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

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: Encyclopedia - Sahaja Yoga

See also:

Sahaja Yoga, Sahaja Yoga - Beliefs, Sahaja Yoga - Sahaja Yoga in medicine, Sahaja Yoga - Criticism

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Sahaja Yoga - Beliefs

Critics of the Sahaja Yoga movement and of its founder claim that it is a dangerous cult engaged in brainwashing, tight control of its members and a host of other activities, advertising traditional yoga techniques as a method of initial indoctrination . Sahaja yogis claim that most of the critics are ex-members of Sahaja Yoga, who have been cast out because they abused the whole foundation of Sahaja Yoga, steal ...

See also:

Sahaja Yoga, Sahaja Yoga - Beliefs, Sahaja Yoga - Sahaja Yoga in medicine, Sahaja Yoga - Criticism

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Sahaja Yoga - Criticism

Does the recent interest exhibited in non-fiction titles such as The Soul of Business, A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America, The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace, The Three-Minute Meditation etc in the US point to the possible evolution of the "enlightened corporate sector"?

Do Indian managers, born in a land that has offered "yoga and meditation" to the world corporate sector (to overcome stress), have the "first-mover advantage"? These are the questions that should interest "enlightened" managers in "progressive" Indian corporations.

(See also: Spirituality at workplace, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Research on health benefits of Sahaja Yoga

To verify some of the claims of Sahaj Yoga, a systematic research study was organised in the physiology and medecine department of Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals in New Delhi.

The research projects studied were psychological effects of Kundalini awakening by Sahaj Yoga and the effect of Sahaj practise on psychosomatic diseases like hypertension and bronchial asthma.

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: Health Benefits of Sahaja Yoga

Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

The Raja Yoga system known as "Sahaj Marg" is still relatively obscure in the West, even among Yoga aficionados. This is largely due to the fact that Sahaj Marg has been a low-key, word-of-mouth practice. Works by the lineage of Sahaj Marg Masters, published under the auspices of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM), are difficult to locate, and beyond the abhyasis or practitioners of Sahaj Marg, few are aware that SRCM centers have been established worldwide since the Mission was founded in India fifty years ago.

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

About the mind and how the mind can be controlled.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Mind Control: Mind, Its Mysteries and Control

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 ...

Read more here: » Jnana Yoga: Encyclopedia - Jnana Yoga

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas, but there are many other types. In the West, yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises. Yoga as a means to enlightenment is central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and has influenced other religious and spiritual pr ...

Including:

• Yoga - Yoga practice and intention
• Yoga - The word yoga
• Yoga - Diversity of yoga
• Yoga - Yoga and religion
• Yoga - Common themes
• Yoga - Origins
• Yoga - Hindu yoga
• Yoga - Bhagavad Gita
• Yoga - Patanjali
• Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy
• Yoga - Hatha yoga
• Yoga - Natya yoga
• Yoga - Buddhist yoga
• Yoga - Yoga and tantra
• Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia - Yoga

Agni Yoga, also called the "Teaching of Living Ethics" or (in Russian) the Zhivaya Etica, is an esoteric teaching founded by the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich (Nikolai Konstantinovitch Rerikh) and his highly adept empathic wife, Helena Roerich (Elena Ivanovna Rerikh). Inspired by the Vedic traditions,as well as by Buddhism and writings of [[H.P. Blavatsky]Theosophical, the Roerichs published the "Agni Yoga" series of books, with contents inspired by the Mahatmas, or Masters of the Great White Brotherhood from their stronghol ...

Including:

• Agni Yoga - History
• Agni Yoga - Teachings
• Agni Yoga - Divisions
• Agni Yoga - Pop Culture Reference

Read more here: » Agni Yoga: Encyclopedia - Agni Yoga

Over the long history of yoga, different schools have emerged, and there are numerous examples of subdivisions and synthesis. It is common to speak of each form of yoga as a "path" to enlightenment. Thus, yoga may include love and devotion (as in Bhakti Yoga), selfless work (as in Karma Yoga), knowledge and discernment (as in Jnana Yoga), or an eight-limbed system of disciplines emphasizing meditation (as in Raja Yoga). These practices occupy a continuum from the religious to the scientific. They need not be mutually exclusive. (A person who ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Diversity of yoga

In the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain traditions, the spiritual goals of yoga are seen as inseparable from the religions of which yoga forms a part. Some yogis make a subtle distinction between religion and yoga, seeing religion as more concerned with culture, values, beliefs and rituals; and yoga as more concerned with Self-Realization, i.e., direct perception of the ultimate truth. In this sense, religion and yoga are complementary. Sri Ramakrishna likened religion to the husk, and direct experience to the kernel. Both are needed, "but if one wants to get at the kernel itse ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Yoga and religion

Within the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism yoga likewise holds a central place, though not in the form presented by Patanjali or the Gita. (For example, physical postures are rarely practiced.) An example would be "guru yoga," the union with the mind of the spiritual teacher which must be done at the beginning of the spiritual path and regularly throughout. In the tantric traditions a number of practices are classified with the name "yoga", for example, the two of the four general classification of tantras--"Y ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Buddhist yoga

Images of a meditating yogi from the Indus Valley Civilization are thought to be 6 to 7 thousand years old. The earliest written accounts of yoga appear in the Rig Veda, which began to be codified between 1500 and 1200 BC. It is difficult to establish the date of yoga from this as the Rig Veda was orally transmitted for at least a millennium. The first Yoga text dates to around the 2nd century BC by Patanjali, and prescribes adherence to "eight limbs" (the ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Origins

The word "yoga" - from the Sanskrit root yuj ("to yoke") - is generally translated as "union" or "integration." This may be understood as union with the Divine, or integration of body, mind, and spirit. One who practices yoga is called a yogi or in Sanskrit, a yogin (masculine) or yogini (feminine). These designations are sometimes reserved for advanced practitioners. The word "yoga" may also be written יוגה, योग, ಯೋಗ, Joga, Ioga, Joog ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - The word yoga

Modern yoga practice often includes traditional elements inherited from Hinduism, such as moral and ethical principles, postures designed to keep the body fit, spiritual philosophy, instruction by a guru, chanting of mantras (sacred syllables), quietening the breath, and stilling the mind through meditation. These elements are sometimes adapted to meet the needs of non-Hindu practitioners. Proponents of yoga see daily practice as beneficial in itself, leading to improved health, emotional well-being, mental clarity, and joy in living. ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Yoga practice and intention

Yoga is often mentioned in company with Tantra. While the two have deep similarities, most traditions distinguish them from one another. They are similar in that both amount to families of spiritual texts, practices, and lineages with origins in the Indian subcontinent. (Coincidentally, both have been popularized to some extent in the West, with perhaps a shallower understanding of their nature.) It should be noted however that ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Yoga and tantra

Samkhya Nyaya Vaisheshika Yoga Purva Mimamsa Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Carvaka Jain Buddhist Logic 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 ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Common themes

Yoga - Bhagavad Gita. Main article: Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita famously distinguishes several types of "yoga", corresponding to the duties of different nature of people. Capturing the essence and at the same time going into detail about the various Yogas and their philosophies, it constantly refers to itself as such, the "Scripture of Yoga" (see the final verses of each chapter). The book is thought to have been written some time between the 5th and the 2nd century BC. In it, Krish ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Hindu yoga

History is replete with Yogis that have inspired people for many generations. Yogini Meera from the Bhakti tradition, Shankaracharya from the Jnana Yoga tradition, Patanjali, who formalized the system of Raja Yoga, are just a few examples. Among modern Yogis, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a Bhakti Yogi, stands tall. A devotee of Mother Kali and a teacher of Advaita Vedanta, he preached that "all religions lead to the same goal." His student, Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Adva ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Notable Yogis