Yoga Philosophy And Its Practices

Yoga David Hager is an ancient practical spiritual discipline. It is the one of the oldest psychosomatic training known to mankind. The teachings of yoga are based on Samkhya philosophy of sage Kapila. Maharishi Patanjali credited for the classical work on yoga. The collective contribution is known as Patanjala Yoga Sutras.

History of yoga is broadly studied in three phases, pre-Patanjali, Patanjali and post Patanjali period. It is as old as the Indus valley civilization. Yoga means the union of the self and the supreme. It is the harmony of the mind and body. The highest aim of yoga is Samadhi.

The concept of liberation is very common in Yoga and other Indian systems of philosophy. The cause and effect, law of Karma, cessation of sufferings is revealed in its study. It is enriched with the art of healthy living principles and practices.

Yoga teacher training in India is great opportunity to explore the principles and its practices. It advocates the guidelines of social health, physical and mental health. They are broadly divided into eight limbs which are called as Ashtanga Yoga. These steps are summarized as following practices.

1)Yama: It is the discipline of the social behavior of the person to lead the life filled with harmony in the society. There are five rules which are regarded as the social code of conduct. These are foundation for moral behavior and ethics in the yogic life.

2)Niyama: These are personal observances for the promotion of will power, intellect, and the stability of emotions. They serve as the means of building the essential qualification of the practitioners of yoga to excel in this journey.

3)Asana: The comfortable and stable body posture is known as Asana. It is fundamental to establish the discipline of the body and maintain the homeostasis. It is foundation for many other higher yoga practices. The practice of Asana brings many health benefits. Yoga poses contribute to improve the strength and flexibility.

4)Pranayama: The regulation of the vital force through the controlled respiration mechanisms develops the practice of Pranayama. It is the means of channeling the enormous energy to regulate the mental modifications. The purification of the mind and body is great advantage of pranayama.

5)Prathyhara: Regulation and withdrawal of the senses from their engagements is called as prathyhara. The practice brings peace of mind, inner harmony and focus. The distractions of the senses are annihilated by the discipline of this technique.

6)Dharana: The method of concentration on a particular point or an object is called as Dharana. It is useful in the promotion of the cognitive functions such as memory, concentration and attention.

7)Dhyana: An unbroken flow of awareness is known as meditation. It is great tool to promote the mental health.

8) Samadhi: The culmination of concentration and meditation in the blissful experience is known as Samadhi. It is the harmony of the practitioners with his higher spirit.

Applications of yoga are widely used as a means of promoting the positive health. There are many of the therapeutic values of yoga philosophy and its practices.For successful practice they need to be followed for long time with firm dedication.