If a white cloth is received into unclean hands, it cannot but get a tiny bit dirty. If it is then passed on to less clean hands it will lose some more of its whiteness. And if passed further on and on and on, it might turn into a dark something in the end. How much of this might happen to the pure and clean theory cum-practice of yoga? According to mythology, the first yoga teaching was very personal between Lord Shiva and his spouse Parvati. In the Bhagavad Gita, as put down in book form in the 6th Century B.C., after a long oral tradition, four different approaches to the goal of yoga are named, i.e. the paths of Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga, which, according to one authoritative commentary, would all blend into one with ongoing progress. Only much later around 1400 A.D., Hatha Yoga with its main emphasis on bodily techniques, and as a preparation for Raja Yoga, appeared. As time went on, more and more systems branched out.
Thus, several initially pure white yoga cloths got into circulation. Since they were preserved rather secretively, they were protected from getting handled by too many or very unclean hands. Yet, through the passage of time, soiling has been unavoidable. By now “yoga” has become almost a mass movement, which has also called a kind of yoga market into being, attracting business-minded people with nothing other than commercial qualifications.
This story is from the March 2021 edition of Yoga and Total Health.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2021 edition of Yoga and Total Health.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ram, The King Without Ambition
How hunger and thirst run our lives
कर्तव्य की भावना से कार्य में उत्कृष्ठता (excellence)
क ई तरह की व्यवस्थाएँ हैं, जो हमें सचेत करती हैं कि हमें क्या करना है। माता-पिता, समाज, कानून आदि के प्रति हमारे कुछ उत्तरदायित्व होते हैं, कर्तव्य व व्यवहार के कुछ नियम होते हैं जिनका हमें पूर्ण रूप से पालन करना होता है, परन्तु बहुत से लोग अपने कर्तव्यों के प्रति लापरवाह होते हैं, उन्हें अपने कर्तव्य पालन करना पसंद नहीं है ।
सत्य
सूत्र - अहिंसासत्यास्तेय ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः । 12.30।।
Thoughts on the Gita
The Blessed Lord said
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
As a result of this, there is a complete mastery over the senses.
The Vagus Nerve
Tap into your in-built calming channel
Trust the Universe
And become one with it
Guard Against Egotism and Envy
How to keep undesirable qualities at bay
Read the Manual Then Operate the Machine
Achieving balance in today's complex life
Advancing Holistic Wellbeing through Yoga Education
Getting to know shvarapranidhana