What are the Fundamentals of Yoga?

The word yoga means ‘unity’ or ‘oneness’ and it comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which means ‘to join’.

“Yoga is not an ancient myth buried in oblivion.  It is the most valuable inheritance of the present.  It is the essential need of today and the culture of tomorrow.” Swami Satyananda Saraswati

• Yoga is a 5000 year old timeless tradition from the Rig Veda

• Yoga means uniting the individual consciousness Jeevatma with the universal consciousness Paramatma

• Yoga is Citta Vritti Nirodah which means yoga controls the fluctuations of the mind

Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions through the practice of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, shatkarma and meditation, which must be achieved before union can take place with the higher consciousness.

Yoga is meant to be an awesome, exhilarating inward journey of personal transformation to overcome obstacles, embrace the science of right living by incorporating it in your daily life.  Yoga is a channel of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions.

Here are some tips from Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. So, what are the obstacles of peace?  According to the Yoga Sutras there are five obstacles or Kleshas.

1. Avidya – Ignorance.

2. Asnita – Egoism.

3. Raga – Attachment to pleasure.

4. Dvesha – Painful experiences such as negativity and hatred.

5. Abhinivesha – Will to live/fear of death.

With dedicated, regular practice of Asanas (posture practice), Pranayama (breathing exercises) and Dhyana (meditation), the powerful cleansing tools of yoga, you can control ego and calm the restless mind.

Through Abhyasa or constant practice and Vairagya or non-attachment to worldly things and pleasure, seen or heard, you can control ego and calm the restless mind.

Cultivate Pratipaksha Bhavanam or opposite emotions to calm your mind.  When you have anger or hatred replace them with compassion and love.

Cultivate Maitri or friendliness with happy people, Karuna or compassion with sad people, Mudita or delight with virtuous people, Upekshanam or disregard towards wicked people.  You can easily control ego and calm the restless mind.

Dedicated and long duration practice of Pranayama along with Kumbhaka will control ego, the senses and calm the restless mind.

Hatha Yoga

Ha means sun and Tha means moon. Hatha means willful or forceful.  Sun or masculine is the right side, while moon or feminine is the left side.  Both sides provide energy for stability, strength and balance.

Aim of Hatha Yoga

• To balance prana, the energy that moves upwards to the brain

• To balance apana, the energy that moves downwards to the pelvis

• To balance mind-body-breath and promote inner harmony and peace

• To balance opposites; hot and cold, pain and pleasure, loss and gain

• To balance every aspect of an individual, make life painless and peaceful

Powerful Tools of Hatha Yoga

Asanas

Asanas are specific geometric postures designed to suit the anatomy of the human body.  They are much more than physical exercise because they provide perfect mind-body balance.  Asanas connect body and mind, remove blocks and imbalances, mobilize inactive muscles and joints and promote ease and harmony.  Asanas are performed with deep awareness and guided by specific breathing.  They must be learnt from an experienced yoga teacher.

Sage Patanjali, the father of yoga, defined asana as Sthira, Sukham, Asanam.  Sthira means stability, steadiness, firmness; sukham means ease, relaxed, comfortable; asanam means postures.  It takes several years of dedicated practice to accomplish perfect mind-body integration, control, balance and harmony to experience sthiram and sukham in every asana.

Pranayama

Pranayama is the conscious expansion of inhalation and exhalation in a specific manner.  It is a scientific process of internal purification, drawing the mind inwards and connecting to deeper levels of consciousness.  Pranayama refreshes and energizes the brain, calms the mind, removes stress, negativity and makes all the systems function well.

Sage Patanjali reiterates that controlling the restless mind is not possible without controlling prana.  When pranayama is practiced with dedication and commitment for many years, avarana or the mental veil or disturbances that covers prakasa or inner light or wisdom will be removed.  When there is prakasa, there will be no confusion and no sadness, the mind will be clear like a crystal, experiencing peace and happiness.

Aum Shanthi, Namaste.