Submitted by: Yogi Chetan Mahesh Ji

Holistic Living

Yoga is a tradition for holistic living. What is holistic living? It is a science of living and well being at physical, emotional, mental, social, intellectual and spiritual levels. This well being at all levels manifests when we live in LEAP- love, energy, awareness and peace.

Holistic living means when we live from moment to moment with happiness, health and harmony. This holistic living also means living in a third dimension of life or living beyond stress, conflicts, anxiety, hatred, violence, jealousy, excitements, attachments and repulsions.

A Deeper Understanding of Life

Yoga begins with developing an understanding about life, its miseries, problems, successes, failures, motives etc. The life of an ordinary human being is a pleasure seeking life dominated by animal instincts of food, sleep, sex and security or by prestige, recognition etc. It is unconsciously directed by greed, anger, ego, attractions and repulsions.

We all concentrate on one question as how to live happily, peacefully, and successfully with more and more possessions at our disposal. We labour hard in the pursuit of pleasure but always remain one step behind every time. In order to address that, we again fall into mechanical urges for attaining that pleasure which does not appear to us.

The gross mind that is scattered in the external world of name and form identifies with a particular goal leading to material happiness, labouring for pleasure within by seeking one thing or other always in this universe. It appears to never be satiated with its achievements nor frustrated with failures but continue to aspire.

The Meaning of Yoga

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit verb:

Yuj = Samadhi, to unite.so yoga means union.

This refers to the merging of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

The term also refers to union between body and mind or body, mind and spirit. .

Another meaning of the root word of yoga is Samadhi, which is described as the state of mind in which we voluntarily become so deeply joined to the object of our meditation that the limits of our personal identity are temporarily set aside.

Yoga According to Patanjali (Yoga Sutras) :

Patanjali defines yoga as Chitta vritti nirodhah.

Chitta = mind (thought, emotion, attitude, memory and ego)

Vritti = modification of thoughts

Nirodhah + stop or restrain

Yoga is thus defined as the mastery or control over the modifications of the mind.

Yoga is a science of the mind and helps to control it through the use of skillful techniques.

Yoga According to the Bhagavad Gita:

The Bhagavad Gita, a widely known classical text on yoga, gives various definitions of yoga.

Yoga is equanimity of the mind in both success and failure.

Yoga is Yogah karmsu koshalam discretion in work.

Yoga is the remover of misery and pain.

Yoga is the supreme secret of life.

Yoga is the giver of infinite happiness.

With yoga, one has the ability to maintain inner peace at all times. Calmness in action is the secret of karma yoga.

The Eternal Search:

Yoga asserts that there is something unknown to our sense organs, but it still is not an experience of the mind, which is permanent, infinite, all- pervading, all-knowing and sustaining this phenomenal universe. This unknown is the eternal, blissful and fundamental reality of this universe. A search into that eternal truth is the aim put by yoga to the entire human race. A new approach, a new method, a new way is required in order to discover this eternal truth, which is given by yoga.

What Yoga is Not

Yoga, is a very common word in the world today, but is often misunderstood. Practices around the globe are associated with many attributes, feelings, understandings and are different amongst different groups and countries. Because of these distortions and misconceptions many people relate yoga science to the name of modern teachers. People often say Iyengor’s Yoga, Raja Yoga of Brahmakumaris, Hatha Yoga, Meditation Yoga and so- on. But the fact remains that yoga is only yoga and there is no need to take any teacher’s name. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what yoga is not.

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