Enhancing the Ability to Study

Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

Talk to school students aged 14-17 years in Kolkata, September 2004

Yoga is a very important subject for children. Just as we go to school to be educated

and to increase the capacity of our intellect, when we practise yoga we increase our
capacity to learn much more.

When the famous saint, Swami Vivekananda, was living in Chicago, USA, he used to go to the library, borrow large
volumes of books, take them home and return them the next day. After some time the librarian became curious
and asked him, "Why do you take out so many books when you can't possibly read them all in one day?" Swami
Vivekananda replied that he read each and every page of every book. The librarian could not believe it, and so
Swami Vivekananda asked her to test him. She opened a book, selected a page and paragraph, and asked him to
tell her what was written there. Swami Vivekananda repeated the sentence exactly as it was written in the book,
without looking at it. The librarian was astounded and did more tests. Each time Swami Vivekananda repeated the
exact words written in the book.

Later the librarian discovered that Swami Vivekananda had a photographic memory. He did not have to read
books. His eyes, his mind, would capture the image on the page, and whenever he wished, he could just recall a
book, a page, a sentence. That was the capacity of his brain and mind. How did he develop this capacity? He did
not have it when he was ordinary Narendra, before he became Swami Vivekananda. His life story tells us that he
had many difficulties and problems in his early life. Yet when he started to practise yoga with sincerity, he was able
to develop that quality of the brain known as photographic memory.

We can also develop the potential and quality of our brain and mind provided we know how
to use and apply yoga. Yoga is not a subject for spiritual development or spiritual
realisation. Rather, as the tradition says, yoga is a subject for dealing with the mind.
As students, you have faced your mind. You know how difficult it is to focus on study, how
difficult it is to remember things, how at examination time, despite being full of confidence,
all the effort you have put into your studies suddenly dissipates and your mind becomes
blank in the exam room. Most people have had that experience. We know that to deal with
the brain and to develop its potential is very difficult. But yoga provides the solution.
Exams, memory and concentration

Students often ask how to develop concentration, how to face exams without getting
nervous, and how to memorise. One of the faculties of mind is memory, another is intellect
and another is understanding. Intellect, memory and understanding are the three faculties
that students have to manage. In the past people have thought a lot about how to improve
the quality of the body and mind. The yoga techniques were devised in accordance with the
natural laws of the body. The body has many glands and in children the most important one
is the pineal gland in the centre of the head, which is responsible for the development of the
cerebral, mental faculty. Yoga says that if you can maintain the health of the pineal gland,
which begins to decay after the age of eight, then the learning process, the capacity to
retain information and the memory improve.

To maintain the health of the pineal gland, three techniques were devised. The
first is surya namaskara, which most of you have practised. The second is trataka
for developing concentration. The third is pranayama to balance the two
hemispheres of the brain.

Surya namaskara

The practice of surya namaskara is composed of five different postures which influence
different organs and glands in the body, ensuring they perform in an optimum manner.
Surya namaskara means 'salute to the sun'. It is to be practised in the morning, when there
is calm and quiet, when you are fresh and not under tension and stress from study. It is
done to improve the circulation of the blood, to energise the different parts and
organs of the body and to control the breath.

The breath plays a very important role. When you are angry, or tense, or frustrated, your
breathing will become very shallow and very fast. When you are relaxed and peaceful, the
breathing will be deep and long. Scientifically it has been proven that the breath controls
many activities of the brain and that with control of the breath, we can alter the state
of the mind, reduce the stress level in the brain and nervous system, and
experience harmony and tranquillity.
Trataka

Trataka is the most effective practice for developing concentration. During exam time,
if you do five minutes before you begin your studies, you will find it very useful. Light a candle and
place it so that the flame is at eye level. Look straight at the flame without blinking the eyes for half a
minute, or as long as you are able to keep your eyes open. When you feel the need, close your eyes
and see the afterimage of the flame in front of the closed eyes. When the after image disappears, the
screen in the forehead becomes black. Then open the eyes and again look at the flame without
blinking the eyes. Whenever you close your eyes, you will see the afterimage of the flame, and you
look at that. You will find that the image moves, it won't remain static. Sometimes it will move up, to
the left, to the right, or down, it will keep moving. So you have to make an effort to hold that image
fixed at one point and not allow it to move. Do this for five minutes before going to sleep and before
you begin your studies. In a couple of days you will find you are able to memorise and retain whatever
you read more easily. This practice develops mental concentration. It is most important for success in
studies.

Pranayama Bhramari pranayama, plugging the ears and humming like a bee, balances the two
hemispheres of the brain. One part of the brain is known as the right brain, the other part is known as
the left brain. Many times in the right brain there is nothing left and in the left brain there is nothing
right! So when there is nothing left in the right brain and nothing right in the left brain, then you
cannot focus, concentrate, study or succeed in life! In order to integrate the faculties of both
hemispheres of the brain there is a practice known as nadi shodhana pranayama.

Nadi shodhana has to be done in a specific way. First of all, imagine a staircase. If we look at a stair
case from the side, we will see the steps. We have to co-ordinate our breath as if we are climbing the
steps. For example, if we have to climb seven steps in one breath, we visualise, we breathe in and
step up, we hold the breath, we breathe in, step up, we hold the breath, we breathe in, step up, etc.
So one inhalation is broken into seven steps. Then we breathe out in the same manner, so the
exhalation is also in seven steps.

First close the right nostril. Breathe in - hold - breathe in - hold - breathe in - hold - breathe in - hold -
breathe in -hold - breathe in - hold - breathe in - hold. You take seven steps in one breath. Then
breathe out and come down the seven steps in the same way. Now, close the left nostril, open the
right nostril, and again breathe in - hold - breathe in - hold - for a total of seven steps. Then breathe
out and come all the way down the seven steps. If you feel any strain, reduce the number of steps.

Repeat the same pattern about five times with each nostril to complete the practice of nadi shodhana
pranayama. If you understand and try this practice, you will find that the retention capacity of the
brain will increase. You will be able to memorise and concentrate with much less effort.

To succeed in your studies and to develop control over the mind, these three practices are a must.
Bal Yoga Mitra Mandal

The children who have been demonstrating the practices today are from Bal Yoga Mitra Mandal (Children's Yoga
Fellowship). BYMM has about 81,000 members aged between 8 and 14, and they look after their own
organisation and manage their own affairs. After the age of 14, the children retire from this organisation and join
another one for teenagers. Until the age of 14, we teach basic yoga practices only. Over the years we have
found that many children who are weak in their studies initially are able to give excellent performances. There have
been times when the children have been occupied in teaching yoga to other children in different parts of the
country and have not had time for their own studies. Then just before the exams, they go through their books,
take the exam and come in the merit list. We don't teach the children many practices, only the most basic ones
that students can use to improve their studies and mind.

Yoga nidra

Here is a success story. Once a small boy came to the ashram and although he was never sent to school, he was
taught science, arts, commerce, languages, etc. by a special practice known as yoga nidra. Yoga nidra is a
technique that you can do before you fall asleep in bed at night, but you need a teacher to guide you. While the
boy was sleeping, his teacher would give him instructions, which would be registered by the mind. Often the
teacher would read chapters from books. The next day, when the boy was awake, he would read the same chapter
and the boy would say, "I know that subject, I know the content," and he would be able to describe what was
written in the chapter. This was an experiment which shows that our mind is able to register information even
when we are asleep.

Later, we did an experiment where we gave a young German girl the practice of yoga nidra and taught her various
things during this type of sleep. When her parents sent her to school, she came home on the first day and said, "I
don't need to go anymore because I already know everything they are teaching there." When she was put into the
next class, she said the same thing. Today that girl has attended school very little and still knows all the subjects.
Tests have been taken and she has passed every one. She is only fourteen now, but last year was admitted into a
college. This is an example of how the technique of yoga nidra can work on the human mind .

Make yoga a habit

This is the effect of yoga, and therefore you have to give yoga a chance in your life. If you
are sincerely committed to the practice of yoga, within one year you will be a different
student. If for one year you practise surya namaskara, trataka and nadi shodhana
pranayama seriously, your problems will change. Whereas today you say you have
difficulty in concentration and attention, next year you will be saying you have outgrown
your school and can't obtain admission anywhere because you are too young. So, you
decide which problem you want to face - lack of concentration or the problem of excellence.

The problem of excellence means you have committed yourself. Therefore, do not think of
yoga as a set of physical exercises that we do for health or for eradicating disease or illness.
Think of yoga as a way to improve and develop the strength and quality of the
brain and the mind. Then you will have a very successful life all the way from your studies
to your future life. This is the message of yoga for all of you -practise yoga with such
determination and dedication that it becomes a habit in your life.
How can we settle a fight with a friend without drifting apart as a result?

There is a simple solution. When the fight is over, don't carry it with you. Let it be. Drifting
apart happens when you carry the frustration with you. You fought this morning, but you
are still carrying the effect of the fight this evening. If you carry the impression of the fight
tomorrow, then the day after it will give birth to more hatred and jealousy and you will drift
apart. If you do fight with someone, in the next second look at them, smile and shake
hands. Finish the fight and become friends again. We can fight ten times in a day, but also
make friends ten times in the day. If you can develop this ability, that quality will be
recognised by others as a virtue, as a strength, and people will appreciate you.

How can I control anger?

The easiest way to control anger is to practise shashankasana. This practice controls the
adrenaline and then the aggression and anger vanish. Anyone who gets angry should do
this asana at night and then go to sleep immediately afterwards. The anger will become
controlled within a week.

How can I increase my height?

There are two things you can do. When I came to the ashram, my guru taught me two
postures. One was sarvangasana, where the legs and trunk go up when you are lying
down, and the other was tadasana. Both practices are very good for improving height.
Practise sarvangasana first. Stay in the posture for at least two minutes, because when
the neck is bent in this asana, it affects the thyroid gland, which is responsible for our
physical growth. When there is a problem in its functioning either the body is swollen, which
is the state of hypo-thyroid, or the body becomes thin, which is the state of hyperthyroid.
So practise sarvangasana to regulate and maintain the thyroid gland. After this practice,
lie on your back and rest for a while, then come to your feet for tadasana in which
you should try to stretch as high as possible. The more you stretch, the greater the
effect on your height.
 Scientific Yoga Tuition

Swami Satyananda Saraswati,

B.V.K. College, Visakhapatnam, 11.2.82.

What does yoga have to do with students, with developing the mind, the brain and
the body? I am not going to tell you what the scriptures say, I will tell you what the
scientists say. Do you know the definition of a scientist? A scientist is one who tries to know
and discover the truth by objective analysis and not by faith. Religion is based on faith; you
believe even if you do not really know. In religion there is belief; in science there is
analysis. If I say that pranayama is good for intelligence, it is not necessary that everyone
believes it. But if a scientist does research and finds out how the brain behaves during
pranayama practice: the chemical changes, the type of brainwaves which are emitted and
so forth, we can then come to conclusions based on solid scientific evidence that yoga is
either good or bad for the brain.

In America, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Europe, Japan and Australia, scientists and

doctors are using sophisticated instruments to test the effects of yoga on the mind
and the body. Yogic practitioners are exposed to scientific scrutiny. During the
practice of a particular asana or pranayama, instruments register the effects and
changes that take place in the body and the mind .From these tests, scientists
have come to the conclusion that yogic practices make the brain very efficient;
memory and concentration become very sharp and grasping power and the ability
to recall facts and figures increase.

Even children who are mentally retarded, who have intelligence much below average, are
being taught yoga practices in clinics and in institutions. For a period of one full year they
are taught a few asanas, one or two types of pranayama, concentration on a yantra
(psychic symbol of a geometrical nature) and by these practices their brain faculties and
intelligence improve, Therefore, yoga has to become the prime subject in schools. Without
intelligence, learning in school is of no use, because whatever the teacher teaches is
completely forgotten, or it does not even enter the brain. So, more emphasis has to be
given to scientific yoga tuition in schools. Not only considering what is to be taught but how
it should be taught effectively.

Benefits of yoga postures

What then is asana, pranayama and concentration? These points need to be

understood by all. Certain postures are known as asana: bhujangasana (cobra pose),
shalabhasana (locust pose), sarvangasana (shoulder stand pose), and matsyasana (fish
pose) are a few examples, but there are many more. These asanas are physical positions
which are maintained for a minute or so, and during this period of practice the endocrine
glands in the body, the thyroid, adrenal, pancreas etc., are stimulated and balanced. When
these glands start working efficiently, there is a state of balance created in the body, due to
which many types of diseases are removed.
Each and every asana has its own specific effect on the body. Bhujangasana, for example, is
good for the liver and spine; sarvangasana is good for the thyroid and the abdomen;
halasana together with paschimottanasana influences the pancreatic glands; garudasana is
good for strengthening the ligaments of the whole body. There are certain asanas which
improve eye sight, others improve digestive power, and there are those which improve
memory. Some asanas increase height and weight and others bring control into the mind.
This control of mind is most important for students because without it they cannot study
properly. And when they cannot study properly, they have to do some dishonest business
during examinations.

In regard to the practices of yoga, it is necessary to understand one fact: asana and
physical exercises should not be equated and compared with each other. The exercises and
physical training you do is necessary for the development of your body and muscles. But
asanas are curative; they are therapeutic, and they act upon the internal organs, such as
the heart, lungs, nervous system, excretory system, reproductive system and the other
systems that we have in the body. Yogasanas improve the overall condition and health of
the inner organs of the entire body.

Practice of pranayama

Pranayama are breathing practices in which you breathe in a particular way or retain the
breath for a fixed period of time. You should get yourself properly trained and corrected by
a good teacher because pranayama is a very scientific and exact system of techniques.
Merely breathing through the nose is not enough. Your health depends on the way that you
breathe. If you breathe incorrectly, you will have a tendency towards disease. Many people
breathe only from the chest. Others contract their tummy during inhalation and expand it
during exhalation. This is totally wrong. First the breathing has to be corrected.

The practices of pranayama directly influence the mind and brain. Those students who
suffer bad cough and cold, migraine, poor intelligence; who sleep too much and whose
minds are fickle and restless should definitely practise five minutes pranayama daily. There
are over thirty types of pranayama, but one in particular is good for students and for
children. This is known as nadi shodhana and it can be practised as follows:

Sit in padmasana (lotus pose) or siddhasana (perfect pose) with your spine upright and
straight. Close your eyes. Inhale through the left nostril; exhale through the left. Do five or
ten rounds and then change nostrils. This is the first stage. When this has been perfected,
inhale through the left nostril, then slowly exhale through the right nostril. Again inhale
through the right nostril and exhale through the left. Do this practice very slowly with a
short rest in between each round. Practise five rounds daily.

Then you should learn how to stop your breath. After inhalation, hold your breath for five
seconds; if this is not possible, then hold it for three seconds. Stopping the breath for this
short period of time is very useful for the improvement of intelligence and memory. If the
breath can be easily held for longer periods then so much the better, but there should be no
strain.

These practices should be done in the morning when the stomach is empty. Remember this
point very well: asana and pranayama should not be practised with a loaded stomach.
Children and students come to school after eating their breakfast. If they do asana and
pranayama with a loaded stomach, they will not derive full benefits and it may even be
harmful. Therefore, school and college authorities should arrange things in such a way that
yoga is taught at school, but the children should be asked to practise it at home.

Concentration practices for memory and recall

Yogic practices to concentrate the mind are also very essential for children and students.
Concentration is of two types: on one point and on a series of objects. For the second type
you should sit down quietly with eyes closed and remember a number of items, which you
should know by heart, and try to visualise them. You can visualise anything, whether a
banana leaf, an apple, the rising sun, the half moon, tidal waves and so forth according to
your choice. However it is much better to select things from nature which are soothing to
your mind like the sky, the stars, flowers, fruits, birds and animals, and not such things as a
motor car, a factory or an engine. Choose as many things as you wish; ten, then twenty,
then thirty and then forty. You can go up to one hundred items.

By doing these types of practices, you will improve your memory power. First start with ten
objects. But you must remember that the sequence of objects should be the same every
day and should not change. If you can remember and visualise one hundred objects in one
sitting and go on seeing them like a dream, you will develop a fantastic memory. These
objects should also include colours and mantra such as Om or Om Namah Shivaya, etc.
Even yantras (geometrical figures) can be utilised and visualised. If you have not seen any,
then ask your teacher. These yantras are very powerful in influencing the subconscious and
unconscious mind. Psychologists and scientists say that these geometrical figures work
directly on the deeper levels of mind. There are numerous yantras: sri yantra, tara yantra,
surya yantra, gayatri yantra, baglamukhi yantra and so on. Many yantras are associated
with chakras or psychic centres, each of which has a specific mantra, colour and ishta
devata (presiding deity). All of these concentration practices greatly improve memory.

It is not, however, sufficient merely to have a good memory. You must also have the ability
to recall at any time what is in the mind. This is very important, for example, at the time of
examinations. When we talk about memory, we must know that side by side with the power
of retention, we should also have the capacity to recall facts efficiently when required. Many
children are very bright but they cannot write or pass examinations etc. because they do
not have the power or capacity to recall. To be able to recall facts and figures it is necessary
to practise this type of dharana (concentration) on the flow or sequence of objects, mantra,
yantra, etc. You can try your own sequence, and you can start practising from tomorrow.
The best time is at night before going to sleep. You will have good dreams and also a deep,
restful sleep.

Willpower and one-pointedness

The other type of concentration practice is on one point. Decide on one point. Close your
eyes and try to visualise, to develop that point. Try to manifest that point. Try to make that
point as clear as you would see it outside, but with the eyes closed. Suppose you are trying
to concentrate on a sunflower. Close your eyes and try to see it. If you cannot, then try
again. Keep on trying for days, weeks and months, and ultimately you will be able to see
that yellow petalled sunflower with perfect clarity. It will manifest suddenly, and when it
comes to you, it is an indication that your mind has attained a state of one-pointedness.

A concentrated mind is a powerful mind and a dissipated mind is a weak mind. Those who
want to develop willpower must first of all develop a concentrated mind. A dissipated mind
cannot have willpower. Take a magnifying glass and put it in front of some paper in the sun.
The rays of the sun will quickly burn the paper because the rays have been concentrated.
Remove the magnifying glass and the rays of the sun can do nothing to the paper. Why?
Because now the sun's rays are dissipated. When the rays of the sun are concentrated, they
develop such power that they can burn paper or almost anything.

In the same way, your thoughts are either dissipated or concentrated. If they are scattered,
then they can be brought into concentrated focus by specific yogic practices. Then your
mind will become so powerful you can influence other minds. You can influence your
character, your whole life and your own health or sickness. If you have a stomach disorder,
mental disorder, breathing disorder, or any disorder, you can remove it by willpower alone.
How then can one develop willpower? The secret is to learn to concentrate the mind on one
point.

What type of point should be utilised? Any point can be used: a black dot, a star, a little
flower or the flame of a candle. You can select any one point for yourself upon which you
can focus your mind. Gradually, with practice, you will find that the mental focus becomes
smaller and smaller. You will start to develop enormous willpower and then many benefits
will come into your life. If you want to get up at four o'clock in the morning it will not be
necessary for you to put on the alarm clock. You will be able to tell your mind to get up at
3.50 or 3.55 a.m. and at exactly that time you will wake up, because the mind is more
capable than an alarm clock. Of course, at present, if you have weak willpower, you will
have to continue to depend on an alarm clock to wake you up. Otherwise you will miss your
bus or train in the morning, or you will arrive late for your examination.

Quality of mind

What is meant by a strong mind? A strong mind is one which can fulfil its
decisions. In contrast, a weak mind is a mind which thinks but does not do. From
tomorrow I am going to work hard in my studies; from tomorrow I am going to do asana
and pranayama; from tomorrow I am not going to do this or that... but next morning you
forget everything. You are still the same wretched being. Why? Because your mind is
dissipated. All those great men about whom you have read in history, whether they were
painters, artists, sculptors, saints, politicians, statesmen, writers, novelists, engineers or
scientists - all those great men were not made by a freak of nature. They became great just
by the quality of their mind. Rabindranath Tagore became a great poet, not because he had
faculties that you do not have, but because he had a strong mind. He had a concentrated
and hence a gifted mind.

Remember that you cannot be anything or do anything worthwhile without quality

of mind. If you are ambitious, if you want to do something in life and if you want to get to
the top in your career and in your education, merely thinking about it is not sufficient. The
quality of your mind has to be improved. If you have a low quality mind then your
performance in all spheres will also be poor. If the quality of your mind is very high then
your performance must be correspondingly great. To develop a high quality mind you will
have to analyse yourself and your aims. And you will have to give some time to the practice
of yoga every day, both in the morning and in the evening.

Swami Vivekananda used to go to a library in America and borrow big, thick books and read
them in one night. He would borrow one book and the very next day he would return the
same book to the librarian. The librarian thought that this fellow was playing games. How
could he read such big books on philosophy or science in one day. It should take at least a
few weeks or even months per book. He asked Swami Vivekananda, 'What do you do with
the books, do you really read them?' Swami Vivekananda answered, 'Yes, you can ask me
anything about the contents and I will answer you directly'. The librarian asked him many
questions and was surprised to find that Swami Vivekananda not only read the books from
cover to cover, but that he also read the back titles, publishers' names, editors' names, etc.

How did Swami Vivekananda do it? There are two ways: one is through the mind and the
other is through what we call intuition. The first method utilises the lower mind: you read all
your lessons and try to understand and remember them. The second method requires that
you look at the reading matter and mentally photograph it. This is only possible when you
are able to concentrate and meditate.

Body, head and heart

Yoga is essential for everyone who has a body, a mind and emotions. You have a
head, a heart and a body. In order to keep these together, you will have to do something.
Don't merely depend on medicine, on recreation or on the study that you are doing. You
should look after the welfare of your body, head and heart. If these three things work in
union with each other then you will be successful in life. You will be happy, and in the
course of time the country and your community will be very proud of you.

Today you are studying science. After a few years you will leave school and start work. You
will become officers, factory workers, housewives, doctors, nurses, engineers and so on. If
you improve the quality of your personality and mind... then and only then will you become
a useful member of your community and the country.