Yoga

Welcome to Yoga. Here is a brief overview of yoga and an outline of some of the things we will be doing.

Yoga is a very ancient holistic practice dating back to at least 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found stone figures in yogic postures (asanas) from that period. The Sanskrit meaning of the word “yoga” is union, that is, union of mind, body, and spirit, but also union of self to the cosmos. It connects us to the unchanging realities of life.

There are many types of yoga, the most popular in America being Hatha. Yet it is just one of many, and is meant to be combined with others. Houston Smith, author of The World’s Religions, wrote that each of the yogas stands for a different aspect of ourselves. Hatha emphasizes postures to tone and stretch the body, to help the body relax and heal itself. Yet in working on the body, the mind is also worked on. Some yogis consider Hatha under the rubric of Raja, which is called the “royal road.” Raja emphasizes physical and mental control through such things as postures and breathing (pranayama). Bhakti Yoga is the way of devotion through love and prayers and other methods. Karma Yoga emphasizes action of the highest sort, that of helping others. In this sense, someone like Mother Teresa is a Karma yogi. Jnana Yoga emphasizes knowledge and wisdom gained through the study of books. The Jnana yogi cuts the veil of ignorance through his or her knowledge. And so, there are four main categories: Raja, Bhakti, Karma, and Jnana, or five if Hatha is its own category.

Suggested readings:

Visit a bookstore and go through the yoga books and see which ones you like, and also look at related works by people such as Joseph Campbell, Allan Watts, D. T. Susuki, the Dalai Lama, and so on. Some ancient ones are the Yoga Sutras, The Ramayana by Valmiki (an epic), and the Bhagavad Gita (an epic about the prince Arjuna and Krishna). The Upanishads are spiritual treatises and explain many important concepts. Aurobindo is recommended for Raja yoga and mysticism. A good practical guide that also includes sections on diet, meditation, yoga during maternity, and yoga during the later years is The Sivananda Companion to Yoga (Simon & Schuster). There are also many, many books on mysticism and religion from Christianity, Judaism, Islam (sufism), and so on. St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila were practitioners of contemplation and meditation.