The Art of Yoga and Meditation

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The term Yoga has been derived from the Sanskrit language. ‘Yoga’ literally means ‘to join together, and it actually works by joining the individual with his or her innermost, i.e., by bringing the working system of body and brain together. It is a system in which some simple exercises help in the physical and mental well-being of the individual. Breathing, i.e., circulation of air through the body, and consequently circulation of inadequate blood measure through different parts of the body, happens to be the mainstay of the healing process of Yoga. Pranayam, i.e. ‘controlled breathing’ is the term that describes the essence of Yoga. Stated to have been developed some 5 thousand years ago, Yoga has its origin in the Vedas, the oldest record of Indian culture[1]. Its mainstay is preparing the individual to recognize his or her potential. Deepak Chopra (2005), an internationally renowned Indian philosopher, says,

“The first spiritual law of success is the Law of Pure Potentiality. This law is based on the fact that we are, in our essential state, pure consciousness. Pure consciousness is pure potentiality; it is the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity. Pure consciousness is our spiritual essence. Being infinite and unbounded is also pure joy. Other attributes of consciousness are pure knowledge, infinite silence, perfect balance, invincibility, simplicity, and bliss. This is our essential nature. Our essential nature is one of pure potentiality.”

What is quite interesting to know is that Yoga provides a healing touch to the body without much effort or trouble in undertaking the yoga exercise. Running, brisk walking, skipping, etc., are some of the effective exercises which help in retaining a physically fit body, but Yoga, on the other hand, requires different parts of the body to be at ease, and the yoga exercises do not require lots of energy. But the healing process is time taking and requires adequate discipline on the part of the individual in food habits and an overall lifestyle. The book ‘Yoga Sutras’ written by the much revered Indian philosopher Patanjali is considered the bible of Yoga. The term ‘Sutras’ literally means short notes or formulas, which implies yoga sutra provides the simple ways to do Yoga. Yoga sutra describes a system composed of[2] Classical Yoga, Patanjali Yoga, Ashtanga (Eight-limbed) Yoga, and Raja Yoga.

Air Circulation in the Body: The Key to Pranayam

‘Pran’ in the Hindi language means the soul, the one responsible for the life of a human being. According to Hindu belief, ‘Pran’ is the creation of god Brahma, the supreme king. The Yoga gurus say that[3] ‘The inherent quality of Pran is “Motion.” This quality of Pran is felt and experienced in Vayu (Air), which is always in motion.’ This air, when it enters the body in good measure, helps the body and all its organs to work effectively and efficiently. The Hindu way of life believes that a human body is composed of five essential elements, namely, Akasha (i.e., space of vacuity), Vayu (air), Agni (fire), Jala (water), and Prithvi (earth). Out of these five, the air is said to have a central role in keeping the body in motion. In order to gain materialistic benefits and success in life, the body must be in sync with our thought process while allowing us to make the efforts required for success. In general, if left to ourselves, it will be very difficult for us to concentrate on something without wavering to worldly tensions, but with the help of meditation and spirituality, the mind and body are said to work in perfect synchronization. Underlining the need to take good care of one’s health and spiritual values, Deepak Chopra (2005) says,

“There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. Moreover, success is a journey, not a destination. Material abundance, in all its expressions, happens to be one of those things that makes the journey more enjoyable. But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.”

The yoga sutra also points out that the human body itself has certain channels and points which require to be tapped for releasing the energy hidden in the body. The eight stages of Yoga stated by Patanjali are;

Niyama (Self-purification through discipline): Self-discipline lays the foundation for preparing the body and mind to practice Yoga in right earnest. The discipline demands that one should have a routine in getting up early, sleeping early, eating a healthy diet, no to the junk food, etc.
Asana (posture): The posture in which yoga exercises can be done is also very crucial because it requires a relaxed body and tension-free frame of mind to work wonders for the individual.
Pranayama (breath control): This practice helps the inadequate amount of air intake into the body and thus manipulating the energy levels of the body to the advantage of the body. In fact, Baba Ramdev, the saffron-clad yoga guru, who has created waves all across India and many places around the world, has been placing maximum emphasis on the correct way of breathing. According to him, the breathing exercises[4] can be further subdivided into different forms like;

Bhastrika pranayam: Bhastrika is the Sanskrit word for Blower. So this pranayam works when, after a deep breath, the air is released forcibly like a blower from our nose. This yoga exercise is said to be helpful for cold, cough, allergy, asthma, and respiratory diseases.
Kapal Bhati Pranayam: ‘Kapal’ is the Sanskrit word for forehead and ‘Bhati’ for light.
Bahaya pranayam: Bahya is the Sanskrit word for outside
Anulom Vilom Pranayam: This is one of the most popular ways of Pranayam, in which one nostril is used at a time for breathing and the other one for releasing the air subsequently.
Bhramri Pranayam: For this, the lungs are filled with air with a deep breath, and then the air is held inside for a while, followed by slowly exhaling the air from the mouth with a slight humming sound

Pratyahara (withdrawal of the mind from external objects): This effectively means we must try to forget our worldly desires during the period we intend to have the yoga therapy.
Dharana (concentration): As the individual starts controlling the desires overlooking worldly affairs, the concentration power increases.
Dhyana (meditation): It requires the individual to remember the almighty god and just think about the supernatural power which is controlling all of us
Samadhi (state of super consciousness): In this stage, the most difficult one for the general people to attain the person feels like going on a journey out of this world. In fact, in this state, the needs like hunger, thirst also disappear, and the person starts controlling all his needs

Such yoga therapies help in refreshing the body and mind, and the person is ready for the day’s work with renewed vigor. Realizing the importance of Yoga in boosting the energy levels, big corporate houses in many countries are making it mandatory for the professionals to indulge in yoga and relaxation exercises during the course of their work so that these professionals can contribute their maximum towards the functioning of the organization.

Besides Pranayam, yoga therapy works wonders for the physical fitness of the individual by way of a number of asanas. Asana is a Hindi word that means sitting posture. Therefore different parts of the body can be worked up by systematically assuming certain positions and postures, which activates different parts of our body to infuse new energy and enthusiasm in us. Some of the popular asanas are;

Sidhasana(Cock Pose), Mandukasan (frog pose), Padmasana (Lotus Posture), Bhujangasana (Snake Posture), Mayurasana (Peacock Posture), Dhanurasana (Bow Posture), Chakrasana (Circle Pose like a wheel), Savasana (Corpse Posture, i.e., motionless), Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Posture), etc.

This Sansa’s not only helping in better circulation of blood flow in different parts of the human body, but they also help in providing a soothing touch to the mind of the individual as well.

References

Brian Sheen. Yoga: The Path to Enlightenment. Web.

Deepak Chopra (2005). Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams. Amber Allen Publishing.

Divya Yoga Mandir Trust (2008). Pranayam revolution. Web.

Incredible India (2008). Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Web.

Patanjali (2000). The Yoga Sutras. Web.

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The Art of Yoga and Meditation

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