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What is Yoga?
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, where yoga originated. The art and science of yoga is dedicated to creating union between body, mind and spirit. Its objective is to assist the practitioner in using the breath and body to foster an awareness of ourselves as individualized beings intimately connected to the unified whole of creation. It is about creating balance and equanimity so to live in harmony , peace ( in mind and body)and good health with the greater whole. This art of right living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago and the foundations of yoga philosophy were written down in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, approximately 200 AD. This sacred text describes the inner workings of the mind and provides a blueprint for controlling its restlessness so as to enjoying lasting peace. The core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is an eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for yoga practice. Upon practicing all eight limbs of the path it becomes a whole connection to mind, body and spirit. Each is part of a holistic focus which eventually brings completeness to the individual as a whole creating a union on all levels of their being. When one devotes time and practise to finding a deeper union internally consciousness begins to awaken. In brief the eight limbs to yoga, are as follows: Yama's Ethics,observances. Patanjali defines Yama in terms of five sub-categories - Ahimsa: non-violence, inflicting no injury or harm to others or even to one's ownself, it goes as far as nonviolence in thought, word and deed.
- Satya: truth in word & thought.
- Asteya: non-covetousness,, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is not his own.
- Brahmacharya: abstain from sexual intercourse; celibacy in case of unmarried people and monogamy in case of married people.
- Aparigraha: abstain from attachment to possessions.
- Niyama Morals, the basic 'Rules of Life'
- Shaucha: cleanliness of body & mind.
- Santosha: Contentment. you’re exactly where you should be, limitations are learning experiences, happiness in the moment, reducing gulf between what we are and what we want to be ..
- Tapas: Self-Discipline. Act instead of reacting, self disciplined thoughts – replace negative with positive, resentment with forgiveness, violence with peace, unhappiness with joy
- Svadhyaya: introspection
- Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to (or worship of) God.
Asana (Postures): Means "staying" or "abiding" in Sanskrit
The practice of moving the body into postures has widespread benefits; strength, balance, flexibility and calms the mind which in turn benefits the whole body. On a deeper level the practice of asana, which means "staying" or "abiding" in Sanskrit, is used as a tool to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being. The challenge of poses offers the practitioner the opportunity to explore and control all aspects of their emotions, concentration, intent, faith, and unity between the physical and the ethereal body. Indeed, using asanas to challenge and open the physical body acts as a binding agent to bring one in harmony with all the unseen elements of their being, the forces that shape our lives through our responses to the physical world. Asana then becomes a way of exploring our mental attitudes and strengthening our will as we learn to release and move into the state of grace that comes from creating balance between our material world and spiritual experience.Pranayama: Prana: "Air", "breath", "spirit" or "the upwards moving energy currents within the body" Yama: the regulation of prana.
Pranayama is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Pranayama controls the energy (prana) within the organism, in order to restore and maintain health and to promote self realization. When the in-flowing breath is neutralized or joined with the out-flowing breath, then perfect relaxation and balance of body activities are realized. In yoga, we are concerned with balancing the flows of vital forces, then directing them inward to the chakra system and upward to the crown chakra. Pranayama is one of the most and some yogi say the most important limbs of yoga. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika refers to Pranayama as a technique through which the quantity of prana ( vital life force) in the body is activated to a higher frequency. B.S Iyengar descibes pranayama as: "Pranayama is not just automatic habitual breathing to keep body and soul together. Though the abundant intake of oxygen by its disciplined techniques, subtle chemical changes take place in the sadhaka's body. The practice of asana's remove the obstructions which impede the flow of prana, and the practice of pranayama regulates the flow of prana though out the body. It also regulates all the thoughts , desires, actions and gives poise and the will power needed to become a master of oneself. Pranayama is an art and has techniques to make the respiratory organs to move and expand intentionally and intensively. It consists of long, sustained subtle flow of inhalation, exhalation, and retention of breath. Inhalation stimulates the system, Exhalation throws out vitiated air and toxins, holding the breath distributes the energy throughout the bod
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