Yoga And Relaxation by Tony Crisp

Description

Introduction

  

I am often asked

the question, "What has yoga done for you?" As the value of the methods

I am to explain rest largely upon the answer to that question, and as I

am only a printed name to you, I will be immodest and reply.

  

But

before I can answer adequately, it must be understood that there are a

variety of yoga "methods". One can reach the goals of these methods by

using one's body, mind, emotions, the everyday experiences of life,

sound and music, or even apparently by doing very little at all. My

experience is in only of a few of these methods. Even with these, which

include the body, mind and emotions, I can only call myself a student.

Having explained this I will now answer the original question.

  

My

interest in yoga began at the age of sixteen. But it was not until I

reached twenty-nine that anything serious was undertaken in either the

physical or mental methods.

  

Previous to that time it had been

largely a matter of studying the philosophy, with an occasional

practice of mental disciplines. At twenty-nine I found myself almost

constantly tired; physically and emotionally I was restless and

discontent. Unfortunately for myself it was the type of discontent that

could see no way out of its own problem and because of this I suffered

fairly frequent depressions. At work it was often difficult to stay

awake during the morning, and at the weekends, I would often sleep

during the afternoon to recover from the week. For the first few months

of my regular yoga practice, there seemed to be little result. Through

foolishly trying to hurry the physical methods, my whole body ached

after each practice, and I felt decidedly worse. Then, so subtly that

it was noticeable by review only, my condition changed. My body slimmed

down to the measurements of youth, my energy began to come back, and

the week-ends were no longer a time to sleep. Feelings of loneliness

and depression faded out, and although I was emotionally more

easy-going and relaxed than ever before, my mind was more disciplined

and perceptive.

  

In other people I have seen yoga cure internal

growths; deafness; nervous tension; migraine; fears of the dark,

inferiority or insecurity; and sexual restlessness. None of these

results have been miraculous however, but arose from the discipline of

regular and long lasting practice of the yoga principles.

  

Yoga

is however, more than just a method of healing the body and mind. The

word "yoga" is generally translated as meaning "union", or to "yoke" -

that is to unite the conscious self with that which gave rise to it, or

to bring a greater degree of harmony between a person's conscious sums

and motives, and their underlying nature. Being a profound system of

practical and theoretical psychology, it can also aid human beings to

discover the hidden potentials of their own mind and emotions. To

experience yoga then is to experience union between the individual and

the universal or whole.

  

With regard to the history of yoga and

its origins, it is impossible to he authoritative because of its great

age. Recent history shows India as the home of the yoga we know. This

is especially true of the physical (Hatha) yoga practices, which seem

to have no ancient counterpart in other cultures. The other types of

yoga however have great similarities with worldwide practices with

common aims.

  

It is possible to suppose, not only because of

this, but also because of traditional statements in yoga teachings,

that it had its origins in a much older civilisation than the Indian,

and in another part of the world. But present history is unable to

prove or disprove these statements. However, I believe it can be

authoritatively said that it is the oldest directly linked system of

moral, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual welfare. Teachings

released in recent years from India, Tibet, China, Japan and the other

countries of the Far East, present us with living traditions of some of

the world's oldest teachings concerning the being of man, his origins,

possibilities and relationship with the rest of the universe. That one

of our most modern Sciences - psychiatry - has found enormous depths of

information in these teachings is more than interesting.

  

That

men and women of all cultures, all over the world, can still find

something practical and sublime in the teachings, proves their

universality and timelessness. For they areas universal in their

simplest form, as timeless, as man's need to cat and as ageless as

those natural forces from which man emerged.

  

The way this book

is laid out however, does not attempt to reflect traditional eastern

yoga exactly-the traditions are full of symbology which has to be

interpreted before we can understand. Instead, an attempt bat been made

to give not only the practices, but also the spirit of yoga as seen in

western adepts. Starting with the physical side because it is the most

popular to our interest, the book then progresses to the subtler phases

of yoga. It finishes with the philosophy underlying yoga practice, and

the description and words of acknowledged masters of yoga.

  

No

apologies arc made for the frequent mention of subjects generally

thought of as inspirational. It has only been from the new "feeling",

the new "idea", the new "impulse", that societies have overcome

lawlessness, sloth, sensuality and weakness. So ideas, emotions,

impulses, although intangible, are powerful influences in the life of

an individual and of society and this makes their discussion practical.

From here on therefore, the principles will be allowed to speak for

themselves.

  

"It is maintained that the study and practice of

Yoga purifies the body, improves the health, and strengthens the mind;

that, above all, it intensifies spiritual growth. Every person with

sound mind and body is capable of attaining Yoga in some measure. The

earlier in life the training is begun the better, but it is never too

late to start its practices." So writes Theos Bernard.

  

If we

wish to improve the health of our body, the balance of our emotions,

the function of our mind, or even the realisation of our spiritual

qualities, where can we begin? The beginning of any enterprise is of

great importance. This is because results are likely to develop in

direct proportion to the way we have begun. The Yoga teachings as to

how one must begin are often very specific. So before undertaking

anything, we must have a clear-cut idea as to what goal we are hoping

to achieve. Without this we will not be able to judge whether the

direction we are taking it the right one, or whether, having begun, we

are approaching that goal. It might even be helpful to put into words,

or write down, what we hope for.

  

If it is physical health, we

might say, "My body either helps or retards my activities and happiness

in life. Therefore, to bring it to greater health is to benefit all of

my life experience."

  

In seeking emotional harmony we could say,

`While my body is like a vehicle, it is through my emotions that all of

life appears to me. Gladness can lighten even physical illness or pain,

while morbidity darkens even the treasures of our life. To bring my

emotions to harmony is to see the world in a new light."

  

While

for mental activity we can say, `My body is a vehicle, my emotions a

response to life, but it is my mind that sees meaning, that can

understand or direct these others. To bring my mind to order is to

direct my body and my happiness in a worthwhile manner."

  

And if

we seek benefits of the Spirit, one could say, "While my body is a

vehicle, my emotions a response, and my mind that which directs, it is

through some other part of me I call the Spirit, that I can realise a

sense of unity with the rest of life and

  

living beings. Without

this I might be just a dissociated cell in the immensity of life's

process. It relates me to others, not only in the past and present, but

also in the future, for it is the breath of the Eternal. Thus I seek to

realise my Spirit, and to know what I am."

  

Having defined our

goal to some extent, we can take the next step in getting there. It

must be understood, before doing this, that Yoga practice is only a

more direct application of things that people are doing every day of

the week. Everybody is practising Yoga in some degree, but doing so

unconsciously. By deciding to do it consciously we will be purposefully

practising things we have been doing all our life. Through purposefully

exercising our body, our emotions, or our mind, we bring them under the

greater direction of our will, and see each one, even the mind, as

vehicles of expression and realisation. To do this needs time and

perseverance.

  

Realising that any great goal in life requires,

if we are to reach it, not only time and perseverance, but other

things, traditional Yoga outlines certain rules. For instance, if a

person has not developed perseverance, what point is there in taking up

any new practice? We might hope that it interests us more than the

last, but no discipline of body or mind is even worth beginning unless

we decide on perseverance. For this reason the Yoga traditions state

that one should first practise Yama.

  

Yama

  

The word

"yama" means "restraint" or "control". This "restraint" applies to

rules of conduct. These are ten in number and are: Non-Injuring;

Non-Lying; Non-Stealing; Non-Attachment to Sensual Desires;

Non-Attachment to Grievances; Non-Immersion in Inertia; Non-Attachment

to Self Interests; Non-Attachment to Conceptions of Self; Non-Gluttony;

Cleanliness. Patanjali, one of Yoga's great authorities says that

simply by the sincere practice of Yama, definite results will accrue -

such as happiness, intuition, vigour of body and mind, effectiveness of

speech, etc.

  

Why should yama be necessary at the outset? It is

because the human being is largely the slave of his instincts, emotions

and mental conceptions. Members of opposing political factions may

fight to the death. This is not because there is a basic enmity, but

because neither can let go of their opinions. To be more specific,

however, if we are controlled by our instincts we will soon give up our

Yoga practice. If we lie, we have not the courage to face that which

made us lie, and some stages of Yoga need courage.

  

The desire

to injure includes the ability to injure or destroy subtle parts of

one's own nature that are struggling to be expressed, and so on. The

rules are not intended to be merely moralistic, but to awaken latent

possibilities within the individual.

  

Niyama

  

In the Yoga

classic Gheranda Samhita, the first two rules of Yoga, Yams and Niyama,

are included as one in the first rule "Purification" but they can be

considered as types of purification. The five rules of Niyama, or

Non-restraint, a re: Purity; Contentment; Austerity; Self Study;

Dedication to Universal Motives.

  

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