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| Japa, the practice of Asanas, Mudras, Pranayamas, Pratyahara, Dharana, Sarna, Dama, study of the Gita, Ramayana, and other scriptures, Sattvic food, Kirtana (singing the Lord's Name), keeping the mind fully occupied by some work or other, prayer, meditation, Vichara, avoidance of evil company, all will go a long way in the attainment or establishment of Brahmacharya.<ref name=":4" /> | | Japa, the practice of Asanas, Mudras, Pranayamas, Pratyahara, Dharana, Sarna, Dama, study of the Gita, Ramayana, and other scriptures, Sattvic food, Kirtana (singing the Lord's Name), keeping the mind fully occupied by some work or other, prayer, meditation, Vichara, avoidance of evil company, all will go a long way in the attainment or establishment of Brahmacharya.<ref name=":4" /> |
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| + | === Health and Yoga === |
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| + | * Health is the state of equilibrium of the three humours of the body viz., Vata, Pitta, and Kapha (wind, bile and phlegm) wherein the mind and all the organs of the body work in harmony and concord, and man enjoys peace and happiness and performs his duties of life with comfort and ease. |
| + | * It is that condition in which man has good digestion and appetite, a normal breathing and normal pulse, good quantity of pure blood, strong nerves, a calm mind, a free movement of the bowels, normal state of urine, rosy cheeks, shining face and sparkling eyes. |
| + | * It is that state in which a man jumps, sings, smiles, laughs, whistles and moves about with joy and ecstasy. |
| + | * It is that condition in which he can think, speak and act properly. |
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| + | And good health is essential to achieve the four kinds of Purushartha viz .. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha (righteousness, wealth, desires and liberation). Without good health you cannot pray and meditate. Without good health you cannot do any Asana and Pranayama. That is the reason why scriptures declare that this body is a boat to cross this ocean of Samsara. It is an instrument for doing virtuous deeds and attaining Moksha. |
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| + | An aspirant should be free from Adhi and Vyadhi, diseases of the mind and the body, if he wants to do Yoga and attain knowledge of the Self. According to the science of Yoga all physical diseases take their origin from the diseases of the mind, from an unhealthy state of mind. The Western psychologists also corroborate this fact. They say that the diseases of the body are attributable to hatred, anger, worry, depression, etc., which corrode the mind and react on the body and bring about various sorts of physical diseases by destroying the cells of the body. |
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| + | No one can work smoothly with a ruffled mind. A ruffled mind disturbs the three humours of the body and brings about al l sorts of diseases i n its turn. This is the theory of Ayurveda which quite tallies with the theory of Raja Yoga and the theory of western psychologists. |
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| + | Good physical health can be achieved and maintained by observing rigidly the laws of health and the rules of hygiene, by taking wholesome l ight, substantial, easily digestible, nutritious, bland food or Sattvic diet, by inhaling pure air, by regular physical exercise, by daily cold bath, by observing moderation in eating and drinking. Good mental health can be attained and maintained by Japa, meditation, Brahmacharya, practice of Yama, Niyama and right conduct, right thinking, right feeling, right speaking and right action. Atmic Vichara, change of thought, relaxation of mind by dwelling the mind on pleasant thoughts, mental recreation and the practice of cheerfulness, etc.<ref>Swami Sivananda (2006), [https://archive.org/details/practice-of-yoga/mode/2up?view=theater Practice of Yoga], Shivanandanagar: The Divine Life Society.</ref> |
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| == संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis == | | == संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis == |