Understanding Yoga

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskirt root “Yug” meaning to join. Yoga literally means yoke or union and speaks of the union of the individual spirit with the universal consciousness (Divine Spirit, God, the Goddess, The Force)

Yoga is not a religion but a path that can be practiced within the framework of any religion or belief system. Many are the yogic paths or disciplines. They are like the fingers on the same hand. The first of the ancient yoga philosophers to write down the yogic knowledge was Patanjali who wrote of the five primary systems of yoga. All of these systems are part of and contained within kundalini yoga – the mother of all yogas.

  1. Hatha Yoga- Physical Culture, yoga postures, exercises, personal development.
  2. Karma Yoga – The science of right action
  3. Bhakti Yoga – The yoga of devotion
  4. Jnana Yoga – The science of mental development and discipline.
  5. Raja Yoga (Ashtang Yog) The Royal Path or supreme yoga. It is the path of the development of the latent powers in man for self-healing and spiritual works

What is Shivyoga ?

Gagangiri Maharaj says Shivyoga is a science, not philosophy – an advance technique for spiritual evolution that comes down from higher ages of spiritual enlightenment. It is part of the ancient science of Raja Yoga. It is referred to Lord shiva in Bhairav tantra, Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras and by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

Shivyoga is the timeless mystic science of Holy Siddhas that enables you to unfold and realize your infinite potential by connecting you with your own true inner self.

Shivyoga is also known as Kundalini Yoga or Kriya Yoga and in its practices Include all the yogas. Shivyoga directs energy lengthwise around the spine, gradually neutralizing the eddies of chitta. At the same time it strengthens the nerves in the spine and brain to receive cosmic currents of energy and consciousness.

The Shiv Yogi mentally directs his life energy upward and downward,  to revolve around the six spinal centers (Chakras). One-half minute of revolution of energy around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half minute of Kriya (spiritual practice) equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment, says Yogananda.

Ashtang yoga (The eightfold path of yoga)

YAMA (interaction with others)

Ahimsa (non violence) : To refrain from causing pain to any living being, including oneself. Every action, word, or thought that causes pain to another With the perfection of ahimsa, one’s non violent nature and peace radiate to others.

Satya (truthfulness) : To develop honesty, to avoid deceiving others and oneself. Cultivating truthfulness requires the aspirant to avoid exaggeration, rationalisation, pretense and all other variants of deceit. When truthfulness is perfected one’s words and blessings always come true.

Asteya (non-stealing) : To avoid any kind of misappropriation of material or non-material things, such as acceptance of undeserved praise. When non-stealing is perfected, one is freed from the illusion of ownership: me/mine, you/yours.

Brahmacharya (continence) : Litarally translated, brahmacharya means “To walk on God’s path”. Perfect celibacy is, above all, an attitude of mind-purity of thought, word and deed. To aid in the practice of celibacy one should eat sattvic food and avoid wordly situations and environments. To conserve and redirect the sexual energy. When continence is perfected, one gains physical, mental and spiritual strength.

Kundalini yoga

What is Kundalini?

“Kundalini, the serpent power or mystic fire, is the primordial energy or Shakti that lies dormant or sleeping in the Muladhara Chakra, the centre of the body. It is an electric fiery occult power, the great pristine force which underlies all organic and inorganic matter. Kundalini is the cosmic power in individual bodies. It is not a material force like electricity, magnetism, centripetal or centrifugal force. It is a spiritual potential Shakti or cosmic power.

 Kundalini Yoga is that Yoga which treats of Kundalini Sakti, the six centres of spiritual energy (Shat Chakras), the arousing of the sleeping Kundalini Sakti and its union with Lord Siva in Sahasrara Chakra, at the crown of the head. This is an exact science. This is also known as Laya Yoga. The six centres are pierced (Chakra Bheda) by the passing of Kundalini Sakti to the top of the head. “Kundala” means “coiled”. Her form is like a coiled serpent. Hence the name Kundalini.”

 (Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga)

Hathayoga

Raja Yoga is the complete thousands of years old classical Yoga Training, of which Hatha Yoga is the basis. First you align your being with Hatha, and then you can develop it further with Raja Yoga.

Hatha Yoga : Hatha yoga is a preparatory process of yoga. The word “ha” means sun, “ta” means moon. “Hatha” means the yoga to bring balance between the sun and the moon in you, or the Pingala and Ida in you. You can explore Hatha yoga in ways that take you beyond certain limitations, but fundamentally, it is a physical preparation – preparing the body for a higher possibility.

Hatha Yoga Include : Asana ( Posture), Pranayam  (Breathing Exersise), Bandh (Lock) and Mudra.

Yogic science gives as much importance to certain cleansing processes as it does to asanas or pranayama. Without regular cleansing of Without purification of the body one will not be ready for the higher practices of yoga. When the body is free the mind also functions properly.

Body cleansing is gained through the practice of shatkarmas or the six purificatory techniques.

There are six main groups of shatkarmas as follows:

1 Neti: nasal cleansing, includingjala neti and sutra neti.

  1. Dhauti: cleansing of the digestive tract, including danta dhauti, vatsara dhauti and so forth.
  2. Nauli: abdominal massage.
  3. Basti: colon cleaning.
  4. Kapalbhati: purification and vitalization of the frontal lobes.
  5. Trataka: blinkless gazing.