Pratyahara is the fifth of the eight limbs of Yoga. A yogi should master each of the eight limbs to be a complete yogi, one who can attain Samadhi at will for an extended period. We have already touched upon the first four limbs of Yoga, namely Yama, Niyama, Asana, and Pranayama. Pratyahara, the fifth…
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In the West, Yoga is often misunderstood as just a different way of physical exercising. So it is no wonder Pranayama is misunderstood as a breathing exercise. Prana in Sanskrit means the cosmic life force. So Prana is what makes the cosmos come alive. All living organisms inhale Prana as part of their breath. Ayama…
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Yoga is a well-defined, sophisticated science that has been used for centuries to achieve the highest levels of spiritualism. However, it requires perseverance and dedication to make any meaningful progress. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali elaborately describe the eight limbs of yoga to guide the yogi at every level. Niyama means rule or a guideline…
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Yoga is universal. It can be practiced by anyone seeking spiritual realization. Western culture would be very skeptical about the concept of realizing and experiencing God. However, in India, yogis for generations have become enlightened, and their experience proves the power of yoga. If achieving even small targets in our daily life is enormously challenging,…
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In the West, Yoga is totally misunderstood as a set of physical exercises. On the contrary, Yoga is the complete science about attaining the highest level of meditation, Samadhi, and experiencing God. Moreover, it is time-tested, well-structured, documented, and experienced by thousands of yogis over many centuries. To attain Samadhi, one needs a completely tranquil…
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Let us understand this by an example. Say you get fascinated by the pictures of the Himalayas and decide to climb Mount Everest. Of course, you can climb it if you have the will to do it. So, you start by searching for professional help, and when you find one, you pay them the fee…
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India has produced innumerable sages and mystics in the last fifteen thousand years. These enlightened beings have guided humanity on the path of spiritualism to encourage every individual towards their own enlightenment. However, most enlightened beings had led a secluded life. That was mostly because there were no means, like the internet, to reach to…
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Most people take Pranayama as breath control. Well, they may not be wrong because one does seem to be controlling the breath. However, when one breathes, Prana also gets inhaled along with oxygen. So Pranayama makes use of breathing to channel the flow of Prana. Pranayama can be broken into two words in two ways:…
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Namaste, the Indian way of greeting with folded hands, is beautiful and the most respectful and meaningful. In the simplest terms, Namaste comes from the Sanskrit words “Namah,” meaning bow or pray, and “te,” which means “to you.” However, who one is bowing to has a much deeper meaning. Hindus believe in one Supreme Reality, Brahman, the…
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You might notice that focusing your mind on something is not always difficult. Do you ever have to put any effort to stay focused watching an exciting movie? No. Focusing the mind on anything that produces sensual pleasure of any kind does not require any effort. It seems to get focused without we giving it…
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