Tag Archives: hatha yoga

What’s The Point Of Yoga?

Posted by David on

The more I reflect on yoga, the more I begin to wonder what exactly is it trying to achieve?

If you look at the physical postures of Hatha yoga, they appear to be aiming at training someone to become a circus act. What are the health benefits of such extreme flexibility? And, are there any longer-term dangers from practicing hyper joint and muscle extensions over many years?

And, if we take a look at the mental/spiritual side of Raja yoga, is it any better. Are the feats of mental endurance really that healthy? Or are they the an induced form of autism? A kind of spiritual ‘genius’, that is similar to the autistic savants who can perform amazing feats of mathematics. And, if so, of what value is this to your average human?

Whilst, we may well be embodied spirits, do we really need such yoga practices to realise it? Or do we need them to live in a manner that acknowledges that simple truth.

© David R. Durham
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Yoga Styles

Posted by David on

Yoga is not one ‘thing’, but it is a title given to a wide range of spiritual values, approaches, goals and techniques which have developed over the last 5,000 years in India.

Consequently, there have evolved many different expressions of Yoga, centered around different flavours of teachers and their styles.

However, whatever the mode of expression, they all have the same basic aim, which is the transcendence of the limited body/mind consciousness into a broader, deeper and more complete awareness and experience of ourselves.

In many ways the Yoga traditions have tried to systemise and sign-post the process of awakening to our broader consciousness.

It also seems to be the case that many try, and few succeed. And of those who do succeed, many keep quiet about it. This may be because having got over the bliss of the initial energy release, it becomes evident that this is simply your natural state, which you’d never left. And then the human condition can be experienced as a rather special and precious state of consciousness.

There are several main stream schools of yoga, where there is a good deal of overlap in principles and practices, and they should not be thought of as separate in any literal sense of the word.

Raja Yoga
This school is focused on meditation, contemplation and mind training.

Hatha Yoga
This is very much focused on developing the body as a means of transcendence.

Jana Yoga
The emphasis here is on self-realisation through knowledge or wisdom. It is through gnosis that reality is seen.

Bhakti Yoga
Here the heart is introduced, and bhakti yoga is a purification through love of the divine.

Karma Yoga
This is a yoga of inner attitude towards action. This action freedom aproach views the world as a vibratory arising process. And through the realisation of this, our limited ego-mind can be seen through.

Mantra Yoga
This is tuning into and experiencing the vibratory world of sound. This is practiced through sacred chants and hymns. Some of the oldest recorded spiritual writings, the Vedas, are designed to be sung.

Tantric Yoga
Tantric yoga contains ways of exploring the depths of human consciousness and has tools for transformation and liberation from the limits of our superficial human condition. (See my blog on the 1st of December for more)

What can be noticed when we see a brief summary list such as this, is how these different strands of the fabric of yoga can appeal to different people’s natural predispositions and mentality.

What can also be observed how the inseparable human qualities of mind, emotions and body can all become channels to the realisation of the divine within all of us.

For the serious student of yoga, I’d recommend the following book:

The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice,
by George Feuerstein

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© David R. Durham

Patanjali’s Yoga

Posted by David on

Ripling down through the centuries to us is an age-old yoga philisophy of mind, body and spirit which helps us to reveal the true beauty of ourselves.

Within the diverse yogic sytems and traditions there echoes a simple and direct core message of who we are within the wonder of this universe.

At the heart of yoga is the experience of meditation. Around this, and to support our meditation activity, are other aspects of yoga practise such as the physical exercises (asanas), recommended life-style etc.

And woven through yoga is a timely reminder that we are not separate from our source and we never have been.

Structure:
One of the key gifts of yoga is the way it has structured an approach to living which allows us to discover and express more of ourselves within a non-dogmatic experiential framework.

One of the main sources of this yoga structure or system, is an Indian sage known as Patanjali.

Mr P. provided a coherent body of teachings which aimed to relieve our restlessness, pain and agnst in our daily lives, and to replace them with peace, joy and an understanding of our true nature.

A summary of the basic goal of yoga is a realisation of Kaivalya or eternal oneness, i.e. a dissolution or seeing through the illusion of separateness from our source, and a freedom from identification with the modifications of the mind.

For us to accomplish this state, Mr P. elucidated 8 sections or parts to the practice of yoga, and these are:

1. Yam (Injunctions)
These are guidelines for healthy living, such as don’t steal, not hurting others, being truthful etc.

2. Niyam (Observances)
This encourages us to have healthy relationships based on cleanliness, devotion to source and inner contentment.

3. Aasan (Physical Postures)
These are the designed to cultivate our physical bodies in the persuit of kaivalya. This is the form of yoga which may of us are most familiar with. These aasans were designed to strengthen and purify the body for meditation.

4. Praaanayaam (Breath Regulation)
This deals with the cultivation of one’s life energy (or praan) through breathing.

5. Pratyaahaar (Inward Attention)
You learn to focus your attention on your mind, instead of unconsciously following the dictates of your senses.

6. Dhaarnaa
Focusing your mind.

7. Dhyan
Stable meditation practice.

8. Samaadhi
The state of oneness.

These last three are effectively one seamless activity called meditation, which we practice over and over again until its second nature. This meditation practice aims to reduce our unconscious distractions and lead to a simple focus on our state of oneness.

As you can see, there is an elegant simplicity to Patanjali’s formulation and one which is practical for us, some thousands of years after its formulation, to appreciate and follow.

More on these in subsequent blogs.

A book which you will find useful on these:

Sacred Texts: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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