What is raja yoga?

Raja means King. A king acts with independence, self-confidence and assurance. Likewise, a Raja Yogi is autonomous, independent and fearless. Raja Yoga is the path of self-discipline and practice. Raja Yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga (Eight Steps of Yoga), because it is organised in eight parts: Yama - Self-control Niyama- Discipline Asana - Physical exercises Pranayama - Breath exercises Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the senses from external objects Dharana - Concentration Dhyana - Meditation Samadhi - Complete Realisation The eight steps of Raja Yoga provide systematic instruction to attain inner peace, clarity, self-control and Realisation. Aparigraha - Non-Accumulation of Possessions We should not accumulate goods, but only acquire and use what we need to live. One who has many possessions, also has many worries. We are born without belongings and when we again depart from this world, we leave all behind. Nonaccumulation also means to grant other people their freedom - not to hold onto others. In letting go, we also free ourselves. Therefore, to give freedom means to also to be free one’s self. Niyama - Discipline consists of five principles: Shauca - Purity Not only external purity, but more importantly, inner purity. Our clothing, our body, as well as our thoughts and feelings should be pure. The same holds true for the people we associate with. For our spiritual development it is of great benefit to keep good company of people who impart a good influence upon us, who are spiritual and support us with their wisdom. Santosh - Contentment Contentment is the greatest wealth we are able to possess. The Indian poet Tulsidas, said: “You may possess mines of gold and precious stone, but inner discontent destroys all wealth”. We can attain contentment only when we recognise that all worldly goods bring disappointment and that inner wealth provides more happiness than material possessions. Tapa - Self-Control, Self-Discipline In life, when we encounter adversity and obstacles, we should never give up. Rather we should continue on our chosen path with firm determination. To continue to practice, with self-discipline, patience and perseverance - this is the key to success. Svadhyaya - Study of the Holy Scriptures As Yoga aspirants we ought to acquaint ourselves with the traditional scriptures of Yoga philosophy, such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, etc. These scriptures impart valuable knowledge and provide great assistance on our Yoga path. Ishvara Pranidhana - Devotion to God Hand over all that you do to the Divine Self with pure devotion. God protects all who surrender with trust and faith. Asana - Physical Exercises and . Pranayama - Breath Exercises In the process of controlling the body and breath, Raja Yogis also achieve control of the mind. This leads to an awakening of those inner powers which will continue to give guidance on the spiritual path. Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the Senses Yogis are in the position of being able to direct their mind and senses at will, either inward or outward. Just like a tortoise can withdraw its limbs and head under its shell and extend them out again. Once there is controlled Pratyahara there is gained an independence from external conditions. One can immediately withdraw the senses from external objects and also, when desired, use the senses consciously, with full awareness. In the first stages of meditation we practice Pratyahara, keeping the body motionless, the eyes closed, the mind quiet and the attention directed inward. There are special techniques through which we can practice Pratyahara. One meditation exercise initially directs attention to external sounds, their nature, distance, etc. - simply observing the sound. Gradually awareness is withdrawn to one’s “inner space” to the sounds within the body (heartbeat, blood circulation, etc.). It is only when one has mastered the step of Pratyahara that we can progress to concentration. Dharana - Concentration Dharana means to focus one’s thoughts and feelings upon a single object. Usually we succeed with this for only a short time, then other thoughts come and distract us. We become aware of our lack of concentration after just a few minutes. Until we are capable of concentration on a thought or object for any length of time, in any situation, we still have not mastered Dharana. Candle meditation (Trataka), specific Asanas and Pranayamas, as well as the repetition of Mantra, greatly help in improving the ability to concentrate. Dhyana - Meditation All meditation techniques are only preliminary exercises for true meditation. One cannot learn to meditate, just as we cannot “learn” to sleep. Sleep just happens when our body becomes relaxed and quiet. Meditation happens when the mind is quiet. In meditation there is no imagination, because imagination arises from the intellect. We can compare the human brain to a powerful computer that has enormous storage capacity. All the data of the Universe may be stored there, but this “computer” is also limited. Our human brain can only reproduce what has been fed into it. But in meditation, we experience pure being. The moment the intellect is still and the individual ego ceases to exist, Divine light shines within the heart and we are one with it. Samadhi - Complete Realisation read less