In this article I will help you understand what Yoga is and how it can help you. Achieve a balanced happy and useful life. Yoga is more than exercise. Yoga is spiritual and gives you much more than just a healthy body. It helps your mind and your spirituality as well.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” meaning to yoke, join or unite. Yoga is meant to combine your physical, mental, and spiritual being to attain more out of life.
Yoga originated in India where they consider it part of classical philosophy that combines your soul with the universe. But according to iyengar-yoga.com, ?The origins of yoga are believed to be much older than that, stemming from the oral traditions of Yogis, where knowledge of Yoga was handed down from Guru (spiritual teacher) to Sisya (spiritual student) all the way back to the originators of Yoga, “the Rishis,” who first began investigation into the nature of reality and man’s inner world.?
Legend has it that knowledge of Yoga was first passed by Lord Shiva to his wife Parvati and from there into the lives of men.
There are many parts of the Yoga family or many different forms. Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga are all well known forms of Yoga, but there are many more.
According to Wikipedia, ?Karma yoga, or the “discipline of action” is one of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) by doing his duties in an unselfish manner.?
Raja Yoga is different and involves psychophysical meditation techniques to attain experiences of the truth and finally achieve liberation.
Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha.
Jnana in Sanskrit means “knowledge”, and is often interpreted to mean “knowledge of the true self”. To say, “I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness,” is jnana. To behold the one Self everywhere is jnana.
Okay, so those are the definitions of some of the forms of Yoga, but how does it help me? How do I decide which form of Yoga is the one for me?
A lot depends on what you are trying to achieve. There are more forms of Yoga than just those I mentioned and it is a good idea for you to search for the definitions of all forms of Yoga before deciding which one is right for you.
I am using these four types of Yoga as examples to give you an idea of the things you need to consider when choosing a form of Yoga to study and participate in.
Using the examples above and just the short definitions given to us there, you can see they are distinct and each has a different purpose or goal.
Karma is meant to help you attain salvation through your actions. To humbly serve in this life so you can be served in the next. Everyone has heard of good and bad Karma. The saying comes from this style of Yoga. If you do good things, good things will happen to you if not in this life, in the next.
Raja Yoga is the control of your own mind. Not allowing it to be modified by events that have happened to you in your past. The belief here is that every event that happens in your life modifies your mind and how you perceive things. By practicing Raja Yoga, you can keep your mind from being modified by these events and get to know your true self.
Bhakti Yoga is selfless devotion to GOD. The belief that GOD is the supreme being that created the universe. The 9 principles of Bhakti Yoga are;
1) Hearing about the Lord - singing & chanting God’s names (japa), hearing stories from scripture.
2) Glorifying the Lord - describing God’s all-attractive features.
3) Remembering the Lord - internal meditation on the Lord’s form, activities, names or personality.
4) Serving the lotus feet of the Lord - providing a form of physical service.
5) Worshiping the Lord - deity worship (arcana) is a popular form of this within India.
6) Offering prayers to the Lord - any form of prayer offered to please God.
7) Serving the Lord - offering a service for Lord’s pleasure, such as preaching activity.
8) Building a friendship with the Lord - having an internal, loving relationship with God.
9) Surrendering everything unto the Lord - surrendering one’s thoughts, actions and deeds to God.
Jnana Yoga incorporates the fundamental belief that there is no dualism, that the universe is all one entity. A good way you may have heard this explained is to become ?one with the universe?.
Using these explanations, you can see what the general goals are for each Yoga form. These definitions are far from complete and there is much more to be learned about each of the forms I mentioned here. As I said before there are also other forms of Yoga you should research. There is even sub-forms of Yoga within each of these I mentioned and others.
I suggest you choose the path to enlightenment that suits you if you are considering starting Yoga. Find one that has goals that are appealing to you and stick to that discipline so you can achieve your goals.
Robin Darch, of PRT Specialised Services Limited has a website, Yoga Tips to help you find all the information you need about Yoga and the benefits of Yoga.
Yoga Tips
Showing posts with label Dharma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dharma. Show all posts
March 1, 2009
February 23, 2009
Yoga in Practice: Teaching Yoga
When most people consider the idea of teaching Yoga, they usually perceive the superficial physical requirements of a Hatha Yoga instructor. There are many styles of Yoga, and Hatha Yoga is just one of them. In fact, within the sub-styles of Hatha Yoga, there are a number of ?gentle? styles. So, being really flexible, young, and having the body of a super model, are not required in order to teach Yoga.
The above attributes can be used to your advantage, if you have them, but let?s go over a prime ingredient within all Yoga teachers. ?In a nut shell,? it is the passion to help others. This is the common denominator among Yoga instructors, regardless of which style of Yoga is taught. Teaching others the benefits of Yoga, becomes a ?calling? for students who aspire to teach Yoga.
A Yogic lifestyle will improve any person?s life. Interestingly, a quality life is founded upon positive thought. Therefore, Yoga has ?all the bases covered,? when it comes down to helping people.
When you look at your own life - reflect on the following questions. How do you want to be remembered? Do you feel complete satisfaction in your accomplishments, so far? What do you stand for?
How we are remembered is through our actions. This relates to Karma Yoga: Union by selfless service. When we help people, that action helps people who we never meet because a single action creates a chain reaction. Just look at all the coincidences that add up to you reading these words, at this moment.
What we accomplish in life is, for the most part, based upon our own actions. There are exceptions to this such as: poverty, illness, and bad luck. However, the person who never gives up will realize achievement, success, and goal realization. When we stop trying, we ?short circuit? our potential.
Satisfaction with your life depends upon finding your purpose (dharma). When you have found your purpose in life, you are living a fulfilled life. Whatever you do in life, helping friends, family, and associates will give you the greatest satisfaction.
If you are feeling incomplete, at this time, write down your passions, reflect on them, and notice that one will stir an overriding desire within you. This is most likely your dharma. When we leave this life, it is gratifying to know that we helped people along the way, as this also gives us a deeper sense of purpose.
Getting back to teaching Yoga - there are many excuses to avoid becoming a Yoga teacher, but when you feel the calling, all you have to do is share the gift of Yoga with others to find out if that is your purpose in life.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
The above attributes can be used to your advantage, if you have them, but let?s go over a prime ingredient within all Yoga teachers. ?In a nut shell,? it is the passion to help others. This is the common denominator among Yoga instructors, regardless of which style of Yoga is taught. Teaching others the benefits of Yoga, becomes a ?calling? for students who aspire to teach Yoga.
A Yogic lifestyle will improve any person?s life. Interestingly, a quality life is founded upon positive thought. Therefore, Yoga has ?all the bases covered,? when it comes down to helping people.
When you look at your own life - reflect on the following questions. How do you want to be remembered? Do you feel complete satisfaction in your accomplishments, so far? What do you stand for?
How we are remembered is through our actions. This relates to Karma Yoga: Union by selfless service. When we help people, that action helps people who we never meet because a single action creates a chain reaction. Just look at all the coincidences that add up to you reading these words, at this moment.
What we accomplish in life is, for the most part, based upon our own actions. There are exceptions to this such as: poverty, illness, and bad luck. However, the person who never gives up will realize achievement, success, and goal realization. When we stop trying, we ?short circuit? our potential.
Satisfaction with your life depends upon finding your purpose (dharma). When you have found your purpose in life, you are living a fulfilled life. Whatever you do in life, helping friends, family, and associates will give you the greatest satisfaction.
If you are feeling incomplete, at this time, write down your passions, reflect on them, and notice that one will stir an overriding desire within you. This is most likely your dharma. When we leave this life, it is gratifying to know that we helped people along the way, as this also gives us a deeper sense of purpose.
Getting back to teaching Yoga - there are many excuses to avoid becoming a Yoga teacher, but when you feel the calling, all you have to do is share the gift of Yoga with others to find out if that is your purpose in life.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
On The Strangeness Of Writing About Yoga
For a little over a month now, I?ve been spending a fair amount of time in front of a computer screen, composing short essays on yoga-related topics. And in a way, this feels like a fairly natural, easy and mostly-enjoyable thing to be doing: I love to write, and have been exploring Yoga (in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties) for long enough that finding aspects of these practices ~ or their related philosophies ~ to present in this way, is not a problem. Yet there?s also a feeling of strangeness about it ? this little gnawing sensation in the pit of my belly ? something which seemed to be asking for its own ?exploration? ? and hence, this essay!
So what makes writing about Yoga ?strange?? For one, I am ~ by inclination, passion & profession (in the sense of dharma) a poet. It is in writing poetry that I find the deepest joy, ease, and openness ? A feeling that I?m doing what (at least for now) I am ?meant to be doing,? that I?m offering out into the world what I am uniquely qualified to offer, that I?m ?doing my job.? Though I also very much enjoy writing prose, there is, for me, a palpable difference in the experience of the two forms. The writing of prose, for me, almost always carries with it a certain sense of tension, of anxiety. I am, in the context of prose articles, making affirmations, assertions; I?m arguing for this or that point of view; I?m proposing and defending. I place myself in relation to a specific discursive ?field,? having in mind a particular ?audience? whose attention, and approval (or disapproval!) I?m wishing to attract.
When ~ on the other hand ~ I?m writing poetry, the ?relationship? is much more between me the ?objects? of my inspiration (which for me tend to be trees & rivers & mountains ? and other members of the ?natural world?), than it is between me and my (projected) ?readers.? The writing of poetry, for me, is primarily about ?listening? and then, with as much delicacy & integrity as I can muster, ?translating? what I?ve ?heard? into the sounds, images, and evocations of a poem ? Whether or not someone else approves of the poem really never enters my mind. Which isn?t to say that I don?t value the work of other poets, and feel happy when my work is appreciated by them. I read widely among other poets who I hope to be ?influenced? by, and am happy to have that effect myself, on others. Yet this is secondary to the process of simply listening ? of allowing my perception to be ?naked,? my senses ?virgin? to what they?re perceiving ? en route to birthing the next poem. So in relation to my practice of writing poetry, writing any sort of prose feels ~ in this way ~ ?strange.?
What?s also strange, in this particular (?virtual?) context, is that it is only through some strange combination of intuition and projection, that I can pretend to ?know? my audience. So I?m writing about practices which, for me, are associated with the deepest forms of intimacy ? in a context which is about as ?impersonal? as can be! Now whether or not ?in-person? relationships are necessarily any more ?real? or ?intimate? than virtual relationships, is an interesting question. In either case, intimacy would seem to depend upon ones capacity to see or feel beyond whatever ?text? it is that?s being presented, as the ?first level? of contact. That ?text? might be words on a computer screen, it might be spoken words, it might be a person?s physical appearance ? Whatever the text, my ?knowing? of the person at any level beyond the most superficial, will depend ~ it seems to me ~ upon my capacity to augment intuition (knowing-from-inside, at a feeling level, and connecting at the level of Spirit/energy), and turn the volume way down on my projections (habitual associations I make, based upon that first-level ?text?). But this is a topic for another essay (or, perhaps, a poem) ?
To write about Yoga is also to be involved in an attempt to ?speak the un-speakable,? which is definitely a strange (and perhaps really arrogant?) undertaking! Yoga as a path (sadhana), as a set of techniques, instructions, philosophies, is something than can, and must, be represented in the form of words & images ? Otherwise, how could anyone ever begin to practice? How could anyone ever do this thing called ?entering a path of Yoga?? And how could anyone ever ?practice? if there were no ?forms? being practiced? Yoga as fruition (siddhi or samadhi or citta-vritti-nirodha ), on the other hand, is by definition beyond all forms (including thought-forms), beyond all language ? It is a state of Being in which all (conventional, conceptual) ?knowing? has been dropped, including our ?knowing? about Yoga! Yet what?s also true is that most yogis & yoginis who have accessed this ?fruition? of Yoga choose to ?return? to the world of speaking & thinking & moving about within a human body ? which, in a strange way, brings us back to the place where this essay began: poetry ?
For it is often (though not always!) in poetry (of thoughts, words, and/or physical movements) that such Beings then choose to express themselves ? for it seems that sometimes a poem (or dance) is ~ via its gentle ?listening? ~ what has the power to tease out of this Yogic silence a song ? a way of using language which points back to its origins, it Source, that un-speakable Silence ?
So for now at least, I will continue to write essays on yoga-related topics. And let myself feel curious about bringing the energy of poetry into my prose. It feels like the right thing to do. Though it is strange business indeed!
Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga (in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties) for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman & Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For more yoga-related reflections, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
So what makes writing about Yoga ?strange?? For one, I am ~ by inclination, passion & profession (in the sense of dharma) a poet. It is in writing poetry that I find the deepest joy, ease, and openness ? A feeling that I?m doing what (at least for now) I am ?meant to be doing,? that I?m offering out into the world what I am uniquely qualified to offer, that I?m ?doing my job.? Though I also very much enjoy writing prose, there is, for me, a palpable difference in the experience of the two forms. The writing of prose, for me, almost always carries with it a certain sense of tension, of anxiety. I am, in the context of prose articles, making affirmations, assertions; I?m arguing for this or that point of view; I?m proposing and defending. I place myself in relation to a specific discursive ?field,? having in mind a particular ?audience? whose attention, and approval (or disapproval!) I?m wishing to attract.
When ~ on the other hand ~ I?m writing poetry, the ?relationship? is much more between me the ?objects? of my inspiration (which for me tend to be trees & rivers & mountains ? and other members of the ?natural world?), than it is between me and my (projected) ?readers.? The writing of poetry, for me, is primarily about ?listening? and then, with as much delicacy & integrity as I can muster, ?translating? what I?ve ?heard? into the sounds, images, and evocations of a poem ? Whether or not someone else approves of the poem really never enters my mind. Which isn?t to say that I don?t value the work of other poets, and feel happy when my work is appreciated by them. I read widely among other poets who I hope to be ?influenced? by, and am happy to have that effect myself, on others. Yet this is secondary to the process of simply listening ? of allowing my perception to be ?naked,? my senses ?virgin? to what they?re perceiving ? en route to birthing the next poem. So in relation to my practice of writing poetry, writing any sort of prose feels ~ in this way ~ ?strange.?
What?s also strange, in this particular (?virtual?) context, is that it is only through some strange combination of intuition and projection, that I can pretend to ?know? my audience. So I?m writing about practices which, for me, are associated with the deepest forms of intimacy ? in a context which is about as ?impersonal? as can be! Now whether or not ?in-person? relationships are necessarily any more ?real? or ?intimate? than virtual relationships, is an interesting question. In either case, intimacy would seem to depend upon ones capacity to see or feel beyond whatever ?text? it is that?s being presented, as the ?first level? of contact. That ?text? might be words on a computer screen, it might be spoken words, it might be a person?s physical appearance ? Whatever the text, my ?knowing? of the person at any level beyond the most superficial, will depend ~ it seems to me ~ upon my capacity to augment intuition (knowing-from-inside, at a feeling level, and connecting at the level of Spirit/energy), and turn the volume way down on my projections (habitual associations I make, based upon that first-level ?text?). But this is a topic for another essay (or, perhaps, a poem) ?
To write about Yoga is also to be involved in an attempt to ?speak the un-speakable,? which is definitely a strange (and perhaps really arrogant?) undertaking! Yoga as a path (sadhana), as a set of techniques, instructions, philosophies, is something than can, and must, be represented in the form of words & images ? Otherwise, how could anyone ever begin to practice? How could anyone ever do this thing called ?entering a path of Yoga?? And how could anyone ever ?practice? if there were no ?forms? being practiced? Yoga as fruition (siddhi or samadhi or citta-vritti-nirodha ), on the other hand, is by definition beyond all forms (including thought-forms), beyond all language ? It is a state of Being in which all (conventional, conceptual) ?knowing? has been dropped, including our ?knowing? about Yoga! Yet what?s also true is that most yogis & yoginis who have accessed this ?fruition? of Yoga choose to ?return? to the world of speaking & thinking & moving about within a human body ? which, in a strange way, brings us back to the place where this essay began: poetry ?
For it is often (though not always!) in poetry (of thoughts, words, and/or physical movements) that such Beings then choose to express themselves ? for it seems that sometimes a poem (or dance) is ~ via its gentle ?listening? ~ what has the power to tease out of this Yogic silence a song ? a way of using language which points back to its origins, it Source, that un-speakable Silence ?
So for now at least, I will continue to write essays on yoga-related topics. And let myself feel curious about bringing the energy of poetry into my prose. It feels like the right thing to do. Though it is strange business indeed!
Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga (in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties) for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman & Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For more yoga-related reflections, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
Foundations of Yoga: Yama and Niyama, Part 1
Prerequisites for yoga
“Knowledge (Jnana) does not come about from practice of yoga methods alone. Perfection in knowledge is in fact only for those who begin by practice of virtue (dharma). Yet, without yoga as a means, knowledge does not come about. The practice of yogic methods is not the means by itself, yet it is only out of that practice of yoga that the perfection in knowledge comes about. And so it is said by the teachers: ‘Yoga is for the purpose of knowledge of truth’” Thus wrote Shankara.
All things rest upon something else-that is, all things are supported by another. This is because a foundation is needed for anything to exist. Being Himself the Ultimate Support of all things, God alone is free from this necessity. Yoga, then, also requires support. As Trevor Leggett says in his introduction to Shankara’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras: “This is yoga presented for the man of the world, who must first clear, and then steady, his mind against the fury of illusory passions, and free his life from entanglements.” Patanjali very carefully and fully outlines the elements of the support needed by the aspirant, giving invaluable information on how to guarantee success in yoga.
The first Yoga Sutra says: “Now the exposition of yoga,” implying that there must be something leading up to yoga in the form of necessary developments of consciousness and personality. These prerequisites may be thought of as the Pillars of Yoga, and are known as Yama and Niyama.
Yama and Niyama
Yama and Niyama are often called “the Ten Commandments of Yoga.” Each one of these Five Don’ts (Yama) and Five Do’s (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga. Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements. Niyama means observances, of which there are also five. Here is the complete list of these ten Pillars as given in Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:
1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty
3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness
4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses
5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness
6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness
7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness
8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline
9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study
10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one’s life to God
All of these deal with the innate powers of the human being-or rather with the abstinence and observance that will develop and release those powers to be used toward our spiritual perfection, to our self-realization and liberation.
These ten restraints (yama) and observances (niyama) are not optional for the aspiring yogi-or for the most advanced yogi, either. Shankara states quite forcefully that “following yama and niyama is the basic qualification to practice yoga.” Mere desire and aspiration for the goal of yoga is not enough, so he continues: “The qualification is not simply that one wants to practice yoga, for the sacred text says: ‘But he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self by knowledge.’ (Katha Upanishad 1.2.24) And in the Atharva text: ‘It is in those who have tapas [strong discipline] and brahmacharya [chastity] that truth is established.’ (Prashna Upanishad 1:15)And in the Gita: ‘Firm in their vow of brahmacharya.’ (Bhagavad Gita 6:14) So yama and niyama are methods of yoga” in themselves and are not mere adjuncts or aids that can be optional.
But at the same time, the practice of yoga helps the aspiring yogi to follow the necessary ways of yama and niyama, so he should not be discouraged from taking up yoga right now, thinking that he should wait till he is “ready” or has “cleaned up his act” to practice yoga. No. He should determinedly embark on yama, niyama, and yoga simultaneously. Success will be his.
Next: Foundations of Yoga, Part 2: Ahimsa (Harmlessness)
Swami Nirmalananda Giri is the abbot of Atma Jyoti Ashram, a traditional
Hindu monastery in the small desert town of Borrego Springs in southern
California. He has written extensively on spiritual subjects, especially about
yoga and meditation and
about the inner, practical
side of the world’s religions. More of his writings may be found at the
Ashram’s website, http://www.atmajyoti.org/“>http://www.atmajyoti.org.
“Knowledge (Jnana) does not come about from practice of yoga methods alone. Perfection in knowledge is in fact only for those who begin by practice of virtue (dharma). Yet, without yoga as a means, knowledge does not come about. The practice of yogic methods is not the means by itself, yet it is only out of that practice of yoga that the perfection in knowledge comes about. And so it is said by the teachers: ‘Yoga is for the purpose of knowledge of truth’” Thus wrote Shankara.
All things rest upon something else-that is, all things are supported by another. This is because a foundation is needed for anything to exist. Being Himself the Ultimate Support of all things, God alone is free from this necessity. Yoga, then, also requires support. As Trevor Leggett says in his introduction to Shankara’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras: “This is yoga presented for the man of the world, who must first clear, and then steady, his mind against the fury of illusory passions, and free his life from entanglements.” Patanjali very carefully and fully outlines the elements of the support needed by the aspirant, giving invaluable information on how to guarantee success in yoga.
The first Yoga Sutra says: “Now the exposition of yoga,” implying that there must be something leading up to yoga in the form of necessary developments of consciousness and personality. These prerequisites may be thought of as the Pillars of Yoga, and are known as Yama and Niyama.
Yama and Niyama
Yama and Niyama are often called “the Ten Commandments of Yoga.” Each one of these Five Don’ts (Yama) and Five Do’s (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga. Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements. Niyama means observances, of which there are also five. Here is the complete list of these ten Pillars as given in Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:
1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty
3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness
4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses
5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness
6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness
7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness
8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline
9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study
10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one’s life to God
All of these deal with the innate powers of the human being-or rather with the abstinence and observance that will develop and release those powers to be used toward our spiritual perfection, to our self-realization and liberation.
These ten restraints (yama) and observances (niyama) are not optional for the aspiring yogi-or for the most advanced yogi, either. Shankara states quite forcefully that “following yama and niyama is the basic qualification to practice yoga.” Mere desire and aspiration for the goal of yoga is not enough, so he continues: “The qualification is not simply that one wants to practice yoga, for the sacred text says: ‘But he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self by knowledge.’ (Katha Upanishad 1.2.24) And in the Atharva text: ‘It is in those who have tapas [strong discipline] and brahmacharya [chastity] that truth is established.’ (Prashna Upanishad 1:15)And in the Gita: ‘Firm in their vow of brahmacharya.’ (Bhagavad Gita 6:14) So yama and niyama are methods of yoga” in themselves and are not mere adjuncts or aids that can be optional.
But at the same time, the practice of yoga helps the aspiring yogi to follow the necessary ways of yama and niyama, so he should not be discouraged from taking up yoga right now, thinking that he should wait till he is “ready” or has “cleaned up his act” to practice yoga. No. He should determinedly embark on yama, niyama, and yoga simultaneously. Success will be his.
Next: Foundations of Yoga, Part 2: Ahimsa (Harmlessness)
Swami Nirmalananda Giri is the abbot of Atma Jyoti Ashram, a traditional
Hindu monastery in the small desert town of Borrego Springs in southern
California. He has written extensively on spiritual subjects, especially about
yoga and meditation and
about the inner, practical
side of the world’s religions. More of his writings may be found at the
Ashram’s website, http://www.atmajyoti.org/“>http://www.atmajyoti.org.
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