| Maybe your doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or | | | | temple, and Pilates, can trace their ancestry back to |
| best friend told you Yoga would be good for you. You | | | | Yoga. |
| have heard so much about Yoga; it seems that Yoga | | | | The "higher forms of Yoga" are said to be Bhakti, |
| is a "cure" for almost anything. The more you hear, the | | | | Jnana, Karma, and Raja Yoga. Each of these four |
| more confusing it is to understand what Yoga is all | | | | styles is a complex subject, within themselves, and I |
| about. | | | | cannot do them justice by a summarization. |
| Should you go out and buy a Yoga book? What | | | | Hatha Yoga sub-styles are the most prolific outside of |
| would be the best Yoga book to buy? If you visit the | | | | India. Most new Yoga practitioners will learn a Hatha |
| local book store, you see hundreds of Yoga books, | | | | Yoga sub-style first. Hatha Yoga, and its many |
| CD's, DVD's, card decks, and kits. Should you buy a | | | | sub-styles, primarily emphasize physical health, which |
| copy of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali or buy one of | | | | will likely result in improved mental health. Most Hatha |
| the "for dummies" Yoga books? | | | | Yoga classes, outside of India, do not approach spiritual |
| Below is an overview of Yoga, which may help you | | | | health. |
| decide your path of Yogic study. There is no right or | | | | Nevertheless, Hatha Yoga is seen by fundamentalists |
| wrong path of Yoga study, but be selective when you | | | | as an "export of Hinduism." In some rare instances, this |
| choose a Yoga teacher, Yoga book, or Yoga class.. | | | | may be true, but most Hatha Yoga teachers are |
| You should first realize that there are many styles of | | | | content to teach improved health for body and mind. |
| Yoga. There are nine major styles of Yoga; many | | | | Therefore, when you choose a book, or local Yoga |
| more styles exist, as well as many sub-styles. The nine | | | | teacher, be aware that the Yoga teacher or Guru is a |
| major styles of Yoga are Bhakti, Hatha, Jnana, Karma, | | | | guide - but you have a right to know which direction |
| Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, Tantra, and Yantra Yoga. Each | | | | you are being guided to. The Yoga practitioner learns |
| style emphasizes unity of body, mind, and spirit. | | | | to expand his or her mind and make independent |
| The literal meaning of Yoga is "union" or "unity." If we | | | | decisions "along the way." |
| can unify the body, mind, and spirit in harmony, we can | | | | Yoga is non-threatening to religion. If a Yoga instructor |
| achieve tranquility. One of the main purposes of Yoga | | | | teaches intolerance, of any kind, that is not Yoga. Unity |
| is tranquility through improved health due to a holistic | | | | is not sectarianism. We have to learn to appreciate |
| approach to life. | | | | diversity, and we should never tolerate prejudice. |
| India is the birth place of Yoga. There are many | | | | Prejudice and intolerance are often the cause of crime |
| written works about Yoga, but the origin of Yoga | | | | and wars. |
| dates back thousands of years. Yoga is the "mother" | | | | On the "Grand Scale," the goal of Yoga is world |
| of most of the world's health maintenance systems. | | | | peace through unity. |
| Asian martial arts, with an origin from the Shaolin | | | | |