Yog is the best and most effective way of good health and we Indians are the.most privileged people due to the early exposure to Yog. Still, while a good number of people have adopted yog in their lives, very few of them are found reaping the wonderful benefits of Yog in their lives. Are we doing it right? Let us find out.
What is Yog?
Yog is not an set of exercises, but a complete package of steps to take a person to his final goal of Self-realization .
The earliest treatise of Yog is 'Yog-Sutra' of Patanjali.
The very first line of Yog-Sutra says, "Yogashchittavrittinirodh" i.e. Yog is the way to free mind from its nature and the nature of mind is memories, ego, emotions etc.
The Yog is said to be Ashtanga Yog, I.e. Of 8 stages.
A person evolves through these 8 stages to the final goal.
The eight stages are as follows,
1. Yama (Principles or moral code)
Ahimsa - non-violence in word action or thought
Satya - Truthfulness
Asteya - non stealing, honesty, integrity
Brahmacharya - Celibacy
Aparigah - non-hoarding or non
possessiveness
2. Niyam (Personal Disciplines)
Shoucha - Purity of body and mind
Santosh - Contentment
Tap - Endurance
Swadhyay - Self study
Eshwar Pranidhan - Surrender to God.
3. Asan: postures to heal, strengthen the body and the energy paths
4. Pranayam
Strengthening and control of Pran (energy) through breath
5. Pratyahar (Withdrawal of Senses)
The preparatory stage to Dharna
6. Dharana (Concentration on Object)
Concentration of mind on one object or thought.
7. Dhyan (Meditation)
With drawing mind from all external objects and Focusing it
on one point and meditating on it.
8. Samadhi (Salvation)
State of Super bliss, joy and merging individual
consciousness in to universal consciousness. Union
between Jivatman and Paramatman. Union of Shiva and
Shakti in Sahasrar Chakra (the top of the head). Realizing the Bramhan (pure consciousness) or Realization of God is the ultimate achievement of Human Birth.
So friends, now that we understand the full glory and scope of Yog, we also see that the procedures that we follow also need improvement.
Yam being tge first stage is also the foremost and the first Yam of non violence is of the utmost importance.
As long as we carry anger, hate, envy and complaints towards almost each and every one we know, the stage of Pratyahar or beyond is closed to us and even Asans and Pranayam will not heal the body as the root causes keep existing.
A mind full of issues will face the same issues even with closed eyes, theofore it is much more important to resolve all these issue before we seriously go forward in the journey of Self discovery.
In Zen they say, " In the journey of the world, everyday we pick up something, in the journey of Self-realization, everyday we drop something."
Anger, the first thing to be dropped can only be dropped by compassion and compassion can not enter the mind, till the mind space is cleared by cleaning the issues and grievances we hold, which can only be done by forgiveness. I have already written detailed articles on forgiveness on this blog.
So friends, see the wonder of Yog by following the correct path with forgiveness being the very first step.
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