Curative
YOGA
Introduction
Most
people, specially from western worlds, think of yoga
as merely an eastern exercise program. Nothing could
be further from the truth. The underlying purpose
behind the practice of yoga - the literal meaning
of yoga is `joining' - is to reunite the individual
self (Jiva) with the absolute or pure consciousness
(Brahma).
Union
with this unchanging reality liberates the spirit
from all sense of separation, freeing it from the
illusions of time, space and causation. Since according
to yogic philosophy the human body and mind are part
of the illusory world of matter, with a limited time
span, while the soul /spirit is eternal and passes
onto another world when this body wears out. Thus,
central to yogic philosophy are the concepts of Karma
(cause- effect relationships) and Reincarnation.
Yoga
is therefore regarded as a divine science of life,
revealed to enlightened sages in meditation. First
textual mention in the Vedas was corroborated
by oldest archeological evidence of seals from the
Indus Valley dating back to around 3000 B.C. The Upanishads
that followed the Vedas provide the main foundation
of Vedanta philosophy (that espouses the idea
of an absolute consciousness called Brahma)
and yoga teachings.
Around
the sixth century B.C. appeared the massive epic The
Mahabharata written by sage Vyasa and containing
The Bhagavad Gita. Apparently a set of battlefield
instructions on one's duties in life, they are very
allegorical in showing how the challenges of life
have to be faced - so much so that it is often considered
the best book on management ever written. The Gita
contains yoga terms and concepts to enable the reader
face life similarly.
The
backbone of Raja Yoga is furnished by Patanjali's
Yoga Sutra, thought to have been written in the
third century B.C. The classical text on Hatha
Yoga, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika which describes
the various asanas and breathing exercises
which form the basis of the practice of modern yoga,
was compiled much later by a yogi named Svatmarama.
In
the modern perspective, Yoga is one of the
most effective and wholesome forms of experience to
control the waves of thought by converting mental
& physical energy into spiritual energy. Yoga
eases away pent-up tension, rejuvenates the body &
soul, enhances concentration, cures diseases and keeps
a hold on the aging process.
Benefits
of Yoga
Preventive
Value
- Yoga
helps to bring natural order and balance to the
neuro-hormones and metabolism in the body.
- At
the same time, these exercises improve endocrine
metabolism, thus providing you with a preventive
shield.
Curative
Value
- Yogic
postures activate the energies that have accumulated
and stagnated in the energy pockets of the body
- since left inert, these energies create various
ailments.
- Yogic
exercises cleanse your body, mind and consciousness
by venting toxins from the body.
Introduction
| Principles
of Yoga | Yoga
for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha | Types
of Yoga Asanas
