By Shirish Ballabh Pradhan
The world recently celebrated the International Day of Yoga on June 21 focusing on the theme Yoga for one earth and one health. The day is being observed throughout the world ever since the UN adopted it and initiated observing it as a special day for Yoga in 2015.
Nepal does have a rich legacy of Yoga; it reflects on various ways of life in the Himalayas, Hills and Terai and their culture- tangible and intangible. Temples and ancient prayers also refer to it in different forms. But the same has not been researched well and kept in practically understandable forms; therefore much of Yoga knowledge and skills these days are either derived from outside the country or from the visiting scholars of India.
The day is completely dedicated to the well-being of body mind complex. Stress – free state of mind and body are emphasized on the Yoga day.
Yoga has been described as a tool to keep mind and body in quiet, stress-free, equilibrium-state. Experts prefer to refer to Yoga as the art of living in peace with focus on mission. The philosophy of Yoga as propounded by Patanjali constitutes one of the six great theist philosophies – Shad Darsan -in Hinduism.
The other philosophies are: Kapil Muni’s Sankhya Darshan (based on the presence of dualism Purusha and Prakriti), Gautam Rishi’s Nyaya Darshan (focused on knowledge and logic), Kanad Rishi’s Baisheshik (all objects have atomic forms), Jaimeni’s Poorva Mimamsha (vedic rituals are a must in life), and Vedbyas’ Vedanta Darshan (One consciousness pervading the entire existence and the rest are illusion – Bramha Satya Jagat Mithya).
One aspect of eastern philosophy also represents atheist views as well. They are described as atheist because they do not follow the way conceptualized in the Vedas. They have been categorized into various versions: Charbak philosophy (completely materialistic), Jain philosophy as propounded by Mahaveer and focused on duty karma, and Buddhist philosophy emphasizing ethical and nonviolent way to liberation from suffering.
Patanjali structured Yoga two thousand five hundred years ago. He synthesized it into 195 sutras (formula-type rhymes). All refer to the need for keeping mind, word and physical body in one quiet level, no conflict should be allowed to exist between the three. The state of individuals’ mind thinking one thing, mouth speaking the opposite and body being directed towards other direction prevails mostly in the society and this becomes the cause of various sufferings. Yoga seeks to correct it and harmonize the relations among mind, word and body. The same results in ultimate quietness and continued happiness. Yoga should not be taken only as another form of physical exercise or a complex of bodily movement. It is more than that; it is related to equilibrium state between emotions and brain as well; scholars term it mental quiet, free from stress and focused on divinity based on ethical way of living.
The yoga philosophy propounded by Patanjali has eight limbs, thus known as Ashtanga Yoga. The eight steps in Yoga are, Yama (self discipline), Niyama (ethical practice), Asana (posture), Pranayam (rhythmic breathing), Pratyahar (turning the sense organs inwards as opposed to focusing on sense of gratification), Dharana (focus or concentration on single idea or object), Dharana (continuous focus of attention on a single object or idea), Samadhi (complete merging of the self into-awareness, when the observer, observed and the act of observation becomes one).
The ultimate aim of the Yoga is to attain Samadhi or complete stillness of the mind, which leads to total freedom and free from suffering. According to Patanjali Samadhi or total freedom can be attained with the continuous practice of meditation and Bairagya or detachment.
