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Yoga, which has been
practiced in India for over two millennia, is becoming increasingly
popular and relevant for people today. It is a philosophy, a science
and an art, in short a way of life. Yoga leads to physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual development. With its holistic understanding
of the individual in the macrocosm, yoga offers a person a total
approach to help cope with the stress of modern life.
The term yoga is derived
from the word yuj in Sanskrit. Yuj means to join. Yoga is
that which joins. According to the traditional yoga texts, the
entities which are joined by yq are the individual self-aivatma),
with the universal self (paramatma). This implies that
every aspect of a human being, from the innermost to the external
must be integrated.
In yoga philosophy the body
is made up of a series of five sheaths, one
superimposed on the other. The outermost, physical sheath (annamaya
kosa) is nourished by the food we eat. The vital sheath (pranamaya
kosa) refers to the air we breathe and without which there is no
life. The astral sheath (manomaya kosa) refers to the
coordinating functions of the brain. The wisdom sheath (viinamaya
kosa) aids us in discriminating and exercising our free will.
The fifth sheath, the anandmaya kosa, is the
consciousness that links a person with the universal consciousness.
An awareness of this complexity by itself helps a person to feel
that he is a part of an immense whole rather than an isolated unit.
The secret of yoga is the
achievement of a sense of balance and control: control on the body,
breathe and mind. Apart from the atoms, which make up our gross
physical body, we possess breath (prana), mind,
intellect, emotions and spiritual dimensions. The stamina has to be
body's developed, the breath
should be balanced the mind calmed, the emotions stabilized, the
intellect held under control and the mind made one with the self or atma.
The practice of physical postures (asanas); entailing
physical exercise and breathing techniques are the means by which to
achieve this control which is essential to lead a worthy and
satisfying life.
Knowledge about yoga
predates the oldest Indian scriptures, called the Vedas. Further,
elaboration about yoga is found in the holy books of the Upanishads
and their commentaries in the Puranas, and in the epics (the Ramayana,
and Mahabharata), the latter containing the famous Bhagavad
Gita. But it is the great sage Patanjali from the
pre-Christian era who is considered to be the propounder of yoga
philosophy. The author of works on medicine, grammar and yoga, he
took the essential features and principles of yoga indicated in the
Upanishads and compiled them in his Yoga Su'ras. The Yoga Sutras is
still considered an authoritative text today. It summarizes all the
various aspects of yoga.
According to Pataniali,
yoga consists of eight steps or 'limbs' (angas) which are
interrelated.
These are:
1. The Five Abstinence (vamas),
which is best, expressed as Positives instead of negatives:
non-violence, truthfulness, nonstealing, continence and
noncovetousness.
2. The Five Observances or niyamas: purity,
contentment, mortification (or austerity) study and designation to
God.
3. Practice of Postures or asanas. Regular
and devoted practice of various postures of yoga to promote physical
fitness and slow relaxation.
4. Practice of breath control (prana.vama).
5. Sense-withdrawal (pratyahara): by
this practice the mind gradually withdraws from the objects
Perceived through the senses.
6. Concentration (dharana): the
practice Of focusing the mind on
some object which is unmoving.
7. Concentration or meditation (dhYana):
the mind is made one with the object it contemplates, and a
quiet, meditative state is developed.
8. Intuitive enlightenment or state of
bliss (samadhi): This step leads to full integration or
absorption of the individual with the essence of the object
contemplated, or with the divine.
All these steps are successive stages on
the path of Yoga, the ultimate aim being self-realization. Yoga,
though a part of Hindu philosophy, is not a religion. Though
advocating liberation, yoga employs an approach, which utilizes
Psycho-physiological techniques and controls. Hence whatever the
metaphysics behind the aim of Yoga, there is no doubt that
practical benefits accrue on many levels from the practice of yoga.
In other words, people of any religious faith or belief can practice
yoga and experience true peace of mind.
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