| According to a hymn in | | | | protect it from disease. Common cold, cough, |
| Shvetashvataropanishad, when the traits of | | | | fever, loose motion etc. are not the symptoms |
| Yoga enters into the body which is composed | | | | of disease but the symptoms of the body |
| of five elements - earth, water, fire, air | | | | fighting against the invading foreign matter |
| and space, one does not receive disease, | | | | into the body. These symptoms show that body |
| aging or death who receives the fire of | | | | is flushing out germs and impurities from the |
| Yoga(II.12).Our body is a miniature universe. | | | | body. Becuse of ignorance or oversincerity we |
| Spiritually universe is composed of five | | | | fear of some disease and rush to a doctor. |
| elements - earth, water, fire, air and space | | | | With doctor's prescribed drugs we get |
| and so our body is composed of. Through the | | | | immediate relief but by this the immune |
| practice of yogic excercises(tapa) we give | | | | system is not strengthened. So as a result we |
| heat or fire to the body. Every excercise | | | | suffer from recurrent illness. The wild |
| supplies heat to the body. But in Yoga, not | | | | animals and nomadic people seldom fall ill |
| only heat but mind is applied to each and | | | | because they do not see disease as |
| every part of the body. For this the heat of | | | | disease.Similarly we can feel freshness and |
| Yoga is so much vital to the body.The | | | | youngness in old age through the practice of |
| characteristic of heat or fire is to purify a | | | | true Yoga and following true spiritualism. |
| substance by burning undesirable and foreign | | | | When we choose traditional and religious |
| matter contaminating the substance. Similarly | | | | belief and practices we fail to rejuvinate us |
| the fire of Yoga burns undesirable and | | | | from old age. An old man gets trapped in the |
| foreign matter entering into the body which | | | | traditional belief that one who has born must |
| is composed of five basic elements. When | | | | die. He sees that people seldom live after 70 |
| these selements are purified, the body is | | | | or 80 years of age. This is true, but a Yogi |
| purified and when body is purified one easily | | | | should not think about disease, aging or |
| dispels disease, aging and death.Yoga is not | | | | death. Death is dead and it is lifeless. So |
| only an excercise of body but also an | | | | how can a lifeless thing take away life? |
| excercise of mind. In fact mind is more | | | | death is like darkness. As darkness |
| important than the body. The greatest thing | | | | disappears through a burning candle, so the |
| in the universe is our mind. Body is the | | | | darkness of death disappears on acquiring |
| direct and complete manifestation of mind. A | | | | true knowledge about true self.From the time |
| single body is the manifestation of a single | | | | immemorial the greatest challenge before men |
| mind and this universe is the manifestation | | | | is to win over death and the endeavour of |
| of all minds of all beings inhabiting the | | | | spiritual people has been to win over it. |
| universe.Mind and soul(atman) are the same. | | | | When one wins over death one wins over birth |
| If soul is an ocean of consciousness, mind is | | | | also cuts off the cycle of birth and death. |
| its waves. This soul as well as mind pervades | | | | This is called liberation or salvation. When |
| every part and every cell of the body. Every | | | | one wins over death, it does not mean that |
| cell is conscious and lively because of this | | | | one cannot die. One takes birth and leaves |
| soul and mind. For this, mind has a great | | | | this world at his will. To live for ever is |
| influence over the body. We can dispel | | | | again a bondage.Salvation should come when |
| disease, aging and death through the will | | | | one is alive. Several hymns of the Upanishads |
| power of mind.Disease, old age and death are | | | | teaches men to get liberarated from birth and |
| the same thing. Disease accelerates the | | | | death while one is alive. But religious |
| coming of old age and old age generates fear | | | | leaders would teach people to work in the |
| of death in the mind. When mind is in the | | | | service of God so that after death they may |
| grip of fear of death, one succumbs to death | | | | be liberated and may enter into heaven. A |
| early.Soul is indestructible, eternal, | | | | true Yogi should not wait for liberation |
| immortal and ageless. It is the source of | | | | after death. Liberation after death is a |
| unending life and consciousness. In every | | | | misleading sermon given by those who are far |
| birth this soul fills up our body with | | | | away from true spiritualism and Yoga. Their |
| unending life and consciousness. Soul is | | | | aim is to make people religious so that they |
| always pure and never contaminated. Since the | | | | may rule over them. True freedom and true |
| body is inhabited by such a soul, which | | | | liberation lies in the self.Author is a |
| pervades and rules over every cell, the body | | | | desciple of Late Munishvar Shiv kumar Shastri |
| should remain pure, uncontaminated and | | | | and a Yoga Teacher. He has published a book |
| ageless always. Disease or old age cannot be | | | | "Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic |
| a part of this body. If disease or old age | | | | way". Those who want more about spiritualism |
| affects the body, it is because of our | | | | and yoga may go through his book and email to |
| ignorace.Body has a natural immune system to | | | | him. |