ASHTANGA YOGA
Watch your thoughts, they become words/feelings;
Watch your words/feelings, they become attitude/actions;
Watch your attitude/actions, they become habits;
Watch your habits, they become character;
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
The key to our destiny is, therefore, to have control on our thoughts.
Yoga - the word itself is an Indian word for " Union " or 'to join together'
Yoga is a science of self & mental discipline, which affects not only the conscious self but the subconscious as well. It contributes to longevity & also leads to perennial happiness & peace.
Yoga is a system of exercises for the physical & mental wellbeing. Yoga is a posturing & breathing exercise to induce relaxation - the practice in which physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation are used to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate, and maintain the purity of blood by elimination of toxins from the body. Yoga exercises have a strengthening effect on the nervous system.
It also helps to cure various illnesses like back pain, acidity, gastric pain, body pain, cervical, asthma & helps in regular bowels.
Thus, the ultimate goal of yoga is self-realization so that each individual can attain his or her complete physical, emotional, mental & spiritual potential.
Maharishi Patanjali rightly called as the "Father of Yoga" compiled and refined various aspects of Yoga systematically in his "Yoga Sutras". He advocated the eight-fold path of Yoga, popularly known as "Ashtanga Yoga" for the all-round development of the human personality.
According to Patanjali, within the human body there are channels called Nadi & centres called chakra. If these channels & centres are tapped, energy hidden in the body can be released. This energy is called kundalini.
Ashtanga Yoga – 8 Different Stages In Yoga
The eight different stages in yoga are:
1. The yama (universal moral commandments, code of conduct in society)
2. Niyama (self-purification through self-discipline)
3. Asana (postures)
4. Pranayama (breath control)
5. Pratyahara (contemplation - withdrawal of mind/sense from external objects)
6. Dharana (concentration)
7. Dhyana (meditation)
8. Samadhi (state of super consciousness)
Yama
It comprises the five ethical disciplines of self-restraint:
(a) Ahimsa: It means non-violence or not harming any body including your own self. It is about caring for the well-being of all. It should be practiced through our actions, words and thoughts. We harm ourselves when we over eat, drink excessively, over indulge in pleasures, become angry, jealous or loose our poise.
(b) Satya: It means truth – being true in all situations i.e. being truthful in thought, word and action.
(c) Brahmacharya: It means self-restraint. It is to be observed through one's thought, speech and deed.
(d) Asteya: It means non-stealing. People, who are not contented with their belongings, generally show the tendency of stealing (includes misappropriation, misuse of man and material; breach of trust and non-transparency in one's dealing).
(e) Aparigraha: It means non-hording. One should not collect things which he does not require immediately (causing shortage of things in the society). This also includes `not receiving anything from others as favours.
Niyama
There are five principles of self-discipline:
(a) Saucha: It means purity or cleanliness. Purity of body is essential for keeping fit and free of diseases. Bathing and washing purify the body externally, whereas asana, kriya and pranayama clean the body internally. More than the physical cleaning of the body, cleaning the mind of its garbage like hatred, passion, anger, greed, pride and other negative emotions is more important.
(b) Santosha: Contentment is state of mind. We must cultivate it to develop concentration. A discounted mind is always looking at what others have and is not satisfied with what he has, and therefore is never at peace.
(c) Tapas: It means austerity. It is the conscious and determined effort to burn up all negatives, which are barriers to achieve one's final goal. Using words that do not hurt others, speaking the truth and singing the glory of GOD are tapas of speech. Developing positive mental attitude to remain calm and balanced in joy and sorrow are tapas of mind. By tapas one can develop strength, courage, discipline and character.
(d) Swadhaya: It means self-study and self-introspection through regular study of divine and other character building literature. By practicing swadhaya, one reads one's own book of life. He learns that every creation is divine and there is divinity within him.
(e) Ishvara Pranidhana: It means dedication to GOD at all times. Those who have faith in GOD never despair and get frustrated even when their efforts are not successful in bringing favourable results. They trust GOD and believe that all outcome have something positive in store. Similarly, achievement of success also reiterates the faith in the goodness of the almighty instead of installing pride on oneself.
The above described ten yogic ethics or commandments guide us to bring perfection in our lives. These ethics are great virtues and we should observe them under all situations.
Controlling Emotions by Yama-Niyama
Emotions are the products of our inner selves. They are function of our heart, and not the intellect.
Mind has to be pacified or disciplined by meditative practices of yoga such as pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Once the mind has been pacified the heart has to be purified. Purification of heart means enlarging ones perspective - the feeling of oneness. Yama and niyama help in purifying the heart and promote positive emotions and overcome negative ones.
Let us now discuss how practicing yama-niyama help us to control some of our basic negative emotions.
Anger and Greed
While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched few words on the side of the car.
In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times not realizing he was using a wrench.
At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw his father with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?'
The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.
Devastated by his own actions sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'. The next day that man committed suicide. Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this: Things are to be used and people are to be loved.
The problem in today's world is that people are used while things are loved.
Anger is the most negative emotion that causes maximum harm to us. 36 chemicals pour into our blood when we are angry. These chemicals cause tension, hypertension, heart ailments and many other serious disorders.
Rage is the worst form of anger, which is uncontrolled and destructive. When you are angry you burn yourself as matchstick, which burns its own tip first before burning any other object.
Anger and greed have a common root. They spring from excessive attachment – moha – to the worldly things. Our lust and craving for sensual pleasure produces desire. However, fulfilling one desire creates another and the cycle of desire is created. This tendency results in greed – lobha. When the desired object is not obtained, there is frustration and anger.
Hence, the key to control these negative emotions of greed, frustration and anger is to limit our desire for worldly objects.
Yama of aparigraha (detachment); asteya (non-stealing); niyama of tapas (austerity) and santosha (contentment) are very helpful in controlling anger and greed.
Pride and Arrogance
Pride is the king of all miseries. Arrogance is pride with contempt of others. Pride springs from ego – I. Pride has two contexts: Being proud of one's country, company or society is a good thing, but the false sense of pride and arrogance in dealing with others is a big barrier to live a harmonious life.
A proud and arrogant person is often impatient and selfish due to his self-imposed sense of superiority. Intellect and ego have very intimate relationship. Highly intellectual persons are often found to be proud and arrogant.
Satya and Swadhaya help to control the ego. Satya refers to the awareness of what is right and ability to express it. Satya also means being honest with ourselves. Through the practice of satya we can increase our tolerance level by knowing and understanding our limitations, weaknesses and accept them.
Swadhaya is self-analysis – through which we can know and accept our strengths, limitations and potential. This helps us to act appropriately in any situation.
Jealousy
Jealousy is a negative trait of have-nots. It is the result of absence of something that is desired. We feel jealous of others, because they have more money, comforts, name and fame than what we have.
Jealousy comes when we start comparing ourselves with others. We feel unhappy not because we don't have something, but because others have more. Realise that luck is always kind to all. All persons do not possess identical qualities and fortune. Instead of being jealous of others, try to emulate those, whose better lot is an eyesore to you.
Jealousy produces anger and hatred. It also gives rise to inferiority complex. It may also be cause of stomach ulcer.
Santosha and swadhaya are great niyama that help us to control the negative emotion of jealousy. Try to be contended with your lot. Do not compare yourself with others. Through the regular practice of swadhaya, we should do self-introspection and analysis to know our potentials and limitations. Set realistic goals, and work hard to achieve them without envying the achievement of others.
St Francis has rightly said: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
Hatred
Hatred or dislike is another offshoot of jealousy. One may hate a person, place, event or a thing. Love is the opposite of hatred. Accept even those you don't like, with open hear. Practice of ahimsa or non-violence to cultivate the virtue of love and get rid of hatred. Thus love embraces all creation, because we are all children of GOD.
