Prakriti and Its Play of Superimposition
Now, what is it that has thus become involved in a state of proximity with you that is seemingly transferring its imperfect nature upon you, upon your perfectly pristine native condition, which is sorrowless, painless, without any limitation, without any blemish? Yoga philosophy tells you that it is phenomenal nature. Nature, in all its variations, acts as the factor which limits you into certain range of experience which is its own area, which is its own territory; and, by its proximity and by its close association with you, it transfers its varying experience into you as it were, and this cosmic nature with its different variations is termed Prakriti. Prakriti—which is full of contradictory experience, full of complication, full of fluctuation—is going to continue, your problem also is going to continue. As long as this state of association and entanglement with phenomenal nature is going to continue, your problem also is going to continue. The only way of putting an end to this problem, of brining about a cessation of this hotchpotch of ever-changing experience—pleasant, unpleasant and neutral—is once again to regain your isolation, to go back to your normal and native pristine position, where you are not associated with any other factor, where you are not entangled or embroiled in any other factor, where you are independent. In that independent state, you are by yourself in a state of grand isolation, untouched by anything, beyond anything. In that pristine state, you are yourself as you are, as you eternally are, independent of any other factor, grandly isolated, free from any other association. If you regain that state which is your normal state, native state—now you are in an abnormal state—then all problems vanish. There is no more weeping and wailing, there is no more swinging between contrary experiences. You regain your pristine, ever-stable, unchanging state of fullness, of perfection. So, when this association with Prakriti or cosmic nature has precipitated this unfortunate state of affairs, to put an end to it, there is only one way and that is the right royal way—stop this association, terminate this association with the imperfect Prakriti, and be yourself. Establish yourself in your pristine isolated position. This is the philosophical thesis which is at the basis of the science of Yoga
The Spiritual Reality of Man and the Psychological Situation in which He is Caught Up
How to bring about this separation so that you once again regain your independent status where you are not caught up in the factor called Prakriti? How to bring about this breaking of your 4 PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY & PRACTICE OF YOGA unfortunate association with Prakriti? That is what the science of Yoga is concerned about. How to give back to you your independence, how to give back to you once again that pristine state in which you are always there—that is the subject-matter of the science of Yoga. The imperfect-experience condition which is distressing, going up and down, has arisen due to your association with Prakriti or Nature that is ever unsteady. This association has to be broken if you are to regain your independent status of everlasting joy. So, the problem and the solution are provided for you by the philosophy of Yoga and the working out of the solution is gradually elaborated in a systematic manner in the practice of Yoga
Yoga for health
Yoga is a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. This fact sheet provides basic information about yoga, summarizes scientific research on effectiveness and safety, and suggests sources for additional information. Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that dates back thousands of years. It was designed as path to spiritual enlightenment, but in modern times, the physical aspects of Hatha yoga have found huge popularity as a gentle form of exercise and stress management. There are many different varieties of yoga, but each one essentially relies on structured poses (asanas) practised with breath awareness. Researchers have discovered that the regular practice of yoga may produce many health benefits, including increased fitness and normalisation of blood pressure. Yoga is a renowned antidote to stress. Over time, yoga practitioners report lower levels of stress and increased feelings of happiness and wellbeing. This is because concentrating on the postures and the breath acts as a powerful form of meditation.
How Yoga Poses Help
Yoga poses work on the soft tissues of the body, like a hand gently squeezing a sponge. When the organs of the digestive system are compressed in poses, stale and waste-bearing fluids in those areas are encouraged out of the tissues. Once these materials are freed up, the body is better able to eliminate them. When an area is opened or stretched out in a yoga pose, new life-giving nutrients are able to circulate into the cells. In this systematic way, yoga poses massage the vital organs associated with the digestive system, stimulate the digestive muscles and increase the wave like movements in the body that are known as Peristalsis. Yogic breathing exercises send oxygen deep into the cells of the body and help it to absorb nutrients and excrete waste products thoroughly. In essence, all of the tools of Yoga work together to reduce the stress response, rebalance the autonomic nervous system and create a powerful relaxation response that allows the healing functions of the parasympathetic nervous system to occur
Reasons Yoga for Everyone
1. You learn to breathe.
When you deepen your breath, not only do you strengthen your lung muscles, you also teach your body and mind how to deal with stressful situations by calming your nervous system. Through your breath, you can learn how to respond responsibly once your body has had time to digest a situation.
2. You learn to stay in a challenging position.
Many people have the misconception that yoga is just stretching and is easy; however, many styles of yoga have postures that challenge you so that you learn to deal with challenges without running away from them. I teach a form of hot yoga that's just a challenge to stay in a room of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Yoga teaches you that if you breathe through difficulty you can become stronger than if you run away.
3. Balancing poses challenge your ego
It's not easy to stand on one leg for one minute. Your mind starts to blame, judge and criticize after a few seconds. The ego wants to know why you can't do the pose like the yoga poster that's on the door of the yoga studio. During balancing, you have to make a choice to rid yourself of wanting to be perfect and accept yourself for who you are, or you'll keep on falling out of the pose and creating negativity that compromises your sense of peace.
4. You learn where to place your energy.
In yoga, you learn about placement of energy. If you spend your time telling yourself that you aren't good enough and beating yourself up about poses, it is energy that won't help you progress in peace. If you spend your time wanting to compete with the person next to you, it won't help you peacefully progress either. However, if you focus your energy on yourself and the pose, you have a great chance of having a peaceful and enjoyable yoga practice.
5. Each pose has a different benefit for your physical health.
From backbends to spine strengtheners, from core strengtheners to abdominal stretches, from compression poses to releasing poses, yoga has a wide array of health benefits. Yoga styles vary, but most of them have a common trait: people who practice many forms of yoga improve flexibility and tone their muscles all in one yoga session.
Bibliography
1. «AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA», SWAMI KRISHNANANDA, The Divine Life Society Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India Website: www.swami-krishnananda.org
2. Ramacharaka, Yogi [Atkinson, William Walker]. Hatha Yoga or the Yogi Philosophy of Physical Well‑Being. Oak Park, IL: The Yogi Publication Society, 1905.
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4. http://www.arfalpha.com/yogiphilosphy
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