Prologue 
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yoga
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About yoga
yoga is an ancient system of exercises that has evolved for millenia in India known in the west for the past hundred years, yoga has proven itself to be of great value for westners as well.yoga means "unity", "harmony". It harmonizes one's life, awakens the latent capabilities & unites oneself with the cosmic consciousness. It is union & integration of every aspect of a human being from the innermost to the external.
yoga is a rich time-honored teaching on how we can achieve physical health, psychological well being & spiritual peace. It is a path of self discovery that leads to balance & harmony. It enhances every facet of physical fitness.
Benefits of yoga
The highest aim of yoga is realisation of the true self. This leads to cosmic Love, a feeling of oneness with all & the experience of pure being, unflawed knowledge & infinite bliss.
yoga is no magic pill but leads to the desired goal through patient, systematic practice.
Intense practice of yoga has been found to activate intuitions & creativity, unfold artistic capabilities & enhance mental power. Different spheres of consciousness becomes accessible to a yoga practicioner.Many perceive the life energy within themselves & others become aware of its rotation in the chakras.
To summarize yoga exercises can help you to:
1. Harmonize your life
2. Awaken latent capabilities
3. Unite yourself with the cosmic consciousness
The Paths
of yogas
These paths form the philosophical base of the yoga system though understanding them is not mandatory having a knowledge of them will help in the better understanding of this system:
Hatha yoga:It is unitive discipline of the force (serpent power). It is the foundation of yoga system or the preparation of higher yoga.'Ha' refers to 'sun' & 'tha' means 'moon'. Thus hath yoga refers to positive(sun) to negative (moon) currents in the system.These currents are to be balanced & mastered so that the vital force, prana can be regulated, mind cleared & superconsciousness achieved.
It ensures good physical & mental health one can utilise this to the best advantage by deep meditation on the atama or inner self.Self realisation is it's major role.It can be achieved by rememberance of god, by righteousness, by a life virtue.
This branch of yoga uses physical poses, breathing techniques, relaxation methods to explore structure of mind,body & soul. Through the yoga postures, attention is focused on inward finding integration,balance,compassion & Love.
Ashtang/Rajayoga: "Raja" means Royal & the meditation route to self-ralization.Raja yoga starts with the mind, it's goal is a complete stilling of mind so that the light of undwellling spirit may shine out.
It is also known as power yoga, it focuses on powerful flowering moments such as push-ups.it is the process whereby the practitioner concentrates upon one point in order to integrate discontinuous, diffused attention.This yoga includes affirmations, visualisations, attentiveness, self-observation & various meditation techniques.
Recommended for: It is appropriate for those who have successfully rehabilitated from a back injury & are looking for a more strenuous practice.
Bhakti yoga: It is the yoga of devotion & love. Love is god, Love of god in man & surrender to god's will is stressed in the bhakti yoga approach.Some people are naturally included by temprament to be devotional & love god & god as the world. Balance is recommended: devotion balance with reason; Love balanced with understanding.
There are no set ways of performing Bhakti yoga. Some people find that external aids can contribute to the devotional attitude for example: an altar used during prayer & meditation, pictures of saints to serve as inspiration, chanting or singing.
Singing the name of god aloud can elevate the consciousness, clear the mind & even change the environment with pure energy.
It is our daily life that Bhakti yoga is practiced-Are we loving, compassionate & fair in our dealings with others?.
Jesus stated the ideal of Bhakti yoga when he taught:
"As you have Loved me,Love one another"
When true love reigns, there can be no barriers, then harmony & fulfillment rules.Love & Devotion also purifies human nature & cleanes the mind & the emotions.
There can be no hate, dislike, jealousy, envy fear or prejudice in the loving heart. Truly blessed are pure in heart, for they can perceive the Reality of God.
This is the philosophy of Bhakti yoga,thus Bhakti yoga is a yoga with no set rules but is a process of remembrance of god with full concentration & devotion, the way you or your faith finds appropriate.
Recommended for: This yoga can & should be practiced by each & everyone but those suffering with stresses & mental trauma are especially benefited by this yoga.
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Quick Links:
The Complete breath (Pranayam)
Sun Salutation (SuryaNamaskar)
Treatment of Diseases through yoga
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