Yoga is Union of Body, Mind and Spirit
by Lynn Walker*
One of the surest ways we can begin to understand each other is by defining — sometimes in detail — what something really means! From India, they define yoga as the highest knowledge of mankind, the science of inner-well- being. It is an ancient spiritual and physical discipline. Yoga is fundamentally the union of body, mind and spirit. Most people think that yoga is just a form of exercise. I know I did. That is just scratching the surface. It is only the beginning of a much deeper story. Anyone who practices a scientific technique for divine realization is a yogi or yogini. He or she may be either married or unmarried, one of worldly responsibilities or one of formal religious ties. The practice of yoga started around 3000 BCE in south Asia.
Yoga was introduced in the United States by Swami Vivekananda, who came for the First Interfaith gathering of the Parliament of all Religions at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The second interfaith gathering was the International Congress of Religious Liberals in 1920 in Boston.
Paramahansa Yogananda, also from India, came and then taught here for the rest of his life. He is aptly called The Father of Yoga in the West. He is the author of the spiritual classic, "Autobiography of a Yogi.” He began Self Realization Fellowship to teach yoga. He emphasized yoga is not a religion. It is a practical system of methods — open to all people. While it originated in India and shares historical roots with Eastern traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, it does not require you to worship a specific God, follow dogma or adopt a new faith. From "Man’s Eternal Quest," “the word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit language meaning 'union' of the individual soul with spirit. Within the Hindu Philosophy, Yoga is one of six orthodox systems: Vedanta, Mimosa, Sankhya, Vaisesika, Nyaya, and Yoga. "There are various types of yoga methods: Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. Raja or Kriya Yoga, rightfully called the “royal” or complete yoga. "This is what Self Realization Fellowship teaches. Wisdom directly from the heart of India’s greatest sage-scientists.
The great yogi Patanjali has outlined eight definite steps by which the Raja/Kriya Yogi attains union with God. These steps are (1) yama, moral conduct, (2) Niyama, religious observances, (3) asana, right posture to still bodily restlessness, (4) pranayama, control of prana (breath), (5) pratyahara, interiorization; (6) dharana, concentration, (7) dhyana, and (8) samadhi, superconscious experience.” Yoga is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. Twelve years ago, the United Nations proclaimed June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. The aim was to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. The World Health Organization also adopted yoga as a vital preventative tool. Notably, yoga has been shown to have immediate psychological benefits, decreasing anxiety and stress, and increasing feelings of emotional and social well-being. Approximately 300 million to 350 million people practice yoga worldwide.
About 34 million to 38 million Americans practice regularly. NASA astronauts practice yoga in space to combat the effects of microgravity and to stay centered in orbit. Corvallis is home to more than 100 registered yoga instructors, and dozens of studios and gyms actively serving the community, reflecting a high level of regular participation. Self-realization is knowing in body, mind and spirit that the kingdom of heaven is within. The true depth of this yoga-science is one of the greatest explorations of my life.
"Yoga is the art of doing everything with the consciousness of God.”
—Paramahansa Yogananda
*Lynn Walker is a member of Self Realization Fellowship (yogananda.org), Corvallis Meditation Circle (SRFcorvallismeditation.com) and Corvallis Interfaith Network (corvallisinterfaithnet.com).
