Question

Are you a fan of Hatha Yoga? Many people who do 'yoga' aren't completely sure which type they do. This is your opportunity to research it, if you haven't yet! Many people say yoga is a very important relaxation technique, stress reducer, etc. Is it for you?

Answer 1

Yoga

“Yoga has been turned into something you can ‘fit in’ to a busy modern lifestyle, but it came from something that was the complete opposite, and was viewed very differently to how we view yoga now”.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means “to yoki”. That means the lower levels of consciousness, the lower aspects of oneself, are yoked (combined) to the highest center of consciousness, so that they can become guided, directed and regulated by it. Yoga has a verbal tradition of more than 4,000 years. It provided methodology to expand one‟s individual consciousness to a universal consciousness. To understand yoga, we need to know the special features of Indian philosophy. The word which most aptly describes philosophy in India is „darsana‟ meaning „see‟.

Before turning to yoga, we need to understand the psychological phenomena of Citta. Citta is the stuff of the consciousness. According to Patanjali, this citta is constituted of Manas, Budhi and Ahamkara. Manas records impressions through the senses by transforming itself into the shape of the objects in its phenomenological fields. Budhi is the discriminative faculty which classifies these impressions and decides the response. Ahamkara is the “I-Sense” which claims the impressions collected through the senses (indrias) as its own and keeps them as its own individual knowledge.

After presenting the psychological phenomena of citta, Patanjali proposes the method of restraining its modifications to achieve supreme consciousness. The attitude of detachment (vairagya) and the practice (abhyasa) are equally important and mutually dependent. Both together makeup the ashtanga yoga that leads to the highest level of consciousness.

1. Vairagya (desirelessness)

The word “vairagya” has been variously translated such as; Detachment by Hariharananda, Desirelessness by Rama Prasada and Passionlessness by Woods. Patanjali defines vairagya as “the consciousness of supremacy in him who is freeing from thirst for perceptible and the scriptural enjoyments”. Woods states in his commentary that it is “an orientation of the whole life with reference to one idea, an emotional transformation corresponding to this focused state”.

To bring about such an attitude of detachment and purity, Patanjali recommends moral restraint (yama) in one‟s personal life such as abstinence from injury (ahimsa), veracity, abstinence from theft and continence. Patanjali, then recommends the observance (niyama) of cleanliness, austerity (mental and physical discipline), chanting

of mantras and devotion to God. Perfection of niyama and yama is not achieved in a day. A healthy attitude and perseverance in practice is important.

2. Practical steps (abhyasa) in Patanjala yoga

Coupled with detachment (vairagya), the practice (abhyasa) of yoga is to be maintained. “Practice” states Patanjali “is the effort to secure steadiness”. Vyasa comments “steadiness is the undisturbed calmness of the flow of mind, when it has become free from the modifications”. The understanding is that the steadiness will spontaneously lead to self-realization, the pure consciousness.

Hatha means ‘force’ and is more traditionally defined as ‘the yoga of force’, or ‘the means of attaining a state of yoga through force’. So Hatha yoga can be considered as anything you might do with the body, including: the following;

The process in practical steps are as follows

a) Body in yoga or body postures (asanas)

Body is not the focus in Patanjali‟s yoga and he does not give any exaggerated importance to asanas. Body postures (asanas) make us healthy, relaxed, subtle and pursue with ease higher goals of introspection and meditation.

The branch of yoga that deals with body postures is “Hatha Yoga”. Hatha yoga is a preparation for Raja yoga, which is Patanjala yoga. In yoga, especially in Patanjali‟s yoga, the body positions are not exercises, but postures (asanas) involving the whole person, coordinating breath, consciousness and contemplation. Most authors on Patanjala yoga, therefore, recommend any comfortable body posture (asana) conducive to yoga practice.

b) Pranayama (Breath control)

Patanjali defines pranayama as “the stoppage of the inspiratory and respiratory movements of breath”. Pranayama has three different spheres: inhalation (puraka), retention (kumbhaka) and exhalation (rechaka). If you inhale for 12 seconds, hold the breath for 48 seconds and exhale for 24 seconds, and then the ratio between puraka, kumbhaka and rechaka is 1:4:2. Sivananda claims that kumbhaka increases the period of life. If you retain the breath for one minute, that one minute is added to your span of life.

Patanjali‟s main purpose of pranayama is to calm the mind. Breath serves as the key to the integration of body and mind. There is always a connection between respiration and mental states.

c) Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)

The word pratyahara is defined by Patanjali as “that by which the senses do not come into contact with objects and follow as it were the nature of the mind”. It is a way of “making the mind introspective”. Considering the importance of the withdrawal of senses Hariharananda recommends two steps to achieve it.

First, “indifference to external objects, and

Second, living in the world of thought”.

This does not mean withdrawal from the world; rather swami Rama (1983) interprets it as a change of attitude and a living pattern to spiritualize everything.

d) Dharana (concentration)

“Dharana is the mind‟s (citta‟s) fixation on a particular point in space”. Dharana, dhyana and Samadhi are three inner limbs of yogic mental discipline. Yogic methods for developing concentration are scientific and exact, and in all of them attention and willful withdrawal of attention are brought under conscious control.

Akhilananda recommends to the beginners ten minutes of concentration work daily. The more concentrated the work is, the more power is brought to bear on one point.

e) Dhyana (meditation)

Meditation is the heart of yoga. Every effort the yogi has made so far with regard to yogi-diet, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and dharana was only a preparation for meditation. One who has not reached dharana cannot enter meditation. Yogic meditation is a process of devolution.

It becomes a solution to daily problems and a preventive method for stress. One learns to live more fully and spontaneously in the present. The meditator realizes his power to reveal one‟s hidden powers for healing, health, growth and liberation.

f) Samadhi (absorption)

In the process of emancipation of purusha, Samadhi is the final step. Patanjali defines this: when the object of meditation only shines forth in the mind, as though devoid of the thought of even the self, then that state is called Samadhi.

When Samadhi is achieved with the help of an object, it is called samprajnata Samadhi. Asamprajnata Samadhi is known as Samadhi without support. It is achieved through a fourfold process.

i. Savitarka (argumentative)

Identification with the object by analyzing its name and concept.

ii. Nirvitarka (non-argumentative)

Identification with the object divested of all associations – direct touch with the reality.

iii. Savicara

The grosser aspects drop off and mind having sunk deep and identifies itself with the tanmatras (subtle elements).

iv. Nirvicara

Complete communion with the subtle elements and the senses in direct touch with the reality with no pain, pleasure or feelings. These four are also known as vitarka, vicara, ananda and asmita. At every stage of practice, a yogi is at some level of Samadhi (Nitya Chaitanya yati, 1984). The higher the level of Samadhi, the deeper the level of consciousness, and the greater it‟s therapeutic and growth value.