Yoga Darshana (योगदर्शनम्)

Yoga Darshana (Samskrit: योगदर्शनम्) is one of the six astika darshanas; an important branch of Indian philosophy. From the point of view of the tattvajnana or philosophical construct, it is often paired with the Samkhya school of thought. The article explores the importance, history, techniques and the basics of Yoga Darshana, one of the ancient-most traditions of Bharatiya tattvajnana.

Introduction to Yoga Darshana

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Yoga is an ancient spiritual science that seeks to bring the mind, body and spirit in balance. The word 'Yoga' is derived from the sanskrit root 'Yuj' which means to attach, join, harness or yoke. Practising different Yoga techniques leads to the development of good health, relaxation and inner fulfillment that in turn help in meeting different challenges of life with greater ease and confidence.

Yoga is observed to nurture cooperation and compassion instead of opposition. Therefore, getting introduced to Yoga at an early age encourages confidence and awareness to undertake life's activities in a non-competitive manner.

The purpose of yoga is an inner cleansing of the individuals' thoughts, emotions and feelings. Infact, Yoga lays claim to many benefits. It enhances flexibility, strength, coordination and body awareness. In addition, it also promotes concentration and a sense of calmness and relaxation. While doing yoga, there is deeper connection with the inner self and an enriching relationship with the natural surrounding is developed.

Yogic activities energize the body, giving it vitality and improve individuals' capacity. It also helps in expanding adaptability, muscle quality and body tone. It improves breathing and vitality. And more importantly, Yoga helps build inner strength that is vital in the journey of life.

योगदर्शनस्य महत्त्वम् ॥ Importance of Yoga

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Rishis lived in the forest, mountains and the caves of Bharata. They observed the environment and saw how the animals and nature moved in perfect harmony. This was probably the inspiration for the creation of a wonderful technique called Yoga that helps to inculcate healthy habits and adopt a healthy lifestyle to achieve good health.

Teaching yoga at the school level will help to encourage a positive and healthy lifestyle for better physical, mental and emotional health of children. At the physical level, the practice of yoga will help in the development of strength, stamina, endurance and high energy in children. At the mental level, it will empower them with increased concentration, calm, peace and contentment, leading to inner and outer harmony.

Other forms of physical exercises, like aerobics, assure only physical well-being. They have little to do with the development of the spiritual or astral body. However, Yoga is a way of living that aims towards a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Talk on Management by Consciousness

Yogic exercises are important in

• Attainment of perfect equilibrium and harmony
• Self-healing
• Removing negative blocks from the mind and toxins from the body
• Enhancing personal power
• Living with greater awareness
• Developing attention, focus and concentration, especially for children
• Reducing stress and tension
• Improving your posture and flexibility
• Building better relationships
• Improving your self-confidence
• Improving your memory and concentration
• Gaining better sleep
• Aiding good digestion

Structure

1. Meaning and Definition: The primary definition of Yoga given by Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras that forms the basis of the Ashtanga Yoga is 'yogazcittavRttinirodha'. In simple parlanc it means yoga is the control of the wandering of the manas. The Bhagavad Gita defines Yoga as the mindset of balance in success or failure (i.e.samatvaM yoga ucyate). In another definition, the Bhagavad Gita links karma and yoga and defines yoga as excellence in work (ie. yogaH karmasu kaushalam). Patanjali yoga is aimed at chitta vrttinirodha, i.e. cessation of the modifications of all kinds of mental activity.
2. Importance of Yoga - holistic personality development
3. Laukik and Adhyatmik benefits of Yoga
4. Myths and Facts of Yoga
5. Yoga’s Mula Pravakta - Hiranyagarbha

योगदर्शनस्य इतिहासः ॥ History of Yoga

The science of Yoga has its origin thousands of years ago. In the yogic tradition, Shiva is regarded as the first Yogi (Adiyogi) and the first Guru (Adi Guru). Number of seals and fossil remains discovered in the Indus Saraswati valley civilization show yogic activities and figures performing Yoga, suggesting the presence of Yoga in ancient Bharata. The seals excavated from the Mohenjodaro site show Pashupati (Lord Shiva) in yogic posture (Bhadrasana). Seated cross-legged with arms outstretched, the pose was of meditative state. Thus, it may be said that the history of Yoga is approximately over 5000 years old, starting from the pre-vedic era and continuing till date.

The History of Yoga can be divided into five main periods:

1. Vedic Age
2. Upanishadic Age
3. The Age of Patanjali
4. The Age of Hatha Yoga
5. Modern Age

वैदिककालः ॥ Vedic Age

Vedic Yoga, traced back to the period of Rigveda, portrays ritualistic ceremonies which require yoga practitioners to transcend the boundaries of the mind. Great explorers of early yoga are Vasishtha, Yajnavalkya etc.

औपनिषदिककालः ॥ Upanishadic Age

Upanishadic texts are the main source for the documented information about Yoga practices and related literature of this period. It is said that the Rishis slowly refined and developed Yoga and documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads.

पतञ्जलेः कालः ॥ The Age of Patanjali

The central period in the history of Yoga is defined by Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the first systematic presentation of Yoga. Many associate this work with Patanjali who wrote the Mahabhashya for Panini's Grammar. That leads to the dating of this work to the 2nd century BCE.

This text describes the path of Raja Yoga. Maharshi Patanjali organized the practice of Yoga into an ‘eight limbed path’ (Ashtanga Yoga) containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi. And is considered the father of Yoga. His Yoga sutras still strongly influence most styles of even modern yoga.

हठयोगस्य कालः ॥ The Age of Hatha Yoga

A few centuries after Maharshi Patanjali, many Yoga masters have created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life which is known as Hatha Yoga. Few of the Hatha Yoga Texts include,

• Hatha Yoga Pradipika
• Gheranda Samhita
• Hatha Ratnavali
• Shiva Samhita

Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India by the intensive work of Shri. T.Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga.

अर्वाचीनकालः ॥ Modern Age

In the modern period, Swami Vivekananda spread the wisdom of Yoga to the world, especially in the west. He classified the Yoga into four, namely:

• Karma Yoga
• Raja Yoga
• Bhakti Yoga
• Jnana Yoga

योगस्य आशयाः ॥ Objectives of Yoga

It has already been emphasized that Yoga at an early age shapes young minds and bodies, giving tools that will enhance and support children to be balanced, creative and tension free individuals. It also promotes self esteem, concentration and body awareness and the ability to steer smoothly through life's challenges. Physically, Yoga enhances body coordination, it has a powerful effect on brain development and leads to heightened focus.

In an overstressed world, Yoga is a tool that teaches healthy ways to release stress and bring the body back into equilibrium. It also builds strength, confidence and resilience. Moreover, a strong body is able to digest food better, breathe better and withstand stress. Thus, the practice of yoga helps to self regulate besides being a wonderful aid to promote mental health and combat attention disorders.

The aims and objectives of Yoga education at an early age, in brief, are:

• To enable all to have good health
• To facilitate the practice of mental hygiene
• To develop emotional stability
• To integrate moral values
• To attain higher level of consciousness

Yoga helps to achieve all these objectives in an integrated manner. Regular practice of Yoga also helps in

• encouraging self esteem and body awareness
• maintaining flexibility and strengthening the growing body
• enhancing concentration, memory and IQ
• anger management
• building present moment awareness
• promoting relaxation of body and mind
• managing anxiety and stress
• developing creativity
• developing cordial peer and social interactions
• developing discipline and responsibility

योगस्य मूलघटकाः ॥ Basics of Yoga

To overcome pain and achieve happiness has been the fundamental drive in all humans. Happiness is what directs lives. Yoga is a very ancient science that helps to develop not only flexibility and strength in our bodies, but happiness and peace of mind also. It believes in happiness as the natural state of living beings. But when the body and mind are out of balance, this happiness cannot be experienced. With the help of Yoga poses, breathing exercises, focusing within and meditation, the harmony of body and mind can be brought back and the natural state of happiness can be achieved. There are five basic principles at the core of Yoga practice. They are,

• Proper exercise
• Diet
• Breathing
• Relaxation
• Meditation

व्यायामः ॥ Exercise

Main article: Vyayama (व्यायामम्)

Body is the physical manifestation of a being. And the practice of Yoga has beneficial effects to every part of the body - muscles, joints, ligaments, blood circulation, digestion, etc.

आहारः ॥ Diet

Main article: Ahara (आहारः)

It is said, 'We are what we eat'. Therefore, along with Yoga practice, an accompaniment of a proper diet is essential to maintain a healthy physical body. And a diet of purely fresh, locally grown and organic ingredients is recommended.

श्वसनम् ॥ Breathing

Proper breathing is central to Yoga. Yoga emphasizes attention to breath; taking long, deep inhalations that begin in the lower abdomen and fill up the entire chest cavity. This increases lung capacity and oxygen flow throughout the body which clears and cleanses the mind.

विश्रामः ॥ Relaxation

Proper relaxation helps in achieving inner peace leading to spiritual cleansing.

ध्यानम् ॥ Meditation

The final but most important aspect of Yoga philosophy is positive thinking and meditation. Meditation provides a means to ease the constant chatter of the mind and control it.

Yoga and Positive Psychology

Studies suggest that meditation and yoga have effects ranging across psychology, physiology and biochemistry and can enhance both psychological and physical health, sometimes to exceptional degrees. In the Psychological arena, personality, performance and perception may be enhanced. There are evidences for enhanced empathy, perceptual sensitivity, creativity, lucid dreaming, marital satisfaction and a positive sense of self-control.

The eastern spiritual tradition of Yoga integrates physical, behavioral, mental, emotional and spiritual practices for the attainment of moral life, personal well-being, mental peace and spiritual elevation. Ashtanga Yoga is a “multidisciplinary approach to ultimate self-realization” comprising of three kinds of disciplines viz., ethico-religious, (yama and niyama), physico-vital (asana and pranayama) and psycho-spiritual (prathyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

Yoga is a mind–body practice aimed at the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Its goals are to cultivate balance, calm, harmony, and awareness, and, in the classic Yoga tradition, to strive for the attainment of transcending the ego-personality (Feuerstein 2011). Sage Patanjali systematized the “eight-limbed” structure of Yoga during the second century AD, and it comprises of “moral practices (Yama; ethics while interacting with others); self-discipline (Niyama; ethics oriented towards self); physical postures and exercises (Asana); breath regulation (Pranayama); sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara; minimizing sensory input); concentration (Dharana; effortful, focused attention); meditation (Dhyana; effortless, perpetual flow of attention), and self-transcendence (Samadhi)”

What is Positive Psychology?

PERMA: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning in life, and Accomplishments

To Study Flourishing: It is a scientific study that makes our lives flourish and help us to identify measures that take to increase our well-being as well as the well being of others.

Conditions to Flourish: It is the study of conditions and processes that contribute to flourishing and or optimal functioning of people , groups, and institutions. (Gable and Haidt,2005)

Different from Treating Illness: It is based on the fundamental insight that treating mental illness is not the same thing as promoting mental health.

Solution Focused:  It is not merely corrective and limited to offering solution only when things go downhill.

Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An introduction. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer, Dordrecht.

Before World War II, psychology had three distinct missions: Curing mental illness, making lives of all people more productive and fulfilling and identifying and nurturing high talent. Right after the war, two events - both economic - changed the face of psychology. Though the focus on treating mental illness and research on pathology brought many benefits in the understanding and therapy of mental illness, the two other fundamental missions of psychology ie. making lives of all people better and nurturing genius were forgotten.

The aim of positive psychology is to begin to catalyze a change in the focus of Psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building positive qualities.

The field of positive psychology works at the subjective, individual and group levels. At the subjective level, it is about valued subjective experiences like well-being, at the individual level its about positive individual traits and at the group level, it is about civic virtues and institutions that move individuals towards better citizenship.

Role of Positive Psychology and its confluence with Yoga. Aspects of Positivity and Human Potential in Yogic Traditions:

Holistic Life Goals

Diverse Pathways

Positive Behaviour

Positive Characteristics

Positive Experience

Positive Events

Positive Institutions

Positive Society

संहृतिः ॥ Synopsis

Upanishads say that the natural state of humans is the state of silence where the mind stops chattering. That is the state free of all thoughts or a state of peace. Such peace is important especially for all those who

• are in search of greater and more permanent happiness and bliss
• seek knowledge
• want to be totally free
• aspire to become more and more creative

Because only when the mind is free of thoughts can it be a state of bliss, knowledge and creativity. And an ideal society is the one in which the above features are found. It is constructed by setting up and observing the prescribed social norms and value system like the Yamas and Niyamas of Yoga Darshana, habits, customs, manners, etiquettes, etc. These are the components that help movement in the direction of peace.

Bharata for centuries has stood for such a social setup. It believes in the creation of such an environment where all individuals progress towards their goal of peace and the achievement of the required social values.

Thus, it is important to work towards the creation of a Spiritually Inclined Environment. Because with such a spiritual background, one is freed from over stimulation, unhealthy competition, comparison, stress and pressure to achieve unrealistic targets. As Swami Vivekananda puts it, each individual is potentially divine and every child is differently gifted. And through Yogic practices, one should calm the mind and nurture one's area of interest and talent to achieve one's true potential.