Raja means king. The king acts independently, confidently and confidently. Similarly, the Rajayogin is unique, independent and fearless. Raja Yoga is a path of self-discipline and practice.
It is also called Ashtanga yoga (the eight-step path) because it consists of eight parts:
I. yama - self-control
II. niyama - discipline
III. asana - physical exercises
IV. pranayama – breathing exercises
V. pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses from external objects
VI. dharana - concentration
VII. dhyana - meditation
VIII. samadhi – complete realization, enlightenment
These eight stages of Raja Yoga lead to the systematic acquisition of inner peace,
purity, self-control and knowledge.
I.Yama - self-control is based on five principles:
• Ahimsa - non-injury
Ahimsa means not to cause pain or harm to any creature either by thought, word or deed. Not harming also means not killing. Eating meat is preceded by the death of some animal. That is why yogis eat vegetarian food. Animals have been able to sense the approaching death for some time in advance with their instinct. If the animal is to be killed, it perceives it intensely and feels the fear of death. It excludes the hormones of fear and stress. These then remain in his meat and we automatically consume them together with him. Here is the hidden cause of many of our seemingly groundless fears, neuroses and psychoses.
• Satya - truthfulness
Always telling the truth is good and right, but how we tell it is more important. We can "throw the truth at someone like a knife", but we can also dress it up in kind words. If one does not want to sin against the above-mentioned principle of ahimsa, one should take to heart the words of Mahaprabhuji who said, "Words from your mouth should fall like flowers."
Being truthful also means not pretending, not being evasive and not using excuses. We may be able to hide our true face from the eyes of others for a while, but we will not hide our inner truth from at least one person - from ourselves. Our own consciousness witnesses everything.
• Astheya - not stealing
Astheia means that we should not take anything that rightfully belongs to another. This does not mean only material things, but also mental property or someone's opportunity, hope or joy. The plundering of nature and the destruction of the environment also fall under this principle.
• Brahmacarya - pure way of life
Brahmacharya is often translated as sexual abstinence. But this term is much broader. Brahmacharya means always turning one's thoughts to God. However, this does not mean that we should neglect our duties in this world. On the contrary, we should fulfill them with greater care, but always with the knowledge: "I am not the one who acts, only God is the one who acts."
• Aparigraha - non-accumulation of property
We should not accumulate possessions, but acquire and use only what we need to live. He who has many possessions also has many worries. We are born without possessions, and when we leave this world, we leave all possessions here. Non-hoarding also means allowing other people their freedom and not being dependent on them. If we give freedom, we also free ourselves, because giving freedom to others means giving it to yourself at the same time.
II. Niyama - discipline is based on five principles:
• Saucha - cleanliness
This means not only external cleanliness, but above all internal cleanliness. Our clothes, body as well as feelings and thoughts should be clean. The same goes for the people we associate with. The company of people who have a good influence on us, who are spiritual and support us with their wisdom, is a great benefit for personal spiritual development.
• Santosha - satisfaction
Contentment is the greatest wealth we can possess. The Indian poet Tulsidas said: "You long for mines of gold and gems, but they will not bring you inner satisfaction." We can achieve contentment only when we understand that all the goods of the world bring disappointment, that inner wealth makes us much happier than material possessions.
• Tapa - self-control, self-discipline
In life, we always encounter obstacles and difficulties. Nevertheless, we should never give up and walk the chosen path with firm determination. The key to success is constant practice with self-discipline, patience and endurance.
• Svadhyaya – study of sacred books
As yoga aspirants, we should familiarize ourselves with the traditional works of yoga philosophy, e.g. Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, etc. These works bring us valuable knowledge and are a great help on our journey.
• Isvara pranidhana – devotion to God
Surrender everything you do with pure devotion to the Divine Self. All those who entrust themselves to God with trust and faith are under his protection.
III. Asana - physical exercises and IV. Pranayama - breathing exercises
By controlling his body and breath, the Rajayogin gains control over his mind at the same time. This awakens the inner forces that lead him further on his spiritual path.
V. Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses
A yogi is able to turn his senses and mind inward or outward by his own will, like a turtle, which draws its head and limbs underarmor, and then pushes them out of it. If we control pratyahara, we can detach our senses from external objects in an instant, regardless of external circumstances. On the other hand, if we wish, we can be fully aware of them and give them all our attention.
In the basic stages of meditation, we practice pratyahara by immobilizing the body, closing the eyes, calming the mind and directing the attention inward. There are certain techniques by which we can further improve the pratyahara. For example in one meditation exercise, we first focus our attention on external sounds – we find out their nature, distance, etc. and we perceive them. Then we slowly withdraw into our inner space and listen to the sound in our body (heartbeat, blood circulation, etc.). Only when we master pratyahara can we deal with our own concentration.
VI. Dharana - concentration
At this point, you will free yourself from external distractions so that you can shift your concentration inward. Here you will learn to slow down your thought process, directing your attention to a single object. Learning to concentrate on a single point for long periods of time will naturally lead to meditation.
VII. Dhyana - meditation
All meditation techniques are just a preparatory exercise for your own meditation. Meditation cannot be practiced in the same way that sleep cannot be trained. Sleep comes when our body is at rest. Meditation, on the other hand, succeeds when our mind calms down. In meditation, no more ideas are formed, because they come from our intellect. We can compare the human brain to a huge computer that has an enormous storage capacity. All space data can be stored in it. But even this computer has its limits. It can only give us back what we put into it. However, in meditation we experience pure being. As soon as our intellect quiets down and our individual ego ceases to exist, the Divine light shines in our heart and we merge with it.
VIII.Samadhi - complete realization, enlightenment
In samadhi, the knower, the known, and the knowing are united. The knower (one who exercises, practices), his knowledge (of what God is) and the object of knowledge (God) become one. It means that one becomes one with the Divine Consciousness. He who attains samadhi sees the transcendental shining light, hears the heavenly sound and perceives the limitless space within himself. When we reach samadhi, we resemble a river that, after a long and difficult journey, has finally flowed into the sea. Now there are no more obstacles, the river has become one with the ocean forever. Similarly, the yogi reaches the end of his journey - he unites with the highest consciousness.
His consciousness finds eternal calm, peace and bliss - the yogi is liberated. This experience cannot be described in words because
... only one who has tasted milk knows what milk tastes like,
only one who has experienced pain knows what pain means,
only he who has loved knows what love is
and so only one who has experienced samadhi knows what samadhi is.
In this state all duality dissolves. There is no more day, nor night, nor light, nor darkness, there are no qualities, there are no colors, all is one with the supreme Self. This union of the individual soul with the universal Self is the goal of yoga.
