Importance of Yoga in Indian Philosophy

Amit  Singh

Amit Singh Assistant Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, C.M.P. Degree College University of Allahabad, Prayagraj

Keywords: yoga, Indian, philosophy, importance, hindu, liberation, ancient, harmony

Abstract

Yoga is the practice that creates harmony between body, mind, and spirit to live a peaceful life. The beauty of yoga poses various attributes that you don’t need to be yogi to reap the benefits. Whatever the age you are in, yoga has the power to calm your mind and strengthen your body.In ancient times, many Hindu yogis practiced challenging yoga asana to achieve Moksha. In recent years, yoga has upsurge in popularity, and many practitioners practice yoga poses like Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga to attain liberation. To reunite your body, mind, and spirit is essential to understand the philosophical aspect of yoga to practice different yoga asanas for achieving moksha.Indian philosophies are based on Nyaya, Vasiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. These are the six Darshanas or Philosophy, which describe the real meaning of life to attain liberation.

References

1. Knut Jacobsen (2008), Theory and Practice of Yoga, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120832329, pages 100-101, 333-340
2. Maurice Phillips (Published as Max Muller collection), The Evolution of Hinduism, Origin and Growth of Religion, p. 8, at Google Books, PhD. Thesis awarded by University of Berne, Switzerland, page 8
3. Whicher 1999, p. 320.
4. David Lawrence (2014), in The Bloomsbury Companion to Hindu Studies (Editor: Jessica Frazier), Bloomsbury Academic, ISBN 978-1-4725-1151-5, pages 137-150
5. Mike Burley (2012), Classical Samkhya and Yoga – An Indian Metaphysics of Experience, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-64887-5, pages 43-46 and Introduction chapter
6. Maas 2006.
7. Larson, p. 21–22.
8. Mike Burley (2012), Classical Samkhya and Yoga – An Indian Metaphysics of Experience, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-64887-5, pages 20-29
9. Roy Perrett, Indian Ethics: Classical traditions and contemporary challenges, Volume 1 (Editor: P Bilimoria et al), Ashgate, ISBN 978-0-7546-3301-3, pages 149-158
10. Samkhya – Hinduism Encyclopædia Britannica (2014)
11. Gerald James Larson (2011), Classical Sāṃkhya: An Interpretation of Its History and Meaning, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120805033, pages 36-47
12. Yoga Vasistha 6.1.12-13
13. John A. Grimes, A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0-7914-3067-5, page 238
14. Larson 1998, p. 9
15. Eliott Deutsche (2000), in Philosophy of Religion : Indian Philosophy Vol 4 (Editor: Roy Perrett), Routledge, ISBN 978-0-8153-3611-2, pages 245-248;