Saturday, August 30, 2008
Paths of Yoga I
...With dozens of Hollywood celebrities following in their Gurus lotus footsteps and the sick Western commercial behaviour exploding Yogas popularity to a system that simply enhances peoples health, Yoga remains a system of spiritual unity of mind, body and soul among millions of Indians and many others from eastern beliefs, as it has been for over five thousand years. As a result, some forms of yoga have gained significant popularity outside India, particularly in the West during the past century.
Yoga is a form of mysticism that developed on the indian subcontinent in the Hindu cultural context. The origins of Yoga are difficult to track due to the lack of recorded testimony. One of the closest meanings of Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word Yuj which it is generally translated as union or integration of the individual soul with the cosmos, or higher self.
Since the goal of Yoga dwells above any bodily consciousness, it has both a philosophical and a practical dimension to achieve that ideal state. On one hand, the philosophy of yoga manages the relation of both the individual soul and the cosmos. This universal philophy enjoins the practitioner to pursue his or her own path to enlightenment. And on the other hand, its practice can be any exercise or activity that approaches the yoga practitioner to self-realization.
Four Paths of Yoga
Special practical yoga techniques have been developed by experts in yoga. Traditionally, they have been classified into four categories or paths: the path of meditation (Raja Yoga), the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga), the path of selfless service to the Divine (Karma Yoga), and the path of intellectual analysis or the discrimination of truth and reality (Jnana Yoga).
These Yoga techniques cover a broad range, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual activities.
Raja Yoga involves psycho-physical meditational techniques to attain experience of the truth and finally achieve liberation described in Hindu thought to be moks...more
Asanas To Help You Out From Your Backache
...s of yoga is the idea about well-being in this fast and overly paced life. It gives a therapeutic feeling once you are through with it. It makes you aware about your body and needs of stretching and stress free makes it very important for everyone to give it a try at least once.
Some common poses which can be tried by you to break-free from the backache. The very common and very easy asana is the Shav asana (also known...more
See Why Yoga Mats Are A Useful Accessory To Enhancing Your Yoga Experience
...weak back, elbows or knees.
Travel Mats
If you need to transport your yoga mat easily, then this is probably the best option for you. A travel mat is easily foldable because it's so thin, and you can even tuck one into the corner of a suitcase if you need to. They're not very comfortable, so probably aren't the best option if you plan to use them for a prolonged period.
Meditation Mats
If you're more interested in the meditation elements of yoga, including breathing control, then a meditation mat is for you. These help you to get into a relaxed, meditative mood, and include a pillow to give you added comfort and assist you in relaxing.more
What Is Yoga?
...ective and contemplative individuals. In this branch are eight 'limbs' or practices, formulated thousands of years ago in the work "Yoga Sutras" by the sage patanjali, which must be strictly observed. They are yama-ethical standards, niyama-self-discipline, pranayama- control of breath, pratyahara-withdrawal of the senses, dharana-concentration, dhyana-meditation and Samadhi-ecstasy or total liberation.
Karma Yoga
Karma Yoga is the yoga of selfless service. Yogis (as persons who practice yoga are called) believe in reincarnation. They believe that what kind of life one is reincarnated into (including whether one becomes another human or an animal), is dependent on the spiritual results of the actions in one's past life, called Karma. The aim of Karma Yoga is to free ourselves of carrying bad karma into future incarnations, throug...more
