What is Yoga?
Yoga is:
– not a Hindu form of exercises
– not the technique for relaxation
– not the technique for stress release
Sanskrit word yoga was used in different subjects (like astronomy, astrology, ancient medical sciences) with a different meaning.
In philosophy the word yoga confined to a particular meaning as ‘joining’ or bringing together, merging two things etc.
Most of the yoga paths take the meaning as above by saying merging individual soul with the supreme soul or God.
As per sage Patanjali, yoga is the technique of controlling the activities of the mind. Thus the state of controlled mind, allows you to realize who ‘you’ are.
In other words, yoga is the path to experience the truth when one transcends the senses and when the mind and intellect cease to function (yogic consciousness).
The science of yoga gives a practical and systematically prepared method of finding the truth for the questions like;
Who am I? What is the purpose of life? Is physical death the end of everything? So on.
Every science has its own method of investigation. The science of yoga has its own method and declares that the truth can only be ‘experienced’.