The word yoga suggests union between mind, body and spirit. The appropriateness is not in meaning of the word but establishing connection of mind with individual cosmic consciousness and then with universal cosmic consciousness to attain spiritual enlightenment.
It is subject of great debate for a layman to decide starting point in yoga practice, as there are eight sections or extensions to manage body, mind and emotions. It all depends on temperament, constitution of mind and capacity to absorb techniques and philosophies of each individual. Everybody has to decide his own starting point to progress on this path of enlightenment. Each person has to decide his own direction and how he is going to reach there.
With balancing also comes the mastering of feelings and thoughts. The eight sections or extensions on which the whole system of yoga is founded are as follows.
1) Yama------------Abstaining from all form of evilness and falsehood.
2) Niyama----------Observance of mind
3) Asanas----------Postures
4) Prayanama-------Breathing exercises or mastering universal life force.
5) Pratyahara------Withdrawal of mind.
6) Dharna----------Concentration.
7) Dhyana----------Meditation.
8) Samadhi---------Absorption in pure consciousness.
To connect with individual cosmic consciousness, one has to manage mind and then body. There are special techniques to bring mind, body and spirit in perfect harmony. These techniques include no only toning the muscles and joints but entire endocrine system to vitalize them. While using exercise techniques, philosophical techniques are required to condition mind by cultivating universal love, wisdom and compassion. Also powerful breathing techniques are used to recharge whole body system with universal life force energy. Last but not the least, meditation techniques are used t o bring inner peace, allowing mind to explore higher realms of consciousness.
Meditation is nothing but a process of reversing the mind, of finding cause to the appearance and the cause to the cause till it reaches deepest truth. The necessary preliminary stage is to concentrate on an object element, then to concentrate intensely to take it far off till it reaches it object. There are four stages of concentration. The first stage is examination stage, where the mind becomes concentrated with the element. The second stage is distinction state where the outer surface of the element is penetrated. The third stage is the joyful peace, where we start experiencing perceptions with inner peace and fourth stage is simple awareness of individual cosmic spirit.
It is said that there are five shells or covers on the soul. These five layered existence of human being is as follows.
1) Annamaya Kosha---------------Human body shell.
2) Pranamaya Kosha--------------Universal life force shell
3) Manomaya Kosha---------------Thought or mind shell
4) Vidnyanamaya Kosha-----------Intellectuality shell.
5) Anandamaya Kosha-------------Transcendental cosmic shell.
All these techniques help breaking one shell after another, allowing conscious energy of our mind to flow through them; till it reaches transcendental cosmic shell to experience transcendental unity of mind with individual cosmic spirit.
Once this path of enlightenment is established, our mind undergoes process of forethought, where emotional and psychological conditioning is necessary to control consciousness flowing through body senses. Once conscious energy attains enlightenment, then no purpose of these senses is left for the soul. This is the state of liberation.
No comments:
Post a Comment