The Essence of Yoga

The aspirant undertakes certain self disciplines when following any path towards improvement including the spiritual path of Yoga where classic disciplines have remained unchanged for centuries. These practices belong to a universal system, the principles of which can be adopted and also adapted by people of any nation, culture, or religion.

For this reason it has attracted many followers in the present era as people realise that both physical health and spiritual growth can only be effected through self responsibility and self effort. Physical health requires purification of the blood and body cells. Psychological health requires elimination of past problems and clear focus on positive self determination.

Our spiritual state has similar requirements. In matters of the soul, each much cleanse not only the heart and mind, but ensure that the deepest  realms of one’s consciousness does not harbour any negative feelings, resentments or unresolved problems or attitudes towards others or in relation to life itself. Only this way can we ensure that our aspirations and our chosen route towards excellence is not inhibited.

In the spiritual life, growth in heart, mind and our being brings us new spiritual experiences through self purification and a clear understanding and application of the simple rules and teachings that we feel are good.

It is the practical implementation of our spiritual aspirations and cherished ideals in daily life, that is known as our personal Sadhana.  It represents our personal spiritual aspiration and the self discipline that is entailed in order to becoming that ideal.

Our Sadhana is a totally private practice shared by no one and only perceived by one’s often unknown and unseen spiritual Guru or teacher of greater spiritual stature.

Our personal effort and our spiritual quest in time brings its rewards. We experience degrees of elevation and expansion of our consciousness that culminates in the supreme state of awareness known as Samadhi.

Aromatherapy and the science of perfumery can be used for assisting personal sadhana and personality control.

For instance … 

Aries  temperament with strong sense of personal ego balances the development of his nature through deliberate expansion of the attitude of surrendering, of letting go – difficult for the personal ego but aide by using the following perfumes with pranayama

Lavender, Rose, Lotus, Neroli – generally likes spicy perfumes

Meditation using the Japa “ In myself I am nothing, In Thee I am I.”

 ……………………..

Taurus temperament with fixed and rigid attachments- needs more fluidic movement in the personality and emotions could inhale to help in letting go the strain of dependence upon possession.

Geranium, followed by spearmint or petitgrain – likes woody, strong perfumes

            In Meditation “I am soft, free, pure…”

……………………..

Gemini  temperament needs quiet integration of the two aspects and could use

            Petitgrain, followed by frankincense

            Lavender followed by pine – likes cooling, citric perfume

            Rose followed by sandalwood

Meditation upon the heavens, where the twin Powers of both Sun and Moon govern in harmony their two worlds of day and night.

……………………..

Cancer  temperament requires freedom from fear and greater strength and self confidence

to allow outgoing energies. – likes perfumes of cedarwood, cypress, sandalwood, cassia and pine – likes soft, powdery scent

Meditation “Let nothing disturb Thee, Nothing affright thee, All things are passing , God never changeth”…….

 ………………………

Leo      temperament needs sensitizing towards appreciation of the value in others and their different expressions and virtues – learn more respect for others and consider them outside one’s own self sphere.

            Perfumes Bergamot, petitgrain, jasmine – likes warm, sweet perfume

Meditation “I am a child of the Universe- May I understand all others and know that we are all sons and daughters of Heaven”.

……………………….

Virgo    temperament strives too hard for perfection and becomes critical, discontented

            Perfumes lemongrass, rose and neroli – likes clean antiseptic scents

Meditation“To work is to release the ‘imprisoned splendour’  “I gently release the powers of the soul”.

………………………

 Libra    Temperament needs determination and forward movement to avoid indecision. Seeing two sides the personality is faced with dilemmas and must learn to take decisive action and stand firm

            Perfumes ginger, frankincense, lemon- enjoys floral perfumes

Meditation upon life’s mission “Man’s sense of justice is limited but a Greater Justice rules the World.”

 ……………………..

Scorpio temperament is too intense and severe – with others and with himself – needing quiet, reflective meditations using

Perfumes lavender, rosemary, geranium – likes strong cleansing and even harsh scents  Japa “Be gentle and kind towards yourself and others”

            Meditation –be patient in seeking truth         

 ………………..

Sagittarius temperament too excitable and needs anchorage before mental flight

Perfumes of cassia, rosemary, lavender, geranium – likes warm stimulating perfumes

Meditation “There is an inmost centre in us all, Where Truth abides in fullness…” Browning

…………………….

Capricorn temperament needs lighter touch – humour and attitudes which relieve responsibilities and care of others

Perfumes peppermint, lime, petitgrain, bergamot – likes resinous scents

Meditation “to thine own Self be true”

 …………………….

Aquarius temperament needs personal confidence through solitude and identification with others in society – the balance between the individual and the whole

Perfumes rose, neroli, myrrh, styrax – enjoys pungent perfumes

Meditation “The dewdrop slips into the Shining Seas…” to be drawn again, towards heaven and return again to the sea.

 …………………

Pisces   temperament too sensitive and poetic, vague and self sacrificing – too diffused and needs

            Consolidation of personality virtues and character as a special tool of the spirit

Perfumes orange, cypress, cinnamon, ginger – only enjoyed refined, subtle perfumes

            Meditation “I seek the Jewel of Becoming… Man made Perfect. “I am ,…..”

 

 

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Yoga, being both a science and art, is applied to the lifestyle of those who sincerely embrace the principles philosophy that provides us with a fund of knowledge that is unique. The essence has been transmitted through the ages and in India, through the Vedic teachings that prescribe ethical conduct as the first step. All that remains is for us to have the wisdom how to apply the wealth of knowledge that we have accessed, in a manner that satisfies us completely as a personality, soul and spiritual being.

It is commonly understood that Yoga practices aim for physical and mental fitness. The physical disciplines that promise good health, vitality and freedom from disease are reasonable, yet more complete than the rules we were taught regarding body care. However, each is free to adopt any extra internal hygiene methods that seem to offer benefit, or to refine our body by rejecting any flesh foods, artificial chemicals and any other disciplines as we choose.

However, with the yogic philosophy that teaches the unity of all life and offers a methodology to prepare our minds and senses to experience this as a spiritual reality, comes some personal effort. We must improve ourselves by exercising our bodies, emotions and our minds in readiness to embrace universal life – the Allness that has many names, but none that are grand enough.

Having put the stretching and extensions principle into practice with our bodies that have become freer, more supple, stronger, and our emotions similarly free of petty strife, fears and antipathies, we are well on the way to our psychological preparedness for expansion of our consciousness.

We must however, learn to take enough control of our minds so that our thoughts are also supple, free and generous, free of anxieties, prejudice and of ideas that burden us and inhibit us from realization of truthful new state of mental awareness as fitting companion to our expanded feelings of the heart.

The yogi applies self culture as well as taking an interest and respecting the wisdom and culture of his country and its knowledge of natural sciences, both past and present. These include many subjects often considered in the western world as ‘fringe’ or ‘alternative’ studies.  In India however, we find them advanced in what we call palmistry, psychic studies of the aura and chakras, astrology, subtle value of gemstones, physiognomy, homoeopathy, oxygen therapy, aromatherapy, and the deeper psychology that includes the soul. In these studies and sciences they are far ahead of us and have much to offer to complement western science.

In spite of the encouragement to be as expansive as possible in our lives we are reminded to seek our intuitive centre at the heart of our being to help us determine our way of life and find our balance and the inner wisdom and can anticipate new excitement in completing our relationship with Nature and natural law.

Sadhana means one’s personal spiritual discipline.  This is based upon the moral/ethical precepts of Ashtanga Yoga that outline the general principles shared by all aspirants.  However, one’s own personal self discipline is essentially a private matter.

The purpose of Sadhana however is constant. It represents both our desire to grow to become a better human and our aspiration to become capable of expanding our own conscious experiences of the spiritual reality of the great Universal Consciousness that presides over all.

We are all able to think about Universal Consciousness or God Consciousness, but there are fewer who actually experience the subtler, wider spheres of awareness. These entries into the spiritual realms usually develop gradually and can be compared to the natural processes of our physical birth and entry into the world of matter.  Entry into the spiritual world also takes time.

Of course we all have experiences that are wonderful and seem to happen spontaneously according to the stimulus of the time, when our senses touch a vibrant new level of feeling or consciousness. But Sadhana relates to our enduring interest in making conscious endeavour to expand our hearts and minds to embrace the universe in which we live.

In recognition of the power of free will, independent choice becomes an important responsibility and a determining factor in subsequent events and circumstances in our lives. Consideration of both the matter of self determination and acceptance of its limitations is an exercise for us all in wisdom, until we can be guided by our inner intuition that makes clear the way ahead.

Certainly it is generally understood that whatever we achieve in life and whatever we become, involves self effort.  Always, effort is rewarded and we experience wonderful reward for our personal efforts in self culture and spiritual awareness.

It is our own choice whether we learn the value of discipline as a step towards our objectives early in life so that at maturity, we can apply self discipline not only in material things but in spiritual discipline or Sadhana, when we choose to obey the dictates our own soul.

  ….

We are referring to the emotional states of feeling contentment, happiness, joy, pain, suffering, sympathy, kindness, anger, envy, jealousy, compassion, irritation, fear, faith, anxiety, hatred, love, yearning, desire, pride, and many others in our emotional range. We all find the seeds of every possible human emotion inherent in our nature. It is a case of what emotions we have chosen to cultivate as to their expression in our personality.

There are less attractive or basic emotions that must be pulled out like we do weeds in the garden. Others that are more attractive, and help us to feel good inside take more careful nurturing but the rewards are obvious. As each of us makes different choices in selection and in methods of cultivation, our emotional nature develops accordingly. We have emotional energies that are uniquely available for our expression according to our character and purposes.

The composite ingredients make up our emotional recipe or pattern that is essentially our own and separates us from other emotional bodies of people around us. The various ingredients may be blended in a harmonious, stable and positively polarized personality or can be thrown together in a recipe which results in a chaotic and violent emotional composition. This is determined by the many factors including past experiences, age, culture, self image, self determination, free will, and how much we aspire towards self control, fulfillment of our ideals and vision of our ultimate purpose.

Untrained emotions are usually a hotch potch of feelings resulting from one’s life feeling experiences without having had any sorting or cleansing to eliminate the negative which usually predominate. That is, until the person grows discomforted to be always in anger, depression, fear or other unpleasant emotional states – and uses his will to alter his mood.

One of the keys is to make a practice of curbing our instant emotional reactions and to consciously elect to become free of outside people and things that trigger our negative responses. The individual who consciously feeds on violence and ugliness, on horror and degraded emotions will develop an emotional body accordingly and will in turn seek to express these violent emotions. Just so the person who chooses to nourish himself on beauty and harmony, on love and idealism will develop emotions which are more ordered and refined. It is a matter of choice.