Dharma & self-health

I'm part of this hip, cool group that has decided to take up the study of Dharma in all its glorious facets. This month's theme is the title of this blog. The write-up is quite good, so here it is saved for posterity...an excerpt:

The main vehicles to understand Vedic wisdom are from the spiritual practices of asana, pranayama, puja, mantras and meditation. These practices are all elements of Yoga. The yogic tradition among Hindus began thousands of years ago. Originally, the Upanishads were the first source of yogic philosophy; the philosophy was described in more detail in many sections of the Mahabharat.

Yoga is derived from the root word yuj, meaning union. We use yoga to find the union within ourselves (jivatman) and with the cosmic being (Paramatman). There are 4 main paths of yoga: jnana (knowledge), bhakti (devotion), karma (service), and raja (technique). These four disciplines are not exclusive, nor is one better than the other. All four are equally as important and are treated equally in the scriptures. People may choose the discipline that suits their mental, intellectual, and emotional needs.

Jnana Yoga takes the path of knowledge that aims to make a distinction between the superficial self and the ultimate self. This is done by learning, reflecting, and then being able to see the limited self, and then unifying with Atman (soul). The goal is to move from avidya (ignorance) to vidya (knowledge).

Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion (to the Divine). It is pure, selfless love from the heart. In this path one strives for unconditional devotion to God. The aim of bhakti yoga is to dissolve the ego through devotion and to surrender to the will of Bhagwan. Here, we actively engage in various devotional activities such as repeating God's names, singing bhajans (devotional hymns), and having puja (worship). The ideal goal is to rid one^Òs self from the seven enemies of the soul:
lust (kama), egoism (ahankara), attachment (moha), anger (krodha), pride (mada), greed (lobha) and jealousy (matsarya).

The next path, Karma yoga, is based on one^Òs selfless service. Karma is derived from kri meaning ^Óto do^Ô and represents an action that leads to consequences in this lifetime or the next. It teaches us that work performed in the service of God and for the welfare of mankind leads to salvation ^× moksha. Good actions bring us closer to our goal while bad actions take us further away. These good actions are to be done without the desire of the fruits of action. Bad actions are performed with selfish motives and without consideration for others.

The last yoga is Raja yoga. This path is a scientific and systematic path that is comprised of body postures, breath control, and concentration. These exercises aid in taking the focus off of one^Òs self, overcoming mental and physical distractions, and calms the mind. This yoga helps purify the body and mind so as to develop a level of concentration that allows for the union with the Atman (soul). There are eight steps to this discipline.

The first, Yama (restraints), constitutes moral and ethical discipline and includes five restraints: Ahimsa (restraint from violence), Satya (restraint from falsehood), Asteya (restraint from stealing), Brahmacharya (restraint from sex), and Aparigraha (restraint from greed).

The second step is of Niyama (observances). This constitutes a spiritual discipline and includes five observances: Shaucha (cleanliness of body and purity of mind), Santosha (contentment), Tapasya (austerity), Svadhyaya (scriptural studies), and Ishvara-prani-dhana (surrender to God).

Asana (posture), the third step, assists in focusing the mind inward. Regular practice of this increases the body^Òs endurance, will power, and resistance to diseases.

Fourth, Pranayama (breath control) involves a series of breathing exercises designed to ensure deep breathing. This eliminates unwanted thoughts, thus producing a calm effect on the mind, which increases mental activity.

The fifth step is of Pratyahara, which means to withdraw the mind from sense perception so that it can focus on one thought.

The sixth step is Dharana (concentration). This is the idea of focusing the mind on one thought. Usually, the mind is directed to concentrate on a picture, a mantra, or even on one's breath.

The seventh step is Dhyana (meditation). Meditation is the state in which the mind is in the absolute state of non-doing. There are many benefits of meditation such as the relaxation of the body from tension caused by nerves and muscles, the decrease of mental restlessness, and the purification of the mind. Deep meditation is like a few hours of deep sleep. The relaxed position helps the mind to become strong and efficient, and therefore it adds a solid moral and ethical direction to one^Òs life. Meditation also purifies the mind of mental pollutants like envy, temper, anger, lust and other bad cravings. As these pollutants decrease, the mind is able to become freer, full of peace, wisdom, and joy. Another great thing about meditating is that it produces a sharper memory and intelligence. This is great for the student trying to get the 4.0 GPA. But, meditation also helps us get in tune with our true self (Atman).