Sem. John Vincent P. Bello Rev. Fr.

Bryand Restituto, JCD

AB IV St. Thomas Aquinas Class Asian Philosophy

The beauty that is Yoga

Yoga, one of the six orthodox philosophical schools of Hinduism in India, do not only
express its beauty and marvel through their doctrines but also manifest it by way of severe
discipline and physical exertion of the body; it serves as a means of cleansing and in attaining
perfect knowledge. Its teaching affirms that through the practice of certain disciplines one may
achieve liberation from the limitations of flesh, the delusions of sense, and the pitfalls of thought
and thus attain union with the object of knowledge. The union, of which the doctrine of Yoga
refers to, suggests that this is the only way in attaining true and genuine way of
knowing/knowledge. On a personal note, I believe that physical exercise calms the mind and is a
good way to prepare for intellectual activities, not to mention in relieving stress from too much
work and thinking. It helps the mind to relax and so enable the person to take on more information
and learning. Though it may have nothing to do with liberating the person from the limitations of
the flesh, it helps the mind to learn more, to achieve more, and to have more knowledge of the
truth. The doctrines of Yoga concerning austere discipline of the body somehow does lead us to
attaining more knowledge.
Another good feature of Yoga is its devotion to the eight stages that it alone pronounced.
The eight stages are as follows: Self-control (yama), Religious Observance (niyama), Postures
(asana), Regulation of breath (pranayama), Restraint of the senses (pratyahara), Steadying of the
mind (dharana), Meditation (dhyana), and finally Profound contemplation (Samadhi). These
stages develop on a Yogi a deeper understanding of Yoga, a deeper understanding of the self, of
right living, of the universe, of union between the knower and the object known.
For me, Yoga is an admirable philosophical school most especially for this generation. Our
current industrial society breeds workaholic citizens who night and day unceasingly work for the
benefit of the society and of their individual homes. It would be nice to introduce the teachings of
Yoga so that people may find the time to relax and reinvigorate their mind and their senses. Too
much work could be harmful, that is why it would be best to practice Yoga to balance out the
activities in our day-to-day living. Its rigorous disciplinary practice could be a good hobby in order
to have a healthy mind and a healthy body.