ON YOGA IN GENERAL Květoslav Minařík Received December 20 2014 - Revised January 10 2015 - Accepted January 23 2015 ABSTRACT The problem of a happy or unhappy life is an emotional problem. As, from the point of view of yoga, this problem has to be resolved as the first, Yama is prescribed as the first step towards the yogic training. Yama means the discipline of emotion. By the help of it, happiness is literally “produced”. We wish the readers of this article to find in it clues which will help them to solve questions and problems on their path to perfect themselves. Key words Yoga, yama, niyama, pranayama, pratyahara 1 Yoga Yoga is generally understood either as a spiritual effort, or as a certain kind of physical exercise. In both cases, people are searching within it for something that will help them to solve the fundamental problems of life, but, at the same time, they are usually unaware what these problems in fact are. However, even though they aren’t able to clearly define these problems, they are still directing all of their life’s efforts towards being able to live happily. The desire for a happy life is oftentimes covered by a seeming desire for knowledge. Usually, people are not interested in the true knowledge, i.e. in an analytical knowledge of the qualities of the world and all its processes, which determine our emotional experience. They want to know how to achieve a happy sensory life. Those, who are prompted by their desire to live happily or to obtain knowledge to seek by the means of yoga, often use inappropriate yogic means. Almost always, they let themselves be lured into the last one of the three parts of yogic training – into concentration, regardless of its Spirituality Studies 1 (1) Spring 2015 77 (1)
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