Page 1
9.1 IntroductIon Development of personality is an important issue. Personality
starts developing since birth, but it assumes great importance
during adolescence, when reorganisation of personality takes
place.
Personality is a very common term which is used in our
day-to-day life. It tells us what type of person one is. We know
that each person generally behaves consistently in most of the
situations. The examples of this consistency can be seen in
a person who remains friendly or a person who is generally
kind or helpful in most situations. Such a consistent pattern of
behaviour is termed as personality. It can be called as the sum
total of behaviour that includes attitudes, emotions, thoughts,
habits and traits. This pattern of behaviour is characteristic to
an individual.
There are various dimensions of personality. These
dimensions are related to physical, emotional, intellectual,
social and spiritual aspects of our behaviour. For a holistic
personality development, yoga plays an important role.
9.2 Yoga and PersonalItY d eveloPment Yogic practices are found effective for development of all
dimensions of personality.
Let us talk about the yogic practices that influences
development of different dimensions of personality.
Yoga and Physical Dimension of Personality: Physical
dimension is related to our body. It means that all organs and
systems of our body should be properly developed and function.
It implies a healthy body without any disease. Yogic practices
like asana, pranayama, and bandha play a beneficial role in
physical development of children. There is a series of asanas
and pranayamas which help to improve the functioning of the
body.
Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality: Yogic practices
are effective for development of emotional dimension related to
our feelings, attitudes and emotions. There are two kinds of
emotions : positive and negative. For example love, kindness
are positive emotions, while anger and fear (exam phobia) are
Personality
Development Through
Yoga
9
Page 2
9.1 IntroductIon Development of personality is an important issue. Personality
starts developing since birth, but it assumes great importance
during adolescence, when reorganisation of personality takes
place.
Personality is a very common term which is used in our
day-to-day life. It tells us what type of person one is. We know
that each person generally behaves consistently in most of the
situations. The examples of this consistency can be seen in
a person who remains friendly or a person who is generally
kind or helpful in most situations. Such a consistent pattern of
behaviour is termed as personality. It can be called as the sum
total of behaviour that includes attitudes, emotions, thoughts,
habits and traits. This pattern of behaviour is characteristic to
an individual.
There are various dimensions of personality. These
dimensions are related to physical, emotional, intellectual,
social and spiritual aspects of our behaviour. For a holistic
personality development, yoga plays an important role.
9.2 Yoga and PersonalItY d eveloPment Yogic practices are found effective for development of all
dimensions of personality.
Let us talk about the yogic practices that influences
development of different dimensions of personality.
Yoga and Physical Dimension of Personality: Physical
dimension is related to our body. It means that all organs and
systems of our body should be properly developed and function.
It implies a healthy body without any disease. Yogic practices
like asana, pranayama, and bandha play a beneficial role in
physical development of children. There is a series of asanas
and pranayamas which help to improve the functioning of the
body.
Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality: Yogic practices
are effective for development of emotional dimension related to
our feelings, attitudes and emotions. There are two kinds of
emotions : positive and negative. For example love, kindness
are positive emotions, while anger and fear (exam phobia) are
Personality
Development Through
Yoga
9
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
negative emotions. Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may
be positive and negative. For emotional development, positive
feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and
negative ones should be controlled, as the negative attitudes
and emotions work as a mental block for the development
of personality. Yoga plays a critical role in development of
positive emotions. It brings emotional stability. It helps to
control negative emotions. Yogic practices such as yama,
niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help
in emotional management. For example, the principle of
non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and
develop positive feelings of love and kindness. Similarly, other
principles of yama and niyama will help to develop positive
emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life and
therefore help in the management of emotions.
Yoga and Intellectual Dimension of Personality: Intellectual
development is related to the development of our mental abilities
and processes such as critical thinking, memory, perception,
decision making, imagination, creativity, etc. Development of
this dimension is very important as it enables us to learn new
things and acquire knowledge and skills. Yogic practices such
as asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana (meditation) help to
develop concentration, memory and thereby help in intellectual
development.
Yoga and Social Dimension of Personality: Primary
socialisation, probably the most important aspect of the
personality development takes place during infancy, usually
within the family. By responding to the approval and disapproval
of parents and grandparents and imitating their examples, the
child learns the language and many of the basic behaviour
patterns of her/his society. The process of socialisation is not
limited to childhood, but continues throughout life and teach
the growing child and adolescent about the norms and rules of
the society in which she/he lives . Some key elements of this
process include respect for others, listening carefully to other
persons, being interested in them, and voicing your thoughts
and feelings politely, honestly and clearly so that you can be
easily heard and understood. Principles of yama include these
key elements and are very important as these help us in the
betterment of our relationships with our friends, parents,
teachers and others.
Yoga and Spiritual Dimension of Personality: This dimension
is related to the development of values. It is also concerned
with self-actualisation which is related to recognising one’s
potential and developing them to the maximum. Proper
Page 3
9.1 IntroductIon Development of personality is an important issue. Personality
starts developing since birth, but it assumes great importance
during adolescence, when reorganisation of personality takes
place.
Personality is a very common term which is used in our
day-to-day life. It tells us what type of person one is. We know
that each person generally behaves consistently in most of the
situations. The examples of this consistency can be seen in
a person who remains friendly or a person who is generally
kind or helpful in most situations. Such a consistent pattern of
behaviour is termed as personality. It can be called as the sum
total of behaviour that includes attitudes, emotions, thoughts,
habits and traits. This pattern of behaviour is characteristic to
an individual.
There are various dimensions of personality. These
dimensions are related to physical, emotional, intellectual,
social and spiritual aspects of our behaviour. For a holistic
personality development, yoga plays an important role.
9.2 Yoga and PersonalItY d eveloPment Yogic practices are found effective for development of all
dimensions of personality.
Let us talk about the yogic practices that influences
development of different dimensions of personality.
Yoga and Physical Dimension of Personality: Physical
dimension is related to our body. It means that all organs and
systems of our body should be properly developed and function.
It implies a healthy body without any disease. Yogic practices
like asana, pranayama, and bandha play a beneficial role in
physical development of children. There is a series of asanas
and pranayamas which help to improve the functioning of the
body.
Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality: Yogic practices
are effective for development of emotional dimension related to
our feelings, attitudes and emotions. There are two kinds of
emotions : positive and negative. For example love, kindness
are positive emotions, while anger and fear (exam phobia) are
Personality
Development Through
Yoga
9
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
negative emotions. Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may
be positive and negative. For emotional development, positive
feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and
negative ones should be controlled, as the negative attitudes
and emotions work as a mental block for the development
of personality. Yoga plays a critical role in development of
positive emotions. It brings emotional stability. It helps to
control negative emotions. Yogic practices such as yama,
niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help
in emotional management. For example, the principle of
non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and
develop positive feelings of love and kindness. Similarly, other
principles of yama and niyama will help to develop positive
emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life and
therefore help in the management of emotions.
Yoga and Intellectual Dimension of Personality: Intellectual
development is related to the development of our mental abilities
and processes such as critical thinking, memory, perception,
decision making, imagination, creativity, etc. Development of
this dimension is very important as it enables us to learn new
things and acquire knowledge and skills. Yogic practices such
as asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana (meditation) help to
develop concentration, memory and thereby help in intellectual
development.
Yoga and Social Dimension of Personality: Primary
socialisation, probably the most important aspect of the
personality development takes place during infancy, usually
within the family. By responding to the approval and disapproval
of parents and grandparents and imitating their examples, the
child learns the language and many of the basic behaviour
patterns of her/his society. The process of socialisation is not
limited to childhood, but continues throughout life and teach
the growing child and adolescent about the norms and rules of
the society in which she/he lives . Some key elements of this
process include respect for others, listening carefully to other
persons, being interested in them, and voicing your thoughts
and feelings politely, honestly and clearly so that you can be
easily heard and understood. Principles of yama include these
key elements and are very important as these help us in the
betterment of our relationships with our friends, parents,
teachers and others.
Yoga and Spiritual Dimension of Personality: This dimension
is related to the development of values. It is also concerned
with self-actualisation which is related to recognising one’s
potential and developing them to the maximum. Proper
Personality Development through Yoga
development of this dimension helps the person to realise one’s
true identity. For spiritual development, yama, niyama,
pratyahara and dhyana (meditation) are helpful. Yama and
niyama help to develop our moral values while pranayama,
and meditation help us to realise our true self. Introspection is
very effective for the development of ‘self’.
9.3 YogIc PractIces for PersonalItY d eveloPment In the following section, we will discuss some yogic practices
which contribute to the development of various dimensions of
personality.
We begin with Surya Namaskara. Prepare the body by
performing yogic micro practices.
9.3.1 Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation)
Surya means ‘sun’ and namaskara means ‘salutation’ or
‘bowing down’. It consist of 12 postures. The regular practice of
surya namaskara helps improve blood circulation throughout
the body and maintain health, and thereby helps one to remain
disease-free. Postures practised during surya namaskara act as
a good link between warm-ups and asanas. Surya namaskara
should preferably be done at the time of sunrise. It can be
done any time on an empty stomach. However, morning is
considered to be the best time for it. Adolescents should start
doing surya namaskara daily to have healthy body and mind.
Yama (Restraint) and Niyama (Observance)
Yama and Niyama are principles which need to be adopted
always in our day-to-day life. These can be considered as
the universal codes of conduct that help us in following high
standards in our personal and social life. Principles of yama
are concerned with one’s social life; while the principles of
niyama are concerned with one’s personal life. Yama and
niyama are part of Ashtanga yoga.
The five principles of yama are: Ahimsa (non-violence),
Satya (truthfulness); Asteya (non-stealing); Brahmcharya
(abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-collectiveness).
The five principles of niyama are: Shaucha (cleanliness);
Santosha (satisfaction); Tapas (austerity); Swadhyaya
(study of good literature and knowing about the 'self') and
Ishwarpranidhana (dedication to the God/Supreme power).
Page 4
9.1 IntroductIon Development of personality is an important issue. Personality
starts developing since birth, but it assumes great importance
during adolescence, when reorganisation of personality takes
place.
Personality is a very common term which is used in our
day-to-day life. It tells us what type of person one is. We know
that each person generally behaves consistently in most of the
situations. The examples of this consistency can be seen in
a person who remains friendly or a person who is generally
kind or helpful in most situations. Such a consistent pattern of
behaviour is termed as personality. It can be called as the sum
total of behaviour that includes attitudes, emotions, thoughts,
habits and traits. This pattern of behaviour is characteristic to
an individual.
There are various dimensions of personality. These
dimensions are related to physical, emotional, intellectual,
social and spiritual aspects of our behaviour. For a holistic
personality development, yoga plays an important role.
9.2 Yoga and PersonalItY d eveloPment Yogic practices are found effective for development of all
dimensions of personality.
Let us talk about the yogic practices that influences
development of different dimensions of personality.
Yoga and Physical Dimension of Personality: Physical
dimension is related to our body. It means that all organs and
systems of our body should be properly developed and function.
It implies a healthy body without any disease. Yogic practices
like asana, pranayama, and bandha play a beneficial role in
physical development of children. There is a series of asanas
and pranayamas which help to improve the functioning of the
body.
Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality: Yogic practices
are effective for development of emotional dimension related to
our feelings, attitudes and emotions. There are two kinds of
emotions : positive and negative. For example love, kindness
are positive emotions, while anger and fear (exam phobia) are
Personality
Development Through
Yoga
9
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
negative emotions. Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may
be positive and negative. For emotional development, positive
feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and
negative ones should be controlled, as the negative attitudes
and emotions work as a mental block for the development
of personality. Yoga plays a critical role in development of
positive emotions. It brings emotional stability. It helps to
control negative emotions. Yogic practices such as yama,
niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help
in emotional management. For example, the principle of
non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and
develop positive feelings of love and kindness. Similarly, other
principles of yama and niyama will help to develop positive
emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life and
therefore help in the management of emotions.
Yoga and Intellectual Dimension of Personality: Intellectual
development is related to the development of our mental abilities
and processes such as critical thinking, memory, perception,
decision making, imagination, creativity, etc. Development of
this dimension is very important as it enables us to learn new
things and acquire knowledge and skills. Yogic practices such
as asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana (meditation) help to
develop concentration, memory and thereby help in intellectual
development.
Yoga and Social Dimension of Personality: Primary
socialisation, probably the most important aspect of the
personality development takes place during infancy, usually
within the family. By responding to the approval and disapproval
of parents and grandparents and imitating their examples, the
child learns the language and many of the basic behaviour
patterns of her/his society. The process of socialisation is not
limited to childhood, but continues throughout life and teach
the growing child and adolescent about the norms and rules of
the society in which she/he lives . Some key elements of this
process include respect for others, listening carefully to other
persons, being interested in them, and voicing your thoughts
and feelings politely, honestly and clearly so that you can be
easily heard and understood. Principles of yama include these
key elements and are very important as these help us in the
betterment of our relationships with our friends, parents,
teachers and others.
Yoga and Spiritual Dimension of Personality: This dimension
is related to the development of values. It is also concerned
with self-actualisation which is related to recognising one’s
potential and developing them to the maximum. Proper
Personality Development through Yoga
development of this dimension helps the person to realise one’s
true identity. For spiritual development, yama, niyama,
pratyahara and dhyana (meditation) are helpful. Yama and
niyama help to develop our moral values while pranayama,
and meditation help us to realise our true self. Introspection is
very effective for the development of ‘self’.
9.3 YogIc PractIces for PersonalItY d eveloPment In the following section, we will discuss some yogic practices
which contribute to the development of various dimensions of
personality.
We begin with Surya Namaskara. Prepare the body by
performing yogic micro practices.
9.3.1 Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation)
Surya means ‘sun’ and namaskara means ‘salutation’ or
‘bowing down’. It consist of 12 postures. The regular practice of
surya namaskara helps improve blood circulation throughout
the body and maintain health, and thereby helps one to remain
disease-free. Postures practised during surya namaskara act as
a good link between warm-ups and asanas. Surya namaskara
should preferably be done at the time of sunrise. It can be
done any time on an empty stomach. However, morning is
considered to be the best time for it. Adolescents should start
doing surya namaskara daily to have healthy body and mind.
Yama (Restraint) and Niyama (Observance)
Yama and Niyama are principles which need to be adopted
always in our day-to-day life. These can be considered as
the universal codes of conduct that help us in following high
standards in our personal and social life. Principles of yama
are concerned with one’s social life; while the principles of
niyama are concerned with one’s personal life. Yama and
niyama are part of Ashtanga yoga.
The five principles of yama are: Ahimsa (non-violence),
Satya (truthfulness); Asteya (non-stealing); Brahmcharya
(abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-collectiveness).
The five principles of niyama are: Shaucha (cleanliness);
Santosha (satisfaction); Tapas (austerity); Swadhyaya
(study of good literature and knowing about the 'self') and
Ishwarpranidhana (dedication to the God/Supreme power).
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
Let us perform surya namaskar by following the steps
given below:
1. Stand erect with legs together and hands by the sides of
the body. Bring both the arms to the chest with palms
together in the prayer posture (Namaskarasana).
2. Inhaling, raise both the arms above the head. Stretching
bend the trunk backwards (Hastottanasana).
3. Exhaling, bend the trunk forward and place the
hands on the floor besides the feet and forehead near
the knees (Padahastasana).
4. Inhaling, stretch the right leg backward
and bend the left leg at the knee. Tilt the head
backward and, look up while arching the spine
(Ashwasanchalanasana).
5. Stretch the left foot backward by the side of right
foot, lower your head and move buttocks upwards.
Keep arms and legs straight and heels on the floor
(Parvatasana).
6. Lower the knees, chest and chin to the floor. Keep
the hips slightly up. The toes, knees, chest, hands
and chin should be touching the floor (Ashtanga
namaskara).
7. Lower the hips. Raise the head and torso up
to the navel region. Bend the head backwards
(Bhujangasana).
1. 2. 3.
4.
5.
Page 5
9.1 IntroductIon Development of personality is an important issue. Personality
starts developing since birth, but it assumes great importance
during adolescence, when reorganisation of personality takes
place.
Personality is a very common term which is used in our
day-to-day life. It tells us what type of person one is. We know
that each person generally behaves consistently in most of the
situations. The examples of this consistency can be seen in
a person who remains friendly or a person who is generally
kind or helpful in most situations. Such a consistent pattern of
behaviour is termed as personality. It can be called as the sum
total of behaviour that includes attitudes, emotions, thoughts,
habits and traits. This pattern of behaviour is characteristic to
an individual.
There are various dimensions of personality. These
dimensions are related to physical, emotional, intellectual,
social and spiritual aspects of our behaviour. For a holistic
personality development, yoga plays an important role.
9.2 Yoga and PersonalItY d eveloPment Yogic practices are found effective for development of all
dimensions of personality.
Let us talk about the yogic practices that influences
development of different dimensions of personality.
Yoga and Physical Dimension of Personality: Physical
dimension is related to our body. It means that all organs and
systems of our body should be properly developed and function.
It implies a healthy body without any disease. Yogic practices
like asana, pranayama, and bandha play a beneficial role in
physical development of children. There is a series of asanas
and pranayamas which help to improve the functioning of the
body.
Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality: Yogic practices
are effective for development of emotional dimension related to
our feelings, attitudes and emotions. There are two kinds of
emotions : positive and negative. For example love, kindness
are positive emotions, while anger and fear (exam phobia) are
Personality
Development Through
Yoga
9
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
negative emotions. Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may
be positive and negative. For emotional development, positive
feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and
negative ones should be controlled, as the negative attitudes
and emotions work as a mental block for the development
of personality. Yoga plays a critical role in development of
positive emotions. It brings emotional stability. It helps to
control negative emotions. Yogic practices such as yama,
niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help
in emotional management. For example, the principle of
non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and
develop positive feelings of love and kindness. Similarly, other
principles of yama and niyama will help to develop positive
emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life and
therefore help in the management of emotions.
Yoga and Intellectual Dimension of Personality: Intellectual
development is related to the development of our mental abilities
and processes such as critical thinking, memory, perception,
decision making, imagination, creativity, etc. Development of
this dimension is very important as it enables us to learn new
things and acquire knowledge and skills. Yogic practices such
as asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana (meditation) help to
develop concentration, memory and thereby help in intellectual
development.
Yoga and Social Dimension of Personality: Primary
socialisation, probably the most important aspect of the
personality development takes place during infancy, usually
within the family. By responding to the approval and disapproval
of parents and grandparents and imitating their examples, the
child learns the language and many of the basic behaviour
patterns of her/his society. The process of socialisation is not
limited to childhood, but continues throughout life and teach
the growing child and adolescent about the norms and rules of
the society in which she/he lives . Some key elements of this
process include respect for others, listening carefully to other
persons, being interested in them, and voicing your thoughts
and feelings politely, honestly and clearly so that you can be
easily heard and understood. Principles of yama include these
key elements and are very important as these help us in the
betterment of our relationships with our friends, parents,
teachers and others.
Yoga and Spiritual Dimension of Personality: This dimension
is related to the development of values. It is also concerned
with self-actualisation which is related to recognising one’s
potential and developing them to the maximum. Proper
Personality Development through Yoga
development of this dimension helps the person to realise one’s
true identity. For spiritual development, yama, niyama,
pratyahara and dhyana (meditation) are helpful. Yama and
niyama help to develop our moral values while pranayama,
and meditation help us to realise our true self. Introspection is
very effective for the development of ‘self’.
9.3 YogIc PractIces for PersonalItY d eveloPment In the following section, we will discuss some yogic practices
which contribute to the development of various dimensions of
personality.
We begin with Surya Namaskara. Prepare the body by
performing yogic micro practices.
9.3.1 Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation)
Surya means ‘sun’ and namaskara means ‘salutation’ or
‘bowing down’. It consist of 12 postures. The regular practice of
surya namaskara helps improve blood circulation throughout
the body and maintain health, and thereby helps one to remain
disease-free. Postures practised during surya namaskara act as
a good link between warm-ups and asanas. Surya namaskara
should preferably be done at the time of sunrise. It can be
done any time on an empty stomach. However, morning is
considered to be the best time for it. Adolescents should start
doing surya namaskara daily to have healthy body and mind.
Yama (Restraint) and Niyama (Observance)
Yama and Niyama are principles which need to be adopted
always in our day-to-day life. These can be considered as
the universal codes of conduct that help us in following high
standards in our personal and social life. Principles of yama
are concerned with one’s social life; while the principles of
niyama are concerned with one’s personal life. Yama and
niyama are part of Ashtanga yoga.
The five principles of yama are: Ahimsa (non-violence),
Satya (truthfulness); Asteya (non-stealing); Brahmcharya
(abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-collectiveness).
The five principles of niyama are: Shaucha (cleanliness);
Santosha (satisfaction); Tapas (austerity); Swadhyaya
(study of good literature and knowing about the 'self') and
Ishwarpranidhana (dedication to the God/Supreme power).
Health and Physical Education — Class IX
Let us perform surya namaskar by following the steps
given below:
1. Stand erect with legs together and hands by the sides of
the body. Bring both the arms to the chest with palms
together in the prayer posture (Namaskarasana).
2. Inhaling, raise both the arms above the head. Stretching
bend the trunk backwards (Hastottanasana).
3. Exhaling, bend the trunk forward and place the
hands on the floor besides the feet and forehead near
the knees (Padahastasana).
4. Inhaling, stretch the right leg backward
and bend the left leg at the knee. Tilt the head
backward and, look up while arching the spine
(Ashwasanchalanasana).
5. Stretch the left foot backward by the side of right
foot, lower your head and move buttocks upwards.
Keep arms and legs straight and heels on the floor
(Parvatasana).
6. Lower the knees, chest and chin to the floor. Keep
the hips slightly up. The toes, knees, chest, hands
and chin should be touching the floor (Ashtanga
namaskara).
7. Lower the hips. Raise the head and torso up
to the navel region. Bend the head backwards
(Bhujangasana).
1. 2. 3.
4.
5.
Personality Development through Yoga
8. Lower the head and trunk to the floor, now raising the
buttocks and straightening the arms, bring feet towards
the head. Head should be between the arms. Come to
the postion 5 (Parvatasana).
9. By bending the left leg, bring it to the front between the
hands. Take the right leg behind with knee touching
the floor. Keep palms on both the sides of the left foot
and head tilted backward and back arched. Look up
(Ashwasanchalanasana).
10. Exhaling, bring the right leg forward and keep it by the
side of left leg. Keep the hands on the floor on sides of
the feet and head near the knees (Padahastasana).
6. 7.
8.
10. 9.
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