Raja yoga is one of the main paths of yoga. Its basis is work with the human mind. If you have long wanted to practice, you can do it at almost any age.
The practice of this path of yoga involves eight steps or levels, and you can go to each next one only when the previous one is fully mastered. Naturally, for a beginner, the exercises will be the simplest - the Yama step. Practice is about giving up bad deeds, limiting yourself. It is aimed at combating greed, laziness and other vices. Gradually, passing all the steps, you will reach the fifth - here the direct work with the mind begins.
Raja yoga presupposes limitation of oneself, rejection of bad deeds and words, that is, it is completely aimed at creating a "pure person."
Yoga exercises are called asanas. They are similar in essence and technique to Buddhist pranayamas, they include body exercises and breathing practice. It is believed that in the past, the yoga system was much more complex, but the knowledge is partially lost by our time. Actually, Raja Yoga refers to the final stage of human cognition. Anyone who has passed this path has an understanding of the world and the skills of deep analysis of oneself and others. Of course, the main part of Raja Yoga is meditation, but this does not mean that it does not use asanas. The first step on the path of spiritual development is teaching special mind practices and meditation techniques.
Each exercise of Raja Yoga is a kind of rethinking of the world and analysis of oneself.
Yoga is easy to understand, a beginner should comprehend himself and free the mind from unnecessary thoughts. The first exercise is carried out in maximum comfort, in the silence of the house. Relax and focus your attention within yourself. Gradually slow down the movement of thoughts, try to touch each thought and stop it. Ideally, there will be no thoughts at all. In yoga practice, it is believed that controlling one's own thoughts is one of the ways to influence the unconscious.
The next exercise is concentration. Once you learn to control your thoughts, it is time to generate positive thoughts and think about the important things, not the ones that come naturally. Sadhan must get rid of unnecessary memory and associations, he subordinates thought to himself, and not vice versa. One who understands this technique does not need body control. No environmental influences will affect him, including heat or cold. Such a person can be called the master of his own consciousness.
The third exercise for Raja Yoga practitioners is meditation. For beginners, za-zen works best, but this is not an absolute rule. For example, the master may point to a completely different technique. In the simplest form, straighten your back and sit in lotus position if you can. Hands fold the cosmic mudra. The practitioner gradually gets rid of thoughts, monitors breathing and immerses himself in inhalation and exhalation. The connection with reality gradually weakens, the meditator does not remember the time and forgets himself. The practice of meditation is one of the main things in yoga. It is with its help that one can achieve the pinnacle of self-comprehension and acceptance of the immortal "I".
