PATANJALI YOGA
Yoga is not just a physical exercise. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual exercise. In fact Asana is just a branch of Yoga. Including other 7 branches makes a complete Astanga Yoga.
According to Patanjali there are eight steps to walk for in the Astanga yoga which lead to the destination. Yoga comes from ‘Yuj’ root word meaning to unite: to unite with goal, to achieve what one is looking for. For Patanjali, the yoga is the process of controlling mind: “Mana prashamano upaya yogah”, or “Yogah chitta vritti nirodha”. Bhagavad Gita says that Mind is as strong as uncontrollable wind. The Yogic philosophy teaches to be master of one’s own senses first before being master of any other thing. Lord Krishna in Gita says that “Samatvam yoga uchetye” i.e. to yoga is to remain balanced or unbiased or steady even in ups and downs of life. He further says that “Yoga karmashu kaushala” – to follow yoga is to be an excellent doer of the duty or work.
Yoga seems to summarize not only best parts of Eastern philosophy (like Buddhism, Hinduism etc) but also other philosophies of the world.
The eight steps as given by Lord Patanjali are:
1. Yama: Rules to be followed for welfare of society.
a. Ahimsa: Non-violence (not harming others by mind, words and actions)
b. Satya: Truthfulness
c. Asteya: Non-stealing, moderation
d. Bramcharya: Self disciplined, or to be Controller of one’s own senses, Celibacy
e. Aprigraha: Non-hording, Not accepting in return for the action 2. Niyam: Rules to be followed for welfare of oneself.
a. Saucha: Cleaniless
b. Santosha: Contement, Happiness
c. Tapa: Austerity, Penance
d. Swadhya: Self-study, Self-Analysis
e. Ishwor pranidhan: Srevice to God, Surrendering to the Almighty
3.Asana: Postures, major exercises of Yoga, The physical postures which renders our body more comfortable, flexible & active is Asana
4.Pranayam: Breathing Exercises, The Expansion & Control of Breath there by increasing the metabolism rate in the body is Pranayama.
5.Pratyhara: Keeping mind and senses in prime objectives, removing from insignificant ones, Widthrowing from senses, This deals with the appropriate way of selection & intake of food.
6.Dharana: Absorbance to the divine goal, It is the concentration on a particular object, matter or event
7.Dhyan: Meditation on the divine goal, The process of continuous concentration is called Dhyana (Meditation) which amounts to 6 Vinaligai
8.Samadhi: Being united with the divine goal, The process of attaining the state of the object on which we concentrate is Samadhi. Its a state of euilibrium of the mind. "1 Naligai 12 Vinaligai" make 1 Samadhi.
We should never try not to forget the primary steps for the better foundation of our Sadhana while doing yoga. We are mostly aware of the physical exercises which, for us, provide some visible benefits. But we have problem appreciating the benefits for which we may not have instruments to visualize and measure. Can we visualize and measure some important things like- thoughts, love, hatred etc. by some physical procedure?
Yoga is not always good for the body as there are many limitation of postures of yoga in a person with disease.
So I request everybody to follow a good yoga instructor. It is a powerful tool so handle the yoga with care.
The body can be kept in a perfect condition by following these 8 folds of Yoga. Yoga taught by us is a blending of all these folds of Yoga.
According to Patanjali there are eight steps to walk for in the Astanga yoga which lead to the destination. Yoga comes from ‘Yuj’ root word meaning to unite: to unite with goal, to achieve what one is looking for. For Patanjali, the yoga is the process of controlling mind: “Mana prashamano upaya yogah”, or “Yogah chitta vritti nirodha”. Bhagavad Gita says that Mind is as strong as uncontrollable wind. The Yogic philosophy teaches to be master of one’s own senses first before being master of any other thing. Lord Krishna in Gita says that “Samatvam yoga uchetye” i.e. to yoga is to remain balanced or unbiased or steady even in ups and downs of life. He further says that “Yoga karmashu kaushala” – to follow yoga is to be an excellent doer of the duty or work.
Yoga seems to summarize not only best parts of Eastern philosophy (like Buddhism, Hinduism etc) but also other philosophies of the world.
The eight steps as given by Lord Patanjali are:
1. Yama: Rules to be followed for welfare of society.
a. Ahimsa: Non-violence (not harming others by mind, words and actions)
b. Satya: Truthfulness
c. Asteya: Non-stealing, moderation
d. Bramcharya: Self disciplined, or to be Controller of one’s own senses, Celibacy
e. Aprigraha: Non-hording, Not accepting in return for the action 2. Niyam: Rules to be followed for welfare of oneself.
a. Saucha: Cleaniless
b. Santosha: Contement, Happiness
c. Tapa: Austerity, Penance
d. Swadhya: Self-study, Self-Analysis
e. Ishwor pranidhan: Srevice to God, Surrendering to the Almighty
3.Asana: Postures, major exercises of Yoga, The physical postures which renders our body more comfortable, flexible & active is Asana
4.Pranayam: Breathing Exercises, The Expansion & Control of Breath there by increasing the metabolism rate in the body is Pranayama.
5.Pratyhara: Keeping mind and senses in prime objectives, removing from insignificant ones, Widthrowing from senses, This deals with the appropriate way of selection & intake of food.
6.Dharana: Absorbance to the divine goal, It is the concentration on a particular object, matter or event
7.Dhyan: Meditation on the divine goal, The process of continuous concentration is called Dhyana (Meditation) which amounts to 6 Vinaligai
8.Samadhi: Being united with the divine goal, The process of attaining the state of the object on which we concentrate is Samadhi. Its a state of euilibrium of the mind. "1 Naligai 12 Vinaligai" make 1 Samadhi.
We should never try not to forget the primary steps for the better foundation of our Sadhana while doing yoga. We are mostly aware of the physical exercises which, for us, provide some visible benefits. But we have problem appreciating the benefits for which we may not have instruments to visualize and measure. Can we visualize and measure some important things like- thoughts, love, hatred etc. by some physical procedure?
Yoga is not always good for the body as there are many limitation of postures of yoga in a person with disease.
So I request everybody to follow a good yoga instructor. It is a powerful tool so handle the yoga with care.
The body can be kept in a perfect condition by following these 8 folds of Yoga. Yoga taught by us is a blending of all these folds of Yoga.
Social discipline (yama) consisting of non violence, truth, non stealing, non coveting other’s possessions as well as a moderate life style. This is a very important code of conduct, which makes not only a person better but also the society and through that the nation better. In this book, we briefly discussthe practical aspect of these.
1. ahimsa - Nonviolence:
* Not committing violence is nonviolence.
* Do not cause physical or mental suffering to anyone.
* Becoming angry is nothing but violence self-imposed. Therefore, do not get angry.
* May your talk be pleasant; may it not hurt others.
* Show respect towards your parents, teachers and elders. Be polite in your behaviour.
* Wish good to everybody.
* Do not blame anything; do not hate anybody.
* Love all and hate none.
* May we become embodiment of nonviolence, free from hatred and salute the world with a smile.
2. satya - Truth
* Do not lie.
* Do not deceive.
* Talk the truth; talk not the untruth.
* Learn with perseverance and patience - do not copy from others in the
examination.
* Truth is the greatest wealth.
* Let us welcome the truth which is attributed such a high value by lifting thefolded palms high up.
3. asteya - Non-stealing
* steya means stealing; asteya is non-stealing.
* Do not yearn for things that are not yours.
* Copying from others in examinations is equivalent to stealing. Therefore, do not copy in examinations.
* Study with persistence.
* Not longing for others’ belongings is the aim of non-stealing. Being proud about what you have is also the idea of asteya (non-stealing).
* Non-stealing enhances your ability to work better. Keeping hand and head closer to the ground of hard work is the essence of non-stealing.
4. brahmacharya - Self-restraint
* Leading a moderate lifestyle is the principle of brahmacharya
* Eat healthy food. Eat healthily.
* Eat not non-nutritious food. Eat not to satiate your tongue. Eat only when you are hungry.
* Do not watch the television in excess. Changing the television channels may be addictive.
* Do not get addicted to computer games and internet games.
* Do not smoke; do not drink unhealthy stimulants; do not consume illicit drugs.
* Have restraint on the organs of perception - the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the skin.
* Restraining the senses does not mean turning away from responsibility.
* Do not do anything in excess; this applies to sleep and play as well.
* Knowing where to place the foot firm and where to withdraw is the essence of brahmacharya.
5. aparigraha - Non-covetousness
* Amassing things that are not necessary and beyond necessity is covetousness- parigraha. Not doing this is non-covetousness, aparigraha.
* Do not accumulate things that are not necessary for you.
* Even the necessary things should not be stored in excess.
* Share what you have with others and create a balanced society.
* Do not be possessive of everything.
* Wish good to all life forms.
* Do not waste food.
Personal discipline (niyama) encompassing physical and psychological cleanliness, contentment, pursuing the set goals, self awareness and giving up ego. These personal codes are very essential if one wants to enjoy life in the true sense of the term. Hence, in this book we provide the basics of thesecodes.
1. shoucha – Cleanliness
* Being clean physically and mentally is cleanliness.
* Wake up daily before the sunrise.
* Brush your teeth cleanly; wash your face with cold water.
* Clear your bowels; bathe everyday.
* Sit with the eyes closed for at least five minutes and pray within.
* Be pleasant and silent while consuming food.
* Be friendly with everybody.
* Do not curse anybody.
* Surrender to the supreme with the four supports of simplicity, humanity,humbleness and politeness.
2. santosha - Contentment
* Being satisfied with what you have is contentment.
* Do not crib or crave about beautiful things others’ may have.
* Buy things only if necessary. Do not possess things just because others’ havethem too.
* Do not get attracted towards crafty advertisements that appear in newspapersand televisions.
3. tapas - Penance
* Having a right goal, and striving to reach the goal with persistence,perseverance is tapas.
* Be tenacious at your study, and practice to do well in the examinations.
* Participate in extra-curricular activities. For example, yoga, music, arts,sports, etc.
* There is no equivalent to practice and perseverance.
* Accomplishment can be attained in any field if you are equipped with afocused mind, a firm foundation of practice and persistence.
4. svadhyaya - Self-awareness
* Knowing one self is self-awareness.
* Know your body anatomy and its functions.
* Have an inclination to understand the mind.
* Have an inclination to know about the primal energy, also called as the soul.
* Read the books that aid in your personality development. Listen to thelearned ones.
* Have an inclination to gain the information that helps in developing your mind.
* More often than not, information media such as the internet, books, mobilephones, and televisions are full of programmes that are harmful to one’sdevelopment. You should be selective about the information you seek.
* Being thoughtful about where to take your step and where not to is very important.
5. Ishvara pranidhana - Giving up the ego
* Performing your job with dedication, not being attached to the results is theprinciple of Ishvara pranidhana.
* The summary of the principle is - giving up the ego.
* Being freed from the attitude that you are the doer is Ishvara pranidhana.
* We tend to think of the result while doing the work. This unnecessarilycauses worry and stresses us mentally. Job can be well done when one is notconscious about the results.
* There is a saying in Sufism:‘Do good; then forget it’. This is also Ishvara pranidhana.
* Submitting everything to the supreme, after performing the job, withouthaving attachment to the results is Ishvara pranidhana.