Hata Yoga: Yogi’s Journey through the Energy centres - Chakras скачать в хорошем качестве

Hata Yoga: Yogi’s Journey through the Energy centres - Chakras

Life is a tapestry of contradictions, weaving together day and night, summer and winter, happiness and sorrow, likes and dislikes, praise and criticism, friends and foes. No person or situation is purely good or bad; everything has its bright and dark sides. Learning to live with these contrasts is the essence of Hata Yoga. Here, "Ha" represents the sun, and "Ta" signifies the moon. Balancing these extremes is the heart of Hata Yoga. One who runs from life’s challenges is labelled a coward, but it is common to surrender or retreat when faced with extremes. True living, however, involves experiencing life without turmoil within. The Bhagavad Geeta tells us that yoga is about cultivating inner balance: सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ | ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि || 2.38 || sukha-duhkhe same kritva labhalabhau jayajayau tato yuddhaya yujyasva naivam papam avapsyasi "Fight for the sake of duty, treating alike happiness and distress, loss and gain, victory and defeat. Fulfilling your responsibility in this way, you will never incur sin." We experience these extremes due to the mind's tendency to oscillate between two polarities: the heart-centered, or "leftist," mind and the head-centered, or "rightist," mind. The leftist mind bases life on feelings, while the rightist mind focuses on rigid thinking. But reality transcends both these aspects. • The heart-centered or leftist person is creative and sensitive to arts, devotion, and expression. • The head-centered or rightist person is logical, decisive, and practical. To live fully, we need both head and heart in harmony. This union of intellect and emotion happens at the heart center. A yogi, therefore, is not a passive bystander but someone who is both creatively expressive and resolutely decisive. Just as the Bhagirathi and Alakananda rivers merge to form the Ganga at Devprayag, our internal energies must rise with intensity and meet in the heart center. Here, an inner transformation awakens through this union. The Journey of Energy Through the Chakras Our energy begins at the base in the Mooladhara (root) chakra, which is tamasic and earth-bound, flowing downward. When we are pushed out of our comfort zones, this energy rises, akin to a coiled cobra being stirred into action. • Swadhisthana (sacral) chakra is rajasic with energy flowing horizontally, linked with the water element. Here, many become trapped in the pursuit of sensual pleasures, but guidance helps this energy rise to higher centers. • Manipura (solar plexus) chakra is satvic with energy flowing upward and associated with fire. This chakra is often where one's ego is amplified. Those struggling with anger, when properly directed, can become yogis. Above Manipura lie the divine centers, with the Anahata (heart) chakra as the core. • Anahata chakra, the heart centre, holds the air element, and through contemplation here, one finds purification. This center is the seat of devotion (bhakti) where the presence of the soul and God is realized. • Vishuddha (throat) chakra represents ether and is the center of renunciation (vairagya), sparking an interest in higher pursuits. • Ajna (third-eye) chakra, the head centre, is the center of knowledge (jnana). When Ajna (knowledge) and Anahata (devotion) harmonize through the spirit of renunciation (vairagya), Hata Yoga truly manifests, elevating energy to the Sahasrara (crown) chakra. This awakening brings unshakeable peace and joy, making one resilient in the face of life’s extremes. Living with balance and grace through all of life’s polarities is the true spirit of yoga, leading to inner harmony and unwavering peace.