Kundalini yoga is known as one of the most powerful types of yoga. Sometimes it was called the mother of all the Styles of Yoga. This type of yoga awakens the energy at the base of our spine which is known as the Muladhara Chakra.
ajna, biological energy, creative energy, dormant energy, fundamental resource, higher self, kunda, manipura, muladhara chakra, power and energy, primal force, rajas, sadhana, sahasrara, sakti, source energy, three gunas, yoga kundalini The karma yoga for the Karma yogi is a more thrilling way to solve a problem, accomplish a task, rid his own self and others of physical or psychic distress, than to entertain himself - if you throw yourself into a task then there is not much time left over. What looks from the outside like a struggling person involved only with work, is in reality someone very inspired and attentive, absolutely clear-headed about what he is doing. Read more »
anger, emotions, happiness, inner thoughts, karma yoga, karma yogi, liberation, meaning of life, meditation, mindfulness The Hindus classify the systems of philosophy into two classes, namely, the nastika and the astika. The nastika (na asti “it is not”) views are those which neither regard the Vedas as infallible nor try to establish their own validity on their authority. These are principally three in number, the Buddhist, Jaina and the Carvaka. The astika-mata or orthodox schools are six in number, Samkhya, Yoga, Vedanta, Mimamsa, Nyaya and Vaisheshika, generally known as the six systems (shaddarshana (1)). Read more »
atman, carvaka, kapila, liberation, metaphysical position, mystical practices, orthodox schools, patanjali, philosophy, vedas, vedic texts, yoga practices, yoga sutras, yoga system, yoga vedanta We have now to meet the vexed question of the probable date of this famous Yoga author Patanjali. Weber had tried to connect him with Kapya Patamchala of Shatapatha Brahmana; in Katyayana’s Varttika we get the name Patanjali which is explained by later commentators as patantah anjalayah yasmai (for whom the hands are folded as a mark of reverence), but it is indeed difficult to come to any conclusion merely from the similarity of names (1). Read more »
commentators, grammarian, panini, patanjali, western scholars, yoga sutra But how or rather why prakriti should be disturbed is the most knotty point in Samkhya. It is postulated that the prakriti or the sum-total of the gunas is so connected with the purushas, and there is such an inherent teleology or blind purpose in the lifeless prakriti, that all its evolution and transformations tike place for the sake of the diverse purushas, to serve the enjoyment of pleasures and sufferance of pain through experiences, and finally leading them to absolute freedom or mukti. Read more »
absolute freedom, cessation, equilibrium, evolution, gunas, intense activity, mukti, mutual opposition, passive state, samsara The question is raised, how can the prakriti supply the deficiencies made in its evolutes by the formation of other evolutes from them? When from mahat some tanmatras have evolved, or when from the tanmatras some atoms have evolved, how can the deficiency in mahat and the tanmatras be made good by the prakriti? (1). Read more »
cause and effect, concomitant conditions, gross body, gunas, karana, latent powers, manifestation, material cause, potential energy, shakti, ultimate energy Granted that the interchange of the positions of the infinite number of reals produce all the world and its transformations; whence comes this fixed order of the universe, the fixed order of cause and effect, the fixed order of the so-called barriers which prevent the transformation of any cause into any effect or the first disturbance of the equilibrium of the prakriti? Read more »
cause and effect, equilibrium, faculties, gunas, material objects, mental plane, order of the universe, samsara, subjective experiences, teleology, tendency Samkhya and the Yoga, like the Buddhists, hold that all experience is sorrowful. Tamas, we know, represents the pain substance. As tamas must be present in some degree in all combinations, all intellectual operations are fraught with some degree of painful feeling (1). Read more »
buddhists, happiness, mukti, pleasures, sacrifice, sacrifices, samkhya philosophy, sorrow, tamas, vedic, worldly experience The word Yoga which was formerly used in Vedic literature in the sense of the restraint of the senses is used by Patanjali in his Yoga sutra in the sense of the partial or full restraint or steadying of the states of citta. Read more »
affliction, cognitive states, concentration, inner experience, mortal enemy, mukti, passions, patanjali, purpose of yoga, restraint, samsara, satisfactions, vedic literature, word yoga, yoga sutra The purpose of Yoga meditation is to steady the mind on the gradually advancing stages of thoughts towards liberation, so that vicious tendencies may gradually be more and more weakened and at last disappear altogether. But before the mind can be fit for this lofty meditation, it is necessary that it should be purged of ordinary impurities. Read more »
ahimsa, bad thoughts, bhavana, karuna, maitri, purpose of yoga, selfish motive, self sacrifice, yoga meditation When the mind has become pure the chances of its being ruffled by external disturbances are greatly reduced. At such a stage the yogin takes a firm posture (asana) and fixes his mind on any object he chooses. It is, however, preferable that he should fix it on Ishvara, for in that case Ishvara being pleased removes many of the obstacles in his path, and it becomes easier for him to attain success. Read more »
ananda, asana, concentration, external disturbances, impressions, objective world, obstacles, purusha, remembrance, samadhi, true knowledge Of the six classes of entities or categories (padartha) we have already given some account of dravya (1). Let us now turn to the others. Of the qualities (guna) the first one called rupa (colour) is that which can be apprehended by the eye alone and not by any other sense. The colours are white, blue, yellow, red, green, brown and variegated (citra). Colours are found only in kshiti, ap and tejas. The colours of ap and tejas are permanent (nitya), but the colour of kshiti changes when heat is applied, and this, Shridhara holds, is due to the fact that heat changes the atomic structure of kshiti (earth) and thus the old constitution of the substance being destroyed, its old colour is also destroyed, and a new one is generated. Rupa is the general name for the specific individual colours. There is the genus rupatva (colourness), and the rupa guna (quality) is that on which rests this genus; rupa is not itself a genus and can be apprehended by the eye. Read more »
akasha, atomic structure, guna, katu, natural taste, nitya, rasa, rupa, tejas, vayu It is probable that the Nyaya philosophy arose in an atmosphere of continued disputes and debates; as a consequence of this we find here many terms related to debates which we do not notice in any other system of Indian philosophy. These are tarka, nirnaya, vada, jalpa, vitanda, hetvabhasa, chala, jati and nigrahasthana. Read more »
atman, destructive criticism, indian philosophy, intangible, jalpa, real nature, tarka, tautology, vada Yoga in its definition of the structure of the world has many things in common with Sankhya, but it differs indeed from Sankhya in admitting the existence of God. Of course the God’s concept in Yoga, as happened in Nyaya, has passed through different stages: from the primitive one, indifferent presence, God has become, under the influence of theistic tides, an active assistant of liberation. The assimilation with Shiva of the popular religion confers him little by little all the ownerships of Ishvara, the Supreme almighty Being. Read more »
asceticism, existence of god, liberation, moral discipline, right knowledge, sacred texts, sankhya, yoga It is useless to seek the origins of Yoga, which are submerged in that magical history in which primitive people live and which the evolving of culture doesn’t succeed to disregard. Certain analogies with the doctrines of ancient schools of China as emerged in Taoism, make a great deal probable that existed to a large extent in southern and south-oriental Asia certain routines, based above all on the control of breath and on auto hypnotic processes, from which slowly and with degrees derived both Yoga and the mentioned Taoist currents. Read more »
buddhists, cross legged, magical history, mohenjodaro, psychological investigations, rudra, upanishads, yoga teachers Shakti is both maya, that by which the Brahman creating the universe is able to make Itself appear to be different from what It really is, and mula-prakriti, or the unmanifested (avyakta) state of that which, when manifest, is the universe of name and form. It is the primary so called “material cause,” consisting of the equipoise of the triad of guna or “qualities” which are sattva (that which manifests) rajas (that which acts), tamas (that which veils and produces inertia). The three gunas represent Nature as the revelation of spirit, Nature as the passage of descent from spirit to matter, or of ascent from matter to spirit, and Nature as the dense veil of spirit. The Devi is thus guna-nidhi (”treasure-house of guna” ). Read more »
brahman, coiled serpent, guna, kundalini, material cause, maya, mula, prana, shakti, spirit and nature, three and a half, triad, universe, womb This earth, which is the object of the physical senses and of the knowledge based thereon, is but one of fourteen worlds or regions placed “above” and “below” it, of which (as the sutra says) knowledge may be obtained by meditation on the solar “nerve” (nada) sushumna in the merudanda. Read more »
atma, celestial beings, earth to the sun, heavenly sphere, jiva, moksha, nada, nadi, nether, padma, physical senses, pole star, siddhas, terrestrial sphere, thousand petalled lotus Contemplation is always to be seen to some extent in true worship. Worship is a faculty different from thought, different even from love; it is the little self finding itself within the greater self, as though the sun reflected in a pool of water should look up at the sun in heaven and feel a sudden liberation into that greater life. It has not lost itself; it has gained itself. This is the experience of a man suddenly confronted with a realization of that which is utterly greater than he had thought. Thus he occasionally forgets that which he used to call himself, and this more and more frequently, so that it becomes only a sub-conscious element, as it were, in the new life. Read more »
conscious, contemplation, devotion, duality, emotions, liberation, material things, mentality, realization, true worship According to the temperament of the sadhaka, so is the form of worship and sadhana. In fact, the specific worship and sadhana of the other classes is strictly prohibited by the Tantra to the pasu. Read more »
acara, animal creation, asrama, divya, kali age, kali yuga, observances, pasu, rajas, sadhana, vedas THE Guru is the religious teacher and spiritual guide to whose direction orthodox Hindus of all divisions of worshippers submit themselves. There is in reality but one Guru. The ordinary human Guru is but the manifestation on the phenomenal plane of the Adinatha Maha-kala, the Supreme Guru abiding in Kailasa. (1) Read more »
disciple, divine birth, gurus, guru mantra, initiation, kailasa, natural birth, necessary qualifications, orthodox hindus, religious teacher, sacred knowledge, spiritual guide, supreme guru, tantra Sabda, or sound, which is of the Brahman, and as such the cause of the Brahmanda, is the manifestation of the Cit-sakti itself. The Visva-sara-Tantra says (1) that the Para-brahman, as Sabda-brahman, whose substance is all mantra, exists in the body of the jivatma. It is either unlettered (dhvani) or lettered (varna). The former, which produces the latter, is the subtle aspect of the jiva’s vital sakti. Read more »
akasa, body waves, brahman, ethereal space, external manifestation, inhalation and exhalation, jiva, letters of the alphabet, mantra, nada, prana, sabda, space waves, varna, vayu, waves of sound The Gayatri is the most sacred of all Vaidik mantras. In it the Veda lies embodied as in its seed. It runs: Om bhur-bhuvah-svah: tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat, Om. “Let us contemplate the wondrous spirit of the Divine Creator (Savitr) of the earthly, atmospheric, and celestial spheres. May He direct our minds, that is ‘towards’ the attainment of dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, Om.” Read more »
aditya, artha, atma, celestial spheres, eye of the world, gayatri, heart, om, purana, solar circle, surya, vayu The elements in their literal sense are not available in sadhana for all. The nature of the Pasu requires strict adherence to Vaidik rule in the matter of these physical functions even in worship. This rule prohibits the drinking of wine, a substance subject to the three curses of Brahma, Kaca, and Krsna, in the following terms; Madyam apeyam adeyam agrahyam (”Wine (1) must not be drunk, given, or taken”). Read more »
fish, householder, kaca, krsna, maithuna, pasu, ritual purposes, sadhana, sexual act, sexual intercourse, strict adherence, visnu, wine Thiss word, derived from the root Yuj (”to join”), is in grammar samdhi, in logic avayavasakti, or the power of the parts taken together and in its most widely known and present sense the union of the jiva or embodied spirit, with the Paramatma, or Supreme Spirit (1) and the practices by which this union may be attained. Read more »
jiva, jnana, munis, sastra, supernatural, supreme spirit, yoga, yuj Lastly, through samadhi the quality of nirliptatva, or detachment, and thereafter mukti (liberation) is attained. Samadhi considered as a process is intense mental concentration, with freedom from all samkalpa, and attachment to the world, and all sense of “mineness,” or self-interest (mamata). Considered as the result of such process it is the union of Jiva with the Paramatrna.(1) Read more »
anahata, atma, bhakti yoga, bliss, brahman, dhyana yoga, manas, meditation, mental concentration, nada, rajayoga, samadhi yoga, visnu ACCORDING to Christian conceptions, (1) sin is a violation of the personal will of, and apostasy from, God. The flesh is the source of lusts which oppose God’s commands, and in this lies its positive significance for the origin of a bias of life against God. According to St. Thomas, in the original state, no longer held as the normal, the lower powers were subordinate to reason, and reason subject to God. “Original sin” is formally a “defect of original righteousness,” and materially ” concupiscence.” Read more »
apostasy, attainment, concupiscence, direction taken, embodiment, individuality, jiva, moral law, original sin, righteousness, state of evolution, true nature Karma is action, its cause, and effect. There is no uncaused action, nor action without effect. The past, the present, and the future are linked together as one whole. The iccha, jnana, and kriya saktis manifest in the jivatma living on the worldly plane as desire, knowledge, and action. Read more »
attainment, births, cause and effect, desire, desires, indra, jiva, karma, kriya, misery, phenomenal world, samsara, samskara THERE is but one thing which all seek — happiness — though it be of differing kinds and sought in different ways. All forms, whether sensual, intellectual, or spiritual, are from the Brahman, who is Itself the Source and Essence of all Bliss, and Bliss itself (rasovai sah). Though issuing from the same source—pleasure differs in its forms in being higher and lower, transitory or durable, or permanent. Those on the path of desire (pravrtti marga) seek it through the enjoyments of this world (bhukti) or in the more durable, though still impermanent delights of heaven (svarga). He who is on the path of return (nivrtti-marga) seeks happiness, not in the created worlds, but in everlasting union with their primal source (mukti); and thus it is said that man can never be truly happy until he seeks shelter with Brahman, which is Itself the great Bliss (rasam hi vayam labdhva anandi bhavati). Read more »
bliss, brahman, desire, divine breath, eternal rhythm, everlasting union, happiness, marga, material things, mukti, rasam, spirit, visnu Dharma means that which is to be held fast or kept-law, usage, custom, religion, piety, right, equity duty, good works, and morality. It is, in short, the eternal and immutable (sanatana) principles which hold together the universe in its parts and in its whole whether organic or inorganic matter. Read more »
dharma, family position, kama, meritorious action, possession, purana, soul desire, wealth success Of the four aims, mokśa or mukti is the truly ultimate end, for the other three are ever haunted by the fear of Death, the Ender.(1)
Mukti means “loosening” or liberation. It is advisable to avoid the term “salvation,” as also other Christian terms, which connote different, though in a loose sense, analogous ideas. According to the Christian doctrine (soteriology), faith in Christ’s Gospel and in His Church effects salvation, which is the forgiveness of sins mediated by Christ’s redeeming activity, saving from judgment, and admitting to the Kingdom of God. Read more »
dharma, ethical nature, extinction, fear of death, forgiveness of sins, hinduism, kingdom of god, liberation, marga, mukti, samsara, soteriology, spiritual knowledge, supreme spirit Siddhi is produced by sâdhana. The former term, which literally means ” success, ” includes accomplishment, achievement, success, and fruition of all kinds. Read more »
accomplishment, achievement, attainable, bonds, fruition, human birth, liberation, mahima, mantra, purana, siddhis, spiritual development, spiritual perfection, supreme object Hatha Yoga is a source of many detailed notions and practices that promote psychophysical and spiritual well-being. Additionally, Hatha Yoga is a system of religious therapy, a path of healing the body and mind that serves the purpose of liberation of a human being.
Hatha Yoga is a useful starting point to examine the relationship of medical and spiritual health because it connects the cultivation of physical and psychological health with spiritual well-being and demonstrates the idea of spiritual liberation of human beings as healing.
Hatha in Sanskrit literally means force, violence, an aggressive force. This is the reason Hatha Yoga is often referred to as the forceful yoga connected with the body. Hatha Yoga is the type of yoga most commonly practiced in the West and to many people, yoga is identical with the practice of physical postures, so Hatha Yoga generally refers exclusively to the practice of asanas, the physical postures of yoga.
Linguistically in the Hatha, Ha means “sun,” and tha means “moon,” so hatha is a combining of complementary forces. Hatha Yoga is the branch of yoga that transforms the human body via physical strengthening and purification to make the body a worthy vehicle of self-realization. The two syllables in the word hatha, which stand for the sun (ha) and the moon (tha), mean a deep union of the body and the mind and of the masculine and feminine energies within each individual. Thus, the word hatha reminds us that in essence, hatha yoga is a search for interior unity and wholeness. A multiplicity of approaches to executing these postures has developed over time; as a result, various approaches to Hatha Yoga have developed with many schools and Hatha Yoga teachers.
Hatha Yoga is the branch of yoga that concentrates on the body. Hatha Yoga is an excellent body, fitness program, and a health remedy. Hatha Yoga is based on the notion that gaining supreme control over the body is the key to control of the mind and freedom of the spirit. Hatha Yoga works under the assumption that supreme control over the body, or the physical self, is one path to enlightenment, to spiritual freedom. Hatha Yoga is a sort of spiritual fitness plan in which balance is a key.
In Hatha Yoga consideration for the physical body is in the foremost view; this particular type of yoga involves cleansing rituals and breathing exercises designed to manipulate the body’s energy through breath control, in addition to the postures or exercises for which Hatha Yoga is commonly known.
An essential and important part of Hatha Yoga and other forms of yoga is the control of breath or pranayama. In fact, the manipulation of breath to control the physical manifestation of prana in the body is Hatha Yoga’s realm. Yogis purposefully learn to use prana to drive the mind to a higher state of consciousness. Through postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), and meditation, Hatha Yoga exercises, strengthens and tones the body, mind, and spirit. Even if you start with the physical exercises alone, however, Hatha Yoga will quickly begin to work its wonders.
Do you know how many styles of Yoga there are in the Western Yoga? 22, and still counting. Read about the most popular forms here to help you decide which one is for you. […]
The word YOGA is derived from the Sanskrit root 'YUJA' as also from the root 'YUJIR' meaning to 'unite' or to ‘integrate'. Yoga has evolved to include postures that really do fit that sort of description. These complex and sometimes dangerous yoga poses should only be considered after years of experience and never seen as an end-goal. […]
Basic Sitting Postures with Benefits, Sit up straight with legs evenly extended in front. Bend the right leg at the knee and place the foot so that the heel is in the right groin and the front of the foot touches the left thigh. […]
Yoga used to be the kind of thing someone's eccentric aunt did - a woman with a braid wrapped around her head who entertained the children by putting her foot behind her neck. […]
asanas, body fitness, hatha yoga, physical postures, yoga teachers
Discover how Yoga increases concentration, will power and relaxes the body
