On the 9th International Day of Yoga, let’s understand the need to practice Authentic Yoga in the 21st century. This century is known as the digital age, and everything is about machine, speed and automation. Where humans are different from machines. Humans have emotions which lead to certain behavior in different conditions. That is called corresponding behavior. It comes when passions and desires are either fulfilled or not fulfilled. Elation comes when they are fulfilled. Depression and dejection come when they are unfulfilled. They become the cause of stress, anxiety and tension on a day-to-day basis.
People usually say that good habits make life successful. Habits means actions mix up with emotions to achieve desired result. Once it becomes a part of your life emotion is nowhere. It looks like your routine on automation like a machine. What I understood from my experience about the word ‘habit’. It is an act which creates discipline so that you can achieve success in life. Good habits like Exercise every day, eat on time and sleep on time help you to grow. Bad habits like smoking, eating out every day or go to bed at late surely give you adverse health effects and might destroy you.
Let’s understand how the word ‘habit’ is made out of?
H, A, B, I, T
How do you change this habit?
If you remove H, ‘a bit’ always remains.
If you remove A, ‘bit’ always remains.
If you remove B, ‘it’ always remains; and
If you remove I, ‘T’ remains, and
Tea is addictive and ‘T’ again creates habits.
Any addiction as a habit is not going well with one’s growth and success. Basically, the main idea of great control on habit is nonattachment yet be present in every moment. How Yoga could help you maintaining your success in this machine world called digital age.
When Sage Patanjali was writing on the subject of yoga, a question was put to him by his disciple, “What is yoga?”
He said, “Yoga is a form of discipline.”
A second question was asked, “What is the attainment of this discipline?”
He said, “With this discipline you can modify the behaviour of the mind.”
Then he was asked again, “What is the result of having modified the mind?”
Sage Patanjali replied, “Then you will realize your true nature.” These are the first three sutras, the first three sentences of the Yoga Sutras, the raja yoga darshan:
अथ योगानुशासनम्।
Atha yogaanushaasanam.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोध ः।
Yogaschitta vritti nirodhah.
तदा द्रष्टुःस्वरुपेअवस्थानाम् ।
Tadaa drashtuh swaroope avasthaanam.
These first four steps of Patanjali’ Ashtanga Yoga are Yama, niyama, asana and pranayama – represent the actual modification of human behavior.
The next two stages, pratyahara and dharana, represent the effort to relax and bring the mind into a state of peace and harmony.
The remaining two stages, dhyana and samadhi, represent the attainment or the perfection of the first six.
Find out more about Authentic Yoga at our regular yoga sessions.
