perguruan Swami Kripalvananda dengan karakteristik kelembutan gerakan asanasnya yang khas,sehingga sangat diminati kaum hawa, ada juga Yoga Kundalini,Divya Yoga dan sebagainya.Karakteristik mereka sedikit berbeda disebabkan oleh penonjolan aspek spesifik yoga yang dipilihnya.Disamping itu ada juga Yoga Integral atau integral hatta yoga yang memadukan semua partial yoga kedalam bentuknya yang utuh.Yoga integral ini disosialisasikan dalam garis perguruan Maha Yogi Shri Swami Sivananda Sarasvati dari Hrskesh-Himalaya. Apapaun kemasannya,yoga tetap yoga,mesti belakangan ini telah banyak dimodifikasi dengan motif dan tujuan yang beragam.Hattha Yoga Pradipika,kitab yoga yang ditulis sekitar abad ke 14,menyatakan : “Kebijaksanaan Hattha Yoga merupakan langkah eksklusif sebagai persiapan menuju Raja Yoga (Astanga Yoga)”.
Perkembangan popularitas yoga seperti tersebut diatas (lebih tepat disebut Yogasana),pada satu sisi telah memberi andil dalam “mengibarkan’ bendera Yoga ke manca negara,namun pada sisi lain telah membuat pengertian yoga menyempit. Ada yang berbicara yoga dengan hanya menunjuk beberapa postur pisik tertentu (asanas) dan mereka menyebutnya “senam yoga”. Dan akhirnya, bagi sebagian orang, untuk mengatasi pikiran yang gelisah, yoga menjadi pelipur lara.Untuk mengobati penyakit, yoga dipandang sebagai obat mujarab. Bahkan ,ada yang menganggap yoga merupakan fashion yang dapat membuat mereka tampil cantik (rejuvenation life style). Beberapa menggunakan yoga untuk daya ingat, intelligence dan kreativitas. Ada juga yang menyamakan yoga dengan istilah lokal Yoga Semadhi untuk menunjuk orang dengan pose ‘bertapa”.Ada pula yang membedakan yoga dengan meditasi.Yoga dianggapnya bercirikan gerakan gerakan fisik semacam senam lantai sedangkan meditasi dianggap sebuah disiplin yang berdiri sendiri yang berbeda dengan yoga.Penjelasan ini diharapkan dapat menambah pemahaman yang lebih utuh tentang yoga dan juga,meditasi (Dhyana).Jenis yang manapun mau ditekuni tidak masalah yang dilakukan dengan tulus,serius dan berkelanjutan agar mendapatkan hasil yang maksimal. Saya sendiri menekuni Shadow Yoga yang merupakan Hattha Yoga yang telah dikembangkan oleh Guru saya Mr Zhander Naganata untuk lebih jelasnya bisa lihat di www.shadowyoga.com. Jika anda berguru bergurulah pada satu orang agar bisa menimba ilmunya dengan tuntas sebab jika anda datang dari satu guru ke guru yang lain itu ibarat anda membawa gelas yang sudah berisi air setengahnya, bagaimana bisa menerima pelajaran yang diberikan secara tuntas? Karena Yoga itu sendiri bukanlah untuk show up atau dipertunjukkan melainkan bagaimana anda menekuni agar berguna bagi diri sendiri dan orang lain.Untuk lebih jelas silahkan baca beberapa buku yang mengulas tentang Yoga seperti Patanjali Yoga Sutra.(Dikumpulkan dari berbagai sumber)
Senin, 14 Februari 2011
Sabtu, 12 Februari 2011
When, how and why should I repot my bonsai?
Regular repotting of your bonsai to replace important nutrients, 'stale soil' and allow for new root growth is vital to your bonsai's health and growth. Generally, the trees should be repotted at a time when they are most dormant - such as late autumn to early spring, so that they are subjected to the least amount of stress possible. Young or small bonsai require repotting every two or three years, and older and larger specimens less often.
You can tell that a bonsai needs repotting if water takes a long time to drain through the soil or if the roots are crowding around the sides.
To repot, carefully lift the tree out of its current pot by tilting it to one side and trying to move it by the base of the trunk. You can not pull too hard on the trunk - so if this does not work, try tapping the pot with the side of your hand to loosen the rootball or poke a stick through the drainage holes and 'push' the rootball out. Next, using a chopstick, knitting needle, metal hook or similar, remove any moss or accent plants and carefully try to brush and untangle the roots. Start at the edge and gradually work around. Try to 'comb' and 'tug' rather than to 'pull' at the roots - for risk of damaging or tearing some very important main roots.
After this has been done - continue to shake and brush off the soil until about one third to half of the original soil has been removed from the edge and base of the rootball. It would now be a good idea to spray the roots with water to ensure that they do not dry out and so that they will not have too much soil on them when it comes time to pruning the roots.
To prune the roots, use very sharp cutters. There are bonsai root pruning scissors commercially available, however you could just use a normal pair of bonsai clippers.. If you have washed away most loose soil the scissors will stay sharp, but if they have to cut through soil as well as the roots - they will become blunt very quickly and require sharpening. Start by cutting the thick, old brown roots that have come close to the edge of the pot and are restricting the growth of the young 'feeder roots'. Remove a third to a half of these - being careful that you do not remove too many feeder roots in the process. Next, prune the thinner roots which hang below the depth of the pot by trimming them all into a suitable shape that the pot will accommodate. This should be a shape that fits comfortably into the pot with a 1-2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 in) space between the edges.
The demanding part of the repotting is now over - if you think that you've cut too many feeder roots off, the tree will be disadvantaged but you probably will get away with it - as new roots will grow from the cuts.
Clean the original pot thoroughly or select a new pot that is more suited to the tree and cover the drainage holes with simple wire mesh. As the plant will now be unstable in the new pot as it has nothing to anchor it - we have to make some anchors to prevent the tree from falling over from winds or from being moved. Thread some wire (doesn't need to be very thick) through the drainage holes or specially designed holes for anchoring and leave for later use. Add a thin layer of gravel to aid drainage and then a layer of soil. Moving the tree around, decide a basic position for it (usually off-center and slightly to the back of the pot) and make a small mound that it will sit on.
Now you can place your bonsai on the mound by gently nestling it in and spreading its roots out evenly throughout on top of the soil. Once you are happy with the height and position of your tree (it is going to stay like that for 1-2 years), take the wires that you threaded and twist them together (usually with the aid of pliers) over the main rootball of the tree until it is held firmly (but not too tight) and will not rock. Because these wires are quite unsightly, you can remove them in a few months time once the tree has settled in.
Add more soil up to the base of the trunk - which should be just below the base of the pot. Tap the side of the pot with your hand to ensure that the soil becomes settled and that there are no gaps around the roots. Use your chopstick to incorporate the roots into the soil and to make sure that they are placed correctly.
Once the soil has been applied, you now have the option to add supplementary such as rocks, moss, accent plants or gravel to enhance the design. When applying moss - be careful that most of the original soil is cut off from the bottom before you plant it and that the moss (or any other plant for that matter) is not too big or vigorous for the pot or tree.
Now you can thoroughly water the tree - being aware that the soil level may settle further and that more soil may have to be added. Place the tree in a position where it will not receive extremes in temperature (i.e. not direct sun) and where it will be able to recuperate. Don't fertilize at this time - as this can burn or cause stress to the plant. You can feed in around a month though, when the roots have recovered.
Note that to balance out the extensive pruning you have just done on the roots, you should prune the branches of the bonsai as well so that it can recover quicker and not be disadvantaged further. Root growth usually does equal branch growth.
You can tell that a bonsai needs repotting if water takes a long time to drain through the soil or if the roots are crowding around the sides.
To repot, carefully lift the tree out of its current pot by tilting it to one side and trying to move it by the base of the trunk. You can not pull too hard on the trunk - so if this does not work, try tapping the pot with the side of your hand to loosen the rootball or poke a stick through the drainage holes and 'push' the rootball out. Next, using a chopstick, knitting needle, metal hook or similar, remove any moss or accent plants and carefully try to brush and untangle the roots. Start at the edge and gradually work around. Try to 'comb' and 'tug' rather than to 'pull' at the roots - for risk of damaging or tearing some very important main roots.
After this has been done - continue to shake and brush off the soil until about one third to half of the original soil has been removed from the edge and base of the rootball. It would now be a good idea to spray the roots with water to ensure that they do not dry out and so that they will not have too much soil on them when it comes time to pruning the roots.
To prune the roots, use very sharp cutters. There are bonsai root pruning scissors commercially available, however you could just use a normal pair of bonsai clippers.. If you have washed away most loose soil the scissors will stay sharp, but if they have to cut through soil as well as the roots - they will become blunt very quickly and require sharpening. Start by cutting the thick, old brown roots that have come close to the edge of the pot and are restricting the growth of the young 'feeder roots'. Remove a third to a half of these - being careful that you do not remove too many feeder roots in the process. Next, prune the thinner roots which hang below the depth of the pot by trimming them all into a suitable shape that the pot will accommodate. This should be a shape that fits comfortably into the pot with a 1-2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 in) space between the edges.
The demanding part of the repotting is now over - if you think that you've cut too many feeder roots off, the tree will be disadvantaged but you probably will get away with it - as new roots will grow from the cuts.
Clean the original pot thoroughly or select a new pot that is more suited to the tree and cover the drainage holes with simple wire mesh. As the plant will now be unstable in the new pot as it has nothing to anchor it - we have to make some anchors to prevent the tree from falling over from winds or from being moved. Thread some wire (doesn't need to be very thick) through the drainage holes or specially designed holes for anchoring and leave for later use. Add a thin layer of gravel to aid drainage and then a layer of soil. Moving the tree around, decide a basic position for it (usually off-center and slightly to the back of the pot) and make a small mound that it will sit on.
Now you can place your bonsai on the mound by gently nestling it in and spreading its roots out evenly throughout on top of the soil. Once you are happy with the height and position of your tree (it is going to stay like that for 1-2 years), take the wires that you threaded and twist them together (usually with the aid of pliers) over the main rootball of the tree until it is held firmly (but not too tight) and will not rock. Because these wires are quite unsightly, you can remove them in a few months time once the tree has settled in.
Add more soil up to the base of the trunk - which should be just below the base of the pot. Tap the side of the pot with your hand to ensure that the soil becomes settled and that there are no gaps around the roots. Use your chopstick to incorporate the roots into the soil and to make sure that they are placed correctly.
Once the soil has been applied, you now have the option to add supplementary such as rocks, moss, accent plants or gravel to enhance the design. When applying moss - be careful that most of the original soil is cut off from the bottom before you plant it and that the moss (or any other plant for that matter) is not too big or vigorous for the pot or tree.
Now you can thoroughly water the tree - being aware that the soil level may settle further and that more soil may have to be added. Place the tree in a position where it will not receive extremes in temperature (i.e. not direct sun) and where it will be able to recuperate. Don't fertilize at this time - as this can burn or cause stress to the plant. You can feed in around a month though, when the roots have recovered.
Note that to balance out the extensive pruning you have just done on the roots, you should prune the branches of the bonsai as well so that it can recover quicker and not be disadvantaged further. Root growth usually does equal branch growth.
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