YOGA: A modern Day Perspective

Yoga has been one of the most popular exports of India to the world in the 21^st century. This was recognized when the UN 20^th June as the International Yoga Day. In the Gita it is mentioned that the knowledge of Yoga was passed on by the Sun to Manu in the beginning of the creation. Since then it has evolved in many ways in its practice and knowledge. Each tradition has had its own adepts who transcended the mundane boundaries and realized the eternal truth.

Existence of multiple methods often leads to lack clarity about the objective and the people end up focusing more on the method rather than the objective. Patanjali in is Yogasutras has defined Yoga as the cessation of the perturbations of the mind. This succinct definition may seem too surreal to the topsy turvy postures and vigorous breathing exercises that we may usually associate with Yoga. Hence, Yoga when practiced in the right spirit bears fruit to any person irrespective of the age, place and condition. This is because everyone, from every walk of life, is afflicted by some or the other perturbation of the mind, usually. These afflictions on the subtle level surface as diseases on the gross level.   

Sage Patanjali by his Ashtanga method of Yoga has presented a systematic disciplined way of tackling the mind to reach a state where the mind floats like a lotus in the pond of this world, unaffected by the water underneath. In today’s fast paced world driven by materialism Yoga can be the anchor that provides physical, mental and spiritual stability to the individual. This is possible when the each limb of the eight fold path is imbibed in its essence in every sphere of our life.

A holistic understanding of the various limbs is essential to make the Ashtanga method relevant in the modern day perspective. The first limb of the Ashtanga method starts with Yama. It deals with the conduct of an individual that shapes his approach to life. There are five yamas to be followed-satya(truth), ahimsa(non-violence),asteya(non-stealing), brhamacharya(celibacy) and aparigraha (non- accumulation). A generic approach to understanding these concepts makes them applicable from the workplace to home. Persistent contemplation of these principles in our day to day activities reveals their esoteric nature that is beyond the literal domain.

The first limb leads us to the next limb which is niyamas. These are certain physical activities and mental observations which one is supposed to observe in their daily lives. These cleanse the body and mind preparing oneself for further training ahead. The niyamas are shaunch (internal and external cleansing), tapas (mindful exertion of the senses), santosh (satisfaction), swadhayay (self study of the relevant texts), Ishwar pranidhan (belief in God). Yamas and Niyamas when observed diligently, prepare a strong foundation for proceeding further in the discipline of yoga. These foundational stages in Yoga are liable to be ignored by the people where the practice may revolve around the notion that yoga is only the ability to flip over your back or having a toned body.

Asana is the next stage after the yamas and niyamas. Asana or the postures have been inspired from the various life forms existing in the nature. The human body has been considered the most privileged to be born into out of the 84,00,000 life forms in the nature. Hence the ideal human should have a body fit and supple enough to resemble any of the living forms. While it is practically infeasible for an average person to master all the asanas or postures possible, practice of some chief ones is enough to achieve the desired objective. Practice of asanas removes the blocked energy channels of the body and improves the concentration of the mind. An asana practice that proceeds keeping in mind the individual body’s requirements and limitations minimizes the chances of injury giving multidimensional benefits to the body.

Once the energy and nervous channels of the body have been strengthened enough by the practice in the aforementioned 3 stages, one can move to the practice of pranayama. Pranayama is the increasing of awareness of the life energy or prana in the body. A fairly clean body with a strong nervous system is a prerequisite for success in the pranayama.

So far we delved on the outer limbs of Yoga. These lead to the inner limbs which start with pratyahara-the fifth limb. Pratyahara deals with directing the awareness of our senses from the outer world to the inside. The realm of inner awareness brings profound calm to the mind and serves as a fertile ground for the cultivation of thought. Practice of pratyahara aids in development of the concentration power.

Dharana- the sixth limb develops the thought of the aspirant in a particular direction towards the supreme reality-the object of yoga. In the Gita it has been said that there are infinite ways to achieve union of the individual being with the supreme spirit. Hence, dharana will be practiced by the aspirant based on his mental conditioning that involves his past actions and their accumulated effects on his subtle body and mind. It can be construed as a particular body of thoughts and beliefs that a yoga practitioner should build up aided by the preceding limbs.

The practice of dharana paves the way for the seventh limb- Dhyana or meditation. It’s a state where the mind ceases to fluctuate in the past and future and becomes effortlessly aware of the present. Meditation practice should be done in a generic manner to bring under its ambit all our basic and specialized activities.

Meditation is the key that unlocks the door to the state of Samadhi. The heightened self-consciousness achieved from the practice of meditation gets dissolved in the ocean of supreme consciousness in this final stage of yoga. One may not be necessarily sitting in the lotus position in this state. It’s a state where one gets into harmony with the universe in which ever manner or place he’s exists.

Each limb should be understood in its essence and accordingly applied in every aspect and stage of our life. Coordination of all the eight limbs leads to a yogic lifestyle for the person. It is pertinent to note that a yogic lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean a hermitic lifestyle. Yoga transforms the level of awareness in our life from mere existence to liberation. The Yogi becomes a jivanmukta-one who’s attained a sense of inner freedom while living. He’s free from the clutches of desires and ego. His state can be summed up in the words of Ghalib :

Duniya mein hoon duniya ka talabgaar nahin hoon
bazaar se guzra hoon kharidaar nahin hoon

Zinda hoon magar zeest ki lazzat nahin baaqi
har chand ke hoon hosh mein hoshiyaar nahin hoon       

Holy Smoke

A few days ago world anti drug trafficking day was celebrated. The aphorism "curiosity killed the cat" becomes the epitaph for many who take this treacherous path and get lost somewhere.Somewhere some place where we stay in this world but think beyond it. The city's a metro but the spending is at the streets.People are the same but they don't seem to understand.What does it take to get you there?I believe everyone's had his own share of rounds of bout with intoxication. Some get knocked out in the first round itself.They are the lucky ones I must say.They throw in the towel soon.One of the many indiscretions of youth as Mr. Lalit Modi might put it.(just google that if you didn't get it!).The twist in tale comes when you start enjoying the knock out. One keeps fighting round after round anticipating that hit.When it does come it brings out your most humble self.Never felt so ecstatic and helpless at the same time.The mind ceases to wander.It melts away into that zero which adds nothing takes nothing multiplies into nothing neither divides into anything.One wonders the reason behind an increased number who take take this abyssal plunge to oblivion.The irony is that a major part of those affected are "educated" youth often with a sound family and academic upbringing.This is a glaring aberration in the image of an aware and conscious youth that we often perceive of today.This can't be attributed to ignorance or lack of knowledge.The information age has ensured that we stay connected to the outside world irrespective of  place and time.It's the connection with the inner world that's suffering the bandwidth constraint. The result is people who are aware of their rights but don't know what is right for them.I do not intend to denounce the curious and adventurous lot.However adventure and curiosity in their true spirit are all pervading in nature.If thrill wisps way with that surreal boom from a bong then definitely there's a dearth of spirit in life.The constant exudation about the things around us has led to a self identity crisis.All are striving to live up to a general standard of  perceived well being which is ephemeral for every age group.In this process they stop paying heed to the unique beckoning from the inside.We associate growth with this process that results in a product not a person.The divine spark of the mind can't be extinguished and sadly most of  us apply it to a misplaced connotation of rebellion resulting in a detrimental combustion of the self and society.Rebellion today is largely more branded than practised.The rock and roll opiated punks can understand this quite well.I am not deriding the rock stars and their ideas it's only the meteors trailing behind who need a reality check. In such an atmosphere legitimizing the use of  drugs for recreational purposes seems the only feasible solution.The Nobel  laureate economist Milton Friedman advocated for the same cause.
                    
                            One of his interviews regarding the issue            


         Legalizing the contraband substances will lessen the thrill and novelty usually associated with them in a way similar to alcohol and tobacco based products.Also it can be safely speculated that the number of addicts and abusers will not increase than the present numbers rather it may decrease besides helping in curb of narco-terrorism. Interestingly recent studies have shown that psilocybin in mushrooms actually makes one more empathetic and medical marijuana is already being marketed in U.S.Another issue that needs to be dealt with is the content of the statuary warnings issued in the interest of citizens of the state.Gory pictures of cancerous lungs will not prevent people from lighting up when students in the 8th standard are driven to suicide owing to the disciplinary actions at school.On the contrary it will ensure a generation of guilt ridden and unhealthy youth by suggesting so to their subconscious minds.Already a compendium of problems-unemployment,socio-psychological tensions,terrorism, environmental damage,recession etc haunt the mind.In such an environment the ubiquitous warning-"Smoking Kills" on the pack prompts a rhetorical question-"But so does life.?".

China-An emerging superpower or a nation of poof balls

I believe the world just can't hold down the oriental stallion.Every other day one comes across reports of wildlife poaching in the Indian subcontinent. Tigers were already being targeted all over the country. Rhinos are the latest additions to the ever increasing list of endangered  species being pushed to extinction.In almost all the cases the supply of the contraband is destined for the Chinese medicine market. In this traditional Chinese medicine system animal parts are largely used for making aphrodisiacs. China must acknowledge its title of being the most populous country  to the Indian tigers! Still the dragon doesn't seem to be satiated and wildlife's being lost to keep its loins from drying up. India's always tried to resolve issues and conflicts through peaceful means.In this case if our Chinese neighbors feel the need, I'am sure our youth will be more than eager to help.Bible says "love thy neighbor as thyself" and here we won't mind saying-"love thy neighbor's wife as thyself"!! So all our "chini" brethren need to do is open there eyes a bit more to other options and do something to spare the endangered species.      

Nation's in the pink of health??

Recently had the opportunity to visit one of the best known hospitals in the city : Max Healthcare.The medical facilities and services provided are indeed state of art and best.However considering the 70% of Indians who live below poverty line, certain non medical "facilities" seemed unnecessary and vain. A glimpse into this hospital cum hotel:

Few of the numerous pictures lining the walls of a gallery may put many modern art gallerias' to shame..

                                        

Patients need medical expertise not marble flooring where humble tiles would have been equally hygienic.

                                        

The city is bogged down with power cuts,the central air conditioning here seems frivolous. 

These are a very few snaps I could manage before the security staff started frowning. I regret not having captured the junk food chain Subway outlet provided on the ground floor along with Cafe Coffee Day.It's interesting how market can be developed out of sickness as well. I wish these icons of a booming healthcare industry become  more considerate towards the underprivileged and the uninsured(both insurance and healthcare seem to be symbiotic). At least they could have a cut on this splurge and instead open up a OPPD(outdoor poor patient department) ward. After all the recent healthcare bill passed by the government proclaims an equal right to health for all which I believe the "creamy" layer won't mind to trade off with their right to universal luxury. 

Rise of Red....a Reason for us to be Red Faced..

What picture do you conjure in mind when you hear the word 'maoist' or 'naxal'?Is it some creature in fatigues and a red bandana who jumps from behind the bush brandishing a Kalashnikov? He can't appreciate the sleek features of your iPhone or tell apart that authentic Gucci  from a fake yet he's also a citizen of India or maybe a Bharatwasi as you can call him.This gun toting native seems to be living in intense obscurity shunning away these fruits of a shining India.To say that the state never bothered would be unjust, the state did try to "develop" him and his community.They brought industries to color the skies and rivers black.Dams were built to supply power to the hungry and deprived.Employment was also given to them as laborers because they weren't skilled enough to survive in the corporate jungle.Lush greenery was transformed into systematic grey of mines and steel.The asthma and bronchitis were the added bonuses that most of the workers shared.Hence the effort has been very commendable indeed,only it made these people more anguished.The lines of their thought and ours seem to be meeting at infinity and the gap is increased when we take into account the benignity shown by our corrupt officials and politicians in matters of rehabilitation and environment protection.If only we had reached out and lend them a ear.This bharatwasi is not here to propound some theory of Mao or Lenin or Marx in the state politics.In fact he's not educated enough to circumspect their implications.I believe he doesn't even care also for who stood for what. All he needs is his forest to sustain his community.He needs relinquishment from the atrocities by state protectors turned perpetrators.He doesn't even need food or wealth as he says nature takes well care of those requirements.However some education in nature conservation and basic healthcare won't go unheeded.Unfortunately this humble being ends up at the hands of some bigoted egoists who readily place guns in hands begging for food.People struggling to make ends meet end up in a protracted armed struggle against the state.It is these people the tribals that suffer the most in the war between the state and those against it.

Tiger tiger burning bright

It's exasperating to see the headlines of internationally acclaimed media houses like BBC announcing "developments" in the Tiger Woods "scandal" everyday.I fail to understand how much involved the earthlings of our gen i are ready to get in totally irrelevant news regarding someone's private life.The icing on the cake comes when you see guilt ridden face of Mr.Woods as if he was caught stealing balls from a golf course.The media seems to have found a new fetish in sniffing around celebrity bedrooms.The latest victims were the French prez Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife.Woods prowess in his game was  the root of all his fame and now people seem to have lost track of that and are busy counting his mistresses.It's ironical how a Roman Polanski was left all alone to pursue his artistic exploits and win accolades in spite of  being proven guilty in a child abuse case.Media seems to be losing touch with its congenital responsibility of being a social thought reformer and is instead turning into a gossip monger.

The rose...

Once there was a blossom
in a greenhouse much alive
where life seemed to thrive
but was naively playing possum

started as a bud in pure white
in that sunlit creche it used to hover
peering shyly from its green cover
quivering with curiosity and delight

staring at the clouds fading yonder
soon the time came to be mellow
and the bud bloomed bright yellow
why the bees sing it used to wonder

morning came with greeting dew
butterflies dancing averted to think
made it smile in a healthy pink
rustling away the time flew

the breeze spread a scent of change
with it's furnace of passion fed
the rose turned into a fiery red
unaware it was that life's strange

youth had come with a virtue ominous
and all one saw was that thorn
this made it stand much forlorn
amid primroses and lilies so pompous

sent hurtling into an abyss of gloom
so plagued by this public slack
it settled in a ravenous black
starkly stood serenading for doom

the gardener pitying this plight
cut and shifted it to a cistern
to place it in his moonlit tavern
here it found peace in the night.