ART OF KNOWING ONESELF 

While the ancient Indian wisdom of yoga has become a global phenomenon, it's exponents are keen on meditative and spiritual aspects. Modern research also underlines the fact that it's a self-transformation tool

As we are all gearing up to the International Yoga Day, traditional Indian schools are now keen on making the world understand the term yoga in its true sense. The day marks massive global celebrations with spontaneous public response. Even as yoga is becoming popular as a form of exercise, traditional yoga gurus now emphasise reintroducing the term as a spiritual and meditative practice. They opine that understanding yoga in its original sense will not only take us closer to the tradition but will also curb it's growing misappropriation. Modern research is also exploring yoga as a tool for global peace and self-transformation. 

YOGA: EPISTEMIC EXPLANATIONS 

> Explaining the original meaning of the term yoga, Dr H R Nagendra, a veteran yoga expert and researcher, says, "The sank Ritu term yoga means union, joining. It's a bridge that connects body and mind. All modern forms of yoga are evolved out of Patanjali Yoga Sutras (PYS). Asana or exercise is just one of the eightfold dimensions of yoga. Yoga has calming effects on the body and mind, and this fact has been established by modern research. Practicing yoga entails understanding the spiritual core of the term and not just physical exercise." 

"Swami Vivekananda was the first yogi in the modern era you take yoga as a philosophy to the Western shores. Thereafter, the spiritual dimension of yoga emerged as India’s Soft Power"

TRACING SPIRITUAL ROOTS 

> Today, the term yoga has wide applications . Asana, the physical form of exercise is popular in fitness centres across the world. Besides, yoga is also a philosophical discipline in many universities and globally, it has also been accepted as an alternative therapy. However,  tracing the spiritual roots of yoga has become essential as modern applications have disconnected the discipline of yoga from its core practice, opine traditional yoga gurus. 

Yoga is essentially a philosophy, called a Darshana in Sanskrit, asserts Prof Kashmir Subrahmanyam, an expert in Indian philosophy and Indic Knowledge Systems. "There are six schools of Indian philosophy and yoga is one of them. Yoga can be defined as the equanimity of mind. The very term yoga has profound spiritual implications. Though P.S elaborates on this very term in four chapters, this is not the only book. All chapters of Bhagwad Gita have the word yoga in them. Upanishads, a literary canon that contain the essence of Indian philosophy, help us understand yoga in a deeper sense. Therefore, practicing yoga must be accompanied by study of Indian philosophy as that can deepen the practice." 

《YOGA: SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS 

▪ Sanskrit word yoga means connect, or equanimity 

▪ Yoga is one of the six systems of Indian Schools of Philosophy 

▪ All modern forms of yoga are evolved out of Patanjali Yoga Sutras 

▪ Yoga is a sublime science that help us slow down the breathe 

▪ Yoga offers many meditation techniques 》

FOUR FORMS OF YOGA

> Swami Vivekananda was the first yogi in the modern erase to take yoga as a philosophy to the Western shores. His translation of PYS, known as Raja Yoga, is known as the first modern translation and commentary. Elaborating on Swami Vivekananda's elaboration on yoga, Swami Srikantananda, a monkey with Ramakrishna Math and Mission, adds, "Vivekananda introduced the holistic concept of yoga as Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge), Raja Yoga (Yogic Science), Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action), and Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion). He propagated that each of these paths is capable of taking us to the truth. One need not believe in organised religion to practice yoga. Vivekananda made yoga a universal application to mankind."

YOGA: MEDITATIVE ART

> Yoga is a science of healing body and mind and also a meditative art. Indian schools of yoga offer rigorous meditative forms and strenuous practices. Global research is studying the effects of yogic practices on calming down the mind. Breathing practices or Pranayama is one of the fundamental dimensions of yoga, says Dr R Nagarathna, yoga therapist of international repute. "Yoga is called the art of Mastering the Monkey Mind (MMM). We cannot differentiate yoga as physical or spiritual as it is an evolving journey. Yoga is a sublime science that help us slow down the breathe that leads to slowing down the mind. Peace of mind is directly related to the pace of breathing and Pranayama helps us slow down breathe that helps us achieve mind-body wellness."

Yoga is the art of knowledge one-self. The third aphorism of PYS elaborates on this, explains Vinaychandra Bandvathy, an expert in yoga philosophy. "This aphorism says that yoga is all about knowing thyself, being rooted into your own self. Yoga is the art of turning within. All meditative techniques revolve around this principle. Meditation is mastering the sense perceptions and it awakens us to the higher states of consciousness. Yoga officers spirit ritual insights."  Banavathy says, Traditional yoga gurus fuel yoga cannot be confined to exercise or therapy and it's practice cannot be divorced from its spiritual core.