Yoga and meditation have been widely accepted, and people have reaped the benefits of the same by practising them. The modern lifestyle has discounted the health of human beings to a considerable extent. From sleep schedule to food habits, the new way of life is challenging the natural sanity of the body. Health has many aspects, other than just physical. Yoga advocates that there are eight areas of development in the areas of physical, mental, social and spiritual health.
When the body is physically healthy, the mind is clear, focused and stress is under control. It always teaches values of life. Spiritual well-being, self realization and realization of the Divine are the pillars of Yoga and Meditation. The pursuit of yoga leads man to be empathetic, kind, respect nature and protect the environment.
This turn makes human beings more friendly and amicable. They become capable of developing strong interpersonal relationships which have a positive impact on life. Pure thoughts and positive lifestyle lead to a peaceful stateful mind, where people can connect with others, devoid of any preconceived notions and judgements.
Yogic techniques, including Pranayama and Meditation, teaches to be tolerant for nations, races, cultures and religions. It invokes a sense of oneness and common brotherhood among everyone, which, in turn, helps in improving the socializing capability of humans. It is a path of maintaining the balance between oneself and the environment.
This means that it leads to a spiritual way of knowledge and eternal bliss in the union of the external self with the universal self. It is a ray of life, binding humanity into one string of universal cognizance. Through yoga and meditation, people can become better versions of themselves. They can leave behind a legacy of compassion and generosity, for the future generations to follow. The world needs love, and it can be spread by healthy social interaction. Yogic techniques help to embark on this journey of being together and happy.
There are various Yogic concepts that have anchored man towards shaping his life and interpersonal relationships in social life.
Let us see some of the ideas about Yoga and Meditation.
Vasudeva Kutumbakam
It states that the whole world is my family. This concept defies the divisions and differences in the human race on the basis of religion, colour, class, culture, geographical distribution etc. These obstructions are all human-made, which deters human beings to come together and strive towards oneness and unity. Yoga teaches us to look above all these barriers and bond with everyone irrespective of any dissimilarities.
Pancha Kasha
The ancient science of yoga believes that humans have five sheaths or bodies. This concept helps us comprehend how our actions, emotions and even thoughts can influence our surroundings and that even ideas can influence our surroundings. It advocates a vision of psychic disassociation that helps us be aware of the happenings of our life and how we should deal with them.
Chaturvidha Purusharthas
Yoga is a path of liberation. There are several steps which are laid by great Yogis to attain that liberation. They say that there are four primary goals of life, which must be achieved in a way that is righteous, following our dharma to attain artha (material prosperity), kama (emotional capital) and finally attainment of the real goal of life moksha (spiritual wealth). This process is very enlightening and makes humans very kind and amicable, thereby aiding to improve their social life.
Pancha Klesha
Human beings are said to be born with five Kleshas or mental afflictions. They are Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (ego), Raaga (attraction), Dwesha (repulsion) and Abhinivesha (urge to live at any cost). These qualities tend to inflict a sense of bitterness and aversion in human minds, which may hinder social interactions. Through yoga, we can understand how these control our life and see their effects on our behaviour.
NIshkama Karma
Today’s world has become self-centred and wicked. Most people have ulterior motives in their actions; everyone wants something from others. The Yogic concept of Nishkama Karma is an antidote to this concept. Selfless act and the performance of our duty without any motive, are qualities which evoke in many yogic texts. Doing one’s responsibility for what it is intended to and not for any other reason, helps us develop detachment(vairagya) which is a vital quality of life.
Karmasu Kaushalam
Many Yoga sages and saints have advocated a concept of life, where the actions to be performed in our day to day life, should be with utmost devotion and sincerity. Bhagavad Gita states that you need to do your best and leave the rest to God. The outcome is not in your hand, so do not be concerned about the same. This invokes a sense of clear conscience and thus helps in building interpersonal relationships quickly, without any expectation or favour. Most of the time, humans tend to get hurt because they expect too much or too little, which may act as a deterrent in social life. So, when the expectation is foregone, social interaction becomes less complicated.
Samatvam
Yoga is a process of building a personality, which is neither affected by praise nor blame, through the development of vairagya( detachment ). When a person is oblivious to the counter-reactions or opinions of other people, one can indulge in forming relationships, without any apprehension or fear. Thus yoga helps in inculcating a generous and kinder personality within ourselves, which in turn helps in creating stronger bonds
Conclusion
Yoga helps us navigate a path that takes us closer to our inner-self and thus helps us to have a better social life. It is important to have a clear conscience and a non-judgemental perspective of people, rest we can develop great relationships, which can help us a lifetime.
See Also: 10 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Meditation
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