The document discusses the topic of yoga and wellness. It provides background on yoga, defining it as a discipline originating in India that is both spiritual and physical, using techniques like breathing, exercise and meditation. It discusses concepts of yoga like its origins and definitions from various scriptures. It also covers aims and objectives of yoga practice, including improving health, bringing peace of mind, and ultimately achieving a union of the individual self with universal consciousness.
The document discusses the topic of yoga and wellness. It provides background on yoga, defining it as a discipline originating in India that is both spiritual and physical, using techniques like breathing, exercise and meditation. It discusses concepts of yoga like its origins and definitions from various scriptures. It also covers aims and objectives of yoga practice, including improving health, bringing peace of mind, and ultimately achieving a union of the individual self with universal consciousness.
The document discusses the topic of yoga and wellness. It provides background on yoga, defining it as a discipline originating in India that is both spiritual and physical, using techniques like breathing, exercise and meditation. It discusses concepts of yoga like its origins and definitions from various scriptures. It also covers aims and objectives of yoga practice, including improving health, bringing peace of mind, and ultimately achieving a union of the individual self with universal consciousness.
The document discusses the topic of yoga and wellness. It provides background on yoga, defining it as a discipline originating in India that is both spiritual and physical, using techniques like breathing, exercise and meditation. It discusses concepts of yoga like its origins and definitions from various scriptures. It also covers aims and objectives of yoga practice, including improving health, bringing peace of mind, and ultimately achieving a union of the individual self with universal consciousness.
from India. • Is both spiritual and physical. • Uses breathing techniques, exercise and meditation. • Helps to improve health and happiness. Introduction • Yoga is the only science which takes care of the all-round development of three essential elements- body, mind and soul together. • Yoga, not only improves physical and mental health and intellectual ability, but also improves character and behaviour of men with the help of Yama-Niyama. • This provides a strong moral foundation to men’s life on which they build their physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual super-structure, and prove themselves in the real sense of the term. • The science of yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religions or belief systems were born. • In the yogic lore, Shiva is seen as the first yogi or Adiyogi, and the first Guru or Adi Guru. • Several Thousand years ago, on the banks of the lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, Adiyogi poured his profound knowledge into the legendary Saptarishis or "seven sages”. • The sages carried this powerful yogic science to different parts of the world. However, it was in India that the yogic system found its fullest expression. • Agastya, the Saptarishi who travelled across the Indian subcontinent, crafted this culture around a core yogic way of life. Concept of Yoga • The word ‘Yoga’ is not unfamiliar to us. • At one time, yoga was confined to very few dedicated people, initiated to that order by their Gurus, most of whom were ascetics and hermits. • The general belief among people was that yoga was meant only for those people who had left their worldly life and started living in hermitage, and not for the householders. • A number of seals and fossil remains of Indus Valley Civilisation, dating back to 2700 BC indicates that yoga was prevalent in ancient India. • However, systematic reference of yoga is found in Patanjali's Yogadarshna. Maharishi Patanjali systematised the yogic practices. • After Patanjali, many sages and yogis contributed to its development and as a result, yoga has now spread all over the World. • After it has been popularised among the masses by yogis and others, through mass-media, particularly through television and mass-yoga-camps, it is now widely practised by the common people, irrespective of gender, religion, caste, birth, age and profession, in order to gain relief from ailments and to lead a healthy, happy and prosperous life. • In this sequence, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with 193 members approved the proposal to celebrate 'June 21' as the 'International Yoga Day'. Meaning of Yoga • The word ‘Yoga’ is a Sanskrit word which originated from the root ‘YUJ’. • Synonym of this Sanskrit word is found in different European languages too. • Those are ‘yoke’ in English, ‘youg’ in French, ‘joch’ in German, ‘zugos’ in Greek, ‘jugum’ in Latin, ‘igo’ in Russian and ‘yugo’ in Spanish. • The meaning of ‘yuj’ is ‘to join’, ‘to unite’ ‘to yoke’. • As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature. • In this sense, it is an exercise in moral and mental cultivation that generates good health (arogya), contributes to longevity (chirayu), and the total intrinsic discipline culminates into positive and perennial happiness and peace. • Therefore, yoga is the said to be indispensable to the ultimate accomplishment in life. It is a science that affects not only the conscious self but the subconscious as well. It is a practical physiological training (kriya yoga), which] if practiced, can exalt man to the ‘supra mundane level’. • Each individual has immense creative potential within himself. • The goal should be to manifest the potentiality within. • This can be done by controlling nature both external and internal. • There are systems and methods which through devoted, methodical and regular practice, enables an individual to arrive at the desired goal. • The goal, as well as, the systems or methods to arrive at the goal, are called Yoga Definition of Yoga • Yoga has been defined variously in different scriptures and treatises on yoga. • Though the definitions vary, the goal of all the definitions are one and the same... Some important definitions of yoga:
1. The ‘Yog-Vasistha Ramayana’ mentions two definitions.
The first one is on the ‘state’ and, that is, ‘Yoga’ is the maintenance of equilibrium between the individual soul and the universal soul (Yoga Samatavastha Jivatma Paaramatmano). The second definition is about the ‘method’ and, that is, ‘Yoga is the means for controlling the mind’ (Manah Prasamanopayah Yoga Ityavirdhiyate ). 2. The ‘Maha-Nirvan Tantra’ defines yoga as ‘Union of the individual soul with the universal soul’ (Yoga Jivatma Paramatmano Eikyam). 3. In the ‘Srimad Bhagawad Gita’ two definitions of yoga can be found. One is – a) ‘Maintenance of equanimity or balance is yoga’(Samattwam Yoga Uccyate). The other is b) ‘Yoga is skill in action’ (Yoga Karmasu Kausalam). 4. Sage Patanjali in the’ Yoga Sutra’ defines yoga as the inhibition or restraint of modifications of the mind (Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodhah) • In order to arrive at the final stage of yoga, as mentioned in the first two definitions of yoga, it is required to keep the mind in a state of equilibrium, free from all modifications where the self remains in its original pure state. • Stopping the process of modification is defined as Yoga. • For that purpose, some sort of systematic, physical and mental cultures are prescribed. These systems are also called Yoga. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF YOGA
• Yoga has diverse range of things to offer mankind.
• Hence, the aims and objectives for practising yoga may be varied and may vary from person to person, depending upon their basic disciplines, trades and professions, needs and requirements and problems they face in their walks of life. Broadly, the objectives are – i. To bring peace and tranquility of mind, freeing it from all stress and strains, worries and anxieties. ii. To bring balance and harmony in the body-mind-soul complex. iii. To explore and unfold the latent talents, by controlling nature both external and internal, annihilating the evils within. iv. To gain sound health. v. To train the body and mind in a way to avoid rigidity and bring flexibility. vi. To develop immunity and resistance power; vii. To master the secrets of doing work efficiently and excel in tasks taken up; viii. in the social complex, as well as, the global complex; ix. To keep the internal body clean and detoxified and thereby render it free from disease; x. To transform a mundane life to a blissful godly life. • The ultimate goal of yoga is to know one’s Self within and bring union between the individual Self (Atman) and the Universal Consciousness (Paramatman), to bridge between the microcosm and the macrocosm, and, thereby, to attain liberation (Moksha or Kaivalya) from the cares and anxieties, pains and sufferings of worldly life and enjoy Truth-Knowledge Bliss-Absolute. • For that, it is necessary to have a clear vision of the individual self. • That is possible only when the mind (chitta) is made free from modifications. • Thus, annihilation of the propensities of mind (Chitta vritti nirodha) becomes the first objective. Thank You