Exploring Indian Yoga: its Practice, Techniques, and Philosophy

Derived from the invocation--"Yoga" a term believed to have been originated in India over 5000 years ago--Yoga embodies much more than the postures adopted by the body that Western culture associates with it. At its very core, yoga is a complete system serving holistic well-being--under multiple techniques with philosophical principles integrated in a complete body, mind, and spirit approach.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga


The eightfold path of Ashtanga in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras states that yoga is the absolute complete path, which provides a complete framework for practice:

Yama: These are the five ethical principles of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (right use of energy), and aparigraha (non-greed). All are held as a foundation for interacting with others and the world.
Niyama (personal observances): These five niyamas-saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvara pranidhana (surrender to the divine)-deal with personal conduct and attitude.
Postures: Modern yoga has turned to a great extent into merely doing asanas. Originally, however, asanas served to prepare the body for meditation exercises, making it stronger, flexible, and enduring.
Pranayama (breath control): Through breath control, these techniques involve in capturing the life force (prana) as manifested in energizing and calming the mind through balancing the energy channels.
Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal): Redirecting the focus between internalized attention and external stimuli promotes greater refined awarenesse.
Dharana (concentration): This focuses the mind on the one point in preparation for meditation.
Dhyana (meditative process): The attention course concentrated towards a single object undergoes profound stillness.
Samadhi (enlightenment/bliss): The final goal of yoga is a state of unity with universal consciousness.

Practical Techniques for the Modern Practicer 

Awareness of Breathing: A few minutes a day at first observe simply the breathing pattern; notice how one breathes well enough in one's rhythm without trying to change it, then slowly build up to an awareness of subtler sensations.
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar): An integrated sequence of 12 postures where the movement is synchronized with breathing so as to efficiently warm up the body while paying homage to the life-giving energy of the sun-3-12 rounds daily will help to build strength and flexibility.
Meditation: Short sessions can be quickly developed: 5 minutes of sitting and focusing on breath, a mantra (sacred sound), or a visualization, to anchor the mind.
Yoga Nidra: This "yogic sleep" has an extremely deep relaxation while keeping consciousness. A half-an-hour practice may be as recharging as several hours of traditional sleep.  

Philosophical Backgrounds 

The Bhagavad Gita counts three main yogas as a type of discipline:
Karma Yoga: The selfless-action aspect of karmayoga, which entails doing the prescribed duty without concern for its fruits, dedicating all action to others.
Bhakti Yoga: Who is developing love for God by means of ritual and prayer?
Jnana: The final path to knowledge uses intellectual study and self-evaluation to determine the ultimate truth.
Incorporation in Daily Life
That is good so true: yoga does not only exist at specific times dedicated to it; it can be brought into daily life by:

1. Bringing mindful awareness to simple everyday actions
2. Stopping with conscious breathing when stressful times come up
3. By applying yamas and niyamas to everyday choices
4. Building new relationships with challenges in your life
5. Practicing gratitude and contentment no matter what

When taken in the comprehensive sense of terms of yoga as a life style rather than merely working out, yoga practitioners are changing not just physically with much less vitality but also at all levels-spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. This in itself is the right essence of the best tradition of yoga in the realm of India and perhaps the best wisdom for facing the challenges of modern life with presence and purpose.