Styles of Yoga
What we know as yoga today has evolved from different
hatha yoga schools as well as from the different paths of yoga.
Some insight into the paths of yoga will give understanding of some of the aspects found in your hatha or other yoga class. Jnana Yoga: Path of Wisdom & knowledge Karma Yoga: Path of selfless action Bhakti Yoga: Path of Love & devotion Raja Yoga: Royal path of Self-control and mastery Schools of Yoga in South Africa
Paths of Yoga (Margas)
Buddha went on his quest for self-knowledge and after 40-days he gained wisdom 'bhana' and started to share this with others. Jnana is the quest for
self-knowledge through meditation, contemplation and self-inquiry, unlocking the wisdom that is hidden within all of us. For the jnani, the goal is absolute Truth.
Karma can be explained as for every action there is a re-action. Law of cause and affect. Karma Yoga purifies the heart
by teaching you to act selflessly.In the Bhagavat-Gita selfless-action is explained, to act without
desire or thought of gain or reward. This teaches non-attachment to the fruits of our actions, offering our actions to a
higher cause or God, one learns to sublimate the ego.
Krishna explains to Arjuna about action within non-action and non-action within action. Karma means for every action
By acting selflessly from a place of non-action from the mind one can clear past accumulated karma.
A devotional path of opening the heart to the divine. Through prayer, worship and ritual one surrenders to a higher power, e.g. God or Higher Self,
channelling and transmuting ones emotions into unconditional love or devotion. This path only emerged around the middle of the first millennium BCE. Primarily centering on the worship of Krishna (a divine
incarnation of Vishnu (sustainer). One can gain beautiful humbleness in bowing one's head to another being, recognising the godlyness in another
is recognising the godlyness in oneself. Bow before your own truth and realise - 'I am infinite, beyond description, beyond words, beyond duality, beyond...I am'
Synonymous with Classical Yoga, as formulated by Patanjali in the Yoga sutras.
1.Moral restraint (yama)
2.Discipline (niyama)
3.Postures(asanas)
4.Mastery of breath (oranayama)
5.Sense Withdrawel (prayahara)
6.Concentration (dharana)
7.Meditatin (dyana)
8.Bliss/realisation/clear mind(Samadhi)
The raja yogi trains his mind to becomes perfectly still, breaking the illusion between himself and his own divine nature.
Sometimes only meditation is practiced, but postures are part of the path, opening the channels of energy. Often only postures are sufficient for some westerners.
But to truly follow the path of raja, you must take a comprehensive approach —
using the physical yoga practice to strengthen the body in order to sit in meditation where the true union of body, mind, and spirit occurs.
Hatha Yoga
In broad this is the purification of the body to clear any obstacles on the path to liberation. The body is trained
and strengthened which increases the physical capacity to endure more energy that is awakened through practices. It incorporates a great many techniques
for physical cleansing and stabilization of the body's energies. The asanas improve the well-being and vitality of the yogi/yogini Firstly hatha yoga uses
pranayama to expand the consciousness of the individual, all the health benefits that come along with it are merely extra gifts.
Hatha is derived from Ha - sun and tha - Moon, referring to the duality of existence and through the practices attaining union, singulariy.
Hatha is also known to mean 'forceful' using continuous physical practice to cleanse the body in the attempt of self-transformation.
Ishta Hatha
ISHTA yoga was created Kavi Yogi Mani Finger, in the late 1960s in South Africa to acknowledge and celebrate the many different lineages of yoga. Mani Finger who had been initiated by Paramahansa Yogananda, Sivananda and Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati.
Mani Finger systemised what he had learnt of Kriya Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Laya Yoga and Tantra, hence the name ISHTA, integrated science of hatha, tantra and ayurveda and a system of yoga that supports the individual to find the poses,
meditations and breathing techniques that work for their unique constitution. ISHTA yoga embraces elements from a variety of styles, aiming to discover the exact blend to bring out each individuals fullest potential. The Sanskrit word ishta means 'individual' or 'personalized'.
Read more about Ishta on Wikipedia
Sivananda Yoga
After the teachings of Swami Sivananda, Sivananda yoga originated by Swami Vishnu-devananda. Sivananda training revolves around frequent relaxation, and emphasizes full, yogic breathing.
The Sivananda training system aims to retain the vitality of the body, retard the decaying process,
and decrease chance of disease, by simply and naturally cultivating the body.
The system philosophies are summarized in 5 principles.
· Proper breathing: Pranayama
· Exercise: Asanas
· Relaxation: Savasana
· Diet: Vegetarian. A yogic diet is encouraged, limited to sattvic foods, void of rajasic foods as well as tamasic foods
· Positive thinking and meditation: Vedanta and Dhyana
Sivananda.org
Satyananda yoga (Bihar) Kundalini Yoga Ashtanga Yoga Iyengar Yoga Young Yoga Institute
Developed by Swami Satyananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda. This system is a comprehensive system of yoga including Kriya, Pranayama, meditation, asanas, and tantra and much more to move towards self-inquiry.
The postures are generally done with the eyes closed and in time with the rhythmic flow of the natural breath, keeping the focused internalised. The Satyananda approach to Hatha yoga is routed in the expansion of one's awareness.
More about Satyananda Yoga
Kundalini yoga is sometimes called "the yoga of awareness" because it awakens the "kundalini" which is the unlimited potential that already exists within every human being. Practitioners believe that when the infinite potential energy is raised in the body it stimulates the higher centers, giving the individual enhanced intuition and mental clarity and creative potential.
Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan was brought to the west in the 70’s.
It consists of postures, movements, mantra and breathing patterns and concentration. Most techniques include the cross-legged positions, spine straight, breath, mantra, closed eyes, mental focus.
This yoga adheres to the three limbs of Patanjali’s traditional yoga system: discipline, self-awareness and self-dedication, Yogi Bhajan encouraged his students to marry, establish businesses, and be fully engaged in society. Rather than worshiping God, Yogi Bhajan insisted that his students train their mind to experience God. This yoga is a form of Raja Yoga.
Visit the 3HO website
Ashtanga yoga is brought to the modern world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India.
This method of yoga synchronizes ujjayi breathing with a progressive series of postures, which produces internal heat to transform mind and body.
and a purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. For a very detailed
look into Ashtanga Yoga view the ashtanga website
Krishnamacharya has had much influence on the yoga as we know it today. He was the teacher of both Jois and Iyengar.
Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment using precise verbal instruction and props such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which function as aids allowing beginners to experience asanas more easily and fully than might otherwise be possible without several years of practice. Props also allow tired or ill students to enjoy the benefits of many asanas via fully "supported" methods requiring less muscular effort.
Iyengar also developed extensively ways of applying his practice to various ailments, diseases, and disorders. Many of these sources of suffering, from chronic backache to immunodeficiency to high blood pressure to insomnia to depression to menopause, have specific programs of Iyengar yoga associated with them.
Iyengar yoga
Winnie Young trained under Iyengar and started a school YYI embracing the knowledge and postural alignment of BKS Iyengar.
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