Yoga : The ancient Indian path to serenity

  Articoli (Articles)
  Redazione
  05 gennaio 2023
  5 minuti, 46 secondi

Written by Mrunal Balkrishna Lanjewar

Introduction

Today, when we hear the word Yoga we probably imagine a yogi - a person who is skilled in yoga - in some ashram in India or a yoga trainer in a fancy club instructing some weird yoga poses to a bunch of health enthusiasts, or you can also imagine me, trying to learn yoga through a random YouTube video. Anyways, however you perceive yoga or wherever you practice it, in an ashram in India or even in New York City's Times Square, yoga provides a perfect escape to our usual chaotic and hectic lives.

Every year, millions of people from around 84 countries observe the International Yoga Day on June 21. It is celebrated by large crowds moving through postures together from San Francisco's Marine Green park to New Delhi's Rajpath. But Yoga is much more than just a bunch of flexible physical poses and postures. Yoga benefits with attaining serenity and calmness much required in today's modern life. True yoga is practiced off the mat, it aims to unify the self: mind, emotions and body.


Yoga has all the benefits you can think of

From increasing flexibility to reducing anxiety, from soothing your skin to helping you beat the blues, yoga does it all! Yoga enables to balance your body and mind, it hydrates and nourishes your spine. It improves your physical strength in order to prevent injury, boost your metabolism and immune system. Yoga changes your energy levels which benefits your focus and concentration. It enables you to be more mindful which simply means being present and paying a little more attention to your each action. It provides you with a way to walk away from our busy schedules and find some time for yourself. Yoga just makes you feel good, and it is as simple as that.


History and origin of Yoga

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “yug”- which literally means to yoke or unite. This unison does not mean the physical part of you touching your toes with your fingers or your knees with your nose. It actually means the unison of your individual consciousness (your experience of reality) with the Divine consciousness (the essence of truth as perceived when we quiet our five senses and reconnect with the Supreme Self within).

Yoga philosophy is a part of and has been mentioned multiple times in the Vedas, which are the four sacred canonical texts of Hinduism and are considered as one of the oldest scriptures in the world. Yoga finds its origin and sources from the Vedas.

Did you know that the conscious repetition of a word or sound is also a type of yoga? This is Mantra yoga or Japa or Mantra meditation which means the chanting of sacred sound vibrations focusing to keep the mind quiet, cultivate spiritual energy, and form states of enlightenment. It is based on the belief that everything we do involves energy; our thoughts, words, actions and emotions are all part of a larger energetic field called prana, the vital life force. As we think or do something, we send energy outwards into the world but when we repeat a mantra over and over again, we focus that energy inwards, allowing us to tap into our deeper selves and gain greater proficiency over our minds.

Four classical paths of Yoga

There are four paths of yoga practice that lead us to the goal of spiritual unification.

1. Raja Yoga

Raja yoga literally meaning the 'royal path' or principal path of yoga refers to both the goal of yoga and the method of attaining it. It encompasses teachings from all the different paths, and it is from Raja yoga that hatha yoga and modern asana practice developed.

The eight limbs of Raja yoga are:

  • Yamas - Five social observances: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness) asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity) and aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
  • Niyamas - Five moral observances: saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), ishvarapranidhana (devotion or surrender).
  • Asana - Yoga postures.
  • Pranayama - Breathing techniques as a means of controlling prana.
  • Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the senses.
  • Dharana - Concentration.
  • Dhyana - Meditation.
  • Samadhi - Enlightenment or bliss.

2. Karma Yoga

Karma yoga is the second path of practice. Karma literally means action, in this yogic path it signifies the selfless service offered by the practitioner. The service should be consciously selfless without any attachment with the receiver or expectations of any results. In the true sense the yogi (practitioner) performs all actions with the consciousness as the doer of all. Therefore, to achieve this total selflessness one is required to have inner renunciation and the complete release of the ego, believing it as the initiator of action.

3. Jnana Yoga

Jnana yoga, the path of knowledge, the. yoga of wisdom is said to be the most difficult path to achieve and follow. The fundamental goal of Jnana yoga is the liberation from the illusionary world of maya (self-limiting thoughts and perceptions) and to achieve the union of the inner Self (Atman) with the oneness of all life (Brahman). This is achieved by continuously practicing the mental techniques of self-questioning, introspection, self inquiry and contemplation which is the reason why it is the most difficult practice because questioning our own self requires a lot of humility and courage.

“Jnana Yoga, or the science of the Self, is not a subject that can be understood and realized through mere intellectual study, reasoning, discussion or arguments. It is the most difficult of all sciences.” – Swami Sivananda

4. Bhakti Yoga

The fouth path is Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, the practice of devotional love. While Hatha Yoga requires a strong and flexible body, Mantra Yoga requires a calm and focused mind, Raja Yoga requires a disciplined and concentrated mind, and Jnana Yoga requires a sharp intellect, the only requirement for Bhakti Yoga is something very basic yet very rare these days which is an open and loving heart. This yoga path involves the complete devotion of the practitioner to a personal deity. It doesn't have to be a Hindu or Indian deity, it simply has to be someone the practitioner truly connects and believes in. Like Jesus who instructed his disciples to "pray without ceasing," Bhakti yoga is the path of pure immersion in love. There are nine main practices of Bhakti Yoga that can be practiced independently or together each of which creates a specific bhava (feeling) that appeals to different inner constitutions of practitioners. Through Bhakti yoga one surrenders oneself completely and strives to perceive the innate oneness of all beings, thereby maintaining unending worship.


Sources:

https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/30-benefits-of-a-daily-yoga-practice

https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/yoga-101-an-introduction/mantra-yoga/

https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5338/raja-yoga

https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/bhakti-yoga-the-yoga-of-devotion/

https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/jnana-yoga-the-yoga-of-wisdom/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340732215_Yoga_Origin_History_and_Development_in_India

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