Yoga - Health of the Body and Mind
Yoga is a system of exercises for physical and mental nourishment. Apart from being a system of exercise, an important aspect of Yoga is that of self-discipline. Patanjali systematically presented the fundamentals of Yoga in a treatise known as Yogasutras i.e. Yoga Aphorisms. According to Patanjali, within the human body there are channels called Nadi and centres called Chakra. If these are tapped, The energy hidden in the body can be released. This energy is called Kundalini. The release of Kundalini enables the body to acquire many powers which are normally beyond its capability.
Definitions of Yoga
"Yoga is the control of the whirls of the mind (citta)."—Yoga-Sûtra (1.2)
"Yoga is a skill in [the performance of] actions."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.50)
"Yoga is ecstasy (samâdhi)."—Yoga-Bhâshya (1.1)
"Yoga is said to be the oneness of breath, mind, and senses, and the abandonment of all states of existence."—Maitrî-Upanishad (6.25)
"Yoga is the union of the individual psyche (jîva-âtman) with the transcendental Self (parama-âtman). —Yoga-Yâjnavalkya (1.44)
"Yoga is said to be the unification of the web of dualities (dvandva-jâla)."—Yoga-Bîja (84)
"Yoga is known as the disconnection (viyoga) of the connection (samyoga) with suffering."— Bhagavad-Gîtâ (6.23)
"Yoga is said to be control."—Brahmânda-Purâna (2.3.10.115)
"Yoga is the separation (viyoga) of the Self from the World-Ground (prakriti)."—Râja-Mârtanda (1.1)
"Yoga is said to be the unity of exhalation and inhalation and blood and semen, as well as the union of sun and moon and the individual psyche with the transcendental Self."— Yoga-Shikhâ-Upanishad (1.68-69)
"This they consider Yoga: the steady holding of the senses."—Katha-Upanishad(6.11)
"Yoga is called balance (samatva)."—Bhagavad-Gîtâ (2.48)
7 Principle Yoga
Yoga is a profound tradition, which has a history of 5,000 or more years. Beginners are easily overwhelmed by the vastness and richness of Yoga’s practice, philosophy, and literature. But, once grasped, there are a few underlying principles that provide easier access to all the numerous aspects of Yoga. Here are ten such fundamental principles.
- Râja-Yoga is the “Royal Yoga” aiming at liberation through meditation, which is for practitioners capable of intense concentration—the eightfold path of Patanjali’s ashta-anga-yoga, also called “Classical Yoga.”
- Hatha-Yoga is the “Forceful Yoga” aiming at liberation through a physical transformation
- Jnâna-Yoga is the “Wisdom of Yoga” aiming at liberation through the steady application of higher wisdom that discerns between the real and the unreal
- Karma-Yoga is the “Action Yoga” aiming at liberation through self-transcending service
- Bhakti-Yoga is the “Devotional Yoga” aiming at liberation through self-surrender in the face of the Divine
- Tantra-Yoga is the “Continuity Yoga” aiming at liberation through ritual, visualization, subtle energy work, and the perception of the identity (or continuity) of the ordinary world and the transcendental Reality
- Mantra-Yoga is the “Yoga of Potent Sound” aiming at liberation through the recitation (aloud or mental) of empowered sounds (such as om, hûm, ram, hare Krishna, etc.)—often considered an aspect of Tantra-Yoga
Stages of Yoga
Yama (universal moral commandments), Niyama (self-purification through discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath-control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from external objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (state of super-consciousness).
But though the Yogasutras were formulated 2000 years ago, Yoga has been practiced for countless generations. It is only in the last few years that scientists have begun to recognize the powers of yoga. It has now been established through experiments that by practicing Yoga, several ailments can be cured. Tests conducted on Yogis show that they do acquire extraordinary physical powers. For instance, they can live without oxygen for a long time, and they can also adjust their metabolism if they have to remain without food for long periods. Yoga is being increasingly applied in the field of Physiotherapy.
There are innumerable asanas (poses) in Yoga. Most of them derive their names from the semblance of the body in those poses to different animals and objects. Yoga is a diverse system, and there are various forms of discipline touching different aspects of human life, which are brought under the heading Yoga.
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