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Yoga comes from the word yoke which means union. Yoga is the union between the finite self and the infinite self. What does this mean? The finite self is the physical body and the experiences that we have through the physical body. Everyone can relate to the physical body because it can be seen and it can be touched. What is the infinite body then? The infinite self is the inner self, the higher self, the spiritual self.
The spiritual self doesn’t have anything to do with religion. Yoga is not a religion. Yoga accepts people of all religions, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Agnostic, etc. Not all people who practice Yoga belong to a religion, and not all the people who belong to a religion practice Yoga. Yoga provides you with the technology to connect to your infinite body. Most people visualize Yoga as a workout, and there is no doubt of the connection between physical activity and the release of endorphins. Yoga positions (asanas) are very good for the body as well as the neurological system and the endocrine system. Asanas follow one after the other in a specific way. In some Yoga paths, the teachers should not modify the sequence. The goal is to direct the flow of energy and circulation to different areas of the body in order to prepare the body for meditation, the last step in the Yoga path, to obtain bliss, also known as Nirvana.
The combination of breath exercises (pranayama), yoga positions (asanas), mudras (hands positions), bhandas (body’s locks), and meditation comprise the practice of Yoga. Yoga provides the technology necessary to deal with your body. In the modern world, when we go to the school we are given lessons on how to deal with the external world but not on how to deal with the inner world. Yoga will teach you how your body works, how to breathe properly, how to use all of these techniques for your own benefit, how to understand, relate, and use the mind, and the tools necessary to quiet the mind so that you can access the natural state of the being oneness. |
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