May I know what is Yoga while I have my double espresso?
(Special thanks to Ajay Kalra - Reading time < 3 mins.)
May I know what is Yoga while I have my double espresso?
"Ah! Yoga is in trend nowadays!" said Brenda, my stockbroker friend from college, as she was taking a sip of her double espresso. "Yes, that sport that focuses on flexibility and breathing. Similar to pilates but with more complicated poses, right?"
I smiled.
She continued "Usually it is relaxed but some people practice it more intensely, they do handstands, headstands, jumps... They say it’s really good for dealing with stress and back problems"
If you can relate to the above views on Yoga, then my conversation with Brenda may help you see it in a new light.
To throw some clarity on the topic let’s go to the root of the word Yoga. It is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj”, meaning to yoke or unite.
"If Yoga is about union, then what is trying to unite?" asked Brenda curiously
It is a discipline to unite our individual consciousness with the Universal consciousness.
"Oh!...well, this sounds more like a spiritual discipline than a sport. It also speaks about some superior intelligence… would it be a religion then?" she asked.
Not at all. Yoga is a spiritual discipline and it is mentioned in many texts from Hinduism, but it doesn’t prescribe any particular religion to follow. So no, Yoga is not a religion.
"And what about the poses?" she queried further.
To get there let’s examine one of the classical and most famous definitions of Yoga.
“Yogash citta vrtti nirodhah” - Yoga Sutras 1.2, Maharshi Patanjali
Translated simply it means “Yoga is the control of our thoughts”. According to sage Patanjali, who compiled the ancient knowledge of Yoga, that state of union is attained when we get total control of our mind.
"Well, so far we have seen that Yoga is a spiritual discipline, and it is about the control of our mind...interesting…But what about the poses and the breath?" she asks impatiently.
Yes, yes, coming to that. Among some of the techniques that were used to reach that mind control were the Yoga poses known as asanas and the breathing techniques, to control bioenergy, named pranayamas.
"Are they the only techniques then?" Brenda seemed genuinely interested in Yoga by now.
Absolutely not! Yoga also involves body cleansing techniques, sense management techniques, concentration and meditation, regulating our behaviour, diet and the correct attitude towards our work.
All of this is based on sound time-tested psychological and philosophical principles. The discipline of Yoga is based in the Indian philosophy Sankhya
That’s why, when we practice Yoga regularly with the correct attitude we experience more peace and wellness. All the techniques are designed to bring more balance and calmness to the mind!
And to round up, this way of achieving Yogic union by the complete control of the mind is known as Raja Yoga and all the physical techniques that we perform in our classes are coming from Hatha Yoga, a kind of “stairway” to attain Raja Yoga. But, that’s not the only way!
There are other paths leading to Yoga like excellence in work called Karma Yoga, the path of logical inquiry of self knowledge called Jnana Yoga or the devotional path called Bhakti Yoga, but that would be a matter for another coffee conversation.
Brenda gave a satisfactory smile. "I see Yoga in a different light now. I look forward to knowing more."
I hope reading my conversation with Brenda, you too have a clearer picture of what is the vastness of the discipline of Yoga. And its relationship to the Wellness practices to which Yoga is associated nowadays.
Finally, I would say -Yoga is a way of life!