Yoga in India

The tradition of Yoga was born in India several thousand years ago. Its founders were great Saints and Sages. The great Yogis gave rational interpretation of their experiences about Yoga and brought a practically sound and scientifically prepared method within every one’s reach. Yoga philosophy is an Art and Science of living in tune with Brahmand- The Universe. Yoga has its origins in the Vedas, the oldest record of Indian culture. It was systematized by the great Indian sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra as a special Darshana. Although, this work was followed by many other important texts on Yoga, but Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is certainly the most significant wherein no change is possible. It is the only book which has touched almost all the aspects of human life.

Unlike earlier, Yoga today is no longer restricted to a privileged minority of hermits; it has taken its place in our every day lives and have undergone a world wide awakening and acceptance in the last few decades. The Science of Yoga and its techniques have now been re-oriented to suit modern sociological needs and lifestyle. Experts of various branches of medicine including modern medical science are realizing the role of these techniques in the prevention of disease and promotion of health.

Swami Vivekananda defines Yoga as "It’s a means of compressing one’s evolution into a single life or a few months or even a few hours of one’s bodily existence". By Yoga, Sri Aurobindo, meant a methodological effort towards self perfection by the development of potentialities latent in the individual.

Yoga is a science as well an art of healthy living physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. It’s systematic growth from his animal level to the normalcy, from there to the divinity, ultimately. It’s no way limited by race, age, sex, religion, cast or creed and can be practiced by those who seek an education on better living and those who wants to have a more meaningful life.

Yoga is not a religion; It’s a philosophy of life based on certain psychological facts and it aims at the development of a perfect balance between the body and the mind that permits union with the divine i.e. perfect harmony between the individual and the cosmos.

Many different interpretations of the word Yoga have been handed down over the centuries. One of the classic definition of Yoga is "to be one with divine." It does not matter what name we use for the divine-God, Allah, Ishvara, or whatever- anything that brings us closer to understanding that there is a power higher and greater than ourselves is Yoga. When we feel in harmony with that higher power, that too is Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga :

Yoga is one among the six systems of Indian orthodox philosophy. Maharishi Patanjali, rightly called as the "Father of Yoga" compiled and refined various aspects of Yoga systematically in his "Yoga Sutras" (aphorisms). He advocated the eight fold path of Yoga, popularly known as "Ashtanga Yoga" for all-round development of human personality. They are – Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana & Samadhi. These eight limbs are so perfectly designed that there is absolutely no scope for any addition or alteration since these are formulated on the basis of multifarious psychological understanding of human personality.

The practice of Yamas – Niyamas i.e. harmlessness towards all living beings, truthfulness, honesty, celibacy, non-hoarding of worldly objects, cleanliness, contentment, austerity, control of lust, anger and infatuation, study of holy books and practice of Japa and selfless action – all these pave way for increasing the power of concentration, mental purity and steadiness.

Hatha Yoga :

Svatmarama, who wrote a treatise on this subject after experiencing the nectar of samadhi (absorption of the soul) as Hatha Yoga Vidya or Hatha Yoga Pradeepika. It gives guidelines from the practical point of view for a beginner to begin Yoga, which leads the students gradually from the culture of the body towards the sight of the soul and God-realisation. Hatha Yoga Pradeepika is divided into four chapters or Prakaranas. The first chapter expounds Asanas, the second is on pranayama, the third is on Mudras and Bandhas and the fourth is on Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and samadhi. In between these, the author introduces satkriyaas or the six cleansing processes. As the text begins with asanas, Satmarama’s Yoga is called Sadanga Yoga or the six aspects of Yoga beginning with asanas and ending in Samadhi.

A set of Asanas, Mudras and Pranayamas practiced with faith, perseverance and insight rejuvenates the brain, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, bowels, nerves, muscles, tissues & glands of the body by ensuring oxygenated and balanced blood supply, kindles up the appetite, bestows control over seminal fluid, senses & mind and imparts increased vitality, vigor & longevity to the practitioner.

Various streams of Yoga :

There are a large numbers of methods of Yoga catering to the needs of different persons in society. They are broadly classified into four streams. Swami Vivekananda puts them as Work, Worship, Philosophy and Psychic control.

Karma Yoga, the path of work, involves doing action in a skilful way. In other words, it can be said as a way of enjoying work, doing it effortlessly. The success or failure should not be allowed to cause ripples in the mind.

‘Bhakti Yoga’ the path of worship is a systematic method of engaging the mind in the practice of divine love. This attitude of love softens our emotions and tranquillizes our mind.

Jnana Yoga, the path of philosophy, is a systematic way of tutoring the mind about the realities of life by contemplation. This will strip off the garb of Avidya (ignorance) from our mind and the mind goes to its natural state of rest.

Raja Yoga, the path of psychic control, is a systematic process of culturing the mind. It is based on the 8-limbed Yoga of Patanjali.

Yoga is a science as well as an art of healthy living. It is no way limited by race, age, sex, religion, caste, creed and any other boundaries and can be practiced by those who seek an education on better living and those who want to have a more meaningful life.

Principles of Yoga

Yoga means a holistic approach towards the cause and treatment of disease.

According to Yoga, most of the diseases Mental, Psychosomatic and Physical originate in mind through wrong way of thinking, living and eating which is caused by attachment.

The basic approach of Yoga is to correct the life style by cultivating a rational positive and spiritual attitude towards all life situation.

Yoga does not treat gross body alone, it takes into consideration all the five Kosa’s (Sheaths) i.e. Manomaya Kosa, Annamaya Kosa, (grass Sheath) Pranamaya Kosa (Extral Body) (Psychic Body), Vijyanmaya Kosa (intellect Sheath) and Anandamaya Kosa (Bliss sheath).

Like Ayurveda and Naturopathy Yoga also takes up the cleansing of the body as the first measure to fight disease. While Ayurveda performs its pancha karma through the help of emetics purgative Yoga performs them without the help of any drug i.e. by developing full efficiency and control of eliminative systems of the body. Which no other system of health care can do.

All the systems of medicine at their best aim at curing the disease whereas Yoga aims at preventing the disease and promoting health by reconditioning the psycho-physiological mechanism of the individual.

Yoga emphasizes the development of brotherhood, hormony, fraternity and equality not only towards all human beings irrespective of colour, caste, nationality, age and sex but towards all living beings also. This attitude renders the thinking so positive that man is liberated from all mental malice and also all the mental, psychosomatic and physiological diseases arising thereof.

The approach of Yoga is not confirmed to various disorders, it aims at bringing under perfect control of the mind, senses and pranic energy and direct them towards healthier channels with a view to acquire mental purity, intellectual stability and spiritual bliss.

Yoga is very wide and comprehensive system embracing all walks of human life. It is unlike Ayurvedic, Unani and Homoeopathy. It is not merely a system of treatment but has potential to develop all-round health i.e. physical, social, mental and spiritual. For social health, it prescribes the practice of Yama & Niyama and Karma Yoga. A man devoted to karma Yoga looks all the living beings as his brethrens and helps them getting rid of painful situations. This concept of "Vasudhaiv Kutmba Kama" is the basic Philosophy of Yoga.

Yoga emphasizes the practitioners to withstand the environmental influences both external & internal as well as physical & mental processes. This practice cultivates strong immunity in them and make them capable of offering a effective resistance to various environmental pressures and thus, maintains behavioral equanimity and intellectual stability.

The practice of Yama – Niyamas purifies the heart of practitioner from vices like attachment, aversion, avarice and infatuation etc. and generates higher ethical qualities like sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, cheerfulness, courage, detachment, patience, perseverance, tranquility, self control, truth, harmony and uprightness.

Our ancient seers have very sagaciously designed the Yogic practices to invigorate the entire psychosomatic constitution of man. A set of Asanas, Mudras and Pranayamas practiced with faith, perseverance and insight rejuvenates the brain, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, bowels, all nerves, muscles, tissues, glands of the body by ensuring oxygenated and balanced blood supply, kindles up the appetite, bestows control over seminal fluid, senses and mind and imparts increased vitality, vigor and longevity to the practitioners.

Yoga in India FAQ's

What is Yoga ?
Yoga is one of the six systems of Indian philosophy.

The word "yoga" originates from the sanskrit root yuj which means Union. On the spiritual plane, it means union of the Individual Self with the Universal Self. Yoga is the union of the body, mind, emotions and intellect.

Sage Patanjali penned down this subject in his treatise known as Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Yoga is a 5000-year old way of living. Its remarkably simple philosophy is that the mind, body and soul are interdependent and equally responsible for overall good health. Therefore it includes techniques to keep all three active and well -- postures for the body, meditation for the mind, and correct breathing for the soul. According to yoga, food has a clear and direct effect on a person and it prescribes certain kinds of food to stay healthy. It also finds a direct link between good health and cleansing. Special methods are suggested to clear the body of toxins and deep breathing expels other waste. Yoga says that if these basic tenets are observed, a human being can awaken latent abilities and huge reserves of energy which lie dormant within each of us. This results in a noteworthy improvement in the quality of life, manifest in being healthier, looking better, feeling fitter, reduced stress, increased happiness, inner calmness, and contentment with life. Yoga & Meditation is a simple guide to this fascinating way of life and better living.

How do I recognize a qualified teacher ?
There are no universal standards. Someone who is certified may have just done a weekend course or may have studied for many years. Yoga is so diverse and broad that some people in the yoga community feel it would be impossible to create uniform standards. However; the Yoga Alliance has outlined some minimum requirement that yoga teachers must meet in order to become "registered." Yoga teacher registration has no national or official significance. The training requirements for registration are very reasonable and are followed by most training organizations.

How many styles of yoga are there ?
There are many different styles, and this is a good thing because people have such differing temperaments.

There are four basic paths of Yoga:
(1) Jnana, which is the path of knowledge and wisdom;
(2) Bhakti, the path of devotion;
(3) Karma, the path of action; and
(4) Raja, the path of self control. Within this path (Raja) is found Hatha Yoga, which is the most popular path in the West.

In India, Bhakti is perhaps the most popular. Many paths such as Iyengar, Kripalu, Astanga, Integral and Jiva Mukti, to name a few, are Hatha Yoga styles. A common lineage dates back to Patanjali's Yoga sutras, the text which outlines the basic philosophy and practices of classical Yoga.

What are the different stages/aspects of Patanjali's Yoga ?
Saga Patanjali's exposition consists of just 196 terse yoga sutras which cover all aspects of life. The eight aspects (astanga) of yoga are :

Yama and Niyama : depicts of moral and social conduct
Asanas : adjust the body in various postures
Pranayama : regulation of breath
Pratyahara : internalization of the senses of perception
Dharana : concentration

What is Iyengar Yoga ?
Sage Patanjali's * treatise on Yoga consists of just 196 verse aphorisms compiled in the 5th century B.C. Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar has made it possible for ordinary human beings to experience the wisdom of the yoga sutras. He finds the meaning of the sutras by practical search and regular practice. Iyengar Yoga has shown and taught how all the eight aspects of astanga yoga are integrated. His style of teaching yoga which is now being followed by certified teachers has been called as "Iyengar Yoga".

* Sage Patanjali has penned the ancient Indian heritage of Yoga through his treatise the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is an encompassing study of the subject which consists of just 196 sutras (aphorisms). In the present century, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar has made it possible for ordinary human beings to experience the wisdom of these sutras in the midst of living a life.

Is Yoga a Religion ?
Yoga defies categorization. Whatever your method of contacting the Divine, Yoga can accelerate movement in that direction. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender or religion or race. Yoga is truly universal. Most people find that they can practice Yoga without any conflict with their religious beliefs.

Is Yoga Good for You ?
Studies in the United States and India suggest that Yoga can help conditions such as stress, anxiety, and even epilepsy. Western science has been studying yoga for nearly 50 years and evidence suggests numerous physical and psychological benefits.

Is Yoga a New Age Practice ?
Yoga and New Age movements share a common focus on the improvement of the body and mind and their connection to the soul. Yoga goes back thousands of years.
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What are the unique features of Iyengar Yoga ?
(1) Iyengar Yoga can be practiced by all.
(2) The emphasis is given to precision and alignment in all postures.
(3) The use of self designed props such as wooden gadgets, belts, ropes helps the practitioner to achieve perfection in all the postures
(4) The aspect of "sequencing". An "Iyengar Yoga" practitioner is aware of the sequence in which different groups of asanas have to be performed.

What is the relevance of Yoga in today's world ?
The practice of yoga helps anyone to gain good health, mental peace, emotional equanimity and intellectual clarity. With a healthy body, clear mind and pure emotions, the practitioner can learn to excel in his chosen career. For example, violin maestro Lord Yehudi Menuhin acknowledges Guruji as his Best violin teacher.

What role yoga plays in your life ?
It associates mind and body in a very balanced way. It enables you to be watchful of all kinds of grasping through senses, all changes from gross to subtle within or outside and all psychic activities. Through Yogic Posture and discipline one can balance each and every organ of inner and outer body. It is a step to enter into the higher conscious states of mind and spiritual (minute and subtle) world. It creates within you-concentration, zeal, patience and contentment.

Is Yoga Aerobic Exercise ?
The physical Yogas are certainly aerobic, because they improve oxygenation of the blood through increased heart rate and deeper breathing. Astanga and Vini Yoga are good examples.

How is Yoga different from normal exercises ?
Yoga focuses more on process than goal. Gym activities or other more goal-driven exercises are quite different. You are not competing with anyone when you do yoga. Toning is the way in which Yoga achieves muscular strength, in contrast to, for example, weightlifting, which breaks down muscle to build it.

Do I need to be vegetarian to practice Yoga ?
Recent surveys suggest that only one out of three yoga practitioners is vegetarian. The traditional yoga diet is vegetarian, but one's awareness keeps evolving, and at each stage a person can tune in to what is best for her/his own body.

How often should I do Yoga? For how long? length ?
Any yoga is better than none. Ideally, practice every day for 60-90 minutes. If that is not possible, do what you can--and do not come down on yourself for not doing more. Shorter sessions like 20-30 minutes a day are better than one 90-minute session a week.

Will yoga help me to reduce weight ?
You will look and feel better very soon if you practice regularly and eat healthy food, fresh vegetables and more water will soon improve your physique. Also your muscle tone and strength will improve.

Should I do Yoga while I am pregnant ?
Yoga is a great way to strengthen the pelvic area, normalize thyroid function and blood pressure, and reduce stress, all of which are good for the baby. It is fine to continue modified practice if you were doing yoga before; if you are just beginning, it is best to work with a teacher who has prenatal Yoga experience. In general you should avoid strain, compressing the abdomen, and inverted postures, especially in the later stages.

Should women do Yoga during menses ?
Avoid inverted poses, abdominal strengtheners, extended holding of any pose or energizing breaths (Kapalabhati). These practices may interfere with the downward flow and cause discomfort. Otherwise, it is largely a matter of choice; some women like to continue practice during menses and some do not.

Can yoga help with social anxiety?
Stress and anxiety levels can be drastically reduced by Yoga practice. A stronger sense of self is built with regular practice, and over time this increased confidence and well-being can reduce or nullify feelings of anxiety. Nadi Shodhana, which is a breathing technique, can help alleviate the symptoms of an anxiety attack. You may also become more able to observe the factors that lead to an anxiety attack, and deal with them before the symptoms escalate. There can be significant improvement within months.

Can yoga help to control high blood pressure ?
Yoga promotes a feeling of calm and relaxation as well as bodily awareness, so some people can experience help in this. Belly or diaphragmatic breathing reduces stress. Pranayama (controlled breathing) techniques, called Nadi Shodhana, are very helpful. Avoid the Shoulder Stand, Headstand and Downward Dog. Also approach the Warrior 1 and 2, the Mountain, Triangle, Half Moon, Tree, Standing Squat and Symbol of Yoga with care and do not hold these poses for more than a few breaths.