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Yoga
A
Brief Philosophy Of Yoga
The yogis
consider that we are all searching for happiness and that
this is everybody's main goal. It's just that most people
settle for the brief, watered-down version of temporary pleasures.
The yogis
state that at some stage in our spiritual evolution over many
lives we will become dissatisfied with brief, temporary pleasures
and start our quest for eternal bliss. Methods to achieve
this were developed and perfected by the yogis thousands of
years ago. They consider that nature's laws are so designed
that we must evolve. The main mechanism nature uses in the
early stages is pain. When we find that relationships, money
or alcohol, for example, do not produce happiness or a sense
of purpose, we will start looking more deeply into life. Yoga
waits patiently for you to reach this stage.
In the
later stages of spiritual evolution, pain is no longer needed
to spur us on. Each stage of progress produces such peace
and happiness that this entices us to go to a higher level
of happiness. Thus, instead of pain, reward becomes the prime
mover.
The above
is a very brief indication of yoga philosophy, which is so
comprehensive that it deals with every aspect of life and
delves into the very nature of reality. It is obviously beyond
the scope of this book.
What
is yoga?
In
practice, yoga is an applied science of the mind and body.
It comes from the Hindu vedas (scriptures). Practice and study
of it help to bring about a natural balance of body and mind
in which the state of health can manifest itself. Yoga itself
does not create health; rather, it creates an internal environment
that allows the individual to come to his own state of dynamic
balance, or health. Basically, yoga teaches that a healthy
person is a harmoniously integrated unit of body, mind and
spirit. Therefore, good health requires a simple, natural
diet, exercise in fresh air, a serene and untroubled mind
and the awareness that main's deepest and highest self is
identical with the spirit of God. As a result, to many devotees,
yoga becomes a philosophy that offers instruction and insight
into every aspect of life: the spiritual, the mental and the
physical. Of course, because it is all-encompassing, people
who want to pick and choose from its smorgasbord can do so
without being disappointed. Yoga is equally satisfying as
a physical therapy alone.
Yoga
is best known as a set of physical practices that include
gentle stretches, breathing practices, and progressive
deep relaxation. These physical practices are intended
to ready the body and mind for meditation as well as for
a meditative perspective on life. These meditative practices
also follow a sequence. First developed is the capacity
to withdraw the senses from focus on the outer world,
then, the capacity to concentrate on a meditative subject-a
candle flame, a sacred or uplifting word or image, or
the movement of the breath. Finally, and for most of us
only occasionally, the concentration leads into a wordless
and timeless experience of inner peace. The yoga masters
describe various subtleties among these states of inner
peace, but most of us, at best, achieve moments of this
experience from time to time.
- Michael Lerner, "Choices in Healing" |
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