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 ...

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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

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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

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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 ...

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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 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

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This is a world of diversity. Intellects are different. Faces are different. Religions are different. Sounds are different. Faiths are different. Colours are different. Faculties are different. Tastes and temperaments are different. But one thing is common in all. Everyone of us wants Nitya Sukha (eternal happiness), infinite knowledge, immortality, freedom and independence. These things can be obtained by knowledge of the Self alone.

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

Read more here: » Self-Knowledge: Who Am I?

Karma Yoga Lesson III

What is Karma; Self querying necessary; Analysis of Karma; Its five factors in the utmost analysis, c. f. Gita; Modern Relativity says, Everyone is a lord of himself; The five factors all in oneself; The teaching as confounded by medieval Hindus; Difficulties of language; Behaviorism; Destiny; Karmic ledger has no proportion; The Ego is not the "I" nor an unity but a multiplicity James' definition; Just what we say that man is a diversity; How to cure vain regrets; Mantra for the Act in this praxis.

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Hinduism (हिन्दू धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma - सनातन धर्म, and Vaidika-Dharma - वैदिक धर्म) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas and is the direct descendant of the Vedic religion. It encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects and philosophies. An array of deities, all manifestations of the one supreme monistic Ishvara, are venerated. Beliefs, codes and principles vary fr ...

Including:

Hinduism - Core Concepts
Hinduism - The Eternal Way Hinduism - Basic beliefs Hinduism - Practice Yoga Dharma Hinduism - The four objectives Of Life Hinduism - The four stages of Life Hinduism - The four classes of the society Hinduism - Nature of God
Hinduism - Denominations Hinduism - Hindu sacred texts
Hinduism - Shruti Hinduism - Bhagavad Gītā Hinduism - Smriti
Hinduism - Origins and society
Hinduism - Origins of Hinduism Hinduism - Etymology Hinduism - Vedic religion Hinduism - Hindu nationalism Hinduism - Temples Hinduism - Current geographic distribution
Hinduism - Hindu philosophy: the six Vedic schools of thought
Hinduism - Pūrva Mīmāmsā Hinduism - Yoga Hinduism - Uttara Mimāmsā: Vedānta and its three main schools
Hinduism - Alternative cultures of worship
Hinduism - The Bhakti schools Hinduism - Tantra
Hinduism - Important symbolism and themes in Hinduism
Hinduism - Tilaka symbol on forehead or between eyebrows Hinduism - Ahimsa non-violence vegetarian diet and the cow Hinduism - Hindu symbolism Hinduism - Murtis icons Hinduism - Sanskrit Hinduism - Mantra
Hinduism - Criticism
Hinduism - Hinduism Hinduism - Related systems and religions

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Older findings are believed by some to show that "yoga" existed in some form well before the establishment of vedas in the Indian subcontinent: A triangular amulet seal uncovered at the Mohenjo-daro archaeological excavation site depicts a male figure sitting cross-legged on a low platform, with arms outstretched. His head is crowned with the horns of a water buffalo. He is surrounded by animals (a fish, an alligator and a snake) and diverse symbols. The likeness on the seal and understandings of the surrounding culture have led ...

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History of Yoga, History of Yoga - Pre-Vedic ca. 6000 - 3000 BCE [?], History of Yoga - Vedic ca. 2000-1500 BCE, History of Yoga - Upanishadic ca. 800-100 BCE, History of Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, History of Yoga - Classical - Patanjali's 'Yoga Sutras' ca. 200 CE, History of Yoga - Yoga-bhasya 450 - 850 CE, History of Yoga - Hatha Yoga Pradipika 1350 - 1400 CE, History of Yoga - Today, History of Yoga - Modern growth of yoga in the West

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Two protective paradigms have been employed by these communities. The first protective paradigm seeks to prevent others from using or securing intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge. For example, some communities have created traditional knowledge databases to evidence their traditional knowledge as prior art in order to prevent perceived abuses such as biopiracy. Although traditional knowledge databases may preempt some from securing rights over traditional knowledge, databases do disclose such traditional knowledge ...

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Traditional knowledge, Traditional knowledge - Protectionism, Traditional knowledge - World Intellectual Property Organization

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The philosophic and theological diversity of Hinduism is limitless, being nurtured by the fundamentally eclectic and liberal universalism that is its defining characteristic. It is impossible to summarize all the schools of thought and inquiry produced or harboured over the millennia by the peoples of India. Some of the more ancient and long-established philosophies are elaborated upon below, all of which accept the Veda ...

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Hindu philosophy, Hindu philosophy - Hindu Philosophy: The Six Main Schools of Thought, Hindu philosophy - Samkhya, Hindu philosophy - Nyaya, Hindu philosophy - Vaisheshika, Hindu philosophy - Yoga, Hindu philosophy - Purva Mimamsa, Hindu philosophy - Uttara Mimamsa: The Three Schools of Vedanta

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nirvikalpa samadhi: (Sanskrit) "Enstasy (samadhi) without form or seed."

The realization of the Self, Parasiva, a state of oneness beyond all change or diversity; beyond time, form and space. Vi means "to change, make different." Kalpa means "order, arrangement; a period of time." Thus vikalpa means "diversity, thought; difference of perception, distinction." Nir means "without."

See: enstasy, kalpa, raja yoga, samadhi.

(See also: Nirvikalpa samadhi, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

NEW AGE -

1. mixing metaphysical practices with a structured religion. (TRASB)

2. movement of emerging planetary consciousness devoted to making Earth a healthier, happen and more peaceful place to live based on respect for humanity’s diverse traditional way of life in harmony with the environment.

3. holistic community in general, including practitioners of yoga, meditation, natural foods, spiritual development, humanistic psychology, environmental and peace activism, psychic arts and sciences and many other approaches and disciplines.

4. Aquarius Age, coming era of peace and spiritual understanding.

5. age of group interplay, group idealism and group consciousness (Bailey)

6. an added dimension to our daily, ordinary living, a sense of empowerment and enthusiasm arising from the presence of the unexpected in our lives. (David Spangler).

7. waking up from our somnambulistic existence, turning the lights an ‘inside’ and letting live fill its place. (Swami Virato)

8. a major and unprecendened cultural transformation. (Diane Eisler) (NAD)

(See also: NEW AGE, Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Upanisads

These are writings at the end of the Vedas, regarded as the source of the Vedanta philosophy. Sri Aurobindo has translated and/or commented on the Isa, Kena, Katha, Mundaka, Prasna, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Svetasvatara, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Kaivalya, and Nilaruda Upanisads. Most of his writings related to the Upanisads have been collected in Volume 12 of the Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library (SABCL), The Upanisads.

"How many Upanisads once existed is unknown. One hundred and eight have been preserved, these ranging in length from a few hundred to many thousands of words, some in prose, some in verse, some part one, part the other. In style and manner they vary widely, often within the same Upanisad, being now simply and concretely narrative, now subtly and abstractly expository, often assuming, in either case, a dialogue form. ... Who wrote them, no one knows, nor, with any accuracy, when they were written.

Of the one hundred and eight extant Upanisads sixteen were recognized by Samkara as authentic and authoritative. In his commentary on the Vedanta Aphorisms he included quotations from six. On the other ten he wrote elaborate commentaries. It is these ten which...have come to be regarded as the principal Upanisads: Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Aitareya, and Taittiriya."

-- Swami Prabhavananda, The Spiritual Heritage of India

"The rooted and fundamental conception of Vedanta is that there exists somewhere, could we but find it, available to experience or self-revelation, if denied to intellectual research, a single truth comprehensive and univ ersal in the light of which the whole of existence would stand revealed and explained both in its nature and its end. This universal existence, for all its multitude of objects and its diversity of forces, is one in subs tance and origin; and there is an unknown quantity, X or Brahman to which it can be reduced, for from that it started and by that it still exists. This unknown quantity is called Brahman."

-- Sri Aurobindo, The Upanishads

Aitreya Upanishad

It belongs to the Rg Veda. It is considered as one of the principal Upanisads and concerns with imparting the knowledge of the Self (atman) as the unequalled substance of the universe, that He is pure consciousness, that he also has become everything from Indra and Prajapati down to the lowest and last in creation.

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

"Teachings from the forest." The Brhad is the longest and the oldest of the Upanisads. It contains dialogues between Gargya and King Ajatasatru, between Vajnavalkya and Maitreyi, and between Vajnavalkya and King Janaka. It belongs to the Sukla Yajur Veda and primarily deals with the exoteric and esoteric aspects of the horse sacrifice.

Chandogya Upanisad

The Chandogya Upanisad contains the story of Svetaketu, a boy who was sent away by his father to be educated. When he returns, Svetaketu and his father engage in a dialogue regarding his knowledge. It is classified under Sama Veda.

"The Chhandogya, we see from its first and introductory sentences, is to be a work on the right and perfect way of devoting oneself to the Brahman; the spirit, the methods, the formulae are to be given to us."

-- Sri Aurobindo, The Upanishads, SABCL 12 p. 393

Katha Upanisad

The Katha contains the story of Natchiketas, who is granted three wishes by Yama, the lord of death. The last wish Natchiketas asks for is the knowledge of that which is beyond death, the Absolute, Brahman.

Kena Upanisad

"The Kena Upanishad ...concerns itself only with the relation of mind-consciousness to Brahman-consciousness and does not stray outside the strict boundaries of its subject. The material world and the physical life are taken for granted, they are hardly mentioned. But the material world and the physical life exist for us only by virtue of our internal self and our internal life. According as our mental instruments represent to us the external world, according as our vital force in obedience to the mind deals with its impacts and objects, so will be our outward life and existence. The world is for us what our mind and senses declare it to be; life is what our mentality determines that it shall become. The question is asked by the Upanishad, what then are these mental instruments? what is this mental life which uses the external? Are they the last witnesses, the supreme and final power? Is mind all or is this human existence only a veil of something greater, mightier, more remote and profound than itself?"

-- Sri Aurobindo, The Upanishads, SABCL 12 pp. 155-56

Sandilya Upanisad

This is one of the minor Upanisads and contains dialogues between the sages Atharvan and Sandilya. It concerns with the eight stages of yoga and points to the attainment of the state of Brahman as the final resort.

(See also: Upanisads, Hinduism, Vedic Scriptures, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

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 ...

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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

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 ...

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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

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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 ...

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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

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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 ...

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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

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 ...

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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

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 ...

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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

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. ...

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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