Yoga

In Shrimadbhagwat Gita Lord Krishna defined yoga as the art of proper or right actions; Gita Ch.II verse 50 as hinted by Lord Krishna art of right actions. Here question arises what are those right actions? Lord Krishna further defines those actions as actions which are performed to please God and lead to infinite wisdom. At one place Lord Krishna said Evenness is termed as yoga; Geeta Ch.II verse 48. Here evenness of mental state in pleasure and pain, Evenness in profit and loss, life and death, evenness in hot and cold and so on. Every thing in the world is the manifestation of the creator whether light or dark, good or bad etc.

Maharishi Patanjali in yoga sutra defined yoga as, yoga is to stop the vrittis (scintillations) in the mind. (Yoga Sutra 1:2)

Dissolving of the vrittis (scintillations) alternating waves of thoughts desires, emotions in the chitta (mind) or primordial feelings arising from the likes and dislikes produced from the contact of the mind with the senses.

In modern world yoga is termed as, “Yoga is the remedy for doubt, confusion and intellectual dissatisfaction.

From the meaning and definition of yoga it can be concluded that merely doing some bodily postures or deep breathing practices to keep one self healthy is not yoga but only a small part of it like a drop of water from the ocean. Yoga is not meant only for psychosomatic fitness but it has deep meaning. Yoga is the science to liberate the soul from incarnations.

Those who practice yoga acquire miraculous powers. A common man if destined with divine powers may misuse those powers so in the beginning this science was forbidden for masses. The ancient rishis were very strict in imparting knowledge of yoga and this was restricted to the renounced ones or the members of royal families only.