Superstitions exist in every country. Moderately some believes have become superstition which doesn’t have a basis for any scientific ideas. Yoga and Meditation have been accepted in many countries as an approach for substitute medicine to prevent certain problems in our mental health.
Yoga is ancient Indian knowledge, has been practiced for the mental wellness of life. Superstitions also had a long history like yoga. Now it’s time that we see our beliefs, ideas, Superstitions, everything through the light of the truth. All of these essentially should be for the wellbeing of humanity.
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The Yogic Philosophy behind Superstitions
It is still not proved that Yoga or Spirituality can cure acute mental illnesses like schizophrenia, acute depression. Meditation aims for reducing stress levels, and prevent mental ailments like schizophrenia.
Whatever you perceive – is it working for you or is it working against you? This should be in your hand. Yoga gives us light on maintaining a stable and energetic force inside out.
One of the widely used relaxation practices is meditation and yogic breathing exercises. Pranayama, Anulom-Bilom, Bhastrika, etc. are unique ways for balancing the neuro-psychological system and stress-related disorders.
What are Superstitions?
Superstitions are a type of belief due to improper knowledge of something unknown or facts misunderstood. This might create positive or negative influences in physical and mental attitude, and lead to positive or negative decisions. Perceiving supernatural influence or lead to fear of something unknown.
What is a Belief System?
A belief system is a system where people maintain rules, customs for either to implement selected ideas for some purpose or individual requirements (happiness and pleasure). In many cultures various beliefs, ideas are imposed on humanity.
There are various belief systems exist in India and around the world. what we believe here in India might not be the same as what people believe in France, or middle East countries or Australia, or Argentina.
Why do People Believe in Superstitions?
While no scientific study can explain or provide some genuine explanation behind the certain incident, people become superstitious. Sometimes superstitions become so crazy it drives people wild. Disease like Acute schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, OCD, or anxiety disorder is a natural consequence of a superstitious mind.
Superstitions and Our Karma
Superstition is happened to be existing in our Karma also. For example, when you do good Karma we say something good will happen and god will return in a thousand fold back to you. It materializes to be true many times that you have helped somebody and while you need help other people’s help automatically comes to you. But this cannot be referred to as superstitions.
Superstitions and Our Intuition
Superstitions and our intuition have a very close relation. Sometimes when our intuition is towards personal happiness or pleasure, we create ideas and impose them on others. And that happens to be working in a big time. It is supported by societies also.
For example, popular superstitions around the world are ‘
- Friday the 13th’
- A black cat crossing the road
- Whistling at the night
How Superstitions Affects Our Thoughts and Emotions?
In yogic culture thoughts and emotions are two essential criteria for our well-being in life. Both of them have even the capability of healing also. Various incident happens where believing superstitions has relieved anxiety and stress.
Sometimes it creates a soothing effect in our mind. This creates positive emotion for believing the superstition it has survived for a long time within our mind.
Luck and Superstition
Luck is essentially something unknown or out of the blue something appears in your favor. This is the reason realized beings used to say “luck is 1% inspiration 99% is perspiration” so rather than believing in luck believe in yourself and let go of the superstitions.
The question is will you be lucky if you have superstitions? Many times you believe in superstition to become lucky. For example, it has affected our subconscious mind in a way that even renowned players have superstitions.
As the arrangement of bottles of Rafael Nadal, Michael Jordan used to wear the same NBA shorts were lucky. These ideas which we set in our mind for achieving something in our subconscious mind play an important role to get lucky.
People think they are going to be very lucky if they see a mongoose or they will be lucky by wearing certain jewelry stones in their fingers. They will even some lucky number or lucky symbol for them.
Top 7 Scientific superstitions in India
In many of the shops, you might have noticed in India, lemon and chili hanged with a thread in front of the shop, is it kind of magic they think. Someday you ask this question to the shop owner, you will get various answers. The scientific reason is lemon and chili used to throw the mosquitoes, insects, flies away.
While you start driving the road you go in the front gear, not in the reverse gear, this is also one more example.
If the crow is cawing then some guest is going to appear at home.
While going out from home nobody should call you back or if someone sneezes you should stop by for some time.
These are different types of superstitions from my childhood I have experienced. Obviously, there are various ways these superstitions can be destroyed with the help of the light of knowledge.
My Experience on Superstitions
My mother used to tell many times before exam not to eat egg and banana because I will get zero marks. But eventually, I used to eat more eggs without listening to my mother’s idea. Not that I had scored fewer marks but very soon I realized it is for the lighter health, which helps to concentrate on my studies rather than food.
Eating milk after eating fish is also considered one of the superstitious ideas but the actual scientific reason is it is going to create skin disease.
Almost everywhere in India elders used to say not to go below a peepal or banyan tree at night because various spirits, ghost stays there at the night. On the lighter note, the respiration process creates CO2 happens majorly at the night by trees.
Connection of Superstitions with a Yogi
A very sophisticated Idea comes to my mind while practicing yoga also. Is there any connection of superstitions with a yogi or can a yogi have superstitions? The answer is it depends. Because each of us does not have the same mental standard. What each of us thinks is diverse.
Yoga – The Light of Knowledge
Yoga and spirituality have been practiced from ancient times to bring light to us. It is against these superstitions both physically and mentally. It helps to look us what actually it is.
That’s why ancient sages receive and shares the light, the actual reason behind the superstitions. They have given enough source of light for destroying superstitions.
There are certain yogis, sages, rishis or realized being still in India who works with their finer body also called ‘Sukshma Sarira’.
How Yoga Destroys Superstitions from Our Mind
Yoga and spirituality have helped in various dimensions for exploring our inner energy to remain ecstatic or exuberant all the time. Now to create an environment within you and around you, should be your responsibility.
It helps us overcoming superstitions by questioning, debating, reasoning and finally keeping your mind open for any suggestions. Yoga enhances awareness about the actual fact, in a sense where am not saying good or bad, ethical or moral but superstitions are just ideas.
Do not come to any conclusion whether it is going to serve you or provide good feelings or bad feelings you must understand. Are you aware enough within yourself?
Vedic Rituals are Not Superstitions
Superstitions should not be mixed up with all these customs and rituals performed in India. Especially when it’s a matter of certain traditional beliefs.
In various parts of the world, people believe in superstitions. Talking about the source of yoga and spirituality, in India various cultures have mixed from ancient times. Each of the states has a separate regional language, type of foods, in a variety of aspects.
The way of living life also is quite diverse, yet there are certain similarities in all the rituals prayers, and cultures.
Hindu God Worshipping Rituals
In Hindu Vedic culture rituals are been performed from ancient times. But essentially what it does are ancient practices like lighting fire, chanting mantras (which are very powerful), worshipping Shiva, Shakti, Ganesh idols, etc. These are positive yoga procedures performed from Vedic Santana ages.
The science behind Various Hindu Customs and Rituals
Most of the Hindu rituals should not be mixed up with superstitions. All these ideas have a scientific and deep spiritual explanation. Various Kriyas and Karmas plays with energy dimension for the betterment of human life in Hinduism from ancient times.
In India when we perform rituals, festivals, or in any ceremony many people give a tag as their superstitions. Like the Haldi rasam in the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom have to put Haldi paste in their body. What essentially happens is your body becomes cleansed.
In Hinduism after someone’s death, we perform rituals of 14 days or two weeks ‘Antesthi Kriya’ or ‘Pretakarma’ for releasing the soul of the deceased for reincarnation. We perform bath after the cremation and so on.
Yoga is Union – The Truth of Yoga
Yoga and spirituality it does not let you go to any conclusion rather it helps you to see the light, and to see whatever as it is. Yoga is not an imposition rather it is union. The essential question you must ask, are you sensible enough to handle the truth?
When we are not ready to handle the truth, we create so many dilemmatic, nonsense explanations. These are essentially the house of superstitions. Whenever you have multiple explanations of the truth, most of us misunderstand.
How Yoga overcomes Superstitions and negative energy?
Due to superstition, people can go far away from reality. However you are away from the practical senses, depression, fatigue ness, anger, and various other physical and mental issues are natural consequences.
Yoga creates a positive vibration within yourself. It helps to make a joyful environment. Yoga has come from India and spirituality is an internal part connected with yoga, meditation, pranayama.
All these practices clear the negative vibration and negative energy. Any negativity creates disastrous surroundings and people around you.
Your action unconsciously brings an overall negative vibration to your inner being. Yoga and spiritual practices create certain tranquility and reverberation for removing all superstitions and bring fulfillment to the inner dimension. It helps to live a Life with joyfulness.
Conclusions
There are always two sides to the coin. Like day nights exist, good Karma bad Karma exist similarly. Whatever we say evil or holy, it is all inside us. Whatever we perceive it is we who have certain feelings or understanding, exist inside us. Superstitions no matter what good or bad will go on as we live each day they will also live with us you must ask yourself are you capable enough to handle them with the light of yoga and spirituality.
Further Reading
Have you enjoyed reading about “Do Yoga and Superstitions Have any Connections? Top 17 Facts How Yoga Destroys Superstitions”? Also, check various Topics on Yoga and about Steps to Control Porn in young People also. Please check the article Overpopulation in India 2020also. Take a look at our collection of articles about books for life as well as other categories in health & Inspiring Indians Life also. Alternatively, read our article about the top benefits of honey for fighting against coronavirus to increase our stamina, & other interesting ideas for various vegetables in our daily groceries.
References
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- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337421659_Prevalence_of_Superstitions_in_Indian_Society_in_21_st_Century
- Welle Deutsche. Black Magic practices in India: 2012.12.
- Agarwal Sumit, Jia He, &Haoming Liu, et.al. Superstition and Asset Markets: 2014.13.
- Grover Gupta Mehak. Blind belief is dangerous: 2015.