International Yoga Day Celebrations

International Yoga Day Celebrations

The Word yoga brings too your minds the images of people stretching and holding their body in different postures, inhaling and exhaling consciously. This is because yoga today is almost synonymous with hatha yoga and is seen the world over as means to enhancing our physical well-being.

But the original yoga of Bharat, one that is credited with giving the yogis a higher understanding of things and a sense of equanimity, one that is said to change the world by bringing harmony within and around us is about exercising our true self – the spiritual being of light that operates through the physical body and is separate from it. This ancient form of meditation is called Rajyoga as it empowers us to assert our natural state as rulers of our physical senses and our subtle faculties of mind and intellect.

Yoga literally means communion. It can be understood as a process of connecting with our pure inner self through our thoughts, forging a mental love link with our ever pure Supreme Spiritual Father, and eventually landing in a space where we are one with ourselves, the human family and nature. A Rajyogi taps into the essential qualities of his being and finds lasting fulfillment in expressing the goodness within.

Rajyoga enables us or pushes us to aspire for a life in which our inner voice has every say, and where there is no difference between what we do and what we truly believe in. However, the subtle and long-term benefits of Rajyoga can only be experienced if our lifestyle is supportive of them. If we follow a consumerist culture and are slaves to temporary highs, our efforts to meditate do not bear much fruit because yoga is the opposite of bhoga.

A Rajyogi does appreciate and enjoy the interconnectedness of the spiritual and material worlds but knows that the spirit can play its role well only when it remains self-sovereign, above the influence of matter. He thus follows the mantra of simple living and high thinking.

A Rajyogi moves away from a self-centred, body-conscious   lifestyle to one of self-awareness and soul-consciousness. He values his karma and treads judiciously, taking in view the larger picture. His actions at every step are simple, non-violent and liberating for the self and others. He also believes in giving back to the environment.

It implies that a yogi is strictly vegetarian and follows the path of truth. He uses his resources wisely and chooses his company with great care – company here includes people, thoughts or activities he spends time on. All these choices pave the way for a healthy mind, a happy heart and a healed body.It is interesting to note that while the prime aim of hatha yoga is to have a fit and flexible body and to reach a state of inner calm through physical kriyas, Rajyoga works the other way round. It addresses our issues at the           fundamental level by transforming our thought patterns and enhancing our emotional resilience. With regular practise of Rajyoga, our thoughts align with eternal truth and become pure, positive and powerful. As a result, many life- changing benefits are received, and enhanced physical well- being, longevity of life and inner stability are a few of them.

While hatha yoga can be performed only by those who are in good shape, Rajyoga being an inner process can be practiced by anyone, anywhere. That is why it is also called sahej yog or easy meditation.

If we look at the world today, the bhogi lifestyle – which is characterized by the race of competition, comparison and sensual gratification and is omnipresent. Our tendency to satiate desires at the cost of our spiritual quest is behind all our problems. For example, the growing gap between the rich and the poor can be attributed to greed, while the rise in diseases is a result of hurry, worry and curry.

Returning to the original yoga of Bharat is the clear call of the present time. Brahma Kumars and Kumaris around the world are following this ancient form of meditation and sattvic lifestyle as taught in the Bhagvad Gita. They are doing the noble service of creating peace and harmony in the world by teaching everyone Rajyoga.