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Yoga is a mental and physical health system practiced for thousands of years, first in India, its place of origin and now increasingly throughout the world. One of the factors of its popularity is the fact that even medical doctors are advising patients on the value of yoga and it is being intensively studied by scientists. What does yoga do for you? In a nutshell, it calms and relaxes both body and mind and uplifts the spirit. It is an excellent discipline for getting well and keeping well. Many people want to learn more about this wonderful practice, so this article is an introduction to it. There are six branches of yoga, to suit different personalities and these will be summarized below.

Raja Yoga

Raja is translated as “royal” and Raja Yoga is the branch of yoga primarily concerned with meditation. It is best for introspective 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, through selfless service. Examples of selfless service are working in soup kitchens, being a member of Doctors Without Borders, etc.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion and is the best method for those with emotional personalities. Bhakti yogis try to be aware that the divine is in everything around us and so all actions and thoughts must be infused with spiritual underpinnings. Persons like Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi are exemplars of this path.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of study and is more suitable for those who are intellectual. It aims to achieve liberation for its practitioners through the study of the yogic scriptures. It has been described as the most direct, yet at the same time the most difficult, of the branches of yoga

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga has been greatly misunderstood. It is meant for those who are drawn to ritual and includes consecrated sexuality. The word “consecrated” is important, because it doesn’t mean license to practice ******. In fact, one of its aspects is the withholding of ejaculation. Somewhat amusingly, given popular misconceptions, some schools of Tantra Yoga recommend celibacy! It is especially beneficial to those who like religious ceremonies and who get inspiration from them.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the yoga of movement. It is the one most popularly attributed to yoga. It involves the use of various physical postures, all the while controlling and being conscious of the breath. It believes that in these postures and breath exercises, the entire being – mind, body and soul – is purified. It is especially good for those of a very physical nature and temperament.

By: Michael Russell

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HamsaYogi asked:

HAMSA-YOGA.ORG for more. Kriya Yoga is not a religion. It is the science of the soul. The technique is composed of spinal breathing, magnetic oxidation which causes the electrical flow of prana to reverse itself into the river of the spinal cord and regain its divine essence. Kriya yoga utilizes positive light energy growth for spiritual evolution of consciousness. Yogiraj is aliving master and solar seer, and helps sincere practitioners of yogic meditation awaken to higher levels of consciousness through chakra awakening and esoteric practices of Himalayan yoga. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath was born on May 10, 1944 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. He has been meditating since the age of 3, and spent his early years in the Himalayas amongst the HamsaNath yogis, in whose presence he was transformed. The divine transformation flowered after his deep and personal experiences in 1961 and 1967 with the yogi-christ Mahavatar Shiv-Goraksha-Babaji, the same spiritual master described in Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. He has a wife of 30+ years, Gurumata Shivangani, with whom he built by hand the Hamsa Yoga Sangh Ashram (Spiritual Retreat) outside the city of Pune, near Bombay, India. They have two sons, and two grandchildren. Yogiraj teaches yogic meditation for the evolution of human consciousness. These perennial practices of yoga are the most ancient closely guarded sacred practices of the Himalayan yogis and masters from time immemorial. They help the practitioner b…/b

sadienardini asked:

A STRONG PRACTICE FOR THE BIGGER BODY WITH TOP NYC INSTRUCTOR SADIE NARDINI. GO TO WWW.SADIENARDINI.COM FOR MORE TIPS, HER BOOK AND DVD, OR TO GET HER FREE MONTHLY “CORE STRENGTH” NEWSLETTER!

yogayak asked:

www.yogayak.com for more free classes. There is always a deeper or safer place to go in any yoga practice so there is something for yogis of every level in this Hatha Yoga class with Diane Jacobs. This class is great for beginners but more experienced yogis are encouraged to go deeper into the poses to make is a more challenging flow. With a calming sequence of backbends, heart opening postures and twists you will tone your nervous system and massage your internal organs. The opening postures will reduce the symptoms of PMS. Enjoy a special relaxation at the end as you are guided by Diane’s warm voice, deeping your experience of Savasana and leaving you feeling refreshed and open. This class will still be slightly challenging because of it’s duration. Duration 55 minutes Benefits: opens heart chakra, lengthens the spine, increases lung capacity, reduces anxiety and PMS, tones the nervous system, improves digestion, increases body awareness Contraindictations: if you have any acute shoulder pain or lower back pain, be sure your spine and shoulders are safe at all times; always modify the poses so that you are comfortable Teacher: Diane Jacobs Poses in this Class: Seated Twist Side Stretch Cross Legged Forward Bend Cobblers Pose Lateral Inclined Plane Plank Butterfly Pose Downward Dog Cobra Crocodile Cat Cow (Angry Cat) Child’s Pose Hero Pose Lunge Pose Triangle Pose Wide Legged Forward Bend Wide Legged Windmill Sun God Pose Standing Side Stretch Forward Bend Prayer Squat b…/b

There is no way to determine exactly when Yoga was first practiced. We do know its roots are steeped in the ancient Hindu culture, where it can be traced back at least 5,000 years.

Some scholars believe Yoga was born out of Shamanism during the Stone Age. This belief is based on a number of similarities between the Neolithic settlements Mergarh (The Indus Valley Civilization now known as Pakistan and India 7000 BCE – 3200 BCE) and Modern Hinduism. But, in reality, it was probably, just the opposite. Shaman practices observed by Mergarh, was in fact influenced by the Hindu beliefs held at that time.

Shamanism’s purpose was twofold: To heal, and to serve as the mediator of religious issues. In many ways, the object of the ancient Yogis was the same in that the Hindu belief system was also inclined to uplift the connection of one’s community.

PROGRESSION OF YOGA

As the centuries passed, the practice of Yoga progressed, incorporating the regard for inner experience. A Yogi’s technique placed emphasis on the improvement of the individual, his enlightenment and recovery, along with salvation.

The first real indication of Yoga’s existence came from a set of stone seals unearthed in the Indus Valley. These were first inserted into records of history that date to about 3000 BC, and were linked to the Indus-Sarasvati (ancient India, once unrecognized as part of the enormous civilization); perhaps the largest civilization in existence in the ancient world.

INDUS-SARASVATI

Indus-Sarasvati was famous for the exportation of many products to Africa and the Middle Eastern world. They were a very progressive people who constructed multi story buildings, temples, baths, a system of weights and measures and a grid road system and infrastructure which included a sewer system, which was the first recorded of its kind.

Along with these state of the art structures and systems, the Indus-Sarasvati civilization is responsible for the oldest known scripture in the world, which is known as The Vedas. It is a compendium of hymns that recognizes a higher power, and is the oldest record of Yoga teachings. The Vedas was considered brilliant and is recognized as the Vedic or pre-classical Yoga.

CLASSICAL YOGA

This was only the beginning of Yoga, which became defined as classical Yoga following the composition and collection of influential texts by C. E. Patanjali. (Second and third centuries C.E.)

From these seminal writings came the onset of much productive literature, and between the 7th and 17th centuries A.D., the sacred books of the Postclassical Yoga were introduced. The Tantra, written as a dialogue between the Hindu God, Shiva and his wife Shakti; and the Hatha, a comprehensive and in-depth writing on the elements of Yoga, were complied.

INTRODUCTION OF YOGA TO THE UNITED STATES

These works of literature were read and embraced by many, and over time, they were adapted and introduced to people in its present state. The United States was first introduced to the concept in the 1800s.

In recent years, Yoga has experienced a rapid evolution. This can be credited, in part, to Swami Sivananda, one of the most well known gurus to ever master Yoga, served as a doctor and opened a number of schools in Europe and America. Much of today’s Yoga is based on the Swami’s writings.

By: Tracy Renning

About the Author:

sadienardini asked:

A STRONG PRACTICE FOR THE BIGGER BODY WITH TOP NYC INSTRUCTOR SADIE NARDINI. GO TO WWW.SADIENARDINI.COM FOR MORE TIPS, HER BOOK AND DVD, OR TO GET HER FREE MONTHLY “CORE STRENGTH” NEWSLETTER!

yogayak asked:

www.yogayak.com for more free classes. There is always a deeper or safer place to go in any yoga practice so there is something for yogis of every level in this Hatha Yoga class with Diane Jacobs. This class is great for beginners but more experienced yogis are encouraged to go deeper into the poses to make is a more challenging flow. With a calming sequence of backbends, heart opening postures and twists you will tone your nervous system and massage your internal organs. The opening postures will reduce the symptoms of PMS. Enjoy a special relaxation at the end as you are guided by Diane’s warm voice, deeping your experience of Savasana and leaving you feeling refreshed and open. This class will still be slightly challenging because of it’s duration. Duration 55 minutes Benefits: opens heart chakra, lengthens the spine, increases lung capacity, reduces anxiety and PMS, tones the nervous system, improves digestion, increases body awareness Contraindictations: if you have any acute shoulder pain or lower back pain, be sure your spine and shoulders are safe at all times; always modify the poses so that you are comfortable Teacher: Diane Jacobs Poses in this Class: Seated Twist Side Stretch Cross Legged Forward Bend Cobblers Pose Lateral Inclined Plane Plank Butterfly Pose Downward Dog Cobra Crocodile Cat Cow (Angry Cat) Child’s Pose Hero Pose Lunge Pose Triangle Pose Wide Legged Forward Bend Wide Legged Windmill Sun God Pose Standing Side Stretch Forward Bend Prayer Squat b…/b