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INTRODUCTION
TO YOGA
AND ITS PURPOSE
by Sarah Plumer
Photographs by Gary Damsky
 Yoga
is an ancient science and art. The principles of
yoga guide us toward our highest level of being, our broadest
vision of who we are and who we can be. It is an inspirational
practice. We enter this world as perfect, creative individuals,
but, over time and experience, we forget this as our minds
and bodies become cloudy and imbalanced. The consistent practice
of yoga can strip away the residue on our mind, body, and
spirit caused by hardened emotions, mental instability, addictions,
poor (or inflated) self-esteem, et cetera. We can return to
our innate purity and innocence through yoga's depth and simplicity.
Sadhus in India developed yoga over 5,000 years ago in their
quest to experience deeper forms of meditation. Sadhus or
"renunciates" were usually men who chose to leave society,
once their family obligations were complete, to be alone in
nature and to seek oneness with God. These people understood
that, in order to remain in stillness for long periods of
time, they must have healthy minds, bodies, and spirits.
 They
began this cleansing process by looking first at their relationship
with themselves, and then with the world: their families,
friends, enemies and environment. They observed the immense
benefits of the universal ideals of non-violence, truthfulness,
honesty, moderation and non-covetousness. They were able to
strengthen their practice of these principles through purity
of thought and action, a disciplined life, the study of ancient
texts, and faith in a higher universal source. The result
was "atunement" with nature, contentment, and a pervasive
sense of peace. In order to purify the body completely--to
prevent disease and maintain health--they discovered various
moving, bending, and twisting postures, called asanas.
By opening and folding the joints, and fully contracting and
releasing the muscles, they balanced the human skeleton. In
this way, the body could be cleansed from the inside out,
allowing energy to flow freely, uninhibited by any blockages
or residues. In order to direct this renewed energy, they
developed ways of controlling or channeling the breath.
They believed that the breath is the
go-between linking mind and body together. These
breathing practices are called pranayama, as prana is breath,
respiration, vital energy and strength, much like chi in Chinese
medicine. With these lucid experiences of the mind/body connection,
they learned that they could gain control over their senses
through "willful detachment." Freeing themselves from the
pull of the senses, yoga practitioners felt the joy and delight
of simply being. This control over the senses is called pratyahara.
With this release from distractions, they gained the capacity
to concentrate their minds in a "one-pointed way," called
dharana. By concentrating their minds on the sound of Om;
their eyes to their "third-eye" between the eyebrows; their
ears to the sound of their own breath, or to their heart center,
they could become one with their inner divine guidance. A
state of meditation - of stillness, clarity, contentment,
well-being, and wisdom - was the result of these efforts.
 Lastly,
they could achieve a complete absorption into a constant state
of happiness, firmly rooted in their true authenticity. This
deep-rooted happiness became their own light to share with
others--to remind others of their own goodness, individuality,
and capacity for greatness. These are the steps toward achieving
the ultimate goal of yoga as outlined by an ancient sage named
Patanjali. Called the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, this text is
one of the most concise explanations of yoga's intent available
to us today. Within this text, he calls these steps the eight
"limbs," or ashtanga (in sankrit ashta means eight and anga
means limbs or parts). Like the limbs of a tree, these steps
are differentiated parts of the whole and can be approached
in any order. Often we begin with asana practice--cleansing,
stretching and strengthening the body. Other individuals feel
drawn to meditation practices--stilling the mind--to begin
their journey on the yogic path.
Whichever limb inspires you to begin is the one to lead you
toward the ultimate goal: union with "the Absolute." Patanjali's
definition of yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively
toward an object without any distractions for a period of
time. The word yoga means: to yoke, bring together, unite.
The practice of yoga can bring us a conscious exalting experience
of the natural state of union between body, breath, mind,
and spirit. As humans, we generally experience this state
only rarely, if at all. Thus, the goal of yoga practice is
to attain an ongoing experience of harmony within oneself.
We can arrive at this harmony through fully understanding
our minds; listening to our emotions as observers; moving
freely in our bodies; and accepting that there is a greater
energy at play than our egos alone can imagine.
WHAT
CAN YOGA DO FOR ME?
SARAH
PLUMER'S BIO
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RESOURCES
Bouanchaud,
Bernard. The Essense of Yoga: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras
of Patanjali. Portland, OR: Rudra Press, 1997.
Criswell, Eleanor. How Yoga Works: An Introduction to Somatic
Yoga. Novato, CA: Freeperson Press, 1989.
Desicachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal
Practice. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions International,
1995.
Feuerstein, Georg and Bodian, Stephan, editors. Living Yoga:
A Comprehensive guide for Daily Life. NY, NY: G.P. Putnam's
Sons, 1993.
Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Yoga, revised edition. NY, NY:
Shocken Books,1979.
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