“Yoga is not just for physical fitness and mental peace alone, Yoga is for manifesting the state, space, powers, being, and superconsciousness of Paramashiva.” – SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga is a wholistic system for body, mind, and consciousness based in Hinduism. It is a sacred and scientific system to prepare the body mind system to hold the energy of enlightenment, the uniting of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness, the goal of which is reaching your highest potential as a spiritual being in a human body and the state of eternal bliss.

Eternal bliss is our true nature. Though it is buried in us through conditioning, limiting beliefs, and patterns that make us powerless, it is not forgotten. Our being knows it because in whatever we do, we consciously or unconsciously try to get back to this state of consciousness, to the state of bliss.

Yoga, essentially a Hindu ritual, when rightly practiced is a holistic approach for any individual to break free of limitations in body, mind, and emotions. It includes principles, and involves the body, mind, emotions, and higher states of consciousness. Going In is the only way Out.

WHAT YOGA IS NOT

Exercise programs like Beer Yoga, Wine Yoga, or Pet Yoga are NOT yoga. These classes use yoga postures but focus entirely on the outside and use intoxicants. Doing yoga with a pet may be cute but again, it is outside oriented. Original yoga as intended by Lord Shiva himself focuses on going within, the only way to reconnect with your true nature and experience eternal bliss. Yoga cannot be reduced to physical exercise alone. It has a much deeper and sacred meaning.

WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF YOGA?

Paramashiva, the Ultimate, is the originator of yoga. He is beyond the manifest and the unmanifested existence, beyond comprehension, and comes by different names and human incarnations. Lord Shiva is the greatest yogi with a japa mala or rosary in his right hand, the damaru, a small drum, in his left hand represents the creation of the universe through the sound AUM, and a snake around his neck symbolizes the Kundalini Shakti in every human being present.

One of the yoga purposes is to raise Kundalini Shakti to the sahasrara crown center to unite their with Paramashiva, the ultimate but not final uniting, to be in eternal bliss, the purpose of yoga and life. Only much later, around 500 BC, yoga was organized into the yoga sutras by the great rishi Patanjali.

AGAMA

The Agamas, applied sciences, as revealed by Paramashiva himself are full of mantras, techniques, and practices to aid in raising individual consciousness from a lower to the highest state.

The Agamas outline a path to pure and absolute oneness. It consists of four padas or sections. Charya or lifestyle, Kriya or spiritual process (action or ritual), Yoga or methods of uniting with the divine, and Jnana or enlightenment about everything that exists.

5 YOGIC PRINCIPLES OR YAMAS

As outlined in the Yoga Sutras

Ahimsa Parama Dharmaha

Non-violence is the Ultimate Strategy for Life

Ahimsa – Non-Violence

Don’t have violence towards yourself and others like your enemies and animals. Why? The Universe abhors violence. Violence is the one thing you will incur karma for. Nothing else the Universe dishes out karma but for violence. No mercy killing of people or animals. When you kill a cow it is utterly afraid and has a hatred for you. These emotions go into the muscle memory of the animal. When slaughtered, YOU are the one who consumes this. You ARE what you eat!

No violence against yourself like suicide, mental torture by telling yourself negative things about yourself and believing it, or even drinking and smoking which are slower forms of suicide.

Due to pandemic fatigue people throw Covid 19 parties – and die. That is irresponsible to others and yourself apart from dangerous.

Satya – Truth

Living in truth with yourself means having absolute integrity with yourself, with nature and cosmos. Live in alignment with the cosmos.

Speaking the truth consider the consequences of what you say and do before you speak or act.

Asteya – Non-Stealing

Taking only what you need; using what you have to help others; not coveting what others have and not obstructing others from achieving their desires.

“Not only not robbing others properties but not taking away the life or livelihood of natural inhabitants of planet Earth. Taking life away from them for your eating their body is stealing. No one can belong to another life. If something is empowered to run and save itself from you, you don’t have the right to kill them and eat. You can’t steal their organs or body as your food.” says HDH Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam.

Hunters killing for fun or trophies to hang deer and bear heads on the wall and poachers killing elephants for their ivory teeth are forms of stealing apart from being violent towards these animals.

Aparigraha – Non-Possessiveness

The attribute of non-greed or non-possessiveness; simplicity and minimalism like a zen lifestyle; the practice of taking only what is needed to maintain the yoga lifestyle. No hording in the garage, attic, or basement.

Brahmacharya – Path of the Ultimate / Abstinence

“Now is the best time to practice Brahmacharya or Abstinence. If you have conceived, ok, if you plan conceiving, wait until Dec 14^th“, says HDH. Brahmacharya is also living in alignment with cosmic principles and conscious seeking. Now is the best time for spiritual practices that lead to enlightenment.

YOGA LIFESTYLE

Asanas or Postures to balance our body/mind system and to go inwards. Yoga is much more and meant for a deeper purpose. Asanas are meant to be practiced daily and help you experience a different inner space. They have many health benefits and some instructors are specialized in areas like back pain or nadis energy channels.

Meditation has many benefits. The most widely known are stress-reduction and calming the mind. Yet meditation was created to explore the inner space and to take the practitioner beyond mind.

Detox Yoga practiced as a lifestyle is to purify and detox the body mind system. It comprises of a morning and evening routine that includes pancha kriyas or 5 cleansing techniques, hatha yoga, meditation, puja rituals, and satsangh with the guru. Initiates practice ajapa japa which is continuous internal chanting, of a mantra or mahavakya.

Food A yogic lifestyle provides for consuming organically grown vegetarian food freshly prepared according to Ayurveda sattvic guidelines and eating with the seasons. It is a satvic vegetarian cuisine avoiding certain foods.

Expansion Additionally, the Yogic Lifestyle provides techniques to break free of limitations in mind and emotions freeing and expanding consciousness to reach your highest potential. Most all of us still suffer as an adult from something that happened in our early childhood that limits us today to fully express who we are. Releasing these obstacles frees us from blocked energy, a range of negative emotions, and makes for a happier and healthier life.

Raising Consciousness Purification also happens on a devotional level raising consciousness through performing pujas, homas, visiting temples. Mantra chanting raises your vibes and consciousness too. What happens when we raise our consciousness? We feel more positive, happier, and more fulfilled.

All purification, releasing, meditation, and other expansion techniques in the yogic lifestyle tradition aim at reaching our highest potential of manifesting the state, space, powers, being, and superconsciousness of Paramashiva.