The Essence of Yoga

Individual life is only satisfying when we understand our own nature and our place in the scheme of things. So ‘Know thyself !’ remains a classical directive to assist us in the art of living.   

Vision of any material goal in life differs widely with each person according to his desires, needs  and any previous experiences. But the spiritual goal remains the same for us all, not only by the fact of our inevitable shared future fate of leaving the physical world, but because of the shared natural urge within us to be aware of our Creator and a higher purpose to life.

We need a starting point for our personal efforts in self knowledge.  One route is popularly taken in the study of our inherent characteristics both good and bad.   These positive and negative traits are indicated in our astrological birth sign and more explicitly in our personal horoscope which describes in detail all the influences and ingredients in our  personality make-up.

We must apply honest insight in observing and understanding our personal behaviour and observing the need for self censure. This is not always easy as our personal habits may charm us, even though proving irritating to others.

One method seeks help in analysing one’s personality by questioning your intimates by asking what they consider are your good qualities, negative traits and bad habits. But we must be brave in order to make such a request and it is not always advisable, particularly if your loved ones are of honest disposition!

However, these considerations are in regard to your personality only.   Our inner nature or true soul self usually known only to ourselves. It may be quite different in its inclinations and motivations than your outer personality expresses itself.  It is wise to harmonize our inner nature with the outer personality if we seek to develop into a person of some integrity.

Developing insight into other personalities, relationships and dealings with other people is also advantageous and widens our understanding of human nature.

Graduating from the admirable purpose of self understanding and understanding of others, we then seek to focus upon our own specific aspiration to the desire to philosophically consider human living and the spiritual aspiration to understand more about the Universe and the supreme Consciousness of the Creator.

For this higher insight we must discover how to listen to our inner voice of Intuition in which we seek to place our trust and be receptive of its guidance.

The yogi focuses in meditation upon the heart in order to increase his love and come to universal understanding.

He focuses in meditation upon the point between the eyebrows where his spark of higher consciousness is anchored. From this point he seeks greater insight into spiritual truths.

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Concentration is our main faculty we use when learning or reading and when we are in a receptive listening mode. We use this faculty called dharana to help us focus upon important personal interests in everyday life. We also use it to deliberately programme our own mind and so develop its ’grooves’ of opinions and attitudes as well as conditioning our responses to external surroundings and conditions.

Developing concentration through yoga techniques aims to achieve pin-point concentration or ekagrata upon any particular selected focus. It is believed that if one can concentrate, one can succeed in using mental powers to the full.  Concentration is mind power.

It is obvious that if you keep your thoughts upon success, you will most likely succeed. If you concentrate upon failure you will do doubt succeed in failing. If you concentrate upon power, you will become powerful. If you concentrate upon love, you will become loving and so on. Each of us attracts circumstances by the power of our mind’s concentration.

Stillness of the mind is a necessary preparation to allow concentrated and purposeful thought. It may seem to be a simple aim, to still the mind, but in fact this is usually very difficult. Our thoughts are notoriously difficult to control with their general hyper-activity often likened to a monkey in continual movement. However, with practise, we can learn to subdue this activity.

Concentration is then used as the tool to programme our mind. There are certain methods and techniques employed for this purpose. Conscious effort of thought is required to build mental ‘muscle-power’ or strong mindedness, just as effort is needed to build physical fitness. There are many interesting mental exercises to strengthen the mind employed in yoga as well as in other schools of mind training. It is usual that only a chela or student who has formulated a clear spiritual purpose is given the key to deeper concentration.

Concentration can also be used as a tuning-in device similar to tuning the radio. This analogy holds true in meditation when we wish attunement to ‘receive’ inspiration or intuitive guidance.

Mind power is also built up through dharana for use in meditation when it can be directed towards a higher sphere much as a rocket fuel supplies energy for lift off.