The word ‘Yoga’ comes from a Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’ which means ‘to join’. Yoga is the process by which the embodied spirit is made to become one with the universal spirit. i.e., the embodied spirit (jeevathma), a part of the universal spirit (paramathma) made to become one by certain physical and mental exercises. Yoga is the science, which raises the capacity of the human mind to respond to higher vibrations and to perceive, catch and assimilate the infinite conscious movements going on around us in the Universe. In fact, it makes one a transmitting and receiving station of “Radio” activity with the mind as the aerial. The human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. The science that teaches the way of acquiring this occult knowledge is called ‘Yoga sastra’.
Yoga is restraining the mind from taking various forms. Yoga helps us to cleanse out mind and to get back to its natural pure state. Many different varieties of yoga come to be practiced for different purposes. They are,
1. Bhakti yoga (Yoga of devotion)
2. Karma yoga (Yoga of duty or action)
3. Gnana yoga (Yoga of knowledge)
4. Hatha yoga (Yoga of bodily performances)
The final goal or general purpose of all the above varieties of yoga was the same. This goal was liberation from the cycle of rebirths, called mukti or kaivalya. The purposes of the four varieties of yoga in daily life are not the same.
1. Bhakthi yoga
It seeks to propitiate the object of worship i.e, God. As a result of this worship, the practitioner of Bhakthi yoga hopes to remove the hurdles on the path to the
2. Karma yoga
The main principles of karma yoga include,
a. Never giving up and never failing in one’s duty and
b. Looking equally upon opposites such as success and failure, pleasure and pain, heat and cold etc… without being affected or swayed away by them.
3. Gnana yoga or Raja yoga
Evolved by Patanjali involves techniques for purifying the mind by removing impurities through the eight fold practice.
These include,
1. Yama or abstinence or discipline (Iyamam or manathuimai or theethagatral)
2. Niyama or observances (Niyamam or cheyal thuimai or nantatral)
3. Asana or postures (Irukkai nilai)
4. Pranayama (Sara payirchi or moochu payirchi or vayu tharanai)
5. Prathiakara or sense-withdrawal (Pulanadakkam or thogainilai)
6. Dharana or concentration (Porainilai)
7. Dhyana or contemplation (Manathai orumuga paduthuthal)
8. Samadhi or Ecstasy or super conscious state (Paramporuludan kalathal)
The above eight- fold path leads to self-realization (Atmadharshana)
4. Hatha yoga
This has become very popular in recent times. It is described as the yoga of unity of ha and tha. This means the unity of the sun and the moon in the body or the unity of the vital airs. (Prana and apana)
ASHTANGA YOGA
Iyama niyamamae yennila aathanam
Nayamurum pranayamam prathiyakaram
Sayamigu tharanai dhyanam samadhi
Ayamuru attangam aavathumamae.
The eight stages of yoga are,
1. Yama
Yama are the purity of mind. Yama are the moral codes or universal commandments crossing across barriers like caste, religion, race and sex. These moral codes are non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence and non - receiving.
2. Niyama
Niyama are the purity of action. They are personal, internal and external purification, contentment, dedication, study of self and selflessness.
3. Asanas
Asanas are postures for contemplation.
Asana means physical posture of the body that assists in regulating discipline in the respiratory system. Thirumular defines asanas only in outline. Asana is the preliminary step for the practice of yoga.
Asanas are generally practiced to strengthen the psychophysical nerve centers to keep the body free from all impurities and diseases and to secure concentration of mind.
They improve flexibility of muscles and suppleness of joints. People who are not sufficiently well informed about various aspects of yoga believe that yoga practice mainly comprises practice of the asanas. There are more than six hundred different asanas. They constitute the minimum set of asanas that can help lead to a healthier life.
In general, asanas are physical exercises but they differ from normal day-to-day activities. Physical exercises help to strengthen our outer body but asanas help to strengthen our vital organs. It increases the circulation of blood to the whole body. It helps to be very active, improve the memory power and intelligence. Yogasanas should be learned from a well- experienced teacher; otherwise it will affect the body. It should not be done in full stomach. Bowel should be cleaned while doing asanas. The place where the yoga has been undertaken should be well ventilated. It is very advisable to perform yoga on the leather of deer or tiger. Bathing is not recommended immediately after asanas. Dress should be loose to allow free movement of the limbs. Within a few days as the body becomes more flexible, we will naturally be able to do all the bending of the limbs necessary to perform the asanas properly. It is observed that many people who practice yogasana are free from gray hair, wrinkled skin, ageing and diseases. In yoga books, the padmasana is suggested to those who are in family life and siddhasana is advisable to those who are in spiritual life.
The asanas are of two types. Those which are performed for the sake of Dhyana (meditation) such as padmasana, siddhasana, sukhasana fall in the first category. The second type of asanas is meant to gain physical health. All other asanas are included in this group. The important asanas are as follows.
I. MEDITATIVE ASANAS
a) Padmasana (Lotus pose)
