{"id":8936,"date":"2016-02-17T21:30:44","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T21:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalpress.hinduismnow.org?p=8933&preview_id=8933"},"modified":"2016-02-17T21:30:44","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T21:30:44","slug":"the-most-ignored-part-of-what-it-means-to-do-yoga-the-mainstream-way-vs-the-ancient-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/?p=8936","title":{"rendered":"The Most Ignored Part Of What It Means To Do Yoga: The Mainstream Way vs. The Ancient One | Collective-Evolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Yoga\u00a0has become an immensely popular form of physical activity and relaxation in recent years. Those who practice it on a regular basis are constantly raving about its physical and mental benefits, and rightfully so. Regular practice can lead to increased strength, flexibility, and focus, and decrease one\u2019s\u00a0proneness to injury. It also enhances one\u2019s ability to concentrate, among many other benefits.<\/p>\n

What we don\u2019t often consider, however, are the spiritual teachings which underpin this ancient practice.\u00a0Yoga is much more than just physical exercise, though\u00a0this\u00a0rather reductive understanding makes up the\u00a0dominant perception of\u00a0Western society. There is nothing wrong with only engaging in the physical side of yoga, but it\u2019s important to understand\u00a0its roots and origins\u00a0in order to not only\u00a0reap its full benefits, but afford it the respect it deserves. Indeed, many would argue that one cannot claim to \u2018do yoga\u2019 if they are only practicing one aspect of it.\u00a0This article will discuss a couple of topics that are closely associated with yoga, but have been largely forgotten today by the Western world.<\/p>\n

The Western Perception of Yoga<\/h3>\n

The Western perception of yoga is not wrong by any means. As mentioned above, it mainly considers one component of yoga\u00a0\u2014 the physical act of\u00a0\u2018doing yoga\u2019 \u2014 without acknowledging the other, equally important aspects of this practice. The Western world was introduced to yoga in the late 1800s, when Swami Vivekananda, an Indian guru and yogic scholar, sparked a wave of\u00a0Eastern Yogi\u2019s setting up teaching centres in the West. Some of these gurus, like Vivekananda himself, attracted a lot of attention from prominent authors, scientists, and socialites.<\/p>\n

For example, Nikola\u00a0Tesla was well aware of ancient concepts and the correlation it had with the science he was working on, using sanskrit worlds like \u201cakasha\u201d and \u201cprana\u201d to describe the force and matter that exists all around us; these words come from the Upanishads (a collection of Vedic texts). Not many people know that\u00a0Tesla had correlations with Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), who was one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the philosophies of Vedanta (one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, the term originally referred to the Upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts in Hinduism) and yoga. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is a giant figure in the history of the Hindu reform movements.<\/p>\n

Vivekananda wrote a letter to Tesla in the late 1800s, remarking:<\/p>\n

Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go and see him next week to get this new mathematical demonstration. In that case the Vedantic cosmology will be placed on the surest of foundations. I am working a good deal now upon the cosmology and eschatology of the Vedanta. I clearly see their perfect union with modern science, and the elucidation of the one will be followed by that of the other. <\/strong><\/p>\n

(From the Complete Works, VOL. V<\/em>, Fifth Edition, 1347, p. 77.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was even a scholarly review of Vivekananda\u2019s published lectures, which appeared in the\u00a0American Journal of Theology<\/em> in 1895.<\/p>\n

Since the introduction of yoga to the Western world, its use has grown exponentially each year. In spite of this growth, however, is still mostly regarded as a physical practice, with its spiritual roots largely ignored or forgotten.\u00a0Nevertheless, the true purpose\u00a0of yoga is to achieve states of insightfulness. As I mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with \u00a0focusing on the physical\u00a0side of yoga, but it is important to be aware that you are choosing to do so. Actually engaging in yoga in the traditional sense is a much different enterprise.<\/p>\n

The True Nature Of Yoga<\/h3>\n

As mentioned above, the true nature of yoga is to achieve states of insightfulness, and this does not necessarily have to be done during the exercise part of it, although it helps and is part of the routine. There is some major energy work going on when practicing these poses, often comprising an opening up of major energy centres in your body, which improves energy flow.\u00a0One who does not engage in the physical\u00a0side of yoga can still be said to be practicing it and enjoy these energetic benefits.<\/p>\n

For example, in the second book of the Yoga Sutras, written by the Indian sage Patanjali about two thousands years ago, 8 paths are described:<\/p>\n