Contemporizing Raj Yoga Neuroscience and Practices

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About the Author Bhaskar Vyas and Rajni Vyas are medical specialists, eminent in their own field of specialisation. They are visiting professors at the M.S. University, Department of Psychology, Baroda, Gujarat, India. They are examiners for Ph.D. at Swami Vivekanand Yoga Anu Sansthan, Bangalore Karnataka. They are convincing protagonists of mind-body continuum.

They are philosophers studying consciousness. They have studied meditation practices of Hindu and Buddhist traditions as well as teachings of J. Krishnamurty, Zen practices, Kashmir Shavism, Vajrayana and varieties of trans-cultural religious experiences. A versatile scientific training has enabled them to advanced understanding of Raj Yoga.

Being medical doctors, they are involved in the spiritual aspects of healing arts and teach these as a scientific tool in the form of hypnotherapy. And, have incorporated Raj Yoga in their clinical practices with success.

They have published over 30 30 papers in the National and International journals.

Their present pursuit is to integrate modern medical science with (w) holistic health.

Preface The book is a virtual transcript of the proceedings of the School of Wisdom, at the International Headquarters of Theosophical Society, Adyar, India. The first session of the School of Wisdom in November and December 2016, saw over 35 participants who came from all over the world and from different walks of life. Their motivation has inspired this book.

In 2014, the United Nations announced an international day of Yoga at the initiative of the Indian Prime Minister. There is a need to simplify as well as remove confusion regarding Yoga practices. By and large the concept of Yoga practice is to perform different postural asanas. On the other hand, the word Yoga means union. The union is to be established with all abounding, all pervading, ever present cosmic consciousness. Cosmic consciousness may be interpreted simply as the natural laws that govern the planet earth as well as the entire universe.

A single human being considers himself as the centre of the universe. In the pursuit of personal needs, progressing to self- preservation, an individual is likely to be subjected to stress. Stress is a generic ground for aberrant perception. This leads one to undergo different kinds of neurotic compensations. The result is dysfunction in everyday life, as well as deterioration in health.

It is but obvious that howsoever small or big a person may be, he is governed by the natural laws. Right perception results in the right action. The maintenance of normal perception, as well as smooth functioning would naturally accrue if we tune ourselves to the natural laws. Yoga consists of several methods whereby we unite our consciousness so as to attain a synchrony with cosmic consciousness.

Modern science has provided numerous tools to study and understand the natural laws. It has so expanded that compartmentalization is necessary. It is impossible for an individual to study all disciplines of science. When to know the natural laws in totality is impossible, a question may arise as to how does an individual cope, so as to synchronize with them. The answer is provided by classical Indian Yoga techniques. Apart from Hatha Yoga, there are other branches such as Raj Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyan Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. Anyone of these (with regular practice for a few minutes a day) generates synchrony with cosmic consciousness. However, we feel that Raj Yoga is the 'royal road' to achieve this synchrony.

Foreword The present work 'Contemporizing Raj Yoga' -Neuroscience and Practices by Dr. Bhaskar Vyas and Dr. Rajni Vyas is a welcome publication. It is a la novel method for psychologists and practioners of meditation. It takes recourse to modern sciences in corroborating the ancient Indian wisdom. It aims at precise empirical certainty, intending to strike a most practical aspect in exploring oneself in realizing the perfect harmony with Nature.

The distinction of the work lies in rediscovering the hidden powers of yoga by opening up the human potential through consciousness. The yogic path is a process of evolution. It boosts the movement of nature in unfolding consciousness to a higher level. It immensely widens the human horizons from outer range of worldly levels to the inner range of the spiritual depth of man. The book is in fact a convincingly inspired work, carrying the lifelong influences of original personal experiences from within.

Indian thinking centred in the conviction that the authentic human life cannot be perfectly lived depending on the sole power of externalities. The life does not get its full sense until it stands in right relation in the higher inner spiritual being of man. The book emphasizes that all the complications of the world could not be reduced to mere observable apparent outer causal factors. It hints at other subtler factors within man himself for which he is normally unaware indeed! The outer skills and precisions in the studies of physical phenomena do affect their scale in the observation of inner phenomena. The fact stands that man should be aware, that he is, though small, is an integral part of the cosmic whole. The invisible accompanies the visible, even as the infinity surrounding the finite.

**Contents and Sample