What is yoga?

Yoga is the most ancient system of development of the body and the mind. It was practiced thousands of years ago in this country and is being carried out even today.
Some say Lord Shiva was its innovator. Our ancestors practiced it with remarkable success to maintain good physic and to keep mind tranquil.

Yoga has been an integral part of our Vedantic philosophy. Vedas, Upanishads and Ramayana talk about it. Lord Krishna also explained to Arjuna the secret of yoga in the Gita.

The science of yoga was was coming down to us from one generation to another by the word of mouth. Among the earliest sages who contributed in laying the foundation of yoga system was Kapil who lived in 700 B.C . He authored Samkhya philosophy. He was of the opinion that the answer to human problem lay in acquiring ‘Samyak Gyan’ – proper knowledge. Men face sorrow, according to kapil , because they lack proper knowledge about the spirit9self) and prakriti(nature). Once they ac uire that knowledge, they overcome pain, maintain mental equilibrium and attain peace with in.Teh question ‘who am I’ was always pondered over in India. But kapil’s philosophy was confined only to telling that men should acquire knowledge. He groped in the dark beyond that. He did not show the way to reach the ultimate good- how to realize the self.It was left to sage Patanjali(300 B.C.) show a method for obtaining the goal laid down by kapil. While Kapil laid stress on acquiring ‘gyan’, the Patanjali system deals with both the body and mind.The purusha has to do both the things simultaneously; he must acquire samyak gyan and also practice yoga to achieve an excellent body and a sound mind free from tumult. That way he will have a harmonious relationship between the mind and the body.
Yoga is a psychophysical system of exercises based upon the knowledge of the relation between the body and the mind. According to Sage Patanjali both the body and soul(spirit) play vital role in the transformation of the finite into the infinite. It is in fact a key reveal the mysteries of universal consciousness. It shows the way how men can conquer suffering, disease and death. It teaches how to stretch life span and enjoy a better living. We can also realize the self through asana, rhythmic breathing, concentration and meditation.

The method discovered and the experiences gained by ancient yogis, are eternal. They stand equally significant even today as they were thousands of years ago.
Yoga is not merely a science dealing with various body postures; it is, apart being a source of sound health, gives eternal peace of mind. A regular practice not only adds years to life but leads to a meaningful life.
The medical science, which has developed in leaps and bounds, has also reached the conclusion that without taking into account the mind, it is not possible to cure the body. Thus yoga unites body, mind and spirit.
Why was there the necessity to do yogic exercise? Our ancient sages had realized that life on earth was full of pain and sorrow. The body was a prey to all sorts of diseases and the mind was turbulent and wavering- unsteady. The old age was a curse. So they engaged themselves in finding a way out to get rid off them. And thus they found a way out. What was more desirable than yoga to obtain peace and sound health?
Yoga has been variously defined in our various scriptures. The Kathapanishad says yoga is a ‘stat of steadiness and full control over sense as well as mind and the intellect’. As is well known it is very difficult to fix the mind at one place. It is always wandering around. The man is attracted towards worldly objects and desires to enjoy them. But a yogi’s mind is steady; he is not attracted by mundane objects.

Shevetaashvatara Upanishad tells us that a ‘yogi does not suffer from old age, disease and death. His body is healthy, mind free from old age, disease and death. His body is healthy, mind free from greed and is peaceful. The mind and body both become pure’
In Yogavasesta, yoga is described as an instrument ‘for reaching the other, shore of the stream of sorrow’.
In the Gita, the Lord(Krishna) himself says the state of yoga is a state of equipoise where a yogi is not affected by a pair of opposites. For him day and night, joy and sorrow, hot or cold, criticism or praise, etc are all alike. He does not bear any desire. He has reached the state of happiness per excellence. He has realized that absolute truth after which nothing remains to be realized. Although he continues to act, his actions are directed for the good of others, He does not look for rewards for his virtuous deeds. Thus he frees himself from bondage.

Sage Patanjali in his ‘Yoga Sutra’ has said ‘yoga is a state where one if free from thought and modifications of the mind are complete?’

According to “ Yoga Sutra’, one attains the state of oneness with the Supreme Lord only after mastering eight parts of yoga. And to reach that state one must have at least two conditions; One, practice; two, absence of any desire. Through constant practice one has to make his mind steady by adopting various methods depending upon one’s temperament. There are different types of yoga to do so, each leading to ultimate goal of acquiring ‘mokshya’ – freeing oneself from the cycle o birth and death.
The eight steps of yoga or limbs(Astanga Yoga), according to Patanjali, are: Yama,niyama, asanas, pranayama, pratyahar,dharna, dhyan ana Samadhi. Yoga means control and discipline, niyma means rules, methods and principles, asana relate to make physical postures, pranayama is kriyas with air, prayahar is avoiding undesirable, dharna is concentration, dhyana is meditation and Samadhi is contemplation..

Patanjali did not go into details about the eight types of yoga. Therefore more study of yogas. Therfore more study or research was necessary. The result of further studies were that they were grouped under different categories according to nature.
Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Hatha yoga.

Bhakti yoga: Very common mong the people, this method of yoga is very easy to follow as it does not require any technical and comp-licated process nor any special intelligence. It creates a feeling of security in man. He develops unflinching faith that there is a superior power, i.e, God, which is all powerful and merciful and will come to his rescue in time of need, protecting him from harm. He on his part has to have abiding faith that attaining him is the ultimate goal of human life. He has to surrender himself, his desires and go on fulfilling his duty without expecting any results from Him. He has to go through scriptures, follow instruction therin, do good deeds and consider every being as fragment of the Supreme Lord.

Karma Yoga: Karma is a Sanskrite word meaning action. There is no one from Brahma down to an insect that does not perform action. One cannot live with out action . Lord himself has said in the Gita that all beings who are controlled by Prakrti have to act. Even after attainment of the goal of yoga(mukti) on does not renounce acts. Gita tells us that those who perform actions with some motive and expect fruits from them get into bondage because of the attitude or intention involved in it. But a karma yogi is indifferent as he bears no desire. He is concerned only with doing his duty without any reservation and without expecting any return for his acts. But this yoga is very difficult to cultivate. Human mind is always wavering; it does not stay at one place. Man by nature is attracted towards worldly pleasures; he wants to enjoy them. He always wants to have more and more of pleasure, wealth, objects or enjoyment, fame and name.
A karma yogi has no such attitude. He utilizes his energy in doing good deeds. He has acquired peace within and without. He does not run after pleasures; it is the pleasures which run after him.

Gyan yoga or Raja yoga: This yoga is followed by intelligent devotees. All other methods also ultimately lead to this yoga. But it is a difficult process and can be achieved by persistent practice of mental discipline. It seems when Patjali spoke of yoga to be made of eight parts in his ‘yoga sutra’, he was referring to this method. He says fove of the method are external and three internal.Yama and Niyama mean one should avoid indulging in speaking lies,stealing,amassing wealth beyond one’s requirement and cultivate the habit of keeping the body and mind clean and remain contented with his position.Asana and Pranayama come under Hatha yoga.Pratyar is described as aversion to mundane desires and non-enjoyment of sense-objects. The other parts are related to the process of concentration.I f these eight parts are faithfully and sincerely practices for a reasonable length of time, impurities of body and mind melt down and one attains knowledge which ultimately liberates him from bondage. This yoga also called ‘dhyan yoga’ or ‘Ashtana yoga’-lays emphasis on concentration of mind. The Gita desribes it in its sixth chapter in detail.

Hatha yoga: The world’s most ancient art to keep fit physically and mentally, being practiced in India (asana,pranayama ,mudra,etc.) to seek health ,happiness and wisdom to attain self-realization, is made up of two words-HA and Tha, the former meaning Surya or the sun and the latter Chandra or moon. Yoga is union of the two, according to some leading yogis. It is a system of psychophysical excerxises.Asanas is carried out to make spine elastic and strengthen the nervous system. They not only give strength to mind, but give an insight to the hidden powers of the spirit, strengthen will-power and ultimately raise a person to the state of self-realization.

Hatha yoga unites the sun and the moon. Sun is prana the life force. It carries out the function of blood circulation and respiration.
The moon –apana- performs the function of removing impurities from the body. The two forces let the life pushed forward. The prana(vital force) regulates the movements of stars, planets and the sun and the moon;it courses trhough wind, manifests in froms of energy like electricity, magnetism, light , heat, radio waves, and is seated in the heart of beings.
The moon is situated in a region above the hard palate and perhaps exudes a fluid which percolates down and si swallowed by the sun- situated near the navel. It is due to the swallowing up of this elixir by the sun that old age and death come, Hatha yoga brings about the union of the two asanas.
Hatha yoga is a means to establish universal peace and harmony as well. As is well known peace in the world depends upon the peace of individuals and unless anger, hatred, greed, desire for worldly pleasures are done away with through the observance of yoga, there will be no desire to establish peace in the world,.

Swatmarama says in his Hathayoga Pradipika;” hatha yoga is a stepping stone to Raja yoga (Gyan yoga)’.


What yoga really stands for and who is a real yogi?
Most of the people do not really understand their meaning. Many persons acquire some powers or siddhis and try to impress people with demonstrations like stopping moving cars, walking on fire or water, etc. Yoga sutra is very clear that such misuse of power through display is actually distraction in the path of samadhi.

A yogi biologically is like any other person. He feels hunger, thirst, sleepy and needs rest like others to keep the body going. But the difference lies on the psychological plane. He is not allured by the worldly objects. He goes on working for the good of humanity. He uses his sense-organs but is not swayed away by sensations.

We would do well here t quote jnaneshwara, a master of yoga, from his Anubhavamrita:
“The yogi may respond to life experiences but he is unaffected or undisturbed within. He yogi reacts passively to what ever confronts him in life. His passivity and peace are not disturbed by whatever he does and while his sense organs are used, his Samadhi remains undisturbed with in.
Adi shankaracharya, who had, we are told, reached the state of jivanmukti, describes a yogi thus:’ He is sinless, unsmitten by desires, peaceful like fire that has consumed its fuel, and being himself in a state beyond death and sorrow, helps others mercifully and compassionately’.

“For a yogi”, says Yoga vasishta. “Who has found the treasure of eternal happiness and whose intellect has stopped running after the objects of enjoyment; even the greatest empire on the earth is nothing more valuable than a dry leaf that is to be shed. Such a person, even with a single coin in his possession, still gets the pleasure that can hardly ever be obtained by an emperor”.

The yogi of al yogis-lord Krishna –has himself described in the Gita who a yogi is. He says a yogi’s mind is not engaged in craving and he is peaceful with himself and the world. He is not affected by external factors, is like an ocean which is undisturbed when rivers pour water in it. A yogi treats every being as alike, is above the felling of attachment and takes all opposites-hot and cold, joy and sorrow, etc in his stride.

But can such a state be attained by anybody?