Eternal India Encyclopedia

Ancient Concepts, Sciences & Systems

Eternal India encyclopedia

YOGA

“Yoga is control of modifications of the mind”

paths incorporate the same aim: physical health, mental peace and higher awareness. Branches of yoga include Mantra yoga, Kundal- ini yoga, Laya yoga, Hatha yoga, Swara yoga, Karma yoga, Kriya yoga, Japa yoga, Jnana yoga, Raja yoga, Patanjali yoga, Bhakti yoga, Dhyana yoga etc., The many variations of yoga are broadly grouped into five cate- gories. These cater to the most prominent aspects of one's person- ality : 1. Karma yoga : the path of activity. 2. Bhakti yoga : the'path of devotion. 3. Jnana yoga : the path of enquiry. 4. Raja yoga : the path of meditation. 5. Hatha yoga : the path of balancing the mental, physi- cal and subtle (pranic or bioplasmic) forces of the body through postures and cleaning. It is best to practise all the five main paths of yoga, with an emphasis on the path that is in keeping with the predominant aspect of one’s personality. For instance, the path of Bhakti yoga is rec- ommended for the emotional or devotional. KARMA YOGA This is the yoga of action, the system of attaining awareness through activity. It is the performance of one's daily duties with constant awareness without expecting anything in return. A karma-yogi will have to dedicate his actions at the altar of God. Karma yoga prepares the mind for the reception of light or knowl- edge of the self. A karma-yogi should be absolutely free from greed, lust, anger and egoism. By totally absorbing the self in the work, one can reduce the power of the ego. This is the essence of karma yoga as it only results in less mental and emotional upsets in life. Karma yoga is an important technique for growth and progress along the spiritual path. It helps to make the mind more peaceful and leads directly to higher knowledge and awareness. The mind has to be concentrated until it becomes a perfect in- strument, with an integrated single thought flow. This is the role of Karma yoga. Awareness in Karma yoga is essential. The aim of Karma yoga is to channelise one's thoughts and actions so that the mind helps instead of hindering a person and becomes a perfect re- ceiver and reflector of experience and higher awareness. Karma yoga develps will-power. In Karma yoga the practitioner does his work with a lot of involvement in it. Using one's inherent skills and abilities, one attempts to achieve maximum efficiency. Bhagavad Gita has defined Karma yoga as " efficiency in action". The total absorption in any work leads to great will power and unleashing of the powers within the mind. The whole mind and body become integrated and tuned to a high degree of sensitivity, and from this one can start to experience meditation. According to Swami Satyananda: "Work would become a source of happiness if one can recognise it as a stepping stone towards spiritual enlightenment - Samaadhi. Karma yoga is the outlet for one's mixed Samskaras ( mental impressions and problems). It is a means to clean out the mind of problems, phobias or fears and a method of harnessing the potential of mind. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Terasa, Swami Sivananda are karma yogis.”

- Patanjali, Yogasutra

Yoga is a way of life by which man can attain perfection through the fullest development of his faculties. Yoga is defined as union: union between the limited self (atma ) and the cosmic self (Par- amatma). The aim of yoga is to make an individual realise his identity with the greater self, to make one know and tune in with his existing inner nature. Thus yoga means the experience of oneness or unity with one's inner being. Swami Vivekananda proclaimed, " Each soul is potentially di- vine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within, by controlling Nature external and internal. Do it either by work or worship, psychic control or philosophy; by one, or more, or all of these and be free." The systematic methodology of unfoldment of this inner po- tential Divinity, by moving towards self-perfection is referred to as yoga by Sri Aurobindo. Yoga is the spiritual tuning needed for the human personality, so that the dynamism and the faculties latent in man will reflect or reveal themselves uninhibited in their fullness. It aims at bringing all the different functions of the body into perfect co-ordination. In short, it aims at physical harmony and health. Yoga aims to eliminate all mental problems and helps in main- taining mental balance and peace. Swami Sivananda said that "Yoga is integration and harmony between thoughts, words and deeds, or integration between head, heart and hands". He also quoted from the classical yoga text, the Bhagavad Gita.: "Yoga is equanimity in success and failure. Yoga is skill and efficiency in action." Yoga is the supreme secret of life. Yoga is the giver of untold happiness. Yoga is serenity. Yoga is the destroyer of pain. Patanjali, writer of the classical yoga the Yoga Sutras, defines yoga as: " .... Complete control over the different patterns or modifica- tions of consciousness". Since every individual or society is always striving to achieve greater happiness, bliss, creativity and higher mental faculties, yoga is clearly the real solution, both for individual fulfilment and social harmony. Asanas means a state of being in which one can remain steady, calm, quiet and comfortable both physically and mentally. In the Yoga Sutra, there is a concise definition of yogasanas:

“sthiram sukham aasanam” Meaning, that position which is comfortable and steady. As- anas can also be performed for creative or health reasons. They help in the development of the physical, mental and spiritual per- sonality. Yogasanas are performed slowly with relaxation and concentration. In this way, both the external and internal systems are influenced, so that the nervous system, endocrine glands and internal organs as well as the muscles are encouraged to function properly. Thus asanas are useful for concentration and meditation and reduce the toxins in the body.

THE DIFFERENT PATHS OF YOGA The different paths of yoga lead to the same source, as all these