Concept of Yoga in Nutshell

Yoga, the ancient science of India, has a wide perspective, which includes not only the concept of achieving physical and mental fitness through different Yogic exercises, but also establishing a tranquility of mind by their means, so as to realize man's union with the supreme self, i.e. attainment of God-consciousness. The doctrines and practices of Yoga date back to the period of Upanishads. The MaitriUpanishad in particular outlines the essential practices of Yoga. Yoga practice forms a ladder leading to perfect knowledge. Hatha Yoga is the basic system of Yoga because it is concerned with developing those bodily controls from which everything else follows.

The therapeutic benefits of Yoga are well known to common man all over the world, and these have been acknowledged even my modern medical science.

Yogic concept of mind: As per the Yogic concepts, mind is composed of three major elements, or the 'gunas'- Satva, Rajas and the Tamas , literally meaning, the pure, the vibrant and the dull, respectively. The mind is influenced by all these three states or the gunas together, each trying to exert its individuality over the others. But by means of Yoga, we can awaken the dormant potential faculties of mind and balance the gunas in a controlled way, so as to attain a state of supreme consciousness, prolong our life, as well as maintain the body's vigour and health.

Hatha Yoga: In Hatha Yoga, or Yoga in practice, we deal with the three elements of mind or the gunas and its three main channels, the Nadis , or the nerve channels, known as Ida, Pingala and the Sushumna . The ' Ida Naadi' is the carrier of mental energy; the ' Pingala Naadi' is carrier of 'pranic' or life's energy, while ' Sushumna Naadi' is the channel of spiritual consciousness of the self, i.e. 'Atman' . When the ' Pranic' energy or the flow in the 'Pingala' is predominant, the consciousness of the external is more than the normal, while in case of predominant 'Ida' , the person thinks and imagines, thus dealing in fantasies and plans.

As per the Yogic concepts, the 'Ida' flows through the left nostril and the 'Pingala' through the right. 'Ida' is temperate and cooler than 'Pingala'. When 'Ida' is functioning, the right side of our brain is functioning and in case of 'Pingala' left side of our brain. But when the 'Sushumna' awakens, the whole brain goes into operation. The flow of 'Ida' and 'Pingala' passes through our spinal column to the entire body, controlling the different organs. Some organs are fed by 'Ida' , some by 'Pingala' and some by both. Through the framework of these 'Nadis' , the body receives both the life's as well as the mental energies. Hatha Yoga aims at creating a balance between 'Ida' and 'Pingala' , that is, between the 'Pranas' (life's) and the 'Chitta' (mental) energies. When the state of balance is reached, the 'Sushumna Nadi' awakens and releases the hidden potential of the mind.

Pranayama: Pranayama, as we know it, is a Yogic breathing technique, which aims to control the process of breathing for both physical and mental benefits. As per Yogic concept, Pranayama is not only a means to control 'Prana-shakti' (life-force), but also 'Chitta' (thought potential). Through Pranayama, one can extend one's 'Prana-shakti' (life-force) beyond the normal state of mind. In Pranayama, the process of inhalation is known as 'Purak' , the action of controlling and retaining breath is known as 'Kumbak' and the process of exhalation is known as 'Rechak' . Depending upon the variations in these three processes, there are various types of Pranayama, such as, Kapaalbhaati, Bhastrikaa, Anulom-vinulom, etc.

Dhyana Yoga: Dhyana Yoga is the concluding stage of the Yogic practice of Hatha Yoga. In other words, Dhyana Yoga is the process of awakening of 'Sushumna Naadi' which leads to the concentration of your mental energies, thus making oneself conscious of his spiritual energy.

Yogasana: As per Hatha Yoga , the Pranayama controls your 'Prana-shakti' or the life's force; the Dhyana Yoga helps you attain spiritual energy, while the Yogasana or the Yogic asana influence your hormonal system, thus helping you attain physical energy. Yogasana are the Yogic exercises/postures that not only strengthen the body's muscles and joints; making them more strong, supple and flexible; but also give valuable exercise to the various organs and systems of our body. The various Yogasana include Padmasana, Vajrasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Sirshasana, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Paschimottasana, Mayurasana, Pawanmukhtasana, Matsyasana, Shavasana, etc.

Caution: If you are a beginner, you should learn and practice Yogasana only under expert supervision.