How to Practice the 5 Ancient Principles of Yoga
by Dr. Srikumar Rao
Three thousand years ago, the Buddha realized that our mind is the cause of the problems that bedevil us.
The Dhammapada (a collection of the Buddhas sayings) states:
With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with an impure mind. And trouble will follow you. As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart.We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with a pure mind. And happiness will follow you. As your shadow, unshakable.
Two centuries later,the Indian spiritual teacher Patanjali, made the same discovery, and went one step further as he laid out a systematic process by which one can overcome the torments of their mind.
We know this as Yoga.
Many believe that Yoga is a set of postures and exercises that promote physical health, however, its actually much more than that. It is an intricate philosophical system that will take you all the way to complete enlightenment.
Most of Yoga consists of preparing the mind, and relatively few people are aware of how important this is. While you may not explicitly be on a quest for liberation, the mind exercises of Yoga will bring joy to your life, clarity to your thinking, and an imperturbable serenity to your being.
The first limb of Yoga, according to Patanjali, is a set of five principles collectively known as Yamas.
Here are some exercises that help you bring this into your life:
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