“Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha” book is written by Swamy Satyanandha Saraswathi disciple of Swamy Sivanada Saraswathi. Swamy Satyanandha Saraswathi founded International Yoga Fellowship, Bihar School of Yoga (1964) and Sivanada Math. In 1983, Swamy Nirajananda Saraswathi was appointed as a president to Bihar School of Yoga, he guided the development of Ganga Darshan, Sivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation. Swami Satyasangananda (Satsangi) Saraswathi disciple of Swamy Satyanandha Saraswathi, is an efficient channel for the transmission of her guru’s teachings.
“Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha” book is recognised as one of the most systematic yoga manuals available internationally. It is first published by the Bihar School of Yoga in 1969, it has been reprinted thirteen times and translated into many languages. This book serves as the main reference text for yoga teachers and students of Bihar Yoga/Satyananda Yoga and other traditions. The book provides clear illustrations, step-by-step directions, and details of chakra awareness, guiding practitioners from basic to advanced hatha yoga practices. It includes a therapeutic index for doctors and yoga therapists, incorporating recent research into yoga, and meets the standards of a university text.
The word yoga means ‘unity’ or ‘oneness’ , derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means ‘to join’. Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonising
the body, mind and emotions. This is done through the practice of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, shatkarma and meditation. Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh explained yoga as an “…integration and harmony between thought, word and deed, or integration between head, heart and hand”. There are many branches of yoga: raja, hatha, jnana, karma, bhakti, mantra, kundalini, laya, etc.
The yoga we know today was developed as a part of the tantric civilisation which existed in India and all parts of the world more than ten thousand years ago. Tantra is a combination of two words, tanoti and trayati, which mean ‘expansion’ and ‘liberation’ respectively.
Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, called the eight-fold path, comprised of yama, self-restraints, niyama, self-observances, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, disassociation of consciousness from the outside environment, dharana, concentration, dhyana, meditation and samadhi, identification with pure consciousness.
Asana, the first part of hatha yoga, is essential for achieving physical and mental steadiness, calmness, and comfort. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, asana is defined as a position that is comfortable and steady. In hatha yoga, asanas are specific body positions that open energy channels and psychic centers, serving as tools for higher awareness and providing a stable foundation for exploring the body, breath, mind, and beyond. The practice of asana helps control the body, which in turn aids in controlling the mind, making it a fundamental aspect of hatha yoga.
