Yoga is not a Religion it is a technology.

A recent controversy has been making the news in the United States about banning yoga in schools because of its supposed religious and Hindu overtones. Sadhguru explains that yoga is a technology, and religion has nothing to do with it.


What religion you belong to has nothing to do with your ability to make use of the yogic systems, because  yoga is a technology. Technology does not make any distinction as to what you believe in and what you do not believe in. What you may believe in or not is purely a psychological process – it has got nothing to do with making use of a technology.
Yoga is Hindu just the way gravity is Christian. Just because the law of gravity was propounded by Isaac Newton, who lived in a Christian culture, does it make gravity Christian? Yoga is a technology. Anybody who is willing to make use of it can make use of it. It is ridiculous to even think that there could be a religious tinge to yoga.
The spiritual process and the technology of yoga predates all religion. Before human beings started thinking of forming religious groups to fracture humanity in a way that you can’t fix them, the idea that a human being can evolve himself came from Shiva, the Adiyogi.

Hindu is not an “ism”

Why the yogic sciences have gotten labeled as Hindu is because this science and technology grew in this culture. And because this culture was dialectical in nature, naturally they delivered the science in a dialectical manner, involving the cultural strengths of the land, which is essentially the Hindu way of life. The word “Hindu” has come from the word “Sindhu,” which is a river. Because this culture grew from the banks of the river Sindhu or Indus, this culture got labeled as Hindu. Anybody who is born in the land of Indus is a Hindu. It is a geographical identity, which slowly evolved into a cultural identity, and when some very aggressive religions came into the land and a big “competition” was set up, they tried organizing themselves as a religion – which has not happened yet. You still cannot put them together because they don’t have one belief system.

We need to understand this – Hindu is not an “ism;” it is not a religion. Being a Hindu does not mean having a particular belief system. Whatever you did in this culture was Hindu. There is no particular god or ideology which you can call as the Hindu way of life. You can worship a man-god and be a Hindu; you can worship a woman-god and be a Hindu; you can worship a cow and be a Hindu; you can give up all worship and still be a Hindu. So you are a Hindu irrespective of what you believe or don’t believe.

The God-makers

At the same time, there was a common line running through all these. In this culture, the only goal in human life is liberation or mukti.  Liberation from the very process of life, from everything that you know as limitations and to go beyond that. God is not held as the ultimate thing in this culture, God is seen as one of the stepping stones. This is the only culture on the planet which is a godless culture in the sense that, there is no concertized idea of God. You can worship a rock, a cow, your mother – you can worship whatever you feel like – because this is a culture where we have always known that God is our making. Everywhere else, people believe “God created us.” Here, we know we created god so we take total freedom to create whatever kind of god we can relate to. It is a science of how to take a human being to his ultimate potential.
We evolved a whole technology of God-making – not just creating forms, but energizing them in such a way that it will assist you to touch that dimension of life which is the basis of creation. It is not because somebody believes in it that it reverberates. This is the science of consecration where we know how to turn a stone into the Divine.

- Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Please don't select your Guru

You thinking ‘this is my Guru’ or ‘that is my Guru’ is of no great significance. When your inner situation becomes such that you really have no choice and you don’t consciously think ‘this is my Guru’, but in every way he has become that, then he is your Guru. In spite of yourself, when  you are involved helplessly, then you have found your Guru. You don’t have to declare ‘this is my Guru,’ but when an awareness grows within you, naturally there is an acceptance of that.

Don’t try to choose your Guru. When you are choice less about it and there is no other way for you, only then do you need a Guru. If you can still choose, don’t choose one because your choice will definitely be wrong because if you choose logically, you will choose a Guru who is convenient and comfortable for you. A Guru is somebody who takes your life, not somebody who offers you comfort. He is somebody who takes you, completely destroys and demolishes you in every way, and still he is your friend.

Generally a friend is a person who supports your ego. Those are the kind of friends that you choose. So friends are not good for you in the real sense because they support your ego in so many ways. But a Guru is a friend who demolishes your ego. So if you do not find him comfortable but you are helplessly attracted to him, only then is he your Guru.

ADI GURU

In ancient times, India did not exist as one country, but still it was considered as one entity which they called 'Bharat Varsha'.

By race, by language they were not same; by religion, they did not worship the same gods; politically, they were never one, but still the land south of Himalayas was referred to as Bharat Varsha. So somewhere, there was some sense of unity because of the common spiritual ethos they carried in them.

Spiritual ethos means, no matter what you are doing, whether you are a king or a peasant, whatever is the nature of your activity, there is only one ultimate goal for everybody - liberation. Even today, even the simplest farmer in this country will talk about mukti. This is a result of the phenomenal amount of spiritual work done in this country. One person who is largely responsible for this, who is of paramount significance in shaping the human consciousness is Shiva.

In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a God, but as the first Guru or the Adi Guru. He is the Adi Yogi or the first Yogi. Out of his realisation, he became ecstatic and danced all over the mountains or sat absolutely still. He was constantly into bouts of stillness and bouts of mad dancing. All the gods who saw him, saw something was happening to him that they themselves did not know. Suddenly heaven felt like a bad place, because this guy is having such a good time! They felt, "We are missing out on something." When they finally got him to teach the method, Shiva expounded various types of yogas depending upon the level of preparedness of the person who was sitting in front of him.

The first part of Shiva's teaching was to Parvati, his wife. It was taught in a certain intimacy. In great detail, and in very gentle ways, Shiva expounded the ways of yoga to Devi. The yoga sutras of Shiva are such that almost in every sutra , he refers to her as the resplendent one, the gracious one, the beautiful one. So this teaching transpired between two people with utmost intimacy. Intimacy should not be understood as sexuality. It means there is no resistance; this person is absolutely open to whatever is being offered.

The second set of yogic teaching was expounded to the Sapta Rishis , or the first seven sages. When we use the word yoga, you should not think of twisting your body or holding your breath or anything like that we are not talking about a particular exercise or a technique. We are talking about the very science of creation and how to take this piece of creation (you) to its ultimate possibility. We are looking at gaining mastery over the fundamental processes of life; the very process of creation and dissolution. It doesn't matter at what level of evolution a person is right now, for him also, there is a way. For every being on the planet, there is a certain way that is the advantage of yoga. This teaching happened on the banks of Kanti Sarovar, near Kedarnath. This is when the world's first yoga programme happened.

Today, yoga is said to be the world's fastest growing wellness regimen because it presents spirituality as technology. Mahashivratri is a festival that was chosen to honour Shiva, the Adi Guru, from whom yoga originated. On this night the planetary positions in the northern hemisphere are such that there is a natural upsurge of energies. If one just stays awake and keeps one's spine erect throughout the night, it naturally pushes a person towards his spiritual peak.

Source: Satguru, March 2009, The Times of India.

BODY CHAKRAS

The word chakra is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning wheel. If we were able to see the chakras (as many psychics, in fact, do) we would observe a wheel of energy continuously revolving or rotating. Clairvoyants perceive chakras as colorful wheels or flowers with a hub in the center. The chakras begin at the base of the spine and finish at the top of the head. Though fixed in the central spinal column they are located on both the front and back of the body, and work through it.

Each chakra vibrates or rotates at a different speed. The root or first chakra rotates at the slowest speed, the crown or seventh chakra at the highest speed. Each chakra is stimulated by its own and complimentary color, and a range of gemstones for specific uses. The chakra colors are of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The size and brightness of the wheels vary with individual development, physical condition, energy levels, disease, or stress.

If the chakras are not balanced, or if the energies are blocked, the basic life force will be slowed down. The individual may feel listless, tired, out of sorts, or depressed. Not only will physical bodily functions be affected so diseases may manifest, but the thought processes and the mind may also be affected. A negative attitude, fear, doubt, etc. may preoccupy the individual.

A constant balance between the chakras promotes health and a sense of well being. If the chakras are opened to much, a person could literally short circuit themselves with too much universal energy going through the body. If the chakras are closed, this does not allow for the universal energy to flow through them properly which may also lead to dis-ease.

Most of us react to unpleasant experiences by blocking our feeling and stopping a great deal of our natural energy flow. This affects the maturation and development of the chakras. Whenever a person blocks whatever experience he is having, he in turn blocks his chakras, which eventually become disfigured. When the chakras are functioning normally, each will be open, spinning clockwise to metabolize the particular energies needed from the universal energy field.

As already mentioned any imbalances that exist within any chakra may have profound effects upon either our physical or emotional bodies. We are able to use our quartz crystals and gemstones to re-balance all our chakric centers and once the chakra has been properly balanced then our body will gradually return to normal.

The reason why crystals and gemstones are wonderful and powerful healing tools are because of what science calls its piezoelectric effect. (You can see this effect in the modern quartz watches). Crystals and gemstones respond to the electricity that is coursing through our body, and if the energy is sluggish, the constant electrical vibrations of the stones will help to harmonize, balance, and stimulate these energies.

THE SEVEN MAJOR CHAKRAS

First Chakra - Root

Studying the individual chakras begins with the root chakra, called Muladhara in Sanskrit. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine at the tailbone in back, and the pubic bone in front. This center holds the basic needs for survival, security and safety. The root chakra is powerfully related to our contact with the Earth Mother, providing us with the ability to be grounded into the earth plane. This is also the center of manifestation. When you are trying to make things happen in the material world, business or material possessions, the energy to succeed will come from the first chakra. If this chakra is blocked an individual may feel fearful, anxious, insecure and frustrated. Problems like obesity, anorexia nervosa, and knee troubles can occur. Root body parts include the hips, legs, lower back and sexual organs. The colors used for this chakra are red, brown and black. The gemstones are Garnet, Smoky Quartz, Obsidian, and Black Tourmaline.

NOTE: A man¹s sexual organs are located primarily in his first chakra, so male sexual energy is usually experienced primarily as physical. A women's sexual organs are located primarily in her second chakra, so female sexual energy is usually experienced primarily as emotional. Both chakras are associated with sexual energy

Second Chakra - Belly (Sacral)

The next chakra or second chakra is often referred to as the belly or (sacral). It is located two inches below the navel and is rooted into the spine. This center holds the basic needs for sexuality, creativity, intuition, and self-worth. This chakra is also about friendliness, creativity, and emotions. It governs peoples sense of self-worth, their confidence in their own creativity, and their ability to relate to others in an open and friendly way. It¹s influenced by how emotions were expressed or repressed in the family during childhood. Proper balance in this chakra means the ability to flow with emotions freely and to feel and reach out to others sexually or not. If this chakra is blocked a person may feel emotionally explosive, manipulative, obsessed with thoughts of sex or may lack energy. Physical problems may include, kidney weakness, stiff lower back, constipation, and muscle spasms. Belly body parts include sexual organs (women), kidneys, bladder, and large intestine. The main color used with this chakra is orange. The gemstones are Carnelian Agate, Orange Calcite and Tigers Eye.

Third Chakra - Solar Plexus

The third chakra is referred to as the Solar Plexus. It is located two inches below the breastbone in the center behind the stomach. The third chakra is the center of personal power, the place of ego , of passions, impulses, anger and strength. It is also the center for astral travel and astral influences, receptivity of spirit guides and for psychic development. When the Third Chakra is out of balance you may lack confidence, be confused, worry about what others think, feel that others are controlling your life, and may be depressed. Physical problems may include digestive difficulties, liver problems, diabetes, nervous exhaustion, and food allergies. When balanced you may feel cheerful, outgoing, have self-respect, expressive, enjoy taking on new challenges, and have a strong sense of personal power. The body parts for this chakra include the stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, and small intestine. The main color for this chakra is yellow. The gemstones are Citrine, Topaz, and Yellow Calcite.

Fourth Chakra - Heart

The fourth chakra is referred to as the heart chakra. It is located behind the breast bone in front and on the spine between the shoulder blades in back. This is the center for love, compassion and spirituality. This center directs one¹s ability to love themselves and others, to give and to receive love. This is also the chakra connecting body and mind with spirit. Almost everyone today has a hard, hurt, or broken heart, and it is no accident that heart disease is the number one killer in America today. Deep heart hurts can result in aura obstructions called heart scars. When these scars are released, they raise a lot of old pain, but free the heart for healing and new growth. When this chakra is out of balance you may feel sorry for yourself, paranoid, indecisive, afraid of letting go, afraid of getting hurt, or unworthy of love. Physical illnesses include heart attack, high blood pressure, insomnia, and difficult in breathing. When this chakra is balanced you may feel compassionate, friendly, empathetic, desire to nurture others and see the good in everyone. Body parts for the fourth chakra include heart, lungs, circulatory system, shoulders, and upper back. The main colors used are pink and green. The gemstones are Rose Quartz, Kunzite, and Watermelon tourmaline.

Fifth Chakra - Throat

The fifth chakra is referred to as the Throat. It is located in the V of the collarbone at the lower neck and is the center of communication, sound, and expression of creativity via thought , speech, and writing. The possibility for change, transformation and healing are located here. The throat is where anger is stored and finally let go of. When this chakra is out of balance you may want to hold back, feel timid, be quiet, feel weak, or can¹t express your thoughts. Physical illnesses or ailments include, hyperthyroid, skin irritations, ear infections, sore throat, inflammations, and back pain. When this chakra is balanced you may feel balanced, centered, musically or artistically inspired, and may be a good speaker. Body parts for the fifth chakra are throat, neck, teeth, ears, and thyroid gland. The main color used is light blue. The gemstones are Aquamarine and Azurite.

Sixth Chakra - Third Eye

The sixth chakra is referred to as the Third Eye. It is located above the physical eyes on the center of the forehead. This is the center for psychic ability, higher intuition, the energies of spirit and light. It also assists in the purification of negative tendencies and in the elimination of selfish attitudes. Through the power of the sixth chakra, you can receive guidance, channel, and tune into your Higher Self. When this chakra is not balanced you may feel non-assertive, afraid of success, or go the opposite way and be egotistical. Physical symptoms may include headaches, blurred vision, blindness, and eyestrain. When this chakra is balanced and open you are your own master with no fear of death, are not attached to material things, may experience telepathy, astral travel, and past lives. Sixth chakra body parts include the eyes, face, brain, lymphatic and endocrine system. The main colors are purple and dark blue. The gemstones are Amethyst, Sodalite, and Lapis Lazuli.

Seventh Chakra - Crown

The seventh chakra is referred to as the Crown. It is located just behind the top of the skull. It is the center of spirituality, enlightenment, dynamic thought and energy. It allows for the inward flow of wisdom, and brings the gift of cosmic consciousness. This is also the center of connectedness with the Goddess (God), the place where life animates the physical body. The silver cord that connects the aura bodies extends from the crown. The soul comes into the body through the crown at birth and leaves from the crown at death. When this chakra is unbalanced there may be a constant sense of frustration, no spark of joy, and destructive feelings. Illnesses may include migraine headaches and depression. Balanced energy in this chakra may include the ability to open up to the Divine and total access to the unconscious and subconscious. The main colors for the crown are white and purple. The gemstones are Clear Quartz Crystal, Oregon Opal, and Amethyst.