Yoga

​YOGA

         Etymologically the sanskrit term 'Yoga' means union. Swami Shivananada Saraswathi had rightly said that "Yoga is harmony between the individual and the universe, between thought and act and it is the joining of a healthy body and a disciplined mind for spiritual development". Yoga should not be misunderstood only as a physical discipline or merely as a mental discipline, or even as a spiritual discipline.  It is a unified system of all the three. The historical studies on the origin of Yoga have concluded that there is no exact evidence about the origin of Yoga.  Hence it is presumed that Yoga has come from time immemorial. Yoga is universal and not associated with a particular religion and a particular country. However, it is because of the contributions of the great Sages of India who made Yoga, a science of living.

            Maharshi Patanjali who was a great Yogi, Sanskrit Grammarian, and Ayurvedic Physician believed to be lived  around 5000 years ago codified the concepts of Yoga which were scattered in Vedas, Upanisads etc. and made it as a  systematic approach called 'Yoga Sutras'. Patanjala Yoga Sutra  is the most authoritative ancient scripture on Yoga known as the classical text on Yoga, popularly known as "Astanga Yoga". It is one of the systems of the six Indian philosophies known as Shad Darshana. Patanjali established Yoga as a practical discipline systematically emphasizing its eight important limbs known as Astanga Yoga. This resulted in removing the element of mysticism that had so far prevailed as an essential characteristic of Yoga. It describes the nature of the mind and ways to control its restlessness. The culmination of Yoga Sutra is Samadhi or realizing the universal Self within everyone.

            Since there is no detailed discussion about the  practice  of Asanas,  Pranayamas, in the Yoga sutra,  as  it is a system predominantly for cultivation  of mental discipline by practice of meditation and dutiful actions, the ancient Yogis  realised that one needs a healthy body  not only for performing  meditation  but also for doing the routine activities. So they developed 'Hatha Yoga', the Yoga of physical discipline. Hatha Yoga is the most popular branch of Yoga  in the world. The word 'Hatha'  is derived from two Sanskrit words, 'Ha', means the sun, which represents the  solar or physical energy and 'Tha', means moon which represents the lunar or mental energy. The purpose of Hatha Yoga is to  maintain balance  between these two energies to make the practitioner fit for practicing Raja Yoga or Astanga Yoga. Hatha Yoga texts emphasis that controlling the mind is difficult unless the physical body is cleansed and disciplined by the practice of  shadkarmas, asanas, mudras and bandhas, and hence, it does not emphasis to practice Yama and Niyama first as in Yoga sutra, which made Hatha Yoga extremely popular in the modern times. The Yoga discipline even today provides practical as well as  philosophical teachings to  the people all over the world  irrespective of religion, caste, creed and colour and that itself is the greatest proof of its broad appeal and universality. It has also become an academic discipline. So Yoga  is a universal system of practice  to keep the body  and mind healthy. Hatha Yoga discusses the right methods of cleansing the body through shadkarmas, the right diet  through the concept of mithahara,  the right exercises  through asanas and mudras to discipline the body, the right breathing techniques through the combined activities of pranayama, mudras and bandhas to control the mental fluctuations, prathyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi practices for  expansion of consciousness for Self-realization.

            Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Raja yoga and Jnana yoga are the important  paths of yoga. Though they are different paths their aim is self-realization. Bhakti  yoga means   intense love to mother, father, guru and the people of the whole universe and to God. Practice of Bhakti yoga develops universal love, annihilates egoism builds up aspiration  develops renunciation and culminates in  Self-realization.

            Karma Yoga (The Yoga of selfless action) is service without expecting any fruit or reward. It is egoless and selfless duty. Karma Yoga is social service. It develops healthy social interactions. Its aim is to bring integration, harmony and union through action. Every living being do karma in the universe. But only the human beings can convert his or her karma into karma Yoga.

            Raja Yoga (The Yoga of mental discipline) includes the practices of Astanga Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Laya Yoga. The objective of Raja Yoga is to control all forms of thought-waves and mental modifications to reach in the state of Samadhi. Practice of Raja Yoga helps to cultivate virtues and values in the personality and to eliminate negative thoughts and makes the practitioner fit for self-realization.

            Jnana Yoga (The Yoga of  knowledge) is meant for highly intellectual people and not for common people. Its aim is to discriminate what is real and what is unreal. Brahman or the supreme consciousness which is not subject to change is alone real and all the things other than Brahman which are subject to change are unreal is the theme of Jnana Yoga.  It is the realization of a man’s own divinity through knowledge.

 

AYURVEDA

            Ayurveda means knowledge of life. It is the indigenous Indian system of medicine; oldest recorded healing system. It gives equal importance for treatment and prevention of diseases. According to Ayurveda, the Universe is composed of five basic elements called Pancha mahabhutas ; Either, air, fire, water and earth. In human beings, these five elements occur as the three doshas -vata, pitta and Kapha- forces that, along with the seven dhatus (tissues) and three malas (waste products), make up the human body.Ayurveda has its roots in the Vedas. It is considered as an offshoot of Adharva Veda. The most important classical texts on  Ayurveda are  Charaka Samhita,  Susrutha Samhita, and Ashtanga Hrudaya. 

            The prime objective of Ayurveda is achievement of health by meticulously balancing the physical and mental humors (doshas). It views human body as a reflection of nature and hence utilizing natural means for stabilize the body in times of vitiation. In Ayurveda , apart from healing, equal  importance is given for improvement and maintaining immunity. Quality life and longevity are achieved through specialized braches of Ayurveda; popularly known as ‘Rasyana and Vajeekarana. (Rejuvenation therapies). Purification therapy or Detoxification therapy involves the fundamental principles of Panchakarma and it is based on different factors such as the physical constitution of the patient, condition of the patient, the season, and the nature of the disease etc. In Ayurveda, restoring a person to health is not viewed simply as the eradication of disease. It involves a complete process of diagnosis and therapeutics that takes into accounts both mental and physical components integrated with the social and physical worlds in which the patient lives.

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MARMA

           The concept of Marma and the process of Marma Chikitsa are discussed in Ayurveda Classical texts and as well as in the Kerala's martial art popularly known as Kalaripayattu. Sushruta Samhitha, a classical text on Ayurveduc Medicine says that "marma is the Seat of Life.. Marmas are  pressure or vital  points  in the gross body similar to accupressure/meridians in Chinese Medicine. They are energy path ways for healing body, mind and to elevate consciousness for spiritual development. Kalaripayattu is the indigenous martial art of Kerala used for defense and considered to be the oldest form of physical training. The physical movements in the Kalaripayattu involves high intensity exercise which improves physical core strength, balance and coordination. Kalari Chikitsa (treatment) is an off shoot of Kalari, a traditional psycho-physiological discipline. Kalari Chikilsa is especially used in the treatment of orthopedic disorders and neuromuscular problems. In Kalari Chikitsa,  the marmas  are stimulated by using the traditional methods of massage with full devotion and  with spiritual discipline. Marma therapy is a scientific art of treating specific vital points on the human body. It is applied for detoxify, strengthen ,revitalize, rejuvenation , to release energy blocks and for relaxation. Marma therapy includes the use of massage, aromatherapy, herbs, special oils, etc. to remove the energy blocks in the body. It is a body mind therapy. Marmas are many which are spread along the different parts of the body. The marmas are connected with the Nadis, the subtle psychic passage through which the prana flows. Hence marma massage helps to remove energy blocks and to regain better health.

            The Pedal Massage is a unique massaging process applied to the whole body under the strict instructions of  Kalari Gurukkal. The Pedal massage is done to keep the  physical body fit to undergo any physical challanges in the life. The massage  removes the rigidity of the muscles, encourages smooth blood flow deep in the muscles and keeps the muscle tone and free from muscle tension.