YOGA
Yoga is made up of hundreds of thousands of different techniques. These techniques are the basis of the Yoga system and as such can satisfy any and all needs. Practised in its original form, Yoga, has a postive impact on all aspects of the human organism and its development.An explaination of Yoga can actually be found in Vedic literature.These explanations usually come in the format of a brief summary. The basic knowledge conveyed in Vedic literature is explained in more detail in the books of Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishada. Nevertheless, it is imperative that the techniques introduced in Yoga system are learned in their particular aspects under the guidance of an actual Yoga master.
Yoga system is called Maha-Yoga and consists of eight parts. These eight parts—technically referred to as Ashta-Anga— constitute elements of the general structure of the Yoga system. Ashta is the Sanskrit word for “eight” and Anga the Sanskrit word for “part”. In each of the eight parts there are hundreds of thousands of techniques introduced. Thus, the modus operandi of the basic practice consists of eight parts.
The Yoga system is based on progressive control. Yama (control) is developed step by step and reaches its highest level with Samyama (super-control). Sam which means “super” is attached here to Yama (control) as a prefix. Yama is closely linked to “concentration”. At this level of Samyama, concentration developes into super-concentration, which is called Samadhi. Concentration is at once linked to “connection”. When concentration reachest its highest level, connection becomes super-connection which is called Samyoga. Thus, at the level of super-control, concentration turns into super-concentration and connection into super-connection. The condition reached at this level is what we refer to as Yoga, which stands for unification. This explains why the Yoga system is considered to contain the following three aspects:
- Samyama (Super-control)
- Samadhi (Super-concentration)
- Samyoga (Super-connection)
In order to arrive at this superior level of Yoga it is absolutely necessary that the power of control is developed step by step and in stages. An advancement on the way to spiritual evolution requires that the techniques constituting each of the eight stages of Yoga are practiced correctly and on a regular basis.
Yoga Is Not a Religion
Although Yogapresents detailed information and techniques regarding the ‘soul’, Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is a spiritual science. By learning this science, an individual understands the fundamentals of all religions. Yoga is a universal development system.
Yoga develops a human on the subjects of consciousness and soul, yet it is not a religion based on theology and rituals. There is no hierarchy or worshiping of a leader or a deity in Yoga. Yoga is a source of spiritual information. By acquiring this information, an individual comprehends the basic principles of all religions.
Yoga is a cultural and spiritual branch of knowledge that is open to all humans without regard of class, faith, color, race, gender and age. Perhaps the only essential quality necessary to begin Yoga is to accept the existence of the secret potentials of the human consciousness and to have the will to reach the summit of consciousness by practicing Yoga techniques.
The factor that differentiates Yoga from religions is its perspective on the body, mind and emotions. Religions perceive the body, mind and emotions as an obstruction on the path to enlightenment and as a means of sin. Whereas Yoga teaches that the body, mind and emotions are a part of the universal truth and how it can be used for humankind to develop, become enlightened and ascend.
When the body, mind and emotions are cleaned and filled with positive energy by means of Yoga techniques, the individual is naturally freed of negative desires, thoughts and actions. By using one’s free will in a positive manner and enhancing one’s self-confidence, a person takes on the responsibility of his/her destiny and is emancipated from the slavery of destiny. An individual thus draws up his/her own destiny on the path to improving positiveness and unison without waiting for the mercy of others.
Body workout and stretching
Postures ( Asana) in Yoga are effective instruments to get into shape and keep fit. Joints stretch, long muscles grow without any fat. Muscle force, flexibility, movement of joints, endurance and resistance increase. The body learns new movement styles.
According to Yoga philosophy; “A flexible spine means a young body”. By means of Yoga postures, the spine stays flexible, strong and healthy. Physical balance and coordination improve, body posture returns and awareness of physical movement increases.
Implementation of Asanas ( postures), the third step of Yoga treats and prevents many diseases. Application of Asanas regulates sympathetic and parasympathetic functions of the nervous system. When mental and physical balances of the organism are disturbed, these neural functions work against each other and tension, stress and psychosomatic diseases occur. This leads to diabetes, ulcer, constipation, cold, anger and other diseases.
Regular practice of the postures enables maintaining harmonic balance of the body. Combining correct postures with correct breathing prevents and cures psychosomatic diseases. These exercises keep the body alive and vigorous, regulate metabolism and increase concentration. When inverted postures are performed, pumping of the blood in the upper parts of the body and the circulatory system is stimulated through gravity. Thanks to the postures, nervous system gains strength, functions of glands are regulated, dormant internal organs activated and residues in digestive and secretive channels are excreted.
One who performs the postures gains agility, balance, resistance and great vitality. Application of Asanas activates every muscle, nerve, and gland in the body. This practice provides a well shaped, strong, flexible and elastic physique; reduces fatigue and calms the nerves. But the most important return of Asanas is a controlled and disciplined mind.
Yoga postures should be applied originally using the correct technique and sequencing. Entering and coming out of Asanas should be done correctly. In the postures, breath should be taken in and out correctly. Correctly performed Asanas protect the health of the body, regulate blood circulation, massage internal organs, make the muscles, joints and tendons healthy, accelerate metabolism, strengthen the immune system, maintain weight-length and hot-cold balances, regulate bio energy flows and strengthen the bio energy field of the body. Asanas should be done with the right rhythm in harmony with the mind.
According to Yoga teaching, Asana should be performed spontaneously, without forcing. During the implementation, if the muscles are relaxed and unnecessary contraction is relieved; the body takes required form itself. Most beginners contract their muscles while working and force themselves with ambition. To avoid this, always follow yourselves and be patient.
You should understand thoroughly the difference between correct stretching the muscles and forcing them. A sweet feeling of pain in the muscles felt during the fixed postures is the indication of their stretching. However, when this pain becomes bitter and start to bother, it should be understood that the muscles are forced. In this case, you should finish your practice without staying in the posture for a long time. In order to perceive the difference between correct stretching and forcing, the mind should monitor what is being done and the conscious should be awake.
During the fixed postures, muscles gain flexibility. Duration of the stay in the posture is the time allowed for the muscle to stretch. The muscles shall never be forced while performing the posture. When the muscle is forced, it contracts to protect itself. In this case, forcing will not give positive results and the muscles may be injured. You should relax the muscles in order to stretch them. Use your mind and breath for this. While staying in the posture, mentally focus on the contracted muscle and with each out breath, relax that muscle. This is the shortest way to stretch the muscle. The muscles relax and stretch easily when the breath is given out. The flexibility gained in this way is permanent and will not cause any muscle pain. The body is dough and it should be kneaded in a balanced way.
The cause of body stiffness is blockage of bio energy channels and accumulated toxins because of those blockages. Thanks to application of Pranayama techniques, Nadi channels get rid of blockages, bio energy circulates freely in the body and by removing the accumulated toxins from the body, health is protected. Through the postures performed after Pranayama techniques, the body stretches more easily, the postures that seem impossible to perform are performed easily and the movements in the postures become more clear and elegant. This increases the life energy taken into the body and its utilization.
When the energy circulation in the body increases, application of Asanas becomes much easier, natural. While doing sports, fast working muscles drifted with the speed of movement and become hard. Whereas when performing the Asanas, slow working muscles use their own power and stretch. Rough motions in sports cause lack of oxygen in the muscle which leads to frequent respiration. So the lungs are forced, heart is tired and wears down. But in order to be healthy, not only muscles, all integral organs and glands have to work in a balanced way. Practice of Yoga produce an energy surplus in the body.
What is Yoga?
The knowledge of Yoga could perhaps be compared to a river. A river begins it’s journey from pure and clean water sources in the mountains. Although, we can find the clearest water at the beginning of the river, this water can often become muddy and contaminated as it flows downward and reaches the ocean. By no means can water taken from the foot of a river show how clean and clear it actually was at its source. Therefore, if we try to determine its quality at the place where the river reaches the ocean, we would inevitably1come to the wrong conclusions.
If we want to understand the essence and particularities of the water we need to examine the river at its source. Similarly, in order to grasp the Origional Yoga System fully and correctly we need to derive the knowledge of Yoga from its original sources. Today, the knowledge of Yoga represented in so-called “yoga” books resembles the muddy waters of a river that has reached the ocean. Such books not only misinform and confuse their readers, but they also propagate conflicting ideas. As a result, people tend to believe that there are many different types of Yoga. This in turn leads to disputes about the superiority of one type of Yoga over another. This confusion further opens up discussions on whether Yoga is to be considered a religion or not. The present book provides the reader with transparency-glasses to see through this confusion. Thus, with these glasses on readers can plunge into the muddy waters of contemporary discourses on Yoga and be able to see right from wrong for themselves. In other words, with the knowledge-glasses we are providing in this book it will be possible for anyone to distinguish between correct and false information on Yoga.
The Benefits of Yoga
People have been doing Yoga for hundreds of thousands of years because Yoga is beneficial to them. In this chapter, we will give a short summary of the benefits of Yoga. You will be able to attain these benefits when you begin the Yoga system. What we will explain here are the benefits you will achieve from Yoga. Those so-called schools or kinds of ‘yoga’ that are currently widespread cannot yield these benefits.
When one practices the principles known as Yama, positive inclinations will strengthen, positive energy and motivation will increase, and a person will feel that he/she is part of the universe.
When one practices the principles known as Niyama, negative inclinations are eliminated, bad habits are overcome, negative energy is expelled and a person will realize that he/she is a member of the family of all the living beings in the universe.
The postures named Asana work on the spine and stretch it, make it suppler and healthier. The central nervous system is fed with oxygenized blood and is strengthened. The body exercises flex the joints, strengthen and lengthen the muscles, stimulate and invigorate the inner organs. The blocked energy is set free, the body becomes energetic and lively. The whole body, organs and muscles are purified with nutritional materials, oxygenated blood and bioenergy. Each and every cell is purified, renewed and enlivened. The respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, circulatory, digestive and excretory systems become healthier and work more efficiently. Brain functions become more orderly, the mind becomes sharper, stress is expelled and fatigue is overcome. (For more detailed information, refer to the book titled Yoga: Asanas – The Art of Body Development.)
Yoga postures develop and improve the blood and lymph circulation. The head down postures supply more blood to the brain and lungs. Consequently these organs are cleansed with oxygenated blood and are purified and revitalized, the toxins accumulated in the brain are expelled and brain functions improve. The legs are cleansed of accumulated blood which contains waste products and consequently rest. Since the effect of gravity is reversed, the heart is freed of its function of pumping blood to the brain and thus relaxes. The body relaxes as a result of the stimulation on the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a higher quality of sleep. The mood and outlook on life changes positively.
The exercises involving bending postures act as a natural massage on the body, and thus revitalize the muscles and inner organs, increase blood circulation, speed up the transfer of nutrients and expel the toxins. Problems related to the spine, waist, hips and groins are overcome. Toxins are expelled and the body is cleansed.
Postures which involve bending forward exert pressure on the inner organs of the abdomen, initiate their movements and purify them. The digestive and excretory systems are stimulated and begin to function more efficiently. The muscles on the back of the body and joints become more flexible. The kidneys and adrenal glands relax and fatigue is overcome, the urinary system works more efficiently, and energy is replenished. The mind becomes serene and awareness increases. When a person turns inwards, emotions calm down and anxiety decrease
The History of Yoga
In order to study the history of Yoga, we must view the history of the universe. Some souls become curious about a life independent from The Absolute Being and come from the spiritual universe to the material universe. Souls must incarnate so as to be able to realize their objectives in the material universe. While the incarnated soul pursues an imaginary freedom, he/she imitates God, changes many bodies and experiences adventures. Finally, after having repeatedly experienced temporary material happiness and agonies, he/she becomes bored with life in the material universe. Thus one day he/she awakens and begins to long for his/her true spiritual nature, wants to return to the spiritual universe and exerts effort to actualize this aim. The Yoga science and practice is a return ticket for the soul to pass from the material universe to the spiritual universe.
For this reason, when the material universe was created, first of all the science of Yoga was given to souls which were there. This is the most important science because souls can escape from the material world by means of this science and return to the spiritual universe. The material universe is created and destroyed in eternal cycles. When the material universe materializes anew, those souls which haven’t been able to return to the spiritual universe incarnate and continue their education. Yoga exists so that souls can escape from these eternal cycles.
The earth is renewed around every 5 or 6 million years. These renewals have taken place in the form of floods. After the waters receded, life on land began again. Following the establishment of balances of all forms of life on earth, people came down from a higher planet system and brought Yoga and other knowledge with them. These people spoke the Sanskrit language and the knowledge was named Veda. Thus the first civilization on earth began. The name of this civilization was Ari Civilization. The word Ari means ‘enlightened person’. The Aris mean enlightened people, Ari civilization means ‘society of enlightened people’. The word Ari is not the name of a race or tribe. The people of the Ari civilization practiced the techniques of Yoga, mastered the body, mind and emotions, and were in continual contact with The Universal Consciousness without detaching themselves from nature.
The Aris’ memories were so powerful that once they heard something, they never forgot it. That’s why they had no need for written information, that is to say they did not need books. The science of Yoga was passed down orally from master to student for millions of years. In those days the continents were connected as one and the Ari civilization ruled the whole world. That is why there are Sanskrit words in all the languages in our world. When we study the ancient civilizations of our world, we can see that they have all come from the same origin. Yoga postures are engraved on relics found in excavations in different parts of the world.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a word in Sanskrit, the oldest language in the world and mother tongue of this planet. The word Yoga comes from the same root as the word Yuj. Yuj means ‘yoke’. Thus Yoga means ‘to control’. In other words, Yoga means a perfect control of the body, emotions and mind.
The word Yoga also means ‘to unite’, in other words it means: to unite humans with everything, living and inanimate, in the universe. The different life conditions in our day gradually separate people from a natural life. Humans are becoming more and more detached from nature whereas Yoga maintains a continual link between humans and nature and the universe.
Consequently, Yoga means ‘to become a united whole’. This means a perfect harmony and union of the body, mind and soul on one hand, and the individual consciousness to become a united whole or establish contact with The Universal Consciousness on the other hand. Thus by practicing Yoga a person can totally control his/her body, emotions and mind. He/She is not detached from nature and the universe. Consequently, he/she remains in contact with The Universal Consciousness.
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