About
Yoga, the science of man, based on ancient Indian wisdom and culture, is an
art of living a healthy, balanced, peaceful and contented life. Yoga, being
a total integrated system, studies man in his wholeness - body, mind and
spirit and is integrated to certain principles, ideas, values, attitudes and
a way of life for personal and social benefits.
Conceived
by the great sages in their quest for self-realisation, it has come to be
recognised during its; long travails from the hermitages to the cities, as
the science of man, a philosophy old life, a code of conduct, an attitude
and an approach, as well as an art of living which is capable not only of
ensuring physical well-being, mental peace harmony, moral elevation and
spiritual uplift of man but also of transforming man from his gross animal
existence to the sublime heights of divinity.
It must, however be kept in mind that it is a long and arduous journey
calling for perseverance, persistence, dedication and total surrender.
There is no instant yoga. It is not a question of merely closing one's eyes
or of sitting in a posture. It involves cultivation of an attitude and
approach to life. It must not only be a philosophy to be imbibed but a
practical philosophy which must be lived. It is therefore, not enough to
think of yoga but to do it and to live it in our lives. It is also necessary
to understand that yoga is not a substitute for action. Human effort is
indispensable. The transformation is not at the cost of action but to enable
us to perform our duties more efficiently, more effectively and honestly.
Yoga had recognised and accepted the importance of
the mind and the subconscious over the total human personality much earlier
than modern psychology did in its present form. Yoga is a stepwise, stage
wise eight fold path to final liberation from pain and suffering. These
steps progressively take us to the highest state of creativity, of
discriminative knowledge and towards attaining the desired perfection.
The Eight Steps are:
Yama : Conditional yoga behaviour, personal and social
Niyama : Attitude sublimate to yoga norms
Asana : Discipline of the physical body
Pranayama : Control over bio energy through respiratory action
Pratyahara : Withdrawal of the senses inwards through abstraction
Dharna : Concentration
Dhyana : Meditation
Samadhi : Tranconsciousness
Of
these, the first five, which border on the Psychosomatic Approach, are
referred to as External (Bahiranga) yoga, popularly known as Hatha Yoga,
while the latter three, which directly affect the psyche are known as
internal (Antaranga) yoga, popularly known as Raja Yoga. It is almost
impossible to try internal yoga (Raja Yoga) for the average man before
accomplishing the external one (Hatha Yoga). The respective sequence of the
eight steps as the standard methodology of yoga.
Yoga is based on a deep understanding of man and his position in this world
and was the first system evolved in the world to recognise the connection
and the interaction between body and mind. It studies in depth the very
structure of the human personality, through analysis the psychological
complexities and the cause of human pain, sorrow and suffering. It has laid
down psychosomatic means through its various psycho-physiological processes
for dealing with the body mind complex and tries to harmonize and integrate
the human personality at all levels and stages of life.
Yoga is basically a way of LIFE which has been evolved as a system to go
beyond the personality - complex and achieve absolute freedom-liberation of
the spirit from the matter.
Some Renowned Yoga Centres are:
Neyyar Yoga Centre Somatheeram Ayurvedic Hospital & Yoga Centre
Ideal Yoga Centre Manaltheeram Yoga Centre
