This article is about the style of yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. This article is about the Ashtanga Yoga style of yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. This school of yoga seeks to embody the traditional eight limbs of yoga (referred to as ashtanga or Raja Yoga) as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Ashtanga Yoga is said to have its origin in the ancient text Yoga Korunta by Vamana Rishi, which Krishnamacharya received from his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari, and later ...

Including:

• Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Method
• Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Bandhas
• Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Drishtis
• Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Mantras

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The main difference of this style of Yoga to other styles is the focus on vinyasa, which is the union of movement and breath. The student moves into and out of each asana in a well-defined set of movements, called Suryanamaskara or Sun-Salutation, which are combined with specific breathing patterns. The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It also improves flexibility, which allows the student to practice advanced asanas without risk of injury. Other components of Ashtanga Yoga include bandhas (internal locks), u ...

See also:

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Method, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Bandhas, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Drishtis, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Mantras

Read more here: » Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - Method

Raja Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is one of the four major Yogic paths of Hinduism, the others being Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga. Raja Yoga involves psycho-physical meditational techniques to attain experiences of the truth and finally achieve liberation, described in Hindu thought as moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). Raja yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga. The term Ashtanga means eight limbs, thus Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbs of yoga. It is the classical Indian system of Hindu ...

Including:

• Raja Yoga - Origin
• Raja Yoga - Concept
• Raja Yoga - Practice
• Raja Yoga - Eight limbs of Raja Yoga
• Raja Yoga - Yama
• Raja Yoga - Niyama
• Raja Yoga - Asana
• Raja Yoga - Pranayama
• Raja Yoga - Pratyahara
• Raja Yoga - Dharana
• Raja Yoga - Dhyana
• Raja Yoga - Samadhi
• Raja Yoga - Results

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Arhatic Yoga is a form of Yoga, developed and taught by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, that synthesizes in a single discipline all the other paths of yoga. The goal of AY is the achievement of "Arhatship", or "Arhat" status. A good definition is the following: "The Arhat is the Perfected One who has overcome The Three Poisons of Desire, Hatred and Ignorance. At the end of the p ...

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Paschimottanasana literally translated as "intense stretch of the west". A yoga position (or asana) where one sits on the floor with legs flat on the floor, straight ahead. Put your hands flat on the floor and lean slightly forward without bending your knees. ...

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While Yoga evolved as a spiritual practice, in the West it has grown popular as a form of purely physical exercise. Some Western practice has little or nothing to do with Hinduism or spirituality, but is simply a way of keeping healthy and fit. This differs from the traditional Eastern view of yoga. While it is not always possible (or even desirable) to completely separate "exercise yoga" from "spiritual yoga," this article seeks to concentrate on the former. Yoga as exercise has evolved into numerous subdivisions and variation ...

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Pratyahara is the fifth among the Eight steps of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. In it, the consciousness, or more specifically, the neural currents, are internalized, so that sensations from the Indriyas, or the five senses of taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell don't reach their respective centres in the brain, so that the Saadhaka, or disciple, is free to meditate without distractions. The electrical currents in the nerves of even the involuntary muscles are turned off by advanced practitioners through superior willpower and breath-c ...

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Dharana is the sixth of the eight steps of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. Dharana can be translated as "holding steady", and it is the initial step of deep meditation, where the object being meditated upon is held in the mind without consciousness wavering from it. The difference between Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi is that in the former, the object of meditation, the meditator, and the act of meditation itself remain separate. That is, the meditator is conscious that he or she is meditating (that is, is conscious of the act ...

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Located near Munger, in India's Bihar State, Bihar Yoga Bharati (BYB) is a yoga institute dedicated to the study of yoga in a gurukul environment. Swami Sivananda first had the vision of a yoga institute when he established the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy in Rishikesh. This inspiration was carried forward by Swami Satyananda, who established Bihar School of Yoga in 1963, followed by the Ganga Darshan complex in Munger. Swami Niranjanananda, with the blessings of his predecessors, founded Bihar Yoga Bharati in 1994 to preserve and regenerate the total scope of yogic science by combining aca ...

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The short film 'Naked Yoga is an attempt to illustrate the practice of yoga in a natural setting. The purpose is to free the body and mind of restrictions, not to sexualise the practice. ( In San Francisco, courts found that George Monty Davis (aka "Naked Yoga Guy") is not committing a crime by practicing naked yoga in a public place.) Naked Yoga - Documentary released in 1974. The plot of this movie includes three young ladies performing yoga, sans clothes, in the open air of Cyprus. Another woman does the same in a studio. Th ...

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Anusara yoga is a modern school of yoga started by John Friend in 1997; it is a hatha yoga with a Tantric philosophy. Friend continues to take an active role leading the expansion of the school and training (and certifying) teachers. The emphasis of the school is on a set of "universal" alignment principles all postures, "heart opening" postures and the spiritual/meditative benefits of hatha yoga. Attainable bliss and joy in practice and everyday life are an important aspect of the underlying philosophy of this school. Many western students ...

Including:

• Anusara Yoga - Opening Invocation

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Jnana in Sanskrit means "knowledge", and is often interpreted to mean "knowledge of the true self". In the Vedanta school of the Hindu religion, to know Brahman as one's own Self is jnana. To say, "I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness," is jnana. To behold the one Self everywhere is jnana. Jnana yoga is one of the four bas ...

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The Niyamas are codified as "the observances" in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All the above texts list ten Niyamas, with the exception of Patanjali's work, which lists only five. They comprise the "shall-do" in our dealings with the inner world. The ten traditional Niyamas are: Hri: remorse, being modest and showing shame for misdeeds; Santosha: contentment; bei ...

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Bhujangasana (cobra position) is a hatha yoga position which strengthens the spine; stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen; firms the buttocks; stimulates abdominal organs; helps relieve stress and fatigue; opens the heart and lungs. Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini. Step by step: Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, tops of the feet on the floor. Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Hug the elbows back ...

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Yoga in Daily Life by Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda is a comprehensive system of Yoga with a holistic approach to health, like Ayurveda. The main goal of the Yoga in Daily Life system is to attain and maintain physical health, mental health, social health, spiritual health and eventually achieve Self Realization. Based on the authentic Yoga tradition Yoga in Daily Life contains the pure essence of the original Yoga teachings and was developed specifical ...

Including:

• Yoga in Daily Life - Basic teachings
• Yoga in Daily Life - External link

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Iyengar Yoga, created by B.K.S. Iyengar, is a form of yoga known for its use of props, such as belts and blocks, as aids in performing asanas. It is firmly based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, emphasizing the development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana). Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar pioneered the use of "props" such as cushions, ...

Including:

• Iyengar Yoga - External link

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Yoga piracy is the appropriation of postures and techniques that are found in ancient and traditional yoga treatises belonging to Hinduism and India. India yogis have been concerned by such people as fitness instructors in the West who claim patents and copyrights on asanas (yoga poses) and pranayama techniques and sequences; and ayurvedic medicine. Typically, western practitioners and teachers have taken over the traditional knowledge, ...

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Yoga Nidra, which literally means "sleep of the yogis", is used to prepare both mentally and physically prior to seeking deeper levels of consciousness and awareness through meditation. However Yoga Nidra is also regularly practiced on its own as a daily relaxation technique. Adherents claim that half an hour of Yoga Nidra can replace up to three hours of normal sleep, although its regular use as a sleep substitute is not recommended as the body and mind still ...

Including:

• Yoga Nidra - History
• Yoga Nidra - External link

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Sahaja Yoga (Sahaja meaning born with and Yoga meaning union) is a type of meditation and yoga. It is "a unique method of meditation based on an experience called self-realization (Kundalini awakening) that Sahaja Yogis believe occurs within each human being". The term Sahaja Yoga is also used to refer to the Sahaja Yoga International (Vishwa Nirmala Dharma movement) founded by Nirmala Shrivastava (also known by devotees as Shri Mataji) on 5 May 1970 based on this practice. Sahaja Yoga - Beliefs. ...

Including:

• Sahaja Yoga - Beliefs
• Sahaja Yoga - Sahaja Yoga in medicine
• Sahaja Yoga - Criticism

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