Balancing Body and Soul: The True Meaning of Yoga

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, explains the true meaning of yoga. He says each person from any country will have his own religion. This religion is called by different names, but all religions focus on the welfare of people. Our Hindu religion, for example, describes this as follows,

“That is called religion which ensures both one’s physical and spiritual edification. Physical relates to our body and spiritual relates to our soul or mind. In this way, we are actually two in one. One is our soul, which gives power to our body to function. Our body is inanimate and yet it can see, hear, smell, taste, touch, think and take decisions all with the help of that consciousness within us. When someone dies, people say that such and such has left the world or has left for the celestial abodes, but his body is still lying here. Who has left? Who is it who is no more?

So we are two; one is this mortal body and the other is the soul which animates it. We also possess two attributes. Edification of the body and the soul are both compulsory. We need devotion or spirituality for the soul, and for the body, we need yoga as described by Sage Patanjali Yoga is an eight-fold process that includes yama, niyama, asana, pratyahara and pranayama which are all essential for the edification of the body. The remaining three, ie. dharana, dhyana and samadhi are compulsory for the spiritual edification of the soul. There is such a good combination in yoga promoting upliftment for the body and soul in this way, a healthy body and soul are both essential.

Some people, however, are of the opinion that man science is useless, others even doubt the existence of the world. Each person in this world has his own different mind. Even though everyone seems to have different aims and thoughts, they can be categorized as belonging to one of only two groups, le the materials or the spiritualists. in truth, we have to make concerted efforts for the upliftment of both If we are careless with our body and do not give it the required food with vitamins and proteins, etc. then our body will not be in a position to do yogic exercise, nor any other form of physical activity. In such a situation, we will not be able to do anything for the welfare of our soul either.

“The upliftment of the soul is not possible without the help of the body. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a healthy body. Asana and pranayama, etc. are very helpful in keeping the body healthy. Those who are careless with their health will be left to consult with doctors again and again, suffering from one of the other diseases throughout their entire life. For these reasons, this yoga workshop actually serves a dual purpose. You can make your body healthy and fit by performing the exercises, and simultaneously, you can meditate on God and Guru according to your religion, in this way, you can achieve your ultimate aim.

In conclusion,

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj emphasizes that the true meaning of yoga lies in the holistic development of both body and soul. Yoga, as outlined by Sage Patanjali, is a comprehensive practice that nurtures physical health through asana and pranayama, while simultaneously guiding the soul towards spiritual edification through dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. A healthy body is vital for the welfare of the soul, and through the disciplined practice of yoga, one can achieve harmony between the physical and spiritual aspects of life. This balance ultimately leads to the fulfillment of one’s higher purpose, as both body and soul work in unison to elevate human consciousness.