Yoga is a way of life for many people. Yoga is a science, that aims to unite the mind, body, and soul. It is also an art of living properly.
Yoga methods are very realistic, so they can be used at any time. This is why Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and continues to be important today.
In today's session we have discussed about the main "Principles of yoga, & Patanjali's 8th climb of yogas.
Paths of Yoga
Body, mind, emotion, and energy are the only four truths of your life. Whatever you want to do for yourself has to be on one of these four stages. Whatever you want to do, you can only do with your body, mind, emotions, or energy.
Below I will go through with the 6 major types of yoga which will help you to adopt the healthiest body, mind, emotion & energy.
Mantra Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Bhakti Yoga
Hatha Yoga
Raja Yoga
Karma Yoga
1. Mantra Yoga
A mantra is a sacred sound or verse. It symbolically conveys the spiritual dimension of yoga when recited or chanted in Sanskrit. The word-for-word translations and commentaries will provide you with an aware and profound understanding of yoga philosophy.
2. Jnana Yoga (THE YOGA OF WISDOM)
Jnana is Sanskrit for "knowledge or wisdom," and Jnana Yoga is the practice of meditation, self-inquiry, and reflection to gain knowledge of the true nature of life.
Jnana Yoga is a systematic self-study practice that can be described as "knowledge of absolute consciousness" (Swadhyaya).
3. Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti yoga, also known as Bhakti marga (literally "way of Bhakti"), is a Hindu spiritual path or practice centered on loving devotion to a personal deity. It is one of Hindu culture's three ways to Moksha, the other two being Jnana yoga and Karma yoga.
4. Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is the kind of yoga that most people think of when they think of yoga in general.
Breath, body, and mind are all involved in the exercise, which lasts 45 to 90 minutes and includes breathing, yoga poses, and meditation.
5. Raja Yoga
The word Raja means "King." A king acts with self-confidence, assurance, and freedom. Similarly, a Raja Yogi is self-sufficient, fearless, and autonomous. Raja Yoga is a disciplined and practiced course.
Yama - Self-control
Niyama- Discipline
Asana - Physical exercises
Pranayama - Breath exercises
Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the senses from external objects
Dharana - Concentration
Dhyana - Meditation
Samadhi - Complete Realization
6. Karma Yoga
Do your job without regard for the outcome.” Some people confuse Karma Yoga with volunteer work or social work. Since the word "Karma" means "action," Karma Yoga is also known as "Duty Yoga."
Get to Know the 8 Limbs of Yoga
The eightfold path is referred to as ashtanga in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, which literally means "eight limbs" (ashta=eight, anga=limb).
These eight steps are essentially instructions for living a meaningful and purposeful life.
They act as a prescription for moral and ethical behavior and self-discipline; they direct attention to one's health; and they assist us in recognizing the metaphysical dimensions of our existence.
1. Yama
The first limb, yama, is concerned with one's ethical values and sense of dignity, reflecting on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in daily life.
Yamas are universal rituals that are most closely related to the Golden Rule, which states, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
The five yamas are:
Ahimsa: nonviolence
Satya: truthfulness
Asteya: non stealing
Brahmacharya: continence
Aparigraha: non covetousness
2. Niyama
The second limb, Niyama, is concerned with self-discipline and moral observances.
Attending temple or church services on a regular basis, saying grace before meals, establishing your own personal meditation habits, or taking contemplative walks alone are all examples of niyamas in action.
The five niyamas are:
Saucha: cleanliness
Samtosa: contentment
Tapa: heat; spiritual austerities
Svadhyaya: study of the sacred scriptures and of one’s self
Isvara pranidhana: surrender to God
3. Asana
The third limb consists of asanas, or yoga postures. According to the yogic perspective, the body is a temple of the spirit, and caring for it is an important stage in our spiritual growth.
We cultivate the habit of discipline and the ability to focus through asana practice, both of which are required for meditation.
4. Pranayama
This fourth level, which translates as "breath control," consists of techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process while understanding the connection between the breath, the mind, and the emotions.
As the literal translation of pranayama, "life force expansion," implies, yogis believe it not only rejuvenates the body but also extends life. Pranayama can be practiced as an isolated technique (sitting and doing a series of breathing exercises) or as part of your regular hatha yoga routine.'
5. Pratyahara
The fifth limb, Pratyahara, means withdrawal or sensory transcendence. During this time, we make a deliberate effort to divert our attention away from the outside world and its stimuli.
We focus our attention internally, acutely aware of, but detached from, our senses. Pratyahara is a practice that allows us to take a step back to look at ourselves.
This withdrawal helps us to critically observe our cravings: behaviors that may be harmful to our wellbeing and may impede our inner development.
6. Dharana
Pratyahara practice provides the setting for dharana, or focus, as each stage prepares us for the next.
We will now deal with the distractions of the mind after we have dealt with the distractions of the outside world. It's not an easy mission!
We learn how to slow down the thought process in the practice of focus, which comes before meditation, by focusing on a single mental object: a particular energetic core in the body, an image of a god, or the quiet repetition of a sound.
Of course, we've already started to hone our concentration skills in the previous three stages of stance, breath control, and sense withdrawal.
7. Dhyana
The seventh stage of ashtanga is meditation or reflection, which is an uninterrupted flow of focus.
While focus (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) may seem to be the same thing, there is a fine line between these two phases.
Whereas dharana focuses on one thing at a time, dhyana is ultimately a state of being acutely conscious without emphasis.
The mind has been quieted at this stage, and it generates little to no thoughts in the stillness. The amount of strength and stamina required to achieve this state of stillness is very remarkable.
But don't give up hope. Although this may seem to be a challenging, if not impossible task, keep in mind that yoga is a learning experience.
8. Samadhi
Patanjali defines samadhi, the eighth and final stage of ashtanga, as a state of ecstasy. At this point, the meditator has merged with his or her point of focus and has transcended the Self entirely.
The meditator discovers a deep bond to the Divine, as well as an interconnectedness with all living beings. With this knowledge comes the “peace that surpasses all comprehension”; the sense of bliss and oneness with the Universe.
On the surface, this will seem to be a lofty, “holier than thou” target.
You can also book regular yoga session with us. It will help you to make stay fit and healthy.
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