THE ROOTS OF YOGA
Yoga has become a worldwide phenomenon, which has sprouted many watered down, unconventional forms including karaoke yoga and hip hop yoga! Many forget that its roots lie in the sacred texts of the Upanishads, which are over 2500 years old. The word yoga appears throughout these ancient texts reminding us that the ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation (moksha) from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (samsara). Above all, yoga requires mastery over the mind as well as the body.
So, knowing this, (almost) every Tuesday I get up at 5am to study the Upanishads (this philosophy is found in the last section of the Vedas) which many claim is the highest source of ancient wisdom.
We humans are curious creatures and there comes a point along the ups and downs of life when we have existential questions that beg answers. What’s the real meaning of life? What’s the ultimate source of happiness? Is it possible to achieve a constant integrated state of bliss within our lifetime and if so, how?
The Upanishads offer advice on how to obtain inner peace and ultimately, self-realisation and enlightenment. They were originally passed on verbally – imagine a dialogue between an enlightened guru and a few seekers in caves in the Himalayas, India. This wisdom was later recorded in print and has inspired many generations later.
The word Upanishads is derived from the Sanskrit word, Upa meaning close or near and ‘Shad’ means to sit. In essence, it means sitting next to an enlightened being. If you dissect the word, the term can also be interpreted as self-knowledge.
My Vedanta teacher tells me that in order to absorb this wisdom, the seeker must have a certain attitude. Firstly, a sense of surrender. This doesn’t mean a blind acceptance but rather a sense of humility rather than ego. The idea is to surrender to the power of the Universe, as in your yoga practice. Secondly, when your mind is calm and peaceful, rather than agitated with constant chatter, then we are in a much better position to absorb and reflect upon this knowledge.
Poignantly, these texts contain the first and most definitive explanations of the cosmic vibration, Aum that underlies all existence. The mantra Aum is a divine syllable/sound. Om Shanti (meaning peace) is now commonly chanted in yoga and meditation classes all over the world. According to my guru, the intonation of Om is split into three syllables and the emphasis is on Ahh (waking state) Uhhh (the dream state) and Omm (the deep sleep state). Shanti is usually chanted three times – the first time is the loudest and comes across as a command. This beautiful sounding vibration is said to be excellent for your immune system, and offers a peaceful state of mind for the rest of the day.
Om Shanti!
