What is Yoga?

Introduction to Yoga



Yoga is a path towards total harmony of body, mind, and spirit.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means union. Union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

Yoga is not merely a form of exercise for the body. It is an ancient wisdom - for a healthier, happier, and more peaceful way of living - which ultimately leads to union with the Self.

It is an inherent desire in humans to be happy. The ancient sages, through inquiry about life, were able to reach a state of consciousness in which the secrets of healthier, happier, and meaningful living were revealed to them.

Though yoga comes from Hinduism, the knowledge of yoga transcends any religion or culture. Its application is universal!
Benefits of Yoga

introduction to yoga

* Helps in releasing toxins from the body
* Channelises energy flow
* Improves the flexibility of muscles, range of motions of joints.
* Corrects the posture and alignment of the body
* Regulates the digestive, endocrine, and circulatory systems
* Strengthens and revitalizes the internal organs, leading to a healthy and youthful body
* Helps to lose weight, cure asthma, diabetes, heart problems, and many chronic diseases


The practice of Yoga benefits the body, mind, and spirit. It is accessible to everyone. While some of these benefits can be expressed in words, others are beyond description, and can only be experienced.
Benefits
Benefits of yoga

Regular practice of yoga, benefits the body in the following ways

* Yoga improves flexibility of muscles and joints
* Yoga strengthens muscles and bones
* Yoga improves posture and body alignment
* Yoga improves digestion, circulation, and immunity
* Yoga enhances function of neurological and endocrine organs
* Yoga prevents and provides relief from chronic illnesses, such as chronic pain syndromes,anxiety and panic disorders, depression, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and high blood pressure.
* Overall the body feels healthier, more energetic. It is less prone to diseases and effects of day-to-day stress.




Yoga and Spirituality

Spirituality is a harmonious blend of outer silence and inner celebration and also inner silence and outer celebration.
Inner Silence and Outer Celebration

Anytime you are confused, your mind is in conflict, do asanas [Yoga postures], sit in asana. You will see right away that clarity dawns. Effect of asana is to clear out all conflicts, duality. The human tendency is to cling to the negative. However, the technology called yoga and meditation helps the mind to effortlessly transcend the pessimism and negativity and truly experience the exhilarating life force.
Spirituality and Yoga

For the body we have asanas. For the mind we have pranayamas which provides emotional and mental well-being. Asanas also work on the mind and pranayamas on the body -- there are no strict boundaries. Meditation removes spiritual misery, dejection, darkness, and depression. That is why yoga, Yogas-chitta- vritti-nirodhaha, stops the chitta-vritti, or the endless activity of the chitta.

In order to make life more beautiful. Heyam dukham anahatam - to stop misery from entering our world- in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual spheres - we do Yoga.

We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Some meditation, yoga, and Sudarshan Kriya cleanse the whole system. You blossom from inside and become centered. Otherwise, our peace is disturbed by small things.

When attention is given to the spiritual aspect of one’s life, it brings responsibility, a sense of belongingness, and compassion and caring for the whole of humanity.

The Knowledge that unites love and wisdom, that uplifts the spirit is spirituality. The Knowledge which gives you a broad vision and a big heart is Spirituality.



In Depth of Yoga

Have you imagined delving into the depth of your existence? How would it be?
Why should one understand the depths of yoga?

We plan our vacations with great detail – mode of travel, selection of place, sightseeing tours. We do have a good time, but how are we at the end of the journey – tired, exhausted? Why is this so?
In Depth of Yoga

Our senses have limited capacity to enjoy, but our mind has an infinite desire for joy. The joy, which comes through the five senses, is limited.

Most of us think that the joy is in objects, but it is inside us in the senses, not out in the objects. Each of the senses leads you to a point inside you, which is a fountain of joy, deep within you.

Clinging on to sense objects make you miserable after a while. Move on to the experience of that pleasure - from the object of pleasure. From the object move to the Center, move to that which experiences the pleasure.
Path of Yoga - the inner compass

How do we understand yoga in depth? The path of Yoga leads us inward, to experience the union with the True Self. The purpose of creation is to go from two to one. The ancient Rishis called it Yoga.

Our breath plays a very important role. The breath is the connecting link between the inner world of the mind and the outer world of body and environment.

There are four inner modes of consciousness

* Mind
* Intellect
* Memory
* Ego

When the mind is not centered there is restlessness. Yoga is the restraint of thought waves, Vritis. Modulations in the mind are called Vritis. Subsiding these waves in the mind is called Yoga. When thoughts are constrained, then there is communion with the Lord, Divinity, and the Cosmic Being.

Vritis are like a whirlpool in the pond of mind. When mind and memory get excited, thought waves arise in you. When excitement in mind is calmed, the Vritis too gets silenced. Only when the whirlpool calms down, then can you see the real depths of the ocean. The wave uniting with this depth is Yoga.
Move to the Center – with proper guidance and practice

Learn Yoga under a Guru. You cannot operate on your own body even if you are a surgeon. To move around in a small new place, you need a guide to show you way. Then to walk into a completely unknown realm like consciousness, you certainly need guidance. A lit candle can light million more candles, but a matchbox even though having a potential, cannot light up on its own.

Guru itself means something that which is enormously big, immeasurable. Guru is someone so vast but still tangible and available. Guru is the infinite love yet in a bodily form.
The practice

The Yoga seeker (sadhak) gains depth with proper guidance and with the proper practice of Yoga. Yoga asanas, pranayamas, and meditation, enable us to deepen our sadhana (practice)

* The asanas help to center the mind and body
* The breath is a bridge, connecting with the energy manifesting in the body
* The pranayama energises and calms the system

Thus by refining our practice, thoughts diminish enabling us to go deep in Meditation. When we can clearly see through the levels of existence, we then attain a state of Yoga, oneness with the universe.