Nowadays due to the advent of social media, there are so many posts of beautiful shapely women doing difficult asanas like shirshasan etc. Therefore, people have come to identify yoga as only difficult asanas which they will never be able to perform.
Well, do you also think this is the case? Let’s explore a bit further.
The ancient Rishis practiced yoga as it is mentioned in the Upanishads also. There are separate Yogopanishads written almost as far back as during the 1500 BC.The Maharishi Patanjali who existed in the 3rd century BC has expounded the eight steps of yoga and formulated a complete philosophy known as the Ashtanga Yoga.
The Hatha Yogis of which Lord Shiva is the first Yogi called the Adiyogi have also laid down four steps in Hatha Pradipika by Swami Swatmaram in the 14th cent AD and seven steps method of Hatha Yoga by Maharishi Gjheranda in the 17th century AD. The Shiva Samhita is supposed to be the oldest scripture in the Hatha Yoga where Shiva is expounding the philosophy of Hatha Yoga to his consort Parvati. The author of this scripture is unknown.
Let’s explore these 8 steps of Maharishi Patanjali.
The eight steps of Maharishi Patanjali are known as Ashtanga Yoga. They are, Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
So, as you can see, asana is only one part of Yoga Philosophy. This philosophy has the power to change one’s life into something powerful. It is not just a means of staying physically fit. Although that is one of its aspects, but it expounds the behavioral pattern of a person in the society, how he should discipline himself, through the Yama and Niyama.
While the asanas are meant to act on the external and internal systems of the body, the Pranayama takes care of the very important aspect of balancing the mind.
Pratyahara is the process of looking inwards. It helps the individual to consolidate himself.
Dharana and Dhyana help in bringing a deep level of concentration & understanding within the individual.
This is what is called as Yoga. It is very different from just doing difficult asanas and moving your body.
The Hatha Pradipika is based on balancing of positive and negative energies (Charges as found in magnets) of the body. The Bhagavad Gita in the Chapter 2 Shloka 48 says:
