The psychology and philosophy of yoga can assist the mother to understand the experiences she is going through and to live them more fully. The development of awareness and of being a witness to all experiences in life is a central teaching of yoga. The ability to stand aside and witness what one is passing through removes a lot of fear and anxiety. Awareness builds one's inner resources of self- esteem and confidence and also enables the birth to be more consciously experienced. Yogic psychology also helps us understand the causes and effects of our circumstances in life and this deepens our insight and wisdom.

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga And Motherhood

Mother love and maternal instinct have been central to humankind from the time when Mother Earth was first worshipped. Today mothering is still regarded as the fundamental psychological and perhaps psychic human relationship. Its cornerstone is love of the deepest, most enduring and altruistic kind.

Read more here: » Motherhood: The Mother Link - The MagicalBond of Motherhood

As a provider of milk, and due to cows careful tending of their calves, the cow was a universal symbol of motherhood, and so Hathor became goddess of motherhood, gaining titles such as The Great Cow Who Protects Her Child and Mistress of the Sanctuary of Women. Because of the aspect of motherhood, her priests were oracles, predicting the fate of the newborn, and midwives delivering them. As a mother, since she enclosed the sky, she was seen as the mother of Horus. Symbolically she became the divine mother of the pharaoh, ...

See also:

Hathor, Hathor - The divine waterway, Hathor - Goddess of Motherhood, Hathor - Fertility goddess, Hathor - Musician, Hathor - Bloodthirsty warrior, Hathor - Wife of Thoth, Hathor - Later years, Hathor - Hathor outside the Nile, Hathor - Other spellings

Read more here: » Hathor: Encyclopedia II - Hathor - Goddess of Motherhood

Pregnancy is a total experience. It is a time in a woman's life when it is of prime importance that the various dimensions of her being are in harmony. The regular practice of certain yoga exercises, meditation and breathing techniques ensures optimum health of her body and mind, and the unification of her physical, emotional and spiritual growth with that of the developing child.

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga And Pregnancy

Brahmacharya is very very essential Even in dreams you must be free from lustful thoughts. It requires long practice and careful watch over the mind and Indriyas. Foolish people hastily jump up to the higher courses in Yoga in vain without having this important item which is very useful for spiritual Sadhana.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Hints On 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

While in recent years the word "yoga" has been heard more in gyms than in religious discourse, "yoga" in its original sense has little to do with exercise. "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit verb yuj, to yoke or unite. The goal of yoga is to unite oneself with God; the practice of yoga is the path we take to accomplish this.

Read more here: » Yoga: The Meaning of Yoga

An Introduction to Yoga

Yoga can be defined as a complete science of life. It was originated in India many thousands of years ago. It is the most diversified spiritual practice in the world and crosses over many cultures including Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Yoga also extends over multiple languages such as Hindi, Tibetan, Sanskrit and many more.

Read more here: » Yoga: An Introduction to Yoga

Yoga is union with the infinite through meditation and Samadhi.

A Yogi is freed from Karma or the law of cause and effect, from births and deaths and from the trammels of mind and flesh.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: The Quintessence Of Yoga

Ethics as a Means to Yoga.

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

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga of Right Conduct

Perfection In Yoga

A Yogi can switch his life-currents, to and from the senses. He takes the Prana and the mind to the Sahasrara or the thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head. He enters into Samadhi. He is dead to the world. He experiences superconsciousness or Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He is in blissful union with the Lord.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Perfection In Yoga

A seeker asked, "What action shall I perform to attain God?" "If you wish to attain God" came the response, "there are two things you must know. The first is all efforts to attain God are of no avail."

"And the second?" the seeker asked.

"The second is that you must act as if you do not know the first!"

The stages in yoga:

-       The Beginning Stage

-       The Intermediate Stage

-       The Advanced Stage

-       The Achievement Stage

(See also: Yoga, Yoga, Yoga and Health, Yoga Systems, Yoga Positions)

Yog means union. Union with a supreme power which is the source of creation, perfection and destruction. Union with the supreme intellect and the guiding force behind the perfect mechanism of the universe. Yoga is merging oneself with this force that guides the human being to a state of total bliss. A human being is a small universe in itself. When the consciousness of this small universe unites with the energy prevailing in the vast canopy of the universe the union is complete and the light of wisdom starts flowing in the human body.

Read more here: » Yoga - Beyond The Body And Mind

Yoga-II

Yoga is primarily a process of self-culture. Its aim is the attainment of spiritual perfection or Self-realisation. The process of Yoga pertains to the control of the physical organs, the breath, the mind and the senses.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga for Self-realisation

Yoga - I

Yoga is a perfect practical system of self-culture. Yoga is an exact science. It aims at the harmonious development of the body, the mind and the soul. Yoga is the turning away of the senses from the objective universe and the concentration of the mind within. Yoga is eternal life in the soul or spirit. Yoga aims at controlling the mind and its modifications. The path of Yoga is an inner path whose gateway is your heart.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga - a perfect practical system of self-culture

Yoga is the art of uniting the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, of uniting the Kundalini Sakti lying dormant in the Muladhara Chakra with Siva in the Sahasrara Chakra. By convention, all practices that help the attainment of this goal are also called Yoga.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Yoga And Its Consummation

Some Yogic students think that only he who can fly in the air, walk on the water, and do such other miracles, can be called a Yogi. It is a sad mistake. To be peaceful, to be calm, to radiate joy, to have an intense aspiration to realise God, to have the spirit of service and devotion, to be self-controlled-this is real Yoga. Flying in the air is not yoga. Why should one aspire to fly like a bird after attaining the human birth? You must have a willing heart to serve everybody and a desire to possess all divine virtues. This is Yoga.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Ideals in Yoga

 The word "yoga" often brings to mind a classroom of students attired in exercise clothing attempting to stretch their bodies into different postures. A more traditional yoga class will even include instruction in breathing techniques, concentration, meditation, and positive thinking. In the media today, yoga is often associated with health benefits such as stress reduction, lower blood pressure, and an overall decrease in illness and hospitalization rates. This is the Western idea of yoga. If we look to the Eastern approach, where yoga is a part of the great Hindu and Buddhist traditions, we find that yoga is all of these things but much, much more as well.

Read more here: » Yoga: Serve, Love, Meditate, Realize - The Inner Teachings of Yoga

Most of the diseases take their origin in over-eating, sexual excess and outbursts of anger and hatred. If the mind is kept cool and calm at all times, you will have wonderful health, strength and vitality.

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

Read more here: » Yoga Sadhana: Yoga for Health

It is due to the veil of ignorance that you have forgotten your real essential nature, the Sat-Chit-Ananda state. It is not at all necessary for you to renounce the world and run to some Himalayan cave to regain your lost divinity. Here is an easy Sadhana by which you can definitely attain God-consciousness, even while living in the world amidst multifarious activities.

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

Read more here: » Yoga: A Dynamic Yoga