To a yogi, no symbol is more powerful than the syllable OM, as witnessed
by these words from the Mandukya Up-anishad :
"OM: this eternal word is all; what was, what is and what shall be."
In the Sanskrit letter the long lower curve represents the dream state, the upper curve stands for
the waking state and the curve issuing from the centre symbolizes
deep, dreamless sleep. The crescent shape stands for "maya", the veil
of illusion and the dot for the transcendental state. When the individual
spirit in man passes through the veil and rests in the transcendental
he is liberated from the three states and their qualities.
The soul that moves in the world of the senses and yet keeps the senses in harmony...finds rest in quietness.
- Bhagavad Gita
Asanas make one firm, free from maladies, and light of limb.
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The posture becomes perfect, when the effort of achieving it vanishes.
- Yogabhashya
Meditation is a continuous flow of perception or thought, like the flow of water in a river.
- Swami Vishnu Devananda
The yogi regards the physical body as an instrument for his journey toward perfection.
- Swami Vishnu Devananda
When the breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is still, so is the mind still.
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Let the yogi eat moderately and abstemiously; otherwise, however clever, he cannot gain success.
- Siva Samhita
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