The True Essence Of Yoga
- Brainz Magazine
- Oct 26, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 7
Written by: Rimi Sodhi, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Yoga, very popularly, is associated with a series of intricate body postures. The casual observer feels that it is basically an art of the body and works merely on the physical body. While, these postures do require a great amount of flexibility when performed, but the reality is far from just the physical aspect. Although 'Asanas' (Yoga postures) are an imperative part of the Yoga practice, the true purpose and core of this practice is that it was created for us humans to go beyond the limitations of the mind to experience joy and bliss in its purest form.
The idea was to involve the body with the full involvement of the mind, both conscious and unconscious, to achieve this state of absolute happiness, Yoga holds the intrinsic message that one must understand that we cannot dwell in the past or be anxious about the future, everything is happening in the present. Nothing is happening in the past and the future is an imagined projection of the mind, therefore it is of vital importance that we learn and master the art of living in the present moment and “be in the now”. Yoga reinforces the belief that we humans are a sum total of our thoughts. That the physical body is also moulded and shaped by the abstract thoughts. Therefore for mastery over the body one will also have to strive for mastery over the mind.
If you read the ancient scripts and texts on Yoga, most of them talk about detachment. It was the fundamental but easily missed tenet of yoga that detachment from desires is the key to achieving fulfillment in this lifetime. However different times come with their own unique challenges and the one dilemma facing us in these millennial times is how can we apply this formula in the modern world when we have so many responsibilities, bills to pay, families to look after, a society to live in, our personal goals & aspirations. We cannot escape the realities and responsibilities of life but if we pay close attention to what goes on in our minds we will become aware of our thought pattern which in Yoga we refer to as Antaranga Sadhana (inner quest). Most of the time it is dominated by lower vibrational emotions like anger, fear, doubts, overthinking, past pain. This is precisely where our Yoga practice plays a vital role, we need to practice detachment from all these negative emotions that hamper our growth and are the biggest hindrance in our desire to live a more meaningful and profound life. Through the fluidity of yoga postures, fluidity of the mental state is to be sought so that the biggest problems in our mind are grappled with and the intrinsic energy flows through us unhindered. The body must serve to unravel the mind and vice versa.
When Asanas (Yoga postures), Pranayama (Breath-work) and Dhyana (Meditation) are practiced together it creates wondrous benefits that work on the three aspects of body, mind and soul. The practitioner must seek to build emotional intelligence that will prepare them to face the stresses and challenges of the modern world. Asanas make the body fit and strong while also infusing it with agility & flexibility. Pranayama captures the restlessness of the mind, brings clarity and improves the functioning of the central nervous system. The mind is taken from being a diffused flashlight to a highly focussed laser, capable of cutting through the Giordian knot of modern stressors and ultimately enhancing the body. Meditation is the highest level of concentration that will channelise your thoughts and emotions in the right direction and eventually put all the pieces together and keep in you in a higher state of life. This does not make your troubles go away but provides you with a tool to choose to make your troubles go away. So remember to enjoy your life and love your life. It is not perfect and yet it is always perfect for you. The point that it is happening now, not tomorrow or next month. Today is your day, go live it and make it an inspiring story.
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Rimi Sodhi, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Born in 1988 a practitioner and teacher of Yoga, Rimi's initiation into the discipline of Yoga happened at the age of 25. An intense self-practice led her to further study the spiritual philosophy and deepen her Yoga practice. She is the founder of Shivoham Yoga School and people from all over the world enroll for her Yoga programs to learn the powerful techniques of this ancient philosophy to face the modern world problems.
