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