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The word yoga has been used in Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and mythological scriptures etc. since ancient times. It is a very important term in the Indian context, be it in devotion, self-realization or in the day-to-day work arena. Yoga deals extensively with every aspect of our life according to these classics.

Maharishi Patanjali is the traditional founder of the yoga system. The word ‘yoga’ literally means ‘union’, spiritual union of the individual soul with the universal soul and is used in this sense in the Vedanta.The Gita defines Yoga as that state than which there is nothing higher or worth realizing and firmly rooted in which a person is never shaken even by the greatest pain, that state free from all pain and misery is Yogas. According to Maharishi Patanjali, Yoga does not mean union but spiritual effort to attain perfection through the control of the body, senses and mind.,and through right discrimination between Purusa and Prakriti.

Maharishi Patanjali defines Yoga as ‘Chittavritti nirodh’ (eradication of negative moods). Maharishi Vyas describes Yoga as Samadhi. The Sanskrit grammar shows that Yoga is derived from the root ‘Yuj’. The sages believe that the soul purpose of Yoga is to merge with the supreme soul. When one eradicates all negative emotions by following Yoga, the detachment to momentary emotions and moods follows and control of one’s life is achieved.

Yoga is intimately allied to Sankhya. The Gita calls them one. Yoga means spiritual union and Sankhya means knowledge. Sankhya is theory, Yoga is practice. For all practical purposes, Sankhya and Yoga may be treated as the theoretical and the practical sides of the same system.

The Yoga-Sutra is divided into four parts. The first is called Samadhipada which deals with the nature and aim of concentration. The second, Sadhanapad, explains the means to realize this end. The third, Vibhutipada, deals with the supra-normal powers which can be acquired through Yoga. The fourth, Kaivalyapada, describes the nature of liberation and the reality of the transcendental self.

 
Types of yoga: the four types of yoga stated below have been described in the classic of ‘Dattatreya Yogasutra’ and ‘Yog-Raj Upanishad’. The characteristics of each type Yoga have been thus described in the elemantary ‘Yoga Tattvopnishad’.

Mantra Yoga: comprises of the chanting of the Matrukadi mantra over twelve years which gives you ‘anima’. This is the power which the Yogi possesses to become as small as an atom, to identify himself with the smallest part of the universe, knowing the self in that atom to be one with himself. This is due to the fact that the Animamundi, or soul of the world, is universally spread throughout all aspects of divine life and other spiritual powers.

Laya Yoga: is constantly remembering god all the time, while performing all daily activities.

Hatha Yoga: comprises the practices of various asanas, mudras, pranayam and kriyas for the purification of the body and concentration of the mind.

Raj Yoga or Astang Yoga: comprises the observance of Yama (self- restraint), Niyam (self-culture and external and internal purification), asanas (steady and comfortable postures), pranayam (control of breath), pratyahar (control of the senses), dharana (fixing the mind on the object of meditation), dhyan (meditation), and samadhi (concentration).

Effects of Yoga: Yoga gives an insight to know more about the self. The dormant inner powers blossom to give complete bliss and an introduction to the true self. It enables one to meet the supreme soul and attain complete bliss. Indian sages have prescribed many methods to achieve this goal.We will mainly follow the Asana, Pranayam and Meditation given in Astang Yoga.

Practicing Yoga revives our dormant energy. These exercises rejuvenate tissues and help new cell formation. Light Yogic exercises reactivate the nervous system and regulate the blood circulation. They reinstate fresh energy in the body. According to the laws of physiology when the body contracts and expands, energy is developed and disease gets cured. This can be achieved with the help of different Yogic Asanas. With the practice of pranayam and asanas, the glands and muscles of the body contract and expand, and diseases get cured. Yoga also keeps the veins healthy. The pancreas becomes active and produces insulin in the right quantity which helps in curing diabetes and related diseases. Health is directly linked with the digestive system. The improper functioning of the digestive system is the prime cause for most of the diseases. Even some serious problems like heart disease occur due to a faulty digestive system. Yoga strengthens the entire digestive process, making every part of the body healthy and active. Fresh air enters the lungs making them healthier which keeps diseases, allergy, etc.away. Yogic exercises dissolve the fat deposits which make the body light, healthy and active. Along with physical fitness Yoga is also effective for the subtle senses, the intellect and the mind.The follower of Astang Yoga passes with great ease from the darkness of ignorance towards a joyous, peaceful and ever illuminated existence by connecting with the supreme soul.Thus we can embark on the path of yoga and experience the inner happiness of connecting with the supreme being and attain physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual progress.

The Yoga discipline is nothing more than the purification of the body, mind and soul, and preparing them for the beatific vision. Since the life of man depends on the nature of the Chitta (intellect, consciousness and mind). It is always within our reach to transform our nature by controlling our Chitta. With faith and concentration, we can even rid ourselves of our ills. The normal limits of the human vision are not the limits of the universe. There are other worlds than that which our senses reveal to us, other senses than those which we share with the lower animals, other forces than those of material nature.It is good to know that the ancient thinkers required us to realize the possibilities of the soul in solitude and silence and transform the flashing and fading moments of vision into a steady light which could illumine the long years of life.

Yoga according to Patanjali, is a methodical effort to attain perfection. Through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical. the physical body, the active will and the understanding mind can be brought under control. Patanjali insists on certain practices which are intended to cure the body of its restlessness and free it from its impurities. When we secure through these practices increased vitality, prolonged youth and longevity, these are to be employed in the interests of spiritual freedom. The main interest of Patanjali is not metaphysical theorizing, but the practical motive of indicating how salvation can be attained by disciplined activity.