There is no such thing as one kind of yoga. On the contrary, yoga encompasses spiritual techniques and putting these into practice to achieve a “state of enlightenment”.
Usually, the kind of yoga practiced in the US is Hatha yoga. Ha translates to sun and tha translates to moon. The goal of Hatha yoga is to attain unity of the mind, body and spirit through practicing asana (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansings). Modern Hatha yoga focuses mostly on the yoga postures and does not emphasize many of the other facets.
Yoga’s history can be traced to the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in northern India over 5,000 years ago. Probably the most famous writing on yoga is the Bhagavad-G?t?, which was written around 500 BCE. Unfortunately, most of the history and philosophy of yoga was transmitted orally and if it was written down, it was written on palm leaves that were easily damaged or destroyed. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, yoga begins to make its way to the West. Slowly the yoga masters began to attract attention and taught those who wanted to learn. It wasn’t until 1947 when Indra Devi opened a yoga studio in Hollywood that yoga finally began to slowly become more mainstream. Since then, the popularity of yoga has become greater. There are now many different schools or styles of Hatha yoga and they all focus of the many different ways to practice yoga.
There are several types of yoga. Ashtanga yoga is athletic and moves very fast. This type is not recommended for beginners. Bikram or Hot yoga is athletic as well, but is practiced in a room with a temperature of 100 degrees. Iyengar is a good choice for a beginner, since it focuses on alignment and goes slower than others. Kripalu is gentle and also a good choice for a beginner. Kundalini is energizing and tries to awaken the spiritual energy that lives at the base of the spine. Sivananda mostly teaches advanced poses, which is probably not the best choice for a beginner. Viniyoga is a good choice of those with injuries or disabilities.
There are many benefits of practicing Hatha yoga. Not only does yoga develop flexibility through stretching, it can also release muscle tension and generally make a person more calm and focused. If done correctly, yoga energizes and renews your body instead of wearing it out as in some traditional methods of exercising. Yoga is more of spiritual practice that does not require any specific belief system and its philosophies can be used within the limits of any belief system. The idea that mind, body and spirit are all one entity and cannot be separated is central to the main philosophy of yoga. Another idea central to the philosophy of yoga is that of the laws of karma. There is good karma and bad karma, but achieving either is not necessarily desirable. Overall, the goal is to lessen the karma in your life. According to the philosophy of yoga, acting selflessly, without a desire for reward and without involving your ego is the only way to not achieve karma. The yogis tell us that any reduction in karma will make your life better, with more well-being and overall happiness.
Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced student, there are many philosophies and schools of thought involving yoga. You will never lack for a choice in the field of yoga.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
Showing posts with label iyengar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iyengar. Show all posts
March 1, 2009
February 23, 2009
Yoga for Life: Vinyasa Flow
Life is a stretch, frequently presenting last-minute,
unexpected change. Through our yoga practice we gain experience at
bending our bodies, our wills, and mind to any task with a certain
amount of equanimity and ease. One of the gifts of yoga is that it teaches
us that true flexibility means adapting to the change in every moment,
while maintaining a spirit of calm, devotion and love. Given the time and
attention we can create our own source of comfort. No matter what the
circumstances we can draw flexibility and strength from our practice
(and our community). This resource allows us tap into a powerful source
of personal energy composed of: physical resiliency, emotional
maturity, and spiritual optimism.
The great yoga master Krishnamacharya emphasized ?Vinyasa? as an
artful approach to living and central to the transformative process of
yoga. ?Vinyasa? literally means ?linking a movement to the breath?, yet
also refers to progressive sequences that are led by the flow of the
breath pattern. These vinyasa sequences are considered ?the sacred
dance of the yogis? referring to the natural, deep rhythm of the breath
acting as the sacred beat. For Krishnamacharya, and his famous
students B.K.S. Iyengar, Bikram Choudry, and P. Jois, Vinyasa yoga is
focused on progressive sequences that unfold with an inherent harmony
and intelligence.
In life, and in Krishnamacharya?s ?viniyoga?, we need to make a careful
assessment before we begin to determine our needs and then build a
complementary step-by-step practice to meet those needs. After
creating the foundation of our practice, paying attention to how we
begin, we can build our practice. We complete our practice, putting the
roof on, being sure we have carefully addressed our stated needs.
The flow of the breath, of life itself, and of a vinyasa practice is well-described by a sailing metaphor. All three require us to synchronize
natural forces that require skill and intuition. Before we take to the ?sea?
we must assess the conditions; boat, wind, tides, waves. These
conditions constantly fluctuate, as do our physical, emotional, and
spiritual states. Then we are ready to build power, take determined
action, and tack with the wind as conditions change. If we get it together
we are in for a fabulous ride!
At the heart of this approach is the deep honoring and attention paid to
the individual. Although Iyengar, Bikram and Jois all came to develop
their own ?brand? of yoga, the notion that any specific yoga prescription
can be given to any person is deeply counter to the teachings of
Krishnamacharya. He stated that the most important thing to remember
about a yogic practice is that ?Yoga should be adapted to the
individual, not the individual to the yoga?.
Karen B. Cohen C.L.C. RYT500 is a wellness coach and master yoga
instructor, writer and speaker residing in a college town in rural Virginia.
Karen leads people to their own limitless supply of creativity and vitality
so that they can express their talent and abilities fully in the world. She
incorporates her expertise in mind-body techniques to work with a wide
spectrum of clients. Karen provides seminars, workshops as well as
individual coaching and training nationally and internationally.
For more
information go to KarenCohenYoga.blogspot.com and RockbridgeCoaching.blogspot.com
unexpected change. Through our yoga practice we gain experience at
bending our bodies, our wills, and mind to any task with a certain
amount of equanimity and ease. One of the gifts of yoga is that it teaches
us that true flexibility means adapting to the change in every moment,
while maintaining a spirit of calm, devotion and love. Given the time and
attention we can create our own source of comfort. No matter what the
circumstances we can draw flexibility and strength from our practice
(and our community). This resource allows us tap into a powerful source
of personal energy composed of: physical resiliency, emotional
maturity, and spiritual optimism.
The great yoga master Krishnamacharya emphasized ?Vinyasa? as an
artful approach to living and central to the transformative process of
yoga. ?Vinyasa? literally means ?linking a movement to the breath?, yet
also refers to progressive sequences that are led by the flow of the
breath pattern. These vinyasa sequences are considered ?the sacred
dance of the yogis? referring to the natural, deep rhythm of the breath
acting as the sacred beat. For Krishnamacharya, and his famous
students B.K.S. Iyengar, Bikram Choudry, and P. Jois, Vinyasa yoga is
focused on progressive sequences that unfold with an inherent harmony
and intelligence.
In life, and in Krishnamacharya?s ?viniyoga?, we need to make a careful
assessment before we begin to determine our needs and then build a
complementary step-by-step practice to meet those needs. After
creating the foundation of our practice, paying attention to how we
begin, we can build our practice. We complete our practice, putting the
roof on, being sure we have carefully addressed our stated needs.
The flow of the breath, of life itself, and of a vinyasa practice is well-described by a sailing metaphor. All three require us to synchronize
natural forces that require skill and intuition. Before we take to the ?sea?
we must assess the conditions; boat, wind, tides, waves. These
conditions constantly fluctuate, as do our physical, emotional, and
spiritual states. Then we are ready to build power, take determined
action, and tack with the wind as conditions change. If we get it together
we are in for a fabulous ride!
At the heart of this approach is the deep honoring and attention paid to
the individual. Although Iyengar, Bikram and Jois all came to develop
their own ?brand? of yoga, the notion that any specific yoga prescription
can be given to any person is deeply counter to the teachings of
Krishnamacharya. He stated that the most important thing to remember
about a yogic practice is that ?Yoga should be adapted to the
individual, not the individual to the yoga?.
Karen B. Cohen C.L.C. RYT500 is a wellness coach and master yoga
instructor, writer and speaker residing in a college town in rural Virginia.
Karen leads people to their own limitless supply of creativity and vitality
so that they can express their talent and abilities fully in the world. She
incorporates her expertise in mind-body techniques to work with a wide
spectrum of clients. Karen provides seminars, workshops as well as
individual coaching and training nationally and internationally.
For more
information go to KarenCohenYoga.blogspot.com and RockbridgeCoaching.blogspot.com
The History of Yoga
The history of yoga is long and steeped in tradition. Contrary to what some people may believe, yoga was not developed as the newest way to slim down so they could fit into a smaller pants size.
The history of yoga goes back 5,000 years. It originated in India, and the first time the word yoga was found in written form was in the Rig Vada, one of the sacred texts used by Vedic priests. Yoga is a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Originally, yoga techniques were passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth. These techniques had never been written down until the Indian sage Patanjali wrote down a systematic method of yoga in the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali is considered to be the father of yoga.
According to Patanjali, there are eight limbs of yoga, which lead to the ultimate goal of enlightenment.
Yama - abstaining from violence, stealing, lust, greed
Niyam - developing devotion, purity, studiousness, contentment, discipline
Pranayama - controlling the breath
Pratyahara - going inward and withdrawing attention from the outside world
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation
Samadhi - merging with the universal consciousness
The Swami Vivekananda added to the history of yoga by bringing it to America. In 1893, he addressed the Parliament of World Religions and discussed the path of yoga. As a result of his speech, it quickly began to blossom as a practice in many areas of the country. Yoga has since gained major popularity in the United States and many different styles including Hatha, Bikram, and Iyengar, are practiced by millions of people.
Knowing the history of yoga can help you, the practitioner, realize the richness that it has to offer. More than just a means of being fit and trim, yoga can help you live a healthy, whole, and empowered life.
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life.
The history of yoga goes back 5,000 years. It originated in India, and the first time the word yoga was found in written form was in the Rig Vada, one of the sacred texts used by Vedic priests. Yoga is a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Originally, yoga techniques were passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth. These techniques had never been written down until the Indian sage Patanjali wrote down a systematic method of yoga in the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali is considered to be the father of yoga.
According to Patanjali, there are eight limbs of yoga, which lead to the ultimate goal of enlightenment.
Yama - abstaining from violence, stealing, lust, greed
Niyam - developing devotion, purity, studiousness, contentment, discipline
Pranayama - controlling the breath
Pratyahara - going inward and withdrawing attention from the outside world
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation
Samadhi - merging with the universal consciousness
The Swami Vivekananda added to the history of yoga by bringing it to America. In 1893, he addressed the Parliament of World Religions and discussed the path of yoga. As a result of his speech, it quickly began to blossom as a practice in many areas of the country. Yoga has since gained major popularity in the United States and many different styles including Hatha, Bikram, and Iyengar, are practiced by millions of people.
Knowing the history of yoga can help you, the practitioner, realize the richness that it has to offer. More than just a means of being fit and trim, yoga can help you live a healthy, whole, and empowered life.
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life.
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