The word yoga

The word yoga, derived from a Sanskrit root meaning “to bind, join, unite, yoke”, defines at one and the same time the state of Unity and the method by which this state can be attained.
Yoga is a pragmatic science whose origins are lost in the mists of time.  It has evolved over millennia and deals with every aspect of human well-being from the physical to the moral, mental and spiritual.

Known as one of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy, the work of yoga was compiled, coordinated and systematized by Patanjali, approximately 2600 years ago: his work the “Yoga Sutras” is composed of short aphorisms by which the author analyses the causes of the conflicting nature of life and indicates the “remedies”.  Patanjali explains how, by the practice of Yoga (sadhana), it is possible to find peace.  The practice comprises a group of disciplines engaging mind and body in eight steps (astanga yoga): yama (ethical principles), niyama (personal disciplines), asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (absorption in the Supreme).  Their goal is to free the mind from all the obstacles which distress, disturb or overwhelm it.

Yoga enables one to understand that the universe depends on the observer, and to understand the interaction which exists between everything “which lives” and our share of responsibility in all that “which is”.  It is above all a way of action, allowing the practitioner (sadhaka) to grasp reality progressively, as he or she gradually purifies his organs of perception and frees him- or herself from the constraints of internal passions, emotional blocks and alienating patterns of conditioning.  This process by which consciousness becomes free is universal.  It is clearly described step by step in the Yoga Sutras in which Patanjali put into writing the teachings which were previously passed on orally.

It is possible to make Yoga a tool for personal development as the practice incorporates the various aspects of human existence: physical (asanas), physiological (kriyas) and spiritual (meetings, exchanges, meditations).  [See, for example, “Vipassana Meditation Courses in Prisons”].  It is one of the links in the chain by which Ancient Wisdom is passed on, belonging to no particular religion or culture, but remaining the heritage of every sincere seeker.

This is what the famous violonist Yehudi Menuhin, himself a Yoga practitioner and pupil of B.K.S. Iyengar, had to say about it:  “The practice of Yoga induces a primary sense of measure and proportion.  Reduced to our own body, our first instrument, we learn to play it, drawing from it maximum resonance and harmony.  With unflagging patience we refine and animate every cell as we return daily to the attack, unlocking and liberating capacities otherwise condemned to frustration and death...  The practice of Yoga has convinced me that most of our fundamental attitudes to life have their physical counterparts in the body... Strength of will, ambition, tenacity, discernment, serenity, harmony or the sense of the universal are developed by stretching in various Yoga postures and quiet consistent breathing...  It is a technique ideally suited to prevent physical and mental illness and to protect the body generally, developing an inevitable sense of self-reliance and assurance.  By its very nature it is inextricably associated with universal laws, allowing the drawing of a quiet breath, in calmness of mind and firmness of will...  By its very nature it is each time and every moment a living act.”