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Types of Yoga
Posted on
Saturday, November 3, 2007
by DSLR MASTER
Types of Yoga
Swami Vivekananda enunciates four types of Yoga: viz., Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga.
Karma Yoga is the Yoga of action performed unselfishly for the welfare of others. A Karma Yogi is one who works incessantly for the good of mankind without any motive. The path of a Karrna Yogi is not to get away from the materialistic world but to live within and learn to enjoy the supreme happiness derived from selfless work. Scientists of the modern world could be considered apt examples of Karma Yogis. The motivating force behind most renowned scientists is neither money nor fame but an irresistible desire to discover the truth hidden in the objective world. It is an attitude of the mind that should be developed consciously.
Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of love and purity. It is more suitable for those predisposed to an emotional propensity. When Jesus Christ said "Love your enemies", He was preaching Bhakti Yoga. The love of a mother for her child is more a maternal instinct than a gender-based love. But the love between youngsters of both sexes is motivated by the pleasure-seeking instinct. However, true love goes beyond these parameters and pervades entire humanity without any restriction. Mother Teresa of Calcutta could be considered a person who practised Bhakti Yoga in its most exalted form. The methods and techniques of Bhakti Yoga are love and affection toward others without any discrimination. It warrants the elimination of emotions like hatred, jealousy, prejudice, and enmity from one's mental make-up.
Jnana Yoga is the Yoga of knowledge and wisdom. It does not deal with ordinary knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic, but goes deeper into the knowledge of man, his life after death, the ultimate aim of man's life, the creation of the universe, etc. It is suitable for all those who are endowed with the capacity to think and analyse in an objective manner. The deeper they contemplate on the nature of man, life after death and creation of the universe, the greater they are convinced that the whole world is Maya (illusory) and transitory in nature and wonder at the greatness of God who is the ultimate reality. This type of feeling ultimately makes many renounce the world and lead a life of seclusion. In this way, most saints and seers practise Jnana Yoga.
Raja Yoga is the Yoga of growth and development through mental discipline. Fatanjali is the highest authority on Raja Yoga. Of all the other Yogas, only Raja Yoga has prescribed eight steps to practise in a scientific manner for physical, mental and emotional development.
The first step is Yama (social virtues) that deals with:
(a) Ahimsa (non-violence)
(b) Sathya (truthfulness)
(c) Astcya (non-stealing)
(d) Brahmacharya (continence)
(e) Aparigraha (unselfishness)
The second step is Niyama (personal virtues), which insists on:
(f) Soucha (purity of body and mind)
(g) Santosha (contentment)
(h) Tapas (austerity)
(i) Swadhyaya (self-study and improvement)
(j) Ishwara Pranidhana (self-surrender to God)
Yama and Niyama could be considered the Ten Commandments of Yoga meant for controlling the passions and emotions of a person and thereby paving the way for practise of higher levels of Yoga.
The third step is Asana, which refers to body postures, and physical exercises to
restore and refresh the body by better circulation of blood, more effective breathing and muscular relaxation.
The fourth step is Pranayama. It refers to Yogic exercises of breath control used to relax the body and thus recharge the body's batteries. Prana is the generalised manifestation of all forces and power in the universe. Pranayama, therefore, refers to certain exercises through which every part of the body is filled with Prana and from this vital force a certain amount of power is generated in the body. Through Pranayama one is able to exert complete control over his body, mind and emotions.
The fifth step is Prathiyahara. It is control of the senses, the intentional withdrawal from sights, sounds, smells and feelings of the external world, and selective inattention to the senses.
The sixth step is Dharna. It is deep, unrestricted, pinpointed concentration of the mind on a particular object or idea.
The seventh step is Dhyana, which is meditative awareness. For instance, there is a steady flow when oil is poured from one vessel to another; when the flow of concentration (Dharna) is uninterrupted; the state that arises is Dhyana (meditation).
The last step in Raja Yoga is Samadhi, the highest level of meditation and the supreme goal of Yoga. It is oneness - union with the Self (the Divine). In the state of Samadhi, the body and senses are at rest as if one is asleep but at the same time, the faculties of mind and reason are fully alert, like when one is wide-awake.
posted by DSLR MASTER @ 1:27 PM
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