Renaissance of Yog

“Yog is the art of doing everything with the consciousness of God.”  -Yogananda Pramahansa

Yog philosophy of Maharishi Patanjali i.e. Yam, Niyam, Asan, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyan and Samadhi is commonly held as the curriculum of Yog. Yam , Niyam further include Satya (Truth), Ahimsa (Non-violence), Astey (Non-stealing), Brahmacharya (Good character), Aparigrah (Non-accumulation), Shauch (Cleanliness), Santosh (Contentment), Tap (Forbearance in odds and adversities), Swadhyay (Study of self), Ishwar Pranidhan (Love of divine), Asan (Different poses and staying therein), Pranayam (Yogic breath control and Kumbhak beholding of breath), Pratyahar (Introversion of mind), Dharna (Withdrawal of attention from the worldly affairs and focus it at a desired point), Dhyan (Meditation of thought into an object of meditation i.e. soul).

Asana means a steady and pleasant posture to the body.

Pranayama means control over prana, life force.

Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses from external objects.

The eight meannesses of the heart. Firmness of moral courage, when attained, removes all the obstacles in the way of salvation. These obstacles are of eight sorts- hatred, shame, fear, grief, condemnation, race prejudice, pride of pedigree, and a narrow sense of respectability- which eight are the meannesses of the human heart.

Value of Pranayama. Man can put the voluntary nerves into action whenever he likes, and can give them rest when fatigued. When all of these voluntary nerves require rest he sleeps naturally, and by this sleep the voluntary nerves, being refreshed, can work again with full vigor. Man’s involuntary nerves, however, irrespective of his will, are working continuously of them selves from his birth. As he has no control over them, he cannot interfere with their action in the least. When these nerves become fatigued they also want rest and naturally fall asleep. This sleep of the involuntary nerves is called Mahanidra, the great sleep, or death. When this takes place, the circulation, respiration, and other vital functions being stopped, the material body naturally begins to decay. After a while, when this great sleep mahanidra is over, man awakes, with all his desires, and is reborn in a new physical body for the accomplishment of his various yearnings. In this way man binds himself to life and death and fails to achieve final salvation.

Control over death.  But if man can control these involuntary nerves by the aforesaid Pranayama, he can stop the natural decay of the material body and put the involuntary nerves (of the heart, lungs, and other vital organs) to rest periodically, as he does with his voluntary nerves in sleep. After such rest by Pranayama the involuntary nerves become refreshed and work with newly replenished life.

As after sleep, when rest has been taken by the voluntary nerves, man requires no help to awaken naturally; so after death also, when man has enjoyed a full rest, he awakens naturally to life in a new body on earth. If Man can “die,” that is, consciously put his entire nervous system, voluntary and involuntary, to rest each day by practice of Pranayama, his whole physical system works with great vigor.

Life and death come under the control of the yogi who perseveres in the practice of Pranayama. In that way he saves his body from the premature decay that overtakes most men, and can remain as long as he wishes in his present physical form, thus having time to work out his karma in one body and to fulfill (and so get rid of) all the various desires of his heart. Finally purified, he is no longer required to come again into this world under the influence of Maya, Darkness, or to suffer the “second death.”

It is commonly seen that the Sadhaks (Yog practitioners) quit the practice once the disease is redeemed or they do not notice quick result. It is highly undesirable. Yog should be held as a Superb Art o Living. Regular practice of Yog produces wonderful changes in our body and mind. It helps us to remove various conflicts we are trapped in. In yogic language, there are five types of mental conflicts, these are – Avidya (Lack of knowledge), Ahankaar (Pride), Raag (Attachment), Dwesh (Enmity) and Maranbhay (Fear of death). The practice of Yam and Niyam help tide over these disturbances. We are commonly governed by three pravrittees (State of habits). These are – Satvic (i.e. simple life, simple thought, simple food and good behavior), Rajsik (haughty thought, extravagant life style and spicy food) and Tamsik (poor in thinking, poor and down-trodden living and stale food eating). Regular practice of yog makes us follow the Satvic life. Desire, Selfishness and enmity are inter-related to each other. Desire makes us selfish which further generates enmity, which if persists, leads to something immoral, Swadhyay makes us understand the bad effects of these ideas and help stay away from them.

Followers of this art of living have to live a life free from the bondage of desires. They live in this world, yet they are not affected by its maya illusion. A Yogi has to distinguish between needs and desires and follow the needs for fulfillment thereof. Desire is the state of mind, which forces us to do something unneeded and to accumulate something, not required for peaceful living. Desirous person loves the physical world which being his temporary home, leaves that person in a deep mental agony when he is disowned by it.

To learn this art, no time span can be given, no crash course can be prescribed. It is lifelong practice. Asan and Pranayam should be practiced in the morning before 6.00 AM with complete empty stomach. Yam and Niyam should reflect in our behavior. Analysis of our status in Yog Sadhna should be done regularly to notice the desired change. Besides this, a saddhak has to be mitahari, shakahari (balance veg. food). The Yog philosophy of Maharishi Patanjali enumerates five faults- lust, anger, temptation, greed and ego which impurify the body, mind and soul, destabilize our chitt by vritees. Yog eradicates all these impurities and makes life healthy, happy and contented.