Yoga...
Yoga in India
The secrets of the ancient science of yoga were passed down from the divine rishis, saints and sages who came to Himalayas for divine inspiration. Through their meditation, austerities and prayers, a treasure-chest of wisdom was bestowed upon them for the benefit of humanity.
The Sage Patanjali is one most renowned for compiling this treasure-chest of yogic wisdom for the benefit of the world.
Yoga is not a religion. It does not require you to believe in a certain God or to chant certain mantras.Yoga is an ancient science which leads to health in the body, peace in the mind, joy in the heart and liberation of the soul.
Why to practice Yoga?
These days, people attend classes to learn all about various techniques of hatha yoga, of pranayama, of meditation. But yoga is more than that. Yoga is a way of life, and its teachings should penetrate every aspect of your being – from your actions to your speech, to your thoughts. Then only the real meaning of yoga will be fulfilled.
Meaning of Yoga is Union. Union of what? Union of the self to the Divine.That one-ness with the Divine is what we are striving for in our lives.
8 Limbs of Yoga
In his compendium of wisdom, inspiration and insight titled the “Yoga Sutras”, Patanjali explains yoga as an 8 limbed tree, with the highest branch being Samadhi or the ultimate divine bliss and ecstasy which comes from a complete, transcendental union with the Divine….
The foundation of the tree are the Yamas and Niyamas (the moral and ethical code of conduct) and one moves upward through Asanas and Pranayama which use the body and the breath as the medium, then into the aspects in which one’s mind becomes fine-tuned and ultimately unite with God, ultimately to the state of Divine Liberation.
Yamas & Niyamas
There are five Yamas and five Niyamas in Yoga
Yamas: - the moral restraints and injunctions which, when followed with dedication ad discipline, help us become master of our bodies, minds and lives.
1. Ahimsa – non violence. This is the fundamental, most basic and crucial tenet of living as a good human. It encompasses all forms of violence – violence in thought, violence in speech and violence in deed. Not simply means, not to kill. It encompasses all beings, all creatures, and all lives on the planet.Ahimsau paramo dharma - Ahimsa is the prime duty.
2. Satyam – truthfulness. Satyam means “as I say, so I do“. Satyam means being true to our promises and vows, fulfilling our word to ourselves, to others and to God.
3. Asteya – not steal. It is not as simple as refraining from stealing a possession that belongs to someone else. We steal much from others without realizing it. We steal people’s time by wasting it engaged in idle gossip or complaints. We steal people’s credit by claiming to have done something that actually was accomplished by someone else. It is stealing if we do not share our wealth, if God has blessed us with prosperity and we have enough to help others.
4. Brahmacharya – It is not just refraining from sexual activity. The law of brahmacharya also pertains to those on the householder path. What does it mean? It means restraint or control. It means moderation. It means realizing that the purpose of life is much greater and far deeper than continually fulfilling one’s sexual urges.
5. Aparigraha – non accumulation. It literally means “non hoarding”. It means don’t take more than you need. “There is more than enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for anybody’s greed”. We should not live extravagantly or surround ourselves with unnecessary possessions.
Niyamas – the spiritual and ethical observances which, once we have mastered our bodies and minds through practice of the yamas, will take us higher on spiritual path.
1. Saucha – cleanliness and purity. Purity on the inside, purity of thought and action. We must purify our thoughts with japas (chanting), meditation and the practice of positive thinking.
2. Santosha – contentment. It is a disease of human mind: we are rarely, if ever, satisfied. We should accept more and expect less. Expectation is the mother of frustration and acceptance is the mother of peace and joy.
3. Tapas – austerities or sadhana. Through the regular practice of these we learn to be the master of our body and mind. Tapas is the practice of tolerance.
4. Swadhyay – sacred study. It typically means study of the scriptures. It is important to read something spiritual or something inspiring every day. This helps to keep our mind pure. One must LIVE the scriptures, not just read a few chapters every morning or evening. Swadhyay also means self study – where do I stand?
5. Ishwarapranidhana – devotion to surrender to God. This is the final commandment of leading a dharmic life.
!! Kaayena vaacha manasendriyairvaa
Bhudhyaatmanaa vaa prakriteh svabhaavaat
Karomi yadyat sakalam parasmai
Naaraayanaayeti samarpayami !!
It means,"Oh Lord, whatever I have done, whatever actions I have performed whether through speech, through thought, through my sense, through my mind, through my hands or through just the nature of my existence – I lay it all at Your Holly Feet. Every aspect of my life and existence are completely surrendered to you".
Asanas
After we master the dos and don’ts of a yogic life, we are ready to move into asana. Asana means a seat. A seat on which you sit. In Gita Krishna says to Arjuna, “there, having made the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him, seated on the seat, practice Yoga for the purification of the self.
Asana is NOT the Yoga. The asana readies us for the higher limbs of yoga. Another important point about asana is that it must be graceful, stable and done with ease. Patanjali says "sthira sukham asanam". That which is stable and that which is comfortable, that is asana.
Pranayama
Prana literally means the life force, the energy, which flows through all.Ayama means expansion.So pranayama is the extension, the stretching, the prolonging of our life force and energy
Pratyahara
It literally means withdrawal of the senses. We are filled with millions of sensory antennae all over our body which constantly perceive sight, smells, sounds, etc. We are flooded with sensory perceptions that we feel overloaded. “I need some quiet. I feel claustrophobic. I have a headache. I need to be alone. The world seems to be spinning”. These all are examples of sensory overload.
In this condition we will have to withdraw our senses and focus to the internal
Dharana
Asana taught us to control the body, Pranayama taught us to control the breath, and Pratyahara taught us to control the senses. Now Dharana will teach us to control the mind. The point is to focus, to stop the incessant wanderings of the mind. To channel all the thought power in one direction and mastering the mind. Mind should be only a tool as the sensory organs, not our in-charge.
Dhyana
Dhyana means meditation and it is not the concentration. In concentration there is a subject and object. The person and a candle, tip of the nose or an idol of God, etc. But in Dhyana the subject and object become one.
In meditation, all borders, boundaries, and separation between us and the universe begin to disappear.
Samadhi
Samadhi literally means to merge, to come together. It is the Divine union, ecstasy and bliss. No boundaries, no barriers, no separation. We merge with HIM like the rain drop merges into the ocean. We become one with the source.
Our lives are lived in peace, not in pieces, and it is the ultimate goal of life and Yoga – Samadhi, the Divine Union
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