Since human beings began practicing yoga thousands of years ago,
the symbol of a tree has often been linked with the discipline -
and for good reason! Yoga has a multitude of branches when it
comes to how you choose to practice and all of them are based on
the same philosophy, or trunk, of spirituality. Hatha yoga is
the one most well known to Westerners - the physical act of
practicing poses. Here are a few other paths that you may choose
to combine with your personal yoga practice.
Raja Yoga
In raja yoga, the main goal is a calm and spiritual, meditative
state. There are eight principles that are followed strictly and
in order in raja yoga and, though important, physical movement
or poses is not the focus. The eight principles or stages are:
* Ethical standards or 'yama'
* Self-discipline or 'niyama'
* Posture or 'asana'
* Breath control or 'pranayama'
* Sensory withdrawal or 'pratyahara'
* Concentration or 'dharana'
* Meditation or 'dhyana'
* Liberation or 'samadhi'
Karma Yoga
The focus of karma yoga is on service and treatment of others.
The basic idea is that our experiences today are a direct result
of our past actions. Therefore, everything that those who
practice karma yoga do today is in an effort to create a better
future for themselves and those around them. They do this by
eliminating the motivations of pessimism and egotism. This means
living for others instead of ourselves.
Jnana Yoga
Those who practice jnana yoga are most concerned with the
development of the mind. They are scholars interested in the
philosophy behind yoga and they their yoga practice focuses on
studying and understanding ancient and traditional texts. This
is thought to be one of the most intense yoga disciplines as the
learning is intense and difficult.
Unlike branches on a tree, the paths of yoga often intersect and
overlap. Though it is difficult to hang from two or three tree
branches at once, it is not difficult at all to practice more
than one path of yoga. Try them all if you like and choose the
ones that most appeal to you.
About the author:
Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino,
California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines
and provides yoga tips on www.justyogabasics.com.
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