Yoga - an emerging
health care option
Yoga is the latest health care option followed by many
people across the world. The name refers to connecting the soul to God. In this
method, the individual gets rid of negative mental impressions and gets his
senses & mind connected to God. The eight parts of Yoga are Yama, Niyama,
Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
Yoga is classified into the following types, depending on
the method followed:
• Raj Yoga- Realization through meditation.
• Gyana Yoga- Realization through Knowledge
• Bhakti Yoga- Realization through Devotion
• Karma Yoga- Realization through Action.
• Mantra Yoga- Realization through Mantra.
• Hatha Yoga- Realization through Meditation and practice.
Yoga helps to attain the stage of Samadhi, starting from
Yama sequentially. In the last stage the man stays away from every kinds of
materialistic association. He is linked to God. Yoga gives ample health
benefits. One of the most popular benefits is to get rid of tiredness and
create positive energy. The first part, Yama consists of non violence,
truthfulness, abstinence from robbery and theft, celibacy and non accumulation
of unnecessary requirements.
The second stage (Niyama) includes purification,
satisfaction, controlling of mind and senses, studying spiritual books and
surrendering to God.
Yoga mainly consists of ‘asanas’. They are some physical
postures which deliver immense health benefits. They keep the body healthy and
fit, gradually making the mind healthy. This is so because the body and the
mind are closely associated. To get the best health benefits, Yama and Niyama
are very crucial. Many people are not aware of the right sequence and land in
troubles with adverse health effects.
When a person attains stability in the asanas, the various
body functions automatically normalize. It is then that the Pranayama is
executed. In this stage the person basically focuses on breathing exercises,
which keep your breathing system healthy. The person performs controlled
breathing. It is not only a mere respiratory exercise, but also purifies the
brain, besides rejuvenating the nervous system. This is therefore a very
crucial exercise needed for curing diseases and maintaining a healthy body. The
fifth stage (Pratyahara) is a procedure of self regulation. Here an individual
keeps the sense organs away from their subjects by controlling them. The person
cuts off himself from the external world through mind control.
The following sequences are produced when one controls the
mind:
• Waves of past experiences
• Waves of future happenings
• Waves of emotion created by the external world
The sixth stage (Dharana) is a process of mind
concentration. It refers to the concentration of the mind outside the body or
at a point in the body. One can concentrate on the tip of the nose or between
the eyebrows. It leads to a spiritual realization. An individual can gain more
concentration through this type of psychological exercise.
The seventh stage (Dhyana) includes meditation by
concentration of the mind on an object or any subject. Here the mind stabilizes
over a subject, while no external thoughts interfere. The last stage (Samadhi)
connects the soul to God where the internal and external matters are obscured
and self-awareness disappears.
by :-Rakhi Kaptiyal
