The Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies (AYOS) organised a lecture on ‘Science behind yoga’ here on Saturday with Dr Arpita, Associate Professor, SCB Medical College, Cuttack as the speaker. The meeting was presided over by AYOS Director Dr Indulata Das.
Mangalacharana was chanted by Dr Narasimha Bharati and Mihir Mishra delivered the welcome address. Dr Arpita said human race can be divided into four categories, Yogi, Bhogi, Rogi and Drohi. He who takes food once a day is a yogi. He who eats twice is a Bhogi. He who eats thrice is a Rogi. He who eats four times is a Drohi. Only a yogi knows the importance of life and longevity. Yoga is a conscious evolution. Yoga is not a nature but nurture, she observed.
Man, she said, is born with specific numbers of breaths. When it is exhausted he exhausts his longevity. So, a person whose breathing rate is less lives longer. One can learn faithfulness from the dog and royalty from a lion, she said.
Dr Indulata Das said Yamas are the “don’ts” for the yogi whereas the Niyamas are the “does” for him. In the beginning, the yogi has to restrain himself from certain things. This self-control is called Yama. These are five in number, Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy) and Aparigraha (non-hoarding).
The Niyamas, she said, are culture of positive virtues. The Niyamas are also five in number. These are Saucha (cleanliness of body and mind), Santosa (contentment), Tapas (penance) and Iswarapranidhana (surrender to Iswara). Yama and Niyama work as the ground for the higher steps of yoga.
There was a question-answer session after the lecture. Former bureaucrat S Sundar Rajan, Prof S Sadangi, bureaucrat Taradatt, senior journalist Sugyan Choudhury and many others participated in the discussion and enriched it.