Yoga For The Common Man

M. L. Awasthy, Bilaspur

Life is a great opportunity. We must take it and make the best use of it. Our years, days and hours are limited. We cannot afford to sniff away our valuable time. The highest goal to attain in our short span of life time is to realize God. It calls for the greatest and ceaseless lifelong efforts.

The common man's life today is beset with myriads of cares, worries, tension and diseases. Peace and tranquillity are badly missing. In short his is a split personality. Swami Sivananda says that in spite of great scientific and psychological advancement the modern man today is as wild, restless and tension torn as he was long before. Man is at a loss to solve his problems. He is at war with himself and others. The victory of man over the forces of nature is incomplete unless he attains victory over himself. Hence Yoga's relevance to the modern times is tremendous. If rightly understood, and practiced, it is indeed a boon, rather a panacea, for the present day evils and problems of life. Yoga alone can shower health, harmony, and peace on mankind.

Yoga can bring peace and joy in the midst of crime, calamities, and restlessness. A life without Yoga is a life of sloth, misery, disease and what not. Even heaven without Yoga is hell. Every man must give in life as much place to Yoga at he gives to food and sleep.

Yoga is not confined to any caste, creed or country. Nor is it the monopoly of ochre clad sadhus of the Himalayas.

Yoga, though born in India, needs to be accorded once again its proper place in the life of man. Then, and then only, it will turn into a veritable paradise. We may be living in the midst of wealth, luxury and all that science has given us, but if our mind is not steady, digestive organs not functioning properly and regularly, what happiness can there be in our life?

Regular Yogic practice, accompanied with proper diet and other habits, creates an urge for work, an increased capacity, self confidence and mental balance. It guarantees not only success in every walk of life but health, peace, and happiness. Through self discovery it leads one on to the achievement of the highest goal of man's life. Meditation brings about clarity of thought, sense of right and wrong, with many other great advantages.

A nation advances in all fields only when its citizens are of sound body, mind and character. If Yoga enters our daily life we shall have tremendous vital energy, longevity, capacity to work more and a high standard in all the other fields of activity. Can then a nation with such citizens fall behind?

As such Yoga is a panacea for all evils of the modern times and a giver of what is nice and desirable. That is why Yoga has attracted the attention of the scientist, doctors, psychologists and the intellectuals of the world. It has stood the test of time. If we fail to realize the need and importance of Yoga, we shall be doing a great harm not only to ourselves, but to posterity at large. The entire world which is looking for guidance from us will be frustrated. Hence we must preserve our ancient heritage of Yoga in its original from. Now is the time for the common man to understand the utility and practicability of Yoga if he really wants to live happily.

Let us all individuals and institutions adopt Yoga in our lives. Then, and then only, we shall be doing the best service to the humanity and our Motherland. Any delay in making this resolve may cause irreparable loss.