VEDIC PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA

I was first introduced to Vedic philosophy back in 2014 at an ashram in India. I had travelled to India to learn about yoga and train as a yoga teacher, but when I was introduced to Vedic philosophy, it was as though something inside me truly awakened. I suddenly felt like a fish in water. So much of the philosophy resonated deeply with my own philosophy of life and the way I already saw and experienced the world. There were also parts and elements that I questioned, which is undoubtedly a very healthy thing to do.

Today, large parts of the philosophy have become naturally integrated into my own worldview. And one of the things I love about Vedic philosophy is that I continue to discover new layers within it. I can return to the same principles and concepts and suddenly understand them in a new way or discover yet another perspective.

Vedic philosophy is very much about understanding life, human nature and the natural world, and about living in harmony with nature – both the nature around us and the nature within us.

Many of us in the West associate yoga with the physical yoga postures (asanas), which can be incredibly beneficial and wonderful for both body and mind. But yoga is so much more. Behind the physical practice lies a philosophy that is thousands of years old and explores who we are as human beings, our consciousness and, not least, our connection with nature.

Yoga can be traced back several thousand years to ancient India. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning to unite or join. Yoga is therefore not simply about the body and the physical postures, but about uniting body, mind and our deeper self. Uniting our lower nature with our higher nature. It is about balance, wholeness and, not least, connection.

And this is precisely the aspect of yoga that I find most fascinating.

Vedic philosophy is extensive and encompasses many different layers, concepts and principles. In this blog post, I will try to give you a simple introduction to the philosophy and share some of the elements that I personally find particularly interesting.

You can also read more about Vedic philosophy in my book The 5 Seasonal Energies, which you can find in my webshop. Below, I have shared selected extracts from the book.

THE VEDAS

The Vedas, in which yoga has its roots, are ancient and were originally passed down as an oral tradition. Traditionally, the Vedas are considered to be around 5,000 years old, while historical scholarship generally dates the oldest Veda, the Rig Veda, to around 1500–1200 BCE – more than 3,000 years ago. Vedic knowledge was originally passed down orally through generations before eventually being written down. The word Veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom”.

There are four Vedas, each with its own focus: the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

Rig Veda

The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas and contains hymns and praises to divine forces such as Agni (fire), Indra (thunder/war) and Soma (ritual drink/deity). Much of the other Vedic literature builds upon the Rig Veda.

Sama Veda

The Sama Veda contains, among other things, verses from the Rig Veda set to melodies and chants. These chants were used by priests during rituals and ceremonies. The Sama Veda is therefore closely associated with sound, song and mantras.

Yajur Veda

The Yajur Veda contains mantras and descriptions of how rituals and ceremonies were to be performed.

Atharva Veda

The Atharva Veda differs somewhat from the others, as it contains hymns, prayers and texts relating to more practical aspects of everyday life, including healing, protection and health.

THE UPANISHADS – FROM THE OUTER TO THE INNER

Vedic literature consists of different layers, which also reflect a development in Vedic thought:

Samhita – hymns

Brahmana – explanations of rituals

Aranyaka – the transition from ritual to reflection

The Upanishads – the philosophical layer

With the emergence of the Upanishads came a significant expansion of consciousness. The oldest Upanishads date from around 800–500 BCE. The period around 500 BCE was particularly fascinating, with significant philosophical and spiritual developments taking place across many traditions and regions. It was also around this time that the Buddha lived and Buddhism emerged, with roots in the Vedic tradition and engaging with several of the same philosophical questions that we find in the Upanishads.

With the Upanishads, we therefore see a clear shift in consciousness from what we as human beings do (rituals, practices and actions) towards who we are (reflection, ethics and consciousness). There is a shift from an outward focus towards an inward one. Self-awareness expands. Greater attention is given to some of the fundamental philosophical questions concerning human beings and our existence: Who are we? What is the self? What is consciousness? What is our true nature? How do we free ourselves?

THE THREE GUNAS

One of the fundamental principles in Vedic philosophy is the understanding of our inner nature: the three gunas.

In Vedic philosophy, on which yoga is based, the term guna refers to states, natures or qualities that exist within all consciousness.

According to Vedic philosophy, we contain three types of nature within us – the three gunas:

• Sattva: goodness, purity, wisdom, clarity and harmony
• Rajas: activity, restlessness, passion, drive and ego. The driving force behind movement and change.
• Tamas: manipulation, destruction, delusion, stagnation, darkness, ego, the need for control and the desire for power.

We are all made up of a combination of these three natures. In fact, everything in the universe possesses these three qualities. Like yin and yang, they cannot exist without one another. We can cultivate them as we choose. The nature we nourish grows. What we water flourishes. In Vedic philosophy, Sattva is the state we seek to cultivate.

ASHTANGA YOGA – YAMA AND NIYAMA

Another important element of yogic philosophy can be found in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, where the eight limbs of yoga are described. These eight limbs are known as Ashtanga – ashta means eight and anga means limb or part – and describe different aspects of the yogic path. Ashtanga yoga should therefore not be confused with the modern physical practice of Ashtanga/Power Yoga. Here, Ashtanga refers to a collection of yogic principles and practices consisting of eight parts:

1. Yama – ethics

2. Niyama – self-discipline / daily rituals

3. Asana – postures

4. Pranayama – breath / intake of prana

5. Pratyahara – mastery of the senses

6. Dharana – concentration

7. Dhyana – meditation

8. Samadhi – enlightenment / connectedness / self-realisation

Yama and niyama are therefore the first two of yoga's eight limbs and consist of a number of ethical principles concerning how we live and relate to ourselves and the world around us.

YAMA

Yama consists of five principles:

• Ahimsa – non-harming
• Satya – truth
• Asteya – non-stealing
• Brahmacharya – non-overstimulation / moderation
• Aparigraha – non-accumulation

NIYAMA

Niyama likewise consists of five principles:

• Shaucha – purification, physical and mental
• Santosha – contentment and gratitude
• Tapas – discipline and abstinence
• Svadhyaya – study of the self and self-reflection
• Ishvara Pranidhana – surrender

We could easily delve much further into all of these, but to keep this introduction from becoming too extensive, I will focus below on three of the principles within yama: satya, ahimsa and brahmacharya.

SATYA – TRUTH

Satya is Sanskrit for “truth” or “reality”. In Vedic philosophy, we seek to explore all sides of the truth. It is about recognising that we never hold the one and only absolute truth. There are always more facets to truth, and we will never be able to uncover every side of it. Nevertheless, we should continue to seek out different sides of the truth and look at things from other perspectives.

We can work from our own truth – what we perceive to be true. We can take responsibility for our own truth and share it with others, while recognising that we do not necessarily know the whole truth, but only our own perspective on it.

In yoga, we therefore seek to uncover as much of the truth as possible, thereby expanding our perspective and, with it, our consciousness. The more we see and become aware of, the greater our understanding becomes. And with understanding come both possibilities – and responsibility.

AHIMSA – NON-HARMING

Ahimsa, which comes from Vedic philosophy, is about consciously seeking not to cause harm. Harm can be physical, but it can also be mental, verbal or emotional. It is impossible to go through life without ever causing harm, but there is an important difference between conscious and unconscious harm. It is about the intention behind it. If we knowingly cause harm because it cannot be avoided, it is about being conscious of the extent of that harm and making sure there is no other way. The intention therefore does not necessarily have to be harmful.

MODERATION – BRAHMACHARYA

In Vedic philosophy, the principle of brahmacharya is about not overdoing things. About avoiding eating, accumulating, sleeping and so on beyond what we actually need. It is about avoiding overstimulation of the senses, as the senses can draw our attention away from the inner work and the self. Overstimulation feeds the ego's desire to seek more, bigger and better.

Just because we can does not necessarily mean that we should.

Moderation is therefore about avoiding excessive consumption and stimulation, which can easily feed greed and create habits within us – or even expectations. Just because we can does not mean that we absolutely should. Moderation is about being content with what we need and not taking more than is necessary. About finding gratitude and joy in what is enough for us without demanding more.

So how much do you need?

That is something you have to decide for yourself. Only you know the answer. It is not about depriving yourself, but about holding back a little in the areas where you can. And starting small. Learning to appreciate the greatness in the small things. It is therefore a principle closely connected to gratitude.

It is also very much about awareness. When we become aware, we gain the ability to make choices. To choose what we want to bring into our lives – and what we do not.