Here?s a natural Yoga solution for a ?pill popping culture? that does not take side-effects seriously, until they feel them, or worse. Male impotency has become a marketing Bonanza. Pharmaceutical companies are cashing in on middle-aged males. Even if you are not a male who is middle-aged, or older, your Spam folder is most likely full of ?junk advertisements? for Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra.
This means there is a huge market of middle-aged men who could use a copy of the Kama Sutra and should learn some natural solutions from a qualified Tantra Yoga teacher. Tantra Yoga does not have a long list of side-effects, so there is much less, if any, risk. This might be expecting too much because this is pro-active behavior for better health.
Some men are taking these drugs and they do not even need to; it has become a strange ?fashion statement.? What usually happens is a quick solution is mentioned by a Viagra commercial during a football game. Ever notice the simplest solutions are not really in the form of a pill? Half of the time consumed, in a typical Viagra commercial, is spent talking about the side-effects of taking the drug. The same can be said for Viagra?s cousins: Levitra and Cialis.
What the commercial visually shows is romance, and advertising firms have male behavior down to a science. Men are not listening to ?common side-effect? warnings about headaches, blurred vision, bluish vision, upset stomach, facial flushing, or reactions to light. Keep in mind; these are only the common side effects of these drugs. There are a number of uncommon side effects - if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones.
Now, let?s get back to Tantra Yoga, a natural solution, which does not have any adverse side-effects. I admit it: Men do not listen very well. This is not ?selective hearing;? we do not listen to other men very well either. You can get a man to pay attention to a copy of the Kama Sutra though.
Since most Yoga teachers and students, outside of India, are women, I am addressing Yoginis who know the value of their Yoga practice. You might consider giving the Kama Sutra to your ?significant other? as a gift. The Kama Sutra has 36 chapters and 64 sex positions, so it will not be a short and quick read. Not everything in the Kama Sutra is for everyone, but there is enough material to keep you both interested for a lifetime. Therefore, the long-term solution is not in a pill.
Learning about Tantra Yoga, and Tantric sex, will improve male sexual health at any age. Middle-aged couples can improve their own relationship, on many planes, with the help of Tantra Yoga and Tantric Sex. This is a significant point, when you look around at soaring divorce rates.
Lastly, a copy of the Kama Sutra is very affordable, and it could be the best investment you make in a relationship. Who knows - this may even get more men interested in Hatha Yoga practice.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: “Yoga in Practice,” and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Showing posts with label hatha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hatha. Show all posts
March 2, 2009
February 27, 2009
Dahn Yoga - Yoga for the Soul
Nowadays, yoga is widespread and is new forms are continuously being developed today. Millions of people around the world enjoy yoga every day or week, depending on circumstances into this activity.
Of the so many forms of Yoga, Hatha yoga is by far the most common form, which involves both breathing control, physical exercise and postures combined. These exercises allow optimized blood circulation and improves flexibility, stamina, strength and vitality.
It is also a form of peaceful mediation that contributes to self-awareness and gives an extra energy that creates general wellbeing.
It should be easy to locate somewhere to practice your yoga as there are centers in most cities in the Western world.
If you prefer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yoga at home. With books, DVDs or videos to suit your need.
Aside from Hatha Yoga, there exists another kind of Yoga. it is known as Dahn Yoga.
It is also referred to as Dahn Hak or Dahnak. It started as an early form of Korean instruction program that aimed to teach the participants on how to expand and widen both the body and mind. For hundreds of years it vanished only becoming resurrected in the 80?s in Seoul, finally arriving in the US in 1991.
Dahn yoga also educates participants on the principles and concepts on how the energy acts or moves in the body. It also teaches that ageing and weakening of the body is caused by stress. And removing stress will, without doubt, improve health and prolong life.
Dahn yoga works by encouraging those taking part to communicate fully with their body, thus enriching their lives to the full.
Allied with the body?s natural healing ability, this is enhanced through stimulating energies that connect the physical body to the conscious mind.
Through deep stretching, breathing methods and meditation, Dahn Yoga promotes physical, mental, and spiritual healing and to connect us into our spiritual selves. It promotes body relaxation and the discovery of inner consciousness.
It gives a life away and free from stress and anxiety and a life which has self-control and enhanced concentration.
Through meditation and breath work, energy is accumulated in the body and as a result, functioning of the internal organs and systems in the body is enhanced.
With the integration of the body and mind, latent abilities are realized and goals set are more easily achieved. In addition, Dahn Yoga practitioners sometimes volunteer to teach and train without payment, promoting individual and community health, well-being, happiness and peace.
? 2006 Martin Haworth has a useful website with lots of information for those new to yoga as well as extended information for experts. Check it out at http://www.makethemostofyouryoga.com.
Of the so many forms of Yoga, Hatha yoga is by far the most common form, which involves both breathing control, physical exercise and postures combined. These exercises allow optimized blood circulation and improves flexibility, stamina, strength and vitality.
It is also a form of peaceful mediation that contributes to self-awareness and gives an extra energy that creates general wellbeing.
It should be easy to locate somewhere to practice your yoga as there are centers in most cities in the Western world.
If you prefer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yoga at home. With books, DVDs or videos to suit your need.
Aside from Hatha Yoga, there exists another kind of Yoga. it is known as Dahn Yoga.
It is also referred to as Dahn Hak or Dahnak. It started as an early form of Korean instruction program that aimed to teach the participants on how to expand and widen both the body and mind. For hundreds of years it vanished only becoming resurrected in the 80?s in Seoul, finally arriving in the US in 1991.
Dahn yoga also educates participants on the principles and concepts on how the energy acts or moves in the body. It also teaches that ageing and weakening of the body is caused by stress. And removing stress will, without doubt, improve health and prolong life.
Dahn yoga works by encouraging those taking part to communicate fully with their body, thus enriching their lives to the full.
Allied with the body?s natural healing ability, this is enhanced through stimulating energies that connect the physical body to the conscious mind.
Through deep stretching, breathing methods and meditation, Dahn Yoga promotes physical, mental, and spiritual healing and to connect us into our spiritual selves. It promotes body relaxation and the discovery of inner consciousness.
It gives a life away and free from stress and anxiety and a life which has self-control and enhanced concentration.
Through meditation and breath work, energy is accumulated in the body and as a result, functioning of the internal organs and systems in the body is enhanced.
With the integration of the body and mind, latent abilities are realized and goals set are more easily achieved. In addition, Dahn Yoga practitioners sometimes volunteer to teach and train without payment, promoting individual and community health, well-being, happiness and peace.
? 2006 Martin Haworth has a useful website with lots of information for those new to yoga as well as extended information for experts. Check it out at http://www.makethemostofyouryoga.com.
February 25, 2009
Hot Yoga - Sweeping Away an Image
There are many benefits in using Bikram Yoga, which is a form of yoga that can totally change your life.
Bikram Yoga or Bikram Method Yoga, is widely known as ?hot yoga?. And was developed by Bikram Choudhury, who is 60 this year. Based now in the US, he is, of course, a yoga practitioner himself and he developed Bikram Yoga after injuring himself in a weightlifting accident.
Since then, many have proven the benefits of Bikram Yoga, so the practice has grown.
Some people practice Bikram Yoga for healing purposes and physical therapy. This type of yoga has proven helpful in bringing holistic (whole body) benefits, to those who practice it.
In order to be successful, with the healing processes, of Bikram Yoga, you need real devotion, because it is practiced in rooms with a recommended temperature of a minimum of 105 degrees farenheit and about 40% humidity.
This temperature is important because:-
- It (ironically) keeps the body from overheating
- To protect the muscles allowing for deeper stretching
- So that toxins are encourage to be ?sweated out? through open pores
- To thin the blood and encourage much better circulation
- It gives a better cardiovascular workout
- It improves muscle strength
- Fats in the body seem to be made more fluid and more easily cleared from the body
With this type of yoga, muscles are given a thorough workover. Cellular level lipids and proteins are reorganize optimally in such conditions, allowing for better circulation.
Joint strength and muscular alignment are better co-ordinated and together with strengthened bones, the organs of the immune system within the bones (red marrow) are boosted. It is a whole-body developmental experience.
The lymph nodes are massaged, lymph is pumped throughout the body, and white blood cells are distributed throughout the body as the lymphatic system works more efficiently.
Although there are some who do not believe in the benefits of Bikram Yoga. Bikram Choudhury developed it with the help of scientists from the University of Tokyo University Hospital.
They proved that Bikram Yoga has medical benefits including the repairing of tissues and curing chronic ailments. As early as 1972 the findings and benefits were presented at an International Medical Conference where it was confirmed scientifically that Bikram Yoga has the ability to affect the body internally.
Bikram has come up with twenty-six different posture exercises which are related, each working with previous postures, in a sequence, to treat the body effectively. This is a daily experience, where possible to maximise the benefit.
Anyone who wants to do yoga can use Biktam Yoga. It is not age specific. Because of the demanding nature of this type of yoga, if the body is weak, applying the practice and consequent healing will be difficult to achieve.
Thanks to Bikram Choudhury, we can now have some alternative solutions to some of our medical problems which really have been shown to be effective.
Always remember that the more you are able to practice this type of yoga, the more beneficial it is, but be careful to ensure that you are fit enough for it by having a medical check first.
? 2006 Martin Haworth has a useful website with lots of information for those new to yoga as well as extended information for experts. Check it out at
http://www.makethemostofyouryoga.com
Bikram Yoga or Bikram Method Yoga, is widely known as ?hot yoga?. And was developed by Bikram Choudhury, who is 60 this year. Based now in the US, he is, of course, a yoga practitioner himself and he developed Bikram Yoga after injuring himself in a weightlifting accident.
Since then, many have proven the benefits of Bikram Yoga, so the practice has grown.
Some people practice Bikram Yoga for healing purposes and physical therapy. This type of yoga has proven helpful in bringing holistic (whole body) benefits, to those who practice it.
In order to be successful, with the healing processes, of Bikram Yoga, you need real devotion, because it is practiced in rooms with a recommended temperature of a minimum of 105 degrees farenheit and about 40% humidity.
This temperature is important because:-
- It (ironically) keeps the body from overheating
- To protect the muscles allowing for deeper stretching
- So that toxins are encourage to be ?sweated out? through open pores
- To thin the blood and encourage much better circulation
- It gives a better cardiovascular workout
- It improves muscle strength
- Fats in the body seem to be made more fluid and more easily cleared from the body
With this type of yoga, muscles are given a thorough workover. Cellular level lipids and proteins are reorganize optimally in such conditions, allowing for better circulation.
Joint strength and muscular alignment are better co-ordinated and together with strengthened bones, the organs of the immune system within the bones (red marrow) are boosted. It is a whole-body developmental experience.
The lymph nodes are massaged, lymph is pumped throughout the body, and white blood cells are distributed throughout the body as the lymphatic system works more efficiently.
Although there are some who do not believe in the benefits of Bikram Yoga. Bikram Choudhury developed it with the help of scientists from the University of Tokyo University Hospital.
They proved that Bikram Yoga has medical benefits including the repairing of tissues and curing chronic ailments. As early as 1972 the findings and benefits were presented at an International Medical Conference where it was confirmed scientifically that Bikram Yoga has the ability to affect the body internally.
Bikram has come up with twenty-six different posture exercises which are related, each working with previous postures, in a sequence, to treat the body effectively. This is a daily experience, where possible to maximise the benefit.
Anyone who wants to do yoga can use Biktam Yoga. It is not age specific. Because of the demanding nature of this type of yoga, if the body is weak, applying the practice and consequent healing will be difficult to achieve.
Thanks to Bikram Choudhury, we can now have some alternative solutions to some of our medical problems which really have been shown to be effective.
Always remember that the more you are able to practice this type of yoga, the more beneficial it is, but be careful to ensure that you are fit enough for it by having a medical check first.
? 2006 Martin Haworth has a useful website with lots of information for those new to yoga as well as extended information for experts. Check it out at
http://www.makethemostofyouryoga.com
February 23, 2009
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is widely known as a form of exercise that stretches and strengthens the
body through various poses known as ASANAS. For other people yoga is the
realization of inner self satisfaction. For others it is a religion that the believers
ought to follow.
All of this statement makes it hard to really make a full realization of what yoga
really is.
So what exactly is yoga?
Yoga goes far beyond just mere exercises full of awkward routines. Yoga is the
union of mind, spirit and body. Yoga comes from the Hindu philosophy used to
attain spiritual insight and harmony.
Yoga generally refers to the common use of a system of exercises that is practiced as part of this discipline.
The word is derived from the Sanskrit ?yeung?, which means to join. A yoke as used
on oxen is closely related, but also the same root gives us “join”, “junction”, “junta”,
“adjust”, “joust”, and “juxapose” to name a few.
There are many institutions of yoga all of which have their own unique practices and
beliefs. But in this article we have listed down the five most common yoga practices.
However, schools and paths have been established with many different variations
that aren’t listed here.
1. HATHA
This is the most popular variety of yoga and one that has been commonly
taught for years. So what is yoga for them? For them it is perfecting the mind by way
of perfecting the body.
With this technique many asanas or postures, breathing techniques and meditations
are used.
2. ASHTANGA
This yoga is another popular type they are much faster than the other
schools. What is yoga for ashtangas??
For them yoga can be considered as a type of aerobic yoga for they instill quick and
smooth transitions between poses.
3. KUNDALINI
This school is focused on awakening and focusing what is known as
kundalini energy. Kundalini energy is most easily compared to life energy that lies
dormant in our bodies. It is commonly represented by a coiled snake.
4. MANTRA
This type of yoga is focused on calming the mind and body through the
usage of words and sounds. The well known ‘om’ chant is commonly heard in this
school.
5. TANTRA
This type of school is well known by way of its focus on sexual spirituality.
They also focus on kundalini energy, although their intent for awakening it is much
different from the Kundalini practice.
Yoga is a very diverse practice, so no matter which school you choose. People young
and old can gain many benefits from regular yoga practices, and asanas can be
adjusted to fit physical limitations and other complications.
If you want a break from treadmills, weight rooms, or the pool, take a look at yoga.
Not only are you striving towards physical well being, you are striving towards
spiritual well being as well.
Traditionally, yoga consists of eight fundamental paths: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,
Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Purna Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Maha Yoga and Ashtanga or Raja
Yoga. In the western world, the term yoga often refers to Hatha yoga and its
postures, movements, and breathing techniques.
The ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and
the cycle of birth and death. Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and
emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to
knowledge of the true nature of reality.
? Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
Melvin has dozens more related articles and tips on doing yoga at his site: doing yoga, check them
out today!
body through various poses known as ASANAS. For other people yoga is the
realization of inner self satisfaction. For others it is a religion that the believers
ought to follow.
All of this statement makes it hard to really make a full realization of what yoga
really is.
So what exactly is yoga?
Yoga goes far beyond just mere exercises full of awkward routines. Yoga is the
union of mind, spirit and body. Yoga comes from the Hindu philosophy used to
attain spiritual insight and harmony.
Yoga generally refers to the common use of a system of exercises that is practiced as part of this discipline.
The word is derived from the Sanskrit ?yeung?, which means to join. A yoke as used
on oxen is closely related, but also the same root gives us “join”, “junction”, “junta”,
“adjust”, “joust”, and “juxapose” to name a few.
There are many institutions of yoga all of which have their own unique practices and
beliefs. But in this article we have listed down the five most common yoga practices.
However, schools and paths have been established with many different variations
that aren’t listed here.
1. HATHA
This is the most popular variety of yoga and one that has been commonly
taught for years. So what is yoga for them? For them it is perfecting the mind by way
of perfecting the body.
With this technique many asanas or postures, breathing techniques and meditations
are used.
2. ASHTANGA
This yoga is another popular type they are much faster than the other
schools. What is yoga for ashtangas??
For them yoga can be considered as a type of aerobic yoga for they instill quick and
smooth transitions between poses.
3. KUNDALINI
This school is focused on awakening and focusing what is known as
kundalini energy. Kundalini energy is most easily compared to life energy that lies
dormant in our bodies. It is commonly represented by a coiled snake.
4. MANTRA
This type of yoga is focused on calming the mind and body through the
usage of words and sounds. The well known ‘om’ chant is commonly heard in this
school.
5. TANTRA
This type of school is well known by way of its focus on sexual spirituality.
They also focus on kundalini energy, although their intent for awakening it is much
different from the Kundalini practice.
Yoga is a very diverse practice, so no matter which school you choose. People young
and old can gain many benefits from regular yoga practices, and asanas can be
adjusted to fit physical limitations and other complications.
If you want a break from treadmills, weight rooms, or the pool, take a look at yoga.
Not only are you striving towards physical well being, you are striving towards
spiritual well being as well.
Traditionally, yoga consists of eight fundamental paths: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,
Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Purna Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Maha Yoga and Ashtanga or Raja
Yoga. In the western world, the term yoga often refers to Hatha yoga and its
postures, movements, and breathing techniques.
The ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and
the cycle of birth and death. Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and
emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to
knowledge of the true nature of reality.
? Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
Melvin has dozens more related articles and tips on doing yoga at his site: doing yoga, check them
out today!
What Is Yoga? Asana In the Context of the Six Yogas System
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is freedom. It is love. It is pure, radiant, unobstructed joy. It
is pure awareness, wide-awake and clear.
~ Richard Freeman, director of The Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, CO
Here in the United States, on the cusp of 2006, just about everyone has heard the word ?yoga.? For many if not most, the word conjures images of scantily-clad beings with expanding and twisting limbs: a well-worn ?scene? in health clubs, retreat centers, and yoga spaces throughout the country. In other words, it brings to mind the practice of asana ~ sequences of physical movements and postures ~ which, as it turns out, represent just a tiny slice of the entire ?pie? that is the Yoga Tradition(s) of the larger world (universe, cosmos). Now there?s nothing wrong with the practice of asana (I do it myself, and find it quite wonderful!), but it might be useful to be able to place this particular aspect of yoga onto its larger ?map? ~ to have a sense of the tradition(s) from which it arises and to which it returns, and to understand asana to be just one of many possible entry-points into this vast and beautiful territory. So let?s explore ?
The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word Yuj (literally, “to yoke”) and is generally translated as “union” or “integration” — to yoke, attach, join, or unite. The ?union? referred to here is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, the Supreme; of the small ?self? of ego/individual identity with the larger ?Self? or ?Spirit? of which we?ll all a part. But what does this mean? And how to we get there?! It is in the quest to answer these questions that the various Yoga traditions have arisen.
Perhaps the broadest categorization within the world of Yoga is along the lines of the great spiritual traditions of the world, and in particular, their mystical wings/branches: Those within these traditions who identify as ?mystics? are seeking yoga, or direct (unmediated) union, with the Divine. Examples of Yoga at this level include: Buddhist Yoga (e.g. the ?six Yogas of Naropa?); Taoist Yoga (commonly known as Qigong ~ the basis for all of the martial & healing arts with origins in China); and the Yogas associated with the so-called ?Hindu? traditions of India.
The practice of asana, as it?s best known in this country, falls into the last of these categories: the Hindu Yoga traditions. But this tradition itself has numerous aspects. One way of looking at it is through the lens of ?The Six Yoga Systems,? which can be understood as six different doorways, entry-points, portals, or vehicles through which a practitioner might approach, engage with, and enter the territory of Yoga.
The Six Yoga Systems
1.Hatha Yoga is the category under which asana falls. One way of translating the word ?Hatha? is to break it into two parts: ?ha?=sun and ?tha?=moon. Sun and moon, in this context, refer to the two opposite currents that regulate all processes in our body: the ?masculine? and the ?feminine,? or ~ in terms of subtle anatomy, the pingala and the , the two nadis, or channels of energy, whose union within the central channel of the shushumna nadi is ~ for those practicing in this tradition, the very definition of Yoga. Aside from being, in the way described above, a vehicle for mystical union, the asanas ~ on a more mundane level ~ are great for improving health & strengthening the nervous system ? and this is understood to be the first and a necessary step along this path. Forms of Hatha Yoga being practiced in the United States today include: Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikrams, and Anusara (to name just a few!).
2.Raja (royal) Yoga is often referred to as the ?crown of Hatha Yoga.? What makes it the ?crown? is its addition ~ to the physical practices of Hatha Yoga ~ of a kind of mental training intended to improve concentration to the point at which it flows into meditation and, finally, samadhi (which is, for this tradition, the ultimate definition of Yoga). Raja Yoga is known also as Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga. These eight limbs include:
1. Yamas, or Restraints (harmlessness, truthfulness, non-stealing, control of senses)
2. Niyamas, or Disciplines (cleanliness, purification of body, mind and nervous system, study of metaphysical principles, contemplation on God)
3. Asanas or Postures
4. Pranayama, or Un-binding of breath and life-currents
5. Pratyahara, or Turning the attention within, by reversing the flow of the energy of the sense organs
6. Dharana, or Concentration
7. Dhyana, or Meditation, i.e. prolonged periods of perfect concentration and contemplation
8. Samadhi, or Mystical Union
The exposition of Raja Yoga is contained, most famously, in the sage Patanjali?s Yoga Sutras.
3. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of Devotion, of love for the Divine in its embodied forms. Radha and the other Gopis are ~ in their relationship to Krishna ~ the archetypal, quintessential Bhaktas, for it is through their love and devotion and delight in the presence of Krishna that they come to know themselves as Divine. Selfless love, compassion, humility, and purity, along with this desire and serious intention to merge with God, are qualities which are cultivated along this path. (Amachi, Shree Ma, and Karunamayi are three contemporary Teachers of this path.)
4.Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge) is a Yoga that uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true Self is behind and beyond our mind. It is, in other words, a path which uses the power of the intellect to ~ ultimately ~ free us from conceptual elaboration of all sorts, and allow us to relax within the space beyond all concepts of mind. For the purpose of this sort of Self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the Self through the question “Who am I?” Thus Jnana Yoga is sometimes called the Quest for the Self or the Inquiry into “who we are.” (Shankara ~ a yogi ?claimed? by the Buddhist as well as the Hindu traditions ~ and, more recently, Ramana Maharshi are two well-known practitioners of Jnana Yoga.)
5.Kriya Yoga is a yogic system covering a wide range of techniques, including mantras and techniques of meditation for control of the life-force (prana). The term ?Kriya? is often used in reference to (intended or spontaneous) actions which free the body and/or mind of obstructions. The goal ~ as in all forms of Yoga ~ is to unite with pure Awareness (God). Since pure Awareness is our original condition, it is also, within this system, referred to as Self-awareness. (Yogananda?s Self-Realization Fellowship is one example of a modern organization devoted to this form of practice.)
6.Karma Yoga is the Yoga of work/action, of selfless service. Practitioners of Karma Yoga engage whole-heartedly in the ?mundane? work of the world, for the benefit of all fellow human (and non-human) beings, and devote the fruits of their labors to the Divine. In this action of letting go of hope/fear around future outcomes, attention is brought more and more completely into the present moment, which is the Heart of the Divine. And so in giving away all fruits of labor, the practitioner ~ paradoxically ~ receives, continuously, the greatest of gifts, the greatest wealth: the treasure-house called Yoga, the radiant ?aliveness? of the Present Moment.
Yet another way of dividing the Yogic pie (so delicious!) is into the two categories of (1) Yoga as path, which including all the various sadhanas (techniques & practices), schools & historical traditions; and (2) Yoga as fruition, which includes the various siddhis, accomplishments or fruits, of practice, as well as the ultimate ?fruit? of Mystical Union itself ~ the final goal ~ which, once received, transcends even the path/fruition polarity. At that point ~ the realized Masters tell us ~ one finds oneself in a place both new and quite familiar ? a place eluded to, perhaps, by the Sufi mystic/poet, Jelaluddin Rumi, in this poem of his:
Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I?ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn?t make any sense.
Hope this overview (my Karma Yoga for the day!) is useful and/or interesting to you ? And if you?d like to learn more about these and other Yoga Traditions, one great resource is Georg Feuerstein?s book The Yoga Tradition.
Namaste! (the spark of Divinity in me bows to the spark of Divinity in you!)
Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Hindu & Buddhist varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
Yoga is freedom. It is love. It is pure, radiant, unobstructed joy. It
is pure awareness, wide-awake and clear.
~ Richard Freeman, director of The Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, CO
Here in the United States, on the cusp of 2006, just about everyone has heard the word ?yoga.? For many if not most, the word conjures images of scantily-clad beings with expanding and twisting limbs: a well-worn ?scene? in health clubs, retreat centers, and yoga spaces throughout the country. In other words, it brings to mind the practice of asana ~ sequences of physical movements and postures ~ which, as it turns out, represent just a tiny slice of the entire ?pie? that is the Yoga Tradition(s) of the larger world (universe, cosmos). Now there?s nothing wrong with the practice of asana (I do it myself, and find it quite wonderful!), but it might be useful to be able to place this particular aspect of yoga onto its larger ?map? ~ to have a sense of the tradition(s) from which it arises and to which it returns, and to understand asana to be just one of many possible entry-points into this vast and beautiful territory. So let?s explore ?
The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word Yuj (literally, “to yoke”) and is generally translated as “union” or “integration” — to yoke, attach, join, or unite. The ?union? referred to here is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, the Supreme; of the small ?self? of ego/individual identity with the larger ?Self? or ?Spirit? of which we?ll all a part. But what does this mean? And how to we get there?! It is in the quest to answer these questions that the various Yoga traditions have arisen.
Perhaps the broadest categorization within the world of Yoga is along the lines of the great spiritual traditions of the world, and in particular, their mystical wings/branches: Those within these traditions who identify as ?mystics? are seeking yoga, or direct (unmediated) union, with the Divine. Examples of Yoga at this level include: Buddhist Yoga (e.g. the ?six Yogas of Naropa?); Taoist Yoga (commonly known as Qigong ~ the basis for all of the martial & healing arts with origins in China); and the Yogas associated with the so-called ?Hindu? traditions of India.
The practice of asana, as it?s best known in this country, falls into the last of these categories: the Hindu Yoga traditions. But this tradition itself has numerous aspects. One way of looking at it is through the lens of ?The Six Yoga Systems,? which can be understood as six different doorways, entry-points, portals, or vehicles through which a practitioner might approach, engage with, and enter the territory of Yoga.
The Six Yoga Systems
1.Hatha Yoga is the category under which asana falls. One way of translating the word ?Hatha? is to break it into two parts: ?ha?=sun and ?tha?=moon. Sun and moon, in this context, refer to the two opposite currents that regulate all processes in our body: the ?masculine? and the ?feminine,? or ~ in terms of subtle anatomy, the pingala and the , the two nadis, or channels of energy, whose union within the central channel of the shushumna nadi is ~ for those practicing in this tradition, the very definition of Yoga. Aside from being, in the way described above, a vehicle for mystical union, the asanas ~ on a more mundane level ~ are great for improving health & strengthening the nervous system ? and this is understood to be the first and a necessary step along this path. Forms of Hatha Yoga being practiced in the United States today include: Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikrams, and Anusara (to name just a few!).
2.Raja (royal) Yoga is often referred to as the ?crown of Hatha Yoga.? What makes it the ?crown? is its addition ~ to the physical practices of Hatha Yoga ~ of a kind of mental training intended to improve concentration to the point at which it flows into meditation and, finally, samadhi (which is, for this tradition, the ultimate definition of Yoga). Raja Yoga is known also as Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga. These eight limbs include:
1. Yamas, or Restraints (harmlessness, truthfulness, non-stealing, control of senses)
2. Niyamas, or Disciplines (cleanliness, purification of body, mind and nervous system, study of metaphysical principles, contemplation on God)
3. Asanas or Postures
4. Pranayama, or Un-binding of breath and life-currents
5. Pratyahara, or Turning the attention within, by reversing the flow of the energy of the sense organs
6. Dharana, or Concentration
7. Dhyana, or Meditation, i.e. prolonged periods of perfect concentration and contemplation
8. Samadhi, or Mystical Union
The exposition of Raja Yoga is contained, most famously, in the sage Patanjali?s Yoga Sutras.
3. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of Devotion, of love for the Divine in its embodied forms. Radha and the other Gopis are ~ in their relationship to Krishna ~ the archetypal, quintessential Bhaktas, for it is through their love and devotion and delight in the presence of Krishna that they come to know themselves as Divine. Selfless love, compassion, humility, and purity, along with this desire and serious intention to merge with God, are qualities which are cultivated along this path. (Amachi, Shree Ma, and Karunamayi are three contemporary Teachers of this path.)
4.Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge) is a Yoga that uses the intellect as a tool to understand that our true Self is behind and beyond our mind. It is, in other words, a path which uses the power of the intellect to ~ ultimately ~ free us from conceptual elaboration of all sorts, and allow us to relax within the space beyond all concepts of mind. For the purpose of this sort of Self-discovery, Jnana Yoga probes the nature of the Self through the question “Who am I?” Thus Jnana Yoga is sometimes called the Quest for the Self or the Inquiry into “who we are.” (Shankara ~ a yogi ?claimed? by the Buddhist as well as the Hindu traditions ~ and, more recently, Ramana Maharshi are two well-known practitioners of Jnana Yoga.)
5.Kriya Yoga is a yogic system covering a wide range of techniques, including mantras and techniques of meditation for control of the life-force (prana). The term ?Kriya? is often used in reference to (intended or spontaneous) actions which free the body and/or mind of obstructions. The goal ~ as in all forms of Yoga ~ is to unite with pure Awareness (God). Since pure Awareness is our original condition, it is also, within this system, referred to as Self-awareness. (Yogananda?s Self-Realization Fellowship is one example of a modern organization devoted to this form of practice.)
6.Karma Yoga is the Yoga of work/action, of selfless service. Practitioners of Karma Yoga engage whole-heartedly in the ?mundane? work of the world, for the benefit of all fellow human (and non-human) beings, and devote the fruits of their labors to the Divine. In this action of letting go of hope/fear around future outcomes, attention is brought more and more completely into the present moment, which is the Heart of the Divine. And so in giving away all fruits of labor, the practitioner ~ paradoxically ~ receives, continuously, the greatest of gifts, the greatest wealth: the treasure-house called Yoga, the radiant ?aliveness? of the Present Moment.
Yet another way of dividing the Yogic pie (so delicious!) is into the two categories of (1) Yoga as path, which including all the various sadhanas (techniques & practices), schools & historical traditions; and (2) Yoga as fruition, which includes the various siddhis, accomplishments or fruits, of practice, as well as the ultimate ?fruit? of Mystical Union itself ~ the final goal ~ which, once received, transcends even the path/fruition polarity. At that point ~ the realized Masters tell us ~ one finds oneself in a place both new and quite familiar ? a place eluded to, perhaps, by the Sufi mystic/poet, Jelaluddin Rumi, in this poem of his:
Out beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I?ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn?t make any sense.
Hope this overview (my Karma Yoga for the day!) is useful and/or interesting to you ? And if you?d like to learn more about these and other Yoga Traditions, one great resource is Georg Feuerstein?s book The Yoga Tradition.
Namaste! (the spark of Divinity in me bows to the spark of Divinity in you!)
Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Hindu & Buddhist varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger
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