Yoga in a Nutshell

noreply@blogger.com (Sananda Worldwide) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:09:00 +0000

Sananda believes firmly on the intergration of mind, body and soul for optimum health and wellbeing. Yoga which means union can help us work on all three aspects to attain perfect bliss.

There are several forms of yoga, many of us are not aware of this. We often confuse the concept of yoga with the latest ‘keep fit’ regime. It is true that yoga does help to achieve and maintain a physically healthy body but it goes much further than this. Yoga can be looked upon like a tree or flower, the physical poses or asana which form Hatha Yoga are just one of the branches.

Patanjali, whose name literally means fallen angel, formed the 'Eight Limbs of Yoga' to maximise existence and meaning of life to all humans. If we can incorporate each one of the limbs into our own life then we will be able to find harmony not only within ourselves, (mind, body and spirit) but with each other. Like a flower or tree growing towards the light, we too will gain beauty within and enlightenment.

The first of the Limbs is Yama, the universal moral commandments. They are external ethical guidelines that are appropriate to our relationships and environment. The yamas aim to facilitate a harmonious society, when they are broken chaos and violence occurs. The five moral injunctions of Yama are: ahimsa – non violent; satya – truthfulness; asteya – non stealing; bramacharya – moderation; aparigraha – non possessiveness.

The second limb, Niyamas are also divided into five. They are the more optimistic qualities for self purification. These internal ethical guidelines relate to our spirit and self. The niyamas consist of the following: - saucha – purity; santosa – contentment; tapas – austerity; svadhyaya – study of the self; isvara pranidhana – dedication to the devine.

The third Limb is asana, meaning posture or pose. It literally means ‘moving into stillness’ or ‘sitting quietly’. Through asana practice the human can manipulate every muscle, gland and nerve to help promote optimum health and wellbeing. It makes the body strong and supple, free from disease. Asanas are not only good for the physical body they also balance the mind creating complete awareness. Stability of the mind can aid the spirit/soul to grow. Asanas can be mastered with the use of the breath (pranayama) flowing freely through the body.

Pranayama can be described as a rhythmic extension of the breath. The body parts actively involved in pranayama consist of the nostrils, nasal passages and membranes, the trachea (windpipe), lungs and diaphragm. Prana means breath, respiration, life, vitality, wind, energy or strength. Emphasis is on the soul as opposed to the body. Ayama means length, extension, stretching or restraint therefore we can translate pranayama as ‘extension of the breath’. Pranayama is the science of breath for the life within us. If not practiced correctly it can ‘kill the practitioner and make one go insane’ (Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter II).

Pratyahara is the withdrawal and liberation of the mind from the senses of exterior objects. We can attain pratyahara when we have rhythmic control of the breath and control of the senses, turning them inwards focusing on the soul. When all our desires and fears are banished from our body then the mind is able to become pure. A path led merely on desires is a destructive one. A path of contentment within our mind, body and spirit and the lives in which we live is one of bliss leading to enlightenment. There are three different types of consciousness within the mind:-

DEVINE
Sattva: the pure/good quality leading to clarity and mental serenity
Rajas: the mobile/active quality making the person energetic and wilful
Tamas: the dark/restraining quality causing obstruction and counteracts sattva and rajas.
DEMONIC

Dharana is the sixth Limb, concentration. The mind must be stilled to achieve complete concentration and this can only be done correctly through achieving each of the five previous Limbs. The mind is capable of many things and has five different mental states:

Kspite – where the mental forces are spread in state of neglect, here the mind will be influenced more by rajas guna fixed on objects.
Viksipta – the mind is agitated and distracted, desires are not restrained.
Mudha – a mind dominated by tamas, foolish and dull
Ekagra – mind is closely attentive and fixed on one single object with sattva guna governing. It is the quality of a superior intellectual with the possibility of becoming obsessive.
Niruddha – the mind, intellect and ego are all restrained.

Dyhana is meditation, the seventh Limb. The yogis’ body, breath, senses, mind, reason and ego are all united and incorporated in the universal spirit. It is consciousness with nothing but bliss. Dyhana is a light that shines beyond Earth, Heaven, and him/herself, a light that is him/her which ultimately combines the universe into one divine light.

Samadhi, the final Limb. It is a state of super consciousness brought by profound meditation, becoming one with the object of meditation. This is the end of the sadhaka’s quest. At the peak of meditation the state of Samadhi is relaxed and at rest as though asleep but with mind and faculties alert as though awake but the body is completely relaxed, going beyond consciousness. A state of Samadhi is fully conscious and alert but relaxed at the same time; it is a complete state of eternal light.

The process of experiencing each limb is a stepping stone to enlightenment; each Limb supports the other, aiding this process. It is important to work through all the Limbs as each one compliments the next. By attaining the qualities of asana practice for example, the extension of the breath (pranayama) becomes achievable through strength, stamina and balancing of the mind.

All of the Eight Limbs help join our own body, mind and spirit which in turn will finally assist all human beings joining together as one. The correct practice of everything above mentioned will able us to live in harmony with each other and the world in which we exist. If we concentrate (Dharana) on AUM (Universal oneness) we are able to unlock divinity, the whole of the world and Earth breathe together as one, and everybody and everything is connected. Working through each Limb we strengthen our bodies opening our mind and spirit to prepare us for the next Limb until eventually we reach Samadhi when we are the Light.

Yama - universal ethical guidelines
Niyama - observances for self purification
Asana - physical hardwork, a mechanism to get to spiritual liberation
Pranayama - breath for the soul,vitality and life
Pratyahara - seek inside and expel sensory attractions
Dharana - concentrate (mental state)
Dhyana- seeing the light
Samadhi - being the light

For more information on the above, to arrange a yoga class or find a recommended teacher in your area please contact us at www.sananda.co.uk

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noreply@blogger.com (Sananda Worldwide) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:50:00 +0000

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Yoga in a Nutshell

How does Aloe Vera work on the skin?