India 2011

What is yoga?

yoga

The word “yoga” derives from the Sanscrit root “yudzh”, which means “to connect”, “to compound”, “to affix”, “to hitch” – i.e. orientation and concentration of mind to practice. This root also means “union”, “fellowship” – i.e. the real link between our will and this of the Creator; interconnection of all the powers in our body, the mind and the soul with the Creator; discipline of mind, emotions, and will. Another meaning is equilibration of soul, which gives an opportunity to the person to look calm on life in all its aspects.

Yoga is one of the six orthodoxal systems in the Indian philosophy. It is systemized by Pantanjali in his classical work “Yoga sutras”, which consists of 185 short aphorisms. Indian thinking is sodden by the Supreme Universal Spirit (Paramathma, the Creator), of whom the individual soul (Dzhivatma) is just a part. The system is called yoga, because it gives the resources, by which Dzhivatma can connect or compound with Paramathma and thus to accomplish Moksha – freedom.
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