Raja Yoga

(July 4, 2010)

What is raja yoga?

Yoga is basically the cultivation of the mind with the help of meditation. Yoga comes from a Sanskrit word, which means to unite. The ultimate aim of yoga is to unite us with our ultimate consciousness. Raja literally means the king and raja yoga implies that the mind is the king or power above the other organs. The origins of this type of yoga date far back in time, in ancient India, prior to the emergence of any written material.
It is believed that a sage named patanjali maharishi formulated this science into a definite system and gave the name Ashtanga yoga or raja yoga to it. Raja yoga comprises of the right steps of patanjalis which are yarna, niyrana, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dyaana and Samadhi. Raja yoga focuses on meditation which helps individuals delve into divinity of inner universe.
People who practice raja yoga believe that the mind is simply an instrument which interacts with the rest of the world. This mind cannot function properly if it is clouded with too many thoughts. To calm the waves of thoughts one needs to understand one’s true nature. The first step in raja yoga is to regulate the mind, to divert the attention of the mind inwards rather than outwards.
Many prophets, sages, yogis have found their divinity and wisdom due to their discovery or experiences of the inner self. Raja yoga helps us to uncover the mysteries of the mind by practicing mediation on a daily basis. Absolutely everything is based on a practical experience. Yoga is thus a practical way of attainment rather than a philosophical excursion into the realms of spirituality. With practice of meditation one learns to balance between the materialistic world and the spiritual world.
Raja yoga is directly concerned with the mind. It doesn’t consist of a lot of hand and body movements. It basically consists of a person sitting in a posture, at complete ease with oneself, and makes an attempt at silencing all those turbulent thoughts. This type of yoga pushes the student to the highest rung of spiritual ladder.
A person can master raja yoga only when he truly understands the way of controlling though waves or mental modifications. According to patanjali the way to achieve initial concentration is by concentrating on the mind and sight between the eyebrows. The mind which concentrates between the eyebrows ultimately focuses on watching itself. The meditator then can achieve self-realization and a deep consciousness of existence.

Submitted by A on July 4, 2010 at 02:44

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