Mumukshutva

Yogic India - Since Eternity

The Trend of Today: Meditation!

What Mediation Really Is? - Yogic India Many people regard meditation as concentration. This article is to clear your doubts about what meditation really is and why should we do it. One of the ancient scripture “Patanjali Yog Sutras” written around 2000 years ago, by sage Patanjali also called as the father of modern Yoga, describes Med...

The shortest mantra OM encompasses the Greatest. Know its meaning and significance.

Meaning of Om and the Significance of chanting Om! - Yogic India The mystic word Om(Aum) is very ancient and the most sacred. It is Anahad- the infinite sound. “Ahad” Naad(Naad means sound) is the one which is produced by striking of two objects. All the sounds that we hear is “Ahad” sound. Anahad Naad is the sound which is never produced. It has no beginning and...

According to the Hindu Calendar, the day of Guru Purnima falls on the day of full moon in the month of “Ashadh” i.e. June to August. This day is celebrated in India to pay obeisance to the Guru(Master, teacher). It is believed that the day has been celebrated in India from ancient times to pay respect to Sage Ved Vyas who penned down the four Vedas and many other Indian sacred scriptures which laid down the foundation of the Indian Philosophy.

The word Guru is a sanskrit word. “Gu” means darkness and “Ru” means removing the darkness. Thus Guru is the light which removes darkness from your life. So, a Guru could be anyone who has guided you and illuminated your life with knowledge and wisdom. A Guru not necessarily be outside. Guru is within each of us. The Self. The consciousness is the first Guru.

Having a Guru means much more than having anything in India. “Guru Bina Gati Nahi”, there is no progress in life without a Guru. Thus having a Guru is considered so important in India.

Sage Patanjali in the “Yoga Sutra” has beautifully described “Who is God?” and describes that “This God is the Guru of all and is even the Guru of all the Guru’s”

He describes God as that special person who is free from all the colourings (kleshas: five Kleshas are: ignorance, ego, likes, dislikes, and desire to cling to life or fear of death), actions (karmas), fruit of actions(Vipaka), and memory or attachment(ashayaih).

This day of Guru Purnima is of utmost significance to a seeker. It is the day of gratefulness towards the source of knowledge and wisdom.

As His Holiness Sri Sri says “Guru Purnima is the day of reflection. It is the New Year for a spiritual seeker; for one who is on the path. It is a day to review on one's credits and debits and look at the balance sheet. It is a day to be grateful for all that we have achieved in the past year, and a day to resolve to do what we are here to do in the coming year. That is the essence of Guru Purnima.”

Wishing you all a very happy Guru Purnima and we hope you begin the day of reflection and gratitude right from today and seek the Guru within.

YOGIC INDIA offers obeisance, love and gratitude to the all the Indian YOGI GURU'S, who have have dedicated their life imparting wisdom and the guiding light.

Yoga sold without its soul..

India has to save yoga from its shallow, soulless imitations - The Economic Times While yoga needs to be promoted as a life-transforming phenomenon, it wouldn't do much good if it loses the balance of purity and ingenuity.

YOGIC INDIA inspiring the WORLD.

Here is a story of a girl who was inspired by the Yogic India that made her realise the true meaning and change her perception of Yoga!

"I was introduced to yoga at the age of seven by my mom. She was a yoga teacher and I think she mostly took me to her classes because she couldn’t arrange a babysitter. Or maybe she wanted to guarantee that I would like yoga and introduced me at the age when everyone worships his or her mom. During that time I had a hard time sleeping at night. However, I could sleep after doing yoga. No more pondering in bed, but deep sleeps. Later I also noticed the benefits of doing yoga on a regular basis. There’s more comfort and ease in doing the asanas, which calms your mind even more. Now I know that is how asanas are described in the yoga sutra of Patanjali (2.46: sthira-sukham asanam).

Fast forward to the age of 26. I knew yoga was bigger that just asanas and pranayama, but to be honest I had no clue what else it entailed. These previous months I travelled in India. I was honoured to learn from great teachers who helped deepen my practice and enabled me to learn about the ‘complete yoga’: the eight limbs. While staying in an ashram the teacher asked what yoga meant to me. That question puzzled me. Yoga was something I just did; I started at an age where it even hadn’t been a conscious decision. It felt good, that’s all. I’m very easy that way. After giving it some thought, I answered yoga was peace of body and mind. Again, what I felt during practicing irregularly was basically the definition of yoga: unity of body, mind and soul. This I would say is why yoga is so powerful for me. The yoga philosophy is not something far-fetched, theoretically forced; it comes naturally by practice. Now I have established a regular, daily practice with asanas, pranayama and meditation. During the rest of the day I am calmer and more aware of my own thinking and interactions with others. But still, the biggest reason of keeping up my practice: it feels good."

Yogi Marina Kermani from Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Marina Kehv

Yoga session at the Jain Vikas Mandal, Imphal. Yoga is bound by no religion, its for all! Celebrating Yoga day. Inspire and Be inspired.

Lets prepare for the International Yoga Day!

So, whats the plan for the summers, we wondered. Something productive! Something meaningful, something more satisfying and definitely Fun!

How about yoga workshops in NGO’s!

A thought was the beginning, planning, approaching and conducting it for real was the real fun.

Every step is filled with surprise, full of learning. Its definitely a ground work. During the approach process we realised, after all its not so difficult to do good work and people are supportive. When we conducted the workshop, we realised how much children actually valued what we taught and were so sincere. When they emulated the yoga postures so beautifully, we couldn't help blushing. They even asked us when are we coming back! They promised to do Yoga everyday.

We realised the value of imparting knowledge. It will only multiply as it has been. We are grateful to be able to contribute. It has sown the seed of contribution rather than demanding more and more from the world. We hope to inspire more and more people to do Yoga, to share the bliss we derive from it each day! :)

LetsDoYoga@Mumukshutva

Yoga CHANGES, TRANSFORM and ENLIGHTEN.

3 years ago I was a fat, work shirking , annoying, frustrated and depressed boy. Due to lack of good company and dire need for belonging within, the whole world seemed very despicable to me. For years I had been very pessimistic and lacked energy and enthusiasm. I always kept seeking help and encouragement from others, but never tried to look whithin.

Then, I started practising "yoga asanas" ,"pranayamas" and started feeling better( both physically and mentally). I lost weight quickly (from 124 to 72 kgs within 5 months) moreover my mind was more sharper than ever before, with a huge increase in sensitivity and receptivity for things . I gained a lot of positive energy and perception towards life changed.

Today, I sound healthy and energetic young lad with a sharp and bright mind and great goals to pursue. Yoga has now become an inseparable part of my life. It is more of a daily routine for me, which includes a combination of Physical postures and Pranayama (Hatha yoga), Meditation and Yoga Nidra (Raja yoga and Ta**ra), tit-bits of knowledge and Wisdom (Gyan yoga) which all together help me to perform my daily activities with a Sincerity(Karma yoga) to end my day with a sense of surrender and dedication to the divine almighty(Bhakti yoga).

Yoga evokes a feeling of contentment and gratitude within me. It has made me realise the fact that we all are same from the core of our existence and the whole universe is running because of that very energy. This makes me calm and playful regarding various big and small aspects of life.

In essence, yoga helps me maintain integrity of thought, word and deed while increasing my awareness regarding myself and the life around me, alongside it helps me enhance my skills and talents to meet the needs of current academic and professional scenario.

I hope this path of self-realisation and evolution, I will be able to live my life to the fullest, at the same time fulfil my responsibilities and duties towards my family, friends and society, yet die with a sense of dispassion and with a smile on my face.

- Yoga practitioner Paraag from Patiala, Punjab.

This is a very effective way to keep the mind pure and at peace. Here Sage Patanjali talks about the kind of attitude to cultivate for specific kinds of people which will help one to keep their mind undisturbed and pleasant.

First point. Develop friendliness(Maitri) towards happy people(Sukha). If this is not done, usually one develops jealousy towards them. Having a friendly attitude towards them, one develops belongingness and oneness with them, keeping the mind free from the clutch of negativity.

Second point. Have compassion(Karuna) towards the unhappy(Dukha) ones. There is a difference between pity and compassion. Having pity towards someone usually aggravates and fortifies the sadness of the unhappy. Compassion, on the other hand, can be in a form of service towards them to uplift them up. Example, when one says “Oh this shouldn't have happened to you, its very sad that such a trauma has taken place with you”, This is an example of pity. Here the key is not be attached to the unhappy also. Have compassion, with detachment. This way, one is not bound by the guilt of helplessness nor taken away by sadness.

Third point. People who are doing virtuous(Punya) deeds, become complacent(Mudita) towards them. Feel oneness with them, become glad that they are doing good work. When one is not glad about virtuous work happening, generally a criticising attitude overtakes and affect the mind’s serenity. Keep the mind pure by cultivating gladness that there are good people doing virtuous deeds.

Fourth point. Become indifferent(Upekshanam) to wicked(Apunya) people. Educate and ignore is the key. Many times one takes responsibility to change people, especially improve people who are doing vice acts. When they don't change, one gets angry, sad and helpless. Thus, educating once and then move on with indifference is the key to keep the mind at peace.

vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam

Thus by cultivating such specific attitude regarding those subjects, one’s mind is purified, and remains peaceful.

If you can breathe, you can do Yoga

Our talented Reeshikumar Chiranjit and Mumukshutva Yoga featured in Deccan Chronicle article. Do read about this interesting trend. :)

There is a new trend called ‘alien yoga’ and it is uniquely satisfying It is inspired from the yoga technique called nauli

There was a time when I encountered various disappointments in life one after the other. I used to spend hours being sad and depressed and used to only get negative thoughts in my head.
So one fine day I decided to take charge of my life rather than being the victim of the situation. I decided to focus my entire energy into learning something new. That is when I started learning new postures in Yoga everyday. I started with headstand and everytime I came across a negative thought I used to practice and focus that energy into the posture, within no time I mastered head stand and went ahead to master few other postures as well.

What I did not realize in the whole process was that my mind and body was undergoing a very positive change. Apart from just practicing various postures, I made Yoga a part of my routine and made sure to practice 'Surya Namaskar' everyday no matter where I am.

In no time my life changed, my body became more flexible and fit, my mind became more active and positive which led to various positive things and some really pleasant oppurtunities.
There is no other way for me now but to start my day with Yoga and ten minutes of meditation. It keeps me energetic and positive throgh out the day.

This practice changed my life in a way I never imagined.

- Yoga practitioner, Swati Singh from Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Swati Singh

It takes more than eight minutes for the sunlight to reach our atmosphere, which means the light, due to which we are able to see now in our present has actually started its travel in the past. It is this light which reflects the objects, make us able to see that object and the amount of light passed on that objects is directly proportional to the color which we see.

So, this article which you are reading now, is visible to you only after some time as the light emitted from the screen reflects the eyes and neural signals are sent to the visual cortex of the brain and then forms an image in the brain which is making you see. Of course, it doesn't take much time but just few milliseconds. That means whatever we see now is already past. We are always seeing the past even though by a millisecond.

Thank the almighty for giving such a fast processing device. Well.. many of the stars which are millions of light years away from us are actually seen by us in this moment might have evolved into a white dwarf and gone supernova!

The way to freedom.

The Yogi's Diet

Right Angle Pose

Benefits: works on the shoulders and the upper back behind the chest. Corrects poor posture.

Contraindications: Acute sciatica, in case of backache bend from the hips, not from the waist.

I believe, Yoga cannot be defined, as it is very closely related to "You". On a gross level we are all different, born in different households with different circumstances with different upbringing, isn't it so? Keeping this in mind, Yoga for each one of us will mean something unique. For some it is a means to attain liberation, for some it is just an exercise to keep fit, for some it is a way of doing things. But what actually is Yoga remains a mystery to me despite studying Yoga from an academic point of view.
Yoga is the union of the individual self with the cosmic self, is the most widely accepted definition of Yoga and it is the one which I go by. This definition can be traced back to the times of Mahabharat and even before, along the tantrik civilizations. This definition of Yoga seems to be above and beyond for most people. I personally never heard of it in my entire 12 years of schooling, but when I did at a later stage in life, I asked myself are we really disconnected with the cosmic self in the first place?
Coming back to "You", do you think you are different and unique in the first place? No matter how we identify ourselves, If you have the courage to dissect yourself in the smallest of smallest particle, you may cease to find any difference in your smallest unit and in my smallest unit. Dissecting is not required as such, awareness and broadening of the perception will lead us to this reality.
Once this understanding has been established, one can begin to search for that which is not changing aka the cosmic self. For me it is just a matter of awakening to the reality that we are all same and united with our universal self. I am that, and that is me.
If it is so simple, then why is there such a thing called as Yoga? Well to be aware of this union at all times, in all situations and in all moments is something which I believe is only experienced by few lucky ones like Lord Krishna, Jesus Christ, and some of them even alive today.
We all experience this union with the cosmic self every now and then unknowingly, just look out for those ultimate blissful moments, for most of us these moments of union just happen for few moments and vanish.
What if we could sustain this experience of Union and ultimate bliss? Well then it will be a state of Yoga.
So to conclude Yoga on a gross level can be different for all us but on the subtle level it is pretty much the same and never changing.

- Yoga practitioner, Kartikeya from Lucknow, India.
Kartik Kay

Anger and Intelligence

What happens when we are angry? Our blood from all parts of the body moves towards those parts of the body which requires the strength to fight or act. Therefore, the brain is denuded of blood when one is angry and thus one becomes less intelligent during those moments. So anger and intelligence are reversely proportional. Thats why when one is angry, one loses the power of thinking. Anger is thus threatening to the intellect. Its not only with anger, but all such emotions like jealousy, greed or lust, etc are opposite to intelligence. They all reduce the intellect and all of them makes us do those acts which are harmful for ourselves.

The simplest way to control anger is focusing on the breath and counting the breath in reverse from one hundred to zero or fifty to zero. How this works is simple to understand. Every emotion is linked to a certain rhythm of breath. Example, when we are angry breath is short and quick, and when we are sad we “sigh”. When we focus on the breath, the breath gradually becomes long and deep, instilling calmness and peace in the body and mind and thus transforming the emotion.

Breath is the key to many problems. Just keep taking deep breath in and let your worries go.

A final adieu to the shining one, before I departed the lost city of Kishkinda. The land of the Siddha-Yogi Hanumana. And the Kingdom of Vijaya-Nagara.

It was in Hampi, Karnataka that I had the epiphany that made me quit my materialistic life, dispose of all the physical objects that I held dear, and jump headlong into learning the true discipline of Yoga.

Like a lucky-coin that keeps returning to you no matter how many times you keep losing it, the thirst for Yoga has always re-entered my life whenever I have needed it most. And it has soothed my parched throat every time.

Yoga has taught me that when things in life seem bleak,
When you are on the verge of giving up,
You need not raise your hands up in surrender.
Rather, you must attempt the Hastha-Utthana-Asana instead.
Raise yourself to your full height. Your maximum potential.
Lift your hands up not in fear, but in Salutations to the Lord.
And bare your Chest out, unafraid of the world...

Knowing that though many people may claim they like you,
Promise to be with you through thick-and-thin,
And some may even profess their eternal love for you,

YOGA, is the only one who will love you back.
For what you truly are...

- Yoga practitioner, Dibyaroop Padhi from Bhubaneshwar, India
Deboo X Xavier

Yoga has become an intimate part of my life. It is the smile every morning. It is the peace and tranquility amidst the noise. It is the happiness without a reason. It is the beauty I see in everything.

Yoga to me is being being happy and peaceful inside, being in the present moment, and being stable despite the instability around.

I became attached to the world of yoga for uncountable reasons. It has given me a new life. It changed my perspective of the people and the world around. It renewed my feelings of insecurity, inferiority and emotional instabilities to faith, self belief and centeredness. Now I take control of my life and am responsible for my own experience.

Yoga is the need for every individual. It is not a practice, it is a way of life.

- Yoga practitioner, Farrah Sangma from Meghalaya, India.
Farrah Sangma

THE MYSTERY OF YOGA

The teacher called out for the next asana, “ Stretch out your legs in the front, raise your hands up, arms touching the ears; now while exhaling, bend down from the waist; try to touch your nose to the knees; and fingers touching the toes…” This asana brings the epitome of pain to me. And then I peeped next to me and saw Abha di (my classmate) performing it flawlessly. After the class, I asked, “How did you do that?” She replied, “With love.”

Yoga is an attitude. It should be practiced in every moment of life which means living each moment with complete awareness and mindfulness. For instance, while doing any yogic posture one should be aware of the self, the movement of the breath and the body; and being at ease in it/ to enjoy it. Similarly in life, while doing anything even if it is just eating doing it with awareness; of the taste, its movement inside the mouth, and with a feeling of joy and grace would make the food more enjoyable (even if isn’t tasty).
We often live our lives in a quest of progress; we want to win at everything. But, we forget that while measuring the achievements in life we are narrowing the vast chances and possibility of discovering the real ’ME’. How?

Let’s take the situation of me doing that dreadful (not anymore) asana, I measured my ability to do the asana by comparing myself. In doing so, I narrowed myself to thinking that it is the only way it should be. ”Just like her”. Narrowing down the concept of progress for me. This is where I get stuck; half of my attention is on someone else. While the true essence of Yoga is unity of body mind, and soul. And, when there is no unity, the action remains incomplete. The trick to attain perfection or the best version of any action is to give a 100% to whatever you are doing combining body, mind, soul and with a pinch of love and devotion.

Because it’s not how much you can, it’s all about how fulfilled you are within when you accomplish it.