Yoga

: See Hatha Yoga for the yoga of mostly physical exercises popular in the West.

Hindu yoga

Bhagavad-Gita

Within Hinduism, the Bhagavad-Gita, which famously distinguishes several types of "yoga", corresponding to the duties of different classes of people. Capturing the essence and at the same time going into detail about the various Yogas and their philosophies, it constantly refers to itself as such, the "Scripture of Yoga" (see the final verses of each chapter). The book is thought to have been written some time between the 5th and the 2nd century BC. In it Krishna describes the following yogas:

Related Topics:
Bhagavad-Gita - Philosophies - 5th - 2nd century BC - Krishna

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:(1) Karma yoga, the yoga of "action" in the world

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:(2) Jnana yoga, the yoga of meditation or intellectual endeavor

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:(3) Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion to a deity (for example, to Krishna)

Related Topics:
Bhakti yoga - Krishna

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Patanjali

Perhaps the classic description of yoga is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which form the basis not only of the darshana called "yoga"--one of six such "orthodox" (i.e. Veda-accepting) schools of Hindu philosophy--but also of the practice of yoga in most ashrams (to the extent these can be distinguished). The school (dharshana) of Indian philosophy known as "yoga" is primarily Upanishadic with roots in Samkhya, and some scholars see some influence from Buddhism.

Related Topics:
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Darshana - Veda - Upanishadic - Samkhya - Buddhism

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Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras presents the goal of yoga as 'the cessation of mental fluctuations' (cittavrtti nirodha), an achievement which gives rise to the possibility of stable meditation and thus deeper states of absorption (dhyana or samadhi). This requires considerable restraint (yama) and self-discipline (niyama; see below for Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga)). Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are the classic exposition of Raja Yoga (Skt: Royal yoga), also known as Ashtanga Yoga, and held as authoritative by all schools.

Related Topics:
Patanjali - Yoga Sutras - Meditation - Dhyana - Samadhi - Raja Yoga - Ashtanga Yoga

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Patanjali's text sets forth eight "limbs" of yoga practice. Interestingly, only one of them involves physical postures. The eight are:

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:(1) Yama (The five "abstentions"): violence, lying, theft, sex, and possessions)

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:(2) Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerities, study, and surrender to God

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:(3) Asana ("Postures" of the body)

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:(4) Pranayama (Control of prana or vital breath)

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:(5) Pratyahara ("Abstraction") "is that by which the senses do not come into contact with their objects and, as it were, follow the nature of the mind." - Vyasa

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:(6) Dharana ("Concentration") - Fixing the attention on a single object

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:(7) Dhyana ("Meditation")

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:(8) Samadhi - Super-conscious state or trance

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Hatha yoga

Over the last century the term yoga has come to be especially associated with the postures (Sanskrit ?sanas) of hatha yoga. Hatha yoga has gained wide popularity outside of India and traditional yoga-practicing religions, and the postures are sometimes presented as entirely secular or non-spiritual in nature.

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Traditional Hatha Yoga is a complete yogic path, including moral disciplines, physical exercises (e.g., postures and breath control), and meditation, and encompasses far more than the 'yoga' of postures and exercise practiced in the West as physical culture. The seminal work on Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, written by Swami Svatmarama.

Related Topics:
Hatha Yoga - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

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Hatha Yoga was invented to provide a form of physical purification and training that would prepare aspirants for the higher training that is called Raja Yoga (see above). This is still true today. Despite this, many in the West practice 'Hatha yoga' solely for the perceived health benefits it provides, and not as a path to enlightenment.

Related Topics:
Health - Enlightenment

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Natya yoga

The guide to Natya Yoga was written by Bharata Muni. Sage Narada along with Gandharvas were the first to practise Natya Yoga, which comprise all the four main yoga's. Natya Yoga was practised by the medieval devadasis, and is currently taught in a few orthodox schools of Bharatanatyam and Odissi.

Related Topics:
Natya Yoga - Bharata Muni - Narada - Devadasi - Bharatanatyam - Odissi

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