​

Message from Bihar School of Yoga

Yoga 

Improving and enhancing the quality of life

 

On the occasion of the fifth International Day of Yoga, we extend our greetings to all sincere seekers and aspirants of yoga.  Since 2015 this day has become an opportunity for aspirants across the globe to come together in the spirit of yoga and strengthen their connection to this ancient vidya.  The Bihar School of Yoga has wholeheartedly supported this global interest in yoga by inspiring aspirants to deepen their experience of yoga and adopt it not merely as a physical practice but as a harmonious lifestyle as well. 

 

The lifestyle aspect of yoga is equally, if not more important than the practice aspect, and it involves moment-to-moment awareness and fine-tuning of one’s thoughts, responses and behaviour.  According to Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, “If you want to make yoga a tool to improve your lifestyle, you have to start bringing the positive attributes into your life, beginning with thought.  The moment you make your thoughts positive, marks the beginning of your yogic change.  This process of making the thoughts positive is known as pratipaksha bhavana. 

 

Swami Sivananda used to say, ‘Sow a seed in your thought, nurture it, and it will become the tree of your destiny in the course of time.’  Therefore, you have to sow the right seed in your thought, and that is always the positive one, the virtuous one.  Whenever a negative condition, state, idea, thought or reaction appears, instantly counteract that with a positive one.’

 

In keeping with this theme, the yama of Kshama, or forgiveness, and the niyama of namaskara, or greeting others with bhava – feeling, has been added to this year’s program.  These positive virtues pave the way to experience peace and harmony in one’s life.  A conscious and sincere effort to practise these will transform the state of one’s own mind as well as the environment around.