Yoga, the science of man, based on ancient Indian wisdom and culture, is
an art of living a healthy, balanced, peaceful and contented life. Yoga,
being a total integrated system, studies man in his wholeness - body, mind
and spirit and is integrated to certain principles, ideas, values, attitudes
and a way of life for personal and social benefits.
Conceived by the great sages in their quest for self-realisation, it has
come to be recognised during its; long travails from the hermitages to the
cities, as the science of man, a philosophy old life, a code of conduct,
an attitude and an approach, as well as an art of living which is capable
not only of ensuring physical well-being, mental peace harmony, moral elevation
and spiritual uplift of man but also of transforming man from his gross
animal existence to the sublime heights of divinity.
It must, however be kept in mind that it is a long and arduous journey calling
for perseverance, persistence, dedication and total surrender.
There is no instant yoga. It is not a question of merely closing one's eyes
or of sitting in a posture. It involves cultivation of an attitude and approach
to life. It must not only be a philosophy to be imbibed but a practical
philosophy which must be lived. It is therefore, not enough to think of
yoga but to do it and to live it in our lives. It is also necessary to understand
that yoga is not a substitute for action. Human effort is indispensable.
The transformation is not at the cost of action but to enable us to perform
our duties more efficiently, more effectively and honestly.
Yoga had recognised and accepted the importance of the mind and the subconscious
over the total human personality much earlier than modern psychology did
in its present form. Yoga is a stepwise, stage wise eight fold path to final
liberation from pain and suffering.These steps progressively take us to
the highest state of creativity, of discriminative knowledge and towards
attaining the desired perfection.
Of these, the first five, which border on the Psychosomatic Approach, are
referred to as External (Bahiranga) yoga, popularly known as Hatha Yoga,
while the latter three, which directly affect the psyche are known as internal
(Antaranga) yoga, popularly known as Raja Yoga. It is almost impossible
to try internal yoga (Raja Yoga) for the average man before accomplishing
the external one (Hatha Yoga). The respective sequence of the eight steps
as the standard methodology of yoga.
Yoga is based on a deep understanding of man and his position in this world
and was the first system evolved in the world to recognise the connection
and the interaction between body and mind. It studies in depth the very
structure of the human personality, through analysis the psychological complexities
and the cause of human pain, sorrow and suffering. It has laid down psychosomatic
means through its various psycho-physiological processes for dealing with
the body mind complex and tries to harmonize and integrate the human personality
at all levels and stages of life.
Yoga is basically a way of LIFE which has been evolved as a system to
go beyond the personality - complex and achieve absolute freedom-liberation
of the spirit from the matter.
Some Renowned Yoga Centres are:
- Neyyar Yoga Centre
- Somatheeram Ayurvedic Hospital & Yoga Centre
- Ideal Yoga Centre
- Manaltheeram Yoga Centre.
