Yoga

Aayushi Agarwal

BBA 2017-20

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 Yoga

The word “yoga” essentially means, “that which brings you to

reality”. Literally, it means “union.” Union means it brings you
to the ultimate reality, where individual manifestations of life
are surface bubbles in the process of creation. Right now, a
coconut tree and a mango tree have popped up from the
same earth. From the same earth, the human body and so
many creatures have popped up. It is all the same earth.
Yoga means to move towards an experiential reality where
one knows the ultimate nature of the existence, the way it is
made.

Yoga is all about harmonising the body with the mind and
breath through the means of various breathing exercises,
yoga poses (asanas) and meditation.

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 The Six Schools of Yoga

• Bhakti Yoga

The yoga of spiritual love.

Bhakti yoga practices include chanting mantra, singing devotional
songs, sharing spiritual stories.

• Jñāna Yoga

The yoga of knowledge.

Jnana yoga practices focus on spiritual enquiry into the ultimate
nature of reality and constantly maintaining a non-dualistic
outlook,  for example, “There is only God, nothing else”.
 

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• Karma Yoga

The yoga of selfless service.

Karma yoga practices focus on mastering the art of working
without a sense of ego.
 
Asanas and yoga centres are the best places to imbibe and live
the spirit of Karma Yoga. In yogic life stay, Karma yoga becomes
the major tool of the daily routine, offering larger possibility of
experiments, self-observation and evolution.

• Rāja Yoga

Another name for the classical Astaunga Yoga developed by

Patainjali.
Raja Yoga focuses on learning to control the mind and withdraw it
from all external objects.
 The main objective of raja yoga is to control the mental energies
which are generally dissipated and fluctuating.

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• Hatha Yoga

The yoga of controlling the mind through yoga postures and

breath control.
Hatha Yogis consider the body as the vehicle of enlightenment,
maintaining that only by purifying and mastering the body can
enlightenment be attained.

• Tantra Yoga

The yoga of awakening the Kundalini and controlling the

Chakras.
Tantra focuses on the use of Mantras and Visualisation in the
Chakras. The role of enlightened spiritual master is also important.

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The 8 Limbs of Yoga

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• Yama (Restraints)

The yamas are five ethical precepts that outline a code of

conduct that should be observed when interacting with the world
around us. They offer guidance on how to act toward others.

They are:

Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
Satya (Truthfulness)
Asteya (Non-Stealing)
Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
Aparigraha (Non-Coveting)

• Asana (Posture)

While it might seem like we’re getting onto more familiar ground
here, asana also had a very different meaning in its original
context. While we now use this term to refer to any part of a
postural practice (all yoga poses), it’s original meaning was
simply a comfortable seat. Patanjali’s work has no other asana
instruction other than the necessity of finding a posture in which
to engage in the practices of pranayama and meditation (see
below). In terms of the eight-limbed path, it seems that once we
have established that we are right with the world and with
ourselves, we can turn our attention to the business of calming
and focusing the mind. Of course, asana is now quite often the
point of entry for people into yoga.

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• Pranayama (Breath Control)

On the subject of breath control, Patanjali instructs that the

practitioner should regulate the inhalations, exhalations, and
retentions of the breath in a cyclical manner. All other breathing
exercises we now practice came from sources outside of the
Yoga Sutras. Since the eight limbs are concerned with preparing
for meditation, any breath that is centering and brings us in
contact with the present moment helps ready the body and mind
to turn the focus inward.

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• Pratyahara (Withdrawal of the
Senses)

Isolating consciousness from the distractions offered by

engagement with the senses is the final physical preparation for
the meditation practices outlined in the final three limbs. This can
be in itself a form of what we would call mindfulness in which
sensory input such as sounds, sights, or smells are noticed as
external and then allowed to pass without capturing our
attention.

• Dharana (Concentration)

Dharana is the first stage in the inner journey toward freedom

from suffering. During this type of meditation, practitioners
concentrate all of their attention on a single point of focus such
as the navel or on an image in their mind.

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• Dhyana (Meditation)

In this stage, the practitioner meditates on a single object of their

attention to the exclusion of all others. While we are accustomed
to a type of meditation that attempts to clear the mind of all
thoughts and images, this doesn’t seem to have been a requisite
part of the method described by Patanjali. As long as the
attention is focused, the object is not specified.

• Samadhi (Pure Contemplation)

When dhyana is achieved, the practitioner enters a state of

samadhi in which they merge with the object of their meditation.
Although this has been interpreted to mean union with the divine
or with the entire universe, Patanjali’s explanation does not go
this far.

• Niyama (Observances)

The niyamas are inward practices to improve the self.

They are:
Saucha (Purification)
Santosa (Contentment)
Tapas (Asceticism)
Svadhyaya (Study)
Ishvara Pranidhana (Dedication to God/Master)

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Yoga Science and Psychology

Yoga Science does not tell you what to do and what not to
do, but teaches you how to be. Yoga science is a science of
life that helps you to know the known and unknown parts
of life, that helps you to liberate yourself from pains and
miseries, and that helps you to attain that state which is
free from pains and miseries.

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How can someone living in the world practice Yoga
science? If you understand the fundamental principles of
Yoga science and why Yoga science should be practiced, it
will become easy for you to practice. First you have to
decide to search.

You have to feel the necessity of finding yourself. Yes, I

want to know myself. You may go to church or temple or
synagogues, but the questioning mind is still there.
Sometimes orthodox religions do not satisfy your needs,
so you question life. When your mind questions, it means
you are not fully satisfied. Life is a question in front of you.
You want to know something more, but you are using this
little mind, which is like a yardstick, to measure the vast
universe and its mysteries. You do not understand your
religion because you do not understand yourself.

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 Yoga balances the Emotions

Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is

responsible for calming us down. Activating the parasympathetic
nervous system, starts the process of restoration and healing in
the body. Blood is directed toward endocrine glands, digestive
organs, and lymphatic circulation. Blood pressure and the heart
rate are lowered, nutrients in food can be absorbed more easily
and toxins are released from the body due to enhanced
circulation.

Yoga as a tool for healing trauma

Yoga is increasingly being used as a tool to heal trauma and has

successfully been used with PTSD. Psychologist, Richard Miller, the
founder of iRest, a synthesis of modern day psychology and the
thousand year old practice of Yoga Nidra, delivers classes of iRest
to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
traumatic brain injury (TBI).

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Yoga science does not offer any new religion; it offers a
methodology.

Through Yoga science you can understand yourself better on all

levels, including your physical well-being, your actions, thought
process, emotions, and desires. You will also understand how you
are related to the world, and how to lead a successful life in the
world.

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Yoga science creates a bridge between the internal and external
conditions of life. Yoga is a way of improving yourself, a way of
understanding your internal states. Whosoever you are, you have
all the potentials within you. Are you aware of this? If you are
aware of this, do you know how to use them? Patanjali encourages
us to be aware of the potentials that we have and to learn how to
use them. This practical science says to explore more and more.

You have to light your own lamp. No one will give you salvation. I
am talking of enlightenment. All individuals have the
responsibility to enlighten themselves. Do not think you cannot do
it. You have that spark. You are fully equipped. You simply need to
discipline yourself. Discipline is not a prison. It simply means
practice.

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