Yoga – _{Srilakhsmi Upadhyaya (Pre primary Teacher)}

Yoga is a complete science; it unites body, mind and spirit. It brings peace and bliss to every individual. It also creates a significant difference in one’s behaviour, thoughts and attitude. Daily practice of yoga increases our tranquillity, sensitivity, intuition and awareness.

Derived from the Sankrit word ‘yuj’ which means ‘to unite or integrate’, yoga is a 5,000-year-old Indian body of knowledge. Yoga is all about harmonizing the body with the mind and breath through the means of various breathing exercises (pranayama), yoga poses (asanas) and meditation.

Prana creates an aura around the body. It flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called nadis and energy centers called chakras. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind. If the prana level is high and its flow is continuous, smooth, and steady, the mind remains calm, positive, and enthusiastic. However, the lack of knowledge and attention to one’s breath could cause partial blockages in the nadis and chakras. Unfortunately, this leads to a broken prana flow. As a result, one experiences increased worries, fear, uncertainty, tensions, conflict and other negative qualities. Every problem first generates in the subtle and then surfaces on the physical level. Sickness shows up in your prana (pranic body) much before you get sick physically.

The regular practice of breathing exercises can completely change the quality of life that one is leading i.e., increases and enhances the quantity and quality of prana, clears blocked nadis and chakras, makes one energetic, enthusiastic, calmer and positive. 

As described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra –“sthira sukham asanam”–it means Yoga asana is a balance of effort and ease. We give the effort to get into the posture and then we relax. Yoga asana brings that balance in every aspect of our life. It teaches us to put effort and then let go, to get detached from the result. Yoga asana increases our physical flexibility and expands our mind.

Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing and letting go of all the efforts to relax into your true nature which is love, joy and peace. Meditation is that which gives you deep rest.

The rest in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep that you can ever have. When the mind becomes free from agitation, is calm and serene and at peace, meditation happens. The benefits of meditation are manifold. It is an essential practice for mental hygiene. A calm mind, good concentration, clarity of perception, improvement in communication, blossoming of skills and talents, an unshakable inner strength, healing, the ability to connect to an inner source of energy, relaxation, rejuvenation, and good luck are all natural results of meditating regularly.

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Bhakti and Karma Yoga – Kiranmayi (Elementary Teacher)

Bhakti can be understood in two aspects

1. As the love with pujya bhava (Devotion)
2. As  a course of discipline proposed by Veda in order to attain the goal (पुरुषार्थ प्राप्ति)

The love we show towards our children is called  वात्सल्य. The love between wife and husband is called अनुराग. Similarly, the love towards higher things or subjects or persons is called Bhakti. For example, the love towards our Mother is called मातृ भक्ति. The love towards our country is called देश भक्ति etc.,

This love exists in three levels

1. Love for the Means
2. Love for the Goal
3. Love for the Self

Let us try to apply this in the subject of God (ईश्वर)

If one loves God because God is a means to attain certain pleasures in this / other worlds,  that love is called साधना रूप भक्ति. Majority of the folks belong to this category. Sastra calls this as मन्द भक्ति | With a little more understanding like God is an embodiment of whatever I’m seeking like Security, Pleasure and Happiness and hence my goal is to get him. Sastra calls this love as मध्यम भक्ति | However, one loves the goal or the means only due to the love he/she has towards him/herself. The very movement one realizes, the goal or the means is against him/herself, the love towards them will automatically go away. So, the love with the understanding of I myself is the Iswara is called स्वात्म रूप भक्ति and Sastra calls this as उत्तम भक्ति | When this Bhakti is understood in the context of Dos and Don’ts sanctioned by Veda, it becomes “Bhakti Yoga” which is the combined form of “Karma, Upasana and Jnana” When Karma is done with Bhakti – that means, with the bhavana of Whatever I do is ईश्वर पूज and whatever I get is ईश्वर प्रसादम, then only Karma becomes Karma Yoga.

Reference  

This article is based on the teachings from Bhagavad Gita (7-12) chapters and Sankara Bhashya, Brihadaranyaka Upanishat and Viveka Chaudamani of Sri Sankara Bhagavatpaada.