Yoga and Science
Are you practicing yoga? What is its purpose? Is it for physical well-being or mental peace or psychological balance or spiritual expansion? Or is it the combined fruit of all these. These outcomes are only the by-products of inner journey. Reducing yoga to merely physical practice, mental exercise or breathing techniques is like seeing only the tip of the iceberg while its greater part remains hidden beneath the sea. In its truest sense, yoga is a traditional path of knowing your true essence. Ashtanga yoga is a gradual, inward and experiential process through which one can discover one’s true nature.
Do you think science and yoga are opposite paths or complementary to each other? If they are balancing, then how ‘yoga’ can be called ‘science’? Yoga and science are the roots and trunk of the same tree. The underlying truth behind these two streams of ‘knowledge’ is pure consciousness. One watches the ever-changing outer phenomenon and the laws behind all those changes. For example, science investigate why the same water turns into vapour at 100 degrees Celsius and freezes into ice below zero degree Celsius.
Yoga is scientific in its approach as it relies on observation and direct experience of totality. It begins by exploring different standing and sitting bodily postures that bring the individual into harmony with nature's geometric patterns. It also experiments with the flow of breath, observing how changes in ‘breathing’ influence the ‘mind’ and how fluctuations of the mind affect the ‘breath’ in return. As you delve deeper, these inner experiments reveal deeper truths. One gradually verifies through personal experience that a calm and steady mind gives rise to peace, clarity, and joy that are independent of external circumstances.
SEAT OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Yoga: The Science of Self-Realization
You are ‘not’ the body but you live in the body just as you live in a house. You and the house both are different. Yogic science begins with the grossest part of your ‘being’ i.e. body. In the science of self-realization, the body is used as a vehicle to discover hidden dimensions within. Expanding and contracting the body in certain ways helps restore harmony and integration with your consciousness. The abode of consciousness is “Self” and all outers whether it’s body, mind, intelligence and vital energy are merely coverings or cloaks where you live and undergo all worldly experiences.
These dimensions belong to the realm of science. However, science cannot measure the source from which thoughts arise or locate place from where love, peace, and contentment emerge. Yoga is the mechanism of moving ‘inward’ from these outer layers toward the subtle and ultimately the subtlest centre of one's being, where ‘pure consciousness’ resides. Yoga is not a blind belief or the juggling of philosophical concepts, but an experimental process through which one can discover one's essential nature. Consciousness is the instrument of verification, aided by meditation, awareness, contemplation and self-observation. Through these inner tools, the seeker gradually uncovers the deeper dimensions of existence and realizes the truth of one's own being.
Yoga is a science of direct experience by being the observer. Science helps us understand the outer world, while Yoga reveals the inner world of consciousness and awareness. Through sustained meditative awareness, many hidden dimensions of life become a living experience rather than a mere concept.
Yoga: From ‘Body’ to ‘Being’
Whatever exists in the ‘cosmos’ also exists within you, though on a microscopic scale. The gross, visible dimension constitutes only a small part of existence, while the vast majority remains subtle and unseen. It is within this inner space that consciousness resides, either vibrant and awakened or dormant, depending upon the accumulated impressions and conditioning within. The more the mind is burdened by inner clutter, the more thoughts become polluted and emotions disturbed. This inner noise prevents consciousness from expressing itself in its full clarity and brilliance.
Your body, mind, and breath serve as living laboratories for inner exploration. Awareness and consciousness are the inner scientists that observe every change occurring within these dimensions. Through careful observation, one begins to understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions, breath, and consciousness. This understanding gradually transforms the laboratory of human life into a doorway for self-discovery and inner awakening. Just as a scientist investigates the laws of nature, yoga invites an individual to investigate the laws of one’s own being.
Science measure the physical world, while yoga controls your inner life. Yoga and science are two complementary paths to understanding existence. Science explores the outer world, refining our material life through inventions and discovery, while yoga turns awareness inward, revealing the deeper dimensions of our being. A harmonious integration of both is essential for a balanced life.
EXPLORING UNKNOWN
Meditation: The Ultimate Exploration
The more the mind is occupied with recurring thoughts moment after moment, the less space there is for ‘consciousness’ to express in its brilliance. Crushed by mental chatter, one remains entangled in confusion, anxiety and indecisiveness. Meditation is the process of allowing these thoughts to gradually settle down. As the mind becomes quiet, an inner space opens, enabling consciousness to express itself with greater clarity, alertness and sensitivity. But scientists don’t need ‘emptying’ the mind but focussing solely on a solo problem of scientific inquiry. Such focused mind reveals the hidden laws of nature and the mysteries of the external world.
When you explore an ‘unknown’ place, the journey can be adventurous, yet some degree of fear, uncertainty, and doubt often lingers in the background. Meditation is a parallel journey as leads into a completely unknown inner dimension. It is an exploration beyond the familiar boundaries of the ego, mind, and intellect. When you become willing to enter the realm of direct experience without preconceived notions, meditation unfolds as an adventure of discovery. In this dimension, realization takes priority over knowledge, and experience becomes more important than belief. With openness, trust and awareness, the exploration of consciousness becomes a thrilling journey into the deepest mysteries of one's own being.
‘NO OBJECT, ONLY SUBJECT’
When Inquiry Discovers the ‘Self’
All scientific breakthroughs begin with simple questions such as why, how and where. Through such inquiry, science has been able to explore and objectify everything from microscopic electromagnetic particles to vast planetary systems beyond imagination. The entire outer universe becomes a field of observation and analysis. However, the ultimate inquiry begins when one turns this ‘investigative gaze’ inward and attempts to observe oneself as an object. In this inner exploration, a paradox arises; there remains something within that cannot be objectified or reduced to an external phenomenon. This fundamental awareness is the pure subject, the witnessing presence behind all phenomenon.
In scientific experimentation, every inquiry is divided into three elements: the knower, the known and the process of knowing. The knower refers to the scientist; the knowing refers to the methods, tools and processes through which something is investigated; and the known is the object or final result of observation. In meditation, however, these three are integrated into one unified field of awareness. The knower, the known, and the process of knowing dissolve into a single state of pure observation. This is why the inner journey can feel challenging or even unsettling for some, especially if they have not undergone sufficient preparation, discipline, or training.
DUAL DIMENSION
Science Empowers, Yoga Enlightens
Science has brought all comforts at your own home like instant communication, and highly accurate weather forecasting like never before. Today, before sitting in a car, you can even know which route is less crowded and safer to reach your destination. Science has significantly improved efficiency and convenience in everyday life.
However, there are aspects of human experience that remain beyond its reach. No scientific system can determine which ‘thought’ may disturb your peace of mind, or which external piece of information or news may bring you happiness. Inner states such as joy, fear, anxiety, and contentment arise from deeper layers of consciousness that science cannot directly measure or control.
Thus, it can be understood that there are two distinct dimensions of human existence: the outer world and the inner world. Science primarily governs the outer world of objects, systems and phenomena, while yoga is directly concerned with the inner world of mind, awareness, and consciousness. Together, they represent two complementary approaches to life; one enhancing external living, and the other deepening inner being. You need a balanced approach to both streams in order to make life happier, more content and holistic from every perspective.
Final thoughts:
Just as eating and excretion are essential for maintaining physical health, both worldly responsibilities and spiritual pursuits are equally essential for a balanced and fulfilling life. You cannot ignore either. To make your life easy, comfortable and progressive, you need the tools of science. But to achieve lasting inner peace, clarity and calm, you must practice yoga. Both are necessary to live a complete life.
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