When I ask myself the most basic question “How am I today?”
I’d have varying answers, so varying that it might sometimes change every hour, leave alone the change happening with a fleeting day. I’m not surprised because I now know that something is constantly changing inside me. There are a few things which make me feel good and a few others which make me feel terrible.
I sometimes wonder am I an oscillating pendulum!!
Why is my balance shifting and changing with every exchange happening between my internal and the external worlds? Often times I’m thrown of balance and a myriad of emotions engulf me leaving me in a state that I dread.
When I ask myself why am I so vulnerable to these exchanges, the only answer is my IGNORANCE. I humbly accept that I never knew how to cultivate A STATE OF BALANCE, where I helplessly and innocently got trapped in these perplexing exchanges happening inside and out.
State of Balance is being able to maintain a calm and peaceful state within irrespective of the ceaseless exchanges.
“Is there a scientifically proven method which takes me closer in my pursuit of being BALANCED?”
I kept seeking genuine answers for this very question until my conscience was revealed to one of the greatest practice known to mankind.
The same quest that I had started thousands and thousands of years ago in the Indic civilisation and was beautifully put together in a precise yet profound way by the great Sage Patanjali as Yoga Sutras.
YOGA when practiced with reverence to ASTANGA (Asta means 8 and anga means limbs) brings about a holistic, transformative and sustained change in the state of a human being.
The Astanga or 8 tools of YOGA are a bouquet of wholesomeness each tool offering its unique goodness just to restore the balance
Yama
Niyama
Asana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi
I can’t emphasise enough about a very careful understanding, analysis and synthesis of each of these incredible and time tested tools of yoga, if one is firm on the goal of attaining a balanced state.
Bare it that the order of these tools has a very specific purpose. If one is able to adhere to tools 1 and 2 moving into the practice of tool 3 asana would be effortless and far beneficial rather than directly starting with asana or pranayama without knowing and practicing Yamas and Niyamas, nevertheless one can start from any tool and later be able to understand and practice all the tools for holistic well-being.
Understanding Yamas
Yama – The first limb of yoga is Yama, which sheds its light on 5 aspects that one needs to avoid or keep under control.
Ahimsa or non-voilence – In today’s contemporary world mankind has indulged in various kinds of harmful activities to their own self, to the fellow beings and to the environment. Practice of non-violence becomes all the more important in today’s world driven by consumerism. Being sensitive to oneself literally means to listen to the subtle clues given by the body as the body always tries relentlessly to restore balance. On the contrary we always ignore these clues insanely and constantly engage with the world outside of us and drift away like a floating cork from the clear voice coming from within. Being sensitive to fellow beings is treating the others exactly in the same manner that we would like to be treated and never forget the fact in every exchange. Being sensitive to the environment is to have a deep sense of respect to the world around which sustains and holds us, consciously minimising and avoiding activities which disturb or create an imbalance in the environment.
Satya or truthfulness – When we question ourself about this aspect “Is it always logical and possible to speak the truth?” How do we adhere to this Yama in such a complicated world which has a mix of good and bad, can we really live a life of meaning with out Satya?Truthfulness doesn’t mean to be speaking truth without tact, it is much more than expressing truth in speech and in action. Satya is to establish ourself in who we really are and the nature of our reality. Our actions, thoughts, moods, emotions are all part of our existence and not to forget these fluctuating experiences all form our Satya. Being truly aware of our Satya nudges us to take the right course. It teaches us to differentiate between the relative aspects (a fluctuating mind) and the absolute truth (pure consciousness and intelligence free of fear) ultimately helping to restore balance.
Asteya or non-stealing – The need to steal creeps in when we lack faith in our abilities, the moment we feel a lack – desire, want, greed arises and we begin to look for something outside of us which can fill the gaps, mistaking that everyone has what we lack. The word Yoga mean to yoke or unite, when we learn to unite with our inner self through the practice (abhyasa) of yoga in the true sense we automatically distance (viragya) ourself from the pitiful feeling called lack and gracefully, skilfully manoeuvr towards a feeling of wholesomeness by always recognising the incredible gift of life that’s bestowed upon us.
Brahmacharya or celibacy – The energy to create is so powerful and invigorating in each one of us, when one diverts the creative force into sexual pleasures the deep rooted focus to establish a state of balance is lost. A person who is lured into the bodily cravings would try to find satisfaction through the stimulation of senses resulting in a loss of self-restraint. Obsession with bodily pleasures is a great hindrance to achieving a state of balance. To be truly able to unleash this incredible life force one must posses a good level of self-discipline and be able to use it for creative pursuits and for greater well-being.
Aparigraha or non-possesion – We create an illusionary world within us where we totally forget the fact that parting is an obvious phenomenon to our existence. We get so caught up with the external world that we find it impossible to accept parting. We are deeply engrossed in our wealth, material possessions, loved ones and our own body that the moment we experience separation it throws us into a deep state of despair. Following aparigraha helps in curtailing the attachment (moha) with the external world and grounds us with our true self.
