Yoga – A Health science??

Yoga – A Health science??

A year back I had a perception that Yoga is a heath science and helps a person in attaining physical fitness by means of Yoga Asanas. I knew I was gifted with some amount body flexibility by birth and flexibility helps in yoga asanas. This was the only reason why I started yoga. But it did not take me very long to understand that less flexible you are more ‘immediate’ benefits you get by asanas. Yes this is true J.

I explored 2-3 different Yoga classes in last few months and almost everywhere I found that 80-90% of the yoga students are in their 40s-50s with some major/minor physical ailment. Surprisingly this rule is not observed at few of the highly reputed classes like BKS Iyengars; where you can find a substantial percentage of young population. But still several of these learn Yoga either to cure their problems or to remain in good health conditions.
As I dug more into Yoga, I realized how wrong were my initial perceptions about Yoga. Health plays very little role in the reasons why Yoga was invented. Yoga aims at achieving spiritual advancement. Yoga disciples practice yoga to train the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight. Okay now in plain English.

The word yoga, in Hindi/Marathi pronounced as Yog. It is derived from a Sanskrit word (dhatu) Yuj which means to join or unite. Yog is an ancient Indian science and art. The practice of yog is a path to unify the body, mind and soul. The ultimate goal of Yog is samadhi or spiritual salvation.
Sage Patanjali is considered the father of Yog. He presented Yog Sutra, an eight fold path- a.k.a. AshtangYog, to attain the state of Samadhi.
AshtangYog consists of following eight folds-
I. Yam:
This stage talks about the behavior of a common man in the society.
1. Ahimsa- non violence
2. Satya- truthfulness
3. Asteya- non stealing
4. Brahmacharya- continence
5. Aparigraha- non-receiving of any gifts.

II. Niyam:
Niyam is all about individual discipline.
1. Saucha- purity.
2. Santosha- contentment.
3. Tapas- Austerities.
4. Svadhyaya- study.
5. Ishvarapranidhana- surrender to God.

III. Asana:
Many people mistakenly consider this step as Yog. This step aims at achieving good health by means of a series of exercises. One can concentrate on further steps ‘only if’ he/she is physically fit.

IV. Pranayam:
'Pran' is breath; 'ayam' means control. So Pranayam is control of Breath. Pran is the energy responsible for life force. Pranayam is a path to achieve healthy body and mind.
V. Pratyahar:
Pratyahar is to draw senses inward. It is possible only with great control on the senses and which can be achieved with the help of Pranayam. In this state, senses of taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell don't reach their respective centers in the brain. This helps in meditation without any distraction.
VI. Dharana:
Dharana is to make ones mind concentrate on a particular object.
VII. Dhyan:
Concentration and meditation on a particular object is Dhyan.
VIII. Samadhi:
Samadhi, the Ultimate salvation, causes the merging of individual consciousness with universal consciousness.

The ancient Indian seers believed that Samadhi, the state of spiritual salvation, can also be attained by following four ways.
1. Karm Yog: The path of action without attachment.
2. Bhakti Yog: The path of selfless worship.
3. Dhyan Yog: The path of meditation.
4. Jnyan Yog: The path of knowledge.

References:
These are few of the books I have been through and I really liked them. Almost everything that I talked here is described in several books in great details and also available freely on net.

Asana oriented books:
Yoga Parichay by Vishwas Mandlik (Marathi)
Books by BKS Iyengar.

Spiritual aspect:
Comeplete works of Swami Vivekanand Volume 1 for Karma Yog/Raj Yog.
God Talks With Arjuna- The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Paramhansa Yogananda.