June 292009
Welcome to Yoga4u Website!
Types of Yoga
The basis of ashtanga yoga is the Yoga sutras (Sanskrit Verses) of Patanjali. We will consider the different aspects of yoga while remaining under the guiding principles of Patanjali's Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga). The Asana, Pranayama, Dharana, Dhyan & Samadhi or the Yama and Niyama are systematically described by Patanjali in his Sanskrit Sutras (verses).
- Yama
(Principles)
- Niyama
(Personal Disciplines)
- Asana
(Yoga
Positions or Yogic Postures)
- Pranayama
(Yogic Breathing)
- Pratyahara
(Withdrawal of Senses)
- Dharana
(Concentration on Object)
- Dhyan
(Meditation)
- Samadhi
(Salvation)
Bhakti is a Yoga of devotion or complete faith. This faith is generally in the God or supreme consciousness in any of the forms. It may be Lord Rama, Krishna, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha etc. It may be a Guru for his disciples.
Important thing is the person interested in following this path should have very strong emotional bond with the object of faith. The flow of emotional energy is directed to this object. Mostly people suppress their emotions and that often reflects in the form of physical and mental disorders. This Bhakti Yoga releases those suppressed emotions and brings the purification of inner self.
Continuous meditation of God or object of faith gradually decrease the ego of the practitioner, which further prevents new distractions, fickleness or even pain and induces strong bonds of love. Slowly the practitioner looses the self identity and becomes one with the object of faith, this is a state of self realization.
Karma Yoga is a path of devotion to the work. One looses his identity while working, only selfless work remains. This state is very difficult to achieve.
In this state the work becomes worship to the God, it becomes spiritual, also the individual becomes expert, skilled and Yogi. He achieves stability of mind in all conditions, he is not disturbed or excited or happy in any of the situations. He becomes divine & his actions represent God's will.
The essence of Karma Yoga as extracted from 'Bhagvad Gita' says: The world confined in its own activity except when actions are performed as worship of God. Therefore one must perform every action sacramentally and be free of your attachments to the results.
Jnana Yoga is the process of converting intellectual knowledge into practical wisdom. It is a discovery of human dharma in relation to nature and the universe. Jnana Yoga is described by tradition as a means to obtain the highest meditative state and inner knowledge.
Jnana literally means 'knowledge', but in the context of yoga it means the process of meditative awareness which leads to illuminative wisdom. It is not a method by which we try to find rational answers to eternal questions, rather it is a part of meditation leading to self-enquiry and self-realisation.
Some of the components of Jnana Yoga are:
-
Not believing but realising
- Self-awareness
leading to self-analysis
- Experiencing
knowledge
- Realising
the personal nature
- Developing
intuitive wisdom
- Experiencing
inner unity
The term Hatha Yoga has been commonly used to describe the practice of asana (postures). The syllable 'ha' denotes the pranic (vital) force governing the physical body and 'tha' denotes the chitta (mental) force thus making Hatha Yoga a catalyst to an awakening of the two energies that govern our lives.
In Sanskrit, ha means sun, tha means moon. Hatha yoga is the practice of harmonizing the body�s inner currents (principally the currents of Feeling, Thinking, Willing, and Acting) until they are in perfect balance.
- Yogasana
(Yoga Positions)
-
Six shatkarmas (physical and mental
detox techniques)
- Mudras
and Bandhas (psycho-physiological energy release techniques)
- Pranayama
(pranic awakening practices)
This
system of Yoga is concerned with awakening of the psychic centers
or chakras, which exists in every individual. (Please refer to the
figure) There are six main chakras in the human beings.
The mind is made up of different subtle layers. Each of these layers
progressively are associated with the higher levels of consciousness.
Each of these levels are related to the different chakra or psychic
center located throughout the psychic body. There are no of other
chakras apart from the six main, which are associated with planes
below the human level. In all we have chakras that connect us to
animal levels of mind, to the instinctive realms of being or to
the sublime heights of consciousness.
Swara is Sanskrit word, meaning sound or note. It is also a continuous flow of air through one nostril. Yoga means union, so Swara yoga is a science which is realization of cosmic consciousness through control and manipulation of breath.
Swara Yoga is science which is a complete study, observations, control and manipulation of breath or Swara. Pranayama is only related to control of breath in various ways. In swara yoga, you will find association of breath in relation to activities of sun, moon, various seasons, physical and mental conditions of individuals etc. So Swara Yoga is more comprehensive in theory and practices related to breath.
Raja means royal or kingly. Raja yoga meditation is generally based on directing one�s life force to bring the mind and emotions so into balance that the attention may be easily focused on the object of meditation, or the Lord directly.
Generally, life force is directed to move up and down the spine until it is balanced and the mind and emotions are serenely content. Then awareness is generally directed to move forward into a point in the center of the lower forehead. This meditation point, which is about half an inch above where the eyebrows meet, is called ajna, or the third eye.
When the energy is balanced throughout the brain and body and easily moving forward in the area of the third eye, your mind becomes very calm. While your mind is not passive, it is free of meaningless thoughts, worries, and the bric-a-brac of the subconscious mind. This state usually gives you a very pleasant sense of well being and your mind seems filled with a velvety darkness.
Raja Yoga usually refers to the system of yoga that is described in the Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali. In this ancient text Sage Patanjali describes eight stages of yoga which are known collectively as Raja Yoga.
The word kriya means 'activity' or 'movement' and refers to the activity or movement of consciousness.
Kriya Yoga originated in antiquity and evolved over time through practise and experience. The full form of Kriya Yoga consists of over 70 kriyas out of which only 20 or so are commonly known.
One of the main ways that kriya is practiced is a daily program of self-discipline of mind and body, introspection, and devotion to God.
Another way that kriya yoga is practiced in the world today is in directing life force to move up and down the spine, transforming the meditator�s state of being until spiritual realization occurs. This technique is usually conveyed privately through initiation from a Guru or longtime practitioner of this method.
Mantra Yoga has its origin in Vedic Sciences and also in Tantra, infact all the verses in Vedas are called mantras, it is said that any person who can chant or sing Vedas can achieve the ultimate salvation or union with supreme consciousness only by chanting the mantras, which is the aim Mantra Yoga.
Mantra yoga meditation involves chanting a word or phrase until the mind and emotions are transcended and the superconscious is clearly revealed and experienced.
Since the mind wanders so much, the music of a mantra easily rescues the mind and brings it back to the object of one�s meditation.
Both the rhythm of it and the meaning of it combine to guide the mind safely back to the point of meditation � the higher consciousness or the specific spiritual focus.