Yoga is receiving increasing attention and publicity as an important aspect of life these days. It is neither a specific religious group nor any religion per se. Instead, it is a system of full of medical practices. Due to regular practice of yoga, various diseases are cured without any side effect. Hence it has attracted many followers in the context of the present world. There are many scientific examples that due to regular practice of yoga, physical diseases like diabetes, constipation, blood pressure, obesity, gastric, ulcer, asthma, gout, piles, and women’s uterus problems have been cured. Yoga has proved beneficial in treating mental problems like depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and lack of concentration. In addition, there are findings of experiments on positive improvement in patients of cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis etc. due to regular practice of yoga.

In the beginning, it is important to learn techniques of yoga from a trained yoga teacher. They can be followed up later at home according to one’s own needs and availability. One can be physically smart with cool and peaceful mind for the whole day after having one hour yoga every day in the morning.

A majority of people have the impression that yoga is only the means for curing diseases. This belief is misleading and shows lack of adequate understanding about yoga. The relationship of yoga cannot be limited only with human body and mind. It travels up to a level of supreme conscious mind.

The practice of yoga energizes all possibilities for human development. The main objective of yoga is to achieve the hidden capabilities and inner power situated in our brain. There is a scientific evidence that ten percent of human brain remains active while ninety percent remains inactive. The power of average person’s brain is less used, often below ten percent of its capability.

The purpose of yoga is to activate all inactive parts of human brain. Let’s think about this: if, in place of using ten percent of our brain, we could use hundred percent of our brain’s ability through continuous progress made in modern science, what would be the human progress like?

Once swami Vivekananda visited the United States of America to participate in a program. One afternoon he entered inside a library and requested a book for him to carry home. The librarian told him that he will be leaving USA the next morning and will have no time to read the voluminous book. The librarian advised a thinner book. Swami Vivekananda said he would borrow the voluminous book and return after reading the whole of it the next morning. When Swami Ji was in the library to return the book, the librarian asked, “Were you able to finish this book?”

Vivekananda replied, “Yes I did; if you don’t believe, you can ask me any question from any page of this book?” The librarian actually asked questions from the book.

To the librarian’s surprise, Swami Vivekananda replied to all her questions with explanations. Normally, it would take at least a week to read the whole book.

This incident surprised many in the USA. All praised Vivekananda‘s brain.

So, human beings are supreme creatures with thoughtful and powerful characteristics. But most remain at idle conditions. If we become able to activate these capabilities through the practice of yoga, we will be able to establish ourselves as reputed personalities in the society. As a result, we will be able to lead our life full of energy.

Adhikari is affiliated with Satyam Arogya Yoga Center, Satdobato
yoga_satyam@yahoo.com