Yoga philosophy
DEFINING YOGA
The word Yoga is rooted from the sanskrit word “yuj” which means to yoke or to bind – to make one. In this case, the two things to be made one are the individual’s mind and the divine. Divine refers to a state that comes from a supernatural power, a god, higher power, or spiritual beings, and are therefore regarded as sacred and holy because they have qualities that are superior or supreme relative to things of the Earth. This sanskrit term, yuj, indicates that the purpose of yoga is to unite ourselves with our highest nature. This re-integration is accomplished through the practices of the various yoga disciplines. Until this re-integration takes place, we identify ourselves with our limitations–the limitations of the body, mind, and senses. Thus we feel incomplete and limited, and are subject to feelings of sorrow, insecurity, fear, and separation, because we have separated ourselves from the experience of the whole. Yoga defines itself as a science–that is, as a practical, methodical, and systematic discipline or set of techniques that have the lofty goal of helping human beings to become aware of their deepest nature.
No one person "invented" yoga – yoga is a living tradition, a set of practices that dates back for centuries.
YOGA AND THE MIND
In the beginning of our work, the greatest problem we experience is our inherent restlessness of mind. Mind, by its very nature, is outgoing and unsteady. The highest state of meditation, however, requires a calm, serene, one-pointed mind, free from negative emotions and the distractions created by cravings, obsessions, and desires. To reach the subtler levels of consciousness and awareness, we need willpower, clarity of mind, and the ability to consciously direct the mind towards our goal. This is possible only when we turn away from preoccupation with external acquisition and seek to stop all inharmonious or negative mental processes. To achieve this, we do not need to give up our homes and society and retire to a monastery. Instead, we can achieve a state of peace, harmony, and contentment in our daily meditation, and thus, go on carrying out our life's duties and activities with the love and devotion that emerges from our meditative experience.
YOGA AND ITS ORIGINS – THE VEDIC PERIOD
Yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago. The term Yoga was first mentioned in the sacred texts, The Vedas. The Vedas recorded not only the religion of vedic people, but also the details of their lives that give us a look at their political, social, and economic pattern. These were considered sacred texts of revealed wisdom, or Sruti, meaning, “what is heard from a higher source.” The Rig Veda is the most commonly known of the 4 Veda’s. Rig is Sanskrit for praise and Veda is Sanskrit for knowledge. This is the oldest known Veda compromised of 1028 hymns thought to be of divine origin. Age debated to be between 1700 – 1100 BCE. You could say that Rig Veda is to Hinduism as Book Of Genesis is to Christianity. The other three Vedic hymnodies are the Yajur-Veda [Knowledge of Sacrifice], Sama-Veda [Knowledge of Chants] such as mantra and kirtan, and Atharva-Veda [Knowledge of Atharvan]. The first collection contains the sacrificial formulas used by the Vedic priests. The second text contains the chants accompanying the sacrifices. The third hymnody is filled with magical incantations for all occasions but also includes a number of very powerful philosophical hymns. It is connected with Atharvan, a famous fire priest who is remembered as having been a master of magical rituals. These hymnodies can be compared to the various books of the Old Testament. The Rig Veda revolved around the idea of sacrifice as a means of one going from the material world to the invisible world of spirit. In order to perform the rituals successfully the sacrificer’s had to be able to focus for a prolonged period of time. This inner focusing is where the root of Yoga started. When successful, the Vedic yogi was graced with a “vision” or experience of the transcendental reality. A great master of Vedic Yoga was called a “seer”, or in Sanskrit, rishi. The Vedic seers were able to see the very fabric of existence, and their hymns speak of their marvelous intuitions, which can still inspire us today.
Brahmans, also spelled Brahmin, is a term used for the highest ranking of the four social classes in Hindu India. Brahmans were the leaders or priests who read from Vedic scripture and lead rituals and chants, and preached to the community. The remaining 3 classes were warriors (of the Kshatriya class), traders (of the Vaishya class), and laborers (of the Sudra class).
The next sacred text following the Vedas was the Upanishads. This text was a collection of different parts of the four Vedas (the wisdom literature) and is translated to mean, “the last chapter, the end of the Vedas”, also known as the Vedantas. The Upanishads text discusses the deep connection between humanity and the cosmos. They explore speculative questions about the origin, basis, and support of the universe. “What is the cause? What is Brahman? Whence are we born? Whereby do we live? On what are we established?” The teachers of the Upanishads point the way to a profound realization:
Brahmin priest reading a sacred text at a Vedic sacrifice Atman, the inmost soul, individual soul, or breath of life, is also Brahman, the the cosmic soul, ultimate reality that pervades the entire universe. Reality beyond is also within. In order to attain liberation, a human being must acquire self-knowledge which is to realize that one's true self, Atman, is identical with the transcendent self-Brahman. In short, Atman and Brahman describes how our individual soul connects the the soul of the universe.
YOGA AND RELIGION
Overtime, two streams of culture existed in India; Vedic and Non-Vedic. The non-Vedic Indian culture included Jainism and Buddhism, neither of which accepted the authority of the Vedas, consequently evolving into separate faiths.
In order for a religion to be considered Vedic, the Dharma/religion must accept all 3 points below:1. Authority of Vedas
2. Existence of Atman/Soul
3. Existence of Ishwara (God or Supersoul)
1. Hinduism (Vedic) – A wide spectrum of laws and prescriptions of “daily mortality” based on karma. dharma, and societal norms. Hinduism is a categorization of distant intellectual or philosophical points of view, rather than a rigid religion or common set of beliefs.
2. Buddhism (Non-Vedic) – A religion marked by a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely based on teachings of the Buddha, meaning “the awakened one”. Buddha lived sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized as an enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help his human beings end their suffering by recognizing and understanding their desire. His teaching sought to eliminate the desire and thus end all suffering, known as the sublime state of nirvana.
3. Jainism (Non-Vedic) – A religion that prescribes a path of nonviolence towards all living beings and emphasizes spiritual independence and equality between all forms of life. Practitioners believe that non-violence and self-control are the means by which they can obtain liberation.
SHARING THE PRACTICE & TEACHINGS OF YOGA
Long before text was documented wisdom was passed down from Guru (teacher) to student. Students and teachers often lived together in what they called a kula meaning home. The company of the "highest truth," the company of a guru, or company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth is known as a Satsang. This typically involves listening to or reading scriptures, reflecting on, discussing and assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing their meaning into one’s daily life. In satsang, participants commit to exploring the liberation of truth. It is a formal or informal gathering intended to facilitate the sharing of wisdom and is said to be a particularly important doorway to experiencing inner freedom.
Like meditation and asana, satsang is best experienced as a consistent practice – as doing so will help quiet the mind and encourage one’s energies to stabilize. Satsang is any kind of program in which teaching and meditation take place. However, it can also be practiced alone by cultivating truth within one’s inner self and remaining centered on thoughts of the Divine.
The following are standard requirements to experiencing satsang:
1. A shared intention between group members
2. Context to spark spiritual insight
3. An agreement regarding ground rules
PRE – CLASSICAL PERIOD
(5th century) In this period three main streams of Yoga had been formed – Jainism, Buddhism, and the Upanishadic traditions. Shortly after the fifth century the most renowned yogic scripture is written, the Bhagavad-Gita.
Bhagavad-Gita means the “song of the Lord”, a guide to spiritual liberation through symbolism. This book is the revolution to Yoga. The Gita spoke of yoga and revealed that it had in fact been around for quite some time before the scripture was written, yet does not give a date that indicates when yoga began. The main focus of the Gita is to emphasize that people must put their egos aside and let their actions speak for who they are as well as doing one’s duty and not expecting the fruit of the action. This ancient Indian text dives into the search for serenity, calmness, and permanence in a world of rapid change and how to integrate spiritual values into ordinary life. This book made yoga and a higher state of consciousness readily available to all. Similar to how the Upanishads gave more insight to the teachings of the Vedas, the Gita integrated the teachings of the Upanishads. It also implies within the text that women are not excluded from the practice which is a first in Yoga tradition. The Gita attempted to bring together the three ideals that formed separate yogas which were Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, which made the practice more important. Within the texts of the Gita, the 4 Aims of Life are revealed:
1. Dharma – duty
2. Artha – wealth
3. Kama – pleasure
4. Moksha – liberation
CLASSICAL PERIOD
Raja or “royal” Yoga meaning yoga of the mind is introduced during this time period. The Yoga Sutras authored by Patanjali are an organization of yogic philosophy into short aphorisms, or verses. Sutra means, “thread”. Patanjali is often linked to Ashtanga Yoga and the 8 limb path. Asht means “eight” and Anga means “limb”. His biggest focus in his text is Samadhi, enlightenment. He believed an individual is a composite of matter and spirit. This is the highest meditative state in which a person transcends their individual Ego and merges with the universe or higher power. He then goes on to describe various ways to achieve this state. In Patanjali’s view, there are only two things to consider; the Self, or the inner witnessing consciousness called Purusha (spirit). Everything else – thoughts, emotions, trees, your landlord, all reside outside the witnessing consciousness. This is called Prakriti (matter), or nature. Patanjali tells us that at some point, in some way, we forgot our essential nature. We became identified with the things that are happening. We develop ways of thinking, attachments to our ideas. We see male or female, large or small, and somehow these things become our identity. The inability to see the difference between our essential nature and everything else is called Avidya, or ignorance. How do we overcome this fundamental ignorance? Patanjali says the only way to see the difference between our witnessing consciousness and everything that consciousness perceives is to create stillness. Like a calm lake with no waves or ripples, in that stillness we can again see our essential nature, undisguised by the movements of the mind.
He advocated that yoga would restore the spirit to its absolute reality, a teaching that saw a shift from non dualism to dualism.
Non dualism – meaning two, our individual soul is separate from a higher power.
Dualism – meaning not two, believes in union, or oneness.
POSTCLASSICAL PERIOD
The earlier eras saw yogis laying emphasis only on meditation and contemplation. Their goal was to shed their mortal being and merge with the infinite. During this postclassical period, however, yogis began to probe the hidden powers of the body. Yoga masters designed advanced yogic practices that would rejuvenate the body prolonging its life. Post classical yoga’s goal was no longer to strive to obtain liberation, but rather to teach one to accept it and live in the moment. This led to Hatha Yoga. Alongside Hatha Yoga, Tantra Yoga was developed, and eventually extended into them any styles see today.
S T U D Y G U I D E O B J E C T I V E S
DEFINING YOGA
Define Yoga.
Define Divine
Know & understand WHY we teach and practice yoga.
YOGA AND THE MIND
Define Mindfullness.
THE VEDIC PERIOD
Know the earliest origins of yoga.
State the significance of the Vedas.
Know what the four Vedas are and their English translation.
Understand the differences between the “yogic” religions.
Define Brahmans.
Define the Upanishads and what they represent.
Understand Brahman & Atman
SHARING THE PRACTICE & TEACHINGS OF YOGA
Define Guru.
Define Kula.
Define Satsang.
PRE – CLASSICAL PERIOD
Know & Understand the text within the Bhagavad Gita.
Know the 4 Aims of Life.
CLASSICAL PERIOD
Define Raja Yoga.
Define Sutras.
Know the 8 Limb Path.
Understand Purusha & Prakriti.
Define Avidya.
Define and explain non dualism and dualism.
POSTCLASSICAL PERIOD
Name the first two types of “physical” yoga that was brought West.
T Y P E S O F Y O G A
There is much confusion about exactly what yoga IS, especially since there seem to be so many approaches, styles, and practices, all described by the name “yoga.”Think of it this way – a mountain climber may take a variety of routes to reach the top of a mountain. From the plain at the base of the mountain, all these paths seem distinct and different, but from the mountain summit, the view is always the same. The same is true of the seeming diversity of the yogic paths. These different paths are not mutually exclusive or conflicting, but are intended to accommodate the various inclinations, personalities, and temperaments of individual students, and yet they all have the same goal.
HATHA YOGA
Most forms of yoga in the West can be classified as Hatha Yoga. Hatha simply refers to the practice of physical yoga postures, meaning your Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar and Power Yoga classes are all Hatha Yoga. The word “hatha” can be translated to forceful – though we consider hatha to be on the gentle end of the spectrum these days, the physical practice likely seemed strong in comparison to more subtle practices (meditation, for example) that were available at time. Haha or the yoga of activity, is also broken down like this: “sun” (ha) and “moon” (tha), the yoga of balance. Hatha practices are designed to align and calm your body, mind, and spirit in preparation for meditation.
TANTRA YOGA
(KUNDALINI YOGA)
While most of us think of sex when we think of Tantra Yoga, this ancient practice is actually a powerful combination of asana, mantra, mudra, and bandha (energy lock) and chakra (energy center) work that you can use to build strength, clarity, and bliss in everyday life. By harnessing and embodying the five forces of Shakti, the female deity that represents creativity and change, Tantric Yoga suggests we can move through the world with more confidence and contentment.
(BHAKTI YOGA)
Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion, emphasizing devotional love for and surrender to God.
By seeing the Divine in everyone and everywhere, Bhakti yoga cultivates acceptance, tolerance, and love for all beings. Bhakti yoga also involves a lot of chanting and kirtan (call and response) that evokes feelings of love, connection, and bliss. There are nine main practices of Bhakti Yoga that can be practiced independently or together – The 9 Limbs of Devotion. Each of these limbs creates a specific bhava [feeling] that appeals to different inner constitutions of practitioners.
(JNANA YOGA)
Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom and knowledge (Jnana), involving disciplined study of scriptures and constant inquiry into the nature of self. Often called the yoga of the mind, Jnana yoga is well suited for the more intellectually inclined. Known as the yoga of true knowledge, it is based on the Hindu philosophy of nondualism. Jnana yoga looks into the truth about who we are and what we are experiencing. The full realization of these truth brings enlightenment. Typically Jnana Yoga is used in conjunction with Bhakti Yoga or Karma Yoga practices.
(KARMA YOGA)
The practice consists of entirely selfless service, in which Ego is given up to desire to serve the divine in every thing, be it man, animal, plant, or object. Karma Yoga is also the path of doing the right thing, of knowing ones’ personal dharma and accepting destiny as it comes. This practice revolves around, helping, healing, and sharing.
ASHTANGA YOGA
(RAJA YOGA)
This method of yoga is a highly structured vinyasa-style class that involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind. There are five Ashtanga asana series and each student must master every pose of the first series before moving onto the second series. The term Raja is sanskrit for Royal. Asht means eight, Anga means limb. This practice of Yoga is linked to and based off of The Yoga Sutras, the 8 Limb Path.
(VINYASA YOGA)
Vi is sanskrit for divergent, apart, or special, and nyasa means to place of to put making the word Vinyasa mean “to place or put in a special way”. Vinyasa’s main focus is connecting the external movement of the body with the internal action of the breath. We use the breath to guide us in and out of poses with seamless transitions and a flow like link of asanas (postures). The fluid, almost dance-like movements increase flexibility, strength, and stamina, as it calms the mind and improves overall health. Vinyasa is based off of Ashtanga as a more free-flowing practice compared to the more methodical basis of Ashtanga. They will typically include a broad range of poses, including standing and balancing postures, twists, backbends, inversions, seated poses, and forward folds. Vinyasa classes place less emphasis on absolutely precise alignment, in favor of finding one's unique ability to "flow," even when presented with challenges. This style is often considered a "moving meditation." Many practitioners discover that the ability to "flow" through a challenging yoga class has benefits off the mat, as well — resulting in a greater ability to "ride the waves" of life with more ease and focus. In a vinyasa practice teachers encourage students to use a specific type of Pranayama or breath technique called Ujjayi Pranayama.This phrase translates to "Victorious Breath," but is also sometimes called "Ocean Breath" because of the sound it makes. When practicing Ujjayi, practitioners breathe through the nose to completely fill and empty their lungs. Each movement in a Vinyasa practice is partnered with either an inhalation or an exhalation, creating a flowing link between breath and movement. The poses are sometimes held for several breaths, but when moving between poses, Ujjayi breath provides the connection.
(POWER YOGA)
Power Yoga also takes it inspiration from ashtanga. It was developed in the 1990’s as an attempt to make ashtanga yoga more accessible to Western students. It is sometimes referred to a “gym yoga” because it was designed to be intense enough to be attractive for Western athletes and gym-goers. And like some vinyasa classes are, power yoga classes are heated. Power Yoga studios typically teach the same sequence for each class (just as Bikram Yoga does) and very rarely strays from the series of poses.
IYENGAR YOGA
By paying close attention to anatomical details and the alignment of each posture, Iyengar Yoga is the practice of precision. Poses are held for long periods and often modified with props. This method is designed to systematically cultivate strength, flexibility, stability, and awareness, and can be therapeutic for specific conditions. B.K.S. Iyengar founded Iyengar Yoga. This style has systematized over 200 classical yoga poses and 14 different types of Pranayama (with variations of many of them) ranging from the basic to advanced. This helps ensure that students progress gradually by moving from simple poses to more complex ones and develop their mind, body and spirit through a step-by-step approach. Iyengar Yoga often makes use of props, such as belts, blocks, and blankets, as aids in performing asanas (postures). The props enable students to perform the asanas correctly, minimising the risk of injury or strain,
YIN YOGA
This practice is designed to help you sit longer, and more comfortably, in meditation by stretching connective tissue around the joints (mainly the knees, pelvis, sacrum, and spine). A passive practice, Yin Yoga involves variations of seated and supine poses typically held for 3 to 5 minutes, accessing deeper layers of fascia.
S T U D Y G U I D E O B J E C T I V E S
– Compare & contrast Hatha and Raja Yoga.
– Define Ha-Tha
– Know the 8 Limb Path
– Define Raja Yoga
– Understand the difference of Jnana and Karma Yoga.
– Explain Ujjayi breath
– Compare and contrast Ashtanga Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga.