| History of Hatha Yoga: The history of hatha yoga | | | | out of compassion, he did not want to battle with his |
| goes back in the fifteenth century India when Yogi | | | | relatives and teachers on the other side. |
| Swatmarama, a sage during those times, introduced it | | | | Krishna then goes on to tell how Arjuna should |
| as a form of "a stairway to the heights" of Raja Yoga | | | | surrender the fruits of his actions (good or bad) to |
| which is the preparatory stage of physical purification | | | | himself (as the Supreme Person or avatara) : |
| that makes the body fit for the practice of higher form | | | | Krishna describes that allocated work done without |
| of meditation. Hatha yoga is also known to be called | | | | expectations, motives, or anticipation of its outcome |
| as "hatha vidya" and the word "hatha" is a combination | | | | purifies one's mind and slowly makes an individual fit to |
| of the words, "ha" which means sun "tha" that means | | | | see the value of reason. He states that it is not |
| moon and they are said to refer to the prinicipal "nadis" | | | | necessary to remain in external solitude, or actionless, |
| or the energy channels of the body and must be fully | | | | in order to practice a spiritual life, with the state of |
| operational to attain the state of "dhyana" or a certain | | | | action or inaction is solely determined in the mind. |
| aspect of meditation. | | | | In order to attain the perfection of life, Krishna |
| Some people may link that the origins of hatha yoga | | | | describes it is important to control all mental desires |
| which dates back in the tenth or eleventh century with | | | | and tendencies to enjoy pleasures of the senses. The |
| Goraknath, a yogin during those times. However, the | | | | practice of Karma Yoga in everyday life makes an |
| oldest surviving text about hatha yoga is the Hatha | | | | individual fit through action, meditation and devotion to |
| Yoga Pradipika by yogin, Yogi Swatmarama. The text | | | | sharpen his reasoning, develop intuitive power of |
| is said to be taken from old Sanskrit writings and | | | | acquiring knowledge and to transcend the mind itself. |
| personal yogin experiences of the yogin himself. The | | | | History Of Raja Yoga |
| text relates about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, | | | | Raja Yoga also known as Classical Yoga or simply |
| chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis, and | | | | Yoga is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of |
| mudras among others. | | | | Hindu philosophy, being described Patanjali in his Yoga |
| Concept of Hatha yoga: The total concept of the | | | | Sutras. It is also occasionally referred to as A??anga |
| traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path comprising | | | | (eight-limbed) yoga because there are eight aspects to |
| of moral disciplines, physical exercises, breath control, | | | | the path to which one must attend. Raja yoga is |
| and meditation. The hatha yoga that is widely practiced | | | | concerned primarily with the cultivation of the mind |
| and popular in the western countries mainly composed | | | | using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance |
| of the "asanas" or postures and other exercises. | | | | with reality and finally achieve liberation. |
| Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga | | | | The term Raja Yoga is a retronym, introduced in the |
| that concentrates on the physical culture and the other | | | | 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika to differentiate the |
| yoga is the Raja yoga but both of these are referred | | | | school based on the Yoga Sutras from the new |
| to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the | | | | current of Hatha Yoga. |
| Raja yoga concentrates more on the "asanas" or | | | | Concept of Raja Yoga |
| postures to get the body ready for a prolonged | | | | Raja-Yoga is principally concerned with the mind. The |
| meditation that concentrates mainly on the meditative | | | | mind is traditionally perceived as the 'king' of the |
| "asana" poses. The hatha yoga on the other hand | | | | psycho-physical structure which does its bidding |
| concentrates on balancing the mind and body through | | | | (whether or not one has realized this). Because of the |
| physical exercises, controlled breathing, and calming the | | | | relationship between the mind and the body, the body |
| mind through meditation and sheer relaxation. | | | | must be 'tamed' first through self-discipline and purified |
| Different positions or postures are recommended by | | | | by various means (see Hatha Yoga). A good level of |
| practitioners to help lessen or avoid health problems | | | | overall health and psychological integration must be |
| ranging from constipation through cancer. It was said | | | | achieved before the deeper aspects of yoga can be |
| that it helps to reduce stress, pressure, and other | | | | pursued. Humans have all sorts of addictions and |
| mental worries that people today are frequently | | | | temptations and these preclude the attainment of |
| exposed to. | | | | tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) |
| History of Karma Yoga | | | | such as celibacy, abstaining from drugs and alcohol |
| Karma yoga also known as Buddhi Yoga or the | | | | and careful attention to one's actions of body, speech |
| "discipline of action" is centered on the teachings of the | | | | and mind, the human being becomes well to practise |
| Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of | | | | meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself is the |
| Hinduism. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga | | | | alternate meaning of the word yoga. |
| concentrates on the adherence to duty (dharma) while | | | | Patanjali's Yoga Sutras start with the statement yogas |
| remaining detached from the reward. It states that one | | | | citta-vtti-nirodha (1.2), "yoga limits the oscillations of the |
| can attain Moksha (salvation) or love of God (bhakti) | | | | mind". They proceed on to detailing the ways in which |
| by performing their duties in a selfless manner for the | | | | mind can create false ideations and advocate |
| pleasure of the Supreme. Karma Yoga is an inherent | | | | meditation on real objects, which process, it is said, will |
| part of many derivative types of yoga, such as Natya | | | | lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the "Nirbija" |
| Yoga. | | | | or "seedless state", in which there is no mental object |
| Concept Of Karma Yoga | | | | of focus. Practices that serve to maintain for the |
| The word Karma is mentioned from the Sanskrit Kri, | | | | individual the ability to check this state may be |
| meaning 'to do', in its most basic sense karma simply | | | | considered Raja Yoga practices. Thus Raja Yoga |
| means action, and yoga translates to union. Therefore, | | | | encompasses and differentiates itself from other |
| Karma yoga literally translates to the path of union | | | | forms of Yoga by encouraging the mind to avoid the |
| through action. It is described as a way of acting, | | | | sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including |
| thinking and willing by which one acts in accordance | | | | other traditional yogic practices) that can generate |
| with one's duty (dharma) with no consideration of | | | | false mental objects. In this angle, Raja Yoga is "king of |
| personal selfish desires, likes or dislikes, i.e. acting | | | | yogas": all yogic practices are seen as potential tools |
| without being emotionally involved to the fruits of one's | | | | for obtaining the seedless state, itself considered to be |
| deeds. | | | | the first point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain |
| In the case of Arjuna in the Gita, this translated to his | | | | Moksha or Nirvana. Traditionally, schools of yoga that |
| fighting in the oncoming war to uphold the righteous | | | | label themselves "Raja" offer students a mix of yogic |
| cause in accordance with his duty as a warrior; even if | | | | practices and (hopefully) this philosophical viewpoint. |