\u201cYoga is relevant to our age\u00a0 because, far from being mystical or otherworldly, it is a teaching firmly\u00a0 grounded in physiological reality and can be understood in contemporary terms.\u00a0 We know that our experience of the world depends entirely on the state of our\u00a0 nervous system. This in turn is influenced by a host of factors (heredity,\u00a0 diet, environment), and so on. If the nervous system is fresh and rested, the\u00a0 body will be healthy and the mind alert and comprehensive. As result, our\u00a0 thought will be powerful and clear and our actions which are manifested thought\u00a0 will be successful and rewarding.<\/p>\n
Conversely, if the system is\u00a0 tired, or strained, perhaps because the over activity, or the influence of poor\u00a0 food, then our outlook will be restricted, the mind dull, and our actions\u00a0 ineffectual. Our life will become shallow and unsatisfying, a prey to all forms\u00a0 of negativity.<\/p>\n
The techniques of Yoga are\u00a0 methods of purifying the nervous system so it can reflect a greater degree of\u00a0 consciousness and our life can become an increasingly positive force in the\u00a0 world. If these techniques are correctly practiced, the whole nervous system is\u00a0 revitalized, the body enjoys better health and more energy, the rested mind\u00a0 freed from the burden of past experiences, and perception is restored to its\u00a0 primal freshness. Thought and activity become coherent and integrated, life becomes\u00a0 richer and more fulfilling.<\/p>\n
Whether we choose to practice\u00a0 Yoga, and interpret its benefits, within the framework of a conventional set of\u00a0 religious beliefs is up to us. Some people do, some don\u2019t. Yoga itself is\u00a0 neutral. It is a catalyst that allows us to grow in whichever direction is\u00a0 natural and life-supporting. Its methods work on the physical seat of\u00a0 consciousness, the nervous system, and, as far as Yoga is concerned, a Hindu\u00a0 nervous system is no different a Catholic or Agnostic one. Each obeys the same\u00a0 laws that govern the operations of mind and body. Whoever practices Yoga will\u00a0 be enlivened in his or her own way\u201d.<\/p>\n
Alistair Shearer, from his\u00a0 book \u201cThe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cYoga is relevant to our age\u00a0 because, far from being mystical or otherworldly, it is a teaching firmly\u00a0 grounded in physiological reality and can be understood in contemporary terms.\u00a0 We know that our experience of the world depends entirely on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136,133],"tags":[146],"class_list":["post-11599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-eng","tag-reflection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11599"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11601,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11599\/revisions\/11601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myaorg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}