SHREE HARI YOGA

SCHOOL

Philosophy
 SAGE PATANJALI

l i v e d in I nd i a o v e r   2 , 20 0 y e ar s a g o . A t r u e s a g e a n d a s c h o lar , h e
wr o t e c l a s s ic a l t e x t s on S a ns k r i t g r a mma r an d me dic i ne , a s we l l
as hi s Y og a S u tr a s , t h e f i r s t wr i t t e n s t a t e me n t of y o g i c
p h i l os o p hy . B e f or e t h a t , y og a f o llo we d a n or a l t r a di t i o n , pa s s e d
on p e r s ona l l y f r om t e ac h e r t o s t u de nt .   T he Gu r u k u la S y s t e m, a
t y pe o f r e s id e n t i a l s c h o o l i n g s y s t e m i n a n c ie n t I n di a w it h
s h i s h y a (s t u de nt s ) l i v i n g n e a r or wi t h t h e   g u r u, in t he s ame
hou s e .   T h e s ac r e d t r a d i t i o n of g ur u -s h is hy a i n I nd ia i n Hi ndui s m
and o t h e r r e l i g i ou s g r o u p s s uc h a s J a in is m, Bu dd his m a nd
Si k h is m a p p e a r e d f r o m a n c i e nt t i me s .   I n Sh r e e Ha r i Y og a scho ol
we tr y t o f ol l o w t h i s t r a d i t i on.   T he r e f o r e w e ha v e n e a r o ur two
y o g a h al l s   11 ac c o m m o d at i on s f o r o ur s t u de n t s a nd a ls o Sh r e e
Har ij i’s a c c o mmo d a t i o n i s i n t he   s a me pla c e .
T h e w o r d Y o g a i s t e r m e d as
“ y u j ” i n S a n s k r i t w h i c h m e an s
‘ y o k e ’ o r ‘ u n io n ’ .   Pr a c t i s i ng
t h e p o s tu r e s a nd br e at hi ng
w i th a w a r e n e s s d e v e l op s
h a r m o n y , u ni f y i n g t h e m i nd,
b o d y a nd s p i r it, a n d i s he l p i ng
u s t o r e a li z e o u r t r u e nat u r e .
I n 19 6 s u c c i n c t a p h or i s ms , P at a nj a li’ s Yo g a S u t r a s d e s c r i b e th e
f u nc t io n ing of t h e m i n d a n d e mot io n s , an d t h e pa t h t o
f u lf ilm e n t . I n t h e f i r s t c h a pt e r , y o g a i s d e f i ne d a s “t h e s t illi ng o f
t he f lu c t u a ti o ns o f t h e m i n d ” –  ‘ Y og a Ch it t a V r i t t i
N i r o d h ah ’.   T h is f a mo us p h r as e of P at a nj a li Y og a Su t r a h av e
c ov e r e d both th e ai m a n d p r ac t i c e of y o g a : t he me a n s a r e j u s t as
i mpo r t an t a s th i s e n d .   Pa t a nj ali d e f in e s t he s e me a ns a s t h e ‘e i ght
l i m bs ’ ( as h ta n g a ) o r s t ag e s of y o g a .   Wi t h t h e s e q ue n t ia l path o f
hi s e ig h t- f ol d l i m b s , a r e al s o i n t e r li nk . Th e f ir s t t w o,  Yama ( “don’ t
do t h e s e ” , a l i s t of s e l f - r e s t r a i n t )   an d Ni y a ma (“r ig ht liv i n g ” or
e th i c al r u l e s ) , of f e r e t h i c a l g u i da nc e o n pe r s o na l c o nd u c t , b oth i n
r e l at io n to ot he r s an d t o w a r ds on e s e lf .   T o li v e e t hi c a lly and to
ha v e pot e nti a l l y t r an s f o r m a t iv e e f f e c t t he r e a r e t ot a l t e n
p r e c e p t s .M r I y e n g a r ha s s a i d th a t , “Yo g a ma k e s a s i nc e r e
p r a c tition e r in t o a n i nt e g r at e d
p e r s ona l ity ” .  “ I t d e v e l o ps a
f e e lin g o f o ne n e s s b e t we e n man
a nd na tu r e , b e tw e e n ma n and
ma n , a n d be tw e e n ma n a nd hi s
Ma k e r , thus p e r m i t t i ng t h e
e x pe r ie n c e of a f e e l i n g o f i de nt i t y
w i t h the s pi r it t h at pe r v ade s all
c r e at ion.”
 THESE TWO COMPONENTS,
PRANAYAMA AND ASANA,

ar e t h e p hy s i c al p r a c t i c e s t a ug ht at t he S hr e e ha r i: r e f e r s t o
c ont r o l o f br e at h a n d y o g a p os t u r e s . T og e t h e r , wh e n c o mb i ne
pr ov ide s a s u p p or t f o r m or e i n t e r na l wo r k . Yo u wi ll f e e l t he
f r e e do m, s e l f - r e al i s a t i o n a n d e nli g h t e n me nt t hr ou g h wi t h dr a wa l
of th e s e ns e s ( p r a t y a ha r a ) a nd c o nc e n t r a t i on (d ha r a n a ), s u sta ine d
me di ta tio n ( d hy a n a) e n t e r i ng t he s t a t e o f s a ma dhi .     Y og a is
“ me dit at ion i n a c t i o n ” . H i s t e ac hi ng c ombi ne s a ll e ig ht e le me nts
i n as a na p r a c ti c e ( a s a n a m e ans he r e “t o be s e a t e d in a po s i ti on
th at is f ir m , bu t r e l a x e d ” ) , w hi c h h e lps u s e x plo r e a n d e x per ie nce
th e r e s t o f t h e y o g a p r a c t i c e .   Wi t h t h e ba s i c un de r s t a nd in g of
i n te r c o nn e c t i o n , o f e v e r y o ne a nd e v e r y t h in g , t h is br i ng s us b ack
w i th t h e o u ts i d e wor l d c on t act .
IN YOGA PHILOSOPHY,
w e g o d e e p e r i n t o u n d e r s t a nd in g t h e pr in c ip le s o f Sa g e Pa ta njal i ’s
As hta ng a m e t h o d a n d i n t he y o g a s ut r a s . We a ls o t e a c h t h e r e al ms
of u n de r s tan di n g t he t r a d i t i on al Ve di c c u lt u r e a nd it ’ s r it u al s .
Af te r h a v in g u n d e r s t ood Yog a Ph ilo s o ph y , y ou wi ll g e t t o k n ow
y o u r ow n s pe c i a l n e e ds o f y our bod y a nd y o g a p r a c t i c e , y o ur
i n tui ti on w i l l b e c om e b e t t e r an d y o u mig ht g e t t h is li t t le s a cr e d
h ap p ine s s f e e l i n g o f m o r e c omp le t io n w it h y o u r i nn e r m os t y oga
e x pe r ie nc e .
SHREE HARI YOGA
Location –
 Go a  |   Go k ar na   |   R i s h i k es h  |   Dh ar m s h al a

h t t ps : / / w w w. s hr e eh ar i y o g a.c o m /