In Yoga’s context, the seminars are important for understanding the basic concepts of various experiences that we are going through while practicing the Yoga. In eight-fold path of Raj-Yoga, as given by Patanjali (Yam, Niyam, Asans, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharana, Dhyan and Samadhi), we need to grasp the concept of each path, intellectually first, then we can proceed to the practical side of them through practices. These practices ultimately lead to the practical individual experiences.
So, the seminars are short duration session/sessions, involving intellectual activities to grasp the basic concepts of a chosen subject. Such sessions are almost totally devoid of any practices (physical or psychic, like asans or meditation etc.).
Purpose:
Seminar’s main purpose is to transfer the basic concept of any chosen subject intellectually. In the modern era of material world, belief and faith are the greatest casualty. “Success of Intellect” has become basic mantra.
Say, for example, Yoga Guru asks some young persons to do yoga for their “Self-Evolution” or “Self-Realization”. Immediately questions will be shot back: – What is this Yoga? – What is “Self-Evolution” or “Self-Realization”? – Why should we evolve? – What should we realize? – What is wrong with material realization? – What is this spiritualism? – Mind exists we agree, but how my mind can affect my physical body? – Etc. etc. etc. An unending series of such inquiries will flow. And this is obvious, when whole world is being ruled by human intellect.
Factually speaking, answers of all above questions lie in the experiences following the Yoga practices. But Yoga practices without strong faith and belief reduces into mere physical exercises of no use.
Seminar uses time to transfer intellectual aspects of the whole concept. A scientific, rational, intellectual knowledge, which is the result of experiences, is transferred. All questions are attended with intellectual answers and all inquiries are logically concluded. Finally, discussion stops at a point where practical side of the subject takes over. Once participants feel intellectually satisfied, they develop a curiosity towards the subject. Now they can defy their own intellectual belief and are drawn into practices.
Moving on further, during Yoga practices, practitioners pass through series of such benefits as results of their evolution. To name few:
- If they evolve above their physical body, they are benefited by getting good health.
- If they evolve to next stage above than mental plane, they receive some psychic powers. These psychic powers help them to control their surroundings.
- If they evolve further higher and enters into emotional region of their Being, they start experiencing control on their mind, achieving a typical “Mental Peace”, never experienced before. Now nothing of the world can bother them.
- Next stage of evolution brings a state of perpetual peaceful mind, known as “Bliss”. No words can describe the experience of such higher evolution.
So, successive stages of evolution bring their own benefits. Now, just think, where from these practical experiences did originate? By attending the seminar on “Yoga and Yoga Practices”. In a nutshell, benefits start flowing from the intellectual grasp in seminar.
Remember: Knowledge can come to you by intellectual exercises, but understanding is the result of wisdom that blossoms due to experiences emanating from rigorous practices.
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