Yoga & Meditation To Achieve Harmony Between Body & Mind

In Ayurveda, yoga means union, and is a traditional system of healing the mind and body. It is believed that yoga cleanses the body of toxins, improving muscle tone and blood circulation.


An ancient system of practices originating in India, It is aimed at integrating mind, body and spirit to enhance health and well-being. There are many different forms of yoga. Hatha yoga, the most widely practised form of yoga in the Western world uses specific postures and breathing exercises.

Some define Yoga as a spiritual practice which includes posture breath control and meditation. The word is derived from the Sanskrit meaning to bind, join, yoke, direct, to use and apply. In other words, An ancient Indian philosophy and way of life, where complete harmony between our body and mind is achieved by special exercise, breathing and meditation.

* If the mind is kept cool and calm at all times, you will have wonderful health, strength and vitality.

* Let any disease remain in your body. Do not bother too much. Develop the powers of endurance and resistance. Strengthen your body, mind and nerves.

* Take plenty of open-air exercises, substantial nutritious food, medicated oil bath and plenty of rest.

* Be moderate in food, drink and enjoyments. Lead a spiritual life. All diseases will leave your body by themselves.

* Do not go to the doctors very often unless emergency. Endeavour to qualify yourself as your own doctor. Understand the laws of nature and the principles of hygiene and health.

* Bask in the sun. Expose your body to the rays of the sun for a short time daily. This is heliotherapy or sun-treatment. Sun is the source of energy and power. You will derive energy and power from the sun.

* Soak 12 almonds at night. Remove the skin and take the almonds with some sugarcandy in the early morning. Or you can make a refreshing beverage by grinding these almonds with a little black pepper and sugarcandy. This is a fine, cooling and strength-giving tonic.

* Rest in bed is necessary. Adjust your diet. Take simple, wholesome, easily digestible, bland and non-irritating food. Give up hot, pungent curries, chutneys and chilliest.

* If you can fast for a whole day, it is all the better. Fasting eliminates poisons and overhauls the system thoroughly. You can take sago and milk barley water and fruits like sweet oranges, grapes, etc.

* Observe Brahmacharya. Get up at 4 a.m. And practice Japa of 'Hari Om' or any other Mantra and also meditation for one hour. The Name of the Lord is the best medicine or tonic in the world.

* You should have intense faith in the power of the Names of the Lord. Incurable diseases are cured by Japa or singing Hari's Name.

* Meditation creates new, healthy vibrations in all the cells of the body and removes any kind of disease. All the tissues are bathed in the nectar that flows during meditation. All germs that cause diseases are destroyed.

* Resort to Nature Cure and Yogic Chikitsa. Practise regularly Pranayama, breathing exercises, Asanas, concentration and meditation. This is the ideal treatment.

* Have a cheerful countenance always. Smile and laugh.

YOGA FOR BEAUTY !

There is hardly anything on this earth which is not touched by Yoga. Yoga not only increases the physical strength but also the grace and beauty of the face. Yogic practices bring beauty of figure, graceful carriage; melodious voice, glowing face and charming smile. If practiced regularly, Yoga asanas help men and women to acquire a figure that enhances their beauty and gives them flexibility. Beauty coupled with flexibility gives them charm and elegance in every body movement. Individuals practicing Yoga are endowed with a peculiar glow on their faces. Yoga creates a certain aura around that individual, which attracts other people towards them. Many film stars, industrialists and other famous personalities have taken to Yogic practices over time to make themselves fit and beautiful according to the demands of their profession. To look beautiful one has to remain free of all worries and tensions. Yoga helps an individual to attain these attributes.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga focuses on harmony between mind and body. Yoga derives its philosophy from Indian metaphysical beliefs. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit language and means union or merger. The ultimate aim of this philosophy is to strike a balance between mind and body and attain self-enlightenment. To achieve this, yoga uses movement, breath, posture, relaxation and meditation in order to establish a healthy, lively and balanced approach to life.

Though the exact origins of Yoga are unknown but Yoga is considered to be the oldest physical discipline in existence. Yoga, thus symbolizes balance in every area of life. In the earlier times, the rationale of the Yoga postures and breathing exercises was to bring stability and relaxation so practitioners could prepare for the rigors of meditation, sitting still and alert for long periods of time. In modern context also Yoga can play an important role in maintaining a fine balance between work and healthy mind.

YOGA IS A WAY OF LIFE !

Yoga is a way of life. It is predominantly concerned with maintaining a state of equanimity at all costs. All yoga schools of thought emphasize the importance of the mind remaining calm, because as the saying goes, only when the water is still can you see through it. Yoga Darshan or Yoga Philosophy also happens to be a valid discipline of Indian metaphysics (Brahma Vidya). It is the result of human wisdom and insight on physiology, psychology, ethics and spirituality collected together and practiced over thousands of years for the well being of humanity.

The basic idea of yoga is to unite the atma or individual soul with the paramatma or the Universal Soul. According to Yoga philosophy, by cleansing one's mind and controlling one's thought processes one can return to that primeval state, when the individual self was nothing but a part of the Divine Self. This is the sense encapsulated in the term samadhi. The aim of the yogi is to be able to perceive the world in its true light and to accept that truth in its entirety.

In Sanskrit, the term 'yoga' stands for 'union'. A yogi's ultimate aim is to be able to attain this 'union' with the Eternal Self with the help of certain mental and physical exercises. It is often said that Hiranyagarbha (The Cosmic Womb) Himself had originally advocated the traditional system of yoga, from which all other yoga schools have evolved. But for all extant knowledge of yoga and its practices, such as yogasanas and pranayama, the entire credit goes to Maharishi Patanjali.

Patanjali systematized the various yogic practices and traditions of his times by encapsulating them in the form of aphorisms in his Yoga Sutra. In this momentous work, he describes the aim of yoga as knowledge of the self and outlines the eight steps or methods of achieving it. These are:

• Yamas or eternal vows
• Niyamas or observances
• Yogasanas or yoga postures
• Pranayama or breath control exercises
• Pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses from distractions of the outside world
• Dharana or concentration on an object, place or subject
• Dhyana or the continuance of this concentration-meditation
• Samadhi or the ultimate stage of yoga meditation

The collation of these eight steps is known as "Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga".