Introduction to Yoga

• BLOCK-1 is divided into three units
• Unit 1 introduces the concept of Yoga and definitions from ancient texts
• Unit 2 presents the benefits of Yoga from various texts and methods for personality development
• Unit 3 discusses the basis of Yoga, the Happiness Analysis, and applying Yoga to improve the quality of life

Unit 1: CONCEPT OF YOGA

• Yoga is becoming globally popular, offering solace for the restless mind and is a boon for the sick
• It is used to keep fit, develop memory, intelligence, creativity and playing a vital role in the new millennium
• The rope trick and Bhūgata Samādhi are not considered Yoga

The Root of Word Yoga

• The word Yoga has its root as Yuj (युज्) in Samskrta (संस्कृत)
• Yuj means joining, suggesting the union of the individual self (Jīvātmā) with the Universal SELF (Paramātmā)
• Pātañjala Yoga is one of the six systems of Indian philosophy which is known as satdarśanas
• Patañjali compiled Yoga's essential features into 'Sūtras' which is nearly 5000 years ago
• Yoga helps with gaining mastery over the mind
• According to Swami Vivekananda, Yoga compresses one's evolution into a single life or a few months
• Sri Aurobindo emphasizes that Yoga is a methodical conscious effort towards self development and all-round personality development
• Culturing the mind is key to all-round personality development and growth

Definitions of Yoga

• Patañjali defines Yoga as mastery over the mind (Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ)
• 'Yogash citta vritti nirodhah' means by controlling the mind, we reach our original state
• Mind control involves concentrating on any desired subject and remaining calm
• Yoga emphasizes remaining calm and silent
• Yoga-Vasistha portrays Yoga as a skillful trick to calm the mind (Manah praśamanopāyah yoga ityabhidhīyate)
• In action, Yoga is a special skill that makes the mind reach its subtler state (Yogah Karmasu Kauśalam)
• Yoga is dexterity in action, involving relaxation and awareness, and Yoga is a skillful science of gaining mental mastery
• Yoga is defined as states of higher powers, ultimate SILENCE, and the power of creative endeavors
• Being fixed in Yoga, renouncing attachments, and staying even-minded in successes/failures is Yoga
• Yoga is the state where all Indriyas are steadily beheld, showing mastery over senses and mind
• The state of Yoga is attained when the mind remains steadfast and unperturbed
• Yoga is a state of emotional steadiness, mental balance, and body homeostasis

Yoga and Creativity

• Yoga is a power of creation and a process for elevating oneself
• Elevating oneself goes through a process by which calming down the mind
• Also achieve very states of higher, subtler layers of mind
• Conceived as a creative power in man and that of the Reality itself

Unit 2: WHY YOGA?

• Society accepts yoga by proving its usefulness and that society is set for Yoga because technology has solved basic needs
• Yoga aims to manifest divinity in all walks of life, taking man from animal to perfection

Objectives of Yoga

• You will learn the benefits of yoga at physical, breathing, mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual levels
• Also learn yoga's applications in health and warding off executive tensions for practitioners of yoga

Applications of Yoga

• Yoga offers a conscious process to solve problems and evoke hidden potential in a systematic way
• Yoga faculties harmonize physical, mental, intellectual processes meet challenges of modern technology

Yoga for Education

• The aim of all education is to attain human excellence and perfection, not just in knowledge, but in totality
• Education's true value is to culture qualities in a way that congenially allows for the growth and development of oneself and others
• Yoga processes sharpen all faculties in tune with spiritual progress to develop one's personality with spiritual growth

Personality Development at Physical, Mental & Emotional Level

• Physical development requires a proportionate body with relaxed muscles and systems working in harmony
• Such a body gains diamond hardness, eliminates ailments, conserves energy, and coordinates functions efficiently
• Specialists in physical culture may use Yoga
• Cultivating creativity & steadfastness develops willpower
• Yogic practices enhance creativity and calm the mind, helping people overcome obstacles with sobriety
• Yoga trains one to sharpen and spread the impact of emotional sensitization for the development of the emotional personality

Personality Development at the Intellectual & Spiritual Level

• Rather than focus on cramming, a sharp intellect values thinking and understanding
• Students are taught logical & scientific reasoning
• Intellect analyzes information; concentration is the expression, precision is the outcome
• Yoga emphasizes the skill to calm down the mind and the capacity to detach
• This attracts 'intellectual sufferers' who want to be grounded
• Spiritual development involves an inward journey towards the causal state of mind
• The spiritual dimension concerns itself with the inner world focusing on the intellect and emotions
• Introspection, awareness, and the quest to unfold subtler layers of mind, are aspects of this questing
• Man - physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life

Benefits in Texts

• Yoga brings deep muscle relaxation, balanced breathing, increased creativity/willpower, sharpened intellect/calmed mind, enhanced happiness, and manifested divinity

Yoga & Health

• Yoga is to prevent disease, promote health, bring economics, joy, ethics, understanding
• The WHO defines health as complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being
• Svāsthya in Sanskrit means peace, satisfaction, and comfort

Concept of Body

• According to yogic lore, man has 5 sheaths of existence (Koshas):
  • Ānandamaya, Vijnānamaya, Manomaya, Prāņamaya, and Annamaya.

Exploring the Koshas

• Annāmaya Koşa consists of five elements
• Earth, water, fire, wind and space; it's nourished by gross food
• Prāņa is the basic fabric of the universe
• It ensures each Annamaya cell stays alive
• The mind, Manomaya Kosha sees a red flower, eyes send image of the brain
• Mind (Manaḥ) perceives it beautiful
• Memory (Citta) recognizes wanted the rose
• Mind feels excitement (Bhāvanā)' backed by the heavy 'I', causes human joy/distress
• Emotions lead to Imbalances (Ādhi or Stress)
• Vijñānamaya Koşa - a conscience that guides
• It's the part of the mind great in humans than in animals and is the discriminating faculty
• Ānandamaya Koşa - is the cosmic stuff in nature
• It's bliss, this aspect is more subtle of our existence
• Complete harmony and perfect health

Concept of Disease in Yoga

• A man is in Anandamaya with perfect harmony and balance
• In Vijnanamaya, movements are channeled
• In Manomaya level, likes/dislikes and imbalances start, so Yoga recommends understanding stress and removing it
• Ignorance (Ajñāna) leads one to perform wrong actions
• wrong actions breeds physical diseases (Vyādhis) or the secondary diseases

Adhi

• The seed of all diseases
• Adhis (primary diseases) are two-fold: Sāmanya (ordinary) and Sāra (essential)
• The former includes incidental body ailments, the latter rebirth
• World interactions produce Sāmanya, named psychosomatic ailments
• Yoga helps one to relax/ sleep and promotes soundly
• Helps digestion increases
• Creates body-mind-soul balance
• Treats many diseases, but its therapy is a byproduct

Path of Yoga

• Lightness of body, health, thirst mind, complexion, odor , and scant excretions
• A lean becomes the body , when the face glows
• Divine sound, eyes, body is healthy and sexual discharge under control appetite under control approach
• When Nadis success in Hatha,

Yoga and Executive Tension

• Executive Tension impacts focus and increases tension
• Yoga offers harmony in thought and action for modern competitive world
• Executive tensions can be relived by tension amongst executives
• Improves performance in memory scores
• Decreases state anxiety

Cautions

• Avoid overdoing Yoga as it can increase sensitivities

Yoga Way of Life & Society

• Not just for personal achievements but to carves new way of life
• Characterized by: tranquility, precision and health
• Drive not instinctive but built by understanding, adopting values
• Basic drives used to make social dynamic is to create fears
• But it's in ignorance because its based on happiness
• Offers framework for management of forces within
• Wholesome approach to wisdom of Santana Dharma (Hinduism)

Unit 3: BASIS OF YOGA

• The search for happiness forms the basis
• Aim of life is in all creation

Quest for Happiness

• Often do not see or we have never analyzed what is happiness but should question that

Happiness

• Simply believe It is to be in the objects of enjoyment
• However when having things we want, we never become happy

Mass immigration

• They had seen the royal rich
• Had the idea to eliminate differences in the US
• Dream of getting enough wealth is what everyone wants
• US became economic giant
• Dream has come true but did real dream come? No
• So many problems, stress, Psychiatric ones, Gun culture, drug culture
• We want to understand true happiness
• Take happiness for granted but unfortunately does not help

Analysis

• For example
• Want favorite dish of choice(Rasagulla)
• Eat 1 Oh so happy
• Takes up second one and fourth one but not anymore
• What happens to those capable of getting 20 of so many
• Each becomes less and less wanted
• It diminishes returns on investment

Second

• Varies from person to person so its is subjective, the consumption
• Thirdly it varies from community
• Tastes aren't necessarily shared or liked by different different people or everyone

Thirds reason

• Can't be from community
• People can't connect with one
• What liked by community may not by other

Happiness with us

• Outside not what we need
• Built on sky scraper, building more objects
• Finding in wrong place need something we know
• We continue adding things, even when don't have room to and so on

Not concentrated

• Student may be so focused, do not realize how far he as come
• Never knows how long it may take to feel what happened
• All time is for what it should mean most

Question

• If concentration is for mind will we become happy
• It will have the limited mind test
• After short amount time, that will be too much
• These times would like to feel drink and durgs

Down the secret

• Need to feel better that way
• The better, you see the more you know now what it was
• There could be slow play back of moment to show us what's going to change for play
• Get at bottom what happen to change on more

Silence

• For that we may need
• To get to find what happened to want people
• Get film and slow it in more
• With that get food
• So what do you need when those are waiting , and when
• Need in mouth
• Will what they say then what it can
• Will happen touch or not and what that is
• All will not be that to start up

Basis

• Is Yoga to start
• Devoid of thought in silence
• Get there or see this

Block-2: STREAMS OF YOGA

• The philosophy behind Yoga is classified into four streams: work, worship, philosophy and psychic control
• These can be referred to: Karma Yoga (selfless action), Bhakti Yoga (surrender and love), Jñāna Yoga (intellect and self-analysis), and Rāja Yoga (practical approach)
• Swami Vivekananda said that all streams of Yoga lead to the same goal
• The block has divided in to given brief summary of each

Streams of Yoga for better life

• JÑĀNA YOGA (path of wisdom)
• RĀJA YOGA (path of Will Power)
• BHAKTI YOGA (Path of emotion culture)
• KARMA YOGA (path of intellect)
• UNITY IN DIVERSITY

About UNIT 1: JÑĀNA YOGA

• Selected 18 verses from the Bhagavad Gītā which named Jñāna Yoga śloka samgrahaḥ.
• Divided in eight different dimensions
• First two talks what introduction about Jñāna Yoga
• Next verse speaks about the eligibility student to teacher
• Verses fourth to eight are about dimensions of Reality
• Next verse tells us the qualities of Jñānī or the student of Jñāna
• Tenth to fourteenth verses describe the tools student can use
• Fifteenth verse talks about the higher Dimensions of Jñāna Yoga
• Next verse describes what happens from leaving Kosa at his death
• The last two talks about the to a Jñani reaches

Start Jñāna Yoga

• First phase is Śravanam which involves doing lecture
• Next part is do what you watch, and try what makes most senses to make experiment

To do what make yourself at your peace

• Be at freedom
• Moksa from world
• Bliss will what you get
• Knowledge all around
• Power

Start in most best path to start to test

• Tapas, Essence Did Bhṛgu was essentionally Dhyasam
• Dwell is what is to be done
• In Meditations, deep into higher demsonm, get that Anamay Kosa is in what consciousness
• The has to be done so start freedom in it
• Then one comes that one is in it

At what means make your own

• Then in one of those you are at at that body
• At his that time in that power what give then you have

Unit 2: RĀJA YOGA

• Swami Vivekananda has the said statement: man make destiny
• If hard try, try even with best intent can achieve problem as of solving them
• Best approach to use power, then to problem solve to do then from heart

Make you the man he be

• That to do , make sure you don't give what you need
• Let man from heart, if dont use his part in him make heart to be

From heart on side and try

• When has to be one of eight for that
• You make and use, those as of what needs you at there