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Yoga India - Information , Tours, Yoga
Classes and more |
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Yoga is a discipline involving
breathing techniques and postures called asanas (A-san-as), a Sanskrit
word that literally means, "to sit in a particular position." Asanas
are the various positions that make up the practice of yoga. Yoga is
radically different from more
conventional exercises, such as aerobics and weight training, in that
the goal is not to develop muscular strength or cardiovascular fitness
(although those are common reasons people practice today) but to bring
the mind and body into a mutual state of well being, balance, ease and
vibrant alertness.
The word yoga means "union." One who follows the path of yoga is
called a yogi or yogin. The true practice of yoga becomes a lifestyle.
More than an exercise program, the yogi seeks to create balance in
life through the asanas, proper diet and rest, meditation, and in
cultivation of correct thought and action. The result of this
discipline is optimum health and well being, which encompasses things
such as wisdom, creativity and peace with the self and the world.
In due course of time,
yoga is mainly looked upon as a set of techniques useful for achieving
fitness in daily life and prevention and cure of some specific
diseases or disorders. But the goal of yoga was different when yoga
practices came into existence more than three thousand years ago.
Throughout its history, yoga seems to have undergone changes regarding
the purpose for which it was practiced. Many different varieties of
yoga came to be practived for different purposes.
Bhaktiyoga(Yoga of
devotion): is the oldest variety of yoga in
which the person practicing it invokes the Creator of the universe to
shower grace and compassion. This grace and compassion is meant to
help the devotee overcome all the travails and hardships of living .
Practice of Bhaktiyoga includes prayer, worships of living. Practice
of Bhaktiyoga includes prayer, worship, observing austerities and
abstinence, and practice of virtue. In the middle ages in India, Many
saints cultivated the way of devotion as mass-movement.
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Karamayoga(Yoga of duty or action):
is described in great detail in the Bhagavad Gita. The main principles
of karamayoga include
(a) never giving up and never failing in one's duty, and
(b) looking equally upon opposites such as success and failure,
pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., without being efected or
swayed away by them.
Jnyanayoga(Yoga of
knowledge): is explained thoroughly in the
Yogasutra of Patanjali (second century BC.). It consists of eight-fold
yoga. Ynyanayoga includes outer and inner aspects of disciplining and
training the body and mind. It has three important techniques:
postures, breath-control, and meditation.
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Yoga Classifications |
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Vedic
Yoga
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Preclassical Yoga
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Classical Yoga
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Postclassical Yoga
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Varieties of Yoga |
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Bhaktiyoga(Yoga of
devotion)
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Karamayoga(Yoga of
duty or action)
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Jnyanayoga(Yoga of
knowledge)
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Hathayoga (Yoga of
bodily performances)
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Hathayoga
(Yoga of bodily performances): In recent times, Hathayoga has
become very popular . It was popularised by the experts if Tantra,
called the Natha-yogis in the periods between twelfth and fifteenth
centuries AD. Two main experts who popularised hathayoga include
Matsyendranatha, Gorakhnatha, etc. Hathayoga is described as the yoga
of unity of ha and tha. This means the unity of the sun ad the moon in
body or the unity of vitak airs - prana and apana.
The purposes of the four varieties of yoga in daily life are not the
same. Bhajtuyiga seeks to propitiate the object of worship, i.e. God.
As a result of this worship, the practitioner of bhaktiyoga hopes to
overcome difficulties in daily life and/ or to remove the hurdles on
the goal of all religions. Karmayoga is based on the ideal that by
equanimity (samattva) in relation to the opposites (dvandvas), the
practitioner of karmayoga can be freed from the shackles of his/her
deeds (karma-bandha), and thereby attain liberation (mukti).
Patanjali's jnyanayoga or rajayoga involves techniques for purifying
the mind by removing impurities through the eight-fold practice. These
include:
Abstinence or Yama
Observances or Niyama
Postures or Asana
Breath control or Pranayama
Retrieving the mind from objects of enjoyment or Pratyahara
Concentration or Dharana
Contemplation or Dhyana and
Absorption or Samadhi of the mind.
The above eight-fold path leads to self-realization (atmadarshana).
The purpose of hathayoga is achievement of mental stability by
silencing the mind through pranayama. Achievement of mental stability
arouses the dormant divine power in human being called kundalini.
Arousal of the dormant divine power enables hearing the subtle sounds
(nada) and absorption of the mind in the state of samadhi.
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Benefits of yoga
Can everyone benefit
from yoga ?
Yes. However, this benefit may not be possible if you do not practice
the correct technique of yoga or practice it irregularly. As mentioned
above, yoga includes a variety of techniques and you need to choose
those that are useful to you and most suited for your individual
needs. For example, the needs for specific techniques of yoga would
differ for a housewife, a child, an athlete, a teacher, a student, or
a factory worker. This is because their ways of life are quite
different from each other. Because of the wide range of techniques in
yoga, it can fulfill needs in almost all people. Basic fitness in
daily life is a common need of everyone. Yoga can fulfill this need
irrespective of the type of work you do, your role in life or the type
of food you eat. Yoga can help everyone play his or her roles more
efficiently, more smoothly and more comfortably.
What are the
advantages of yoga ?
Yoga has many advantages over other methods of maintaining health,
such as gymnastics, athletics, aerobics, games, and various other
forms of exercise. It does not need any costly equipment and
materials, or playgrounds, swimming pool, gyms, etc. Yoga can be
practiced throughout the year. It can also be practiced inside the
house or in the open, singly or in groups. The only requirement is a
thick carpet spread on the floor and covered with a clean sheet of
cloth. Yoga should only be practiced on empty stomach. You can do it
at any time during the day. It will benefit you irrespective of
whether you are young or old, lean or heavily built, highly educated
or unlettered, rich or poor, from higher or lower middle class, busy,
over busy, or retired or worker in the factory or in the field. Yoga
has something very valuable, and useful to offer to everyone. It is
often described as the best form of health insurance for all from the
age of seven to seventy seven or more. Two main advantages of Yoga are
prevention of disorders and ailments and maintenance of health and
fitness in daily life. Other advantage include flexible muscles,
supple joints, relaxed and tension-free mind and efficiently working
vital organs such as the heart, lungs, endocrine glands, liver,
pancreas and good balance between various functions, such as
neuromuscular coordination, etc.
Can all the yoga
techniques be practiced in all age groups ?
Although yoga can be practiced in all age groups, some techniques are
more suited and desirable for specific age groups. For example, some
asanas that involve forward and backward bending are good for children
aged five to ten years. At about ten years of age, the asanas that
have an upside down position and deep breathing can be started.
Shuddhikriyas should not be practiced everyday. They need to be
performed as and when required for removal of impurities from the
body. However, Kapalabhati Nauli can be done every day. They are
generally most suited for people in age group of twenty to sixty
years. Relaxation is necessary for all, irrespective of age. People in
all age groups can therefore practice mediation regularly. It is
desirable that older people avoid asanas that involve excessive
stretching, such as the plough pose or halasana. Strenuous poses such
as the scorpion or vrischikasana head-stand or shirshasana should also
be avoided older people. When yoga is practiced for therapeutic
purpose to overcome or cure ailments, other restrictions are necessary
. This is why yoga should not be practiced unless you have learned the
correct technique from an expert. |
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