UNDERSTAND YOGA

What is Yoga?

The word is derived form the root word 'Yuj' means Yoking. Any activity which yokes the mind of the man is called yoga. Yoga is a way of life. It is the means & end. Yoga yokes the Jivatma or Jiva to the Paramatman or God. The Jiva travels a long journey to wards moksha with the grace of lord. Without the grace of Lord it suffers the pangs of birth & death. The Lord or Paramatma helps the Jiva to cross the samsara which is inauspicious. Lord krsna in Gita says "yukta asita matparaha" The yogi should sit meditating believing that I (Lord) Supreme.


What are the types of Yoga?
1. Hatha Yoga
2. Bhakthi Yoga
3. Karma Yoga
4. Japa Yoga
5. Jnana Yoga

Hatha Yoga
It consists of asana & pranayama. Yogasanas have been practiced down the ages and have stood the test of time. They are best suited to the human system. Asanas keep body fit & firm, free of many diseases. It prolongs the life, removes the toxins from the system to a great deal. Unlike other types of exercises which work or tones only external muscles, yogic exercises, tones and massages the body machine. It promotes harmony & balance between body and mind with right minds.
There is no upper limit for the practice of yoga. I came across a 82yrs lady who started learning yoga & stunned the participants & onlookers after 10 years i.e. 92yrs. She performed some advanced asanas. She is a great inspiration for the present youngsters. Many aliments of old age like, poor vision, grey hair, joint stiffness, bent back, diseases like, BP, Diabetes; Cancer etc can be handled with more ease.
Yogasanas increases the flexibility even at the old age. Even 30 mts practice of yoga packs so much of energy into the system. Working out in gymnasium drains vital salts and energy from the body & makes the individual to feel haggard. Asanas makes you feel light and fresh whole day. It significantly reduces stress & tension and makes us feel bubbling with energy. They strengthen the weaker parts of the body without panting or puffing. For this reason it is most sought after because even medical physicians & surgeons refer their patients for yoga. The activities of the vital organs such as heart, kidneys, lungs, stomach, intestines, can be easily toned. Minor structure & postural deformities can be easily rectified by practice of yogasanas.
Sagging abdomen, stooping back, hollow chest, drooping shoulders, bulging hips, flabby thighs can be corrected by continuous & devoted practice of yoga. To maintain optimum health, the spinal cord or merudanda & accompanying nerves have to be healthy. This can be achieved very easily by yogasana. Yogic postures or asanas can eliminate obesity particularly central obesity. Central obesity or visceral fat is one of the leading causes for diabetes, heart ailments, spinal problems etc. A special part in yoga is the breathing technique which is lacking majority of the population worldwide. Fuller breathing is achieved by practicing Yogasanas & pranayama. Sound sleep is achieved. Dependence on drugs can be reduced. Mental strength is achieved. Yogasanas teaches you to attain the "Sama"-bhava" ie treating the opposites of life the same. Asana practice promotes satvik state of nature and promotes vegetarianism. It weaves away an individual from vices such as smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs and excessive sex. Yogasanas is a higher spiritual practice which makes or transforms a man's base passions to soft, responsible, agreeable, respectable leading a meaningful life. It has the potency to transform the whole society. It is the hallmark of India but has to be practiced by one and all.
Gita says "When the mind completely kept under control is transfixed in god alone, free from other longing, is said to be a full blown Yogi".
It is a fashion statement to say that one is going for yoga classes with all the trendy dresses. Yoga has to be a worship of god. Hatha Yogi worships God with the body given by god. Since Hatha Yoga is secular this concept is applied to any religion worldwide. The yogi has to realize that this body is a vehicle which assists the soul in performing the dharma. Yoga should not be used by the individual for any other means other than this. Lord says in Bhagavad-Gita that abhyasa and vairaghya are the two pillars of the Yoga practice. Abhyasa means practicing the Yoga at the same time everyday for the rest of the life. There should no be any break in the practice if the sadhaka wants the full benefits. Vairaghys means detachment. Detachments form worldly attractions. Materialism is the bane of the today’s society which plunders the Sadhaka of the happiness & plunges in misery. Wealth, cars, mobile phones, party, rich food, huge apartments, home theatre, affluent friends, credit cards, pride are the evils man is attached to. None of these are permanent, and for this very reason they beget misery for the man. A sadhaka has to consciously keep away form these evils in order to achieve higher goal. Simply speaking the sadhaka has to forsake the sleep after 5AM to practice yoga, japa etc. They are best practiced during brahmamuhurta, 4.30AM to 6.00 AM. This is the 1st step in vairaghya or detachment. Yoga Sastra lays down few prerequisites for a successful sadhaka in yogamarga. Yoga cannot be practiced who does not have control over food. The sadhaka should not either abstain from food or gorge on it. Mitah or moderation is the keyword for health. We are what we eat. So the food should balance, healthy and limited. And also sadhaka should not be obsessed with sleep. Sleeping time is better from 10pm onwards. A man can sleep for 6-7 hours & not more than that. Modern life has jeopardized the sleeping pattern resulting in sleep disorders. So a sound sleep is most important prerequisite for yoga. Otherwise it makes the man fatigued or sick. During deep sleep all our system take rest and purge the toxins out of the body.
Yoga practiced with these prerequisite in mind rids the sadhaka of miseries and delivers happiness.