If we were asked to name our most valuable possession, what would it be? We may say our wealth, property or cars are the priciest possessions; but no matter how much we possess or successfully achieve, if the body is ailing and the mind is disturbed, we will remain unhappy. Hence our most valuable possessions are simply our own body and mind.
Some people argue that nurturing the mind and body are two separate things as spirituality makes us oblivious to the luxuries of the body and materialism makes us neglect the spirit. But Swami Mukundananda says that it is possible to blend both spirituality and materialism for attaining the ultimate goal of human life.
Simplistic spiritual practitioners sometimes proclaim that since we are the soul and not the material body, we must cultivate only the spirit and pay no attention to the body. However, if the body falls sick, the mind becomes filled with the sensation of physical pain, and one cannot even think of God. A healthy body is our boat for crossing the ocean of material existence.
Conversely, materialists often proclaim spiritual science as a waste of time and an impediment to material progress. This is also naïve, for without the help of spiritual knowledge, secular science has no means of eliminating the negative propensities of the mind.
We may harness external nature through modern technology to multiply our bodily comforts, but the forces of our internal nature, such as lust, anger, greed, envy and illusion can be harnessed only by taking recourse to spirituality.
Swamiji has answered some interesting questions on benefits of yoga and explained its true essence in the context of Indian spirituality. He also tells about JK Yog which incorporates both material and spiritual techniques, based upon the timeless sciences of the Vedic scriptures.
Question: The popularity of Yoga has skyrocketed around the world. What is the science behind the effectiveness of the Yogasans?
Swami Mukundananda: The art of healthy living must incorporate all aspects of the personality: the physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. While the central theme of Yog remains the highest goal of the spiritual path, physical yogic practices enshrined in it give direct and tangible benefits to everyone regardless of their spiritual aims.
Yogasans harmonize the body, mind and emotions. For example, at the physical level, organs, muscles and nerves may not be functioning properly. Asans bring the different bodily functions into perfect coordination so that they work for the good of the whole body.
At the mental level, people harbor poisonous thoughts and emotions within. Muscular knots can occur anywhere in the body – in the neck as cervical spondylitis, in the face as neuralgia, etc. Every mental knot has a corresponding physical, muscular knot and vice versa. For example, emotional tensions can affect the smooth functioning of the lungs, and breathing process, contributing to a very debilitating disease, which is asthma.
The aim of asans is to release these knots. For full benefit, these asans should be performed along with the meditation. Meditational exercises cleanse the mind, to bring a feeling of peace and contentment within.
Proper asans, Pranayam, subtle body relaxation, meditation, tackle these knots both at the physical and mental levels. As a result of the release of dormant energy, the body becomes full of vitality and strength, the mind becomes light and creative, joyful and balanced.
Yogasans have succeeded as an alternative therapy in diseases such as asthma, diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders and many ailments of a chronic and constitutional nature, where modern medical science has failed.
Q: What is the difference between Yogasans and exercises?
SM: Exercises impose a beneficial stress on the body. Without them, the muscles waste, the bones become weak, the capacity to absorb oxygen decreases, and the ability to meet demands of sudden physical activity is lost.
However, exercises work only on the muscles. They cause catabolism, or break down of cells. Asans work on the organs, nerves and glands, and alter the electro-chemical activity in the nervous system. They increase the oxygen in the blood, lower the bodily temperature, and slow down metabolic rates.
Q: What is the best time to practice Yogasans?
SM: The best time for practicing Yogasans is brahm muhurt, or the morning hours before breakfast. At this time the activities of the stomach and the intestines have stopped, the mind has no deep impressions on the conscious level and it is empty of thoughts.
The muscles are stiffest in the morning, yet through the session of Yogasans, they get flexed. In the evening, two hours around sunset are also a favorable time. However, keep in mind that the Yogasans must be done at least three hours after a major meal, so that the stomach is not loaded.
Q: What is pran, and what is its role in maintaining good health?
SM: Pran is a life-giving energy which is subtler than oxygen and present everywhere. It is also one of the major elements of the body, and other bodily elements remain worthless without pran. It is pran that gives motion to bodily parts, and everything that happens in the body is activated by pran.
It provides us with immunity to fight various diseases. It is also pran that gives energy to all the other sense organs.
Our lifestyle deeply affects the pranic forces. Our actions, sleep, diet, thought, senses, etc all have intense effects on our pran.
An irregular and indiscriminate lifestyle depletes the pranic energy and eventually leads to pranic blockages. This is the reason why people feel loss of energy from time to time. The depletion of pranic energy leads to various ailments in the organs and muscles. The different Pranayam practices largely contribute in the expansion of pranic energy and also in the balance of the five types of pran in the body.
Q: How does Pranayam benefit one?
SM: In physical terms, Pranayam is a systematic and organized exercise of breathing which makes the lungs stronger and improves blood circulation, and alleviates many physical and mental diseases. Through a systematic exercise of breathing, the lungs become stronger, and thus, the blood circulation throughout the whole body is enhanced.
At a subtler level, Pranayam is more than a respiration technique of inhalation and exhalation. The word “Pranayam” has been derived from two words “pran” and “ayam”, which means “to expand the pranic energy.” Through Pranayam, the level of oxygen in the body definitely increases, but along with oxygen, we also take in vital pranic energy that pervades the atmosphere.
Most people use only twenty-five percent of the lungs’ capacity throughout the day, in what is called “shallow breathing.” Due to this, the pranic energy level in their body remains low, which results in the appearance of multifarious ailments, such as asthma, tuberculosis, etc. Regularly performing Pranayam expands the pranic energy supply to all the parts of the body, and prevents these maladies.
Pranayam makes us mentally healthier. One should not forget the fact that imbalances in breathing hinder the physiological functions which later become psychological. Pranayam is effective in treating psychic disturbances, like excitement, anxiety, fear, anger, disappointment and lasciviousness. In addition, its daily performance also results in good memory power.
Thus, Pranayam has innumerable benefits that help embellish our life with a hale and hearty body and psyche.
Q: Many people, who flock to Yoga studios around the world, yearn for something more substantial than the physical exercises of Yoga, which will satisfy their inner yearning for spirituality Indian style. Why does this feeling persist?
SM: The craze for Yoga has definitely spread around the world, but invariably in the name “Yoga” only physical exercises are taught, and people doing them feel they have become Yogis. Actually, the word “Yoga” does not exist in the Sanskrit language or in the Vedic scriptures. The proper word is “Yog”, which means “to unite.” In this context, it means to unite the individual soul with the Supreme soul.
Sanyogo yog ityukto jeevatma paramatmanoh (Garud Puran)
“The union of the individual soul with God is Yog.” This union is achieved by elevating, purifying and focusing the mind lovingly upon God.
The Shreemad Bhagavatam states:
Etavan yog adishto… (Bhagavatam)
“True Yog means removing the mind from all the material objects of attachment, and fixing it completely on God.”
Most publications and Yog institutions in the modern world have not endeavored to highlight the mental and spiritual aspects of Yog, and teach sincere aspirants only physical exercises and incomplete meditation techniques in the name of “Yoga”. Without emphasis on the purification of the mind, the hunger of the soul remains unaddressed. Those people who have deeper spiritual sanskars yearn for a genuine Divine experience. That is the reason why their inner urge to understand and experience Indian spirituality remains unfulfilled.
Q: How is the system of Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog unique from the Yoga that is taught in the hundreds of Yoga studios?
SM: Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog (JKYog) incorporates both material and spiritual techniques, based upon the timeless sciences of the Vedic scriptures. It is a complete system of Yog which includes five Vedic disciplines for mind-management and exemplary physical health. These five disciplines are:
1. Radhey Shyam Yog Asans
2. Radhey Naam Pranayam
3. Subtle Body Relaxation
4. Roop-dhyan, or Meditation on the Form of God
5. Science of Proper Diet
The techniques of JKYog have been practiced by true yogis in India for centuries. However, in their study and practice in the Western world, the role of the mind, which is the basis of elevation and degradation of a person, is not emphasized. The scriptures state:
Man ev manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh (Panchadashi)
“The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation.” If the mind is neglected, then any science for the nourishment and evolution of the personality will be incomplete and only partially effective.
JKYog is special because each of its five sciences is practiced with focus on purifying and elevating the mind through tools of spirituality. This gives a deep satisfaction and experience of Bliss at the level of the soul. If practiced sincerely, JKYog leads to the harmonization of the mind-body-soul, resulting in a feeling of wellbeing from within, and the attainment of true Yog, or union of the consciousness with God.
Swami Mukundananda is a world renowned spiritual teacher from India, and is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and founder of JK Yog. He has received his degrees in engineering from world renowned institutes in India, IIT and IIM. He has inspired people all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God realization. This year, Swamiji will be conducting weeklong programs in 30+ cities of USA from April onwards. For more information visit: http://www.jkyog.org/events
Swami Mukundananda
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