Vyayam, the most ancient martial tradition of India

part 3ª

Origins and roots
Vyayam originates from the South of India and has inspired methodologically and culturally other Energetic Gymnastics and Martial Arts. Boddhidarma, a Hindu monk, introduced Vyayam into China in the 5th century with the purpose of permitting the religious people in the Shaolin Temples to defend themselves against bandit attacks and also to strengthen their bodies which had become weakened due to the ascetic life of the Monasteries. From there, the Chinese Martial Arts and Energetic Gymnastics were born, followed by the Japanese ones and afterwards the essentials of Martial Arts in the rest of the world. This is why they say that Tai-Chi, Qi Gong, Kung-fu, Shorinji Kempo, and Aikido were inspired by the thousand year old techniques of Vyayam. Its origins go back thousands of years and its disciplines were practised by the ancient warriors of India from the Vedic age, way before the time of Buddha.

Its teachings have been preserved through the centuries thanks to the masters and disciples who amassed its knowledge and transmitted it. It is very rare to find written texts about Vyayam as it is not well known in the West, or even in India, and is only known today in very select circles. The majority of Masters can currently be found in the South of India in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but it is known that even today it is restricted and very difficult to access, because as an authentic art form it still maintains its true essence. In the temples in India you can find carvings with Vyayam positions, and they are practically the only historic documents that exist, even though we know it has been practiced for thousands of years. It was persecuted firstly by the Muslims and then from the 19th century by the English in the time of the colonization. The British Raj prohibited its practice and from then on it was only practiced in a clandestine manner, but it managed to survive throughout the years by secret transmission from some Masters.


Its active introduction in Spain and Latin America
Vyayam was introduced to Spain through an Indian master, Swami Tilak, who left his teachings in his main disciple, Swami Shankaratilakananda  (Javier Plazas), who is currently expanding the teachings of Vyayam in Spain and other countries around the world like Brazil, Argentina and Japan. If we want to access the teachings of Vyayam today, we have the possibility of doing this through the Traditional Vyayam School.

The Traditional Vyayam School
The Traditional Vyayam School extends throughout the whole country and imparts teachings in various cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Albacete, Pamplona, Valencia, Malaga and Seville, and it is foreseen that it will continue to extend to other cities where there is interest in learning this thousand year old technique.

Vyayam and its Tradition

Vyayam is classified within The Great Path of Energy (Maha Tantra Yoga texts), and their techniques were applied in the Vedic Science of the Art of War (Danur-Veda texts: the Knowledge of Archery), and imitates animal movements, works that men construct and elements from nature, because through them we learn to take strength from each one of these beings or things that we intrinsically represent.

Through the practice of Vyayam one becomes bright and radiant and the physical body takes on extraordinary energy as it increases blood circulation and generates heat, which transmits joy. For this reason, someone who practices Vyayam is an expansive person, a person with a great sense of humor, as it frees all types of complexes and wrong psychological concepts. It has a liberating effect as it works the vital energy centres, which at the same time are the centres of psychic somatization.  All of these concepts are brought together in just one Word: “Vital”.

A vital person is someone who is full of light, happiness, expansiveness and health, and someone who isn´t vital withdraws into them selves, becomes dark, hides them selves away and is often ill.
We can say that Vyayam is an ideal compliment to Yoga practice, Bio dance, Belly dancing, Aerobic Gymnastics, Rehabilitation Therapies, Psycho energetic therapies, Psycho dynamic therapies, passive Gymnastics, Gymnastics for the elderly and pre and post natal Therapies etc. The base of Vyayam is the breath, and we could go as far as saying that if the breath is not correctly executed then you are not really practicing Vyayam. Vyayam is based on the movement of the body and the breath, and this is what makes it an energetic gymnastics and not just an exclusively aerobic gymnastics.

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