Application And History Of Yoga
August 21st, 2009 6:27 amThe word yoga is derived based from the ancient language known as Sanskrit, and it means Union. It is an influence in the Darsana School. It is one of the 6 darshans, the orthodox systems of Indian philosophy; although its influence pervades many Indian philosophies. The original yoga scripts date back to around the second Century BC when they were written by Patajali. Early Hindu Vedic texts speak of ecstatic, who may have been the predecessors of yogis or followers of yoga. Patajali’s Yoga is sometimes known as Raja or Royal Yoga, to denote its superiority over other schools.
Nowadays, Hindus believe that all things that are living are trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth, which the West refers to as reincarnation and they call samsara. When they have successfully broken this cycle, they have achieved the state of moksha meaning liberation, and yoga is an essential practice in that liberation.
Today yoga has a more practical application and that is primarily focused on the physical practice of yoga, though its basic remiss is still the existence of a spiritual being or god. Yoga practitioners want to acquire spiritual liberation through the state of Samadhi, especially from the bondage of matters when the sense of self can achieve its original pure state. Samadhi is a sense of profound concentration which brings about spiritual release.
Yoga as a practice is a process of 8 linear stages rather than a single act. Before physically practicing yoga it is necessary to make certain ethical preparations, the first is yama or restraint, which is an abstinence from physical injury (ahimsa), as well as lies, stealing, lust, and avarice; and the second stage is niyama or observance, which denotes a clean body, austerity, contentment, and devotion to God.
The next stage is physically designed to make the body more bendable, Asana or the seat, a series of exercises to stretch the physical posture, and make it flexible and healthy. Masters in asana are able to hols the prescribed stretching postures without physical distractions or involuntary movement. Pranayama or breath control is a vital stage in achieving respiratory relaxation by stabilizing the breathing rhythm.
The next stage, pratyahara meaning withdrawal, and it works to control our senses, by being able to ignore sensory inputs and retreat to an area of the brain.These 5 stages are known collectively as the external aids to Yoga, and the last three are internal ones.
The next stage is Dharana or holding on is the ability to hold in the mind an object of meditation, such as the tip of the nose or an image of the deity. Dhyana or concentrated meditation is the uninterrupted contemplation of the object of meditation. The final Samadhi or self-collectedness is the release from the cycle of being reborn and this is achieved when the mediator is the same as the object of his thoughts.
Yoga became increasingly popular outside of India in the last hundred years. Today the tuition is available in many non- sectarian classes as well as the sectarian classes.
