1. Self Development In the Context of Spirituality and a Practical Approach U-Connect Name of Institution Session 3 - Philosophy of Yoga Facilitator- Date - Course designed by uconnect@srcm.orguconnect@srcm.org

2. Recap of last session on Values – Importance of Values – Behaviours, Attitude and Goals – Universal Values Introduce the topic – Philosophy of Yoga – Promoting a new philosophic attitude – Creating a world with peace and harmony – Improving social relations – Yoga as a tool for self-development Introduce the speaker Opening

3. A few of the Possible answers To explore the reasons behind all that we see, feel and wonder about To know if there is any power that controls us/punishes us /rewards us To know what He looks like and where He exists To know if and how God is related to us Why is the concept of God Important to us?

4. HE is omnipresent, omnipotent, Omniscient He is punishing god, loving god, merciful god He has no form but can take any form he wishes God is a principle and hence has no discrimination Some ideas of God

5. God cannot be defined. If He can be defined then He is not God. Rig Veda says God is beyond existence and non existence, light and darkness, He is beyond space and time, He is beyond duality. Infinite God has given rise to this infinite universe You can know God through meditation Vedic Idea of God

6. Is God a WHO or a WHAT? – How will you define God? What is the relationship between man and God – Is God and US two sides of the same coin? Key Questions

7. Your Answers

8. With Sanskrit root 'yug', Yoga means to bind, join, unite It is the union of individual soul with the cosmic consciousness Yoga is referred to in ancient sacred books as the Vedas, Upanishads and in the Gita of the Mahabharata Roots of Yoga

9. Patanjali was world's first psychiatrist to recognize the need for education of the conscious and subconscious mind He compiled the Yoga-Sutras - aphorisms on mind showing how to control and have complete mastery Scholars believe he has lived between 200 BC and 200 AD. Some believe he may have lived before 5000 BC. Introduction to Yoga

10. The Yoga system of Patanjali has eight steps: Yama – abstention from harming others, from falsehood, from theft, from incontinence, and from greed; Niyama- observance of purity, contentment, mortification, self study, devotion to God; Asanas- postures; Pranayama- control of the breath; Pratyahara- withdrawal of the mind from the senses and external objects; Dharana- concentration, or fixing the mind; Dyana – meditation on the goal Samadhi – perfect balance as in the spiritual condition of absolute or bliss Yoga system of Patanjali

11. Various Types of Yoga Physical – Hata Yoga Spiritual Kriya Yoga Karma Yoga Gyana Yoga Bhakti Yoga Raja Yoga

12. The idea of the Self The yogic idea of the Self (higher Self) is that of spirit, atman, soul, rhu that resides in every created being and without which the being would not exist even for a second more. Soul is considered a part of God The idea of Jeevatma and Paramatma

13. The Higher Self Can I see/feel/experience this Self? The process of meditation enables you to experience your higher Self. Just like my body does some activity and my mind is active and I am conscious of it, what is the characteristic of the Soul? The Characteristic of the Soul is to journey back to its Origin - Bliss. When was this Self / Soul born, how long will it continue to exist? Theologically speaking when the creation was created. How are God and Self related? They are fundamentally the same thing. The search for God is like a macro approach the search of the Self is like a micro approach. The answer is the same.

14. Yoga and Self Yoga comes from the root work Yug meaning to join or to unite. Yoga is process of union with the ultimate or the Self. It requires practice. Practice requires being prepared… mentally and physically. This forms the basis of Ashtanga Yoga

15. Meaning of Yoga Watch a video

16. Natural Path Raja Yoga Karma Yoga Bhakti Yoga SELF GOALGOAL Reason + Discipline (Experiential Knowledge) + Faith

17. Ultimate meaning of yoga Values Attitude Behaviour SELF GOALGOAL Aligning Values, Goals with the nature of real Self

19. Closing Bring your diaries Write down keywords, key concepts and also your own self discovery observations both in the class exercises and also otherwise Meditate twice daily 10 + minutes – same place, same time Next week: Session on Religion