Discovering The History And Concepts Of Different Branches of Yoga
By Cindy Heller
History of Hatha Yoga: The history of hatha yoga
goes back in the fifteenth century India when Yogi Swatmarama, a sage during those
times, introduced it as a form of "a stairway to the heights" of Raja Yoga which
is the preparatory stage of physical purification that makes the body fit for the
practice of higher form of meditation. Hatha yoga is also known to be called as
"hatha vidya" and the word "hatha" is a combination of the words, "ha" which means
sun "tha" that means moon and they are said to refer to the prinicipal "nadis" or
the energy channels of the body and must be fully operational to attain the state
of "dhyana" or a certain aspect of meditation.
Some people may link that the origins of hatha
yoga which dates back in the tenth or eleventh century with Goraknath, a yogin
during those times. However, the oldest surviving text about hatha yoga is the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika by yogin, Yogi Swatmarama. The text is said to be taken
from old Sanskrit writings and personal yogin experiences of the yogin himself.
The text relates about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas,
kriyas, shakti, nadis, and mudras among others.
Concept of Hatha yoga: The total concept of the
traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path comprising of moral disciplines,
physical exercises, breath control, and meditation. The hatha yoga that is widely
practiced and popular in the western countries mainly composed of the "asanas" or
postures and other exercises.
Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga
that concentrates on the physical culture and the other yoga is the Raja yoga but
both of these are referred to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the Raja
yoga concentrates more on the "asanas" or postures to get the body ready for a
prolonged meditation that concentrates mainly on the meditative "asana" poses.
The hatha yoga on the other hand concentrates on balancing the mind and body through
physical exercises, controlled breathing, and calming the mind through meditation and
sheer relaxation.
Different positions or postures are recommended by
practitioners to help lessen or avoid health problems ranging from constipation through
cancer. It was said that it helps to reduce stress, pressure, and other mental worries
that people today are frequently exposed to.
History of Karma Yoga
Karma yoga also known as Buddhi Yoga or the "discipline
of action" is centered on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture
of Hinduism. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga concentrates on the adherence to
duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha
(salvation) or love of God (bhakti) by performing their duties in a selfless manner for the
pleasure of the Supreme. Karma Yoga is an inherent part of many derivative types of yoga,
such as Natya Yoga.
Concept Of Karma Yoga
The word Karma is mentioned from the Sanskrit Kri, meaning
'to do', in its most basic sense karma simply means action, and yoga translates to union.
Therefore, Karma yoga literally translates to the path of union through action. It is
described as a way of acting, thinking and willing by which one acts in accordance with one's
duty (dharma) with no consideration of personal selfish desires, likes or dislikes, i.e. acting
without being emotionally involved to the fruits of one's deeds.
In the case of Arjuna in the Gita, this translated to his
fighting in the oncoming war to uphold the righteous cause in accordance with his duty as a
warrior; even if out of compassion, he did not want to battle with his relatives and teachers
on the other side.
Krishna then goes on to tell how Arjuna should surrender
the fruits of his actions (good or bad) to himself (as the Supreme Person or avatara) :
Krishna describes that allocated work done without expectations,
motives, or anticipation of its outcome purifies one's mind and slowly makes an individual fit to
see the value of reason. He states that it is not necessary to remain in external solitude, or
actionless, in order to practice a spiritual life, with the state of action or inaction is solely
determined in the mind.
In order to attain the perfection of life, Krishna describes
it is important to control all mental desires and tendencies to enjoy pleasures of the senses.
The practice of Karma Yoga in everyday life makes an individual fit through action, meditation
and devotion to sharpen his reasoning, develop intuitive power of acquiring knowledge and to
transcend the mind itself.
History Of Raja Yoga
Raja Yoga also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga is one
of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Hindu philosophy, being described Patanjali in his Yoga
Sutras. It is also occasionally referred to as A??anga (eight-limbed) yoga because there are
eight aspects to the path to which one must attend. Raja yoga is concerned primarily with the
cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality
and finally achieve liberation.
The term Raja Yoga is a retronym, introduced in the 15th
century Hatha Yoga Pradipika to differentiate the school based on the Yoga Sutras from the new
current of Hatha Yoga.
Concept of Raja Yoga
Raja-Yoga is principally concerned with the mind. The mind
is traditionally perceived as the 'king' of the psycho-physical structure which does its bidding
(whether or not one has realized this). Because of the relationship between the mind and the body,
the body must be 'tamed' first through self-discipline and purified by various means (see Hatha Yoga).
A good level of overall health and psychological integration must be achieved before the deeper aspects
of yoga can be pursued. Humans have all sorts of addictions and temptations and these preclude the
attainment of tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) such as celibacy, abstaining
from drugs and alcohol and careful attention to one's actions of body, speech and mind, the human
being becomes well to practise meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself is the alternate
meaning of the word yoga.
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras start with the statement yogas citta-
vtti-nirodha (1.2), "yoga limits the oscillations of the mind". They proceed on to detailing
the ways in which mind can create false ideations and advocate meditation on real objects,
which process, it is said, will lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the "Nirbija" or
"seedless state", in which there is no mental object of focus. Practices that serve to maintain
for the individual the ability to check this state may be considered Raja Yoga practices.
Thus Raja Yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from other forms of Yoga by encouraging
the mind to avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including other traditional
yogic practices) that can generate false mental objects. In this angle, Raja Yoga is "king of
yogas": all yogic practices are seen as potential tools for obtaining the seedless state,
itself considered to be the first point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain Moksha or
Nirvana. Traditionally, schools of yoga that label themselves "Raja" offer students a mix of
yogic practices and (hopefully) this philosophical viewpoint.
About the
author:
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit varicose vein cures
to learn more about
the
history of yoga
and other
different types of yoga.
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I wish you all the best on your yoga adventure!
To your health,
Thomas T :)
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