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Yoga and Relaxation

What is yogic relaxation? This question used to come in our mind often. Everyone wants to be relaxed. But, How? Yoga tells about various process of relaxations practised by different schools of relaxation. Here, I am not going to explain about various process or techniques of yogic relaxation. But, going to explain the inner meaning of term "relaxation" in yoga. I have seen many confusion regarding the term "relaxation" by many people. The process and techniques of yogic relaxations may be many more but the inner meaning of "relaxation" is one and same.

The term "relaxation" in English is the equivalent term of Sanskrit term "Sithalikaran". The basic meaning of this term "relaxation" is detoxification of the body. Yoga gives importance on detoxification. As, we know yoga deals with physical, mental and spiritual health together. To deal with all these health first one practitioner needs to start with the physical health. It is known to everyone that in our body in every moment toxic is generated. Simultaneously, toxic is released by our body in every moment specially by exhalation of our breath. Toxic are released from our body through different forms like as breath, urine, stool, saliva, mucus, sweat, etc. But, some times it is not enough for detoxification of our body. When, this detoxification is below the marginal detoxification level then various kind both physical and mental disorders or diseases are seen in human body according to yoga. So, detoxification which is widely popular as relaxation among the masses is a very important subject in yoga. I have already mentioned that different yoga schools adopts different mathodologies to deal with relaxation.

In yoga this education of detoxification is imparted along with other practices. I have already mentioned that this process starts with the physical body. If a person's physical body is suffering he can not deal with his mental body. Here, we take an example of one yogic school of practice introduced by Sage Patanjali. This school is also popular as "Astanga Yoga" school. Here, Sage Patanjali devides yoga in eight parts or limbs or organs. These, eight organs of yoga are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, dhyana, dharana, pratyahara and samadhi. Here, first four organs yama, niyama, asana and pranayama more relates to the physical body whereas, the rest four parts deals with the mental body and abstract organs or qualities of human life.

Let us take an example to understand the importance of physical body in yoga. Suppose, a yoga practitioner is sitting for meditation or dhyana. But, the practitioner is suffering from cough. Then, it would be difficult for the practitioner to focus his ming to enter into a meditative state. Therefore, yoga gives importance on the various methods of relaxations propounded by various yoga schools.

Many a people misunderstand the term "relaxation" and as a result they do not avail the total benifit of practising yoga. If in a glass there is poison and without clearing the poison from the glass we pour drinking water in it it becomes poison. If a single drop of poison remains then also it will cause danger. Same way, after detoxification of the body only good things can be cultivated. Therefore, the importance of the term "relaxation" is found in yoga.

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Kuldeep Baishya's picture

Kuldeep Baishya is a lawyer from Assam. Apart from his professional studies and social advocacy he has been occupied with two subjects Mahatma Gandhi and Peace building.

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