The word yoga means union. Yoga
is thus a form of meditation that unites the human soul (atman) with the divine
soul (Paramatman), or equivalently, with the divine essence (Brahman).
A practitioner of yoga has to
study the Puranas, the Vedas and history He has to exercise restraint regarding
the sort of food he eats. The best forms of food are yoghurt fruits, roots and
milk.
Yoga should be practiced in a place that is pleasant. It should not be too hot
or too cold there. Nor should there be any noise to distract the practitioner.
Yoga has to be performed in a
proper posture (asana). The practitioner concentrates the entire focus of his
mind on the tip of his nose. He contemplates the form of brahmana. This can
only be successful if one is detached and controls one's senses completely.
If yoga is
performed properly, there comes the knowledge that the same Paramatman is in
all living beings. To think that living beings are distinct from one another is
only to fall prey to one's illusions. All the elements have the same Paramatman
in them.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF YOGA
Describing about the
various types of Yoga, Suta told the sages that there were three types of Yoga
- Gyan Yoga, Kriya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. "Each of them is capable of
giving salvation to a man. When the mind or intellect unites with the soul it
is called Gyan Yoga. When the soul gets attached with external objects, it is
called Kriya yoga. The unification of one's whole being
with goddess Bhagawati is called Bhakti
Yoga. All these three yogas combinedly are capable of giving salvation to a
man. A man becomes a devotee by his actions or Karmas. Devotion or Bhakti helps
a man to attain Jnana or knowledge. Jnana or Knowledge gives salvation. Yoga is
the path through which a man can attain liberation whereas Kriya-yoga is the
chief means to attain it.
Yoga means such actions, which
after pacifying all the human tendencies helps a man to unite with Shiva. Following
are the five divisions of yoga- 1) Mantra Yoga, 2) Sparsh Yoga (union of
touch), 3) Bhava Yoga (union by devotion), 4) Abhava yoga (Union without being
emotionally attached), 5) Mahayoga (The great union).
Mantra yoga helps a man to
understand the meaning of mantras and uniting with Shiva by the concentration
of mind. When Mantra yoga is perfected by the practice of Pranayama it is
called 'Sparshyoga'. Bhavayoga means meditating and chanting without uttering a
word. Abhava yoga means such a union when the devotee contemplates on the final
annihilation, without being emotionally attached with the world.
A man whose
mind is preoccupied with the thoughts of Shiva is supposed to have attained the
state of Mahayoga. A yogi can unite with Shiva after purifying his body with
the help of Pranayama etc.
OBSTACLES AND DIVINE POWERS IN THE PATH OF YOGA
There
are possibilities of numerous obstacles being faced by a man who practices yoga
like laziness, disease, carelessness, lack of concentration, confusion and
sorrow etc. While practicing yoga, one must try to keep himself free from such
demerits.
After becoming
liberated from these flaws a man can easily attain six types of accomplishment
- talent (Pratibha), super power of hearing (Shravana), excellent
conversational power and power of speech (Vrata), Divine sight (Darshan),
Divine power of taste (Aswad), Divine power of touch (Vedana). The capability
of seeing things situated at distant places is called 'Pratibha'. The ability
to listen without making any effort is called 'Shravana'. The ability to
decipher the meaning of animal's language is called 'Vrata'. Being able to see
divine things without making any effort is called 'Darshan'. The power, which
enables a man to know about the taste of a thing without actually tasting it,
is called 'Aswad'. 'Vedana' means the knowledge of all types of touch.
A devotee can attain all types of
accomplishment merely by having devotion towards lord Shiva and by meditating
on him. In the beginning, a yogi should try to meditate on the form of Shiva
(Saguna), but later on the switch over to Shiva's formless (nirguna) quality.
Meditating on nirguna form of Shiva is not easy. It can be mastered only by
constant and steady practice. When mastered it bestows all kinds of
accomplishment. Meditation combined with Pranayama gives four types of
accomplishments peace (Shanti), tranquility (Prashanti), luster (Dipti) and
boon (Prasad). A devotee can have a darshan of lord Shiva if he does meditation
with non attachment.
THE ESSENCE OF YOGA
Yoga means union with God. The state of yoga is impossible to attain without the blessings of Lord Shiva. It needs a concentrated and focussed mind. There are some specific spots in the human body concentrating upon which, enables a man to attain the state of yoga-spot between the eyebrows, lower part of the throat, navel and six inches above it etc.
The state of yoga can never be attained until and unless a person has fully controlled the tendencies of sense organs. It can be achieved with the help of eight means- Yama (penance), Niyam (discipline), Asan (posture), Pranayama (breath-control), Pratyahar (restraint of passion), Dharan (retention), Dhyan (concentration) and Samadhi (deep meditation). Each of them holds an important position in the path of yoga.
Describing about the methods of performing yoga, Suta says--- A person should sit with his legs crossed in Padmasan and try to concentrate his mind by fixing his gaze between his eyebrows. He should keep his spine erect. He should meditate either on the form of Omkar or on the form of lord Shiva. Breath control is an important aspect of yogic exercise. A man should exhale deeply for 32 times and then breathe in deeply. He should then retain his breath as long as possible and visualize lord Shiva within his body. By constant practice he will achieve mastery over this art and a time will come when he will experience divine bliss. This divine bliss can not be experienced unless one has attained a deep state of meditation (Samadhi).
YOGA
Shiva taught the world the technique of yoga. Yoga literally means union and is a form of meditation that teaches about the union between the individual human soul (atman) and the divine soul (paramatman). It is this knowledge that is strived for by those who meditate. And one who does not appreciate this union suffers from illusions. Yoga has five components. These are pranayama, dhyana, pratyahara, dharana and smarana.
Pranayama signifies control over the breath of life. A lion or an elephant is a wild animal. But if lions or elephants are caught and tamed, they can be made to serve man‘s purpose. Exactly similarly, when the breath of life is controlled and mastered, an individual can use it to serve his own will. Pranayama must always be practised in a proper posture (asana).
Pratyahara signifies the withdrawal of the senses from material attachments. The next step is dharana. One chooses the image that one is contemplating and fixes it in one‘s mind. In the process, it is best to concentrate on the tip of one‘s nose or at the centre of one‘s brows. When the image has been thus fixed, one can begin the actual process of meditation (dhyana). Yoga must however always be practised in a proper place and at a proper time. It must not be practised in the middle of the forest, near a fire, or at a place frequented by wild animals and insects. There must not be any noise to distract the practitioner. Nor must yoga be practiced when one is hungry or thirsty, or in an unhappy state of mind. If these injunctions are not adhered to, yoga can bring great harm. It can lead to illness, dumbness, deafness, blindness and old age before the appointed time. But practised properly, yoga is a cure for various illnesses.
When one is practising yoga, there are various disturbances and distractions that impede the progress towards the desired goals. These are known as upasargas. For example, one might become overly attached to relations, to becoming wealthy or to attaining heaven. Noises are heard, although there are no real noises at all. Demons, gods and gandharvas are seen. All of these are illusions and have to be conquered. When the upasargas are successfully conquered, a practitioner of yoga attains various powers. These are known as aishvarya (wealth). There are eight of these powers. The first is known as anima. This enables the individual to obtain
whatever object he desires from anywhere in the universe instantly. The second is known as laghima. This enables one to travel through the sky. The third power is prapti. By means of this, any object in the three worlds can be attained. The fourth power is called prakamya. This gives the individual the power to obtain all the wealth of the universe. The fifth power is called mahima. Through this power, one can be connected to any place or any object in the universe. The sixth power of ishitva gives one the capability to cause happiness or unhappiness anywhere in the three worlds. The seventh power is vashitva. This grants the power to control other living beings and all objects. The final power is known as kamavasayita. By means of this, the individual can travel freely at will. A person who attains these powers knows no birth, death, old age, illnesss, happiness or unhappiness. The senses mean nothing to him. Nor do material objects. His mind is fixed only on the brahman. Everything else is unreal.
If you are pressed for time and looking for a single mantra to stay fit, here’s the answer. A set of 12 powerful yoga asanas (postures) that provide a good cardiovascular workout in the form of Surya Namaskar. Literally translated to sun salutation, these postures are a good way to keep the body in shape and the mind calm and healthy.
Surya Namaskar is best done early morning on an empty stomach. Let’s begin with these simple yet effective Sun Salutation steps on our way to good health.
Each Sun Salutation round consists of two sets. These 12 yoga poses complete one set of Surya Namaskar. To complete the second half, you need to repeat the same sequence of postures, only moving the left leg instead of the right (in steps 4 and 9 given below). You might find several versions of doing Sun Salutation. However, it is best to stick to one particular sequence and practice it regularly for best results.
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