Inner World of Yoga – Day 16
(2) Niyama: The Niyamas are the observances or practices of self-training, and deal with our personal true self-nature. It is self-evident that having a healthy body, clear mind, and regulated senses are necessary if we wish to sit for meditation and experience the depths of Self-realization.
(3) Asana: Asana means “to sit.” Yoga has been defined as the mastery of the thought patterns of the mind field, so that self-realization can be experienced. To be able to do the meditation practices that allow this, it is essential that the posture be steady and comfortable. Steady and comfortable postures come through two means: A) Loosening of any tension or effort to sit in the posture, and B) Allowing attention to merge with the infinite. Asana is not something to do, but is rather, being with internal awareness.
(4) Pranayama: Is regulating the breath so as to make it slow and subtle, leading to the experience of the steady flow of energy (prana), which is beyond or underneath exhalation, inhalation, and the transitions between them.
(5) Pratyahara: Is the withdrawal of the 5 cognitive and 5 active senses from the external world and from the images or impressions in the mind field.
(6) Dharana: Is concentration or stillness, and it comes more easily with the effort to stabilize the mind. Through the practices and processes of pranayama the mind acquires or develops the fitness, qualification, or capability for concentration.
(7) Dhyana: The uninterrupted flow of concentration on one point of focus is called absorption in meditation. Remaining in this state of stillness or concentration is meditation. With meditation there is still an observer observing an observed.
