By Priya Gupta
Yoga as we all know is the union of physical, mental & spiritual aspects of a yogi. Knowing this in theory and practicing are two different things. It is not very easy to keep up on the path of yoga if abhyasa&vairagya are missing from a yogi’s sadhana. As Maharishi Patanjali says in the Samadhi Pada of his Yoga Sutras
“अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यांतन्निरोधः॥१.१२॥“
“1.12 abhyasavairagyabhyaamtannirodha”
By practice & non-attachment chittavrittis are controlled.
In today’s time, people largely take yoga as a mode of physical exercise. Doing yoga is slimming down to doing asanas. It is so important to understand that the first step to yoga is not getting on the mat. In fact, it should be prepping your whole self by detoxing the mind & the body first. To let the good bring its goodness, should there be enough space and environment. Body purification & cleansing techniques are given in sacred scriptures like Hathapradipika & Gheranda Samhita coming from Hathayoga Parampara. The idea is for the body to go under purification before taking in the goodness of yoga practices. Maharishi Gherand has kept Shatkarma = shuddhi as the first & foremost of all chapters in his text Gherand Samhita.
The knowledge & philosophy of yoga has not been & remain constant. It has evolved and how with time & age. Great Rishis and scholars like Mahaeshi Patanjali, Guru Gorakshnath, Swami Swatmaram, Maharshi Gheranda, T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Vivekanand, ParamhansaYogananda, Aurobindo Ghosh, B.K.S Iyengar, Shri Shri Anandamurti & many others have contributed to this immense knowledge bank looking at the society at large. Societies change and so do their practices. No one knows if what works today will work tomorrow. World’s changing fast and so does the field of yoga. But something that hasn’t changed in centuries is the search for the ultimate happiness. In this world of momentary emotions, everyone’s seeking a permanence more or less.
Yoga as the scriptures say is the way of life. It sets you on the path of Sat – Chita – Ananda, Pure Existence – Consiousness– Bliss, i.e. the ultimate reality, Brahman. The very word from which ‘yoga’ originated is ‘yuj’. Yuj means union, the union of jivatma (individual self) to parmatma (supreme self) which is the climax – the Samadhi.
*Priya Gupta is an architect & Yoga teacher from Mumbai
