Yog: Doing it the right way!

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.

Goodbye disease, welcome health! -1

Jeevet Shardah Shatam, I.e. May we see a hundred winters, has been one of the greatest desire of all times. Unfortunately, not only a long life is hard to get, a disease free life is still getting a lot harder nowadays.

Fortunately, there is a way to good health. It is the natural way of the body, the mind and the life. By understanding the fundamentals of the body we can avoid the maximum inflections as well fight the rest in a lot better way.

Who fight the disease, is it the doctor or the medicine. None, it is the body itself, which starts taking care of itself with the first heartbeat in the womb.

The body has a ultra-mega-hyper-super complex machinery and systems of growth, actions, defense and repair. This system working 24/7 saves us from 99% afflictions that go unnoticed. The rest 1% get expressed in the form of sickness. Our Body gets  over 90% of them by itself. The last 10% diseases need serious medications.

I have nothing against doctors. They are mostly doing their job upto the best of their knowledge. It is the medical science itself, which is far from understanding the body as a whole, instead of in tiny bits and pieces as on date.

However, this system while being infinitely complicated, has still very few basics, which I will rightaway list underneath as,

1. Air- While it will be silly to state how no air means death, we also need to understand that less air means slow and early death. We simply do not breath enough while awake. Try to notice self and others for any movement of breathing. You will find none when no physical exertion. Shocking but true, we don't remember to breath. We spend our whole day with a very shallow breath. A short and frequent exhale with a low temperature, is a symptom of a shallow breath. When talking, working on computers or books, playing computer or mobile games are the periods with the shallowest breathing.
It is not a breath but a controlled suffocation, which causes aging, loss of memory, obesity, loss of immunity, slow recovery, a thousand diseases and an early death.

The remedy is very simply, start breathing, whenever you can. Take time outs during day. Remind yourself and start breathing. Here starts the good health.

Best frequency: an extra high breathing rate has the similar bad effect as suffocation, which is known as hyperventilation. The optimum breathing included in ancient texts and modern knowledge is 4-2-4-2, I.e. 4 second inhale, 2 second pause, 4 second exhale, 2 second pause and repeat. There are apps also available on android for this purpose. This allows not only a deep breath but the absorption of oxygen as well. Being approximately is also good enough. When one has a slow breath, 6-3-6-3 should be tried.

Best technique: sad but we forget how to breath when we start speaking. The optimum absorption is achieved by "The complete breathing technique" of yoga. Steps: start inhalation, extend stomach and push diaphragm down, after full extension of stomach, expand chest to extreme, now shoulders will start rising. When saturated, pause 1-2
seconds, now collapse stomach and them contract chest. Even 5 such breaths can rejuvenate one. Don't bother for being accurate, just do and go on doing. Vayu is pran, hence praanvayu.

Tao Of The Yoga

Yoga is one of the greatest gifts to the world by the Graced lands of India. Yoga is known for the boon it is for mental and physical well being and longevity as well the way of indian Yogis for their spiritual enlightenment.

Let see what else is Yoga besides 'Aasanas' ( postures) and 'Pranayam'(breathing practices).

The original treatise of Yoga is 'Yog Sutra' by Patanjali, written in ancient times. The verses in this book are great treasures by themselves, containing deep knowledge and revelations in few words.

The very first verse of this book says, 'YogasChittavrittiNirodha!' 

This means Yoga is the 'Nirodha'(prohibition/control) of the 'Vritti's(natures) of 'Chitta'(mind).

Or The objective or culmination of Yoga is in Complete control of mind.

Why the need to control the mind.

As already said, 'Mind is a mad monkey, that too stung  by a bee' or a wild stallion, high on drugs.

How far can that mad monkey or the wild stallion go in the right direction.

The focus of mind is diverted in thousands of directions at the same time. Directions of past, present, future of self and others, of far and away, of everything under the Sun, and sometimes above the Sun too.

Like a magnifying glass, mind needs to be focused before it can be made used of.

Surprising?

There fore the minds needs to be elevated from its wild meanderings and to be brought to stillness. It has to be tamed, overpowered, controlled.

How the great science of Yoga accomplishes that?

Through the 'Ashtanga marg'( Eight step way) of

Yama [moral codes]
Niyama [self-purification and study]
Asana [posture]
Pranayama [breath control]
Pratyahara [sense control]
Dharana [concentration]
Dhyana [meditation]
Samadhi [contemplation]

Yama:   Precepts of Social Discipline

Ahimsa -- Non-violence.   Not harming other people or other sentient beings.   Not harming ones self.   Not harming the environment.   Tolerance even for that which we dislike.   Not speaking that which, even though truthful, would injure others.

Satya -- Truthfulness.   Note that sometimes we may know our words are literally true, but do not convey what we know to be truthful.   This is a child's game.   Satya means not intending to deceive others in our thoughts, as well as our words and actions.

Asteya -- Non-stealing.

Brahmacarya-- Sexual responsibility. 

Aparigraha -- Abstention from greed.     Not coveting that which is not ours.   Avoidance of unnecessary acquisition of objects not essential to maintaining life or spiritual study.

Niyama:   Precepts of Invididual Discipline

Sauca -- Cleanliness. External as well internal cleanliness such as avoiding the impurities of anger and egoism.   Moderation in diet.

Santosa -- Contentment.   Not complacency, but acceptance of the external situation we encounter.

Tapas -- Austerity.   Deep commitment to yoga practice. 

Svadhyaya-- Self-study.   Spiritual self-education.  

Isvara pranidhana -- Surrender of the self to God.  Modesty.   Humility.

 The Yama and Niyama are like mending the leaking bowl of the mind to collect the nectar.

Asana and Pranayama are to make the body healthy and fit enough for this sojourn as weak limbs would not take you the fountain.
Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana ,Samadhi are the final evolution of mind by meditation practices.

Whatever be your school of Yoga, carry on with the entire understanding of the objective of Yoga, which is final freedom of mind from its primitive indulgences and guiding it to its spiritual elevation, its final aim, which also is the aim of Tao. Tao also aims final elevation by gradual freedom from these chains. The practices of 'Tai-Chi' are the counterparts of postures of Yoga.

The major difference between Tao and Yoga is in the principle of 'Wu wei', the effortless effort. While yoga embodies forced subduing and extreme austerity, at times, for a yogi, 'Tao' starts with first of all accepting yourself as you are with your shortcomings and thereafter overcoming them, not by forced abstinence, but by awareness of the same and subliminal detachment as a result of the Awareness.

Recognize what you are, accept who you are, and then the journey begins.

The first conflict to be encountered and reconciled is between what is finally the conduct of the Awakened, and what the mindset and conduct of the initiate is.

         Now the key is that abstinence from eating Non-Vegetarian food, drinking, smoking, having sexual thoughts is not the crucial question, the aim is to stay on the path, with eyes on the goal, and awareness of thought and emotions, and awareness of the awareness. Soon abstinence from the above will cease to be an issue any more. This abstinence will grow inside  naturally.

Tao is the way of the nature. Tao is the natural way of evolution. Seed the lands when the time is right, water it just as much and wait it with patience. It will grow, blossom and then fruits will grow and ripen and fall. No use rushing. One can not make the trees go any faster by stressing oneself. When the abstinence grows inside naturally, it will come without any stress. Forces abstinence is suppression of the natural bodily and mental desires, and it results in stress and other psychological complications. Like a balloon, mind when pressed from one side, inflates on the other. No use suppressing, it is counter productive.Stay in the path and by gradual awareness of Self, gradual deflation of this balloon will result.

        Also any practice, causing any physical pain or mental stress should be understood to be premature and should be avoided. Take yoga on its natural way. The difference is for the initiate, not for the knowing. Further on, all paths converge.

        Whatever be the case, never, ever, ever condemn yourself, be in conflict in yourself. This conflict will be like crabs pulling each other's legs and will never let you out of the bucket. 

         You are good. You are hungry, thirsty, angry, vengeful, it is ok. Accept yourself. Accept these as the reactions of your body and the primitive mind, not of yourself.

It is not your 'Self', which is angry etc, it is your body and your primitive mind. Think it that way. Be aware of your body (including the primitive mind) of these weaknesses. This awareness will itself reduce the intensity of the drives and ravings immensely. This awareness will also provide you the option of 'Responding'( a thoughtful action) other than the Knee-Jerk reaction.

This is the Tao of spontaneity, of naturalness! Also on the path of Yoga, take small determined, steps full of awareness of self and the process. Later on all will converge. This is the Tao of the Yoga.