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[[Image:Sivakempfort.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A large statue of [[Lord Shiva]] meditating.]]
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[[Image:Yoga girl.jpg|250px|thumb|A woman practising hatha yoga <!---anybody familiar with this might want to detail the exact step?--->]]
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'''Yoga''' ([[Devanagari]]: योग) is one of the six schools of [[Hindu philosophy]], focusing on [[meditation]]. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside [[India]], Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of [[asanas]] (postures) of [[Hatha Yoga]] (see [[Yoga as exercise]]). Yoga used as a form of [[alternative medicine]] is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and [[meditation]], practiced for over 5,000 years. <ref>The Bhagavad-Gita and Jivana Yoga By Ramnarayan Vyas</ref><ref>Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley (page 16)</ref><ref>Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley</ref>
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[[Image:Yoga instructor.jpg|thumb|250px|''Eka-Pada-Rajakapotasana'' (Single-Legged Pigeon) demonstrated at a Hindu temple.]]

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'''Yoga''' ([[Devanagari]]: योग) is one of the six schools of [[Hindu philosophy]], focusing on [[meditation]]. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside [[India]], Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of [[asanas]] (postures) of [[Hatha Yoga]] (see [[Yoga as exercise]]).


Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to [[Hinduism]] (including [[Vedanta]]), [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. [[Hindu]] texts establishing the basis for yoga include the [[Upanishads]], the [[Bhagavad Gita]], the [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali]], the [[Hatha Yoga Pradipika]] and many others.
Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to [[Hinduism]] (including [[Vedanta]]), [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]] and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. <ref>Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance - Page 268
by Garri Garripoli</ref> [[Hindu]] texts establishing the basis for yoga include the [[Upanishads]], the [[Bhagavad Gita]], the [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali]], the [[Hatha Yoga Pradipika]] and many others.


The four main paths of Yoga are [[Karma Yoga]], [[Jnana Yoga]], [[Bhakti Yoga]] and [[Raja Yoga]]. A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a [[yogi]], [[yogin]] (masculine), or [[yogini]] (feminine).
The four main paths of Yoga are [[Karma Yoga]], [[Jnana Yoga]], [[Bhakti Yoga]] and [[Raja Yoga]]. A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a [[yogi]], [[yogin]] (masculine), or [[yogini]] (feminine).
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The term is attested since the [[Rigveda]] in the sense of "act of yoking, joining, attaching, harnessing" but also "undertaking, business, performance". A mental sense of "exertion, zeal, diligence" is attested since the [[Mahabharata]], and the spiritual or mystical sense of
The term is attested since the [[Rigveda]] in the sense of "act of yoking, joining, attaching, harnessing" but also "undertaking, business, performance". A mental sense of "exertion, zeal, diligence" is attested since the [[Mahabharata]], and the spiritual or mystical sense of
"abstract contemplation, meditation" likewise appears in the Mahabharata as well as in the [[Upanishad]]s.
"abstract contemplation, meditation" likewise appears in the Mahabharata as well as in the [[Upanishad]]s.
[[Image:7BrahmanMH.jpg|thumb|Half-lotus position.]]


==Texts on Yoga==
==Texts on Yoga==
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===Yoga Sutras of Patanjali===
===Yoga Sutras of Patanjali===
{{main|Patanjali|Yoga Sutras of Patanjali}}
{{main|Patanjali|Yoga Sutras of Patanjali}}
The [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali]] are a book of 196 aphorisms compiled by the sage Patanjali sometime between 100 BCE and 200 CE. It is understood{{who}} that Patanjali, as a theoretical and practical base, drew and developed his system from the [[Upanishads]], the [[Bhagavad Gita]] and [[Samkhya]] philosophy. [[Patanjali]] in the Yoga Sutras presents the goal of yoga as 'the cessation of mental fluctuations' (cittavrtti nirodha).
The [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali]] are a book of 196 aphorisms compiled by the sage [[Patanjali]].


In reference to the Bhagavad Gita classifications, Patanjali's yoga is a form of [[Raja yoga]], as it seeks meditation as the path towards the ultimate goal. Patanjali himself referred to it as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"), from the eight steps he set out as the practical path towards attainment of enlightenment. This eight-limbed concept became an authoritative feature of Raja yoga from that point forward, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today.
In reference to the Bhagavad Gita classifications, Patanjali's yoga is a form of [[Raja yoga]], as it seeks meditation as the path towards the ultimate goal. Patanjali himself referred to it as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"), from the eight steps he set out as the practical path towards attainment of enlightenment. This eight-limbed concept became an authoritative feature of Raja yoga from that point forward, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today.
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===Hatha Yoga Pradipika===
===Hatha Yoga Pradipika===
{{Main|Hatha yoga}}
{{Main|Hatha yoga}}
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[[Image:Yoga girl.jpg|250px|thumb|A woman practising hatha yoga <!---anybody familiar with this might want to detail the exact step?--->]]
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Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga introduced by [[Yogi Swatmarama]], a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the [[Hatha Yoga Pradipika]]. Hatha Yoga is a development of — but also differs substantially from — the [[Raja Yoga]] of Patanjali, in that it focuses on ''[[shatkarma]]'', the purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind (''ha'') and ''[[prana]]'', or vital energy (''tha''). In contrast, the Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali begins with a purification of the mind (''yamas'') and spirit (''niyamas''), then comes to the body via ''[[asana]]'' (body postures) and ''[[pranayama]]'' (breath). Hatha yoga contains substantial [[tantric]] influence, and marks the first point at which [[chakras]] and [[kundalini]] were introduced into the yogic canon. Compared to the seated asanas of Patanjali's Raja yoga which were seen largely as a means of preparing for meditation, it also marks the development of asanas as full body 'postures' in the modern sense.
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[[Image:Yoga instructor.jpg|thumb|250px|''Eka-Pada-Rajakapotasana'' (Single-Legged Pigeon) demonstrated at a Hindu temple.]]
⚫
Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga introduced by [[Yogi Swatmarama]], a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the [[Hatha Yoga Pradipika]]. Hatha Yoga is a development of — but also differs substantially from — the [[Raja Yoga]] of Patanjali, in that it focuses on ''[[shatkarma]]'', the purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind (''ha'') and ''[[prana]]'', or vital energy (''tha''). <ref>Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice - Page 42 by Christy Turlington (page 42)</ref><ref>Guiding Yoga's Light: Yoga Lessons for Yoga Teachers - Page 10 by Nancy Gerstein </ref> In contrast, the Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali begins with a purification of the mind (''yamas'') and spirit (''niyamas''), then comes to the body via ''[[asana]]'' (body postures) and ''[[pranayama]]'' (breath). Hatha yoga contains substantial [[tantric]] influence, <ref>Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath Body & Mind - Page 6 by Frank Jude Boccio</ref><ref>Yoga: The Indian Tradition By Ian Whicher, David Carpenter (page 8)</ref> and marks the first point at which [[chakras]] and [[kundalini]] were introduced into the yogic canon. Compared to the seated asanas of Patanjali's Raja yoga which were seen largely as a means of preparing for meditation, it also marks the development of asanas as full body 'postures' in the modern sense.<ref>Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley</ref>


Hatha Yoga in its many modern variations is the style that most people actually associate with the word "Yoga" today.<ref>Feuerstein, Georg. (1996). ''The Shambhala Guide to Yoga''. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, Inc.</ref> Because its emphasis is on the body through ''asana'' and ''pranayama'' practice, many western students are satisfied with the physical health and vitality it develops and are not interested in the other six limbs of the complete Hatha yoga teaching, or with the even older Raja Yoga tradition it is based on.
Hatha Yoga in its many modern variations is the style that most people actually associate with the word "Yoga" today.<ref>Feuerstein, Georg. (1996). ''The Shambhala Guide to Yoga''. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, Inc.</ref> Because its emphasis is on the body through ''asana'' and ''pranayama'' practice, many western students are satisfied with the physical health and vitality it develops and are not interested in the other six limbs of the complete Hatha yoga teaching, or with the even older Raja Yoga tradition it is based on.

===Other works===
The sage Sri Nathamuni supposedly composed the ''Yoga-Rahasya'' in the 9th or 10th century CE, although no copies of this work are known to exist. [[Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya]] claimed to have received knowledge of this text in a vision. Krishnamacharya is also responsible for the only known translation of the ''Yogayajnavalikya Samhita'', a dialogue between the great sage Yajnavalkya and his learned wife Maithreyi, to whom part of the Rig Veda is attributed. Like the ''Gheranda Samhita'' and the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'', the Yogayajnavalikya Samhita is generally considered a tantric yoga work.


==Yoga philosophy==
==Yoga philosophy==
[[Image:Indus 03.jpg|thumb|200px|right|In Hinduism, Yoga is considered to be the ultimate way of attaining Enlightenment. This 5000-year-old sculpture, from the [[Indus Valley]], is of a yogi.]]
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[[Image:Sivakempfort.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A large statue in [[Bangalore]] depicting [[Lord Shiva]] meditating.]]

In all branches of yoga, the ultimate goal is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (''[[Samsara]]''). Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. According to the followers, the [[Yogi]] eventually reaches the enlightened state (''[[Moksha]]'') where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (''[[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]]'') with the supreme Reality (''[[Brahman]]''), as in [[Advaita Vedanta]]; with a specific god or goddess, as in [[Dvaita]] or [[dualistic]] forms of [[Hinduism]] and some forms of [[Buddhism]].
In all branches of yoga, the ultimate goal is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (''[[Samsara]]''). Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. According to the followers, the [[Yogi]] eventually reaches the enlightened state (''[[Moksha]]'') where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (''[[Atman (Hinduism)|Atman]]'') with the supreme Reality (''[[Brahman]]''), as in [[Advaita Vedanta]]; with a specific god or goddess, as in [[Dvaita]] or [[dualistic]] forms of [[Hinduism]] and some forms of [[Buddhism]].


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===Yoga and Buddhism===
===Yoga and Buddhism===
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There is a considerable overlap between Yoga and Buddhism. Of particular interest is a comparison of the Buddhist [[eight-fold path]] and the eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga. Their moral precepts (the ''sila'' of Buddhism, the ''yama'' and ''niyama'' of yoga) share the Hindu principle of non-violence (''ahimsa''); their final steps point towards a common goal - 6. Buddhist ''Samma Vayama'' (Effort) vs Yogic ''Dharana'' (Concentration), 7. Buddhist ''Samma Sati'' (Mindfulness) vs Yogic ''Dhyana'' (Meditation) and
It is quite likely that Buddha ([[Siddhartha Gautama]]), who is estimated to have lived 563 to 483 BC, actually studied what was known of yoga at that time as part of his extensive education in [[Hindu]] [[philosophy]]. It is also very likely, given the rapid growth of Buddhism after his death and before the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras were composed, that Buddhism had some influence on those works.
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8. Buddhist ''Samma Samadhi'' vs Yogic ''Samadhi''. An in relation to views of the Self, yoga's ''asmita-samapatti'' is designed to eradicate the wrong views on the Self much in the same way Buddha did it in ''Anatta-lakkhana-sutta''.


⚫
The correlation between Yoga and Buddhism seems to be particularly strong in [[Tibetan Buddhism]], due to various historical events including the influence of Tantra on Tibetan traditions. For example, a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm timing in movement exercises is known as [[Trul khor]] or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies, and the body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of [[Lukhang]].
⚫
In either case, there is a considerable overlap between the Hindu yoga tradition and Buddhism. Of particular interest is a comparison of the Buddhist [[eight-fold path]] and the eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga. Their moral precepts (the ''[[sila]]'' of Buddhism, the ''[[yama]]'' and ''[[niyama]]'' of yoga) share the Hindu principle of [[non-violence]] (''[[ahimsa]]''); their final steps point towards a common goal - 6. Buddhist ''[[Samma Vayama]]'' (Effort) vs Yogic ''[[Dharana]]'' ([[Concentration]]), 7. Buddhist ''[[Samma Sati]]'' ([[Mindfulness]]) vs Yogic ''[[Dhyana]]'' ([[Meditation]]) and

⚫
8. Buddhist ''Samma Samadhi'' vs Yogic ''Samadhi''. In relation to views of the Self, yoga's ''asmita-samapatti'' is designed to eradicate the wrong views on the Self much in the same way Buddha did it in ''Anatta-lakkhana-sutta''.
Prominent [[Tibetan Buddhist]] Yoga schools [[Six yogas of Naropa]], [[Tumo]] and [[Tsa lung Trul khor]].

In addition [[Yogācāra]] (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"), also spelled yogāchāra, is an influential school of philosophy and psychology that developed in [[India]]n [[Mahayana]] [[Buddhism]] starting sometime in the fourth to fifth centuries C.E., also commonly known as [[Consciousness-only]].


⚫
Yoga is central to [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. In the [[Nyingma]] tradition, practitioners progress to increasingly profound levels of yoga, starting with [[Mahayoga|Mahā yoga]], continuing to [[Anuyoga|Anu yoga]] and ultimately undertaking the highest practice, [[Atiyoga|Ati yoga]]. In the [[Sarma]] traditions, the [[Annutarayoga|Annutara yoga]] class is equivalent. Other [[tantra]] yoga practices include a system of [[108 (number)|108]] bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm timing in movement exercises is known as [[Trul khor]] or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies, and the body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the [[Dalai Lama]]'s summer temple of [[Lukhang]].


=== Yoga and Tantra ===
=== Yoga and Tantra ===
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* [[Dharma Mittra|Mittra, Dharma Sri.]] Asanas: 608 Yoga Poses. 1st ed. California: New World Library 2003.
* [[Dharma Mittra|Mittra, Dharma Sri.]] Asanas: 608 Yoga Poses. 1st ed. California: New World Library 2003.
* Usharabudh, Arya Pandit. Philosophy of Hatha Yoga. 2nd ed. Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press 1977, 1985.
* Usharabudh, Arya Pandit. Philosophy of Hatha Yoga. 2nd ed. Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press 1977, 1985.

==Notes==
<references/>


== External links ==
== External links ==

Revision as of 20:29, 2 February 2007

A large statue of Lord Shiva meditating.

Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, focusing on meditation. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga (see Yoga as exercise). Yoga used as a form of alternative medicine is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years. [1][2][3]

Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to Hinduism (including Vedanta), Buddhism and Jainism and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. [4] Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many others.

The four main paths of Yoga are Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a yogi, yogin (masculine), or yogini (feminine).

Etymology

Part of a series on
Hindu philosophy
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Advaita (Mayavada)
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Dvaita (Tattvavada)
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Dvaitadvaita
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Ekasarana Dharma
Akshar Purushottam Darshan
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Samkhya
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Major texts
Vedas
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Shastras and Sutras
Secular ethics
See also: History of Yoga

Sanskrit yoga is a derivation of yugam "yoke", cognate to modern English yoke, and Latin iugum in Latin, all from Proto-Indo-European *yugom, from a root *yeug- (Sanskrit yuj-) meaning "to join" or "unite".

The term is attested since the Rigveda in the sense of "act of yoking, joining, attaching, harnessing" but also "undertaking, business, performance". A mental sense of "exertion, zeal, diligence" is attested since the Mahabharata, and the spiritual or mystical sense of "abstract contemplation, meditation" likewise appears in the Mahabharata as well as in the Upanishads.

File:7BrahmanMH.jpg
Half-lotus position.

Texts on Yoga

Bhagavad Gita

Main article: Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lord'), thought to have been written some time between 400 and 100 BCE, talks of four branches of yoga:

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Main articles: Patanjali and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a book of 196 aphorisms compiled by the sage Patanjali.

In reference to the Bhagavad Gita classifications, Patanjali's yoga is a form of Raja yoga, as it seeks meditation as the path towards the ultimate goal. Patanjali himself referred to it as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"), from the eight steps he set out as the practical path towards attainment of enlightenment. This eight-limbed concept became an authoritative feature of Raja yoga from that point forward, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today.

Patanjali's Eight Limbs of yoga practice are:

(1) Yama (The five "abstentions"): violence, lying, theft, (illicit) sex, and possessions
(2) Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerities, study, and surrender to god
(3) Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to seated positions used for meditation. Later, with the rise of Hatha yoga, asana came to refer to all the "postures"
(4) Pranayama ("Life Force Control"): Control of prāna, life force, or vital energy
(5) Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Reversal of the sense organs
(6) Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object
(7) Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the true nature of reality
(8) Samadhi ("Liberation"): Super-conscious state of enlightenment

Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Main article: Hatha yoga
File:Yoga girl.jpg
A woman practising hatha yoga
File:Yoga instructor.jpg
Eka-Pada-Rajakapotasana (Single-Legged Pigeon) demonstrated at a Hindu temple.

Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga is a development of — but also differs substantially from — the Raja Yoga of Patanjali, in that it focuses on shatkarma, the purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind (ha) and prana, or vital energy (tha). [5][6] In contrast, the Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali begins with a purification of the mind (yamas) and spirit (niyamas), then comes to the body via asana (body postures) and pranayama (breath). Hatha yoga contains substantial tantric influence, [7][8] and marks the first point at which chakras and kundalini were introduced into the yogic canon. Compared to the seated asanas of Patanjali's Raja yoga which were seen largely as a means of preparing for meditation, it also marks the development of asanas as full body 'postures' in the modern sense.[9]

Hatha Yoga in its many modern variations is the style that most people actually associate with the word "Yoga" today.[10] Because its emphasis is on the body through asana and pranayama practice, many western students are satisfied with the physical health and vitality it develops and are not interested in the other six limbs of the complete Hatha yoga teaching, or with the even older Raja Yoga tradition it is based on.

Yoga philosophy

File:Indus 03.jpg
In Hinduism, Yoga is considered to be the ultimate way of attaining Enlightenment. This 5000-year-old sculpture, from the Indus Valley, is of a yogi.

In all branches of yoga, the ultimate goal is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. According to the followers, the Yogi eventually reaches the enlightened state (Moksha) where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (Atman) with the supreme Reality (Brahman), as in Advaita Vedanta; with a specific god or goddess, as in Dvaita or dualistic forms of Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism.

Common to most forms of yoga is the practice of concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). Dharana, according to Patanjali's definition, is the "binding of consciousness to a single point." The awareness is concentrated on a fine point of sensation (such as that of the breath entering and leaving the nostrils). Sustained single-pointed concentration gradually leads to meditation (dhyana), in which the inner faculties are able to expand and merge with something vast. Meditators sometimes report feelings of peace, joy, and oneness.

The focus of meditation may differ from school to school, e.g. meditation on one of the chakras, such as the heart center (anahata) or the 'third eye' (ajna); or meditation on a particular deity, such as Krishna; or on a quality like peace. Non-dualist schools such as Advaita Vedanta may stress meditation on the Supreme with no form or qualities (Nirguna Brahman). This is in many ways analogous to Buddhist meditation on Emptiness.

Yoga in other traditions

The goals of yoga are expressed differently in different traditions. In Hinduism, with its variegated viewpoints, Self-Realization and God-Realization are used interchangeably, with the underlying belief that the true nature of self (truth, consciousness, and bliss), revealed through the practice of yoga, has the same nature as the universal self, which may or may not be identified with a 'creator God' depending on the philosophical standpoint of the practitioner. In Buddhism, which does not postulate a creator-type god, yoga may help people deepen their wisdom, compassion, and insight. In Western nations, where there is a strong emphasis on individualism, yoga practice may be an extension of the search for meaning in self, and integration of the different aspects of being.

For the average person still far from enlightenment, yoga can be a way of increasing one's spiritual awareness, or cultivating compassion and insight. While the history of yoga strongly connects it with Hinduism, proponents claim that yoga is not a religion itself, but contains practical steps which can be found in the esoteric spiritual practices of all religions, as well as those who do not consider themselves religious.

Yoga and Buddhism

There is a considerable overlap between Yoga and Buddhism. Of particular interest is a comparison of the Buddhist eight-fold path and the eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga. Their moral precepts (the sila of Buddhism, the yama and niyama of yoga) share the Hindu principle of non-violence (ahimsa); their final steps point towards a common goal - 6. Buddhist Samma Vayama (Effort) vs Yogic Dharana (Concentration), 7. Buddhist Samma Sati (Mindfulness) vs Yogic Dhyana (Meditation) and 8. Buddhist Samma Samadhi vs Yogic Samadhi. An in relation to views of the Self, yoga's asmita-samapatti is designed to eradicate the wrong views on the Self much in the same way Buddha did it in Anatta-lakkhana-sutta.

The correlation between Yoga and Buddhism seems to be particularly strong in Tibetan Buddhism, due to various historical events including the influence of Tantra on Tibetan traditions. For example, a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm timing in movement exercises is known as Trul khor or union of moon and sun (channel) prajna energies, and the body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang.

Prominent Tibetan Buddhist Yoga schools Six yogas of Naropa, Tumo and Tsa lung Trul khor.

In addition Yogācāra (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"), also spelled yogāchāra, is an influential school of philosophy and psychology that developed in Indian Mahayana Buddhism starting sometime in the fourth to fifth centuries C.E., also commonly known as Consciousness-only.


Yoga and Tantra

Main article: Tantra

Yoga is often mentioned in company with Tantra, and it is true that these traditions have influenced one another over time. They are both families of spiritual texts, practices, and lineages with origins in the Indian subcontinent and both have been popularized in the West.

Tantra has roots in the first millennium, and incorporates Shiva and Shakti worship. It focuses on the kundalini, a three and a half-coiled 'snake' of spiritual energy at the base of the spine that rises through chakras until union ('samadhi') between Shiva and Shakti is ultimately achieved. These concepts were formally introduced into yoga with the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and because of the subsequent popularity of Hatha Yoga, many Hindu and western yoga teachers now accept these essentially tantric concepts within the yogic philosophy, and this is the most obvious major intersection between tantra and yoga today. The acceptance of tantric kundalini teachings into modern yoga was reinforced by the New Age movement which accompanied (and simultaneously reinforced) the rise of popularity of yoga in the West.

However, Tantra and Yoga have notable points of difference. Where body consciousness is seen as the root cause of bondage in Yoga, Tantra views the body as a means to understanding, rather than as an obstruction, which bears certain similarities with the Natya Yoga. As a result, in India particularly, one of the two branches of Tantra often carries quite negative connotations involving sexual misbehavior and black magic, although it must be said most forms actually follow quite mainstream social mores and this is simply an expression of prejudice.

The actual method of Tantra is quite different to traditional Raja Yoga. It emphasises mantra (Sanskrit prayers, often to gods, that are repeated), yantra (complex symbols and archetypal geometric pattering or sacred geometry housing deity, manifesting in a plethora of forms with a discernable syntactic pattern), and rituals that range from simple murti (a statue housing a deity) or image worship to meditation on a corpse or of coitus in a charnel ground - which is challenging for some, but simply an active meditation with the intention to resolve the perceived duality of the creative and destructive universal principle.

See also

Main schools of Yoga

Heterodox and contemporary Yoga

References

  • Donatelle, Rebecca J. Health: The Basics. 6th ed. San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.
  • Feuerstein, Georg. The Shambhala Guide to Yoga. 1st ed. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications 1996.
  • Saraswati, swami satyananda (November 2002 (12th edition))"Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" ISBN 81-86336-14-1
  • Mittra, Dharma Sri. Asanas: 608 Yoga Poses. 1st ed. California: New World Library 2003.
  • Usharabudh, Arya Pandit. Philosophy of Hatha Yoga. 2nd ed. Pennsylvania: Himalayan Institute Press 1977, 1985.

Notes

  1. ^ The Bhagavad-Gita and Jivana Yoga By Ramnarayan Vyas
  2. ^ Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley (page 16)
  3. ^ Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley
  4. ^ Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance - Page 268 by Garri Garripoli
  5. ^ Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice - Page 42 by Christy Turlington (page 42)
  6. ^ Guiding Yoga's Light: Yoga Lessons for Yoga Teachers - Page 10 by Nancy Gerstein
  7. ^ Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath Body & Mind - Page 6 by Frank Jude Boccio
  8. ^ Yoga: The Indian Tradition By Ian Whicher, David Carpenter (page 8)
  9. ^ Hatha Yoga: Its Context, Theory and Practice By Mikel Burley
  10. ^ Feuerstein, Georg. (1996). The Shambhala Guide to Yoga. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, Inc.


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