Many commercial yoga classes, especially in the west, have taken the original teachings of yoga out of
context, focusing manly on asana, the stretching techniques of Hatha Yoga. However, the essence of yoga is much more than just stretching. Yoga is regarded as the divine science of life, revealed to enlightened sages of India through self-exploration and the study of nature. It is considered even older than the Vedas, the ancient Indian texts, over 5000 years old, where the combination of physical, mental and spiritual techniques are extensively documented. It states that the goal of yoga is to control the mind and body in order to achieve a state of absolute peace where there is neither imagination nor thought. Thus, yoga can bestow divine powers and super-intuitional knowledge resulting in enlightenment and liberation.
Hatha Yoga was first documented in the fifteenth century by Yogi Svatmarama. Hatha Yoga and its many variations, has become the most popular and accessible form of yoga available today. This is mainly due to our attachment to the body. Most beginners come to yogaclasses wanting physical health and relaxation. Without proper guidance this results in attachment to the desire of having the perfect body, competition and ego inflation.
With proper guidance, advanced students can go on to the spiritual science of yoga, practicing meditation and higher consciousness lifestyles. Many yoga instructors do not prioritize the true spiritual goal of yoga.
The branch of Yoga known as ‘Ha-tha’ deals mainly with strengthening and purifying the body and mind. ‘Ha’ and ‘Tham’, sun and moon. It signifies that these techniques are designed to purify and balance the solar and lunar
energies in the chakra body, in order to awaken themain energy channel in the spine known as sushumna nadi. Initially this is achieved by exercising every partof the body, toning and revitalizing the muscles and joints, the spine and the entire skeletal system, working, not only on the body’s frame, but also on the internal organs, glands and nerves, restoring all systems to radiant health, resulting in purification of the mind and body. HathaYoga is therefore the perfect starting point for all forms of yoga, as a healthy mind and body is the absolute prerequisite for all human endeavours, whether physical or intellectual.
In a yoga class we should be learning the science of human evolution, and not just a few painful stretches. Yoga classes should bring hope and self-confidence to all those who are disappointed with their materialistic life, or are inextricably bound up in all sorts of problems.Yoga classes should teach us how to live a balanced life and avoid uselessly squandering our energy. We should be learning how to exercise self-control and preserve a positive attitude towards life. It is in this way that yoga leads us to universal love, for it is by love alone that we may create a brotherhood of man between the various nations of the world.
In a yoga class we are not only healing our self and the world around us, but also practicing being in harmony and balance, so that we can know what its like to be in harmony. When the class is over, it is important to maintain this feeling of equanimity and mindfulness throughout our day, so that our whole life becomes harmonious and healthy. Eventually, with regular practice, this becomes our permanent and spontaneous state of being.
