Yoga
Five points of yoga
A balanced combination of postures(asanas) will stretch and tone the major muscles of the body as well as stimulate organs and glands. Performed consciously and slowly, each asana is a physical exercise that with practice, will increase physical strength and flexibility as well as: – Releasing tension
- -Eliminating impurities
- -Increasing mobility
- -Increasing the flow of subtle energy
- -Increased Vitality
- -Healthy longevity
Asanas ( meaning steady pose in Sanskrit) are performed slowly and are designed not just to increase physical strength and flexibility, but also to harmonize the body and mind for deeper concentration and meditation.
Breath is the source of Prana ( life force energy) which informs our every single action.
Yoga teaches us how to control the breath to increase health and vitality and encourage the absorption of Prana into the subtle energy centers and channels.
A healthy breathing pattern is mandatory to have a healthy and balanced life.
Through the practice of proper breathing, we can shift our physiology out of shallow breathing and stress, into relaxation response- thus restoring vital energy, oxygenating the body and brain, increasing lung capacity, and gaining gradual control over our thoughts.
Yogis have known for centuries that if we control our breathing patterns we can control our minds.
Through systematic breathing in yogic postures, we can tone up the respiratory system and open the subtle energy channels which will lead us to higher levels of Yoga.
Proper relaxation (Savasana)
Yoga emphasizes the importance of proper relaxation to restore a sense of balance, clear thinking, and perspective- as well as regulating our energy and enhancing mental and physical health.
Deep sleep and restorative rest are nature's gifts to us and are necessary to maintain a healthy and balanced physical and mental state.
Yoga has a proper system for progressively relaxing each muscle, joint and internal organ- by consciously relaxing the nervous system, we can experience a deeper sense of peace and connection that expands beyond mind and body.
A Yogi eats a simple and natural diet to supply the body with vital life force energy and sustain a healthy body and calm and peaceful mind. Yoga recommends a lactovegetarian diet with an abundance of organic, fresh, local produce.
A Yogic diet is moderate, simple, and diverse and consists of lots of organic fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and dairy- with an emphasis on healthy digestion and strong immunity- Yogis vary what they eat from season to season, ensuring that each meal satisfies physically and mentally, by proper food combining, including all six tastes in each meal and cooking with a wide range of seasonal herbs and digestive spices.
Food is mother nature's way of connecting us to our body's inner wisdom, our cravings reflect our inner physical and mental state.
A Regular yoga practice will lead you to a state of the deeper mind-body connection, this inner wisdom will lead you to more informed and intuitive choices for your health and the planet.
We can live a balanced and harmonious life through the teachings of Vedantic philosophy and the practice of Yoga and meditation.
Our thoughts and perception of the world around us define who we are, though Yoga we can learn how to cultivate harmony, peace of mind of a positive outlook.
Through the systematic practice of Yoga, we purify our physical and mental states and through the regular practice of meditation, we can develop our mental capacity to attain deeper spiritual knowledge and higher truths.
Four paths of yoga
Yoga is an ancient science that originated 10,000 years ago in India.
The word Yoga simply means “union’’ Yoga is the union of body, mind, and emotions- In the deeper sense, it is the union of the individual soul with the Universal soul.
The Ultimate aim of yoga is Samadhi- The highest state of mental concentration that can be achieved whilst still bound to the physical body.
There are 4 Yogic paths to self-realisation and each person will resonate with a different path according to temperament or stage of life.
The word Bhakti comes from the root Bhaj, which means ‘’ to adore or worship God’’ This path to self-realization is reached through devotional practice that leads to full awareness of our true nature, through concentrating the mind, emotions, and senses on the divine.
In its purest form, Bhakti burns away ego and is likened to a devotional fire in the heart.
Traditional Bhakti teachings advocated worshipping and chanting mantras to deities like Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, and Kali- singing devotional songs, meditating on the divine, reading and writing poetry, and performing rituals.
Today devotees of Bhakti Yoga don’t necessarily have to practice devotion to a Hindu deity or a guru but may choose to connect with a more personal idea of the divine, spirit, self, or source of universal love.
Bhakti Yoga is considered one of the more accessible paths to full awareness and as such is growing in popularity.
This path resonates most deeply with those of an emotional nature who may already have a devotional practice.
This is the path to self-awareness through acting selflessly in the service of others.
Karma Yogis know that service performed joyfully and with dedication (shraddha) can be a powerful means of releasing ego-and that by acting with pure intentions and letting go of any attachment to outcome or expectation of personal gain, they are accepting ‘Prasad’ -the ultimate gift.
‘’ Unattached to pleasure or pain, success or failure, this person acts and is never bound by those actions’’
Bhagavad Gita ch.4 v 18-22
The path of Karma Yoga resonates most with those with an active temperament and outgoing, community-based nature.
Jnana yoga is the deep, intellectual inquiry into the nature of who we are-it is considered to be the ultimate path to self-realization, shifting the mind-based identification of ourselves, to identifying all life as one.
This path takes us to the point of recognizing the limitations of the human mind, moving us towards a deeper knowing that cannot be understood from texts.
There are many resources on the journey of Jnana Yoga, including the Upanishads, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.
All point to the same ultimate reality: That we are divine consciousness expressing itself through all infinite forms of the universe.
The practice of Jnana yoga includes studying the scriptures, Satsang( discussion) with Gurus (masters), and contemplation of the real nature of the self, through this process a person becomes purified and attains moksha(Liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth)
Jnana yoga resonates most with spiritual seekers of an intellectual temperament
Raja – means “king” and according to the Yogic system ‘Raja yoga’ is considered the “Kingly path” or the path of meditation. Raja Yoga is considered to be the principal form of yoga, being the goal of Yoga as well as the method of attaining it. According to Raja yoga, the biggest obstacle to self-realization is a busy mind in which excessive thinking, ego, craving, attachment, and a separate sense of self all contribute to suffering and prevent us from attaining Moksha. Raja Yoga offers us a systematic and scientific path to an enlightened state called Ashtanga Yoga or the eight limbs of Yoga. This path resonates with those who wish to practice a form of Yoga that does not require a particular faith or belief- Raja Yoga teaches us to believe only what we find out for ourselves through direct experience. The eight limbs are:
1. Yama- Social observances
2. Niyama-Moral observances
3. Asana-Yoga postures
4. Pranayama-Breathing techniques
5. Pratyahara-Withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana-Concentration
7. Dhyana-Meditation
8. Samadhi – Enlightenment or bliss
In the eightfold path of Yoga, the first four steps are called Bahiranga yoga’ ( outer or external yoga ), and the last three steps are called Antaranga Yoga ( Inner or inside Yoga) with the fifth limb considered as the bridge between the outer and inner path.
Yoga teaches that through this step-by-step practice anyone can achieve the state of samadhi.
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