PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA

Yoga is a path to creating balance. When balance is created, man can live in harmony with himself and the environment.

To achieve this balance, we need to unite the body, the mind and the spirit.
The ancient yogis recognized the need to balance these three elements and created a method for doing so: postures for physical wellbeing, breathing and meditation techniques for the mind and spirit. Put simply, the philosophy of yoga is that the mind, body and spirit are one.

Behind this belief are a number of philosophical ideas that form the foundations of yoga philosophy. These include the Law of Karma, the Kleshas, the inward journey through the Koshas, the Moksha and Maya, and the three Gunas.

Perhaps the most important of these ideas is the Law of Karma. As a man sows, so he shall reap - this is the Law of Karma. Destiny can be created by habits, thoughts and character. Changing our thoughts and habits encourages positive thinking and positive actions, which leads to a peaceful, happy and contented life.

The Kleshas are negative mental emotions (including greed, ignorance, hatred, delusion and pride) that obscure our vision and keep us from feeling fulfilled. Once these negative emotions are dispelled, we can achieve enlightenment.  Yoga encourages us to acknowledge the Kleshas, then to remove them through self-awareness, self-understanding and self-belief.

The inward journey through the Koshas takes us on a path of self-realization. Koshas literally means ‘sheaths’ and refers to the five layers of oneself that need to be understood and peeled back in order to find our ‘true self’.  The outer layer is called Annamaya kosha and refers to food and the physical body. This is the layer where newcomers to yoga begin, before moving on through the other layers: Pranamaya kosha (energy), Manamaya kosha (mind), Vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom), Anandamaya kosha (bliss) and finally, Atman (true self).

Moksha frees the soul. Literally meaning liberation or freedom, Moksha refers to the dissolution of the sense of self, or ego, freeing us from our false reality and clearing our vision.  Maya is the illusion, reinforcing our delusions and veiling the true nature of the self. To achieve Moksha, Maya has to be overcome and this is done through reflection and meditation in yoga.

The three gunas (the primary qualities of nature) are Sattva (beingness), Rajas (activity) and Tamas (darkness). They exist in all beings in varying degrees and, depending on their strengths, they determine attitude, behaviour and actions, and our attachment to the world.  The gunas are born from Prakriti which, in yoga philosophy, is the basic matter of which the universe consists. We have the ability to increase of decrease the effect of the gunas through our lifestyle and thoughts.  While Rajas and Tamas can produce negative states such as inactivity, materiality, and longing, Sattva is a state of harmony so yogis are encouraged and taught how to increase Sattva, thus reducing Rajas and Tamas.