Yoga Sutras-1
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The word Yoga has got many meanings and so has got various definitions. The word yoga has been derived from the sanskrut word Yuj, meaning to unite. Yoga means uniting of two things namely- Jeeva i.e. our soul and Shiva i.e. Eternal power. When your soul understands that he is a part of the supreme universal power or he and the eternal power are one and same only, then it is called the Atmadnyana or knowledge of the self.
We get a lot of thoughts in our mind continuously. Usually these are related with various things that are happening around us. That means usually the direction of the mind is from within to outside towards these things. These thoughts are in the form of vibrations and are called Chittavrutti. Because of these thoughts or chittavrutti it becomes difficult for the mind to concentrate on one single object. If we can control these chittavruttis and concentrate the mind's power on one single objective, then it becomes much easier to reach the objective or the goal. This process is called chittavrutti Nirodh. To arrest the outward direction of these chittavrutti and direct it towards the Atma or the soul, is yoga.