Yoga and Total Health__Septem
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Ekagrah or one-pointedness is practically the definition of yoga. When we maintain the mind steady or one-pointed for long, we come to know things. We tell children, ‘keep your mind on your book,’ etc. because naturally, when the mind fluctuates, the understanding becomes less. This state is put very late in the scheme of the Chitta; Mudha (dull), Kshipta (distracted), Vikshipta (occassionally steady), and then the better state, Ekagrah. In yoga they have very carefully studied the kinds of mind, the kinds of results, and the kinds of personality, but unfortunately our attention is not on kind of personality we are. Our attention is on the results. With an imperfect kind of a mind, we carry out our work, our business, attend to family life. In the end the results are there - how we remain poorer, how we are laughed at by others, etc. But we don’t mind, we want to just carry through life. The more jobs we have done, the happier we are. Where is the time for training the mind? We don’t try for it much also; we are busy in so many things. Editor, Yoga and Total Health 2 YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • September 2017 4 Lettersontents to the Editor C5 7 Stages of Consciousness (Part 2) - Shri Yogendraji 8 Switching Off the Mind - Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra in Parisamvada 10 The Soul Within - Smt. Hansaji J. Yogendra in Parisamvada 12 Hatha Yoga Pradipika 13 I Surrender To Thee - Shri Ajay Kalra 14 Viparitkarani (Inversion Pose) 16 Positive Living with Multiple Sclerosis - Smt. Jennifer Budhabhatti 18 Ambassador of Health - Shri Vimal Mishra 20 What is Saptada Prajna Bhumi? - Shri Harry Sequeira 21 Book Review - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 22 From the Archives of YTH - Editorial - Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra 23 My School Of Life - Shri Rohan Hingorani 24 The Thinker 25 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - A Perspective - Shri Samar Chauhan 26 Sattvik Ahara - Smt. Minati Shah 27 Thoughts on the Gita - Smt. Hansaji J. Yogendra 28 Yoga News - Smt. A. N. Desai 31 Yogis of India - Yogi Matsyendra Nath Cover Design : Onads Communication Page Design : Shri Mayank Sen Creative Design : Kum. Sheetal Kapoor Published & Printed by Shri Hrishi Jayadeva Yogendra, at The Yoga Institute, Shri Yogendra Marg, Prabhat Colony, Santacruz East, Mumbai - 400055. Phone: 022 - 26122185 Printed at Ranking Prints, 101, Mahim Industrial Estate, Off Mori Road, Mahim, West, Mumbai - 400016. Phone: 022 - 24464210/24453476 YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • September 2017 3 etters to the Editor Some people practice fasting, repeating a prayer, etc. without realizing that it Lis a kind of Yogic discipline. However, most people practice this mechanically, at a superficial level. If one tries to go deeper into understanding the discipline by reading about it or talking about it with knowledgeable or like-minded people, they will develop an urge to know more and more. Nature provides one with experiences called Bhoga and Apvarga. A person who seeks spiritual development should keep working on it and move in that direction only. Crystal Lobo 7 Months T.T.C. The Yoga Institute is a beautiful coming together of wisdom, knowledge, love and kindness. Situated in the busy city of Mumbai, it offers peace and nourishment. There is much more to yoga than Asanas and the path for human spiritual growth is seen and felt here in thought, action and word. Thank you for the opportunity to learn and to receive all that you so generously give. As Idries Shah said, “If you want to make an ordinary man happy, or think that he is happy, give him money, power, flattery, gifts, honours. If you want to make a wise man happy - improve yourself.” That is the gift I promise in return for all the love and learning. Kavita Rayirath Mumbai I did the 1 Month Teachers Training Course and my experience was wonderful. If one wants to understand yoga in its true essence then this is the right place. Apart from practical knowledge, the Institute teaches us how to incorporate Yogic ways in our busy, chaotic schedule. Pinki Gandhiwaller Facebook Review Send letters to the editor, articles to [email protected] Notify change of address or non receipt of magazine to [email protected] 4 YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • September 2017 Stages of Consciousness (Part 2) Shri Yogendraji Ekagrahta: The fifth stage of The world-consciousness disappears consciousness is known to the Yogis because the activity is transmitted into as the state of Ekagrahta or one- self-consciousness. The percentage pointedness. It is what we generally of active cells is seventy, while the 7know as the state of concentration. inactive cells is thirty. Hence, the Here the cells are not merely active majority is consciousness. but are also little self-conscious. The inner mind has also become active, Dhyanastha: The continuation of the and consequently the lower mind fifth stage of Ekagrahta to a still finer gets under control. The wandering has state of concentration is known as stopped along with the imagination Dhyanastha Bhumika, or the state of and thinking. All their energy is deep meditation. It is very nearly the centered on a certain fixed point opposite stage of sleep. It is the most and then the investigation follows. voluntary form of composure where The mind first tries to analyse the the active cells are directly under the thought and brings into memory all control of will. that is concerned with it. Then follows the research and the creative work. The world-consciousness has ceased Imaginations do occur, but to a limited as in the case of sleep, but with a corres- extent. The activity is voluntary and ponding increase of self-conscious- properly used. Moreover, the conscious ness. It is because the cells are active cells are not only directed to form and not dull. The individuality seems thoughts as in the case of Vicharna, but to fade away slowly in the object are also focused on a definite object. of concentration and the progress of merging begins, though it is not actually complete. Now truth reveals itself from within, due to the majority of the active cells which embrace the universal consciousness - the store of all knowledge and light. Both the internal and external activities are concentrated on that point, which forms the nucleus around which they evolve. The vibrations linger for reaction within their own circumference, having no outlet for their manifestation. YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • September 2017 5 In this state, “The molecules of the mental body are thrown in a very high state of vibration though the body in all appearance is in perfect calm. This vibration of the molecules of the mental body becomes rhythmic. The swing of the vibration lies between one-pointedness and all-pointedness, between the contraction to a point and expansion to embrace a whole universe. Even what is called one- pointedness is itself a state of utmost activity. When the mind is one-pointed it does not mean that one idea is one. The thing to know and the knower indelibly impressed upon the mind come before each other and unite like an engraving on a stone, but that in higher consciousness. We often the mind is working so quickly that the know this as a state of realization. Walt image of one is formed in no time as it Whitman had the experience of this were, destroyed in no time, and formed stage once in his life. Tennyson also again. This quick succession of the same refers to such a personal experience form is one-pointedness. In ordinary of realization. This opportunity comes states, one idea is followed by another but once in life and to retain it becomes idea. In one-pointedness the same impossible. But, the impressions left, idea vanishes and reappears again and by this realization are always present. again. Thus, what is called fixing the Tagore had this realization in his early mind to a thought is really making the days, and it is the experience of this mind reproduce one thought over and stage that he tries to give out in some over again, in the utmost quickness of of his poems. succession, without the intrusion of any foreign thought. Sometimes through chance, sometimes through pure natural life, And, though this state apparently but mostly through the conscious seems to be one of inactivity both of development of inner life, this stage mind and body, it is in reality the most of self-consciousness is realized. And, active state of cells which is voluntarily though it is not the same perfect stage controlled for a definite purpose. of union or the Brahma Yoga in which The proportion of the active cells to the extinction of individuality through inactive is approximately eighty to the perfection of self-consciousness twenty. So, the consciousness, mostly is complete, so as not to allow any the self-consciousness, has expanded physical connection after the stage, still decidedly. its experience is most extra-ordinary for absolutely turning the current of Turyaca: This state of self- life - physically, mentally and spiritually. consciousness is the most highly developed state of perception in which After this realization, he returns to the subject and the object becomes the physical world because of the ten 6 YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • September 2017 percent of the inactive cells which keep him attached to his body. His individual soul is not free from the sheath but is still in the physical body. He experiences the delight of realization - the joy that is beyond expression; but it is not permanent. The union is neither wholly complete nor substantial.