Yoga

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YOGA

YOGA The Yoga tradition is extremely old. Yogic postures are depicted on the third millennium b.c. seals of the Harappan period. The Rig Veda speaks of the visions (dhi) of harmony stretched on the loom of cosmic existence. This task was compared to harnessing of the plow (yuga). The mind is compared to the flutterings of a bird, indicating its union in the heart with the divine. The Rig Veda asserts that the universe is stationed within the heart, suggesting the yoking of it with the individual's body.

The goal of Yoga is self-transformation and transcendence, achieved by yoking the body and mind with the spirit within. This yoking may be viewed as an interiorization of the ritual that is more commonly done externally.

By the time of the Bhagavad G?t?, the most popular text of Yoga, the teachings are already very ancient. The Mokshadharma section of the Mah?bh?rata has a longish description of Yoga. Other texts that may belong to the first part of the first millennium b.c. and that also describe Yoga are the Katha, the Shvet?shvatara, and the Maitr?yan?ya Upanishads. Around 150 b.c., the teachings were codified by Patanjali in his Yoga S?tra (Aphorisms of Yoga), which is now termed Classical Yoga. An important early commentary on this text is Vy?sa's Yoga Bh?shya.

The Pur??as (Ancient tales) also teach Yoga. Another encyclopedic work is the Yoga V?sishtha, which teaches a nondualistic Jn?na Yoga of seven stages. Yoga teachings are a part of the Tantras of Shakti, the ?gamas of Shiva, and the Sa?hit?s of Vishnu worship.

Hatha Yoga is a later development within the Yoga tradition, credited to Gorakshan?tha of the eleventh century. The major texts of this Yoga, which has become very popular in the West, are the Hatha Yoga Prad?pik?, the Gheranda Sa?hit?, and the Shiva Sa?hit?. An important early Tamil text on Yoga is Tirumandiram.

Patanjali's Yoga S?tra speaks of a system of eight limbs:

Moral restraint (yama), comprising nonharming (ahims?), truthfulness (satya), nonstealing (asteya), chastity (brahmacharya), and noncovetousness (aparigraha)
Discipline (niyama), consisting of purity (shaucha), contentment (santosha), asceticism (tapas), self-study (sv?dhy?ya), and devotion to the Lord (?shvara-pranidh?na)
Posture (?sana)
Breath control (pr?nay?ma)
Sense withdrawal (praty?h?ra)
Concentration (dh?ran?)
Meditation (dhy?na)
Absorption (sam?dhi).

Several kinds of Yoga are described in the texts. These include Jn?na-Yoga, or the path of knowledge; S?nkhya-Yoga, or the path of union through transformation of the elements within the psychical person; Karma-Yoga, the path of selfless action; Bhakti-Yoga, the path of devotion; Mantra-Yoga, the path of sacred sound; and Hatha-Yoga, the path of self-transformation using the arduous path of physical purification.

Breath control, or pr?n?y?ma, is fundamental to yogic practice. Vedic books speak of five kinds of breath (pr?na) that mediate the various processes in the body. These may be viewed not only as inhalation and exhalation but also as electric and chemical currents coursing through the body. The five main breaths are: pr?na, associated with inhalation and with the regions of heart and head; ap?na, associated with exhalation and with the navel and the lower abdomen; ud?na, located at the throat and associated with speech and other functions; sam?na, the midcurrent located at the abdomen and chiefly responsible for digestion; and vy?na, the diffuse current pervading the entire body.

The Hatha Yoga texts speak of seven (in some texts, as many as thirteen) chakras (centers of energy) in the body:

M?l?dh?ra chakra, at the bottom of the spine, is associated with the coiled energy of kundalini and is portrayed as a lotus of four petals. This chakra is associated with the earth element, the sense of smell, and the lower limbs.
Sv?dhishth?na chakra, at the genitalia, is associated with the water element, the sense of taste, and the hands. It is shown as having six petals.
Manip?ra chakra, at the navel, is associated with the fire element, the sense of sight, and the digestive tract. It is portrayed as having ten petals.
An?hata chakra, at the heart, is associated with the air element, the sense of touch, and the reproductive organs. It is shown with twelve petals.
Vishuddhi chakra, at the throat, is associated with the ether, the sense of hearing, the skin and the mouth, and is shown as having sixteen petals.
?jn?chakra, at the center of the eyebrows, is associated with the mind and the sense of individuality (ahamk?ra). It has two petals.
Sahasr?ra chakra, at the crown of the head, is viewed as having a thousand spokes or petals. It is associated with pure consciousness.

The exertions of the yogi make it possible for the kundalini (representing the natural energy of the individual) to rise up and ultimately pierce through to the highest chakra. This joining of the kundalini at the sahasr?ra chakra is called the union of Shakti and Shiva, respectively representing body and consciousness. Before reaching the top, the kundalini must pierce through three particularly difficult knots or hurdles (granthi) at the first (at the base of the spine), the third (at the navel), and the fifth (at the throat) chakras. These points are called Brahm?, Vishnu, and Rudra granthis.

The physical body is supposed to be enveloped in an energy sheath, which is the subtle body (s?kshma shar?ra). The energy flows around through 72,000 channels (n?dis) that are described in the Upanishads. The three main pathways down the spine are the sushumn? at the center, with the id? and the pingal? to the left and right of it. The id? is associated with cooling (and the moon) and the pingal? with heating (and the sun).

In recent decades, the popularity of Yoga has spread around the world. It is practiced for its health benefits as well as its promise of mastery of mind and body through the advanced practice of meditation.

Subhash Kak

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