Dean Wilson, age 11, of Watertown, N.Y., for his question:
WHAT EXACTLY IS YOGA?
Yoga is a term that has two meanings: a school of thought in the Hindu religion and a system of mental and physical exercises developed by that school. Followers of the yoga school, who are called yogis or yogins, use yoga exercise to achieve their goal of isolation of the soul from the body and the mind.
Many non Hindu s. in Western countries practice some form of yoga exercise in the hope of improving their health and achieving peace of mind.
The word "yoga" means discipline in Sanskrit, the classical language of India.
According to the yoga teachings, every human being consists of prakrti and purusha. Prakrti includes a person's mind, body and ego or conscious self. Purusha is pure, empty consciousness, or the soul.
The yoga school teaches that the soul is completely separate from the rest of a person, but that the person does not realize it. Man suffers because he wrongly believes that his soul is bound to his body and mind.
The yoga school, through yoga exercise, aims to give man prajna, or understanding, of the meaning of his soul. After a person has obtained this understanding, his soul will gain moksha, or release, from the samsara, or cycle of rebirth, in which Hindus believe.
Various forms of yoga have become popular in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. One form, Transcendental Meditation, requires less mental concentration than does the yoga of Hinduism.
Hatha yoga has been called a method of gaining perfect health. But medical research has shown that it provides little more than does any good athletic program.
Some forms of yoga exist in the religious traditions of India. One form, called bhakti yoga, involves the dedication of all action and thoughts to a chosen god.
A yogi, under the guidance of a guru, or teacher, goes through eight stages of training on the way to moksha.
The yogi learns: disciplined behavior, called yama; self purification, called niyama; bodily postures such as the lotus position, called asana; control of breathing, called pranayama; control of the senses, called pratyahara; fixing of the mind on a chosen object, called dharana and meditation, called dhyana.
The eighth stage, called samadhi, is a state of concentration in which the yogi realizes that his soul is pure and free, and empty of all content.
A yogi who has completed these eight stages has reached kaivalya. Raivalya is total isolation of the soul from the body, from all other souls and from all of nature.
Another form of yoga is called karma yoga. It involves doing one's duty without caring about reward. Still another is called hatha yoga. This form stresses difficult bodily postures and breathing techniques, with better health as the main goal.