Hatha Yoga emphasises holistic well-being, nurturing the body, mind and spirit in harmony

Hatha Yoga lays emphasis on the overall well-being of the body while nurturing the mind and spirit of the seeker. The bedrock of this yogic technique is strongly based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. These are 10 quotes on yoga by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar which help one to appreciate the depth of yoga.

1. “Like a flower bud, human life has the potential to blossom fully. Blossoming of human potential to fullness is yoga.”Yoga is a discipline that is both gentle and powerful for uniting body, breath and mind in awareness. It integrates elements from all the different paths of yoga where you get a glimpse of Raj Yoga, Ashtanga or Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga as well Gnana Yoga making the yogic experience wholesome.

2. “Yoga brings knowledge, passion and action together.” Yoga is not just doing some body-twisting postures – it is experiencing the union of the body, mind and breath.

3. “Yoga is a study of life, study of your body, breath, mind, intellect, memory and ego; study of your inner faculties.” The practice of yoga has been known for centuries to produce benefits in the areas of health, mental clarity and spiritual connection.

4. “Withdraw your senses from the object to its source, then the union happens, then the yoga happens.” One must learn the correct way of doing asanas and pranayama.

5. “Peace is our very nature, and yoga leads you to inner peace.” Yoga teaches one how to pay attention to what one experiences inside and what is the state of mind. Declutter the mental chatter.

6. “The purpose of yoga is to stop suffering even before it arises.” Yoga is a holistic way of energising and integrating mind, body and spirit. 

7. “Yoga is not just weight-loss programme; it is a science to make one feel lighter. It helps to lose the mental stuff of anger, jealousy, hatred, greed, etc.” During the Sri Sri Yoga basic programme that is taught in 10 to 12 hours at the Art of Living Retreat, certified teachers help to experience the real depth of yoga that brings benefits not just at the physical level but at the mental, emotional and spiritual level too.

8. “One of the rules of yoga is to cultivate the practice of being happy.” Everybody ultimately wants to be happy. But what is real happiness? The wise say that shifting gears from the pursuit of happiness to being happy makes happiness a journey rather than the destination, which is the key.

9. “The wisdom of yoga transforms one from arrogance to self-confidence; meekness to humility; from dependence to a realisation of interdependence.” One may wonder if yoga is a self-help programme. Taught at various levels, yoga programmes connect one with ancient wisdom and nourish one’s inner beauty as a human being.

10. “The wisdom of yoga transforms one from craving freedom to recognition of the ‘unboundedness’, from limited ownership to oneness with the whole.” Does it seem incredulous? But yes, this is indeed the real potential of yoga. Simple yogic postures, rejuvenating breathing techniques, and blissful meditations integrated with the invaluable ancient wisdom of yoga put one on the path of genuine life transformation. As a yoga explorer with over a decade and a half of experience, I can state that all fellow explorers can dive deeper and experience what it takes to be a real yogi (or yogini).

(The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living)