Path to God - Spiritual Journeys | Wai Lana Yoga | Yoga Weight Loss Secrets | Contact
Best Yoga For Life | Yoga Information
|
Path to God - Spiritual Journeys | Wai Lana Yoga | Yoga Weight Loss Secrets | Contact Best Yoga For Life | Yoga Information |
|
|
 |
|
Paths of Yoga I
With dozens of Hollywood celebrities following in their Guru's lotus footsteps and the sick Western commercial behaviour exploding Yogas popularity to a system that simply enhances people's health, Yoga remains a system of spiritual unity of mind, body and soul among millions of Indians and many others from Eastern beliefs, as it has been for over five thousand years. As a result, some forms of yoga have gained significant popularity outside India, particularly in the West during the past century. Yoga is a form of mysticism that developed on the Indian subcontinent in the Hindu cultural context. The origins of Yoga are difficult to track due to the lack of recorded testimony. One of the closest meanings of Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "Yuj" which it is generally translated as "union" or "integration" of the individual soul with the cosmos, or higher self. Since the goal of Yoga dwells above any bodily consciousness, it has both a philosophical and a practical dimension to achieve that ideal state. On one hand, the philosophy of yoga manages the relation of both the individual soul and the cosmos. This universal philophy enjoins the practitioner to pursue his or her own path to enlightenment. And on the other hand, its practice can be any exercise or activity that approaches the yoga practitioner to self-realization. Four Paths of Yoga Special practical yoga techniques have been developed by experts in yoga. Traditionally, they have been classified into four categories or paths: the path of meditation (Raja Yoga), the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga), the path of selfless service to the Divine (Karma Yoga), and the path of intellectual analysis or the discrimination of truth and reality (Jnana Yoga). These Yoga techniques cover a broad range, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual activities. ? Raja Yoga involves psycho-physical meditational techniques to attain experience of the truth and finally achieve liberation described in Hindu thought to be moksha. 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). Raja Yoga is a comprehensive yoga system which deals with the refinement of human behavior and personality through the practice the Yama (restraint) and Niyama (disciplines); attainment of physical health and vitality through Asana (postures) and Pranayama (pranic breathing techniques); management of mental and emotional conflicts and development of awareness and concentration through Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) and Dharana (concentration); and developing the creative aspect of consciousness for transcendental awareness through Dhyan (meditation) & Samadhi (absorption in the universal identity). ? Bhakti Yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called Bhakti. Traditionally there are 9 forms of bhakti yoga. Sravana (hearing of God's Lilas and stories), Kirtana (singing of His glories), Smarana (remembrance of His name and presence), Padasevana (service of His feet), Archana (worship of God), Vandana (prostration to Lord), Dasya (cultivating the Bhava of a servant with God), Sakhya (cultivation of the friend-Bhava) and Atmanivedana (complete surrender of the self). The nine modes of Bhakti are the ways in which a devotee attains the Supreme Ideal of life. A devotee can take up any of these paths and reach the highest state. The path of Bhakti is the easiest of all and is not very much against the nature of human inclinations. ? Karma Yoga focuses on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. Karma means to do, action, including those acts done by the individual from birth to death. "Karma Yoga is the selfless devotion of all inner as well as the outer activities as a Sacrifice to the Lord of all works, offered to the eternal as Master of all the soul's energies and austerities," the Bhagavad Gita says. Following the practice of Karma yoga, an individual becomes true spiritual seeker and realizes his true nature as Atman and he lives in this world, works for this world and still stays untouched from the grossness of the mundane pleasures, thus doing immense good to the society while on his path to salvation and spiritual freedom. The Swami Sivananda Yoga Venanda Center sums up karma yoga into five actions: Right Attitude It's not what you do that counts, it's the attitude while doing it that determines if a job is a karma yoga job, i.e. a liberating job, or a binding job. Right Motive Same as attitude. It is not what you do that counts but your real motive behind it. Do your duty. Give your best. Give results. ? Jnana Yoga. This is the most difficult path, requiring tremendous strength of will and intellect. Taking the philosophy of Vedanta the Jnana Yogi uses his mind to inquire into its own nature. We perceive the space inside and outside a glass as different, just as we see ourselves as separate from God. Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with God directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance. Before practicing Jnana Yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realization can become mere idle speculation. Jnana yoga teaches that there are four means to salvation: Viveka - Discrimination: The ability to differentiate between what is real/eternal (Brahman) and what is unreal/temporary (everything else in the universe.) Vairagya - Dispassion: After practice one should be able to "detach" themself from everything that is "temporary." Shad-sampat - The 6 Virtues: Tranquility (control of the mind), Dama (control of the senses), Uparati (renunciation of activities that are not duties), Titiksha (endurance), Shraddha (faith), Samadhana (perfect concentration). Mumukshutva - Intense longing for liberation from temporal limitations. Alma De la Cruz, a staff mystic employed by http://www.psychicrealm.com, has a profound personal history where she has unabashedly delved deep into the heart of occult mysteries for an extensive period of her life. Her name literally means "Soul of the Cross" in Spanish. Currently she is working publishing a manuscript that delves into the mysteries of Hispanic new age beliefs incorporating old insights with new spiritual methodologies. Check out her bi weekly metaphysical column: http://www.newagenotebook.com where she takes a new twist, incorporating Latin shamanistic philosophies with leading edge occult beliefs.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Yoga is a Safe Solution to Weight Control One more study tells the world, that Yoga can help with weight control and weight loss. The latest study was held by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey.Job SatisfactionIn the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment. True Essence of Yoga Yoga is the most prestigious field of spiritualism. People think about 6 wheels (Chakras) or lotus flowers present in the spinal card, which are not seen by the eyes. Hatha Yoga One of the many subsets of the 5000 year old system used to increase the well being of the mind, body and spirit, is known as Hatha Yoga.In Hatha Yoga participants combine a series of stretching exercises referred to as asanas, specialized breathing techniques and mental concentration. Yoga For a Beginner Yoga for a beginner is an exciting time when you start to discover all of the wonderful benefits that yoga has to offer. When you first begin yoga, there are several things you can do to make your experience positive. Yoga for Fun and Profit Stress levels around the world are on the rise. In order to deal with this, relaxation and stress reduction therapies have sprung up from everywhere. Discover How Yoga Will Help You Reach Your Goals - Part 1 Time is valuable and there are a number of successful methods for goal realization. Yoga will cross train your mind and body for maximum potential. What is Patanjalis Ashtanga Yoga?- Part(I) The Sanskrit word 'Yoga' has two meaning, because it is derived from two roots - one is 'yujir yoge' and other is 'yuj samadhou'. The root 'yujir yoge' means to join or to unite. Basic Yoga Poses (Asanas) In most forms of Yoga there are three components to the practice; breathing, concentration and physical poses also known as asanas. The two poses below are the most common asanas used in Western Yoga practice today. Yoga is Self Improvement After five thousand years of written documentation, Yoga may well be the oldest self-improvement system that ever existed. We don't know what Yoga knowledge may have been lost before man started to record it. Christian Yoga? There is an interesting article in the September 5th issue of Time magazine. This particular article covers a spectrum of opinions about mixing Christianity with Yoga. Discover How Yoga Will Help You Reach Your Goals - Part 2 At this point, let's break down the major components of a typical Hatha Yoga session, and see how each one will enable you to reach your goals. There are nine main styles of Yoga in India, but most of the popular styles, outside of India, are variations of Hatha Yoga. Yoga, Do Not Knock It Until You Try It Are you one of those folks who have never tried yoga? How about one of those grown up teenagers who likes cow tipping and thought you might knock over your sister when she was doing yoga? Yes, I know that is fun isn't it? I have done this on many occasion and watched the silly looking humans fall right over indeed. Not bad, it is easy too; a little push and see ya, over they go. Yoga Instruction - How to Find the Right Yoga Teacher for You In order to find a quality yoga instructor, you need to know what to look for. Since there is no universal certification program for yoga teachers, not all of them are created equal as you can see by the following example. What is Self Mastery? - Part 2 To continue with our overview of the physical component of self mastery, it goes without saying that walking is a valuable aerobic exercise - but you have options. You can use a bicycle for nice days, or use indoor aerobic exercise equipment for use on inclement weather days. Understanding the Different Types of Yoga Yoga is becoming a more and more popular activity in the Western world today. The number of places holding Yoga classes is on the increase and there is a plethora of different types of Yoga. Total Concentration(samadhi) of Mind A true Yogi(practitioner) is one who has acquired self-knowledge and through continuous practice and detachment has been able to rest in true self, so firmly that he seldom slips down from it. Samadhi is the state where one realises the true self or soul. Yoga Your Way To A Happy Vacation Yoga Your Way To A Happy VacationThere have been many studies into holiday stress. Sadly, those studies show that such stress does exist; that summer vacation can actually prove more stressful than the rest of the year. Yoga: A Beneficial Exercising Regimen Yoga is an ancient proven tradition that exists for thousands of years and also one of the most ancient cultural heritages in India. The word yoga means, "to unite". Ayurveda and Yoga, Ancient Sister Sciences Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences that have been united for thousands of years for the sake of healing body, mind, and consciousness. Generally speaking, Ayurveda deals more with the health of the body, while yoga deals with purifying the mind and consciousness, but in reality they complement and embrace each other.
|
| home | site map | Privacy Policy |
| © 2009 www.bestyogalife.info * | * | * Contact |
