MEANING:
Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India.[1] The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices
In Jainism it refers to the sum total of all activities—mental, verbal and physical.
Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition. Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition. Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite". Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means". Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy is called a Yogi.
Goal of yoga:
The goal of yoga may range from improving health to achieving Moksha. Within Jainism and the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman, or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things. For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu. Yoga also helps your body maintain a stable relationship with itself while going into a calm, neutral state of peace.
TYPES OF YOGA:
Yoga is considered the essence of a healthy life. A person practising Yoga on a regular basis not only ensures a healthy lifestyle, but also attains the much desired peace of mind. It is the greatest stress-buster and a remedy for curing a number of chronic ailments. Yoga is broadly divided into eight types. Most of them involve the use of different poses (Asanas), meditation and breathing exercises (Pranayams). In this section, we have discussed the eight prominent types of yoga, their technique and their benefits on the health of the practitioner.
Bhakti Yoga emphasizes on the love and devotion to the Almighty. The individual performing this type of Yoga concentrates on the existence of Almighty. He/she learns to show love, compassion to the creatures co-existing with him/her, apart from keenly worshipping the Lord. Bhakti Yoga can be practiced in a number of ways, such as praising the God by singing, chanting slogans, reading religious books, listening to prayers and by watching religious movies.
Hatha Yoga was founded by Yogi Swatmarama in the 15th century in India. This type of Yoga is all about the combination of two extremes - 'ha' (the Sun, regarded as the positive current) and 'tha' (the Moon, regarded as the negative current). It involves the performance of physical postures (Asanas), breathing exercises (Pranayams), meditation, mudras and purification procedures known as 'Shatkriyas'.
The Yoga of true knowledge, Jnana Yoga aims to detach the person performing it, from all the temporary things of the life. The person doing it attains tranquility, control over his/her mind, sense, faith, ability for concentration and the endurance to withstand the play of opposites by Mother Nature. By practising Jnana Yoga, the individual stays single-minded in all situations and attains self-control.
As the name suggests, Karma Yoga is the dedication of all the actions (karma) and their fruits to the Almighty. This type of Yoga purifies one's heart, and helps attain the knowledge of one's own self. The aim of a Karma Yogic (one, who performs Karma Yoga) is to provide selfless service to the poor and the needy, without expecting money, fame, power, respect and honor in return of the service.
Kundalini Yoga aims at drawing the untapped energy (Kundalini), coiled at the base of the spine, by using a set of technique that uses the person's mind, senses and body. Apart from the physical postures (Asanas), the person performs meditation, chants mantras in order to awaken each of the seven chakras of the body. The Asanas are coordinated with the hold of breath control.
Mantra Yoga, as the name suggests, makes use of mantras to attain a peace of mind and increase the concentration power. The mantras are chanted by the person in a thoughtful way, in order to attain certain goals. Mantra Yoga helps eliminate a number of disorders, including psychosomatic ailments and the problems of anxiety, stress and tension. It boosts the person's self-confidence as well.
Known as integral Yoga, Purna Yoga offers wisdom and techniques for the unison of the body, mind and soul. It emphasizes the Karma of your everyday life. It involves meditation, pranayams and the performance of alignment-based Asanas. Purna Yoga is an improvisation of the traditional systems of Yoga.
Raj Yoga is the best way for the complete and holistic healing of one's mind and soul. This type of Yoga helps a person to alleviates himself/herself from the emotional and mental conflicts. Also called Astanga or eight-limbed Yoga, Raj Yoga helps the person to be in harmony with the co-existing creatures and the environment.
BENEFITS OF YOGA:
At the physical level, yoga and its cleansing practices have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders. To get a sampling of how yoga benefits health disorders, please visit the Yoga Therapy section. More importantly, yoga is extremely effective in:
Increasing Flexibility – yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the ‘radar screen’ let alone exercised.
Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons – likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.
Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated “non strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.
Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body – Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.
Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.
Excellent toning of the muscles – Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.
Disadvantages of Yoga:
The practice of Yoga is far more complex than it appears and it cannot be indulged in at the highest level at once. This requires a stretch beyond limits to the body and mind therefore it should be started ideally with a trainer and one should gradually work their body towards the difficult Asanas from the basic ones. There are many people who ignore their physical and emotional capacity and end up doing serious damage to themselves.
