By NewsGram Staff Writer
The goal has always been the same. The aim for the ancient seers involved not just their own benefit, but also the welfare of the neighbors, relatives and the entire mankind. Their daily routine was such that right from the morning till the evening, multifarious tasks were performed for ensuring peace, happiness and bliss of the society.
With the passage of time and change of place, a natural transformation took place and various elements were added into the yogic practice.
By practicing yoga, health benefits, concentration, calmness and bliss are spontaneously achieved.
Hence, in the midst of economic progress and development, it is essential to revive and propagate the highly exalted yet practical yogic system.
Meaning of Yoga
The exact meaning and definition of Yoga is "to become One with God", to achieve Godhead or to become the form of God himself. This is the supreme aim for a human being.
As long as an individual does not achieve this goal, he will have to undergo the repetitive cycle of birth and death. Moreover, the desire for eternal knowledge and consciousness will remain unfulfilled.
The completion of this cycle is what is termed as Yoga. Whatever process is undertaken in order to actualize the effort to become whole, transforms into Yoga.
Karma-Yoga, Gyana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Samkhya-Yoga among other processes are called yoga. But that activity, knowledge, devotion, mantra or asana which is not directed towards God cannot be called yoga. They are called Bhoga or selfish ego-centric work which leads to self-annihilation.
The Power of Yoga
The knowledge of God as enunciated in the Vedas by the ancient rishis or seers is considered as the perfect scripture by the people of India.
What is found in the Vedas is seen everywhere in the world around us and what is not mentioned in the Vedas cannot be found to be existing anywhere.
The person who is able to fathom the conscious-unconscious, the earth and beyond, heaven-hell, sin and piety, activity and inactivity is known as a Yogi.
Kinds of Yoga
Asana(postures), Mudra(poses), Pranayama(breathing exercises), Dhyana( meditation), Dharana(withdrawal of senses) and Samadhi( Meditative absorption) come within the threefold realm of Ashtanga-Yoga, Mantra-Yoga and Japa-Yoga.
Apart from the major Yoga disciplines, Siddha-Yoga, Japa-Yoga and Integral-Yoga are also laid forth by the Vedas.
The mystery of the yoga process has been enshrined elaborately in Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras, Maharshi Bhardwaj's Mimamsa-Darshan, Mantra-Yoga Samhita, Hatha-Yoga Samhita, Raja-Yoga Samhita, Maharshi Vashishta's Yoga-Vashishta, Puranas and Tantra books.
The Science of Yoga
Description of the nine chakras( Swirling Energy Disks)
Mooladhara(Root Chakra): The first chakra is located at the base of the spine, between the anus and the genitals. One ascends the path of liberation by activating the base chakra which supplies nutrients. At this energy level, primary and instinctual needs of food, shelter, procreating and survival reign supreme.
Swadhishtan Chakra(Sacral Chakra): Located four fingers below the belly button, activation of this energy field leads to greater stability and control of the emotional upswings. A person can become attractive by channelizing energy in the chakra which relates to the genitourinary system and the adrenals.
Manipura Chakra(Navel Chakra): Located near the navel, Manipura corresponds to digestive and metabolic systems. Physically, Manipura governs digestion, mentally it governs personal power, emotionally it governs expansiveness, and spiritually, all matters of growth.
Anahata Chakra(Heart Chakra): Symbolized by a circular flower with twelve green petals, Anahata is related to the thymus, located in the chest. It is the site of maturation of the T cells responsible for fending off disease. Physically Anahata governs circulation, emotionally it governs unconditional love for the self and others, mentally it governs passion, and spiritually it governs devotion.
Vishudha Chakra(Throat Chakra): Depicted as a silver crescent within a white circle, Visuddha is understood as relating to communication and growth through expression. This chakra is parallel to the thyroid, and is responsible for growth and maturation.
Ajna Chakra(Third Eye Chakra): Symbolized by a lotus with two petals, Ajna is linked to the pineal gland, a light sensitive gland that produces the hormone melatonin which regulates sleep and waking up, and is also postulated to be the production site of the psychedelic dimethyltryptamine, the only known hallucinogen endogenous to the human body.
Ajna deals with visual consciousness, mental clarity and emotional intuitiveness.
Sahasrara Chakra(Crown Chakra): Considered to be the state of pure consciousness, at this point there exists neither object nor subject. When the energy rises to this point, it unites with the male Shiva energy, and a state of liberating samadhi is attained.
The Yogic knowledge is an essential and vital part of the Sanatani tradition.
As has been mentioned by a previous publication of the Yogic scripture, "The uniqueness of this work is that one finds myriad Yogic processes, those that are being followed and those that are no longer followed."
To this day, the scripture is being published by Ma Pithambara Peetha, Sanskrit division.