Yoga in its True Essence - Breaking the Limited Perspectives

        Yoga has become a buzz word these days. Having reached the pinnacle of its popularity with people of all ages looking up to it as their fitness mantra, even yoga mats,  yoga costumes and other yoga accessories have also become important. However, the current situation is the limited perspective the masses have towards yoga.

        Unfortunately, yoga has become too 'posture oriented' these days. It is not merely Asanas, Asanas and Asanas. We have to re-look and re-frame our mindset towards this great ancient science in order to truly understand it and imbibe it in its fullness.

        Yoga traces its origin to the Vedas. The rituals in the Karma Kanda have Pranayama which forms an integral part of it. The Upanishads elaborate on various meditation techniques. The Yoga Vasistham is an ancient text on Yoga from the Ramayana, where Vasistha teaches Rama Yoga. Later texts like the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Siva Samhita also elaborate yoga in detail. One's daily nitya karma of practicing the Sandhya Vandanam itself has yoga as a component in it.

    Patanjali defines Yoga as "citta vrtti nirodah" which means "Yoga is restraining the activities of the mind." Saying this, Patanjali gives a lot of importance to the mind and the strong need to quieten the mind. The Yoga Sutra gives a detailed explanation of how one can achieve this. In the Yoga Yajnavalkya Samhita, which is another great text on Yoga documented as a conversation between Sage Yajnavalkya and his student Gargi, Yajnavalkya says Yoga is "Jivatma Paramatma Samyogah".

Sri Adi Shankaracharya in his Viveka Chudamani elaborates on disciplines that are essential for Yoga Sadhana. The text emphasises on the need to develop Viveka or discrimination in order to attain Self Realisation. Sri Ramanujacharya in his commentary of the Bhagavad Gita interprets yoga as "Apraptasya Praptih yogah, praptasya parirakshanam ksemam" which means "Yoga is to acquire that which has not yet been acquired and to maintain that which one has already obtained."

       Sri TKV Desikachar always emphasized that breath is very important in Yoga and this tradition has always given a lot of importance to breathing in practice and also the need for personalizing Yoga as per the students need, a term called 'Viniyoga.'

        Yoga in the present times can fulfill its true purpose only when the fundamental aspects of it are addressed, as elaborated in the ancient texts and in the path laid down by great masters.