WHAT IS YOGA? Who is the Founder of Yoga?

Yoga is one of the six philosophical systems of 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 superconsciousness of Paramashiva, 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.

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 and so much more.

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. In the above image Lord Shiva comes as the great yogi with a japa mala in his right hand, the damaru 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 of the rishi Patanjali.

KAMIKA AGAMA

The Agamas, applied scriptures, 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 Kamika Agama outlines Shuddhadvaita, as explained by Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam, a path to pure and absolute oneness. It consists of four padas or sections. Charya or lifestyle, Kriya or spiritual process, Yoga or methods of uniting with the divine, and Jnana or enlightenment about everything that exists.

ENLIGHTENED YOGIC LIVING

Ma Udaysree’s Enlightened Yogic Living is a lifestyle based on the Kamika Agama, and Ayurvedic and Yogic principles to raise consciousness and break free of limitations in body, mind and emotions.

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 cleansing techniques, hatha yoga, meditation, puja rituals, and satsangh with the guru. Initiates practice ajapa japa, continuous internal chanting, of a mantra or mahavakya.

A yogic lifestyle provides for consuming organically grown vegetarian food freshly prepared according to Ayurveda guidelines like eating with the seasons. It is a satvic vegetarian cuisine avoiding onions, garlic, mushrooms, green chilies, yeast, eggs, etc. TV, coffee, black tea, alcohol, nicotine, drugs, eating meat or fish, frozen food or leftovers are not part of a satvic energetic lifestyle as they are rajasic, restlessness inducing, or tamasic, spreading laziness in the person.

Additionally, the Enlightened Yogic Lifestyle provides techniques to break free of limitations in mind and emotions freeing and expanding our consciousness to reach our 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 emotions, and makes for a happier and healthier life.

Purification also happens on a devotional level raising consciousness through performing pujas, homas, visiting temples, and going on pilgrimage to India or participating in a retreat.

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.

About Author- Ma Udaysree

Ma Udaysree is a Certified Master Life Coach, Spiritual Teacher, and Author. She has studied the Vedic Tradition in the areas of yoga, meditation, healing, temples, and Ayurveda for more than 30 years. Ma Udaysree offers individual Holistic Health & Vedic Lifestyle Coaching, Spiritual Healing Sessions, Temple Tours in Arizona, and Temple Tours and Retreats in South India. Website: Ma Udaysree – Enlightened Living Facebook Group: Ma Udaysree – Vibrant & Blissful Living