Eight-fold yoga system

[Guest guest]

The "Eight-fold Yoga system" :

Yama- Moral displine in one's external interactions

Niyama- Self restraint. Clarify one's relationship to oone's self.

Asana- Physical postures, to increase health, purity the body and prepare one for meditation.

Pranayama- Breath control, to increase life energy.

Pratyhara- Sensory inhibition, drawing your focus deeply inward.

Dharana- Intense, focused concencentration.

Dhyana- Meditation.

Samadhi- Ecstasty, the experience of unity with the flow of energy in the world.

 

But I think you are referring to the different "branches" of yoga:

 

 

Bhakti Yoga- is the yoga path of love and devotion to the Creator, Heavenly

Father, Lord Most High, the Divine, God, the Supreme Godhead - the path of

transcendent Love which sees the whole universe, both animate and inanimate, as

being pervaded by Divinity. This is the path preached by Srila Prabhupada.

Jnana Yoga- the yoga of the philosopher and thinker who wants to go beyond the

visible, material reality. The Jnana Yogi finds God through knowledge. Jnana

Yoga is summed up in the Upanishads by the following statement: "In the method

of reintegration through knowledge, the mind is ever bound to the ultimate end

of existence which is liberation This method leads to all attainments and is

ever auspicious." This was the path preached by Jiddu Krishnamurti .

Karma Yoga- achieves union with God through right action and through service.

Karma Yoga can also be summed up in a statement by Sri Bhagavan Krishna in the

Bhagavad Gita: "Worshipping Him with proper actions, a man attains

realization". One key to Karma Yoga is the performance of right action and

service for its own sake, without consideration of the results.

Raja Yoga (Mantra Yoga)- finds unity consciousness through the proper use of

speech and sound. It is the power of the word to create or destroy that this

path emphasizes. It utilizes the focus intent to make every word you speak be

in harmony with Spirit and your own soul. From this yoga was founded the "Path

of Transcendental Meditation" and the "Spiritual Regeneration Movement" in 1957

by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Kundalini Yoga- is the awakening and raising of the "serpent of fire" energy to

freely travel up through the chakras of the unblocked spinal column. The

arousing of the Kundalini is usually brought about through a coordination of

posture, breath and mantra, along with certain visualizations. Kundalini is an

energy which may lie dormant at the base of the spine. Self Realization is the

awakening of the Kundalini through the central channel, piercing the seven

chakras and emerging at the top of the head. Kundalini Yoga works with the seed

energy of the subtle body, called Kundalini or the Serpent Power. It is said to

reside in the root chakra and contain within itself all the power of

consciousness.

Tantra Yoga (Shakti) and Aghora Yoga (Kali) is concerned with the occult and the

"left-hand path".

Kriya Yoga- Path of Self Realization. Kriya Yoga is the scientific art of

perfect God-Truth Union. To live and act totally consistent to action with the

awareness of what is signified by Yoga is called 'Kriya Yoga'. Kriya means

action, and Yoga means "citta-vritti-nirodha" - Citta (mind), Vritti (ideas),

Nirodha (control). The process is control of ideas in the mind to

contemplation; through discrimination to spiritual independence. Tapa

(penance), Svadhyaya (self-study), Isvarapranidhana (devotion) together form

Kriya Yoga. Kriya Yoga is not a matter of doing but of being aware of

everything that one may be doing. This is the path preached by Paramahansa

Yogananda.

Hatha Yoga- Hatha Yoga literally means sun and moon. Hatha yoga strives to

balance these two elements which represent the masculine and feminine, strength

and flexibility. It is concerned with physical and mental purification and

training. The goal is to bring the physical body into a perfect state of health

so the soul has a fitting vehicle of expression (body) to work through. It

embraces many practices, including physical postures (asana) and breathing

exercises (pranayama) which also act upon the physical nervous system and

spiritual body (which is considered a corollary aspect of the physical body)

and brings the vital energies of the physical and spiritual bodies under

conscious control. This is the path preached by Sri Swami Satchidananda, the

founder of the worldwide Integral Yoga Institutes.

Sankhya Yoga- Path of God Realization through renunciation and asceticism.

 

 

-Johann Renaud (Madhumangala das)

[Guest guest]

Haribol Prabhu!

PAMHO AGTSP

 

I was always under the impression that Raja-Yoga is a different name

for Ashtanga-Yoga, the Eight Fold Yoga System. Is it not?

I was also under the impression that Hatha-Yoga is the Asana part of

the Eight Part Yoga System and that Pranayama is another part. Was I

wrong?

 

Also:

Is it correct to classify Bhakti-Yoga as one of the branches of

Yoga? Is Bhakti not in fact the goal of all Yoga system? Is their

Yoga, true Yoga, without Bhakti?

 

Yours:

Omer

 

[Moderator Note: Delete excess quoted text]

[Guest guest]

Raja yoga is also known as Ashtanga yoga.

Asana (posture) and Pranayama (breath control) are the main themes of Hatha

yoga, they are usually almost always they are utilized together but they can

also be practiced independently, which is how it is categorized.

Bhakti is a branch of yoga but not "the" goal of all yoga paths. As far as "true

yoga", I guess that would depend on your perception of what yoga is and what the

ultimate goal you are trying to achieve is. Yoga like Hatha yoga can be

practiced by anyone, even atheists, because it's focus is self-centered in

order to advance the physical condition, it's not god-centered like the bhakti

school which is focused on advancing the spiritual condition. So yes, there can

be yoga without bhakti.

-Johann Renaud (Madhumangala das)

[Guest guest]

Haribol Madhumangal prabhu,

 

Bhakti is a branch of yoga but not "the" goal of all yoga paths.

 

What is the basis for this statement?

 

Bhakti-yoga is the goal of all other yogas. There is a nice analysis on

Prabhupada's BG As It Is by HH Sivarama Swami in his book (Perfect

Explanations...). If you want I can try to post key points from that.

 

 

As far as "true yoga", I guess that would depend on your perception of what yoga

is and what the ultimate goal you are trying to achieve is.

 

Where is the question of our imperfect perception deciding what is ultimate and what is not?

 

Yoga like Hatha yoga can be practiced by anyone, even atheists, because it's

focus is self-centered in order to advance the physical condition, it's not

god-centered like the bhakti school which is focused on advancing the spiritual

condition. So yes, there can be yoga without bhakti.

 

I'm not sure about this - because, even other yogas can be performed with bhakti

to Krishna as the final goal in mind and to that extent, all yogas would include

bhakti - actually, it is my speculation that the purpose of even other yogas is

just to help one advance in bhakti.

 

in your service,

Aravind.

 

New Photos - easier uploading and sharing

[Guest guest]

I don't know. I have seen alot of people practicing yoga who totally devoid of

any spiritual qualities and they are in it mainly for the physical benefits

rather then practicing it as a way to reach Godhead. This is simply my opinion

based on what I have experienced. In a KC world, I have no doubt that the

ultimate yoga would be bhakti but our little group is far from the whole.

Besides there are literally thousands of yoga branches, sometimes it seems that

anyone who uncovers a tad bit of "enlightenment" creates a new process. I once

knew a lady who made up a yoga school called "Xanu yoga" in which everyone had

to wear silver pyramid shaped hats and she went into a trance and claimed to

channel an alien named "Xanu-ranu" who gave a mantra and a posture a week for

$25.

-Johann Renaud (Madhumangala das)

[Guest guest]

achintya, "Johann Renaud" <johannrenaud@c...>

wrote:

> I don't know. I have seen alot of people practicing yoga who

totally devoid of any spiritual qualities and they are in it mainly

for the physical benefits rather then practicing it as a way to

reach Godhead.

 

I'm still not satisfied…

Yoga means "union", referring to a union of the self and God. When

this is not what a person is striving for, how can he still be

called a "Yogi", or "one how seeks union with God"?

Aren't modern "Yoga" systems taught in the west and meant only for

the achievement of mental and physical health are in fact not Yoga

according to the teaching of Srila Prabhupada?

[Guest guest]

....the world does not follow the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, only us.

-Johann Renaud (Madhumangala das)