Presently most Yoga Masters teach Yoga just as a therapy or as a means to keep body and mind healthy. to keep body and mind healthy is not everything; it is the base of Yoga. The apex of Yoga is to realise the true self(atman). According to the Indian Scriptures Atman is Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. So practitioners should try to understand the ’self’ first.
Like all living beings, man has consciousness. For this he feels that he has existence. Dead matter has no consciousness and so it cannot know either its own existence or the existence of others. Since conscious man knows his existence, he has a Self. Self is intimately related to his consciousness. Consciousness awakens knowledge in him. This knowledge tells a man that he has a Self or has an existence in relation to others.
According to the Upanishads, this Self remains in four states - waking, dreaming, deep sleep and true self(atman). The practice of Yoga is to move inwards of consciousness from waking through deep sleep to true self states.
In the waking state, consciousness of man spreads everywhere through his sense organs. Self is knowledgeable about the gross body and the gross world outside. It is the enjoyer of this gross material world. It enjoys what it has imagined and created. Gross world has no real existence. If at all it exists, it exists in the consciousness of beings. Gross world is an imagination and creation of all beings. For this, in the waking state, Self is called Universal(vishva).
In the dreaming sate, consciousness spreads inwards i.e. in the subtle dreaming world. Self is knowledgeable about its subtle body and subtle dreaming world. This world is its own creation and very much private. Through its own creation, it enjoys its own creation. The same mind and senses work here. The difference is everything is subtle here and everything is an illumination only. For this Self is called Illuminous(taijasa).
When one goes to sleep, one passes from waking state to dreaming state. Body and world change from gross to subtle. But the same mind and senses remain active. For this dreaming world appears to be as real as waking world. However no world is real.
When one enters into deep sleep state, mind and senses cease to function. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. Mind and senses immerse in the consciousness. For this consciousness is pure here or Self attains purity. there is none other than the Self. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. There is no dualism and there is oneness of all. Gods and Goddesses, beings and worlds, hell and heaven become one here.
In the absence of dualism, there is neither virtue nor vice, neither joy nor sorrow; Self is intelligent and blissful. Brightness acts as a sense organ and through this Self enjoys only the bliss. For this after a deep sleep one remains blissful and peaceful. In the deep sleep state, Self is called Intelligent(prajna). This Intelligent Self is the God of all. It becomes the cause of all worlds. This is the state where creation, sustenance and destruction of all beings are determined.
Waking and dreaming states are experienced by all, because mind is active in these two states. Effect of deep sleep is only felt and not realised. The fourth state is neither felt nor realised by all. Only a true Yogi may feel and realise third and fourth states. deep sleep may be realised by a Yogi through meditation when he has risen above body and senses. Throgh meditation mind enters the deep seep and realises it. Then in total concentration(samadhi) he may realise the fourth state again through the mind.
In the fourth state, Self has neither the knowledge of the outside world nor of the inner world; Self is neither intelligent nor ignorant. Only there is the manifestation of true self(atman) which is peaceful, graceful and unique. Self is called soul(atman) here, which is the only thing to be known and to be realised in the whole universe.
So practitioners should learn that Yoga from him, who clears all ignorance and shows true divine or spiritual path. Awake and arise and stop not till the goal is achieved.
Author Premansu Chand practices and teaches Patanjali Yoga. Those who want to know more about spiritualism and yoga may go through his book ‘Quest for truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published in USA or may email to him.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
February 24, 2009
Foundations of Yoga: The Great Vow
The Great Vow
After listing ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha, Patanjali continues: “These, not conditioned by class, place, time or occasion, and extending to all stages, constitute the Great Vow.” They are the Great Vow because they require the exercise of will and because of their dynamic effect on us. Even more, they are great because, like the elements, they are self-sufficient, depending on nothing else, and because they cannot be mutated into something else. That is, they are always what they are, and for that reason they are always to be observed with no exceptions whatsoever. They cannot be neglected or omitted for any reason-absolutely. Patanjali lists the possible conditions which do affect lesser observances: class, place, time or occasion, and stages. A brief consideration of each will be helpful.
Class. No one can mitigate or omit the observance of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha because of who he “is.” In yoga, too, no one is above the law. That is, no one can produce the effects of Yama without their observance. I knew an Archbishop with a quick sense of humor. Once he made a pungent remark about someone, and a woman objected, saying: “That remark is not Christian.” He simply smiled and replied: “Madam, I do not have to be a Christian: I am an Archbishop!” This is an attitude of many, springing from the blindness of egotism.
Place. Whatever may be the ways of a particular place or group of people in which we may find ourselves, the observances of Yama are incumbent upon us. “When in Rome do as the Romans” is one of the silliest axioms ever coined. Peer pressure must never be a factor for us. Nor should unjust rules or laws have any effect on us. What is right must always be done. The will or opinion of others cannot change our obligation to observe the Great Vow. Nor can external conditions change it. Not even to save our lives can we turn from what is forever right.
Time or occasion. Human beings have for some reason always thought that “now” abrogates what was right or true in the past. It does not. Nor does a situation effect any change in what must be done by us as aspirants to yoga. Aversion to being “out of step” or “alienated from society” has no place in the mind and heart of the yogi.
Stage. We never “get beyond” the observance of the Great Vow. Those at the very end of the spiritual journey are as obligated to fulfil the Great Vow as those who are at the beginning. Also, we cannot “go too far” or “overdo” our observance of the Vow. It is all or nothing. “Ahimsa and the others are to be maintained all the time and in all circumstances and in regard to all objects without any conscious lapse” (Vyasa). At this point Shankara points out that the Great Vow must be observed by us in relation to all beings-not just confined to human beings. We cannot kill, injure, or rob any creature of any kind. Nor the earth itself.
Once again we see the psychological nature of the five components of the Great Vow and how their observance is based upon the courage, self-respect, and self-knowledge of the yogi.
“The main object of this relentless ethical code is to eliminate completely all mental and emotional disturbances which characterize the life of an ordinary human being. Anyone who is familiar with the working of the human mind should not find it difficult to understand that no freedom from emotional and mental disturbances is possible until the tendencies dealt with under yama-niyama have been rooted out or, at least, mastered to a sufficient degree….It is only by doing the right that we get added strength to do right in the future and also acquire the capacity to see what is right. There is no other way.” (I.K. Taimni)
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
meditation.
Read more of his writings at http://www.atmajyoti.org
After listing ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha, Patanjali continues: “These, not conditioned by class, place, time or occasion, and extending to all stages, constitute the Great Vow.” They are the Great Vow because they require the exercise of will and because of their dynamic effect on us. Even more, they are great because, like the elements, they are self-sufficient, depending on nothing else, and because they cannot be mutated into something else. That is, they are always what they are, and for that reason they are always to be observed with no exceptions whatsoever. They cannot be neglected or omitted for any reason-absolutely. Patanjali lists the possible conditions which do affect lesser observances: class, place, time or occasion, and stages. A brief consideration of each will be helpful.
Class. No one can mitigate or omit the observance of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha because of who he “is.” In yoga, too, no one is above the law. That is, no one can produce the effects of Yama without their observance. I knew an Archbishop with a quick sense of humor. Once he made a pungent remark about someone, and a woman objected, saying: “That remark is not Christian.” He simply smiled and replied: “Madam, I do not have to be a Christian: I am an Archbishop!” This is an attitude of many, springing from the blindness of egotism.
Place. Whatever may be the ways of a particular place or group of people in which we may find ourselves, the observances of Yama are incumbent upon us. “When in Rome do as the Romans” is one of the silliest axioms ever coined. Peer pressure must never be a factor for us. Nor should unjust rules or laws have any effect on us. What is right must always be done. The will or opinion of others cannot change our obligation to observe the Great Vow. Nor can external conditions change it. Not even to save our lives can we turn from what is forever right.
Time or occasion. Human beings have for some reason always thought that “now” abrogates what was right or true in the past. It does not. Nor does a situation effect any change in what must be done by us as aspirants to yoga. Aversion to being “out of step” or “alienated from society” has no place in the mind and heart of the yogi.
Stage. We never “get beyond” the observance of the Great Vow. Those at the very end of the spiritual journey are as obligated to fulfil the Great Vow as those who are at the beginning. Also, we cannot “go too far” or “overdo” our observance of the Vow. It is all or nothing. “Ahimsa and the others are to be maintained all the time and in all circumstances and in regard to all objects without any conscious lapse” (Vyasa). At this point Shankara points out that the Great Vow must be observed by us in relation to all beings-not just confined to human beings. We cannot kill, injure, or rob any creature of any kind. Nor the earth itself.
Once again we see the psychological nature of the five components of the Great Vow and how their observance is based upon the courage, self-respect, and self-knowledge of the yogi.
“The main object of this relentless ethical code is to eliminate completely all mental and emotional disturbances which characterize the life of an ordinary human being. Anyone who is familiar with the working of the human mind should not find it difficult to understand that no freedom from emotional and mental disturbances is possible until the tendencies dealt with under yama-niyama have been rooted out or, at least, mastered to a sufficient degree….It is only by doing the right that we get added strength to do right in the future and also acquire the capacity to see what is right. There is no other way.” (I.K. Taimni)
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
meditation.
Read more of his writings at http://www.atmajyoti.org
The Secret of Karma Yoga
A very interesting event in the life of Ramana maharishi, the Sage of Thiruvannamalai has explained about the nishkama karma or the action without expecting the fruit there of.
The event was recorded by S Venkataramaiah on a Christmas day, 25th December, 1935.
Mr Rangachari, a Telugu Pundit in Voorhee?s College at Vellore, India, asked about nishkama karma or unselfish action. There was no reply from the sage. After a time Ramana maharishi (Sage Ramana) went up the hill and a few followed him, including the pundit. There was a thorny stick lying on the way which Ramana picked up; he sat down and began leisurely to work at it. The thorns were cut off, the knots were made smooth, and the whole stick was polished with a rough leaf. The whole operation took about six hours. Everyone was wondering at the fine appearance of the stick made of a spiky material. A shepherd boy put in his appearance on the way as the group moved off. He had lost his stick and was at a loss. Ramana maharishi immediately gave the new one in his hand to the boy and passed on.
The pundit said that this was the matter-of-fact answer to his question.
What an unselfish action! The sage handed over the polished stick to a shepherd boy. He expected nothing in return.
Ramana said: ?Karma Yoga or the Yoga of action is that yoga in which the person does not arrogate to himself the function of being the actor?
According to the Karma Yoga the actions go automatically. Action without the sense of doership is Karma Yoga!
Bhagavat Gita teaches active life from beginning to end.
Skill in action lies in the practice of Karma yoga.
Lord Krishna declares:? Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof. Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction.?
Man has a right to action alone, not to the renunciation of action. One has to work according to his will without expecting the fruits thereof.
One who learns this secret is a real karma yogi.
S Nagarajan is a vehicle body engineer by profession. He has written more than 1300 articles in 16 magazines and published 18 books. He is revealing Eastern Secret Wisdom through T.V. Programmes, magazine articles, seminars, courses. His email address is: snagarajans@gmail.com. His articles on Yoga, laughter, efficacy of mantras and sound, Hypnotism, Tele Kinesis, Power of Prayer, Auto suggestion, Success Formula etc are regularly appearing in ezinearticles.com
The event was recorded by S Venkataramaiah on a Christmas day, 25th December, 1935.
Mr Rangachari, a Telugu Pundit in Voorhee?s College at Vellore, India, asked about nishkama karma or unselfish action. There was no reply from the sage. After a time Ramana maharishi (Sage Ramana) went up the hill and a few followed him, including the pundit. There was a thorny stick lying on the way which Ramana picked up; he sat down and began leisurely to work at it. The thorns were cut off, the knots were made smooth, and the whole stick was polished with a rough leaf. The whole operation took about six hours. Everyone was wondering at the fine appearance of the stick made of a spiky material. A shepherd boy put in his appearance on the way as the group moved off. He had lost his stick and was at a loss. Ramana maharishi immediately gave the new one in his hand to the boy and passed on.
The pundit said that this was the matter-of-fact answer to his question.
What an unselfish action! The sage handed over the polished stick to a shepherd boy. He expected nothing in return.
Ramana said: ?Karma Yoga or the Yoga of action is that yoga in which the person does not arrogate to himself the function of being the actor?
According to the Karma Yoga the actions go automatically. Action without the sense of doership is Karma Yoga!
Bhagavat Gita teaches active life from beginning to end.
Skill in action lies in the practice of Karma yoga.
Lord Krishna declares:? Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof. Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction.?
Man has a right to action alone, not to the renunciation of action. One has to work according to his will without expecting the fruits thereof.
One who learns this secret is a real karma yogi.
S Nagarajan is a vehicle body engineer by profession. He has written more than 1300 articles in 16 magazines and published 18 books. He is revealing Eastern Secret Wisdom through T.V. Programmes, magazine articles, seminars, courses. His email address is: snagarajans@gmail.com. His articles on Yoga, laughter, efficacy of mantras and sound, Hypnotism, Tele Kinesis, Power of Prayer, Auto suggestion, Success Formula etc are regularly appearing in ezinearticles.com
Yoga Blankets Bringing Warmth And Energy To You
Yoga as we all know is becoming very popular and with its increasing popularity you can make yoga a little easier. This can be done by including different accessories to it, as to get the synergy right to gain all the necessary value and energy from it. Even though it?s been centuries old it can create miracles by doing the right poses according to your body.
These blankets or rugs as they are called are very useful while doing the yoga poses. By folding the blanket or rug it give you the extra height to do your pose, your sweat is absorbed by these blankets and lets you maintain the pose which sometimes can be tedious for many.
These can be padded, rolled up, a support for your back, neck or legs which is very essential for doing most of the poses. They come in different sizes depending which size you would be need. It will be very useful for relaxation asanas, Bikram and Ashtanga asanas.
These blankets or rugs are made of different materials like wool, cotton, polyester blend, acrylic and many different other types too. As the materials which are used are easy to maintain, you don’t have a problem in maintaining these materials as they are easy to wash and clean.
These blankets or rugs also come in different colors to match your liking such as green, red, blue, purple and some very different shades. Many of these blankets are hand woven giving it a more personal touch and value for your money for the good quality of blankets. Most of these mats are basically used for being placed on the yoga mats, so go shopping for something worthwhile for your yoga.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz , you will find information on different types of yoga which are practiced in office, home and some of the accessories used such as yoga blankets, yoga mats etc.,
These blankets or rugs as they are called are very useful while doing the yoga poses. By folding the blanket or rug it give you the extra height to do your pose, your sweat is absorbed by these blankets and lets you maintain the pose which sometimes can be tedious for many.
These can be padded, rolled up, a support for your back, neck or legs which is very essential for doing most of the poses. They come in different sizes depending which size you would be need. It will be very useful for relaxation asanas, Bikram and Ashtanga asanas.
These blankets or rugs are made of different materials like wool, cotton, polyester blend, acrylic and many different other types too. As the materials which are used are easy to maintain, you don’t have a problem in maintaining these materials as they are easy to wash and clean.
These blankets or rugs also come in different colors to match your liking such as green, red, blue, purple and some very different shades. Many of these blankets are hand woven giving it a more personal touch and value for your money for the good quality of blankets. Most of these mats are basically used for being placed on the yoga mats, so go shopping for something worthwhile for your yoga.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz , you will find information on different types of yoga which are practiced in office, home and some of the accessories used such as yoga blankets, yoga mats etc.,
Reduce Stress and Reduce Your Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Stress and pain are irreversibly linked in fibromyalgia. For many people, some kind of stressful event is what initially triggers fibromyalgia. It often shows up after a serious illness, some kind of emotional or mental shock or with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). There is probably a genetic tendency toward fibromyalgia, and many people believe that stress unmasks the disorder.
Fibromyalgia is thought to be a central nervous system disorder in which either pain-sensing nerves are excessively sensitive, or the brain is extremely sensitive to pain impulses. People with fibromyalgia have poor functioning of the HPA axis?hpyophysis-pituitary-adrenal axis?which is our body?s system for responding to stress with neurochemicals like adrenalin and serotonin. We don?t know how pain sensation and an abnormal stress response are related, but we do know that people with fibromyalgia experience more pain when they are stressed.
Just having fibromyalgia is stressful. Dealing with constant pain, fatigue and mental cloudiness is stressful. Not being able to accomplish things is stressful, especially if it affects your employment situation. That can lead to financial stress. The fact that few people understand what you are going through and expect you to behave ?normally? is stressful. Dealing with a chronic illness and lifestyle changes is stressful. That?s the everyday stress load; adding anything to it tends to tip the scale and cause the fibromyalgia symptoms to be worse.
Stress reduction is an important part of managing your fibromyalgia. Here are a few ways that may help alleviate some of your stress.
1. Good self care. Eating a nutritious diet, getting the right amount of the right kind of exercise, establishing regular sleep habits and giving yourself grace are all part of taking good care of yourself. They are important. You will feel worse, and be able to do less if you do not take care of yourself.
2. Practice body awareness. People who deal with chronic pain, as in fibromyalgia, become accustomed to ignoring their bodies; it?s one way they cope with the pain. If you learn to recognize your body?s cues that you are becoming tense, you can use a relaxation technique or exercise early on, before stress becomes unmanageable. At the same time, you don?t want to lose that protective lack of awareness about pain. Take breaks every so often and just sit quietly and pay attention to how you feel. Learn where you feel stress first. Do you get heartburn? Do your shoulders get tight? Once you learn that, you can periodically scan to see if your body is showing tension.
3. Change the way you think. This takes practice, but it gives you a chance to respond to situations instead of reacting.
4. Keep a stress journal. This has two purposes. You can journal about stressful incidents and use the journal as a tool to help you identify situations that are stressful to you. This can help you either avoid repeating these situations or be better prepared should they be unavoidable. Journaling about a stressful event also helps you debrief and de-stress after the event.
5. Learn stress management techniques, such as visualization, meditation and breathing. These techniques decrease the level of neurochemicals circulating in your body, and help decrease both stress and pain.
6. Physical therapy, stretching and massage can help decrease muscle tension and stress, and help minimize pain.
7. Talk to a counselor who specializes in stress management and pain treatment. He or she can help you learn new ways to manage stressful events.
If you decrease your stress, you will probably experience less pain and fatigue from your fibromyalgia. Changing your lifestyle so that you are taking care of yourself can help prevent flare-ups and give you a better quality of life.
Jane Thompson has an interest in Fibromyalgia. For further information on Fibromyalgia please visit Fibromyalgia or Fibromyalgia Symptoms.
Fibromyalgia is thought to be a central nervous system disorder in which either pain-sensing nerves are excessively sensitive, or the brain is extremely sensitive to pain impulses. People with fibromyalgia have poor functioning of the HPA axis?hpyophysis-pituitary-adrenal axis?which is our body?s system for responding to stress with neurochemicals like adrenalin and serotonin. We don?t know how pain sensation and an abnormal stress response are related, but we do know that people with fibromyalgia experience more pain when they are stressed.
Just having fibromyalgia is stressful. Dealing with constant pain, fatigue and mental cloudiness is stressful. Not being able to accomplish things is stressful, especially if it affects your employment situation. That can lead to financial stress. The fact that few people understand what you are going through and expect you to behave ?normally? is stressful. Dealing with a chronic illness and lifestyle changes is stressful. That?s the everyday stress load; adding anything to it tends to tip the scale and cause the fibromyalgia symptoms to be worse.
Stress reduction is an important part of managing your fibromyalgia. Here are a few ways that may help alleviate some of your stress.
1. Good self care. Eating a nutritious diet, getting the right amount of the right kind of exercise, establishing regular sleep habits and giving yourself grace are all part of taking good care of yourself. They are important. You will feel worse, and be able to do less if you do not take care of yourself.
2. Practice body awareness. People who deal with chronic pain, as in fibromyalgia, become accustomed to ignoring their bodies; it?s one way they cope with the pain. If you learn to recognize your body?s cues that you are becoming tense, you can use a relaxation technique or exercise early on, before stress becomes unmanageable. At the same time, you don?t want to lose that protective lack of awareness about pain. Take breaks every so often and just sit quietly and pay attention to how you feel. Learn where you feel stress first. Do you get heartburn? Do your shoulders get tight? Once you learn that, you can periodically scan to see if your body is showing tension.
3. Change the way you think. This takes practice, but it gives you a chance to respond to situations instead of reacting.
4. Keep a stress journal. This has two purposes. You can journal about stressful incidents and use the journal as a tool to help you identify situations that are stressful to you. This can help you either avoid repeating these situations or be better prepared should they be unavoidable. Journaling about a stressful event also helps you debrief and de-stress after the event.
5. Learn stress management techniques, such as visualization, meditation and breathing. These techniques decrease the level of neurochemicals circulating in your body, and help decrease both stress and pain.
6. Physical therapy, stretching and massage can help decrease muscle tension and stress, and help minimize pain.
7. Talk to a counselor who specializes in stress management and pain treatment. He or she can help you learn new ways to manage stressful events.
If you decrease your stress, you will probably experience less pain and fatigue from your fibromyalgia. Changing your lifestyle so that you are taking care of yourself can help prevent flare-ups and give you a better quality of life.
Jane Thompson has an interest in Fibromyalgia. For further information on Fibromyalgia please visit Fibromyalgia or Fibromyalgia Symptoms.
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