When I began to practice yoga, almost all my health problems left me. I had a sport interest for hatha yoga, and I didn’t even try to get benefit. But having practiced a little, I came to conclusion that in modern world yoga was practiced mostly to get or to support ones health, appearance and shape. Some people who practiced Yoga used to say that they came to relax after a hard working day.
For several years I promoted yoga as an instrument that enables to bring ones health in order. «Yoga for health», «Healthy spine», «Slim yoga», «No spiritual stuff yoga» - there is a lot of such advertising in websites. And what do you think? Do we need all this spiritual stuff? Perhaps, it is enough to do only physical practice: to stand in asanas, to do breathe practices, vinyasas, and vyayamas? But no…
Let’s imagine a good guy Petya who was diagnosed spinal hernia. Petya has heard somewhere that yoga- therapy helps very much in such cases. One should only find a competent specialist and practice hard. So did our guy: he found a specialist, goes to practice, doesn’t miss. Petya is practicing and practicing, his spine is stretching, spine muscles are getting stronger. As we know, stretching creates a negative pressure in the intervertebral space, which makes protruding part of the spinal disk return to its initial position.
Our yogi got well, pains left him, he developed such mobility which he hadn’t in his childhood, confidence, strength, energy, emotions. How will Petya live further? What will he direct his efforts which he hadn’t before his recovery to? It’s very good if he lives according to his conscience and in harmony with the nature. It’s very good if nothing and nobody on our planet suffer from him. But what if Petya is not aware of ethical standards? What if he practices yoga, being not familiar with yama and niyama principles?
Petya has a burst of energy, and he should spend it somehow. Let’s imagine Petya runs a tobacco business. What would all saved energy be spent on? On another tobacco shop? On advertising and promotion of smoking? It means that previously Petya was the reason why for example 100 person a year got to hospital with the lung disease. And now, when he is full of energy and is ready to direct it into his business, how do you think this number will increase? Petya broke from his bonds, which hadn’t let him move on, now he is able to work in his full force, using such a powerful tool as yoga, which would support or even return his health.
Perhaps, the problem with the spine was given to Petya not accidentally? Perhaps, Petya was «hinted» at his incorrect behavior and pushed to start some other business, which would not harm, but benefit the world around him.
The modern psychotherapy considers illness as a consequence of misconduct. The most of religions consider illness to be a consequence of the sin!
If our friend Petya got rid of illness with the help of yoga, using it as a physical impact, he got rid of the consequence of the sin. So, if a person relieves himself of an illness but doesn’t change his behavior, and, on the contrary, sins even more because he has free force and needs to waste it, will this person be healthy in whole? I think you doubt it as I do.
Referring to ancient scriptures, one could suppose what would finally happen to a person who uses such a powerful instrument as yoga for sake of his selfishness.
So what should we do? Should we go to a doctor for a receipt and take a medication? It’s also not for us, only if the doctor tries to tell you about righteousness.
Perhaps, we should do some other practice for health? But why? Yoga will help to deal not only with the illness but with the reason of its appearance. But our approach to this ancient, powerful and effective knowledge should be comprehensive.
So what should we do not to make yoga «a harmless pill» which would heal one thing and make worse another, which would remove the problem from our life, leaving the reason of this problem without changes?
First of all, we should realize that the illness is not a trouble but a signal, which we should listen to. A signal, which tells us we do something wrong. And what could we do wrong? Anything. We should take the responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds. We should live in peace with our conscience and nature. Treat other people like we want they treat us. Before taking a decision concerning nature or other living beings, we should put ourselves in their place and ask ourselves a question: «Do I want to be treated like this?» It’s necessary to get acquainted with yama and niyama principles. In ancient times people were forbidden to practice the third step of yoga (hatha yoga) unless they kept the first and the second ones (yama and niyama).
So what should we do? Begin from two basic steps? If we lived in ideal conditions, we certainly should. But, because we have a social life, we should have a comprehensive approach otherwise we won’t reach even the third step, to say nothing of the next steps. Of course, it’s necessary to work with your body – it’s very important. But it is also necessary to remember about ethical principles, to invest accumulated energy into good deeds, to make the world prosper because of our presence in it but not degrade.
Of course, we all are different people, and we all have different level of consciousness and development. For some of us it will be hard to understand that during the whole our life we have acted not the best way towards the world around and ourselves. Perhaps, it will take a lot of time for some of us to understand it and to begin to live in a different way. But some people are already open for new information and are ready to act very fast. Anyway, we should be guided by a common sense but not by the behavior patterns which we are imposed on. And if we only realize that we should change, that we should make efforts not only to physical and material but also to spiritual growth, it will be the first step on the way to happy and conscious life!
Let’s remember about our friend Petya. Petya could run any other business; the tobacco business is not the worst thing that is able to harm people and the world around us. It is just a very clear example because most of us have already understood that smoking won’t bring us any good although not so long ago it was considered as normal. And some people go on with this senseless thing, taking away health and happiness of their own and of their family.
While Petya was practicing yoga-therapy, his instructor managed to teach him basics of common sense. After a while Petya changed his attitude to life totally. After a while… It will take each of us different time. If we have a lot of courage and determination to act, if we are ready to challenge ourselves and those, who benefit if we live within the limits and never become free, we will move very fast. Petya was full of determination, and in short time he changed his business. Our yogi understood that true happiness was much deeper than material prosperity and just healthy body. And now he helps people to do it and puts the accumulated during yoga practice energy into good deed!
And do your deeds bring welfare to yourself and to the world around your?
The author of the article yoga instructor Alexander Yatzun.
For several years I promoted yoga as an instrument that enables to bring ones health in order. «Yoga for health», «Healthy spine», «Slim yoga», «No spiritual stuff yoga» - there is a lot of such advertising in websites. And what do you think? Do we need all this spiritual stuff? Perhaps, it is enough to do only physical practice: to stand in asanas, to do breathe practices, vinyasas, and vyayamas? But no…
Let’s imagine a good guy Petya who was diagnosed spinal hernia. Petya has heard somewhere that yoga- therapy helps very much in such cases. One should only find a competent specialist and practice hard. So did our guy: he found a specialist, goes to practice, doesn’t miss. Petya is practicing and practicing, his spine is stretching, spine muscles are getting stronger. As we know, stretching creates a negative pressure in the intervertebral space, which makes protruding part of the spinal disk return to its initial position.
Our yogi got well, pains left him, he developed such mobility which he hadn’t in his childhood, confidence, strength, energy, emotions. How will Petya live further? What will he direct his efforts which he hadn’t before his recovery to? It’s very good if he lives according to his conscience and in harmony with the nature. It’s very good if nothing and nobody on our planet suffer from him. But what if Petya is not aware of ethical standards? What if he practices yoga, being not familiar with yama and niyama principles?
Petya has a burst of energy, and he should spend it somehow. Let’s imagine Petya runs a tobacco business. What would all saved energy be spent on? On another tobacco shop? On advertising and promotion of smoking? It means that previously Petya was the reason why for example 100 person a year got to hospital with the lung disease. And now, when he is full of energy and is ready to direct it into his business, how do you think this number will increase? Petya broke from his bonds, which hadn’t let him move on, now he is able to work in his full force, using such a powerful tool as yoga, which would support or even return his health.
Perhaps, the problem with the spine was given to Petya not accidentally? Perhaps, Petya was «hinted» at his incorrect behavior and pushed to start some other business, which would not harm, but benefit the world around him.
The modern psychotherapy considers illness as a consequence of misconduct. The most of religions consider illness to be a consequence of the sin!
If our friend Petya got rid of illness with the help of yoga, using it as a physical impact, he got rid of the consequence of the sin. So, if a person relieves himself of an illness but doesn’t change his behavior, and, on the contrary, sins even more because he has free force and needs to waste it, will this person be healthy in whole? I think you doubt it as I do.
Referring to ancient scriptures, one could suppose what would finally happen to a person who uses such a powerful instrument as yoga for sake of his selfishness.
So what should we do? Should we go to a doctor for a receipt and take a medication? It’s also not for us, only if the doctor tries to tell you about righteousness.
Perhaps, we should do some other practice for health? But why? Yoga will help to deal not only with the illness but with the reason of its appearance. But our approach to this ancient, powerful and effective knowledge should be comprehensive.
So what should we do not to make yoga «a harmless pill» which would heal one thing and make worse another, which would remove the problem from our life, leaving the reason of this problem without changes?
First of all, we should realize that the illness is not a trouble but a signal, which we should listen to. A signal, which tells us we do something wrong. And what could we do wrong? Anything. We should take the responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds. We should live in peace with our conscience and nature. Treat other people like we want they treat us. Before taking a decision concerning nature or other living beings, we should put ourselves in their place and ask ourselves a question: «Do I want to be treated like this?» It’s necessary to get acquainted with yama and niyama principles. In ancient times people were forbidden to practice the third step of yoga (hatha yoga) unless they kept the first and the second ones (yama and niyama).
So what should we do? Begin from two basic steps? If we lived in ideal conditions, we certainly should. But, because we have a social life, we should have a comprehensive approach otherwise we won’t reach even the third step, to say nothing of the next steps. Of course, it’s necessary to work with your body – it’s very important. But it is also necessary to remember about ethical principles, to invest accumulated energy into good deeds, to make the world prosper because of our presence in it but not degrade.
Of course, we all are different people, and we all have different level of consciousness and development. For some of us it will be hard to understand that during the whole our life we have acted not the best way towards the world around and ourselves. Perhaps, it will take a lot of time for some of us to understand it and to begin to live in a different way. But some people are already open for new information and are ready to act very fast. Anyway, we should be guided by a common sense but not by the behavior patterns which we are imposed on. And if we only realize that we should change, that we should make efforts not only to physical and material but also to spiritual growth, it will be the first step on the way to happy and conscious life!
Let’s remember about our friend Petya. Petya could run any other business; the tobacco business is not the worst thing that is able to harm people and the world around us. It is just a very clear example because most of us have already understood that smoking won’t bring us any good although not so long ago it was considered as normal. And some people go on with this senseless thing, taking away health and happiness of their own and of their family.
While Petya was practicing yoga-therapy, his instructor managed to teach him basics of common sense. After a while Petya changed his attitude to life totally. After a while… It will take each of us different time. If we have a lot of courage and determination to act, if we are ready to challenge ourselves and those, who benefit if we live within the limits and never become free, we will move very fast. Petya was full of determination, and in short time he changed his business. Our yogi understood that true happiness was much deeper than material prosperity and just healthy body. And now he helps people to do it and puts the accumulated during yoga practice energy into good deed!
And do your deeds bring welfare to yourself and to the world around your?
The author of the article yoga instructor Alexander Yatzun.