|
Home
YOGA
What is
Yoga?
Yoga is a science
of health and spirituality that originated many
thousands of years ago in India. The ancient yogis
sought to harmonize the body, mind and soul in an effort
to achieve health, long life, and ultimately,
enlightenment. Thus, the Sanskrit word yoga means union
with or to join. This union with the divine is achieved
through the disciplined practice of specific exercises,
meditation and breath work.
Yoga is essentially a lifestyle, dealing with all the
aspects of our being. The physical postures, or asanas
that are widely perceived as yoga, are just one aspect
of a very profound science of life. The Eight Limbs of
Yoga, articulated by C.E. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra,
describe the eight aspects of a yogic lifestyle. These
aspects guide the yogi on a path self-development to
harmonize the body, mind and spirit and attain
enlightenment.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
The first limb, yama, focuses on one's behavior in the
world and attitude towards those around him or her. The
five yamas are: ahimsa or nonviolence, satya or
truthfulness, asteya or non-stealing, bramacharya or
non-lust, aparigraha or non-possessiveness.
The second limb, niyama, refers to one's behavior and
attitude towards oneself. There are five niyamas: sauca
or cleanliness, santosha or contentment, tapas or
austerity, svadhyaya or study of the sacred text and of
oneself, and isvarapranidhama or living with an
awareness of the divine.
Asanas or physical poses are the third limb. Asanas are
designed to bring strength, vitality and relaxation to
every bodily system.
Pranayama, or breathing exercises, encompass the fourth
limb. Through disciplined regulation of the breath-the
duration of inhalation, retention and exhalation, one
strengthens and cleanses the nervous system. The result
is increased life-force and a calmer mind.
The fifth limb is prathayara or withdrawal of the
senses. One's focus goes inward, losing awareness of
what is going on outside of oneself.
Dharana, or concentration is the sixth limb. One trains
the mind to focus without distractions.
Dhyana, or meditation is the seventh limb. In meditation
one practices constant observation of the mind, stilling
the mind in order to heighten one's awareness and
oneness with the universe.
The final limb, the ultimate goal of yoga, is samadhi or
enlightenment. It is the achievement of oneness with the
universe in which one experiences a state of peace,
utter contentment and completion.
Yoga as it was designed and practices by the ancient
yogis encompasses all these aspects of the self and of
life. It is a spiritual path and a lifestyle meant to
lead the student towards health, self-knowledge, and
union with the divine.
About the Author: The ancient yogis sought to harmonize
the body, mind and soul in an effort to achieve health,
long life, and ultimately, enlightenment. Visit
WayofYoga.com to find out how you too can do the same.
Yoga Paths
By: Stephen Kreutzer
Since human beings began practicing yoga thousands of
years ago, the symbol of a tree has often been linked
with the discipline and for good reason! Yoga has a
multitude of branches when it comes to how you choose to
practice and all of them are based on the same
philosophy, or trunk, of spirituality. Hatha yoga is the
one most well known to Westerners the physical act of
practicing poses. Here are a few other paths that you
may choose to combine with your personal yoga practice.
Raja Yoga
In raja yoga, the main goal is a calm and spiritual,
meditative state. There are eight principles that are
followed strictly and in order in raja yoga and, though
important, physical movement or poses is not the focus.
The eight principles or stages are:
* Ethical standards or yama'
* Self-discipline or niyama'
* Posture or asana'
* Breath control or pranayama'
* Sensory withdrawal or pratyahara'
* Concentration or dharana'
* Meditation or dhyana'
* Liberation or samadhi'
Karma Yoga
The focus of karma yoga is on service and treatment of
others. The basic idea is that our experiences today are
a direct result of our past actions. Therefore,
everything that those who practice karma yoga do today
is in an effort to create a better future for themselves
and those around them. They do this by eliminating the
motivations of pessimism and egotism. This means living
for others instead of ourselves.
Jnana Yoga
Those who practice jnana yoga are most concerned with
the development of the mind. They are scholars
interested in the philosophy behind yoga and they their
yoga practice focuses on studying and understanding
ancient and traditional texts. This is thought to be one
of the most intense yoga disciplines as the learning is
intense and difficult.
Unlike branches on a tree, the paths of yoga often
intersect and overlap. Though it is difficult to hang
from two or three tree branches at once, it is not
difficult at all to practice more than one path of yoga.
Try them all if you like and choose the ones that most
appeal to you.
|