YOGA PHILOSOPHY
yama
Yama is social behavior, how you treat others and the world around you. These are moral principles. Yamas are :
Nonviolence (ahimsa). Do no harm to any creature in word, deed or thought. ( Do not eat meat, eggs or create any violence, on any level, to any living being )
Truth and honesty (satya). Tell no lies.
Nonstealing (asteya). Do not steal.
Non - possessiveness (aparigraha). Free yourself from greed. Make your life as simple as possible.
niyama
Niyama is inner discipline and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. These are sometimes called observances;
Purity (shauca). Purity is achieved through the practice of the yamas, which help clear away the negative physical and mental states of being. Keep yourself, your clothing, and your surroundings clean. Eat fresh and healthy food. The body is a divine gift and must be treated like a temple of the divine,
which it is.
Contentment (santosha)
Cultivate contentment and tranquility by finding happiness with what you have and who you are. Seek happiness in the moment, take responsibility for where you are, and choose to grow
from there.
Austerity (tapas)
Show discipline in body, speech, and mind. The purpose of developing self-discipline is not to become ascetic, but to control and direct the mind and body for higher spiritual aims or purposes.
Study of the sacred text (svadhyaya).
Study sacred texts, which are whatever books are relevant to
you and inspire and teach you. Education changes a person’s outlook on life. All creation is divine and there is divinity within oneself.
The energy which moves one, is the same that moves
the entire universe.”
Living with an awareness of the Divine (ishvara-pranidhana).
Be devoted to whatever you consider divine.
asana
Yogis use asana’s to strengthen and cleanse the body and mind. If you are free of physical distractions, you can control the body, you can also control the mind. Many westerners consider the practice of asana or postures as an exercise regimen to stay fit, but this is just one of the many aspects of yoga practice.
pranayama
Prana is the life force or energy that exists everywhere and flows through each of us through the breath. Pranayama is the control of breath. The basic movements of pranayama are inhalation, retention of breath, and exhalation. “The yogi’s life is not measured by the number of days but by the number of his breaths,” “Therefore, he follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow, deep breathing.” The practice of pranayama purifies and removes distractions from the mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate.
pratyahara
Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses. Pratyahara occurs during meditation, breathing exercises, or the practice of yoga postures — any time when you are directing your attention inward.
dharana
Concentration or dharana involves teaching the mind to focus on one point or image. “Concentration is binding thought in one place,” says Patanjali. The goal is to still the mind — gently pushing away superfluous thoughts — by fixing your mind on some object such as a candle flame, a flower, or a mantra. In dharana, concentration is effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense of time passing.
dhyana
Uninterrupted meditation without an object is called dhyana. Concentration (dharana) leads to the state of meditation. The goal of meditation is not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightened awareness and oneness with the universe. How do you tell the difference between concentration and meditation? If there is awareness of distraction, you are only concentrating and not meditating.
samadhi
The ultimate goal of the eightfold path to yoga is samadhi or absolute bliss. This is pure contemplation, super consciousness, in which you and the universe are one. Those who have achieved samadhi become enlightened, which is the aim of all yoga practices combined together. Yoga “ a state of Divine-Union “.
The eight limbs work together: The first five steps — yama, niyama asana, pranayama, and pratyahara — are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The last three, which would not be possible without the previous steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogi to attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness with the divine eternal spirit.
Lord Sri Rama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama
Buddha
www.dalailama.com
Sri Ganesh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
Sri Hanuman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman
Lord Shiva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva