I’m sure that all of us know what Yoga is. But just to launch my article formally, let's start with a 

Prayer of Yoga - "Yogena chittasya padena vācāṁ Malaṁ śarīrasya vaidyakena Yo'pākarot tamāham Śrī Gurum dīyānam"

Meaning: Practice of Yoga creates spiritual union of soul with God. With Yoga, mind can be purified. Yoga elevates what you speak and what you communicate by making your speech, thoughts and intentions pure. That all the toxins from the body be erased and promote for an overall wellness. I bow before the Guru who guides me in my yogic journey as I actively take part in my transformative journey.

What's Yoga?

Yoga might have different meanings if seen from different perspectives. For someone, it might mean 'devotion to God', for somebody else - a matter of silence, or 'chanting of mantras' or 'exercises' or much more.

But I believe that "Yoga is a pure consolidation of mind, senses, body & being". Yoga is a Sanskrit word translated as “yoke” or “union.” To yoke means to bind together; or to unite. Vedas in Sanskrit also mention of Yolk where an infant is developed in its initial stage inside the womb of a woman. Similarly, we can equate the development of the senses of Yoga with yolk.

History of Yoga

Yoga is an ancient tradition of incredible India. It has been in practice from the time of birth of mankind and it also finds its place in sacred scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, Veda, Vedanga, Upanishadic teachings etc. Sage Patanjali is known to have scripted most or all of Yoga Sutras.

It is in itself a therapy which invites absolutely no restriction or limitation per se. A harmonious synchrony between oneself and the higher self (God) can be witnessed with the help of yoga. To some, it is a state of awakening; while to some others - a state of enlightenment.

However, the only clarity to be highlighted is that Yoga is not Asanas alone, neither is Yoga about breathing exercises. Instead, Yoga tunes our lives optimistically.

True Stories

A 40-year-old man from Australia was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. 

Stage 4 cancer is regarded as that stage which is next to impossible to be cured. Now, just to bring some clarity to what exactly is cancer - it is a disease caused due to mutations in gene of an individual. Normal cells become cancerous & they begin to spread all over the body.  Next information is about the stages of cancer. Stages are named based on the extent to which cancerous cells get evolved all over the body. 

So, returning back to the 40-year-old patient -  he was fed up with treatments & syringes. Plus, he developed other comorbidities like Blood pressure also in the process. But, the clinic where he received treatment, had once invited a few Yoga trainers, in order to ease the fear from patients. So, the yoga session was organized twice a week. Initially, everybody participated only for the sake of participating. But, after a couple of days; this 40-year-old patient developed interest in Yoga. He began performing yoga religiously every single day, without fail. Guess what?

Stage 4 reduced to lower stages & he sought cure to an extent that he is completely free from the ailment as of today. 

Though his biopsy reports had indicated for his 41st birthday to be his last birthday; he celebrated his 60th birthday heartily & healthily last year. 

Moral of the story:

"Day 1 or Day 2 may not impact much, but with consistent Yoga; one can assure of renewal of his/her liveliness. It definitely guides the way of Life towards contentment and sense of satisfaction. No wonder, it can perhaps provide you with a second life too or rather second birth, as observed in the case above".

Another interesting story comes from an Orthopedic patient from Maharashtra. The patient met with a severe accident & had a bad fracture. Her recovery rate was expected to be around 0.0015% (near to not possible). She underwent heart-wrenching physiotherapy, followed a healthy diet & tried all ways & means. Her dedication cured her case to a pretty good level too. But, she was slightly behind the mark for being declared as 'Fit to Walk'. That was because of a lack of mental strength. She had nearly accepted the fact that her condition had no signs of recovery until one fine day when she encountered the magics of Yoga & Meditation. Slowly & steadily, she began to practice yogic asanas & exercises. On day 1, she could hardly move her limbs.

But, with weeks of practices; her stretches sought improvement. From 60 degree stretches to 80, 85, 90 degrees as well & even beyond.Her flexibility overpowered that of a normal human too & she walks as though she was not the one who had a fracture at all. She also worked on herself internally by concentrating on her mindset, by becoming aware of her thought-process. 

With this, not only did her bone deformities improve but she also enjoys being called - 'woman of strong-willpower'. Afterall, she deserves the title too! 

Moral of the story:

"Mind is more powerful than you think. You only need to know the art of channelizing your thoughts in the right direction at the right time".

3rd true story comes from Mumbai where a girl from Bandra was detected with a tumor. She couldn't bear the expenses of her treatment. But all she did was - visiting a Chapel every Sunday without fail. Her infinite faith in the Almighty evaded the tumour too.

Moral:

Connecting oneself with the higher self merges two in one & plays a role which heals every ailment.

This proves that "YOGA SE HOGA!"

6 Aspects of Yoga include:

1. Raja (the royal path) – focuses on meditation practices.
2. Karma (the path of action) – focuses on action and service in day-to-day life.
3. Jnana (the path of knowledge) – focuses on wisdom and self realization.
4. Bhakti (the path of devotion) – focuses on devotion to Almighty.
5. Tantra (the path of ecstasy) – focuses on ritual and initiation.
6. Hatha (the forceful path) – focuses on energy and movement of the body.

Although our ancestors practiced strict and rigid yogic practices, considering the busy schedules & work-demands of 21st century, mere 30 mins of yoga per day has also produced phenomenal outcomes.

How to do Yoga?

Do we 'do yoga' or 'yoga is pretty natural and integral functioning of our organs?'. Well, we don't say - 'I do sleep..!' we say - 'I sleep'. You cannot track the process that takes place when you sleep. Isn't it? You just close your eyes and get into the state of subconscious mind. Similarly, Yoga is not done. It takes place when you become aware of it.

To quote another example - We often come across breathing practices in Yoga. Does that mean that if had we not heard of breathing practice, we'd never know it? or do we breathe only when we perform yoga? Absolutely Not!! In-fact, we breathe every single second. But Yoga, makes us aware of every breath.

Examples of people who propagated Yoga:

1. Ashoka - The Great

This Mauryan Ruler who ruled for 2.5 years and with an absolute record of non-stop victory over other rulers and kingdoms, turned towards Yoga. He was so much so capable of taking control over territories, that you name an Empire & he could win it. Yet, post-Kalinga war; when he saw destruction around and corpses of large numbers of men lying with their loved ones weeping for them, he gave up war and immersed himself in Buddhism. He even mentions in one of his rock edicts that “sounds of peace” weigh heavier than “sounds of war”. He began meditating and started to preach non-violence and peace all over the world.

2. Gautam Buddha

Siddhartha or Gautam Buddha was born in a Royal Family. His Father wanted him to rule as an able ruler. But for too long, he was unaware of multiple aspects of life. One day, during a tour around his palace; he learnt lessons of wisdom through different situations. At first; he came across a dying man who taught him that everything in this universe is transient. After sometime, a sick man enlightened to him that this body which we fondle so much; is meant to turn to ashes some day. Later, an old man taught him that human life is a circle which starts from childhood - followed by adulthood and then comes old age. These messages enabled Buddha to seek the true and deeper meaning of Life. Hence, at the age of 29, he gave up his Grihasta(family life) & wandered around until he found a Peepal tree, beneath which; after prolonged meditation, not minding heat/cold; hunger/thirst; day/night; he meditated perseverently. That was how he realised the higher calling and self-awakening.

3. Albert Einstein

The most brilliant individual who gave us all a very famous equation of E = MC2 also was an ardent preacher of Yoga. Through this equation and his research studies, he proved to the world that everything we see, hear, sense, speak, feel, experience etc is nothing but 'Energy'. That the universe is made up of energy and the only way how we can tap ourselves into this universal energy is through meditation. 

In addition, he also mentioned about the inter-connectedness that exists in our surrounding where everything in the time & space is bound to be linked to each other. This clearly resonates the attachment with the cosmos.

4. To add to this, a finest example from modern times, as has been evident through a research work has been that of a Mass gathering of Monks from all over the world in a particular place. This place in U.S had reported multiple crime cases and many disturbing numbers. 

So, it was planned to organize yoga for world peace and guess what? 

A 2-hour yoga reduced the crime rate by 40%. This was possible because infinite positive vibrations resulting out of meditation produced ripple effects and reverberated cellular-level Healing all over.

5. Big Quiet is a mass yoga practice that takes place in New York. Yoga capital of India - the city of Rishikesh also houses a large number of yoga enthusiasts.

Recent Examples

• Simone Biles:  an Olympic medallist advocates for yoga & meditation to attain mental peace.
• Novak Djokovic once said - "Meditation is one of the main points in my day as it is very important to me."
• LeBron James: The famous basketball player attributes credits to meditation for success in his game.
• PV Sindhu: has always emphasized upon mental fitness through yoga & meditation. 

What makes Yoga so powerful?

For some time, let’s forget this question and instead close our eyes, put on earphones and listen to nature’s voice. You may use your own playlist comprising of sounds of nature, or actually sit amidst the womb of nature and hear to natural sounds. Sounds of breeze or songs of birds; sounds of raindrops or waterfalls; fragrance of flowers or waggling dance form of bees. After 15 minutes of delving into this experience, slowly open your eyes. Do you feel relieved? Do you feel refreshed? If the answer is Yes, you learnt the art of self-realisation.

Now, turning to the question of what makes yoga so powerful? - Let’s recollect some high school science. 

We all know that everything around us is energy. Energy is neither created nor destroyed but is only transformed from one form to another. 

A good news is that Gita mentions of the same, exact point in its chapter 2, verse 20 as it reads:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre

Meaning: Soul is neither created nor destroyed but only transcends from one body to another.

Now, what this connotes is that no energy is lost. It remains constant. But, if we imagine energy to reside inside bubble of atom; we can infer that this atom is always in motion. Just like how selecting a radio frequency, enables us to switch to a particular radio-station, similarly; energy around us is also vibrating at different frequencies.

To immerse ourselves into positive frequencies, requires us to begin making use of optimistic speech. Optimistic communication is possible only with an optimistic mind.

Science says that for hormones like adrenaline or serotonin or endorphins or dopamine etc (which cause state of happiness or sadness); to be released, it is very pivotal to keep mental health in check. Because neurons that release the above hormones, seek nutrition from neural system, which is again integrated with a person’s consciousness. 

We may have heard this famous quote that says - “You are what you think and you think what you say”, this implies that positive affirmations and good self-talk are essential to charge ourselves with positivity. 

Returning back to the concept of Energy vibrating at different frequencies, in order to tune ourselves to positive frequencies, we must relax our minds. It is only when the mind is made to reduce the stress, burden, anxiety, pressure, tension etc; that it can resonate and attract good vibrations around or vibrate itself to good frequencies. This calls for ‘Meditation’. A determined focus on "inhale & exhale" with eyes closed, can lead us to shut the noise around & from within and permit ourselves to feel the bliss that higher power wants us to feel.

Vibe is the trending term on social media platforms these days. What it really means is nothing but an instant emotion or aura felt on sighting something beautiful or feeling marvellous. Vibes matter because it plays the role of "mood-booster", instinctively. 

Vibe is a short form for "Vibration". 

They say that God is not in mountains or temples alone but inside every single creature. So, how and what you talk to your inner self is exactly what you communicate to the Almighty as well. When you do this, you experience the joy of the human form of life. You begin to smile and appreciate every tiny thing. Your source of joy shifts from expensive vacations, costly materialistic gifts or luxurious aspects to simplicity and serenity.

When was the last time that you saw a flower bloom, or a bird building its nest, or walked into woods, or got yourself entangled inside a spider’s web, or witnessed sunrise or sunset, or got drenched in rain, or hit by waves at the beach?

Or let’s talk of basic simple joyous moments - when did you have your loved one sit by your side and chit-chat with a sip of coffee, or when was the last time when your Mom gave you an Oil Massage, or when did you cook on your own, or went on a trip with your school friends, or met your teachers/relatives?

Being grateful for the Life, for your hands & legs, for a roof on top and meals per day is a huge reason to say Thank-you Lord.

When yoga teaches you to remain calm, it automatically detaches you from procrastination and overthinking too. 

After all, when overthinking simply means that you are either lost in the past or thinking about something which has never happened yet; it also implies that you are letting your mind create a scenario which you yourself are unsure if would take place in reality or not. Most of us become victims of day-dreaming & overthinking and that’s exactly when we must recollect a famous dialogue from “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” where Katrina Kaif said - ‘Seize the day my friend. Live today, in this moment first & then think about 40 years later”. 

Dwight Eisenhower once said : "Neither a wise man nor a brave man has ever lied down on the tracks of history to wait for train of future to run over him".

Anger, frustration, strong-headedness, and short temper are those emotions that get triggered as a result of over-occupying one's mind. Reports say that the human mind generates nearly 84000 thoughts per day. If there's anybody to whom we talk the most to, throughout; it's with our mind. The mind knows no difference between imagination & reality. It simply transmits impulses of hormones from the nervous system to all other parts. If there's anxiety coming in, the cardiovascular system gets notified with beeps. If happy hormones find travelling, it smoothens the functioning of our immune system. A good mindset is similar to oiling oneself for a healthy lifestyle. 

Counting numbers, diverting attention, or evading from the scene may help one to keep the peace but the best part about yoga is that it prevents the release of exaggerated emotions. It prepares you to handle stress sensibly.

Yoga & meditation helps us to fill Life to every moment. Gyms create biceps but muscle-energy and bone-strength required to carry weights and so as biceps, come from Yoga.

Different postures and different Asanas have different reasons and significance.

For Eg: Surya Namaskar - Salutation to Sun through 12 asanas is called Surya Namaskar. This is usually done during Sun-rise, as a token of gratitude to the forces of Nature, especially Surya Dev.

Every Asana out of 12, improves the immune system and invites oxygen inside every cell & tissue of the body. It improves blood circulation & also enhances the mobility of muscles.

Step 1. Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Step 2. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Step 3. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Step 4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Step 5. Dandasana (Stick pose)

Step 6. Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points)

Step 7. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Step 8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog pose)

Step 9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Step 10. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Step 11. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Step 12. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

A surprising coincidence is that there exist 12 Jyotirlingas in Universe and Surya Namaskar is complete with 12 Asanas too. Jyotirlingas means ‘Radiant light of Shiva’s essence’. We know that Lord Shiva is the Creator, Preserver & destroyer of the universe, hence rightly worshipped as Para Brahma. 12 Asanas of Surya Namaskar may also have arisen with the grace of the Lord himself, to whom we bow reverentially to.

Yoga can help attune to positivity by uplifting us to match us with higher energy around. It for sure promises for a satisfied living and a rejoicing lifestyle. It has in it, the ability to strengthen our aura and cleanse out the toxin. The overall metabolism improves and increases manifold. Anything that can keep us away from causing stress, is indeed nothing next to calling ‘a great source of power’. Hence, Yoga can be rightly regarded as a powerful weapon for helping us shine above the glory.

International & National Contributions towards Promoting Yoga:

Recognizing the significance of Yoga, the United Nations declared 21st June to be celebrated as International Yoga Day every year. The very 1st Yoga Day was celebrated in 2015. Yoga has been regarded as an eminent tool to realise healthy lifestyles as one of the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. It has been believed that Yoga would help reduce Non-communicable diseases & also enhance virtues such as forgiveness, mutual coexistence etc required for the peaceful functioning of the polar world.

The theme for Yoga Day 2024 was - "Yoga for self & society". On this day, PM of our country Sri Narendra Modi took part in Yoga day, all the way from Jammu & Kashmir. He addressed the Nation iterating words of "Yoga is being looked for global good" & also highlighted various schemes implemented for promotion of Yoga in the Nation & across the world. 

• The Ministry of AYUSH undertook 2 projects in collaboration with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation - for Yoga therapy in cancer management & study of relevant data to reduce cancer cases. The study showed a significant decrease in anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia & fatigue.
• The Ministry of AYUSH also carries out campaigns to increase awareness among the masses.
• It also releases funds to states to promote yoga through workshops/webinars etc.

An Idea to let Yoga reach door-to-door:

Organizing a Yoga Fair in our cities would be the best way to reach the wonders to many homes. This could be done by arranging for a huge ground or ground-like stadium that can accommodate a large number of Yoga enthusiasts. Yoga experts who have attained certifications could mentor people and share some wisdom about the benefits of yoga. To let kids and youngsters to enjoy yoga with music; we ought to make use of songs/aerobic music and encapsulate interest and excitement through yoga-cum-dance like movements. Very few know that dance is also an integral form of yoga itself. 

We must also plan to make separate arrangements for old-aged, infants/kids and specially-abled as well; by availing chairs and other materials which can comfort them, in case they find it difficult to do some exercises. Most importantly, arranging for an on-spot team of Doctors and an ambulance could be wise too. To make this fair, and accessible to all; we should try to not charge any entry fee. To keep up the interest intact, the fair could be made more interesting by inviting influencers/motivators/celebrities who could let people know the advantages of yoga. Water breaks, diet plans, free body check-ups, and laughter therapies combined with spreading awareness about the magics of mental fitness could do wonders. 

I strongly believe that appreciation and apprehensions can make lazy humans too, to give up laziness and direct herself/himself towards more active and positive lifestyle. Hence, by maintaining or asking people to maintain a score-card for their performance; we must intend to increase interest in people to incline themselves towards yoga. At the end of the fair, conducting a contest and distributing prizes/rewards to encourage people to keep their thumbs up for yoga would add cherry-on cake. A certificate of Participation for all those who participated would act like an incentive as well. In addition, giving free yoga-mats/T-shirts/shoes to those who showed consistency throughout could also make some difference. 

Weight loss, body fitness, and diets are terms that are frequently heard and often searched for, on Google. Hence, by making Yoga all the more fun & happening, we can succeed in our motto of people losing out their weight and bringing smiles on their faces as well. There have been cases when patients who had to undergo surgeries have had to cancel surgeries due to yoga. When this information reaches many more ears, I’m sure; people would automatically begin to start doing Yoga regularly. In addition, we could also request Government officials to include yoga certificates in schools, as a part of extra-curricular activity so that it can create an urge in kids too.

If Yoga comes in as a separate subject itself in schools, it would be even better. Certainly, media/mass media/social media/newspapers etc could be made use of; for people to know about the Yoga-Fair.

To especially emphasize upon students who face a tough time focusing on studies, we could ask for Psychologists or field-experts or Bureaucrats to share their memory tricks. This approach might help students to concentrate on their studies. All of us may have heard at least for once in our lives this very beautiful line of - ‘Focus on your studies’. But has anybody or any course taught us as to how to focus or how to concentrate? Unfortunately no. Thus, we ought to touch upon that aspect. Ultimately every person is found booking for hill-side resorts or beach-side homestays, even at the cost of not carrying phones in the premises. This they do, just to seek mental “Peace”.

What Sunrises/Sunsets feel like, how enchanting it is to listen to birds chirping or smell pleasant flowers, what are dew drops, how rain showers sound like, moreover how often are we grateful for this amazing human life; are hardly acknowledged. Simply log in to your Instagram account and you’ll find at least 3/5 posting their stories with Sun in it. Trust me, these are the ones who’ve tasted the experience of positive vibes from the Sun. There’s an optimistic energy in Nature & forces of Nature. We ought to explore it to the best of our capability.

“When we become capable of listening to music even amidst plethora of noise around, that is exactly when we have achieved the Yogic wisdom”.

They say that languages, cultures, and cuisines, change from 1 kilometre to another because we live in a diverse world. Cities have different names but are bonded by humanities. Boundaries of cities can be changed, and names can be altered or merged with other cities but what’s eternal is/are the legacies that its customs and traditions leave behind. The beauty of making people feel special comes from purity & that is an outcome of Yoga. Ultimately Yoga does not tire oneself but brings in phenomenal energy.

Hence, I conclude with Chankya’s quote: “Fragrance of Flowers spreads in the direction of the wind. But fragrance of your deodorant spreads through lives you impact the most.”

Let’s imbibe this magical beauty of Yoga in ourselves and make this beautiful world, the best one. Let’s carry with us moments of happiness & let us all leave behind footprints of joy, for the world to inspire & smile. 

.    .    .

Reference: 

• https://www.artofliving.org