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| What is your personal definition of yoga?
Mine is: The union of body mind and spirit.
Its probably the generic definition but it works for me and what I remind myself to aspire toward anyway. |
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| While I agree with Yogi Boy's definition most whole heartedly, everytime I hear the question "what is yoga" I hear David Williams saying "Yoga is a firm, comfortable pose.". |
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| For me, right now yoga is first and foremost hard work and lots of fun. An almost solely physical experience, a journey rather than a destination. I hope that I'll be able to come up with a somehow more satisfying definition eventually. Just give me the time to grow. 
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | Yogashcittavrttinarodhah
Edited by Bay Guy 2005-04-11 10:04 PM
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| Dear Yogi Boy:
I respect your getting different view points. However, the following is NOT my view point. It IS the definition of Yoga and all other correct viewpoints will fit into this definition, no they must fit to be Yoga.
Yoga has two parts. One is Principle, and the other is Practice which takes to the realization of the Principle. Principle is defined as follows: Yoga is Union of the Individual Spirit with the Universal Spirit. This is identical to Self Realization, Liberation, Nirvana, Moksha, Sayujyata, Ishwarapranidhana ultimate, etc. Practice is defined as follows: yogaschittavritti nirodhah - path of meditation or raajayoga, path of selfless work or karmayoga, path of devotion or bhaktiyoga, or path of knowledge or jnanayoga. All the practice regardless of what the name can be or where it can be is some combination of these 4 paths.
To complete: When the practice is done, at one time principle is realized and then Practice is Unnecessary.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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| kulkarnn - 2005-04-12 9:48 AM
To complete: When the practice is done, at one time principle is realized and then Practice is Unnecessary.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org
Kulkarnn, thanks for the explanation., Could you please explain me the above statement? I tried but I cant understand it and I don’t want to misunderstand either..
Thanks a loot
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| To complete: means to complete what I was trying to say or write.
When Practice is complete, that is when the Yoga Practice is completed over the period of time, of whatever time it takes. And, when the principle is realized, that is when the Spiritual Realization, Moksha, Nirvana, Liberation occurs, there is NO more practice a Yoga Student does. That is practice is necessary only until the realization takes place.
To give an example in the material world, once the Rice is cooked, no more cooking is required, and it never becomes raw again.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Good morning Neelbhai,
Soo, let me see if I got this straight. For instance, when your doing the Asana's, say over a period of years...Are you saying that when you have realization, even if your not doing the asanas at 100%, perhaps only 80%, that IF you have realization, you don't have to finish the remaining 20%?? Please tell me this is true, cause I don't think I'm ever, in this lifetime going to get my forhead on my knee in the standing position, LOL!!! |
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| Cyndiben:
1. For getting the final spiritual realization, you do not need to achieve 100 percent asana perfection, including you do not have to touch forhead to the knees or anywhere for that matter.
2. For Spiritual Realization, ultimately, you will be doing Meditation in some form, whatever that form is. Ultimately, that form will merge in to Yoga Science meditation, which includes Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, regardless of what path/sect/religion/etc you follow. Once, Samadhi stage is crossed, you will get realization.
3. After getting realization, you may do any other things such as cooking vegetarian meal for Neelbhai, eating Mangoes in Nepal, or asana, that will be only for play, not for practice.
4. However, regardless of all above Asana practice will give the health benefits for anyone, whether they do spiritual or not. And, that is the problem in current US society.
Love and Peace
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Neelbhai,
I hope you like Bitter Melon to go with those Mangoes  Dan ya bad...I'm so happy that I am not forced to put my forhead on my knee....now maybe I will 
Cyndiben |
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How do you define yoga?
