Yoga

Yoga (Sanskrit, P?li: '') refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India.For the uses of the word in P?li literature, see Thomas William Rhys Davids, William Stede, Pali-English dictionary. Reprint by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1993, page 558: [http://books.google.com/books?id=xBgIKfTjxNMC&pg=RA1-PA558&dq=yoga+pali+term&lr=#PRA1-PA558,M1] The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.Denise Lardner Carmody, John Carmody, Serene Compassion. Oxford University Press US, 1996, page 68.Stuart Ray Sarbacker, Samadhi: The Numinous and Cessative in Indo-Tibetan Yoga. SUNY Press, 2005, pages 1-2.Tattvarthasutra 6.1, see Manu Doshi (2007) Translation of Tattvarthasutra, Ahmedabad: Shrut Ratnakar p. 102 In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (?stika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices."Yoga has five principal meanings: 1) yoga as a disciplined method for attaining a goal; 2) yoga as techniques of controlling the body and the mind; 3) yoga as a name of one of the schools or systems of philosophy (); 4) yoga in connection with other words, such as hatha-, mantra-, and laya-, referring to traditions specialising in particular techniques of yoga; 5) yoga as the goal of yoga practice." Jacobsen, p. 4.Monier-Williams includes "it is the second of the two S??khya systems," and " abstraction practised as a system (as taught by Patañjali and called the Yoga philosophy)" in his definitions of "yoga". In Jainism it refers to the sum total of all activities?mental, verbal and physical.

Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.Pandit Usharbudh Arya (1985). The philosophy of hatha yoga. Himalayan Institute Press; 2nd ed.Sri Swami Rama (2008) The royal path: Practical lessons on yoga. Himalayan Institute Press; New Ed edition.Swami Prabhavananda (Translator), Christopher Isherwood (Translator), Patanjali (Author). (1996). Vedanta Press; How to know god: The yoga aphorisms of Patanjali. New Ed edition. Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition.Jacobsen, p. 4. Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,For a list of 38 meanings of the word "yoga" see: Apte, p. 788. and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj," meaning "to control," "to yoke" or "to unite."For "yoga" as derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" with meanings of "to control," "to yoke, or "to unite" see: Flood (1996), p. 94. Translations include "joining," "uniting," "union," "conjunction," and "means."For meaning 1. joining, uniting, and 2., union, junction, combination see: Apte, p. 788.For "mode, manner, means," see: Apte, p. 788, definition 5.For "expedient, means in general," see: Apte, p. 788, definition 13. Outside India, the term yoga'' is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy is called a yogi or yogini.American Heritage Dictionary: "Yogi, One who practices yoga." Websters: "Yogi, A follower of the yoga philosophy; an ascetic."

Hatha Yoga (Sanskrit ????? , ), also called Hatha Vidya (????????), is a system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this treatise Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation. The Asanas and Pranayama in Raja Yoga were what the Hindu Yogis used to physically train their body for long periods of meditation. This practice is called shatkarma. The word Hatha is a compound of the words Ha and Tha meaning sun and moon ( ????? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? | ?????????????????????????? ???????? || ), referring to Praana and Apaana, and also to the principal nadis (energy channels) of the subtle body that must be fully operational to attain a state of dhyana or sam?dhi. According to the Monier Moneir-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, the word "hatha" means forceful. It is a strong practice done for purification. In other respects Hatha yoga follows the same principles as the Raaja Yoga of Patanjali including moral restraint yama and spiritual observances niyama. Hatha Yoga is what most people in the West associate with the word "Yoga" and is practised for mental and physical health throughout the West.

Bikram Yoga, also known as hot yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury.Corporate registration for "Bikram Choudhury Yoga, Inc." Number: C2288343 Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 27 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes.

Choudhury lives in Beverly Hills and teaches at his self-founded Bikram's Yoga College of India in Los Angeles. Before emigrating to the United States, Bikram was trained at the Bishnu Ghosh school in Calcutta, India.Hilary E. MacGregor, Have You Had Your McYoga today? Los Angeles Times, July 7 2002. Bikram holds a U.S. copyright on his yoga and Bikram yoga instructors are required to undergo a training and certification process to teach it.Mindy Fetterman, Yoga Copyright Raises Questions of Ownership, USA Today, July 29, 2006. Bikram has over 500 studios throughout the world, with new studios opening up regularly.Skajian, 2007 The Yoga College of India has trained over 3000 instructors, charging upwards of $9,000 per person plus other expenses for the training regimen. Note that the Yoga College of India does have branches in Japan, but they are wholly unaffiliated with the two small schools run by Bikram's younger brother Budhadeb Choudhury (the poses, method of instruction, and teacher training differ).

Tantra (; " weave" denoting continuity),Norbu, p. 49 (anglicised tantricism or tantrism) or tantram () is a religious philosophy according to which Shakti is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of Shakti and Shiva. The word Tantra also applies to any of the scriptures (called "Tantras") commonly identified with the worship of Shakti. Tantra deals primarily with spiritual practices and ritual forms of worship, which aim at liberation from ignorance and rebirth. Tantrism has influenced the Hindu, Bön, Buddhist, and Jain religious traditions. Tantra in its various forms has existed in India, Nepal, China, Japan, Tibet, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia and Mongolia. Despite reluctance to support a rigorous definition of tantra, David Gordon White offers the following definition:

Tantra is that Asian body of beliefs and practices which, working from the principle that the universe we experience is nothing other than the concrete manifestation of the divine energy of the Godhead that creates and maintains that universe, seeks to ritually appropriate and channel that energy, within the human microcosm, in creative and emancipatory ways.

Kriya Yoga is described by its practitioners as the ancient Yoga system revived in modern times by Mahavatar Babaji through his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya, c 1861, and brought into widespread public awareness through Paramhansa Yogananda's book Category: wikisource - :Autobiography of a Yogi|Autobiography of a Yogi. The system consists of a number of levels of Pranayama based techniques that are intended to rapidly accelerate spiritual development and engender a profound state of tranquility and God-communion."Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened...the secret of cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery." Autobiography of a Yogi, 1946, by Paramhansa Yogananda, chapter 26.

Dahn yoga (also known as Dahn Hak or Dahnhak) is a Korean yoga system founded by Ilchi Lee. In Korean, dahn means "primal, vital energy," and hak means "study of a particular theory or philosophy." Dahn teachings are said to place equal emphasis on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. News sources have described its exercises as "a blend of yoga, tai chi, and martial arts exercises." A number of lawsuits have been enacted against the organization and former members suggest that Lifton's criteria of thought reform applies to their strategies. http://www.ex-cult.org/General/lifton-criteriahttp://cbs2chicago.com/investigations/dahn.yoga.cult.2.1049155.html

Iyengar Yoga, created by B. K. S. Iyengar, is a form of yoga known for its use of props, such as belts and blocks, as aids in performing asanas (postures). It is firmly based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, emphasizing the development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana).

A form of Hatha Yoga, it focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas. Through the practice of a system of asanas, it aims to unite the body, mind and spirit for health and well-being. This discipline is considered a powerful tool to relieve the stresses of modern-day life which in turn can help promote total physical and spiritual well-beingB.K.S. Iyengar Yoga FAQ, 2006.

Iyengar Yoga is characterized by great attention to detail and precise focus on body alignment. Iyengar pioneered the use of "props" such as cushions, benches, blocks, straps, and even sand bags, which function as aids allowing beginners to experience asanas more easily and fully than might otherwise be possible without several years of practice. Props also allow tired or ill students to enjoy the benefits of many asanas via fully "supported" methods requiring less muscular effort.

Standing poses are emphasized in Iyengar Yoga. They are said to build strong legs, increase general vitality, and improve circulation, coordination and balance, ensuring a strong foundation for study of more advanced poses.

Unlike more experiential approaches where students are encouraged to independently "find their way" to the asanas by imitating the teacher, an Iyengar Yoga class is highly verbal and precise, with misalignments and errors actively corrected. Iyengar teachers complete at least two years of rigorous training for the introductory certificate. They may complete subsequent intermediate levels and senior levels of certification, potentially entailing a decade or more of training.

Iyengar also developed extensively ways of applying his practice to various ailments, diseases, and disorders. Many of these sources of suffering, such as chronic backache, immunodeficiency, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression and menopause, have specific programs of Iyengar yoga associated with them. Iyengar himself worked with patients after patients had myocardial infarctionsIyengar Yoga Increases Cardiac Parasympathetic Nervous Modulation Among Healthy Yoga Practitioners, December 2007. The asanas can be adjusted based on the patient's stage of recovery. Khattab, K., Khattab, A., Ortak, J., Richardt, G. & Bonnemeir, H. (2007, December). Iyengar Yoga Increases Cardiac Parasympathetic Nervous Modulation Among Healthy Yoga Practitioners. Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 511-517. These programs are formulated in their most advanced form at the centre of Iyengar Yoga: the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute located in Pune, India.

There have been many studies performed on the effects of Iyengar yoga on patients with physical problems. In general, Iyengar yoga is useful in physical therapy because it assists in the manipulation of inflexible or injured areas. One study by Dr. Sharon Kolasinski et. al studied the effects of Iyengar yoga on symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knees. The 11 participants attended a weekly 90-minute session for eight weeks in which they practiced Iyengar yoga. After the program, they had reduced pain and disability. This study had some limitations in that only 11 patients were involved and there was no control group. Kolasinski, S., Garfinkel, M., Tsal, A., Matz, W., Van Dyke, A., Schumacher, H. (2005, November). Iyengar Yoga for Treating Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Knees: A Pilot Study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(4), 689-693.

In another study of Iyengar yoga, it was shown to be promising as a complementary treatment for depression. Shapiro et al performed this study in which 17 participants that suffered from major unipolar depression attended at least six sessions of Iyengar yoga. At the end, they reported a reduction in depression, anxiety, and anger. This was a pilot study with a single-group outcome design and no placebo or other control group. The study concluded that yoga is cost-effective and easy to implement and that it produces many beneficial emotional, psychological, behavioral, and biological effects. Shapiro, D., Cook, I., Davudor, D., Ottaviant, C., Leuchter, A., Abrams, M. (2007, December). Yoga as a Complementary Treatment of Depression: Effects of Traits and Moods on Treatment Outcome. Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 493-502.

R?ja Yoga ("royal yoga", "royal union", also known as Classical Yoga) is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.

Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.K A Jacobsen & G J Larson Theory And Practice of Yoga: Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson, p. 4.

In the context of Hindu philosophy Raja Yoga is known simply as yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Hindu philosophy.

Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path (or new religious movement)"In the early 1970s Swami Muktananda began visiting the U.S. to teach the followers who had sought him out in India, and soon his Siddha Yoga was a thriving American movement," Timothy Miller, Religious Movements in the United States. based on the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. The Siddha Yoga organization has ashrams and meditation centers in a number of countries, including India, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Brasil and Japan.