An Introduction to Yoga [antikvár]

s AN INTRODUCTION TO YOG-IntroductionYoga is not merely a series of exercises simultaneously energizing and relaxing the body, it is a means of harmonizing the mind, body, and spirit and is a great tool of transformation.Om asathoma satgamaya Thamasoma Jyotirgamaya Mrithyorma Amrithangamaya Om Shanti Shanti ShantiOm lead me from the unreal to the real From darkness to light From the predicament of death, to immortality Om peace, peace, peaceSanskrit chantIn the chitta-vrtti, a text that codifies the subject, yoga is defined as chitta-vrtti-nirnhdah, the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Yoga is actually a state of being, not an exercise or a physical posture.The aim of yoga is to separate the spirit within from the physical body which acts as its vessel. As the yoga practitioner seeks control over the mind, the thoughts are stilled and the yogi's essential purity is regained.This neutralization of the turnings of thought occurs in a trancelike state known as sanmcllii.Asann, the use of physical postures, is the practice most commonly equated with yoga in the West. Asana helps to open and prepare the body for the long hours of meditation necessary to reach this goal. It also alters the subtle energies of the body, clearing the path for the experience of higher states.