Easten Religion

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I n t r o d u c t i o n

How would you de�ne Yoga? Have you taken a Yoga class before? If so, you most likely did a series of

postures, stretching and some breathing techniques.

But did you know there is much more to Yoga than this? When some people think of Yoga, they de�ne it as

exercise or a way to get more �exible. Others de�ne it as a spiritual path...a lifestyle.

Wh a t i s Yo g a ?

Yoga is an ancient art of spiritual

and physical development that

originated in India over 4,000

years ago (around the same time

as the formation of Hinduism).

Yoga literally translates as

U n i o n or To Yo ke. In Hindu

philosophy, yoga unites the

Atman (individual soul) with

Brahman (the divine). On a basic level, the goal of yoga is to yoke the mind,

body, and spirit together in union to attain a state of peacefulness and well-being. Or in other words, Yoga

is a reconnection with the sacred.

In the past few decades, the media has portrayed yoga as a trendy �tness regime, one that celebrities

promote as bringing clarity and inner awareness as well as a �t and red carpet ready body. This yoga boom

has created an increase in yoga classes and centers.

However, many traditional yoga practitioners feel this interest in yoga is focusing too narrowly on the

physical aspects, or the a s a n a (posture) practice, when yoga is actually a complex, multi-layered system

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that addresses every level of being, including one's emotional and mental state as well as our spiritual well-

being. As you'll see, the postures are actually only one of the limbs of P a t a n j a l i ' s 8-limb system of yoga.

Hi sto r y o f Yo g a

Remember when you learned about the Indus Valley and the Stone Seals

that were discovered there? Well, some of those seals had images of yogis

doing various postures and meditations. Archeologists speculate that

these yogis were held in high regard because of their prominence on the

seals.

The forest yogis, known as ri s h i s , taught through oral tradition. They

dedicated their lives to practicing and teaching postures, meditations,

reciting spiritual poetry, reading the scriptures, and living a life of austerity.

Some even say they had magical powers and could levitate.

Whatever the case, there is good reason to believe these rishis were held in very high respect!

Th e Yo g a Su tra s

Though yoga had been around for a long time already, it wasn't until P a t a n j a l i

(considered to be a rishi himself) compiled all these teachings together around 200 BCE

that Yoga really became solidi�ed as a philosophical tradition. Patanjali was an expert in

Ayruveda and Sanskrit and is considered by some Hindus to be an incarnation of

Vishnu's vehicle (the cobra).

Considered the "F a t h er o f Yo g a ," Patanjali's compilation on Yogic philosophy and

poetic instructions on how to attain samadhi (enlightenment) become known as the

Yo g a Su t ra s , literally, the "Threads of Yoga." In this book, Patanjali de�nes yoga as

"Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodahah" which means "Yoga is the stopping of the turnings of the

mind."

Called the "Heart of Yoga", the Yoga Sutras are meant to be memorized and recited. As compact wisdom

packages, they are to be repeatedly studied throughout one's life. Some may call them vague, but others say

there is a lot of room (purposely) for interpretation and re�ection. It is through these sutras that Yoga

becomes known as a practical mysticism. The Yoga Sutras are considered, still today, the most in�uential

work on Yoga.

5 Pa th s

There are many ways to be a yogi, with �ve main paths of yoga that one can choose to follow - Hatha, Raja,

Karma, Bhakti and Jnana.

P a t h 1 - H ATH A YO G A

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H a t h a Yo g a ( H a / Th a means "Su n / M o o n") is the path that Americans

are most familiar with. It is focused primarily on the physical body as a

vehicle to health and well-being. Through physical postures (called

a s a n a s ) and breathing techniques called p ra n ay a m a , Hatha Yoga aims to

heal and calm the body in order to calm the mind. We'll explore the asanas

and pranayama in more detail when we get to the Eight Limbs later.

Though the focus of this path is centered on the physical body, ironically

the whole point is to strengthen ourselves so we can transcend the body and focus on spiritual matters. For

example, doing yoga makes the body more comfortable for long hours of meditation. If you sit down to

meditate and your body is not �exible and hurts from sitting, you're not going to be able to focus on

calming your mind, but probably will only be distracted by the aches of your body.

By doing Hatha Yoga, we are able to release tension, achieve balance, correct our energy �ow, and

strengthen ourselves.

P a t h 2 - RA JA YO G A

Raja Yoga was, at one time, only practiced by royality, therefore is known as the "Royal Path." It is

considered the " Yo g a o f t h e M i n d " and is more related to psychology than any of the other paths. Hatha

is considered a stepping stone to Raja (�rst you must get the body strong, then the mind). Considered the

"Classical Yoga," Raja focuses on our concentration and overcoming the limits of our mind.

An example of Raja Yoga is the following: A teacher walks in and places a

bowl of water down on the table. Then she places a rock at the bottom of

the bowl and waits a few minutes in silent meditation as the water calms

and becomes still. She speaks, "See how clearly the water re�ects the

pebble. That pebble is your consciousness, your mind. You can see it only

when the water is still and clear, which is what we aim for with yoga."

Then she stands up and takes out several bottles of food coloring. She

begins adding, �rst the red ("anger/passion") turning the water pink, then

the green ("jealousy/materialism"), then yellow ("fear), then blue

("depression/sadness/loneliness") and so on. The water slowly becomes dark and muddied, swirling with all

the different colors added. Then she adds a pinch of something that looks like dirt, it is gritty and rough like

gravel. She says, "this is our resentment, our bitterness, those grudges we hold." The rough texture swirls in

and lays a thick, grimy coat through the water.

"Can you see that pebble, your mind anymore?" she asks. We shake our heads no. "This is what we deal with

every day. It's no wonder we have trouble knowing our true selves, they are so bogged down by all this

other stuff we carry." We nod in recognition. She concludes, "Yoga is what helps us clear away all these

disturbances, all these turnings of the mind. Raja focuses on preventing that water from getting clouded

and tainted so we can have clarity and know who we truly are."

You can see from this story why Raja is called the "Psychology of yoga." As the basis for the Eight limbs that

you'll learn about in the next lesson, the Yoga Sutras says, "Ra j a Yo g a d i s s o l ves t h e b a rri ers o f t h e

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m i n d ."

P a t h 3 - K A RM A YO G A

Karma Yoga is the path to enlightenment through sel�ess action. Referred

to as the Yo g a o f A ct i o n , this path is not about the results, but about the

sel�ess joy of God.

Like in Buddhism, the practice must be done through a lack of ego, not with

any concerns about the fruits of the labor or rewards. Any focus on our own

rewards or ego would cloud our inner tranquility and pure intentions for

Karma yoga.

Karma Yoga focuses on the unconditional love for all sentient beings, like the love a mother has for a child.

Lo ka a h Sa m a s t a Su kh i n o Bh av a n t u

This Yogic chant translates as: "May the entire universe be �lled with peace and joy, love and light. May my

positive thoughts and actions contribute to the positive thoughts and actions of others."

Considered the best remedy for depression, helping others helps us to forget our own issues and egos and

put our faith into action. The Dalai Lama agrees, "To d evel o p a s en s e o f u n i vers a l res p o n s i b i l i t y i s t o

d evel o p a m i n d w h ere w h en w e ca n s ee a n o p p o rt u n i t y t o b en e� t o t h ers , w e w i l l t a ke i t i n

p referen ce t o m erel y l o o ki n g a ft er o u r o w n n a rro w i n t eres t s ."

P a t h 4 - BH A K TI YO G A

You recognize the term "bhakti" from Hinduism, which means "devotion."

Bhakti Yoga is the " Yo g a o f D evo t i o n ." It is the path of loveing all beings

as faces of God and surrendering ourselves through ritual, chant, dance,

asana, etc. Through bhakti yoga, we can have a direct, intense personal

relationship with the divine through just about any means (ex: the guru

(teacher), nature, our inner self, even our puppy...anything that God can

manifest in). In other words, we see the divine in the world through our

surrender and humility.

As in Hindu thought, Yogis believe anything can become God as long as it's authentic intention. So, for

example, if someone is having a hard time focusing on the abstract notion of God, they may be told to focus

on someone in their lives they feel a great deal of love for - their spouse, child, nephew, etc. and put their

energy towards that person as a face of God. Yogis see it as all the same, an unconditional love (called

prema).

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This path of devotion is inherent in most religions (as you saw in Hinduism and are probably familiar with in

Christianity, based on a devotion of God/Christ).

Within Bhakti Yoga are other yoga paths or techniques, including N a d a Yo g a (the

" Yo g a o f So u n d "). Chanting (or Kirtan) is one example of Nada Yoga. You've already

heard several chants during the Hindu section and the few more in this section.

These chants, especially chanting the "OM," helps clear our chakras and focus our

prayers. The vibrations are believed to heal and strengthen. Many Yogis believe bhakti

is the most essential component of our s a d h a n a (spiritual practice). Without bhakti, most yogis believe a

true union cannot be attained.

"O M " ch a n t ( L i s t en t o a few m i n u t es o f t h i s v i d eo )

P a t h 5 - J N A N A YO G A

Jnana Yoga is the path of the sage, the " Yo g a o f W i s d o m ." This is the path

in which we understand we are much more than just our mind and body. It

is the path of the scholar, the learner, the student. It is considered by Yogis

to be the most dif�cult path of all because it requires a tremendous amount

of dedictation, will and intellect.

Gandhi followed Jnana Yoga by studying all the sacred scriptures. He said it

was our "sacred duty" to study the world's scriptures and learn others' beliefs, even if we don't believe

them. Yogis agree - you don't have to be a Hindu to read and appreciate the Bhagavad Gita and you don't

have to be a Christian to appreciate and understand Jesus teachings from the New Testament.

Yogis say that the other four paths are foundations for Jnana as it teaches us discernment of what's real

from what's illusion.

Yo g a ch a n t - Listen to this popular Yoga chant based on this discernment:

As a t a M a t S a m G a ma y a

Ta ma s o M a t J y ot i r G a ma

M y r i t or M a ha mr i t ha b G a ma y a

This chant translates as:

"Lead us from unreal to real.

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From the darkness of ignorance to the light of wisdom

From the fear of death to the knowledge of in�nite

existence and immortality."