International Yoga Day 2023: Exploring The Connection Between Yoga And Spirituality

Yoga helps practitioners find inner serenity, faith, hope, compassion, and happiness. When practiced with a spiritual perspective, one can achieve inner self development and enlightenment.

Representational Image ( Image Source :Getty )

New Delhi: Yoga is an ancient practice that offers more than just physical benefits. Many of the asanas have strong spiritual foundations and focus on achieving spiritual enlightenment, realising spiritual desires, seeking insights and wisdom, and establishing a harmonious and integrative worldview. Yoga helps practitioners find inner serenity, faith, hope, compassion, and happiness. When practised with a spiritual perspective, one can achieve inner self development and enlightenment.

In this regard, fitness expert Meenakshi Mohanty said, "A state of bliss and spiritual fulfilment can be achieved by anyone through yoga, but it is important to remember that regular practice is essential. Another important aspect of yoga, when it is aimed at total integration, is a particular lifestyle. A life led with compassion and kindness, a vegetarian diet, and other such aspects also play an important role in the fulfilment of the goal of achieving inner awareness and oneness with the supreme consciousness.

Yoga is a journey beyond asanas, more of a moving meditation. It is an opportunity to foster awareness, to really get to know yourself, and on a practical level, make conscious choices in your life. 

"It shows us the art of perseverance. The physical practice of yoga is a truly enlightening experience which can enable one to face every obstacle with renewed vigour and prepare them to take every challenge," said Nisha Dhawan, Head coach yoga- Multifit

She then spoke about Ashtanga Yoga and told that it is dynamic, strength-building, challenging, breath-focused, meditative and structured and is a practice that will bring you back to yourself and keep you centered on a daily basis.

All About Ashtang Yoga:

Ashtanga yoga or the eight limbs yoga is Maharshi Patanjali's version of a classical yoga as is set out in his Yoga Sutras. He defined the eight limbs as yamas (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption) form a sequence from the outer to the inner.

Talking about this Oshin Satija who is a Health & Wellness Coach, Yoga Expert  and Corporate Yoga Trainer listed out the eight limbs which are as follows:

• Yama, the restraints, guides us in living harmoniously with others through principles like non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence, and non-possessiveness.
• Niyama focuses on positive duties towards ourselves, fostering cleanliness, contentment, selfdiscipline, self-study, and surrender to a higher power.
• Asanas are essential for meditation, but Yoga is more than just physical postures.Its like using anairplane as a bus just because it has wheels. Health benefits of Yoga are a by product of its practice, not the aim.
• Pranayama, the lengthening of the breath, clears energy pathways and channels energy to higher centers within us.
• Pratyahara turns our focus inward and marks the end of the outer aspects of Yoga.
• Dharana which is contemplation, leads to Dhyana or meditation, where we experience effortlessness and expanded awareness.
• Dhyana or meditation extends beyond mere concentration or focus. Its practice yields transformative outcomes, and while relaxation and stress reduction may occur as by products, they are secondary to its true purpose.
• Samadhi is the state of profound enlightenment and unity with the Superconsciousness.

The posture, asana, must be steady and comfortable for a long time, in order for the yogi to practice the limbs from pranayama until samadhi. Knowing the soul is the same as knowing the truth and meditation is intimacy with the soul. Live a life that is centred on the soul and mindful of oneself. This is the goal of Yoga, which leads to profound inner awakening, Oshin concluded.