Yoga

Yoga is called science of holistic living and, as such should be incorporated in daily life. It is integration between thoughts, words and deeds. The very purpose of yoga is to consciously bring us back in to physical, vital, mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual harmony.

Yoga is not mere doing physical and breathing exercises. It is procedure to attend perfect harmony between mind and body with discipline in daily routine for good health.

Yoga has eight steps. It is called as “Ashtanga” – the eight fold path. The first five steps are called external aids of yoga (Bahiranga Sadhana). The last three steps or levels are called internal aids of yoga. (Antaranga Sadhana).

First Five steps of Yoga:

I. YAMA – It refers to social behavior that how you behave with people around you. There are five YAMAS.

1. Ahimsa - that is non-violence, inflecting no injury or harm to others or even to one’s own self. “Non-violence in thoughts, words and deeds.
2. Satya - Truth in words and thought.
3. Asteya - that is non-covetousness, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is not his own..
4. Brahmacharya - that is to abstain from sexual intercourse, celibacy in case of unmarried people and monogamy in case of married people. Even this to the extent that one should not possess any sexual thoughts towards any other man or woman except one’s own spouse.
5. Aparigraha – that is non-possessiveness.

II. NIYAMA - refers to inner disciple and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. There are five Niyamas.

1. Shaucha – Cleanliness of body and mind.
2. Santhosha – Satisfaction satisfied what one has.
3. Tapas – This is associated with body discipline there by mental control.
4. Swadhyaya – Study of the Vedic scriptures to know about god and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and god within.
5. Ishvarapranidhana – Surrender to god or worship of god.

III. ASANA – Discipline of body – rules and pastures to keep it disease free and for preserving vital energy. Correct postures are a physical aid to meditation, for they control the limbs and nervous systems and prevent them from producing disturbances.

IV. PRANAYAMA – Control of breath. Beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind.

V. PRATYAHARA – Withdrawal of senses from their external objects (Control over senses).

The last three steps of are called internal aids to yoga.

VI. DHARANA – Concentration upon a physical object, such as a flame of a lamp, the mid point of the eyebrows (brumadya dhristi) or image of a deity.

VII. DHYANA – Steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation.

VIII. SAMADHI – Oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation (The state of super consciousness).

The eight limbs work together: the first five steps – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama and pratyahara are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The last here, which would not be possible without the previous steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogi to attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness.