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CONCEPT OF YOGA
Hasmukh Adhia


Yoga is being talked about by everyone nowadays. But very
few people have true understanding of Yoga. It is important
to what are the misconceptions or wrong notions about yoga.

What Yoga is not?

Most people think yoga is asanas only i.e. a way of physical
exercise. Some people think yoga is postures and breathing
exercise only. Some people identify Yoga as a sect of
Hinduism. The people in western countries think that Yogis
can perform miracles or most difficult task such as flying in
Padmasana or going underground in hibernation for several
days. Some people mistake yoga as easy-chair philosophy
of life. All these are completely wrong notions of Yoga.

Patanjali's Concepts of Ashtang Yoga:

There are several definitions of Yoga. But the one that I like
the most is- "Chitt Vritti Nirodhah", i.e. Process of gaining
mastery over mind is Yoga. This definition is given by Sage
Patanjali, who has given the gift of 'Yog Sutra' to the world.
Patanjali talks of eight components of Yoga- Ashtang Yoga.
These are:



Yama -The discipline. Don'ts.
Niyama -The injunctions. Dos.
Asana -The posture of body.
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Pranayama -The regulation of Prana or breath.
Pratyahar -The restraint of senses from objects of
enjoyment.
Dharana -The focusing of mind.
Dhyana -The defocusing.
Samadhi -The Super conscious state.

The second very appropriate definition of yoga is given
in 'Yoga Vashishta'. This definition is "Manah
Prasamanopaya Yogah ", which means 'Yoga is a shuttle
technique to calm down the mind.

The third very popular definition of Yoga is 'Yogah
Karmasu Kaushalam' which means 'Yoga is dexterity in
action'. The dexterity is in maintaining relaxation and
awareness in action. Relaxed action is the process.
Efficiency in action is the outcome.

Bhagwat Gita also defines Yoga as a state of
equilibrium-"Samatvam Yoga Uchyate". Shri Aurobindo
calls yoga as a process of rising above from our animal
nature to divinity. Swami Vivekananda calls yoga as a tool
for condensing the process of evolution of man to cosmic
being or consciousness. Yoga is said to be giving qualities of
compassion, love, harmony, sensitivity and discretion in a
person. Each soul is potentially divine. Yoga only brings
out that divinity in a person. On a broad sense, Yoga
comprises of four main components of Work (Karmayoga),
Worship (Bhakti Yoga), Philosophy (Jnan Yoga) and
Psychic control (Raj Yoga).




Concept of Asanas:
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The most widely known part of Yoga is Asanas. Most people
think of Asana as a form of physical work out only. But it is
not so. The asanas are supposed to be done as per
Patanjalis tri-sutra. Seer Patanjali has given his Tri Sutras
for practice of Yoga. These are as follows:

1. Sthira Chira Sukham;

This means that a) the postures should be steady (not
moving or wavering), b) it should be maintained for a long
time and c) it should be comfortable.

2. Prayatna Saithilyam;

Postures should be without an effort, which means the
same should be reached in an effortless way.

3. Tatah Dvandvanabhighatah:

It should bring about equilibrium of mind. A person
should be able to maintain calm in any situation, praise or
insult, success or failure, heat or cold.

Asanas however is only one of the eight parts of Patanjalis
Yogasutra. Other seven parts are also simultaneously to be
observed if one wants to get the real benefit of Yoga. That
real benefit is that of controlling ones mind and being happy.